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Pfizer Donates Zithromax, Promotes Eye Screening
AS part of its corporate social responsibility and efforts to forestall the onset of preventable eye disorders such glaucoma and trachoma which lead to blindness, Pfizer Specialities Nigeria recently held free eye screening services in Abuja, Ilorin, Kano, Osun, Akwa-Ibom and Delta States. A donation of Zithromax was officially handed to the Minister of Health in Abuja through the company’s International trachoma Initiative.

Global plan targets devastating eye disease
Blinding trachoma, one of the oldest known infectious eye diseases, may be facing its end game. The world’s leading cause of preventable blindness, trachoma brings extraordinary human suffering and economic devastation to tens of millions of people, mostly women and children in poorer countries. Yet as a result of development and targeted interventions it is now limited to an estimated 59 countries, often affecting the poorest populations in Africa and Asia.

5 districts declared filariasis disease free
Dhaka, Oct 25 (bdnews24.com) – The government has declared five districts free of the crippling mosquito-borne filariasis disease, for the first time in Bangladesh after years of mass drug administration. State minister for health Mozibur Rahman Fakir, on Tuesday, announced the name of the districts – Meherpur, Rajshahi, Dinajpur, Patuakhali and Barguna – where the prevalence rate for the parasitic disease, also known as elephantiasis, was found to be below one percent.

A Fresh Insight into Transmission of Schistosomiasis: A Misleading Tale of Biomphalaria in Lake Victoria
Lake Victoria is a known hot-spot for Schistosoma mansoni, which utilises freshwater snails of the genus Biomphalaria as intermediate hosts. Different species of Biomphalaria are associated with varying parasite compatibility, affecting local transmission. It is thought that two species, B. choanomphala and B. sudanica, inhabit Lake Victoria; despite their biomedical importance, the taxonomy of these species has not been thoroughly examined.

Economics of drug discovery, development for neglected diseases
One of the major reasons why some of the major healthcare problems related to neglected diseases are not addressed by large pharma companies is the lack of large markets which are enablers for ensuring adequate returns on the investments made. For example with rising costs of drug discovery reaching over $ 1.5 billion for every new drug reaching the market, there are not many drugs for neglected diseases which could attract adequate markets in value terms.