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Coles contaminated chicken recalled in four states

The discovery that packs of pre-sliced chicken sold by the supermarket chain Coles were contaminated with listeria, has prompted a recall of the product from stores in New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Queensland and Coles Online.

23 Sep 2008

Algeria, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia successfully reach malaria elimination phase

Algeria, Egypt, Iraq and Saudi Arabia are among 10 countries worldwide that have successfully reached the elimination phase for malaria primarily because of improvements in disease interventions, according to the World Malaria Report 2008, which was released last week by the World Health Organization, the Middle East Times reports.

22 Sep 2008

Newsweek examines the effect of aging on people living with HIV/AIDS

Newsweek on Thursday examined the effects of aging on HIV-positive people older than age 50, who currently comprise the fastest-growing group of people living with HIV/AIDS in the U.S. From 1990 to 2005, the number of HIV cases among people older than 50 increased by more than 700%, according to local Department of Health studies.

22 Sep 2008

House Democrats send letter to President Bush urging 'swift action' on reversal of rule banning HIV-positive foreigners from entering U.S.

Lawmakers and HIV advocates are urging the Bush administration to take action on reversing the current ban HIV-positive foreigners from entering the U.S., the AP/Los Angeles Times reports (Abrams, AP/Los Angeles Times, 9/20).

22 Sep 2008

Raleigh News & Observer profiles UNC researcher who investigates social factors behind higher HIV/AIDS rates for blacks

The Raleigh News & Observer on Sunday profiled University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill medical researcher Adaora Adimora, who has investigated why HIV/AIDS seems to affect blacks more than members of other races and ethnicities (Niolet, Raleigh News & Observer, 9/21).

22 Sep 2008

Supply shortages, poverty interrupt antiretroviral treatments in Swaziland

Health facilities in Swaziland are experiencing shortages in antiretroviral drugs and other medications despite insistence from the country's health department that the shortage has been resolved, IRIN/PlusNews reports.

22 Sep 2008

World Food Programme to phase out aid in Uganda, including HIV/AIDS support

The United Nations World Food Programme will phase out food aid and HIV/AIDS support to Uganda, a United Nations official said on Thursday, Xinhua/ChinaView.cn.com reports. The plan could affect more than 1.5 million people.

22 Sep 2008

India to treat all MDR-TB cases by 2010, WHO official says

India is expanding tuberculosis diagnostic and prevention activities and plans to treat all cases of multi-drug resistant TB nationwide by 2010, the Seoul Times reports.

22 Sep 2008

Tuberculosis researchers discuss challenges, next steps for addressing XDR-TB, MDR-TB in Africa at TB symposium

As many as 30% of people with drug-resistant tuberculosis can be successfully treated with first-line drugs, Paul van Helden of the University of Stellenbosch's Center of Excellence for Biomedical TB Research said recently while presenting research on drug-resistant TB at a TB symposium in Maputo, Mozambique, Africa Science News Service reports.

22 Sep 2008

Hong Kong Medical Director warns of rising HIV prevalence among MSM

The senior medical director of Hong Kong's Centre for Health Protection, Raymond Ho Lei-ming, on Tuesday warned residents that HIV prevalence in the region is increasing among men who have sex with men, Hong Kong's Standard reports (Chui, The Standard, 9/17).

22 Sep 2008

Number of annual malaria cases worldwide decreases

There were about 247 million malaria cases worldwide in 2006, according to the World Malaria Report 2008, which was released by the World Health Organization on Thursday, Reuters reports (MacInnis, Reuters, 9/18). According to the report, 3.3 billion people worldwide were at risk for malaria in 2006, and the disease remains a major burden among children younger than age five and in many African countries (AFP/Google.com, 9/18).

22 Sep 2008

Uganda to provide malaria drug coartem to clinics at reduced price

Uganda's Ministry of Health will provide the artemisinin-based combination therapy Coartem to private health clinics at subsidized prices to curb the spread of malaria in the country, Minister of State for Primary Health Care Emmanuel Otaala said Wednesday, New Vision reports.

22 Sep 2008

China should provide medical care, compensation to HIV-positive blood donors, Piot says

UNAIDS Executive Director Peter Piot on Thursday encouraged the Chinese government to provide compensation and medical care to thousands of people who contracted HIV through the government-supported blood transfusions in the late 1990s and early 2000s, AFP/AsiaOne News reports.

22 Sep 2008

New York City report finds reduced HIV/AIDS-related deaths, increased condom distribution in FY 2008

New York City has made significant progress in reducing the number of HIV/AIDS-related deaths, increasing voluntary HIV testing rates and distributing no-cost condoms during the fiscal year that ended June 30, according to the Mayor's Management Report, the New York Daily News reports.

22 Sep 2008

Mozambique's progress on HIV/AIDS insufficient, World Bank official says

Mozambique has made insufficient progress in efforts to address HIV/AIDS over the past year despite increased efforts to expand access to antiretroviral drugs, a World Bank official said on Wednesday at a meeting held in Maputo, Mozambique, to review the country's progress in implementing World Bank-financed projects over the last year, the Independent Online reports.

22 Sep 2008

U.S. conference on AIDS to focus on HIV/AIDS prevention among minorities

The 2008 U.S. Conference on AIDS, sponsored by the National Minority AIDS Council, began on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and through Sunday will focus on ways to prevent the spread of HIV/AIDS in minority communities, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports (Lewis et al., South Florida Sun-Sentinel, 9/18).

22 Sep 2008

Early antiretroviral treatment for people with HIV/TB coinfection could reduce mortality by half

People with HIV/tuberculosis coinfection who began antiretroviral treatment within six months of starting TB treatment had a 55% lower mortality rate than people with HIV/TB coinfection who did not begin antiretroviral therapy until after they had finished a six-month TB treatment course, according to a study conducted by researchers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Business Day reports (Kahn, Business Day, 9/18).

22 Sep 2008