January 13th 2010
This week in medicine
The following will appear in the Jan 16 issue of The Lancet:
New USAID head Rajiv Shah has been sworn in as the new Administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). Former Undersecretary for Research, Education, and Economics at the Department of Agriculture, Shah is a medical doctor and has held senior posts at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. He cited “restoring USAID’s effectiveness” as his top priority.
ART in Zimbabwe The number of people on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in Zimbabwe will be increased from 180 000 to 300 000 in 2010, according to the country’s government. The need to improve ART distribution is cited as the government’s top priority, and US$285·4 million has been allocated to the ministry of health to tackle the problem.
Surviving cancer A survey by Macmillan Cancer Support has suggested that UK services for long-term cancer survivors do not meet expectations. For example, most patients expect a full assessment of their continuing needs and a personalised care plan once their treatment is over, neither of which are provided as standard. The charity has called on the government to introduce such services.
Threat of war Ten international aid agencies have warned that the peace deal in southern Sudan is on the verge of collapse because of a lethal cocktail of rising violence, chronic poverty, and political tensions. The 2005 peace deal ended a 22-year civil war that killed more than 1·5 million people. The agencies warn that a return to conflict would have devastating consequences far beyond southern Sudan.
Cold chaos A long period of unusually cold weather in northern Europe is taking its toll. The extreme conditions, which have seen parts of the UK reach an almost unprecedented –22°C, have claimed the lives of 122 people in Poland, 29 in Britain, and nine in Germany. 22 people have been killed by avalanches, and thousands of road accidents have been blamed on snow.
Tube feeding The UK Royal College of Physicians and the British Society of Gastroenterology have released a report reviewing the clinical and ethical implications of artificial feeding. Prompted by increasing occurrences of gastrostomy, now being imposed as a condition of residence by some care homes, the aim is to prevent the blanket use of tube feeding in favour of case-by-case judgment.
Tuberculosis in China The rising problem of drug-resistant tuberculosis in China has prompted Chinese scientists to work on a new class of drugs based on clofazimine, which was used in the past to treat leprosy. Researchers hope that the new drug will come into formal preclinical development, and animal studies will begin within the next 6 months.
Early access A framework has been agreed for a scheme to allow early access to extensively trialled but not yet formally licensed drugs for UK patients with life-threatening or debilitating disorders. The Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency will be responsible for implementation of the scheme, which is now undergoing public consultation.
Oncology online The International Atomic Energy Agency has launched a web-based course on radiation oncology, which is aimed at countries with a shortage of cancer specialists, and will focus first on the Asia and Pacific region. The Applied Sciences of Oncology Distance Learning course contains 80 training modules and will complement the training that radiation oncologists receive through formal education in their respective countries.
Medical miracles? Nearly half of Americans believe that cloning organs will be routine by 2020, according to a new poll. 49% of 2841 people questioned in a Zogby interactive survey said use of stem cells and cloned organs will be commonplace in the next decade. 28% envisioned a cure for cancer in 10 years, and 13% believed human life will be extended by 50–100 years.
UAE champions global health On Jan 4–8, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) University in Al-Ain played host to an international conference on the role of the Middle East in tackling global health issues. About 60 public health experts and researchers attended the event, described as the first of its kind on this scale.
Happiness is… 2009 was a happy year for Costa Ricans. Their country was ranked first on the Happy Planet Index, calculated by the New Economics Foundation. The index considers the ecological footprint and life expectancy of countries and the result shows that people can live long and happy lives without misuse of the planet’s natural resources.
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