Posts Tagged ‘vaccine’

« Older Entries

Groundswell of progress on dengue

June 21st, 2011

Reposted with permission from ONE.org.

Ciro de Quadros, executive vice president at the Sabin Vaccine Institute, sheds some light around dengue, a disease that puts 2.5 billion people at risk.

Every day, parents in the United States take their children to doctors to be immunized against deadly diseases. Vaccines are arguably one of the greatest scientific achievements and save more lives than any other health intervention. Yet today, at least 2.5 billion people -– two fifths of the world’s population -– are at risk of contracting dengue, a disease for which a vaccine is not yet available.

Dengue Map

Map showing areas of dengue risk via the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Currently, there is no treatment for dengue, underscoring the need for a vaccine. The most effective means of mosquito control, including bed nets, changes to human habitation and behavior, and long-lasting modification of natural and man-made mosquito habitats, are difficult to implement in poverty-stricken settings. Additionally, climate change and international travel are further complicating the situation.

» Read more: Groundswell of progress on dengue

No comments »

Posted in Global Health

Tags:

We Can Do It!

March 8th, 2011

Flickr/ The U.S. National Archives

By: Carly Gasca

As people around the world celebrate women’s achievements during International Women’s Day on March 8th, it is important to pause and remember that progress still needs to be made in improving the health of women worldwide. Despite the advancements that women have experienced in many areas, women’s health issues still need to be tackled around the globe. One such health issue involves the Human papillomavirus (HPV) and the diseases it can cause in women, most notably cervical cancer.

Genital HPV can be described as a silent attacker, which makes this sexually transmitted infection extremely common. HPV is so common that at least 50% of all sexually active individuals will harbor the infection at some point in their lives, but most people won’t even realize it. HPV infections are generally free of symptoms, and the body’s immune system is capable of eliminating 90% of all HPV cases within two years of infection. However, the other 10% of high-risk HPV cases that remain in the body have the potential to develop into cancers years later. Genital HPV is estimated to cause nearly 100% of cervical cancer cases.

Cervical cancer is a major killer of women worldwide, claiming the lives of over 250,000 women every year. There is a striking disparity in the number of cervical cancer cases and deaths between high- and low-income populations. The disease burden of cervical cancer rests disproportionately on countries in developing parts of the world. The alarming fact that nearly 90% of cervical cancer deaths occur in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean is due to the lack of HPV prevention and screening methods in these regions. » Read more: We Can Do It!

No comments »

Posted in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean, Maternal Health

Tags:

Eliminating Polio is within Our Reach

February 7th, 2011

Reprinted with permission from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Blog. Original blog post can be found here.

By: Dr. Ciro de Quadros

As we begin another year in the battle against polio, I am optimistic that eliminating this disease from the face of the planet is within our reach. Over the last 30 years, global health efforts have pushed polio to the brink, reducing its prevalence by 99 percent. Thanks to these efforts, the disease remains endemic in only a handful of countries, yet steep challenges remain as we work toward eradication.

Eliminating Polio is Within Our Reach

Within four countries – India, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan – polio has proven to be a persistent foe, continuing to paralyze and take the lives of young children despite our best efforts. And as long as the disease remains, so does the threat of outbreaks, which can quickly spread across continents.

Just last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported an outbreak of poliovirus – imported from India – in Tajikistan, a country that had been certified polio-free since 2002. A similar Indian strain caused 201 cases of paralysis and 104 deaths in the Congo, causing health officials to scramble to re-vaccinate the entire population. Similar outbreaks occurred last year in Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

» Read more: Eliminating Polio is within Our Reach

1 comment »

Posted in Global Health, Public Health

Tags:

Reading List 1/25/2011

January 25th, 2011

We have a new reading list to kick off your Tuesday! Today we’re reading about Sierra Leone introducing a new pneumococcal vaccine program, recent news about The Global Fund, and what Bill Gates and Microsoft are contributing to the world of global health and parasitic diseases.

Children’s lives at risk from vaccine funding gap, The Guardian
MASSIVE CORRUPTION! (…in Small Global Health Grants?), William Savedoff, Center for Global Development
Global Fund statement on abuse of funds in some countries, The Global Fund
Bill Gates sees philanthropy bug spreading, Kate Kelland, The Globe and Mail
Microsoft Looks To Get Into the Parasite Business, David Richards, SmartHouse

No comments »

Posted in reading list

Tags: