WHO

WHO Declares Ebola an International Emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) calls the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa an international emergency, and officials say the spread of the disease demands a massive, coordinated response.

The outbreak affects Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone. These countries have reported 1,070 confirmed cases, 436 “probable cases,” and 932 deaths through Aug. 4, according to the WHO.WHO Declares Ebola an International Emergency

Largest Outbreak Recorded
Following a 2-day teleconference, WHO announced there is now a risk that the disease could spread to other countries. It says the spread of the virus is being worsened by inadequate health facilities in affected countries. Experts say this is the largest Ebola outbreak ever recorded.

WHO has made several recommendations for affected countries. It calls on each head of state to declare a national emergency and personally address the nation to update the population and outline what measures will be taken to control the situation.

It also calls on them to put in place national disaster and emergency management programs, provide good quality clinical care, and improve the safety and protection of health care workers.

Screening Travellers
It also recommends that affected countries should screen anyone trying to travel abroad for Ebola if they have unexplained symptoms consistent with the disease. What’s more, anyone who might have been exposed to Ebola should be banned from leaving those countries, unless they’re travelling under proper medical supervision.

The WHO says there should be no general ban on international travel or trade. The director general of the World Health Organization, Margaret Chan, told a news conference: “The declaration of a Public Health Emergency of International Concern alerts the world to high vigilance for possible cases of Ebola Virus Disease.” But the announcement “by no means implies that all countries, or even many countries, will see Ebola cases.”

Low Risk in U.S.
The CDC says the risk of an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. is low. “The standard, rigorous infection control procedures used in major hospitals in the United States will prevent spread of Ebola,” the CDC told.

“In the past decade, the United States has had five imported cases of hemorrhagic fevers – one of Marburg and four of Lassa, both viruses that are similar to Ebola. Each time, the American public health system identified the cases and through thorough infection control procedures, prevented anyone else from becoming ill.

“The best way to protect Americans is to stop the outbreak in West Africa,” the CDC says. “We know how to control Ebola. Previous outbreaks of Ebola virus disease have been contained by patient isolation, rigorous use of infection control measures in hospitals, intensive and thorough tracing of those who came into contact with the patients, and community education.”

Source: web md

World Breastfeeding Week: Five great reasons to breastfeed your baby!

Nothing can compare to the nutrients found in mothers’ breast milk for a newborn. While the benefits of breastfeeding are immense for the baby beginning at birth and continuing throughout his/her life, it also has many advantages over mothers’ health.

Below are five great reasons why breastfeeding is good for both the mom and the toddler.

Five great reasons to breastfeed your baby!

Nutrients: Breast milk is the best food for your baby. The vitamins and nutrients in the breast milk are easier for your baby to digest compared to the nutrients in formula. Breast milk also has the prefect amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate required by your baby. Outstandingly, your breast milk also changes with the growth of your baby providing him specific development and nutritional needs.

Protection: Breast milk protects your baby against all types of diseases as it contains antibodies. Colostrum, also known as the first milk, has high concentrations of antibodies that help protect the mucous membranes in the throat, lungs, and intestines of the infant.

Breastfed kids are less likely to contract a number of diseases later in life such as childhood diabetes, childhood obesity, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and cancer before the age of 15. Children who are breastfed have a decreased risk of tooth decay.

Brain health: Research has shown that young children who were breastfed as infants scored higher on intelligence tests than formula-fed kids. It says the longer and more exclusively they were breastfed, the more intelligent they will become later in life.

Bonding: Breastfeeding is a special gift both for the nursing mom and the baby. The closeness and comfort of breastfeeding strengthens the bond of a mother with her baby.

Mothers’ health: Apart from the emotional satisfaction, breastfeeding has many health benefits for mothers. Studies have shown that breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and anaemia in mothers. Breastfeeding helps mothers to lose weight faster gained during pregnancy. Exclusive breastfeeding helps delay fertility, thus avoiding early pregnancy. One of the good thing about breastfeeding is that – releasing feel good hormones, which will lower a mom’s risk of postpartum depression.

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is being celebrated every year from August 1 to 7 in more than 120 countries.

First observed in 1992 by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), the main goal of the WBW is to promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, which yields enormous health benefits later. The event is being organised by WABA, WHO and UNICEF.

The slogan and theme for WBW 2014 is “Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal – For Life!”

Source: zee news

World Breastfeeding Week: Five great reasons to breastfeed your baby!

Working moms have new breastfeeding rights under the ACA

Nothing can compare to the nutrients found in mothers’ breast milk for a newborn. While the benefits of breastfeeding are immense for the baby beginning at birth and continuing throughout his/her life, it also has many advantages over mothers’ health.

Below are five great reasons why breastfeeding is good for both the mom and the toddler.

Nutrients: Breast milk is the best food for your baby. The vitamins and nutrients in the breast milk are easier for your baby to digest compared to the nutrients in formula. Breast milk also has the prefect amount of protein, fat, carbohydrate required by your baby. Outstandingly, your breast milk also changes with the growth of your baby providing him specific development and nutritional needs.

Protection: Breast milk protects your baby against all types of diseases as it contains antibodies. Colostrum, also known as the first milk, has high concentrations of antibodies that help protect the mucous membranes in the throat, lungs, and intestines of the infant.

Breastfed kids are less likely to contract a number of diseases later in life such as childhood diabetes, childhood obesity, multiple sclerosis, heart disease, and cancer before the age of 15. Children who are breastfed have a decreased risk of tooth decay.

Brain health: Research has shown that young children who were breastfed as infants scored higher on intelligence tests than formula-fed kids. It says the longer and more exclusively they were breastfed, the more intelligent they will become later in life.

