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Fetus 'suffers from mother's bad air'
Newborn babies who are exposed to air pollution in the womb have to breathe faster to get more oxygen into their lungs, according to research confirming environmental fumes can damage a child's lungs before birth.
A study of 241 Swiss infants shows for the first time that the more pollution a pregnant woman breathes in, the more her baby will struggle for breath.
Australian child health experts say the findings support recent research on Brisbane mothers and help build a case for more environmentally-friendly town planning and better efforts to avoid pollutants in pregnancy.
"This is scary proof that we need to be paying a lot more attention to how we are designing our cities," said Professor Peter Sly, director of the WHO Collaborating Centre for Research on Children's Environmental Health in Perth.
Respiratory specialists at the University of Bern measured the day-to-day air quality of a group of pregnant women and measured lung health of their babies at five weeks.
Babies of mothers who had the highest exposure to pollution breathed an average of 48 times a minute, compared with 42 for those less exposed.
They also had higher levels of exhaled nitric oxide, a marker of airway inflammation.
Those living within 150 metres of a major road were most affected, lead researcher Philipp (Philipp) Latzin told the European Respiratory Society congress in Berlin.
Previous studies have only shown lung damage from air pollution in school-aged children.
Dr Latzin said he was uncertain of the mechanisms but it was possible that oxidative stress and inflammation in the mother's lungs may stifle blood flow to the placenta, reducing nutrient supply.
If the popular theory that exposure to toxins in the womb has lasting effects proves true, "then these early influences on the respiratory system will lead to an increase in lung disease in adulthood and reduce life expectancy," Dr Latzin said.
Prof Sly said this was further evidence for a need to strengthen pollution reduction measures and improve town planning.
"With too many road developments in Australia the only concern is moving traffic and that has to change," Prof Sly said.
"Air pollution has a serious impact on people living near major roads and these roads are everywhere.
"Climate change is going to increase humidity and make the situation worse so we need to get smart about it now." Newborn babies who are exposed to air pollution in the womb have to breathe faster to get more oxygen into their lungs, according to r... more -
Mysterious disease claims four
Zambian authorities and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have mounted investigations into the unknown disease that has so far claimed four lives in South Africa.
Zambia’s High Commissioner in Pretoria, Leslie Mbula, told the Sapa news agency on Monday that reports from Zambia indicated that no other person in the country had contracted the “mysterious disease.”
“Zambia has mounted an investigation and is working closely with the
World Health Organisation. Apart from the two people who died at
Morningside Medi Clinic, there have been no reports of anyone
presenting with the illness in Zambia,” Mbula said.
Mbula said he had spoken to the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry
of Health, Simon Miti, who confirmed the situation.
Zambia’s health minister Brian Chituwo was due to release a statement later on Monday.
Four people have died in South Africa of a highly infectious disease
that has yet to be identified, the health department has said.
The first casualty was a woman from Zambia who was critically ill
when she arrived in South Africa on September 12. She was treated for
tick-bite fever and other potential infections at Morningside
Medi-Clinic, but died two days later.
Blood tests were not conclusive for any disease.
The second victim was a Zambian male paramedic who had accompanied
the woman. He was admitted on September 27 with flu-like symptoms and
treated for a range of infections.
A nurse from the clinic also died following contact with the Zambian
woman.
The fourth was a cleaner who had worked in the ward.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Ronnie Mamoepa said South Africa had not
issued a travel alert to Zambia.
“We have not issued a warning to travellers. But speak to the
department of health, they are dealing with the issue,” Mamoepa said.
Mbula however said people should not be afraid of travelling to
Zambia.
“Please continue travelling to Zambia. There is no danger,” he said. Zambian authorities and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have mounted investigations into the unknown disease that has so far claim... more -
Moroccan officials close shisha cafes
Authorities in Casablanca have shut down shisha cafes throughout the city after receiving several complaints during the holy month of Ramadan that the cafes promote vice and spread disease.
Moroccan preacher sheikh Abdul-Bari al-Zamzami, a member of the Moroccan Scholars Association, told AlArabiya.net that the cafes were dens of vice and corruption.
"Shisha cafes are a disgrace to the city and to all Morocco. They are a way to seduce minors and spread corruption," he said.
In addition to the personal health risks of smoking sihsha, which include lung cancer, shisha cafes have been linked to the increased prevalence of tuberculosis in several Arab countries. According to the World Health Organization regional office in Cairo, about 17 percent of TB cases in the eastern Mediterranean are attributable to smoking the water pipes.
