Oct. 16
The Infectious Disease Research Institute (IDRI) announces it has developed a new tuberculosis (TB) vaccine that protects against TB including drug-resistant strains of the disease in animal studies. The results of these studies are published in Science Translational Medicine today.
Drug-resistant tuberculosis is a major global public health concern. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 9 million people are infected with TB, and close to half a million are resistant to multiple drugs that once effectively treated the disease. Two million people die of TB each year.
Though a childhood vaccine for tuberculosis, BCG, has been widely used for decades, its protection wanes over time, and new virulent forms of the disease are spreading. Control activities are limited without new vaccines, immunotherapeutics, and drugs to protect against these killer strains of TB.
IDRI's TB vaccine enhances and extends BCG and protects against drug-resistant strains through its unique combination of a molecule containing four tuberculosis proteins with a synthetic adjuvant, also developed at IDRI.
Dr. Rhea Coler, Vice President of Preclinical Biology and one of the study's Principal Investigators, explains, "Combining proteins in a vaccine is important because tuberculosis bacilli are variable, and no single protein will be effective against all strains." In addition, because of human genetic diversity, individuals will respond differently to different proteins. A combination of proteins, such as exist in natural tuberculosis bacteria, increases the vaccine's efficacy.
The vaccine is now being developed for clinical testing in humans.
IDRI is a Seattle-based not-for-profit organization committed to applying innovative science to the research and development of products to prevent, detect, and treat infectious diseases of poverty. By integrating capabilities—including preclinical vaccinology, manufacturing, and clinical trials—IDRI strives to create an efficient pathway bringing scientific innovation from the lab to the people who need it most. For more information, go to www.idri.org
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/idri-develops-novel-tuberculosis-vaccine-new-study-in-science-reports-105085274.html
Friday, 22 October 2010
TUBERCULOSIS: WHO takes aim at tuberculosis with new 5-year plan
Wed Oct 13, 2010
By Jon Herskovitz
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation laid out a new plan on Wednesday to combat tuberculosis and the nearly 2 million deaths it causes each year through a combination of better testing, diagnosis and drugs.
"The Global Plan to Stop TB 2011-2015" will cost about $47 billion, with money going to fund more testing labs and research projects to develop and deliver medicine to treat the disease, it said in its plan.
"The stakes are high: without rapid scale-up of TB prevention and treatment, some 10 million people will die of a curable disease by 2015," said Marcos Espinal, the partnership's executive secretary.
TB is an ancient illness, with most cases curable if detected early and treated with antimicrobial drugs, the WHO said.
All countries are affected but most of the cases occur in Asia and Africa. India and China account for 35 percent of all cases. TB ranks as the eighth-leading cause of death in low- and middle-income countries, it said.
The WHO is looking for about half the money for the programme to come from high-income countries and said if fully implemented, it could save about 5 million lives.
It is aiming for a 90 percent treatment success rate by 2015, up from 86 percent in 2008/09 and to have all TB patients tested for HIV.
About one-fourth are tested now and TB is a leading killer of those infected with HIV. Health experts fear the disease could deal a disastrous blow to sub-Saharan Africa, the hardest-hit region in the global AIDS epidemic.
"People living with HIV are 20 to 37 times more likely to develop TB disease during their lifetime than people who are HIV-negative," it said.
The plan also calls for more testing and better treatment strategies for multi-drug resistant strains of TB. The WHO first launched its plan to end TB in 2001 and adjusted its strategy in 2006.
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE69C0AE20101013
By Jon Herskovitz
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation laid out a new plan on Wednesday to combat tuberculosis and the nearly 2 million deaths it causes each year through a combination of better testing, diagnosis and drugs.
"The Global Plan to Stop TB 2011-2015" will cost about $47 billion, with money going to fund more testing labs and research projects to develop and deliver medicine to treat the disease, it said in its plan.
"The stakes are high: without rapid scale-up of TB prevention and treatment, some 10 million people will die of a curable disease by 2015," said Marcos Espinal, the partnership's executive secretary.
TB is an ancient illness, with most cases curable if detected early and treated with antimicrobial drugs, the WHO said.
All countries are affected but most of the cases occur in Asia and Africa. India and China account for 35 percent of all cases. TB ranks as the eighth-leading cause of death in low- and middle-income countries, it said.
The WHO is looking for about half the money for the programme to come from high-income countries and said if fully implemented, it could save about 5 million lives.
It is aiming for a 90 percent treatment success rate by 2015, up from 86 percent in 2008/09 and to have all TB patients tested for HIV.
About one-fourth are tested now and TB is a leading killer of those infected with HIV. Health experts fear the disease could deal a disastrous blow to sub-Saharan Africa, the hardest-hit region in the global AIDS epidemic.
"People living with HIV are 20 to 37 times more likely to develop TB disease during their lifetime than people who are HIV-negative," it said.
The plan also calls for more testing and better treatment strategies for multi-drug resistant strains of TB. The WHO first launched its plan to end TB in 2001 and adjusted its strategy in 2006.
http://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFJOE69C0AE20101013
MALNUTRITION: CONGO: Farming villages to boost food output
Photo: André Thiel/Flickr
The first “farming village” project was inaugurated on 8 October in Nkouo, about 80km north of Brazzaville, capital of the Republic of Congo
22 October 2010 (IRIN) - The Republic of Congo has launched a “farming village” project to boost food self-sufficiency, with the first one inaugurated in Nkouo, about 80km north of Brazzaville, the capital, on 8 October. It houses 40 families from different regions of the country.
"Forty hen-houses, a warehouse, a sorting centre and refrigerated storage space have been made available. Each family received 792 laying hens and 2ha for cultivation,” said project director Jean-Jacques Bouya.
According to the Minister of Agriculture, Rigobert Maboundou, produce will be sold by the state and a portion of the revenue returned to the farmers.
Set up by Société congolaise de modernisation (Socomod), a subsidiary of an Israeli company L.R. Groups, the project is funded entirely by the Congolese government to the tune of US$26 million.
"Nkouo will produce two million kilogrammes of cassava per year… which will, undoubtedly, contribute to food self-sufficiency in Brazzaville," said the director of Socomod, Etrog Yehushua.
“Our goal is to boost food self-sufficiency and hold down imports,” said Maboundou.
"Besides the new agricultural villages there are other initiatives: restocking of livestock, mechanization of agriculture and distribution of improved seeds, " he added.
"Conditions here are suitable for large-scale agriculture: we have water, electricity and a school for our children," Gaetan Charlly Lengou, 32, one of the new farmers, told IRIN.
According to a 2010 report by the International Food Policy Research Institute, 21 percent of people are undernourished and 11.8 percent of children are underweight in Congo. In addition, the UN Children's Fund says more than a quarter of deaths among children under five are attributable to malnutrition.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=90848
MALNUTRITION: MALI-NIGER: Good early warning, slow response
Photo: Catherine-Lune Grayson/IRIN
Political will led the government to declare a crisis in Niger, but a few kilometres away, the Malian authorities played down the situation, say some NGOs (file photo) BAMAKO, 22 October 2010 (IRIN) - Mali’s crisis early warning system is lauded in the sub-region for its accuracy and efficiency but some say good, timely information warning of the impact of poor rains on grazing land and water availability this year, did not necessarily translate into a swift response by the government or international community.
In neighbouring Niger, President Mahamadou Danda appealed to the international community for emergency aid to stem the food insecurity crisis in March 2010, but the government of Mali did not.
An NGO representative who preferred anonymity told IRIN: “The government of Mali was reluctant to recognize the crisis... On one side of the border the government declared a crisis, while on the other - just a few kilometres away - the government said nothing, despite there being the same vulnerable populations facing the same livelihood problems and suffering from the same lack of rainfall.”
The government's decision on how to handle the situation was based as much on politics as on information, the head of a different NGO told IRIN.
Mali's early warning system - Système d’Alerte Précoce, or SAP - was created in 1986 and involves setting up teams made up of experts from the livestock, water and forests, and agriculture ministries, elected officials and political party representatives in each county of Mali. These teams discuss rainfall levels, animal health, and water availability, writing up a report which they send to the regional authorities and national government, said SAP coordinator in the capital, Bamako, Mary Diallo.
SAP has also teamed up with NGO Action Against Hunger (ACF) to set up software to take satellite photographs that identify different types of biomass, enabling people to see how much vegetation is growing in specific areas. “These pictures mean we can confirm or deny the information that we received from these technical teams,” Diallo told IRIN. Soon the pictures will also look at the presence of water to better enable agencies to predict pastoralist grazing routes.
ACF head in Mali David Kerespars told IRIN: “The early warning system has undeniably helped provide relevant information which has given us an idea of the vulnerabilities in Mali this year. This information has been used by the Food Security Commission to target and calibrate its response. “
Politics versus information
The SAP works because it is “technical, not political”, said Diallo. “We tell the government the truth and suggest what it needs to do to avoid famine. We don’t try to please the authorities, or our partners.”
Despite this, the government was slow to pick up on the information, and decided not to declare an emergency, said the aid representative. While the government launched a response to help populations in the north, “there was a lack of alarm about the message that was passed on to agencies and the international media, so donors, in turn, did not respond on a big scale.”
Because of this missing sense of urgency, UN agencies were also far more concerned with responding in Niger, than in Mali, said the aid worker. “They followed the government line.”
In Niger, after the coup d’état in February 2010, “everything dramatically changed,” in regard to the government’s openness about the extent of the crisis, an aid worker told IRIN. The previous administration had been reticent in publicizing the extent of the disaster - estimated to be over seven million facing food shortages - as had also been the case in 2005.
While early warning systems exist in Niger, they are not as advanced as those in Mali, said ACF. The organization is considering extending its satellite system to Niger.
The scale of the needs was - and is - far greater in Niger than in Mali where only 258,000 were estimated to be affected by food insecurity. But aid groups, including the International Committee of the Red Cross, have told IRIN they would have liked to scale up aid projects in northern Mali, given the resources.
UN agencies did not comment. But at the height of the crisis, World Food Programme head Alice Martin-Dahirou told IRIN they had actively supported the government’s efforts, and had been proactive in bringing together all the relevant actors to discuss a plan of action.
Diallo said the government's response was based on the SAP findings. The government and donors distributed cereals, animal feed, and helped destock sick animals who were suffering because of the 2009 drought.
The 2010 harvest is expected to be good in most of the affected regions, following decent rains. A CILSS (inter-state committee to fight drought in the Sahel) annual crop assessment mission is currently assessing the prospects, and will soon publish its results.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?ReportID=90845
MALARIA: Changing malaria intervention coverage, transmission and hospitalization in Kenya.
EA Okiro, VA Alegana, AM Noor, and RW Snow
October 15, 2010
BACKGROUND:
Reports of declining incidence of malaria disease burden across several countries in Africa suggest that the epidemiology of malaria across the continent is in transition. Whether this transition is directly related to the scaling of intervention coverage remains a moot point.
