The following will be published in the July 17 issue of The Lancet:

Drug development The TB Alliance has granted the Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) royalty-free rights to develop antituberculosis compounds that have the potential to treat Chagas disease, sleeping sickness, and leishmaniasis. These infectious diseases together kill more than 100 000 people every year. The Gates Foundation is providing a US$1·5 million grant to the DNDi.

Implantable telescope The US Food and Drug Administration has ap­proved an implantable miniature telescope for the treatment of some patients with end-stage age-related macular degeneration. The small telescope is implanted into one eye, replacing the natural lens, and magnifying and projecting images onto a healthy part of the retina.

Zero drinks if driving Russia’s lower house of parliament has approved the reinstatement of a complete ban on driving after consumption of alcohol. The ban was previously in force until July, 2008, when it was relaxed. News agency Itar-Tass claims that thousands of Russians are injured in drink-driving-related accidents. How­ever, others contend that most traffic accidents are caused by poor roads.

New at Medicare Donald Berwick was appointed last week to run Medicare and Medicaid, which provide free medical care to 100 million elderly, poor, and disabled Americans. US President Barack Obama bypassed the normal Senate confirmation process to make the appointment, avoiding a potential reopening of last year’s divisive health-care debate.

Abuse in slums Women and girls in Kenyan slums are living in constant fear of rape and sexual abuse, according to Amnesty International. A report found that women are afraid of leaving their homes to wash or go to the toilet, and that the Kenyan Government has been failing to provide adequate sanitation and law enforcement in the slums.

Biobank bounty The UK Biobank, set up 3 years ago, has reached its goal of enrolling half a million adults. The databank collected health data as well as blood, urine, and saliva samples from British adults aged 40–69 years, which will be analysed in the next three decades in the hope of improving prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases.

Haiti remembered July 12 marked the 6-month anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti that killed nearly a quarter of a million people, injured more, and destroyed much of the infrastructure in the capital Port-au-Prince. The situation for Haitians remains grim: billions promised in aid have been slow to arrive, the visas of those displaced to the USA are running out, and land ownership issues have hampered clearing efforts.

Vaccines burned 40 million doses of influenza A H1N1 vaccine produced for the US public last year have expired and will be incinerated. The doses, worth US$260 million, represent a quarter of the H1N1 vaccine produced, with 30 million additional doses set to expire later. Federal officials defend the oversupply as a necessary risk when confronted with the new virus.

Border crossing Thousands of Gazans have crossed the border with Egypt to seek treatment in Cairo hospitals after Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak opened the Rafah border in response to Israel’s military action against an aid-carrying flotilla. Gaza’s borders with Israel and Egypt were blockaded when Islamist movement Hamas came to power in 2007.

Emergency admissions up A 12% rise in emergency hospital admissions in England over the past 5 years has been declared “unsustainable” by the Nuffield Trust. The trends varied greatly between hospital trusts, with some reporting lower admissions and others reporting double. A lowering of the threshold for clinical intervention is thought to be one cause of the rise.

PTSD payouts The US Department of Veterans Affairs is to relax the conditions under which war veterans can claim disability benefits for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The new rules mean that veterans will no longer have to prove that they have been involved in a traumatic event such as a bomb blast or witnessing a friend being killed, merely that they have served in a war zone.

Beijing smoking ban Beijing is plan­ning a revision to the 1995 Regulation on Banning Smoking in all Public Spaces. The updated ban, starting Jan 1, 2011, will be expanded to all indoor public spaces, including elevators and corridors; there will also no longer be smoking sections in indoor public spaces. Punishments for violation of the ban will be severe.

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