Recent statistics issued by the Ministry of Health indicate that Casablanca has the highest number of TB cases out of any Moroccan cities, with 25,562 cases reported in 2007 alone. The rate of infection was estimated at 82 cases for every 100,000.
Haya added that in addition to health problems cafes encourage many ethical violations since men and women "mingle in a shameful way."
Casablanca mayor Mohamed Sajed declined to comment on the decision to close the cafes.
The controversy over shisha cafes started in the City Council where many members considered them hotbeds of indecency and accused many of its regulars of replacing tobacco with pot or other narcotics. Authorities in Casablanca have shut down shisha cafes throughout the city after receiving several complaints during the holy month of ... more -
WHO fuming over E-Cigarettes
Apparently the World Health Organisation have been left fuming over new e-cigarettes that have come in as a way to get around smoking bans and allegedly to help smokers quit, as they claim to cite the organisation's support in their advertising, when no such support have been given. The WHO are concerned that these e-cigarettes could in fact even be more harmful as they have not been properly tested and regulated. Apparently the World Health Organisation have been left fuming over new e-cigarettes that have come in as a way to get around smoking ... more
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UN: Guns go silent in Afghanistan
The U.N. said guns fell silent across much of Afghanistan on Sunday for an International Peace Day that saw pledges by the U.S., NATO, the Afghan government and the Taliban to halt attacks.
Violence still marred the day. A Taliban attack Sunday killed two guards in one province, while in another a battle that began Saturday continued.
Still, the U.N. said tens of thousands of international troops, Afghan soldiers and Taliban militants “all stood down from offensive military operations in support of the biggest International Peace Day effort that Afghanistan has known.”
Most government officials around the country reported no violence, and several credited Peace Day efforts.
“Today is Peace Day. The soldiers are resting,” said Abdul Jalal Jalal, the police chief in Kunar province, which borders Pakistan.
“It’s crazy but apparently the Taliban sent out an e-mail saying they were going to abide by it if we were, and we definitely are,” he said. “It’s a great day to show Afghans exactly what peace is like and how their everyday life would be if they just booted out the bad guys.”
Taliban attacks have grown larger and more deadly this year. At least 120 U.S. soldiers and 104 troops from other NATO nations have died already in 2008, both record numbers. Overall, more than 4,500 people — mostly militants — have died in insurgency-related attacks this year.
Sunday was the 26th anniversary of the International Day of Peace, a U.N.-backed push for a day of nonviolence and global cease-fire. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan in particular heavily promotes the day.
Afghans around the country celebrated the day with sporting events, gatherings and marches. The Ministry of Public Health launched a polio vaccination campaign in which some 12,000 volunteers would vaccinate up to 1.8 million children from Sunday through Tuesday, the U.N. said.
The campaign also planned to vaccinate in the violence-plagued south, where medical workers are routinely attacked. Afghanistan is one of only 14 countries in the world where polio exists, according to the World Health Organization. The U.N. said guns fell silent across much of Afghanistan on Sunday for an International Peace Day that saw pledges by the U.S., NATO,... more -
World Health Organization backs universal health care
Major inequalities in health and life expectancy persist worldwide, according to an independent World Health Organization commission which on Thursday called for all countries to offer universal health care.
Huge discrepancies also exist within countries, including Scotland where a boy born in the poor Glasgow suburb of Calton can expect to live to 54, 28 years less than one born in affluent Lenzie, just across town, it said.
"The health inequities we see in the world are absolutely dramatic in their scale," Michael Marmot, a WHO health researcher, who chaired the commission, told reporters.
"Between countries we have life expectancy differences of more than 40 years. A woman in Botswana can expect to live 43 years, in Japan 86 years."
The Commission on Social Determinants of Health, composed of 19 independent experts, handed over its three-year study to the World Health Organization, a United Nations agency.
"Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale," it declared. Major inequalities in health and life expectancy persist worldwide, according to an independent World Health Organization commission w... more -
10 facts on maternal health
More than half a million women die every year of complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Most of these deaths can be avoided as the necessary medical interventions exist and are well known. The key obstacle is pregnant women's lack of access to quality care before, during and after childbirth.
Millennium Development Goal 5 (MDG 5) aims to improve maternal health and reduce maternal mortality by 75% by 2015. But, so far progress in reducing mortality in developing countries has been too slow to achieve the target.
WHO is supporting countries in delivering integrated, evidence-based and cost-effective care for mothers and babies during pregnancy, childbirth and the postpartum period. Investing in health systems -- especially in training midwives and in making emergency obstetric care available round-the-clock -- is key to reducing maternal mortality.
