Telegraph Examines Efforts To Eradicate Guinea Worm, Other Diseases

The Telegraph examines how recent efforts to contain the Guinea worm have led to reductions in the number of cases of the disease worldwide and hopes that the disease will soon be eradicated. The piece also explores scientific efforts to fight other diseases, such as polio, malaria and HIV (Thornton, 3/19).

Malawi Hopes To Put More Than 500,000 People On ARVs By End Of 2010

IRIN reports on Malawi’s plans to “more than double the number of people receiving antiretroviral (ARV) drugs to half a million by the end of 2010.” The country is implementing new WHO guidelines that recommend starting people on ARVs when their CD4 counts are at 350 rather than 200. “UNAIDS Country Coordinator Patrick Brenny said the targets were reachable, provided the country could mobilise the resources, including money, drugs and manpower. An estimated 200,000 HIV-positive people are on treatment in Malawi, where HIV prevalence is at 12 percent” (3/19).

Country Leaders Gather In Lisbon To Discuss Ways To Tackle HIV/AIDS

A three-day meeting of government health officials and epidemiologists from the eight-nation Lusophone Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) gathered together last week to discuss ways to fight HIV/AIDS, the Portugal News Online reports. As part of the conference, the CPLP was to “sign a memorandum of understanding with UNAIDS to facilitate the access of CPLP members to U.N. funds and expertise to fight the pandemic,” according to the news service (3/20). AngolaPress/allAfrica.com also reports from the CPLP meeting, where Angola’s health minister discussed the challenges the country faces fighting the disease (3/18).