Scientific American Examines Neglected Tropical Diseases A Scientific American article examines recent efforts to tackle neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The author writes “NTDs have plagued humankind for thousands of years. … What is new, however, is that donors, drugmakers, health ministries in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization…

During the Forum of the African AIDS Vaccine Program (AAVP) in Kampala, Uganda, on Wednesday, Alan Bernstein, the director of the Global HIV Vaccine Enterprise, discussed ongoing efforts to launch an experimental HIV vaccine trial – similar to the recent trial in Thailand – in Africa, the Daily Monitor reports.

Pro 2000, a vaginal microbicide gel designed to reduce women’s risk of HIV infection, showed “no evidence that it reduces the risk of HIV infection,” according to the results of a series of clinical trials in Africa, Britain’s Medical Research Council (MRC) said on Monday, Reuters reports.

McClatchy published a three-part series examining the “population boom” in Africa. Summaries appear below. One article looks at the relationship between Africa’s rising population and poverty. “Although it’s frequently portrayed as a continent decimated by epidemics, starvation and war, Africa is gripped by one of the greatest population explosions ever…

Lancet Comment Examines Connection Between Climate Change, Health A Lancet Comment examines the connection between climate change and human health and highlights the role health professionals can play in dealing with the future effects of climate change. “The only heartening aspect of this bleak terrain is the gathering awareness that…

The Financial Times’ Andrew Jack analyzes the debate over different approaches to family planning worldwide. According to Jack, there is a “growing worry that some developing countries have failed to follow the broader ‘demographic transition’ to lower fertility levels that has occurred in past decades in the western world and more recently across Latin America and much of Asia. …”

Lancet Comment Examines Connection Between Climate Change, Health Ahead of the U.N. Climate Change conference in Copenhagen next week, a Lancet comment examines the health consequences associated with climate change and the case for linking climate and health goals. “The issue now is not whether climate change is occurring, but…

By doubling investments in family planning and birth control, developing countries could nearly halve newborn deaths and reduce maternal deaths by 70 percent, a new report said Thursday, Reuters reports.

U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby “unveiled a five-year strategy for fighting AIDS worldwide, shifting the focus from emergency response to sustainable programs in countries worldwide,” Agence France-Presse reports.

Independent Examines Aid To Ethiopia In an article that examines larger aid-related questions and themes, the Independent explores the effects of the Band Aid campaign in Ethiopia 25 years after it first attempted to help famine victims in the country. Band Aid’s “Bob Geldof [recently] went back to Africa to see…