Global Health News and Research

RSS

Dartmouth’s professor shares news of DAR-901 TB vaccine development

Tuberculosis (TB) is second only to HIV/AIDS as the greatest killer worldwide attributable to a single infectious agent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). With 8.8 million cases in 2010 and 95 percent of TB deaths occurring in low- and middle-income countries, the disease continues to be a major public health problem in the developing world. In a July address to the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease, Dartmouth's C. Fordham (Ford) von Reyn shared news of a promising vaccine in the works.

24 Aug 2012

McGill University experts to present at World Cancer Congress

The following list includes some of the McGill University experts who will be attending or presenting at the World Cancer Congress (WCC), the largest gathering of international leaders in the field of cancer, taking place in Montreal from August 27 to 30, 2012.

24 Aug 2012

WHO releases 2012 verbal autopsy instrument

"In today's world, the majority of deaths go unregistered," but "the information that comes from accurate and complete records of deaths -- who died, and why -- constitutes a huge resource for evidence-based health planning and development," Peter Byass, a professor of global health at Umea University in Sweden and director of the Umea Centre for Global Health Research, writes in this post in the PLoS "Speaking of Medicine" blog.

24 Aug 2012

White House issues first-ever national biosurveillance strategy

In an article on the U.S. Department of Defense webpage, the American Forces Press Service reports on the first U.S. National Strategy for Biosurveillance, issued by the White House "to quickly detect a range of global health and security hazards." According to the article, "the Defense Department has a running start in implementing the new plan, a senior defense official said," and "many of the activities described in the strategy are ongoing at DOD."

24 Aug 2012

National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases announces HIV vaccine initiative awards

"Researchers at 14 institutions will explore new approaches to designing a vaccine against HIV with awards that are part of an anticipated four-year, $34.8 million initiative, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases [NIAID] announced Tuesday," the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog reports.

23 Aug 2012

Life-quality concerns for multiple myeloma survivors

Care of patients with multiple myeloma should not end with the achievement of long-term survival, suggests research indicating many experience poor health-related quality of life in the decade after diagnosis.

22 Aug 2012

Obama administration releases 8 interim reports measuring GHI results

"The Obama Administration released eight interim reports last week measuring results achieved in core elements of our U.S. global health programs through the Global Health Initiative (GHI)," the ONE Blog reports.

22 Aug 2012

Massachusetts Institute of Technology to honor IHME's health measurement expert

For the first time, a prestigious technical innovation honor from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) will go to an expert in health measurement: Abraham Flaxman, an Assistant Professor of Global Health at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington (UW).

22 Aug 2012

GWCI announces new collaboration with National Institutes of Health Federal Credit Union

The National Institutes of Health Federal Credit Union, one of the largest credit unions in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and the nation's largest serving the healthcare and biomedical industries has proudly announced a new collaboration with the George Washington Cancer Institute (GWCI).

21 Aug 2012

Australian ruling on cigarette logo ban a 'landmark event' for global health

"The ruling this week by Australia's high court to uphold its government's right to introduce 'plain packaging' for tobacco products is a landmark event for global health," John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society, writes in this Health-e opinion piece.

18 Aug 2012

Blog examines potential health implications of global child marriage act for women, girls

In this post in Management Sciences for Health's (MSH) "Global Health Impact" blog, Belkis Giorgis, senior technical advisor for the Leadership Management and Governance Project at MSH, reports on the International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act (House Resolution 6087), which "establishes a strategy to prevent child marriage and promote the empowerment of girls."

18 Aug 2012

Franchise clinics improve healthcare access for children in developing world

Franchise health clinics could substantially increase access to essential vaccinations and treatments among children living in low-income countries, regardless of their household income status, report researchers.

17 Aug 2012

Blog examines use of controversial HIV drug in Malawi

This post in the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog examines the use of stavudine, "also known as d4T, an antiretroviral treatment that was dropped in wealthy countries years ago and that the World Health Organization has recommended stop being included in treatment programs," to treat HIV in Malawi.

17 Aug 2012

Recognizing the role of international partnerships in global health

"When you're dealing with a global public health crisis, having an international presence isn't just advisable -- it is imperative," Margaret McGlynn, president and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), writes in this post in USAID's "Impact" blog, adding, "That's why the [IAVI], in partnership with USAID, has worked diligently over the past several years to establish itself as a truly global non-profit partner."

15 Aug 2012

U.S. support of PEPFAR, Global Fund helping to achieve global AIDS, TB, malaria goals

In this post in Huffington Post's "Impact" blog, Deborah Derrick, president of Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis (TB) and Malaria, examines "the success of U.S. efforts to promote better global health through support for [PEPFAR] and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria."

15 Aug 2012

Lack of legislative action heading into congressional recess could impact global health funding

"With Congress adjourned until after Labor Day and not a single funding bill for the federal fiscal year beginning October signed into law before the recess even began, the virtual standstill of legislative action could have a mixed impact on global health funding," the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog reports.

14 Aug 2012

Researchers solve hepatitis C vaccine mystery

Researchers at the Burnet Institute have solved a hepatitis C vaccine mystery which, once developed could be the first ever preventative vaccine for the virus.

13 Aug 2012

Evaluating cash transfers as a tool to combat HIV/AIDS

In this post in the Center for Global Development's (CGD) "Global Health Policy" blog, Amanda Glassman, director of global health policy and a research fellow at the center, and Denizhan Duran, a research assistant at the center, examine several recent studies evaluating the use of cash transfers as a strategy against HIV/AIDS.

10 Aug 2012

U.S. visa policies kept sex workers, drug users from participating in AIDS 2012

The Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog examines how the "U.S. travel bans on people involved in sex work and people who have used illegal drugs ... kept many of the people at highest risk from coming to the [XIX International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2012)]" in Washington, D.C., last month. "

10 Aug 2012

Blog examines success of community-led sanitation program in Afghanistan

In this post in Management Sciences for Health's (MSH) "Global Health Impact" blog, Abdul Qawi Qadiri, WASH coordinator for Baghlan Province in Afghanistan, writes about how a community-led program in the village of Baghalak has helped to reduce the incidence of infectious illnesses, particularly diarrheal diseases.

10 Aug 2012