METHODS:
Paediatric admission data from eight Kenyan hospitals and their catchments have been assembled across two three-year time periods: September 2003 to August 2006 (pre-scaled intervention) and September 2006 to August 2009 (post-scaled intervention). Interrupted time series (ITS) models were developed adjusting for variations in rainfall and hospital use by surrounding communities to show changes in malaria hospitalization over the two periods. The temporal changes in factors that might explain changes in disease incidence were examined sequentially for each hospital setting, compared between hospital settings and ranked according to plausible explanatory factors.
RESULTS:
In six out of eight sites there was a decline in Malaria admission rates with declines between 18% and 69%. At two sites malaria admissions rates increased by 55% and 35%. Results from the ITS models indicate that before scaled intervention in September 2006, there was a significant month-to-month decline in the mean malaria admission rates at four hospitals (trend P<0.05). At the point of scaled intervention, the estimated mean admission rates for malaria was significantly less at four sites compared to the pre-scaled period baseline. Following scaled intervention there was a significant change in the month-to-month trend in the mean malaria admission rates in some but not all of the sites. Plausibility assessment of possible drivers of change pre- versus post-scaled intervention showed inconsistent patterns however, allowing for the increase in rainfall in the second period, there is a suggestion that starting transmission intensity and the scale of change in ITN coverage might explain some but not all of the variation in effect size. At most sites where declines between observation periods were documented admission rates were changing before free mass ITN distribution and prior to the implementation of ACT across Kenya.
CONCLUSION:
This study provides evidence of significant within and between location heterogeneity in temporal trends of malaria disease burden. Plausible drivers for changing disease incidence suggest a complex combination of mechanisms, not easily measured retrospectively.
http://malariajournal.com/content/9/1/285
October 15, 2010
BACKGROUND:
Reports of declining incidence of malaria disease burden across several countries in Africa suggest that the epidemiology of malaria across the continent is in transition. Whether this transition is directly related to the scaling of intervention coverage remains a moot point.
METHODS:
Paediatric admission data from eight Kenyan hospitals and their catchments have been assembled across two three-year time periods: September 2003 to August 2006 (pre-scaled intervention) and September 2006 to August 2009 (post-scaled intervention). Interrupted time series (ITS) models were developed adjusting for variations in rainfall and hospital use by surrounding communities to show changes in malaria hospitalization over the two periods. The temporal changes in factors that might explain changes in disease incidence were examined sequentially for each hospital setting, compared between hospital settings and ranked according to plausible explanatory factors.
RESULTS:
In six out of eight sites there was a decline in Malaria admission rates with declines between 18% and 69%. At two sites malaria admissions rates increased by 55% and 35%. Results from the ITS models indicate that before scaled intervention in September 2006, there was a significant month-to-month decline in the mean malaria admission rates at four hospitals (trend P<0.05). At the point of scaled intervention, the estimated mean admission rates for malaria was significantly less at four sites compared to the pre-scaled period baseline. Following scaled intervention there was a significant change in the month-to-month trend in the mean malaria admission rates in some but not all of the sites. Plausibility assessment of possible drivers of change pre- versus post-scaled intervention showed inconsistent patterns however, allowing for the increase in rainfall in the second period, there is a suggestion that starting transmission intensity and the scale of change in ITN coverage might explain some but not all of the variation in effect size. At most sites where declines between observation periods were documented admission rates were changing before free mass ITN distribution and prior to the implementation of ACT across Kenya.
CONCLUSION:
This study provides evidence of significant within and between location heterogeneity in temporal trends of malaria disease burden. Plausible drivers for changing disease incidence suggest a complex combination of mechanisms, not easily measured retrospectively.
http://malariajournal.com/content/9/1/285
Thursday, 21 October 2010
MALARIA: Malaria kills more than a million people a year and is second only to tuberculosis in its impact on world health.
21 October 2010
Anopheles mosquitoes spread malaria
Malaria kills more than a million people a year and is second only to tuberculosis in its impact on world health.
The parasitic disease is present in 90 countries and infects one in 10 of the world's population - mainly people living in Africa, India, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Colombia and the Solomon Islands. There are four main types of malaria, all spread via mosquitoes.
Ninety per cent of all malaria cases are in sub-Saharan Africa where it is the main cause of death and a major threat to child health. Worldwide, a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds. Pregnant women are also particularly vulnerable to the disease, which is curable if diagnosed early.
The economic impact of the disease is immense, causing many lost days of work and loss of tourism and investment.
Around 2,000 people a year in the UK get infected with malaria when abroad.
But it is preventable and curable.
What are the symptoms?
Most people survive a bout of malaria after a 10-20 day illness, but it is important to spot the symptoms early. The first symptoms include a headache, aching muscles and weakness or a lack of energy. This means it can be confused for other conditions like exhaustion or flu.
The classic sign of the infection is a high fever, followed a few hours later by chills. Two to four days later, this cycle is repeated.
Symptoms can appear any time from six days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the malaria parasite. The time it takes symptoms to appear - the incubation period - can vary with the type of parasite that the mosquito was carrying.
The type of parasite will also determine whether the disease will be mild or severe.
Anyone can catch malaria and even the young and fit can die from a serious infection.
The most serious forms of the disease can affect the kidneys and brain and can cause anaemia, coma and death.
Why has malaria increased?
After years spent bringing the disease under control, the number of people dying from malaria is now higher than it was 30 years ago and it has spread to new countries.
Although it is mainly a disease of tropical and sub-tropical countries, malaria has been identified in eastern European countries such as Russia and Turkey and recently a handful of cases were diagnosed in the US.
The increase in cases is due to a number of factors:
the disease is becoming resistant to traditional treatments. In some areas of Asia, none of the major drugs is effective in fighting malaria.
mosquitoes are developing resistance to the main insecticides which have been used to control the spread of the disease.
political and social upheaval has led to large numbers of people moving into new areas where disease is spread more easily.
changes to the environment, caused by road-building, mining and irrigation projects, have created a good breeding ground for malaria.
In many countries, budget restraints have led to malaria control programmes being cut back or abandoned.
How can malaria be contained?
A great deal has been spent on malaria research. The main thrust of study is towards developing a cheap vaccine.
None has yet been developed which is approved for general use.
When I mentioned the Solomon Islands, it was a Eureka moment. As someone who had spent a number of years in Africa, she spotted the malarial signs”
Anti-malarial pills didn't stop me getting the disease
The spread of the disease can be reduced by cutting down the mosquito population, for example by filling ditches where mosquitoes breed.
Early diagnosis can lead to successful treatment so education in spotting the symptoms of malaria is important. The spread of the disease can also be tracked and preparations made.
Bednets coated in insecticide have also reduced the incidence of the disease by up to 35%, according to the World Health Organization.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10520289
Malaria kills more than a million people a year and is second only to tuberculosis in its impact on world health.
The parasitic disease is present in 90 countries and infects one in 10 of the world's population - mainly people living in Africa, India, Brazil, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Colombia and the Solomon Islands. There are four main types of malaria, all spread via mosquitoes.
Ninety per cent of all malaria cases are in sub-Saharan Africa where it is the main cause of death and a major threat to child health. Worldwide, a child dies of malaria every 30 seconds. Pregnant women are also particularly vulnerable to the disease, which is curable if diagnosed early.
The economic impact of the disease is immense, causing many lost days of work and loss of tourism and investment.
Around 2,000 people a year in the UK get infected with malaria when abroad.
But it is preventable and curable.
What are the symptoms?
Most people survive a bout of malaria after a 10-20 day illness, but it is important to spot the symptoms early. The first symptoms include a headache, aching muscles and weakness or a lack of energy. This means it can be confused for other conditions like exhaustion or flu.
The classic sign of the infection is a high fever, followed a few hours later by chills. Two to four days later, this cycle is repeated.
Symptoms can appear any time from six days after being bitten by a mosquito carrying the malaria parasite. The time it takes symptoms to appear - the incubation period - can vary with the type of parasite that the mosquito was carrying.
The type of parasite will also determine whether the disease will be mild or severe.
Anyone can catch malaria and even the young and fit can die from a serious infection.
The most serious forms of the disease can affect the kidneys and brain and can cause anaemia, coma and death.
Why has malaria increased?
After years spent bringing the disease under control, the number of people dying from malaria is now higher than it was 30 years ago and it has spread to new countries.
Although it is mainly a disease of tropical and sub-tropical countries, malaria has been identified in eastern European countries such as Russia and Turkey and recently a handful of cases were diagnosed in the US.
The increase in cases is due to a number of factors:
the disease is becoming resistant to traditional treatments. In some areas of Asia, none of the major drugs is effective in fighting malaria.
mosquitoes are developing resistance to the main insecticides which have been used to control the spread of the disease.
political and social upheaval has led to large numbers of people moving into new areas where disease is spread more easily.
changes to the environment, caused by road-building, mining and irrigation projects, have created a good breeding ground for malaria.
In many countries, budget restraints have led to malaria control programmes being cut back or abandoned.
How can malaria be contained?
A great deal has been spent on malaria research. The main thrust of study is towards developing a cheap vaccine.
None has yet been developed which is approved for general use.
When I mentioned the Solomon Islands, it was a Eureka moment. As someone who had spent a number of years in Africa, she spotted the malarial signs”
Anti-malarial pills didn't stop me getting the disease
The spread of the disease can be reduced by cutting down the mosquito population, for example by filling ditches where mosquitoes breed.
Early diagnosis can lead to successful treatment so education in spotting the symptoms of malaria is important. The spread of the disease can also be tracked and preparations made.
Bednets coated in insecticide have also reduced the incidence of the disease by up to 35%, according to the World Health Organization.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/10520289
MALARIA: India malaria deaths hugely underestimated, says report
20 October 2010
By Ania Lichtarowicz
Malaria can be cured easily if diagnosed and treated quickly The number of people dying from malaria in India has been hugely underestimated, according to new research.
The data, published in the Lancet, suggests there are 13 times more malaria deaths in India than the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates.
The authors conclude that more than 200,000 deaths per year are caused by malaria.
The WHO said the estimate produced by this study appears too high.
The research was funded by the US National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.
The new figures raise doubts over the total number of malaria deaths worldwide.
Difficult diagnosis
Calculating how many people die from malaria is extremely difficult. Most cases that are diagnosed and treated do not result in fatalities.
People who die of extremely high fevers in the community can be misdiagnosed and the cause of death can be attributed to other diseases and vice versa.
As most deaths in India occur at home, without medical intervention, cause of death is seldom medically certified.
There are about 1.3 million deaths from infectious diseases, where acute fever is the main symptom in rural areas in India.
In this study, trained field workers interviewed families, asking them to describe how their relative died. Two doctors then reviewed each description and decided if the death was caused by malaria. This method is called verbal autopsy.
Some 122,000 premature deaths between 2001 and 2003 were investigated.
The data suggests that 205,000 deaths before the age of 70, mainly in rural areas, are caused by malaria each year.
'Serious doubts'
The WHO estimated that malaria caused between 10,000-21,000 deaths in India in 2006.
The UN health agency welcomed new efforts to estimate the number of malaria deaths.
Dr Robert Newman, the director of its global malaria programme, said: "It is vital to evaluate cause of death correctly because different diseases require different strategies for control."
