Health

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‘All roads should lead to universal healthcare,’ says new WHO chief

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Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General-Elect, briefs the press in Geneva.

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After Ebola and Zika, Most Countries Still Not Prepared for a Pandemic

New report outlines how to break the cycle of ‘panic and neglect’ and finance country-level pandemic preparedness

Despite progress made since the Zika and Ebola crises, a report released on May 25th, by the International Working Group on Financing Preparedness (IWG), established by the World Bank, shows that most countries are not adequately prepared for a pandemic, and the world is still doing too little to finance recommended actions to strengthen pandemic preparedness.

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Zika virus spread undetected for many months, NIH-supported study finds

Virus quickly spread in the Americas, then diverged into distinct genetic groups.

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Aedes Aegypti Mosquito Larvae

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Seventieth World Health Assembly update

Delegates at the World Health Assembly on May 24th, approved the Organization’s proposed programme budget of US$ 4421.5 million for the biennium, which includes a 3% (or US$ 28 million) increase in Member State assessed contributions for 2018–2019.

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Democratic Republic of the Congo on Track with Its HIV Catch-Up Plan

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Photo: UNAIDS

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Modified experimental vaccine protects monkeys from deadly malaria

Scientists modified an existing vaccine to more closely mimics the protein complex used by the parasite.

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A female Aedes

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Groups SUE FDA To Protect Food Safety

Seek to ensure food additives are found safe before being marketed to American consumers

On May 22th, consumer, health, and food safety groups challenged a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule that undermines the integrity of our food safety system. Chemical and food manufacturers often seek to add chemicals to processed food, typically to enhance flavor, add nutrients, or prevent spoilage. Chemicals also often leach into foods from processing equipment and packaging.

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COPD National Action Plan aims to reduce the burden of the third leading cause of death

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), along with federal and non-federal partners, on May 22th released the first-ever COPD National Action Plan, a detailed, patient-centered roadmap for addressing one of the most urgent health concerns facing Americans. The plan was released at the American Thoracic Society International Conference meeting this week in Washington, D.C. NHLBI is part of the National Institutes of Health.

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Unprecedented New Organizational Reforms for WHO in the African Region announced

Three years after Ebola crisis, Dr Matsidisho Moeti’s Transformation Agenda yields numerous achievements by WHO in the Africa region; sets stage for new focus on adolescent health and establishment of emergency response hubs.

The World Health Organization’s (WHO) Regional Director for Africa announced on May 22th four new flagship programs for the region over the next two years, including a major push on adolescent health and the creation of regional emergency hubs. She also announced that WHO country offices in the African region will be held accountable to a mandatory set of performance deliverables over the next two years as part of the next phase of an ambitious reform program begun in 2015 in the wake of the Ebola crisis in West Africa.

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Intestinal fungi linked to worsening of alcoholic liver disease

A new study funded by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) is among the first to suggest that intestinal fungi may contribute to the development of alcoholic liver disease (ALD). ALD encompasses a broad range of liver diseases, from simple steatosis (fatty liver) to end-stage liver disease, or cirrhosis (liver cell death).