November 18th 2008
This week in medicine
The following will appear in the Nov 22 issue of The Lancet:
Clinical guidelines The American College of Cardiology and American Heart Association have released the first guidelines for the treatment of adults with congenital heart disease. These guidelines are intended to support the care of the rising number of adults with repaired heart defects, by providing comprehensive clinical information on several heart defects and highlighting key issues to look for in follow-up.
Medical supplies Aid agencies in the Democratic Republic of Congo say malnutrition and communicable diseases are taking their toll on refugees as fighting between government and rebel forces continues. A massive effort is under way to ensure the supply of life-saving medicines to hundreds of thousands of people, but, according to WHO, the biggest challenge is identifying where, and for which health conditions, supplies are needed most.
Malaria on trial Malaria still kills around 1 million people every year, many of them young children in sub-Saharan Africa. A safe and effective vaccine is urgently needed to control the disease. A large make-or-break clinical trial of the RTS,S candidate vaccine, involving around 16 000 children, is soon to be launched in seven African countries.
Animal research Oxford University has announced the opening of a new animal research facility to centrally house animals used in research across the university. Its construction was met by strong opposition from animal-rights activists, but the university maintains that research with animals is essential and that animal welfare will benefit from the new building.
HIV/AIDS in India The UN Development Programme (UNDP) has urged India to decriminalise homosexuality to help its fight against HIV/AIDS. India’s rate of new infections in men who have sex with men is increasing, and countries that protect men who have sex with men from discrimination have a far better record of preventing HIV infection in this group, says the UNDP.
Cancer on the rise Lifestyle changes have contributed to a substantial increase in the number of cancer cases in Papua New Guinea, according to their Health Department. Unsafe abortions and multiple sexual partners have led to an increase in cervical cancer, and mouth and liver cancer, linked to smoking and excessive drinking, are also common. Chemotherapy and radiotherapy are not currently available in the country, although a new cancer unit is due to be opened later this year.
Speaking up More than two-thirds of patients with asthma from minority ethnic groups in the UK have uncontrolled symptoms, according to a report from Asthma UK. Similarly, only 64% reported receiving high-quality treatment, compared with 82% of the white population. Asthma UK estimates that 75% of hospital admissions for asthma are avoidable, with improved primary care. The charity is calling on the government to develop national standards and to train signposting workers to help minority populations access appropriate care.
Resistible antibiotics Nov 18 marked the first European Antibiotic Awareness day. Although antibiotics play an essential role in medical management of a wide range of bacterial infections, this campaign is intended to raise public awareness of the dangers of antibiotic resistance posed by inappropriate use of antibiotics-for example, at incorrect doses, or against viral infections.
Preterm births The USA is failing to reduce its high rate of preterm births, according to a new report by the March of Dimes Foundation. In the state-by-state analysis of births in 2005, Vermont had the lowest percentage of livebirths that were premature and Mississippi had the highest. Vermont still scored only a B grade in the report card, and the USA received a D overall.
Aid for Nepal Russia is providing three multipurpose tents as field hospitals for flood-damaged areas of Nepal. Heavy rainfall followed by flash floods in August and September displaced around 70 000 people in the country. WHO has sent mobile health teams and medical provisions to affected areas, and the Russian tents will support sustained emergency response efforts in Subsari and Saptari districts.
Culture in development This year’s world population report from the UN Population Fund focuses on cultural sensitivity as part of development policy and programming. State of World Population 2008 argues that because human rights reflect universal values, culturally sensitive approaches to development and women’s rights in particular are also needed.
Flu Trends The internet search engine Google has launched a new tool that estimates influenza levels across the USA by tracking search queries. Flu Trends releases results in near real time, acting as an early warning system for influenza outbreaks. Google shared estimates with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and found that their results consistently matched CDC influenza data.
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