He concedes that WHO current evaluation methods have their limitations, but has serious doubts about the high estimates from this study.
Verbal autopsy, he said, was not a trustworthy method for counting malaria deaths because the symptoms of malaria are shared with many other common causes of acute fever.
This, he said, along with what the WHO called "implausibly high case incidence rates", indicates that the findings of this study cannot be accepted without further validation.
He added that the WHO is working closely with the Indian government in the fight against the disease.
Work needed
The authors say these figures, as well as global estimates, require urgent revision.
Professor Prabhat Jha, director of the Centre for Global Health Research in Toronto, Canada, is one of the study's lead authors.
Malaria kills not just children but adults too in surprisingly large numbers.”
Professor Prabhat Jha
Centre for Global Health Research
He told BBC News: "Malaria kills not just children, but adults too in surprisingly large numbers.
"India is the most populous country where malaria is common, and it is a surprisingly common cause of death."
He added that there is a real need to reconsider how malaria deaths are calculated and that similar analysis needs to be done in other highly populated malaria endemic countries.
There may also be considerable under-reporting of malaria deaths in other highly populated countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia.
The authors say that aggressive malaria control programmes are needed, as well as scaling up treatment - particularly in adult rural populations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11588212
By Ania Lichtarowicz
Malaria can be cured easily if diagnosed and treated quickly The number of people dying from malaria in India has been hugely underestimated, according to new research.
The data, published in the Lancet, suggests there are 13 times more malaria deaths in India than the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates.
The authors conclude that more than 200,000 deaths per year are caused by malaria.
The WHO said the estimate produced by this study appears too high.
The research was funded by the US National Institutes of Health, the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute.
The new figures raise doubts over the total number of malaria deaths worldwide.
Difficult diagnosis
Calculating how many people die from malaria is extremely difficult. Most cases that are diagnosed and treated do not result in fatalities.
People who die of extremely high fevers in the community can be misdiagnosed and the cause of death can be attributed to other diseases and vice versa.
As most deaths in India occur at home, without medical intervention, cause of death is seldom medically certified.
There are about 1.3 million deaths from infectious diseases, where acute fever is the main symptom in rural areas in India.
In this study, trained field workers interviewed families, asking them to describe how their relative died. Two doctors then reviewed each description and decided if the death was caused by malaria. This method is called verbal autopsy.
Some 122,000 premature deaths between 2001 and 2003 were investigated.
The data suggests that 205,000 deaths before the age of 70, mainly in rural areas, are caused by malaria each year.
'Serious doubts'
The WHO estimated that malaria caused between 10,000-21,000 deaths in India in 2006.
The UN health agency welcomed new efforts to estimate the number of malaria deaths.
Dr Robert Newman, the director of its global malaria programme, said: "It is vital to evaluate cause of death correctly because different diseases require different strategies for control."
He concedes that WHO current evaluation methods have their limitations, but has serious doubts about the high estimates from this study.
Verbal autopsy, he said, was not a trustworthy method for counting malaria deaths because the symptoms of malaria are shared with many other common causes of acute fever.
This, he said, along with what the WHO called "implausibly high case incidence rates", indicates that the findings of this study cannot be accepted without further validation.
He added that the WHO is working closely with the Indian government in the fight against the disease.
Work needed
The authors say these figures, as well as global estimates, require urgent revision.
Professor Prabhat Jha, director of the Centre for Global Health Research in Toronto, Canada, is one of the study's lead authors.
Malaria kills not just children but adults too in surprisingly large numbers.”
Professor Prabhat Jha
Centre for Global Health Research
He told BBC News: "Malaria kills not just children, but adults too in surprisingly large numbers.
"India is the most populous country where malaria is common, and it is a surprisingly common cause of death."
He added that there is a real need to reconsider how malaria deaths are calculated and that similar analysis needs to be done in other highly populated malaria endemic countries.
There may also be considerable under-reporting of malaria deaths in other highly populated countries like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Indonesia.
The authors say that aggressive malaria control programmes are needed, as well as scaling up treatment - particularly in adult rural populations.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-11588212
MALNUTRITION: Price hike causes malnutrition in flood-hit KP
By Akhtar Amin
PESHAWAR: Hundreds of children are suffering from diseases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to malnutrition and poverty as price-hike and the recent devastating floods have caused food crises in the province.
“Malnutrition causes various diseases among growing children,” paediatrician Mohammad Khalid told Daily Times on Saturday. He said that the number of malnourished children was on the rise due to lack of access to proper food.
Unusual rise in prices of food items in the province has made it difficult for the common man to get proper food. According to the United Nations, about 9 to 11 percent of children are faced with hunger and starvation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Dr Khalid said about 10 to 15 percent of the children brought to hospitals were facing food shortage and this percentage was growing. He warned that out of ten, every two children could die, if the price-hike was not controlled.
Massive floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of the country caused price of the commodities to skyrocket. The rising prices threaten to intensify misery in the province where many residents were already struggling with poverty and food insecurity before the floods struck.
In the last one year, the price of one kilogram sugar has increased from Rs 56 to Rs 80. Yogurt is at Rs 60 per kg while the previous year it was Rs 50. A litre of milk is now Rs 45 that was previously Rs 40.
Price of one kilogram mutton has increased from Rs 280 to Rs 350 while of beef, from Rs 160 to Rs 220. Prices of vegetables have also highly increased after flash floods; tomatoes are now at Rs 50 per kg, onion Rs 40 per kg and potato Rs 35 per kg.
Of pulses, daal mash is at Rs 200 per kg and daal chana is at Rs 80 per kg. In fruits, guava is at Rs 150 per kg, apricot Rs 70 per kg, banana Rs 50 to Rs 60 a dozen and apple Rs 60 to Rs 120 per kg.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has called for a united front against hunger on World Food Day (October 16), with nearly one billion people suffering from food shortages worldwide.
“We are continually reminded that the world’s food systems are not working in ways that ensure food security for the most vulnerable members of our societies,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for World Food Day.
“When people are hungry, they cannot break the crippling chains of poverty, and are vulnerable to infectious diseases,” the UN secretary general noted. On October 11, a new global hunger index released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) showed that one billion people face hunger this year.
The 2010 Global Hunger Index showed there was alarming hunger in 25 out of the 122 countries surveyed.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C10%5C17%5Cstory_17-10-2010_pg7_19
PESHAWAR: Hundreds of children are suffering from diseases in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa due to malnutrition and poverty as price-hike and the recent devastating floods have caused food crises in the province.
“Malnutrition causes various diseases among growing children,” paediatrician Mohammad Khalid told Daily Times on Saturday. He said that the number of malnourished children was on the rise due to lack of access to proper food.
Unusual rise in prices of food items in the province has made it difficult for the common man to get proper food. According to the United Nations, about 9 to 11 percent of children are faced with hunger and starvation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Dr Khalid said about 10 to 15 percent of the children brought to hospitals were facing food shortage and this percentage was growing. He warned that out of ten, every two children could die, if the price-hike was not controlled.
Massive floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the rest of the country caused price of the commodities to skyrocket. The rising prices threaten to intensify misery in the province where many residents were already struggling with poverty and food insecurity before the floods struck.
In the last one year, the price of one kilogram sugar has increased from Rs 56 to Rs 80. Yogurt is at Rs 60 per kg while the previous year it was Rs 50. A litre of milk is now Rs 45 that was previously Rs 40.
Price of one kilogram mutton has increased from Rs 280 to Rs 350 while of beef, from Rs 160 to Rs 220. Prices of vegetables have also highly increased after flash floods; tomatoes are now at Rs 50 per kg, onion Rs 40 per kg and potato Rs 35 per kg.
Of pulses, daal mash is at Rs 200 per kg and daal chana is at Rs 80 per kg. In fruits, guava is at Rs 150 per kg, apricot Rs 70 per kg, banana Rs 50 to Rs 60 a dozen and apple Rs 60 to Rs 120 per kg.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has called for a united front against hunger on World Food Day (October 16), with nearly one billion people suffering from food shortages worldwide.
“We are continually reminded that the world’s food systems are not working in ways that ensure food security for the most vulnerable members of our societies,” UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said in his message for World Food Day.
“When people are hungry, they cannot break the crippling chains of poverty, and are vulnerable to infectious diseases,” the UN secretary general noted. On October 11, a new global hunger index released by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) showed that one billion people face hunger this year.
The 2010 Global Hunger Index showed there was alarming hunger in 25 out of the 122 countries surveyed.
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2010%5C10%5C17%5Cstory_17-10-2010_pg7_19
MALNUTRITION: Donors have been urged to provide nutritious food aid to help fight malnutrition among children.
A sick and displaced woman watches as her malnourished infant sleeps at a health clinic run by the medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) Holland in Kerfi, a site for thousands of displaced Chadians some 50 kilometres south of the eastern town of Gos Beida, June 10, 2008. MSF have urged donors to provide nutritious food aid to help fight malnutrition among children
By LUCAS BARASA
October 15 2010
Medicins San Frontieres (Doctors without borders) launched the campaign at a function attended by two MPs and other stakeholders at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre on Thursday evening.
Currently, it said only 1.7 percent of food aid addressed nutrition.
MSF said donors should cease in-kind donations and instead provide cash to finance food aid interventions based on medical needs and at a cheaper cost.
“This is particularly true for the US for whom such a shift could save approximately $600 million-close to double the global amount estimated to focus on malnutrition in any given year,” MSF said in a statement.
It regretted that the current food aid by major donors, Japan, US and Australia lacked necessary vitamins and minerals for children's growth.
The organisation called for the signing of a petition to pressurise the food donors to change their policy and provide adequate food for young children.
It accused the major donors of double standards saying food donated as relief, including maize, was not consumed by children in their countries
http://www.nation.co.ke/News/-/1056/1033366/-/view/printVersion/-/7i959w/-/index.html
MALNUTRITION: A more intelligent approach is needed in the fight against global malnutrition
Shitaye tends her family's crop in Ethiopia during the 2008 food crisis. The malnutrition battle remains a work in progress. Photograph: Aaron Mascho/AFP/Getty Images
The millennium development goals summit last month signalled a significant milestone in the fight against malnutrition. For the first time, world leaders stood on a shared platform and made clear that, from this point on, malnutrition would no longer be a neglected issue.
A child dies every six seconds from hunger, a shocking statistic. Tackling hunger must be among the most pressing priorities for all of us.
Recent news headlines carried alarming stories of another impending food price spike. While it's unlikely in the short term that we will see prices skyrocket as they did in 2008, the food price crisis in that year increased the number of people suffering from hunger by 150 million, from an already unacceptable 800 million. We must be on our guard and not allow a repetition.
And even without another food price crisis, ongoing domestic food price shocks caused by weather variability and poor harvests have a devastating impact. High food prices hit the poorest hardest. They spend the majority of their income on food and, in simple terms, higher prices mean less food, or less nutritious food.
How big a problem is this? The honest answer is that we don't know. When it comes to food, malnutrition continues to be a neglected issue. National malnutrition statistics are only gathered every two to five years, so we have no way to pick up the effects of massive global shocks in time to trigger and inform a response. Nearly three years on, we still don't know whether the 2008 crisis actually did cause an increase in the level of malnutrition.