Read more in the fact file: http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/maternal_health/m... More than half a million women die every year of complications during pregnancy or childbirth. Most of these deaths can be avoided as ... more -
Floods in West Africa raise major health risks
Rising flood waters across West Africa are intensifying health risks for millions of people, and adding to the impact of the food price crisis. International aid is needed as heavy rains forecast to last until September could exacerbate health threats for conditions including malaria, diarrhoea and other potentially fatal communicable diseases.
"West Africa's annual floods bring with them not only the threat of vector-borne and communicable diseases, but it further endangers the lives of people already malnourished by the food price crisis," said Dr Eric Laroche, Assistant Director-General of WHO's Health Action in Crises Cluster.
Benin, Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Togo need urgent assistance. Flooding has caused widespread damage to bridges, roads, railway lines and other infrastructure vital for delivering health services and humanitarian supplies. Seasonal rains have also caused damage in Guinea-Bissau, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
WHO is responding by providing essential medicines, assessing the health status of the vulnerable populations - particularly children, women and the elderly - and helping raise badly needed humanitarian funding. Some US$ 418 million was requested for West Africa in 2008's revised Consolidated Appeal for the region, of which US$ 76 million was needed for emergency health care. To date, only 22% of the health funding needs have been met.
Endemic and epidemic communicable diseases are common in West Africa, with malaria being the main cause of illness and death in the region. Meningitis, cholera and yellow fever also claim scores of lives annually and cause great human suffering, which is only expected to be intensified due to the extra strains placed by the floods on the health sector. An estimated 5 million people also live with HIV/AIDS in the region, whose health care is further compromised by the flooding.
The destruction of agricultural lands and loss of crops aggravates the food security crisis in the region. Several West African countries are among the 21 worldwide identified by WHO as being most at risk from the food crisis. Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are above the global emergency threshold for malnutrition, with over 10% of children under five years of age suffering from acute malnutrition and over 40% with chronic malnutrition. Acute malnutrition develops quickly in vulnerable populations and involves a rapid loss of weight and the greater potential for death, compared with chronic malnutrition (stunting), which develops over a longer time and affects the height and learning abilities of sufferers.
In Benin, the current flooding has displaced at least 150 000 people and raising fears of malaria, diarrhoeal diseases and respiratory infections, especially among children. WHO is helping supply clean water and provide appropriate sanitation, distribute bed nets and essential drugs, and undertake measles vaccinations for children. In Niger, 24 000 people have been displaced, while 12 000 have been displaced in Togo. Rising flood waters across West Africa are intensifying health risks for millions of people, and adding to the impact of the food pric... more -
COTE D'IVOIRE: Yellow fever epidemic feared as vaccinations start
The Ivorian Ministry of Health has confirmed 19 people have been infected with yellow fever since May, while the World Health Organisation (WHO) warns Cote d’Ivoire is at an “elevated” risk of yellow fever epidemics.
“Since the beginning of May, Abidjan has been threatened with a yellow fever epidemic,” confirmed Felix Bledi Touin, a senior health official. “Three cases have been found in the [Abidjan suburbs] Treichville and Cocody. At this stage, 19 cases have been confirmed and 1,500 people have been vaccinated,” he said.
Yellow fever is spread by mosquitoes. Epidemics touch on average 20 percent of people in affected areas, half of whom may die, according to the WHO. There is no cure for people already diagnosed with the fever, but a vaccination can prevent infection.
WHO vaccinated 26,000 people against yellow fever in February 2006 in Bouna, in the east of the country. A vaccination campaign was also conducted in the capital, Abidjan, in 2001.
The Ivorian government and WHO have announced another vaccination campaign for this year targeting almost two million people in Abidjan.
“Despite a large vaccination campaign conducted in 2001, the rate of coverage is still only around 60 percent,” the WHO said in a statement.
The early symptoms of yellow fever are similar to malaria, making it hard to recognise, experts say. After experiencing fevers, sore muscles, and nausea, an infected person may relapse into jaundice, bleeding from the eyes, nose and mouth. Resulting kidney failure can lead to death.
Yellow fever is on the rise again in Africa, although an effective vaccine has been available for 60 years. The Ivorian Ministry of Health has confirmed 19 people have been infected with yellow fever since May, while the World Health Organisa... more -
Stomach bug treatment for cancer
Eradicating a common bug in people with stomach cancer can prevent the disease from recurring, research suggests.
