The following will appear in the Nov 1 issue of The Lancet:

Childhood allergies The number of children with allergies in the USA has risen 18% over the past 10 years, according to an Oct 22 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 3 million US children are now affected, with increases in asthma, other allergies, and eczema. Overall, 3·8% of boys and 4·1% of girls have allergies.

Hospital crisis Zimbabwe’s two largest health institutions have been forced to turn patients away because of shortages of equipment, drugs, and staff. Doctors and nurses, who are on strike protesting against poor working conditions, are calling for the government and aid agencies to donate adequate funds to prevent the collapse of the country’s health sector.

Mental health The Foresight group, advisers to the UK Government, have released a report on the nation’s mental health, warning of the adverse effect the economic climate and increased global competition will have on workers’ mental states. The report recommends more flexible working arrangements and the provision of public advice to maintain mental wellbeing.

Safe water The provision of safe water and sanitation is key to breaking the cycle of poverty, particularly for women and girls, according to the report Safe Water as the Key to Global Health from the UN International Network on Water, Environment and Health. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation will also soon publish the first ever world map of underground freshwater resources.

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Since the beginning of July, our intrepid reporters in the USA have been blogging about health-related US-election news. If you haven’t kept up-to-date, read their posts on our special election page and vote in our new polls to let us know who you think will be the best candidate for health in the USA, global health, and US medical research. Why wait until Nov 4 to vote if you are American and why wait at all if you are not!

Udani Samarasekera

The candidates’ health-care plans are still a big issue. But just a week and a half before election day, so is the candidates’ actual health. Just a day after the New York Times ran a story exposing gaps in the candidates publicly-disclosed medical records, Senator Joe Biden responded.The Democratic vice presidential nominee gave reporters a look at his health background. Many have been wondering whether 65-year-old Biden could be at risk for another cerebral aneurism. He had his first one 20 years ago, and had to have emergency surgery to stave off some bleeding from a leaking artery. It’s also though he suffered a second, sub-clinical aneurism later.

But Biden’s physicians recorded little concern of a repeat cerebrovascular event. He’s never had a follow-up study to confirm that his arteries are clear. At the same time, Biden’s blood pressure is a relatively healthy 120/78, and he’s taking statins to control his cholesterol.

The corollary to all of this is that Governor Sarah Palin, who’s 44 and the Republican vice presidential nominee, has never disclosed any medical information to the public. She’s running to be second to a 72-year-old John McCain, who’s had two bouts of malignant melanoma (see Correspondence in the Oct 25 issue of The Lancet for more on McCain’s health). Read the rest of this entry »

 The following will appear in the Oct 25 issue of The Lancet:

Infant deaths The US infant mortality rate fell by 2% between 2005 and 2006, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but  is still 50% higher than the national goal of 4·5 deaths per 1000 births.  The decline is the first since 2000, a delay which is attributed to increased preterm births and associated complications. Infant mortality rates were substantially higher (2·4-fold) in non-Hispanic black women, than in non-Hispanic white women.

Praise Uganda Female genital mutilation (FGM) has been banned by the Sabiny, the only remaining community in Uganda still practising the act. The local Kapchorwa district council is lobbying parliament to make the ban part of national law. The ban, encouraged by last year’s UN resolution against FGM, has been enforced just before the start of the seasonal tribal ritual of the procedure.

Vitamin D The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends doubling its previously recommended dose of vitamin D for infants, children, and adolescents. New clinical trials show that 400 IU daily can prevent and treat rickets and could boost immunity and reduce risk of osteoporosis later in life.

HIV in Iran The number of people infected with HIV/AIDS in Iran has reached 18 320-a 30% increase on the 2007 figure. So far, 1592 of those infected with HIV have developed AIDS and 2800 have died. 93·7% of infections were in men. Intravenous drug use is believed to be responsible for the increase. Read the rest of this entry »

The following appeared in the Oct 18 issue of The Lancet:

National Children’s Study The US National Institutes of Health announced the 27 funded centres that will manage 39 locations of this large longitudinal study, expected to begin recruitment in January, 2009.  A representative sample of 100 000 US children from 105 locations will be followed from before birth to 21 years. The aim is to study the effects of genes and environmental factors on children’s health and development.

HIV awareness In an effort to educate its population about prevention and control of HIV/AIDS, the Vietnamese government has announced a new countrywide initiative. The campaign, “Every Citizen is Involved in HIV/AIDS Control and Prevention Activities at Community Level”, will run until the end of 2012.

Counterfeit drugs The European Federation of Pharmaceutical Industries and Associations plans to pilot, by early 2009, a unique coding system that will allow pharmacists to verify the integrity of a pack of drugs before dispensing it. Europe Economics also calls for legislation to prohibit repackaging and relabelling of medicines-an increasingly common point of entry to the market for fake drugs. 

Alcohol use WHO has organised a web-based public hearing from Oct 3-31 in which interested parties are invited to share ideas to reduce harmful use of alcohol. Contributions will be posted on a special WHO website and may be discussed in the upcoming meetings with members of the alcohol industry and health professionals.  

Crisis in Somalia 52 non-governmental organisations working in Somalia signed a statement last week warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis. The statement claims that 1·1 million people are displaced and nearly half the population is in need of emergency aid. It highlights the escalating problems caused by violence, drought, and rising food prices. Read the rest of this entry »