So we struggle to get meaningful information on the impact on nutrition. And it is equally difficult to measure what progress we're making in tackling it.
In its recent flagship report, The State of Food Insecurity, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation uses data provided by governments on the national availability of food. This gives an idea of overall trends but it tells us very little about who is hungry, where they live, and whether people are able to get the food they need to protect themselves and their children from malnutrition. These limitations of current data and statistical approaches were discussed at the committee on world food security taking place in Rome this week.
In Nigeria, for example, more than 10 million children are physically and intellectually stunted as a result of malnutrition - the third highest number in the world. Yet if we only look at how much food is available at the national level, then the country could be said to have met its MDG target on hunger.
So we need better information on malnutrition if we are effectively to tackle the challenge. But we also need to be smarter in our response. We can assume that food price rises hit the poorest hardest, and much of the evidence suggests this is the case. And we can warn against knee-jerk reactions such as export bans, which will limit the amount of food in circulation and therefore tend to exacerbate a spike in prices.
But the reality is that malnutrition is as much about whether people can afford, and get hold of, a healthy diet as it is about ensuring tonnages of staple food production.
Tomorrow is World Food Day, and this government is completely committed to improving the lot of the world's poorest people. That's why, even in these difficult economic times, we've ring-fenced the development budget and reaffirmed our commitment to reaching the target of 0.7% of gross national income spent in aid from 2013.
The Department for International Development is currently reviewing how it spends its budget. We will be looking to achieve the maximum impact with our aid. In the fight against malnutrition this will involve a more intelligent response. If we are serious about fighting malnutrition we must, with others, ensure that our work is directed as much towards increasing people's access to food and essential nutrients as it is to increasing its supply.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/poverty-matters/2010/oct/15/malnutrition-intelligent-approach-andrew-mitchell
BIOTERRORISM: Overcoming Challenges to Develop Countermeasures Against Aerosolized Bioterrorism Agents
The highest priority of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) is the development of countermeasures against bioterrorism agents that are highly infectious when dispersed in aerosol form. However, the development of drugs to prevent or treat illnesses caused by bioterrorism agents requires that their effectiveness be tested in animals because human clinical trials would be unethical. At the request of NIAID, the National Research Council conducted a study of appropriate testing in animals. The report provides recommendations to researchers on selecting animal models, aerosol generators, and doses of bioterrorism agents to closely mimic disease processes in humans. It also urges researchers to fully document experimental parameters in the literature so that studies can be reproduced and compared. The report recommends that all unclassified data on studies of bioterrorism agents--including unclassified, unpublished data from the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID)--be published in the open literature. The report also calls on the Food and Drug Administration to improve the process by which bioterrorism countermeasures are approved based on the results of animal studies.
http://www.nae.edu/19582/Reports/25541.aspx?layoutChange=Normal
http://www.nae.edu/19582/Reports/25541.aspx?layoutChange=Normal
BIOTERRORISM: FBI Security Risk Assessment Form
FD-961 form (pdf)
Instructions
The Bioterrorism Security Risk Assessment Form helps the FBI conduct national security risk assessments for entities and individuals having access to selected toxins as required by the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Response Act of 2002.
If you are a first time applicant, the FD-961 form can be completed online using the link above, printed, and mailed with the fingerprint cards as a complete package to the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division. For renewals, repeats, or reactivations, the form can be completed online, printed, and faxed to the CJIS Division at (304) 625-5393. The fingerprint card packages consist of two fingerprint cards, general instructions, fingerprint instructions, and a pre-addressed return envelope. These packages can be obtained via faxing a request to the FBI at (304) 625-3984.
The faxed request should include the following: the entity name, point of contact or requesting office, the correct mailing address, contact telephone number, and how many fingerprint card packets are requested. In order for the security risk assessment to be processed in a timely manner, the FD-961 form and two legible fingerprint cards must be returned to the FBI as one package. The FBI will not conduct a security risk assessment for an individual unless it has received a completed FD-961 form and two legible fingerprint cards. For questions concerning who needs to complete the FD-961 form, please see the frequently asked questions posted on the Select Agent webpage.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/bioterrorism-security-risk-assessment-form
Instructions
The Bioterrorism Security Risk Assessment Form helps the FBI conduct national security risk assessments for entities and individuals having access to selected toxins as required by the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness Response Act of 2002.
If you are a first time applicant, the FD-961 form can be completed online using the link above, printed, and mailed with the fingerprint cards as a complete package to the Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division. For renewals, repeats, or reactivations, the form can be completed online, printed, and faxed to the CJIS Division at (304) 625-5393. The fingerprint card packages consist of two fingerprint cards, general instructions, fingerprint instructions, and a pre-addressed return envelope. These packages can be obtained via faxing a request to the FBI at (304) 625-3984.
The faxed request should include the following: the entity name, point of contact or requesting office, the correct mailing address, contact telephone number, and how many fingerprint card packets are requested. In order for the security risk assessment to be processed in a timely manner, the FD-961 form and two legible fingerprint cards must be returned to the FBI as one package. The FBI will not conduct a security risk assessment for an individual unless it has received a completed FD-961 form and two legible fingerprint cards. For questions concerning who needs to complete the FD-961 form, please see the frequently asked questions posted on the Select Agent webpage.
http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/bioterrorism-security-risk-assessment-form
BIOTERRORISM: Researchers Tout Combination Anthrax-Smallpox Vaccine
Oct. 8, 2010
By Chris Schneidmiller
WASHINGTON -- A team of U.S. researchers has developed a single vaccine that appears to provide protection against both anthrax and smallpox, two lethal diseases that top the list of potential bioterrorism agents
The new countermeasure proved more effective than existing vaccines in protecting animal test subjects exposed to the diseases, according to the National Cancer Institute. It also could resolve drawbacks identified in licensed products, such as treatment of patients with suppressed immune systems, the federal agency said in a press release.
"We believe our dual vaccine ... which is effective against two of the most deadly pathogens, will help consolidate and simplify our national bioterror counterefforts by streamlining the manufacture, stockpiling, and swift deployment of such vaccines should the need arise," the authors said in a research article, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Fears of a bioterrorist event increased drastically in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and the anthrax mailings that followed just weeks later. A panel of experts led by former Senators Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Bob Graham (D-Fla.) declared in 2008 there was a significant potential for a WMD event within five years, with bioterrorism being more likely than a nuclear strike due to the availability of disease materials (see GSN, Jan. 26).
The United States has directed billions of dollars toward promoting development of countermeasures for pathogens that could be exploited by extremists. It maintains stocks of vaccines for both anthrax and smallpox, ready for rapid shipment to any location within the United States.
The research article, though, points the way to what its contributors believe would be a notable improvement to U.S. biological defenses.
Scientists from the National Cancer Institute and other research institutions created the new treatment by combining the existing licensed smallpox vaccine with a chemical that augments immunity and genes for the protective antigen for anthrax.
The researchers treated a group of nine rabbits with the combination vaccine and an equal-sized selection with BioThrax, the only anthrax vaccine licensed for use in the United States. After 28 days, serum samples from animals that received the dual treatment showed significantly higher levels of disease-fighting antibodies than their counterparts, according to the article. Similar results were found 21 days after the rabbits received secondary booster shots.
At that point the rabbits from both groups were exposed to inhalation anthrax. All animals that received the hybrid treatment tested negative for infection after six days, while one of the other test subjects tested positive for the presence of anthrax bacteria in the blood.
Testing on mice also showed that the dual vaccine offered similar protection levels to BioThrax, both 21 days after the animals received a booster shot and six months after vaccination. However, the experimental treatment appeared to provide defense more rapidly -- roughly 33 percent of mice survived exposure in one test three days after receiving a single dose, while only 10 percent of mice lived after receiving BioThrax under those conditions. The scientists reported similar results in mice exposed to anthrax six days after vaccination.
Though the study does not offer details, the National Cancer Institute release says the new vaccine also demonstrated greater effectiveness than the licensed ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine in safeguarding mice and monkeys against the disease.
More than 8.5 million doses of BioThrax have been delivered to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile of emergency medical countermeasures, according to Maryland-based manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions. The biopharmaceutical company produces roughly 8 million doses each year.
"While certainly interesting science, its vital to note this research is still in the very earliest of stages," Emergent spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said by e-mail. "What this study does underscore is that the threat of anthrax remains, unfortunately very real. Emergent is proud to have the government's trust and commitment to our FDA-approved anthrax vaccine."
Roughly 200 million doses of ACAM2000 have been produced for the U.S. stockpile. "We applaud the U.S. government for working on the development of a dual vaccine," manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur said in a statement today.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which manages the Strategic National Stockpile, referred questions about the relative efficacies of the vaccines back to the cancer institute, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.
"It is important to emphasize that the vaccinia-based dual vaccine ... not only is superior in immunogenicity and efficacy in comparison with the currently licensed vaccines against smallpox and anthrax, but also remedies the inadequacies associated with such licensed vaccines," the researchers said in the new article.
Smallpox vaccination can produce side rashes, fever and other effects in some recipients and might prove dangerous to people suffering from weakened immune systems or eczema. The dual vaccine, though, was less dangerous to "immune deficient" mice, suggesting it would perform similarly in afflicted humans, according to the NCI release.
Sanofi Pasteur countered that the "current, licensed vaccine is the same one that was used to eradicate smallpox" in nature. "The frequency of the side effects ... are rare to very rare."
National Cancer Institute staff scientist Linyange Perera, one of the article's authors, told Global Security Newswire that the experimental vaccine does not contain biologically active anthrax toxin, which is generally believed to be connected to "adverse effects seen following the administration of BioThrax."
The new treatment can also be freeze dried, avoiding potential troubles in keeping the material at the correct temperature and making it more easily stored and shipped in the event of a bioterror incident, the institute said.
"We believe that these features make [the dual vaccine] a preferred choice for integrating into our national biodefense preparedness agenda to protect the nation by enhancing the capabilities of rapidly responding to and recovering from a devastating attack involving these bioweapons of mass destruction," the researchers said.
The next step in the project is testing the vaccine's ability to protect nonhuman primates against inhalation anthrax and intravenous monkeypox -- a disease similar to smallpox, Perera said by e-mail. That would be followed by testing in human volunteers of the product's safe capability to produce an immune response.
Talks are under way with vaccine manufacturers and licensing and production could begin in two to three years, the scientist said.
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20101008_9204.php
By Chris Schneidmiller
WASHINGTON -- A team of U.S. researchers has developed a single vaccine that appears to provide protection against both anthrax and smallpox, two lethal diseases that top the list of potential bioterrorism agents
The new countermeasure proved more effective than existing vaccines in protecting animal test subjects exposed to the diseases, according to the National Cancer Institute. It also could resolve drawbacks identified in licensed products, such as treatment of patients with suppressed immune systems, the federal agency said in a press release.