Helicobacter pylori, proved to be the cause of most stomach ulcers, has also been linked with stomach cancer. In a study of 550 people who had stomach cancer surgery, antibiotics which killed the bug cut the risk of a second cancer developing by two-thirds. There will now be a trial of 56,000 British people to see if killing the bacterium stops the cancer developing. H. pylori lives in the stomach, and accounts for up to 90% of duodenal ulcers and up to 80% of gastric ulcers.
It was famously linked with stomach ulcers by two Australian researchers - one of whom deliberately infected himself to prove the theory - who were awarded the Nobel prize for their discovery in 2005. The World Health Organisation also classes the bacterium as a leading cause of stomach cancer.
Read more... Eradicating a common bug in people with stomach cancer can prevent the disease from recurring, research suggests. ... more -
Nigeria to immunise 4.6 million children against polio
"A Type 1 polio outbreak is right now raging in northern Nigeria. Of every 10 children paralysed by the Type 1 polio virus this year, eight are in Nigeria," Margaret Chan, WHO director-general told a Rotary conference in California last month. "A Type 1 polio outbreak is right now raging in northern Nigeria. Of every 10 children paralysed by the Type 1 polio virus this y... more
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World Health Organization documents failure of US drug policies
The release of this article is telling. Many of the United States news organizations are spinning the data in the report to say that drug use is up across the world. The truth that is revealed in the article is simple. Countries with the strictest drug laws are also the countries with the highest drug use. Those countries with more tolerant drug laws show astonishingly lower rates of drug use.
"The numbers are startling. In the United States, 42.4 percent admitted having used marijuana. The only other nation that came close was New Zealand, another bastion of get-tough policies, at 41.9 percent. No one else was even close. The results for cocaine use were similar, with the United States leading the world by a large margin."
Our government officials are trying to play the report off by discrediting the World Health Organization.
Bloomberg News reported:
"The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy tried to dismiss the study.
Trying to find a link between drug use and drug enforcement doesn't make sense, said Tom Riley, spokesman for the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy in Washington. "The U.S. has high crime rates but we spend a lot on law enforcement and prison,'' Riley said yesterday in a telephone interview. "Should we spend less? We're just a different kind of country. We have higher drug use rates, a higher crime rate, many things that go with a highly free and mobile society."
It's about time Americans and the rest of the world wise up. Adults are smart. They can and should be allowed to pick and choose what they do with their lives and bodies. The things they consume and activities pursued in the privacy of the home are beyond the reach of law or government. The release of this article is telling. Many of the United States news organizations are spinning the data in the report to say that d... more -
WHO results on drug use internationally - surprising, non?
A few choices excerpts:
"This study is important because it's the first time a respected international group has surveyed drug use around the world, using the same questions and procedure everywhere.
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Some of the most striking numbers are from the Netherlands, where adults are permitted to possess a small of marijuana and purchase it from regulated businesses. Some U.S. officials have claimed that these Dutch policies have created some sort of decadent cesspool of drug abuse, but the new study demolishes such assertions: In the Netherlands, only 19.8 percent have used marijuana, less than half the U.S. figure.
Even more striking is what the researchers found when they asked young adults when they had started using marijuana. Again, the United States led the world, with 20.2 percent trying marijuana by age 15. No other country was even close, and in the Netherlands, just 7 percent used marijuana by 15 -- roughly one-third of the U.S. figure." A few choices excerpts: ... more -
World Health Organization to open Baghdad headquarters
The World Health Organization, one of United Nations' most important agencies, is opening a permanent office in Baghdad, a move that underscores recent security improvements in Iraq's capital.
WHO's representative in Iraq, Nae'ema Al-Gasseer, will be permanently based in the Iraqi capital.
The move comes nearly five years after the U.N. headquarters in Iraq was bombed, killing 22 people and curtailing a lot of the agency's work. One of those killed in the strike was the chief of the U.N. mission in Iraq, Sergio Vieira de Mello.
In the post-Saddam Hussein era, the U.N. has lent support to Iraqi elections and the political process, as well as reconstruction.
WHO has performed vaccination campaigns in Iraq and has dealt with outbreaks such as cholera and avian influenza. The World Health Organization, one of United Nations' most important agencies, is opening a permanent office in Baghdad, a move t... more -
UN classifies rape a 'war tactic'
"The UN Security Council has voted unanimously in favour of a resolution classifying rape as a weapon of war. The document describes the deliberate use of rape as a tactic in war and a threat to international security. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said violence against women had reached "unspeakable proportions" in some societies recovering from conflict.
The UN is also setting up an inquiry to report next June on how widespread the practice is and how to tackle it. Human-rights group hailed the resolution as historic.
