The following will appear in the March 27  issue of The Lancet:

Drug-resistant tuberculosis The in­ci­dence of multi­drug-resistant (MDR) tuber­culosis is at a record high. According to a WHO global report, launched to coincide with World Tuberculosis day on March 24, an estimated 440 000 people world­wide had MDR tuberculosis in 2008, a third of whom died. However, only an estimated 7% of people with MDR tuberculosis are diagnosed.

Unique collaboration Three pharma­ceutical companies have agreed to share data with the US Government and not-for-profit groups as part of a trial to get experimental cancer drugs onto the market more quickly. The trial, nicknamed I-SPY2, will use genetic testing to match patients to the most appropriate drug for them, without the need to rewrite the protocol every time a drug is changed.

HIV testing campaign South Africa is to launch the “most ambitious HIV testing campaign in the world”, according to the National AIDS Council. From April 15, every person who attends any one of the country’s 4300 health facilities will be offered an HIV test. The aim is to have 15 million South Africans tested for HIV by June, 2011, and to increase HIV and health awareness.

Patients’ Charter The Ministry of Health of Uganda is to launch its first Patients’ Charter. The document out­lines the rights of patients to redress, confidentiality, information, and autonomy, as well as health workers’ responsibilities. Civil society organisations have welcomed the move, since patients’ rights have long been overlooked in the country.

Pharma fines AUS$1 million collected in fines from pharmaceutical com­panies that breached the marketing code of conduct in Australia are to be donated to charities that support the health of indigenous communities. Medicines Australia is pledging all its revenue after administration costs to the Jimmy Little Foundation to help to fund a healthy eating campaign and a mobile renal dialysis unit.

Tajik health boost More than 1·2 mil­lion Tajik people and 4400 Afghan refugees are to benefit from a donation of US$1·5 million from Japan to assist with a project run by WHO and the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development. The money will be targeted at health-care facilities along the Tajik–Afghan border and others damaged by floods in the central Asian state last year.

Campaigning for peace A British Baron has been awarded a peace prize by the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community in the UK. Eric Lubbock, fourth Baron of Avebury, was recognised for his achievements and work in advancing human rights. The award is part of a national campaign aimed at delivering a message of peace to both Muslim and non-Muslim communities.

Lead poisoning An alloy plant in Sichuan province, China, has been ordered to dis­continue production after 94 people in the vicinity, including 88 children, were found to have high concentrations of lead in their blood. Seven children were admitted to hospital. A local official reassured residents that a full investigation was under way.

Heart health The US Institute of Medicine released Promoting Cardiovascular Health in the Developing World on March 22. The report describes the parts that governments, international agencies, and non-profit organisations can play in tackling the burden of heart disease in develop­ing nations. It draws attention to strategies such as reducing tobacco use and salt intake.

Fighting Chagas disease The Barce­lona Centre for International Health Research and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative have signed an agreement to lead research for new drugs to treat Chagas disease. With only two treatments available, Chagas disease claims about 14 000 lives every year. The organisations will work with the Japanese pharmaceutical company Eisai in running clinical trials.

Safe water Figures released at the 2nd Latin American Sanitation Con­ference held in Brazil show that around 20 million people lack access sys­tems for potable water and basic health services. According to Federico Basañes, head of the Water and Sanitation Division at the Inter-American Development Bank, only 20% of the region’s wastewater is treated before being expelled.

Tweeting for malaria The UN has recruited social media celebrities to promote malaria eradication. Arianna Huffington, of the Huffington Post, CNN host Larry King, Facebook’s Marketing Director Randi Zuckerberg, and Charmed actress Alyssa Milano will all make posts on social networking sites once a month for a year starting on May 25, World Malaria Day.

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