"We believe our dual vaccine ... which is effective against two of the most deadly pathogens, will help consolidate and simplify our national bioterror counterefforts by streamlining the manufacture, stockpiling, and swift deployment of such vaccines should the need arise," the authors said in a research article, published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Fears of a bioterrorist event increased drastically in the wake of the Sept. 11 attacks and the anthrax mailings that followed just weeks later. A panel of experts led by former Senators Jim Talent (R-Mo.) and Bob Graham (D-Fla.) declared in 2008 there was a significant potential for a WMD event within five years, with bioterrorism being more likely than a nuclear strike due to the availability of disease materials (see GSN, Jan. 26).
The United States has directed billions of dollars toward promoting development of countermeasures for pathogens that could be exploited by extremists. It maintains stocks of vaccines for both anthrax and smallpox, ready for rapid shipment to any location within the United States.
The research article, though, points the way to what its contributors believe would be a notable improvement to U.S. biological defenses.
Scientists from the National Cancer Institute and other research institutions created the new treatment by combining the existing licensed smallpox vaccine with a chemical that augments immunity and genes for the protective antigen for anthrax.
The researchers treated a group of nine rabbits with the combination vaccine and an equal-sized selection with BioThrax, the only anthrax vaccine licensed for use in the United States. After 28 days, serum samples from animals that received the dual treatment showed significantly higher levels of disease-fighting antibodies than their counterparts, according to the article. Similar results were found 21 days after the rabbits received secondary booster shots.
At that point the rabbits from both groups were exposed to inhalation anthrax. All animals that received the hybrid treatment tested negative for infection after six days, while one of the other test subjects tested positive for the presence of anthrax bacteria in the blood.
Testing on mice also showed that the dual vaccine offered similar protection levels to BioThrax, both 21 days after the animals received a booster shot and six months after vaccination. However, the experimental treatment appeared to provide defense more rapidly -- roughly 33 percent of mice survived exposure in one test three days after receiving a single dose, while only 10 percent of mice lived after receiving BioThrax under those conditions. The scientists reported similar results in mice exposed to anthrax six days after vaccination.
Though the study does not offer details, the National Cancer Institute release says the new vaccine also demonstrated greater effectiveness than the licensed ACAM2000 smallpox vaccine in safeguarding mice and monkeys against the disease.
More than 8.5 million doses of BioThrax have been delivered to the U.S. Strategic National Stockpile of emergency medical countermeasures, according to Maryland-based manufacturer Emergent BioSolutions. The biopharmaceutical company produces roughly 8 million doses each year.
"While certainly interesting science, its vital to note this research is still in the very earliest of stages," Emergent spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said by e-mail. "What this study does underscore is that the threat of anthrax remains, unfortunately very real. Emergent is proud to have the government's trust and commitment to our FDA-approved anthrax vaccine."
Roughly 200 million doses of ACAM2000 have been produced for the U.S. stockpile. "We applaud the U.S. government for working on the development of a dual vaccine," manufacturer Sanofi Pasteur said in a statement today.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which manages the Strategic National Stockpile, referred questions about the relative efficacies of the vaccines back to the cancer institute, a branch of the National Institutes of Health.
"It is important to emphasize that the vaccinia-based dual vaccine ... not only is superior in immunogenicity and efficacy in comparison with the currently licensed vaccines against smallpox and anthrax, but also remedies the inadequacies associated with such licensed vaccines," the researchers said in the new article.
Smallpox vaccination can produce side rashes, fever and other effects in some recipients and might prove dangerous to people suffering from weakened immune systems or eczema. The dual vaccine, though, was less dangerous to "immune deficient" mice, suggesting it would perform similarly in afflicted humans, according to the NCI release.
Sanofi Pasteur countered that the "current, licensed vaccine is the same one that was used to eradicate smallpox" in nature. "The frequency of the side effects ... are rare to very rare."
National Cancer Institute staff scientist Linyange Perera, one of the article's authors, told Global Security Newswire that the experimental vaccine does not contain biologically active anthrax toxin, which is generally believed to be connected to "adverse effects seen following the administration of BioThrax."
The new treatment can also be freeze dried, avoiding potential troubles in keeping the material at the correct temperature and making it more easily stored and shipped in the event of a bioterror incident, the institute said.
"We believe that these features make [the dual vaccine] a preferred choice for integrating into our national biodefense preparedness agenda to protect the nation by enhancing the capabilities of rapidly responding to and recovering from a devastating attack involving these bioweapons of mass destruction," the researchers said.
The next step in the project is testing the vaccine's ability to protect nonhuman primates against inhalation anthrax and intravenous monkeypox -- a disease similar to smallpox, Perera said by e-mail. That would be followed by testing in human volunteers of the product's safe capability to produce an immune response.
Talks are under way with vaccine manufacturers and licensing and production could begin in two to three years, the scientist said.
http://www.globalsecuritynewswire.org/gsn/nw_20101008_9204.php
MALNUTRITION: India: Village Empowerment Committees
One in every three malnourished child in the world lives in India.
Malnutrition limits development and the capacity to learn in children. It also costs lives: about 50 per cent of all childhood deaths are attributed to malnutrition. In India, around 46 per cent of all children below the age of three are too small for their age, and 47 per cent are underweight. Most of these children are severely malnourished.
The Anganwadi Project was started by the Government of India in 1975 with an aim to provide nutrition value to young children, and since then there has been an active participation by State Governments for strengthening and trying to make Anganwadi project successful. A time came when big corporates too started showing interest in joining this mission to eradicate malnutrition from India.
In 2007, Vedanta group companies joined hands with State Governments of Rajasthan and Orissa and now also with Chattisgarh to support Anganwadi Project. With a mission to provide nutrition value to under privileged children in the age group of 0-6 years, Vedanta group company, Hindustan Zinc, adopted 400 Anganwadi Centres in Rajasthan and Vedanta Aluminium adopted 400 in Orissa. With this adoption not only the nutrient supplements were corrected but Anganwadi Centres also received new utensils, water filters, medical kit, books, toys, and other necessary items, much to the needs of these centres. These Vedanta Anganwadi Centers now maintain data of each child, including the change in their height and weight.
Encouraged by the results Vedanta adopted another 600 Anganwadi in Rajasthan and another 600 in Orissa, enhancing the total number of Anganwadi adopted to 2,000, benefiting over 85,000 under privileged children living in deep rural areas.
Fascination is what catches the attention of these very young children. The teaching methodology is entirely through play way methods where the teacher teaches them through songs and rhymes, colourful pictorial books and toys. The parents of the children are also very happy as their children are being taught about health and hygiene, civic sense and their children from the Anganwadi Centers then move to formal schools.
In order to impress upon the sustainability, strengthening and monitoring system of Anganwadi Centres (Child Care Centres) adopted by Vedanta, the Company has decided to form \\\”Village Empowerment Committees\\\” in every village. At present 2,000 \\\’Vedanta Bal Chetna Anganwadi Centres\\\’ are present in Rajasthan and Orissa. The Company has already formed 1578 \\\’Village Empowerment Committees\\\’, 1000 in Orissa and 578 in Rajasthan, which have also started functioning.
There are in total 10 members in each committee, which include panchayat leaders, youth leaders, opinion makers, self-help-group members, integrated child development project field staff, elderly people, and also a representation from Vedanta Foundation. These committee members would meet once in a month and take stalk of situation. These Committees would also convince mothers to send their child regularly to the Anganwadi Centres, monitor the quality of nutrient being given to children, stock of the food grains, ensure children being given micronutrient syrup, maintenance of record of every child, and liaison with local administration for immunization program.
Vedanta group has the target to eradicate malnutrition in at least 500,000 under-privileged children through adoption of 10,000 Anganwadi Centres in the coming 2-3 years. At present, all these Anganwadi Centres operate under the umbrella of \\\”Vedanta Bal Chetna Anganwadi Centres\\\”.
In Chattisgarh, Vedanta group company BALCO runs 537 \\\’MAMTA\\\’ centres in 500 villages, primarily for the mother and child care. These centres take care of all aspects of mother and child care, right from educating them about social taboos to health and medical benefits. The consistent efforts has brought down Infant Mortality Rate from 85 to 42 per 1000 and Mother Mortality Rate from 115 to 60 per 1000, in the region.
Malnutrition in early childhood has serious, long-term consequences. Malnourished children are less likely to perform well in school and more likely to grow into malnourished adults, at greater risk of disease and early death.
Unicef report also says, in 2007, an estimated 9.2 million children worldwide under the age of five died from largely preventable causes. Some are directly caused by illness such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. Others are caused by indirect causes including conflict and HIV/AIDS.
http://www.timesofindia.eu/vedanta-csr-forms-village-empowerment-committees-to-combat-malnutrition-in-india/
Malnutrition limits development and the capacity to learn in children. It also costs lives: about 50 per cent of all childhood deaths are attributed to malnutrition. In India, around 46 per cent of all children below the age of three are too small for their age, and 47 per cent are underweight. Most of these children are severely malnourished.
The Anganwadi Project was started by the Government of India in 1975 with an aim to provide nutrition value to young children, and since then there has been an active participation by State Governments for strengthening and trying to make Anganwadi project successful. A time came when big corporates too started showing interest in joining this mission to eradicate malnutrition from India.
In 2007, Vedanta group companies joined hands with State Governments of Rajasthan and Orissa and now also with Chattisgarh to support Anganwadi Project. With a mission to provide nutrition value to under privileged children in the age group of 0-6 years, Vedanta group company, Hindustan Zinc, adopted 400 Anganwadi Centres in Rajasthan and Vedanta Aluminium adopted 400 in Orissa. With this adoption not only the nutrient supplements were corrected but Anganwadi Centres also received new utensils, water filters, medical kit, books, toys, and other necessary items, much to the needs of these centres. These Vedanta Anganwadi Centers now maintain data of each child, including the change in their height and weight.
Encouraged by the results Vedanta adopted another 600 Anganwadi in Rajasthan and another 600 in Orissa, enhancing the total number of Anganwadi adopted to 2,000, benefiting over 85,000 under privileged children living in deep rural areas.
Fascination is what catches the attention of these very young children. The teaching methodology is entirely through play way methods where the teacher teaches them through songs and rhymes, colourful pictorial books and toys. The parents of the children are also very happy as their children are being taught about health and hygiene, civic sense and their children from the Anganwadi Centers then move to formal schools.
In order to impress upon the sustainability, strengthening and monitoring system of Anganwadi Centres (Child Care Centres) adopted by Vedanta, the Company has decided to form \\\”Village Empowerment Committees\\\” in every village. At present 2,000 \\\’Vedanta Bal Chetna Anganwadi Centres\\\’ are present in Rajasthan and Orissa. The Company has already formed 1578 \\\’Village Empowerment Committees\\\’, 1000 in Orissa and 578 in Rajasthan, which have also started functioning.
There are in total 10 members in each committee, which include panchayat leaders, youth leaders, opinion makers, self-help-group members, integrated child development project field staff, elderly people, and also a representation from Vedanta Foundation. These committee members would meet once in a month and take stalk of situation. These Committees would also convince mothers to send their child regularly to the Anganwadi Centres, monitor the quality of nutrient being given to children, stock of the food grains, ensure children being given micronutrient syrup, maintenance of record of every child, and liaison with local administration for immunization program.