The BBC's Laura Trevelyan said China, Russia, Indonesia and Vietnam had all expressed reservations during the negotiations, asking whether rape was really a matter for the UN security council. But the US-sponsored resolution was adopted unanimously by the 15-member council.
It described sexual violence as "a tactic of war to humiliate, dominate, instil fear in, disperse and/or forcibly relocate civilian members of a community or ethnic group". The document said that the violence "can significantly exacerbate situations of armed conflict and may impede the restoration of international peace and security".
During the debate in the council, Mr Ban said: "Responding to this silent war against women and girls requires leadership at the national level. National authorities need to take the initiative to build comprehensive strategies while the UN needs to help build capacity and support national authorities and civil societies," he added.
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the world now recognised that sexual violence profoundly affected not only the health and safety of women, but the economic and social stability of their nations. Other speakers identified the former Yugoslavia, Sudan's Darfur region, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Liberia as regions where deliberate sexual violence had occurred on a mass scale.
The former commander of the UN peacekeeping force in eastern Congo, Maj-Gen Patrick Cammaert, told the BBC he personally witnessed its impact.
"It's a very effective weapon, because the communities are totally destroyed," he said. "You destroy communities. You punish the men, and you punish the women, doing it in front of the men."
In the Democratic Republic of Congo alone, some 40 women are raped every day, our correspondent says. Sometimes women are even raped by peacekeepers who are supposed to be protecting them, she adds.
The question is whether those in conflict zones who use rape in war will be at all deterred by the new measures, she says." "The UN Security Council has voted unanimously in favour of a resolution classifying rape as a weapon of war. The document descr... more -
Bird Flu spreads, prompts mass cull
Hong Kong ordered a mass cull of all poultry on Wednesday in a bid to stop the spread of the H5N1 virus between birds in hundreds of markets scattered across the territory. Hong Kong ordered a mass cull of all poultry on Wednesday in a bid to stop the spread of the H5N1 virus between birds in hundreds of m... more
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We Become Silent - The Last Days Of Health Freedom
International award-winning filmmaker Kevin P. Miller of Well TV announced the release of a new documentary about the threat to medical freedom of choice. 'We Become Silent: The Last Days of Health Freedom' details the ongoing attempts by multinational pharmaceutical interests and giant food companies — in concert with the WTO, the WHO and others — to limit the public’s access to herbs, vitamins and other therapies. 'We Become Silent’ is narrated by Dame Judi Dench, the noted UK actress who has won multiple Golden Globe awards, an Oscar, and a Tony for her on-stage work, in addition to dozens of other honors throughout her prestigious career. International award-winning filmmaker Kevin P. Miller of Well TV announced the release of a new documentary about the threat to medica... more
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World Health Organization (WHO) Calls on Governments to Ban Tobacco Advertising
By Diane Smith// eFluxMedia
The World Health Organization (WHO) called on all governments to forbid all sorts of tobacco advertising. The main goal of this measure is to protect the world's youth from becoming addicted to tobacco. WHO estimated that tobacco could cause as much as one billion premature deaths this century.
The call was made by the WHO on World No Tobacco Day. The surveys carried out by the U.N. organization have shown that the young people who are more exposed to tobacco advertisement are also more likely to start smoking and less likely to quit.
WHO officials accused tobacco producers of using increasingly sophisticated marketing techniques to ensnare young people. The most exposed segment of the population is the girls in poorer countries.
The U.N. organization said only 5% of the world's population was covered by comprehensive bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship...
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Full story at link. By Diane Smith// eFluxMedia ... more -
The health care I want is in France
MANY advocates of a universal healthcare system in the United States look to Canada for their model. While the Canadian healthcare system has much to recommend it, there's another model that has been too long neglected. That is the healthcare system in France.
Although the French system faces many challenges, the World Health Organization rated it the best in the world in 2001 because of its universal coverage, responsive healthcare providers, patient and provider freedoms, and the health and longevity of the country's population. The United States ranked 37.
The French system is also not inexpensive. At $3,500 per capita it is one of the most costly in Europe, yet that is still far less than the $6,100 per person in the United States. MANY advocates of a universal healthcare system in the United States look to Canada for their model. While the Canadian healthcare sys... more -
Check Out Your Chewing Gum, It May Cause Cancer
A substance used to make chewing gum could soon be declared toxic by the federal government after an international agency found that it might cause cancer in lab rats. A substance used to make chewing gum could soon be declared toxic by the federal government after an international agency found that i... more
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