Vedanta group has the target to eradicate malnutrition in at least 500,000 under-privileged children through adoption of 10,000 Anganwadi Centres in the coming 2-3 years. At present, all these Anganwadi Centres operate under the umbrella of \\\”Vedanta Bal Chetna Anganwadi Centres\\\”.
In Chattisgarh, Vedanta group company BALCO runs 537 \\\’MAMTA\\\’ centres in 500 villages, primarily for the mother and child care. These centres take care of all aspects of mother and child care, right from educating them about social taboos to health and medical benefits. The consistent efforts has brought down Infant Mortality Rate from 85 to 42 per 1000 and Mother Mortality Rate from 115 to 60 per 1000, in the region.
Malnutrition in early childhood has serious, long-term consequences. Malnourished children are less likely to perform well in school and more likely to grow into malnourished adults, at greater risk of disease and early death.
Unicef report also says, in 2007, an estimated 9.2 million children worldwide under the age of five died from largely preventable causes. Some are directly caused by illness such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and malaria. Others are caused by indirect causes including conflict and HIV/AIDS.
http://www.timesofindia.eu/vedanta-csr-forms-village-empowerment-committees-to-combat-malnutrition-in-india/
MALNUTRITION: Global Food Production and Biotechnology
Jose W. Fernandez
Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs
October 8, 2010
Two weeks ago, we had encouraging news about world hunger. The number of chronically undernourished people in the world fell by 100 million from the year before, due mostly to increases in grain production. However, we cannot celebrate, as much work remains to end the scourge of hunger that still leaves close to one billion people going to bed every night without enough to eat and one child dying from malnutrition every six seconds.
Increased effort will be required for years to come to provide an adequate and consistent food supply to rising populations worldwide. Increased production on existing land is the key component of this strategy.
Half a century ago, revolutionary advances in grain breeding tripled production in developing countries and played a major role in saving the lives of an estimated one billion people in Mexico, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. This came to be known as the Green Revolution. It was made possible by genetic advances achieved through slow and laborious cross-breeding research by Dr. Norman Borlaug, a native of Iowa.
After receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his work, Dr. Borlaug created the World Food Prize to honor leaders in the continuing battle against hunger. He believed that it would require a constant effort with all of the tools available to our best minds. As I look forward to the ceremony honoring this year's recipients of the World Food Prize in Des Moines on Oct. 13-14, I am reminded of the enormous potential that agriculture presents.
New agricultural technologies are an integral part of U.S. trade. Now more than ever, the United States supplies the 95 percent of the world's consumers who live outside our borders. Agricultural products are a critical component of this trade, contributing nearly $100 billion dollars to exports this year.
Ensuring that our trading partners do not erect barriers to innovation is an economic priority for the United States. Roadblocks and opaque regulations not only have a negative impact on U.S. producers, they also limit access to more affordable food supplies for people in those markets.
The volume of biotechnology crops -- particularly corn, soybeans, and cotton -- has grown rapidly each year and now is an important component of our exports. As the world's largest producer of improved food and animal feed products, the United States is a powerhouse to feed the world.
One of the ways we can improve exports and expand the benefits of biotechnology is to encourage countries to develop regulatory systems based on science, not politics. Unjustified and impractical legal obstacles are stopping genetically-enhanced crops from saving millions from starvation and malnutrition.
Through the National Export Initiative, the Obama administration is focused on trade advocacy, export promotion and removing barriers to the sale of U.S. goods and services abroad. We are pursuing these goals by enforcing trade regulations and creating policies for growth so that there will be a strong worldwide market for our goods and services. In the area of agriculture, we can produce a win-win solution for U.S. businesses and overseas economic development through technological innovation.
Investment in agriculture produces positive returns -- $1.43 for every dollar invested in research. Some countries have expressed concerns, while others have embraced the technology and have benefited from its use. Biotechnology can help developing countries to reduce crop losses due to insects and disease and increase the nutritional content of crops. It saves on costly collateral inputs that the farmer must make, and it increases yields, thereby raising small farm incomes. There are other benefits as well, such as increased soil carbon sequestration through no-till techniques, and crops like Bt cotton that dramatically lower pesticide use. Clearly many farmers around the world want what this technology has to offer.
The question is not what the technology can provide, but how to break down the barriers that block its implementation.
Unfortunately, some are exploiting fears and creating problems for the wider acceptance of agricultural biotechnology. These distractions keep us from looking at the science and the potential of the technology to address the doubling of production that will be needed during the next four decades. These crops can save millions from starvation and malnutrition. The technology is here, the science is available, if only it can be freed to reach its potential in many developing countries
This administration is actively working with countries to improve their regulatory capacity to scientifically assess the health and environmental impact of biotechnology. The United States will continue to expand its technical assistance and training programs for developing countries and transitioning economies to put in place regulatory systems that facilitate the utilization of biotechnology to expand trade and optimize food resources.
Science-based regulations will enable these countries to protect the public and the environment, as they enable farmers to meet growing food demands.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jose-w-fernandez/addressing-global-food-pr_b_756111.html
Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy and Business Affairs
October 8, 2010
Two weeks ago, we had encouraging news about world hunger. The number of chronically undernourished people in the world fell by 100 million from the year before, due mostly to increases in grain production. However, we cannot celebrate, as much work remains to end the scourge of hunger that still leaves close to one billion people going to bed every night without enough to eat and one child dying from malnutrition every six seconds.
Increased effort will be required for years to come to provide an adequate and consistent food supply to rising populations worldwide. Increased production on existing land is the key component of this strategy.
Half a century ago, revolutionary advances in grain breeding tripled production in developing countries and played a major role in saving the lives of an estimated one billion people in Mexico, India, Pakistan and the Philippines. This came to be known as the Green Revolution. It was made possible by genetic advances achieved through slow and laborious cross-breeding research by Dr. Norman Borlaug, a native of Iowa.
After receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for his work, Dr. Borlaug created the World Food Prize to honor leaders in the continuing battle against hunger. He believed that it would require a constant effort with all of the tools available to our best minds. As I look forward to the ceremony honoring this year's recipients of the World Food Prize in Des Moines on Oct. 13-14, I am reminded of the enormous potential that agriculture presents.
New agricultural technologies are an integral part of U.S. trade. Now more than ever, the United States supplies the 95 percent of the world's consumers who live outside our borders. Agricultural products are a critical component of this trade, contributing nearly $100 billion dollars to exports this year.
Ensuring that our trading partners do not erect barriers to innovation is an economic priority for the United States. Roadblocks and opaque regulations not only have a negative impact on U.S. producers, they also limit access to more affordable food supplies for people in those markets.
The volume of biotechnology crops -- particularly corn, soybeans, and cotton -- has grown rapidly each year and now is an important component of our exports. As the world's largest producer of improved food and animal feed products, the United States is a powerhouse to feed the world.
One of the ways we can improve exports and expand the benefits of biotechnology is to encourage countries to develop regulatory systems based on science, not politics. Unjustified and impractical legal obstacles are stopping genetically-enhanced crops from saving millions from starvation and malnutrition.
Through the National Export Initiative, the Obama administration is focused on trade advocacy, export promotion and removing barriers to the sale of U.S. goods and services abroad. We are pursuing these goals by enforcing trade regulations and creating policies for growth so that there will be a strong worldwide market for our goods and services. In the area of agriculture, we can produce a win-win solution for U.S. businesses and overseas economic development through technological innovation.
Investment in agriculture produces positive returns -- $1.43 for every dollar invested in research. Some countries have expressed concerns, while others have embraced the technology and have benefited from its use. Biotechnology can help developing countries to reduce crop losses due to insects and disease and increase the nutritional content of crops. It saves on costly collateral inputs that the farmer must make, and it increases yields, thereby raising small farm incomes. There are other benefits as well, such as increased soil carbon sequestration through no-till techniques, and crops like Bt cotton that dramatically lower pesticide use. Clearly many farmers around the world want what this technology has to offer.
The question is not what the technology can provide, but how to break down the barriers that block its implementation.
Unfortunately, some are exploiting fears and creating problems for the wider acceptance of agricultural biotechnology. These distractions keep us from looking at the science and the potential of the technology to address the doubling of production that will be needed during the next four decades. These crops can save millions from starvation and malnutrition. The technology is here, the science is available, if only it can be freed to reach its potential in many developing countries
This administration is actively working with countries to improve their regulatory capacity to scientifically assess the health and environmental impact of biotechnology. The United States will continue to expand its technical assistance and training programs for developing countries and transitioning economies to put in place regulatory systems that facilitate the utilization of biotechnology to expand trade and optimize food resources.
Science-based regulations will enable these countries to protect the public and the environment, as they enable farmers to meet growing food demands.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jose-w-fernandez/addressing-global-food-pr_b_756111.html
MALNUTRITION: Pakistan: treating childhood malnutrition after the floods
07/10/2010 Nurse Hamdullah has been treating children suffering from malnutrition with MSF in Pakistan’s neglected Balochistan province for the last ten years. Major floods forced about 600,000 people to flee from neighbouring Sindh province to Balochistan in Pakistan’s southwest. Many of them made the difficult 300 km journey to the provincial capital, Quetta, in search of help.
Many people have lost everything, including their homes and family members. Tenant farmers are considered the poorest of the poor and they have come with nothing. As a result of these mass movements, Hamdullah has seen the severely malnourished children of these tenant farmers in large numbers at MSF’s feeding programmes. “In Dera Murad Jamali and the surrounding areas I saw many malnourished children in the camps. I admitted 15 to 20 patients to our feeding programme every day,” Hamdullah said.
Food aid provided in the wake of the flood often focuses on assuaging hunger rather than treating malnutrition, and is not sufficient in meeting the needs of children most at risk.
“Treating malnutrition in children under the age of five is essential. This improves their chance at survival while immune system is still developing. When children are severely malnourished they cannot resist the infections and diseases most likely to claim their lives. If not treated in time, the damage malnutrition leaves on their physical and mental state is irreversible,” explained Dr Ahmed Mukhtar, a medical coordinator in Pakistan.
MSF operates nine outpatient therapeutic feeding programmes across Pakistan through outreach teams. These teams provide systematic medical check-ups and a week’s supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) in sachets to people showing signs of malnutrition. This paste, made from peanuts and milk, is enriched with the vitamins and micronutrients that children need to recover quickly. We are currently treating 1,748 children for severe and acute malnutrition in Sindh and Balochistan.
We spent a day with Hamdullah and team members Ali Sher, Noor Mohammed and Muhammed Iqbal as they worked to ensure that malnourished children get treatment.
09:00: MSF office, Quetta
Hamdullah’s nutrition outreach team fill their pickup with seven boxes of RUTF sachets, a scale, a medicine trunk containing antibiotics, a tent, a table and chairs and some clean drinking water. They also pack the patient register listing their young patients' names and weight tracked over a three to six week period. We head out on the Sariab Road to the outskirts of Quetta.
09:30: Quetta eastern bypass camp
About 40 tents dot the once densely populated yard of the Muslim Health Clinic compound. Hamdullah is surprised: “Some families have started returning home sooner than we thought. They are anxious to get to their land before winter sets in.”
Within minutes of setting up their post, about 20 young Sindhi girls carrying their younger siblings are already crowded around Hamdullah’s table and scale. They clutch small pieces of paper given to them the previous week. The notes bear the child’s name, their weight and the follow-up visit date.
And so begin the proceedings for the day. Ali Sher calls out a name; Hamdullah then confirms the name and the patient's village of origin before weighing and measuring him or her. He does a quick calculation to determine progress, and then Noor Mohammed and Muhammed Iqbal hand out a prescribed number of RUTF sachets.
10:20
Gulbano Nazir has pushed into the mob of women and children, holding tightly onto her two sons Khalid, 18 months, and Hussain, aged three. The floodwaters washed away their mud-walled home near Jacobabad a month ago. She and her husband, Mohammed Rafiq, along with seven other desperate families scraped together the 60,000 PKR (over $600 US) to pay for a truck ride to Quetta by borrowing some money and selling what they had left.
Khalid was diagnosed with severe and acute malnutrition, but is recovering and has put on weight rapidly thanks to the nutrient-rich RUTF. He digs into it as soon as Gulbano opens the sachet for him.
Despite lacking vital information about conditions in Jacobabad, the family will return home to their devastated village. This could make Khalid’s long-term recovery as uncertain as the family’s future.
“I just want to go home. Camp life is tough and winter is coming,” said Galbanum. All Khalid can depend on for now is the 14 sachets of RUTF his mother is carrying back to their tent.
This supply should see him through until the family reaches another transit camp near Dera Murad Jamali on their route back to Jacobabad where MSF also provides outreach feeding care.
13:00 Camp 2 near the Quetta railway line
The sun beats down on this 300-tent camp as the team sets up shop. Their tent is barely erect on the parched landscape, and already desperate mothers jostle to get their babies onto Hamdullah’s scale, trying to minimise the time their crying children spend under the hot sun.
When Hakim Zadi and her son, Akhsa Banu, reach Hamdullah’s table, he takes a look at the child and reaches into a box for a coloured-coded mid and upper arm circumference (MUAC) bracelet. He slips it around Akhsa’s tiny left arm and measures it. The arrows point to the red zone – a circumference of less than 110mm.
“For an 18 month-old this child is severely malnourished,” Hamdullah said, handing Hakim a supply of RUTF sachets.
15:00
The outreach team head back to the office and for afternoon prayers; having weighed and measured nearly 200 patients and distributed just over 50kg of RUTF to more than 40 patients.
“It makes me feel good when the child’s condition improves with every visit. People might be moving back home now but there is more to be done because the effects of the floods aren’t over yet,” Hamdullah said.
http://www.msf.org.uk/articledetail.aspx?fId=childhoodmalnutritionoct2010pakistan_20101007
Many people have lost everything, including their homes and family members. Tenant farmers are considered the poorest of the poor and they have come with nothing. As a result of these mass movements, Hamdullah has seen the severely malnourished children of these tenant farmers in large numbers at MSF’s feeding programmes. “In Dera Murad Jamali and the surrounding areas I saw many malnourished children in the camps. I admitted 15 to 20 patients to our feeding programme every day,” Hamdullah said.
Food aid provided in the wake of the flood often focuses on assuaging hunger rather than treating malnutrition, and is not sufficient in meeting the needs of children most at risk.
“Treating malnutrition in children under the age of five is essential. This improves their chance at survival while immune system is still developing. When children are severely malnourished they cannot resist the infections and diseases most likely to claim their lives. If not treated in time, the damage malnutrition leaves on their physical and mental state is irreversible,” explained Dr Ahmed Mukhtar, a medical coordinator in Pakistan.
MSF operates nine outpatient therapeutic feeding programmes across Pakistan through outreach teams. These teams provide systematic medical check-ups and a week’s supply of ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF) in sachets to people showing signs of malnutrition. This paste, made from peanuts and milk, is enriched with the vitamins and micronutrients that children need to recover quickly. We are currently treating 1,748 children for severe and acute malnutrition in Sindh and Balochistan.
We spent a day with Hamdullah and team members Ali Sher, Noor Mohammed and Muhammed Iqbal as they worked to ensure that malnourished children get treatment.
09:00: MSF office, Quetta
Hamdullah’s nutrition outreach team fill their pickup with seven boxes of RUTF sachets, a scale, a medicine trunk containing antibiotics, a tent, a table and chairs and some clean drinking water. They also pack the patient register listing their young patients' names and weight tracked over a three to six week period. We head out on the Sariab Road to the outskirts of Quetta.
09:30: Quetta eastern bypass camp
About 40 tents dot the once densely populated yard of the Muslim Health Clinic compound. Hamdullah is surprised: “Some families have started returning home sooner than we thought. They are anxious to get to their land before winter sets in.”
Within minutes of setting up their post, about 20 young Sindhi girls carrying their younger siblings are already crowded around Hamdullah’s table and scale. They clutch small pieces of paper given to them the previous week. The notes bear the child’s name, their weight and the follow-up visit date.
And so begin the proceedings for the day. Ali Sher calls out a name; Hamdullah then confirms the name and the patient's village of origin before weighing and measuring him or her. He does a quick calculation to determine progress, and then Noor Mohammed and Muhammed Iqbal hand out a prescribed number of RUTF sachets.
10:20
Gulbano Nazir has pushed into the mob of women and children, holding tightly onto her two sons Khalid, 18 months, and Hussain, aged three. The floodwaters washed away their mud-walled home near Jacobabad a month ago. She and her husband, Mohammed Rafiq, along with seven other desperate families scraped together the 60,000 PKR (over $600 US) to pay for a truck ride to Quetta by borrowing some money and selling what they had left.
Khalid was diagnosed with severe and acute malnutrition, but is recovering and has put on weight rapidly thanks to the nutrient-rich RUTF. He digs into it as soon as Gulbano opens the sachet for him.
Despite lacking vital information about conditions in Jacobabad, the family will return home to their devastated village. This could make Khalid’s long-term recovery as uncertain as the family’s future.
“I just want to go home. Camp life is tough and winter is coming,” said Galbanum. All Khalid can depend on for now is the 14 sachets of RUTF his mother is carrying back to their tent.
This supply should see him through until the family reaches another transit camp near Dera Murad Jamali on their route back to Jacobabad where MSF also provides outreach feeding care.
13:00 Camp 2 near the Quetta railway line
The sun beats down on this 300-tent camp as the team sets up shop. Their tent is barely erect on the parched landscape, and already desperate mothers jostle to get their babies onto Hamdullah’s scale, trying to minimise the time their crying children spend under the hot sun.
When Hakim Zadi and her son, Akhsa Banu, reach Hamdullah’s table, he takes a look at the child and reaches into a box for a coloured-coded mid and upper arm circumference (MUAC) bracelet. He slips it around Akhsa’s tiny left arm and measures it. The arrows point to the red zone – a circumference of less than 110mm.
“For an 18 month-old this child is severely malnourished,” Hamdullah said, handing Hakim a supply of RUTF sachets.
15:00
The outreach team head back to the office and for afternoon prayers; having weighed and measured nearly 200 patients and distributed just over 50kg of RUTF to more than 40 patients.
“It makes me feel good when the child’s condition improves with every visit. People might be moving back home now but there is more to be done because the effects of the floods aren’t over yet,” Hamdullah said.
http://www.msf.org.uk/articledetail.aspx?fId=childhoodmalnutritionoct2010pakistan_20101007
TUBERCULOSIS: FDA gives grants to fight tuberculosis
Jeffrey Bigongiari on October 5, 2010
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on October 4 announced that it has awarded nearly $3 million to fund research that will support the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis.
The funding, which amounts to $2.9 million, will go directly towards six different projects that were selected from 30 applicants, and was directed by the FDA’s Critical Path Initiative.
TB remains a major public health threat and continues to rise in prevalence globally. The FDA said that help is needed to shorten therapy and to treat drug resistant forms of the disease.
"FDA recognized an urgent need for the engagement and leadership of public health institutions to promote this critical, but neglected, area of medical therapeutics," FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., said.
The six projects and their research teams that FDA will grant funding to include Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation's discovery of biological and immunological biomarkers for TB vaccines and the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development frozen trials for developing a repository of clinical trial specimens.
Also receiving funding will be Global Alliance of TB Drug Development for qualifying new preclinical models for the development of tuberculosis drug combinations, and the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., for the development of a diagnostic for latent TB.
Colorado State University will receive funding for small molecule biomarkers for tuberculosis treatment, relapse and cure, while a grant for the University of Utah will be used for the development and validation of point-of-care tests for tuberculosis.
http://vaccinenewsdaily.com/news/216702-fda-gives-grants-to-fight-tuberculosis
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on October 4 announced that it has awarded nearly $3 million to fund research that will support the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of tuberculosis.
The funding, which amounts to $2.9 million, will go directly towards six different projects that were selected from 30 applicants, and was directed by the FDA’s Critical Path Initiative.
TB remains a major public health threat and continues to rise in prevalence globally. The FDA said that help is needed to shorten therapy and to treat drug resistant forms of the disease.
"FDA recognized an urgent need for the engagement and leadership of public health institutions to promote this critical, but neglected, area of medical therapeutics," FDA Commissioner Margaret A. Hamburg, M.D., said.
The six projects and their research teams that FDA will grant funding to include Aeras Global TB Vaccine Foundation's discovery of biological and immunological biomarkers for TB vaccines and the Global Alliance for TB Drug Development frozen trials for developing a repository of clinical trial specimens.
Also receiving funding will be Global Alliance of TB Drug Development for qualifying new preclinical models for the development of tuberculosis drug combinations, and the University of Georgia Research Foundation, Inc., for the development of a diagnostic for latent TB.
Colorado State University will receive funding for small molecule biomarkers for tuberculosis treatment, relapse and cure, while a grant for the University of Utah will be used for the development and validation of point-of-care tests for tuberculosis.
http://vaccinenewsdaily.com/news/216702-fda-gives-grants-to-fight-tuberculosis
TUBERCULOSIS: Global Fight Against AIDS Falters as Pledges Fail to Reach Goal of $13 Billion
By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. October 5, 2010
In another signal that the global battle against AIDS is falling apart for lack of money, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria failed on Tuesday to reach even its lowest “austerity level” fund-raising target of $13 billion — the amount it had said it needed just to keep putting patients on treatment at current rates.
Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
Parents and a younger daughter in Uganda have H.I.V. but only the daughter is eligible for drugs.
Three-year pledges from 40 countries attending a two-day conference held in Manhattan amounted to $11.7 billion. The pledges were announced at the United Nations. The fund had hoped to raise $20 billion to catch up with the growing epidemic.
No one now on treatment will be cut off, said Dr. Michel Kazatchkine, the fund’s executive director, but the targets for the next few years must be lowered.
He said that he “deeply appreciates” the amount raised, but that “we need to recognize that it’s not enough to meet expected demand and will lead to difficult decisions in the next three years.”
He could not, he said, estimate exactly how many deaths would result.
The fund pays for AIDS drugs for almost three million patients now, and still might be able to reach four million by 2013. It had hoped to reach five million or more.
It supports about half of the world’s poor who are getting treatment. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or Pepfar, started under the administration of President George W. Bush, pays for the other half.
An estimated 33 million people are infected worldwide, a number that grows by a million people a year after adding new infections and subtracting deaths.
Of that number, about 14 million are already so sick that, under World Health Organization guidelines, they should be on drugs. It looks increasingly likely that that number will outpace the number getting drugs.
The United States pledged $4 billion, which is a nearly 40 percent increase over its previous contribution. It is by far the most generous donor, and most countries raised their contributions by less.
France, Canada and Norway went up by 20 percent, Japan by 28 percent. Britain, Sweden and the Netherlands could not commit because of budget cycles, but were expected to be in that ballpark; Italy and Spain gave nothing. South Africa, which has the world’s worst AIDS epidemic, made a token contribution of $2 million. Russia and China gave $60 million and $14 million respectively, far less than fund officials had hoped. To reach the fund’s $20 billion goal, all countries would have had to roughly double their giving.
AIDS activists vented open frustration, both with the overall result and the American contribution.
“This is a modest course correction, not what we were hoping for in terms of U.S. leadership,” said Dr. Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance, an advocacy group that had lobbied the administration for a $6 billion contribution. “This took the other donors off the hook. Everyone could aim low.”
By not reaching a decision earlier, he complained, the United States dithered away its leverage over other countries.
Under American law, the United States can contribute only one-third of the fund. If it had told other donors privately weeks ago that it intended a 40 percent increase, they would have been under pressure to match that, both to avoid sounding cheap, and because the United States cannot pay unless its donation is matched 2 to 1.
Dr. Eric Goosby, the global AIDS coordinator, said the intra-administration debate about how much to pledge was “robust” and went on right up until Tuesday morning.
“We’re proud of the pledge,” Dr. Goosby said in a telephone interview. Getting the United States, which has a one-year budget cycle, to commit to a three-year pledge was “swimming upstream,” especially in such a weak economy.
The battles against malaria and tuberculosis will also suffer, but the effect on AIDS is easier to measure. Malaria waxes and wanes with hot weather and local spraying. The TB epidemic echoes the AIDS epidemic because so many people have both, but TB can be cured in six months, which shrinks case counts rapidly.
Neil MacFarquhar contributed reporting from the United Nations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/world/africa/06aids.html
In another signal that the global battle against AIDS is falling apart for lack of money, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria failed on Tuesday to reach even its lowest “austerity level” fund-raising target of $13 billion — the amount it had said it needed just to keep putting patients on treatment at current rates.
Tyler Hicks/The New York Times
Parents and a younger daughter in Uganda have H.I.V. but only the daughter is eligible for drugs.
Three-year pledges from 40 countries attending a two-day conference held in Manhattan amounted to $11.7 billion. The pledges were announced at the United Nations. The fund had hoped to raise $20 billion to catch up with the growing epidemic.
No one now on treatment will be cut off, said Dr. Michel Kazatchkine, the fund’s executive director, but the targets for the next few years must be lowered.
He said that he “deeply appreciates” the amount raised, but that “we need to recognize that it’s not enough to meet expected demand and will lead to difficult decisions in the next three years.”
He could not, he said, estimate exactly how many deaths would result.
The fund pays for AIDS drugs for almost three million patients now, and still might be able to reach four million by 2013. It had hoped to reach five million or more.
It supports about half of the world’s poor who are getting treatment. The President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or Pepfar, started under the administration of President George W. Bush, pays for the other half.
An estimated 33 million people are infected worldwide, a number that grows by a million people a year after adding new infections and subtracting deaths.
Of that number, about 14 million are already so sick that, under World Health Organization guidelines, they should be on drugs. It looks increasingly likely that that number will outpace the number getting drugs.
The United States pledged $4 billion, which is a nearly 40 percent increase over its previous contribution. It is by far the most generous donor, and most countries raised their contributions by less.
France, Canada and Norway went up by 20 percent, Japan by 28 percent. Britain, Sweden and the Netherlands could not commit because of budget cycles, but were expected to be in that ballpark; Italy and Spain gave nothing. South Africa, which has the world’s worst AIDS epidemic, made a token contribution of $2 million. Russia and China gave $60 million and $14 million respectively, far less than fund officials had hoped. To reach the fund’s $20 billion goal, all countries would have had to roughly double their giving.
AIDS activists vented open frustration, both with the overall result and the American contribution.
“This is a modest course correction, not what we were hoping for in terms of U.S. leadership,” said Dr. Paul Zeitz, executive director of the Global AIDS Alliance, an advocacy group that had lobbied the administration for a $6 billion contribution. “This took the other donors off the hook. Everyone could aim low.”
By not reaching a decision earlier, he complained, the United States dithered away its leverage over other countries.
Under American law, the United States can contribute only one-third of the fund. If it had told other donors privately weeks ago that it intended a 40 percent increase, they would have been under pressure to match that, both to avoid sounding cheap, and because the United States cannot pay unless its donation is matched 2 to 1.
Dr. Eric Goosby, the global AIDS coordinator, said the intra-administration debate about how much to pledge was “robust” and went on right up until Tuesday morning.
“We’re proud of the pledge,” Dr. Goosby said in a telephone interview. Getting the United States, which has a one-year budget cycle, to commit to a three-year pledge was “swimming upstream,” especially in such a weak economy.
The battles against malaria and tuberculosis will also suffer, but the effect on AIDS is easier to measure. Malaria waxes and wanes with hot weather and local spraying. The TB epidemic echoes the AIDS epidemic because so many people have both, but TB can be cured in six months, which shrinks case counts rapidly.
Neil MacFarquhar contributed reporting from the United Nations.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/06/world/africa/06aids.html
POVERTY: UN urges collective effort to reduce urban poverty
4 October 2010 –Governments, the private sector and civil society have to work much more closely together if the world is to build and sustain better cities, which are now home to more than half the global population, United Nations officials said today.
Marking World Habitat Day, whose theme this year is “Better City, Better Life,” Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon issued a message spotlighting the effect that smart policies and actions can have on the well-being of the estimated 1 billion people worldwide who live in slums or other forms of sub-standard housing.
“The urban poor are too often condemned to a life without basic rights, hope of an education or decent work,” said Mr. Ban, noting that they typically live in developing countries and are both disenfranchised and under the age of 25.
“Lacking adequate provision of freshwater, electricity, sanitation or health care, they suffer privations that all too often provide the tinder for the fires of social unrest. Vulnerable to exploitation and corruption, they need and deserve better cities and a better life.”
Mr. Ban stressed that the challenges of urban poverty, stretching from pollution to criminal gang culture, can be overcome.
“Many cities are finding successful solutions. Smart cities recognize the importance of good governance, basic urban services for all, and streets and public spaces where women and children feel safe. They also recognize that better cities can help to mitigate global challenges, such as climate change, by promoting energy conservation and environmental sustainability.”
In a separate message, Inga Björk-Klevby, the Officer-in-Charge of the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT), stressed the need to keep improving the world’s cities as she noted that trends indicate two thirds of humanity will be living in towns and cities within the next two generations.
Ms. Björk-Klevby called for planners, officials and developers to create “smarter” cities, with better quality of life, greater investment in human capital, enhanced political and cultural inclusion and sustainable economic opportunities.
Events are taking place around the globe to mark World Habitat Day, which the UN designates as the first Monday in October each year, including in such cities as Barcelona, Spain; Kolkata, India; and Nakuru, Kenya.
This year’s theme echoes that of the Shanghai World Expo, where UN-HABITAT has a strong presence, and a series of celebrations will take place today in the Chinese metropolis.
Vienna is among the winners of the UN-HABITAT 2010 Scroll of Honour award for improving living conditions in towns and cities. According to the citation, the Austrian capital put people and their views first in a multi-million dollar model urban renovation programme under which sub-standard housing stock has been reduced over the years to below nine per cent following improvements to more than 5,000 buildings with nearly a quarter of a million apartments.
Other winners include China, Colombia, Morocco, Singapore and South Africa.
http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=36327&Cr=habitat&Cr1#
POVERTY: Goal Looms for U.N.: Ending ‘Energy Poverty’
ELISABETH ROSENTHAL
Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
A baby receiving a vaccine at a health center in the Bugasera district of Rwanda last month.
Electricity is considered vital to meeting United Nations goals like reducing infant mortality.The United Nations Millennium Development Goals were adopted in 2000 as a commitment to improve health and education as well as end poverty in less fortunate parts of the globe. The eight goals include targets like universal childhood education, reducing infant mortality and ensuring environmental sustainability.
This year there has been a growing movement to add a ninth goal: ending energy poverty. Some 1.4 billion people lack access to electricity. Energy experts like Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency, say that erasing energy poverty should be added because providing people with electricity is often a precondition for solving the eight other problems.
Hospitals without electricity have a hard time keeping vaccines and medicines cold enough or sterilizing equipment properly. If a village lacks electricity to light schools and homes, it is hard for children to do their homework.
In a new report released in part last month during a high-level gathering of the United Nations General Assembly, the International Energy Agency calculated that it would take $36 billion a year for the next 20 years to achieve “universal access to modern energy” by 2030.
That could be accomplished with only a minor bump in global greenhouse emissions because many parts of the world -– principally rural regions not yet connected to an electricity grid –- can best be electrified with renewable energy sources.
An earlier version of this post misstated the amount that the International Energy Agency calculates it would take per year to achieve “universal access to modern energy” by 2030. It is $36 billion, not $36 million.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/goal-looms-for-u-n-ending-energy-poverty/
Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
A baby receiving a vaccine at a health center in the Bugasera district of Rwanda last month.
Electricity is considered vital to meeting United Nations goals like reducing infant mortality.The United Nations Millennium Development Goals were adopted in 2000 as a commitment to improve health and education as well as end poverty in less fortunate parts of the globe. The eight goals include targets like universal childhood education, reducing infant mortality and ensuring environmental sustainability.
This year there has been a growing movement to add a ninth goal: ending energy poverty. Some 1.4 billion people lack access to electricity. Energy experts like Nobuo Tanaka, executive director of the International Energy Agency, say that erasing energy poverty should be added because providing people with electricity is often a precondition for solving the eight other problems.
Hospitals without electricity have a hard time keeping vaccines and medicines cold enough or sterilizing equipment properly. If a village lacks electricity to light schools and homes, it is hard for children to do their homework.
In a new report released in part last month during a high-level gathering of the United Nations General Assembly, the International Energy Agency calculated that it would take $36 billion a year for the next 20 years to achieve “universal access to modern energy” by 2030.
That could be accomplished with only a minor bump in global greenhouse emissions because many parts of the world -– principally rural regions not yet connected to an electricity grid –- can best be electrified with renewable energy sources.
An earlier version of this post misstated the amount that the International Energy Agency calculates it would take per year to achieve “universal access to modern energy” by 2030. It is $36 billion, not $36 million.
http://green.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/04/goal-looms-for-u-n-ending-energy-poverty/
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