Bonding: Breastfeeding is a special gift both for the nursing mom and the baby. The closeness and comfort of breastfeeding strengthens the bond of a mother with her baby.

Mothers’ health: Apart from the emotional satisfaction, breastfeeding has many health benefits for mothers. Studies have shown that breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and anaemia in mothers. Breastfeeding helps mothers to lose weight faster gained during pregnancy. Exclusive breastfeeding helps delay fertility, thus avoiding early pregnancy. One of the good thing about breastfeeding is that – releasing feel good hormones, which will lower a mom’s risk of postpartum depression.

World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is being celebrated every year from August 1 to 7 in more than 120 countries.

First observed in 1992 by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), the main goal of the WBW is to promote exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, which yields enormous health benefits later. The event is being organised by WABA, WHO and UNICEF.

The slogan and theme for WBW 2014 is “Breastfeeding: A Winning Goal – For Life!”

Source: zee news

First MERS case confirmed in Bangladesh

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Bangladesh has confirmed the first case of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS) after a man returned from the US via Abu Dhabi was found afflicted with it.

Mahmudur Rahman, director of Institute of Epidemiology, Disease Control & Research (IEDCR), said Sunday that the man was recuperating in a hospital, bdnews24.com reported.

“We have notified it to the WHO,” he said.

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

The virus was first identified in 2012 in Saudi Arabia and has remained a global concern since then.

It has spread to 22 countries, including Bangladesh, from the Middle East.

So far, the WHO recorded 699 cases of MERS with a mortality rate of 30 percent.

Source: business standard

Cholera vaccine is 86 percent effective: Study

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A cheap and easy to deliver oral vaccine against cholera is 86 percent effective in preventing the infection which causes severe diarrhea and can be fatal, researchers said on Thursday. Some 1.4 billion people around the globe were at risk for cholera in 2012, according to World Health Organization (WHO).

Cholera is caused by a bacterium, Vibrio cholerae, which can spread through the water supply in places where sanitation and hygiene are poor.

The study in the May 29 edition of the New England Journal of Medicine was the first to measure the effectiveness of a vaccine called Shanchol in response to a cholera outbreak under field conditions in Guinea.

Previously, the vaccine had been tested only under experimental conditions in Kolkata, India.

The research in Guinea, carried out by Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres), involved more than 300,000 doses of the two-dose vaccine, administered during a cholera outbreak in 2012.

It was 82 to 86 percent effective, and carried few side effects.

However, researchers were unable to compare one versus two doses in preventing cholera, and it remains unknown how the long the vaccine can remain effective at room temperature.

“Furthermore, can Shanchol be used in pregnancy and in children younger than one year of age?” asked a pair of doctors in Haiti and the United States, in an accompanying Perspective article in the journal.

“Although WHO recommendations suggest targeting pregnant women at high risk for cholera, the manufacturer has not approved use of the vaccine in pregnancy, and there are no guidelines for children under one year old.”

There are three cholera vaccines currently on the world market.

Shanchol is less expensive and easier to store than another leading vaccine, Dukoral, and the two are comparable in terms of effectiveness.

Shanchol costs $1.85 per dose, compared to Dukoral at $5.25 per dose. Both may offer some protection against cholera for up to five years.

The two vaccines have been approved by the World Health Organization for purchase by UN agencies. A third vaccine, mORCVAX, is licensed and produced only in Vietnam.

More than 1.6 million doses of Shanchol have already been distributed worldwide in the past three years.

The WHO has stockpiled two million doses and the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) has pledged support for 20 million doses over the next five years, said the editorial, warning that millions more doses are needed.

Source: Times of India

Alcohol kills millions a year, WHO says

alcohol

The World Health Organization is calling on governments around the world to take tougher action, in a new report that says alcohol is killing or contributing to the deaths of 3.3 million people a year.

“More needs to be done to protect populations from the negative health consequences of alcohol consumption,” Dr. Oleg Chestnov, WHO’s Assistant Director-General for Non-communicable Diseases and Mental Health said in a statement Monday, to coincide with the release of a new report.

In its “Global status report on alcohol and health 2014”, the WHO notes that alcohol can not only lead to violence and injuries, it also increases the risk of more than 200 diseases, including liver cirrhosis and several types of cancers.

The report found that 7.6 per cent of men’s deaths around the world are related to alcohol, as are 4 per cent of women’s deaths. The authors say they are also concerned about the steady increase in alcohol among women.

Alcohol causes death and disability relatively early in life, the report says. Approximately 25 per cent of deaths among those aged age group 20 to 39 can be attributed to alcohol.

The report found that on average, every person in the world over the age of 15 drinks 6.2 litres of pure alcohol per year. But since less than half the world’s population drinks at all — 38.3 per cent — those who do drink consume 17 litres of pure alcohol a year, on average.

“We found that worldwide about 16 per cent of drinkers engage in heavy episodic drinking – often referred to as ‘binge-drinking’ — which is the most harmful to health,” explains Dr Shekhar Saxena, director for Mental Health and Substance Abuse at WHO.

Globally, Europe has the highest consumption of alcohol per capita. South-East Asia and the Western Pacific are seeing increases in consumption, while in the Americas and Africa, consumption trends are stable.

The report notes that some of the 194 countries it reviewed already have several measures in place to try to protect people from the risks of alcohol. But many don’t have national awareness activities to remind citizens of the risks of drinking. And many more don’t have national policies aimed at reducing the harmful use of alcohol.

The report says all governments have a responsibility to implement and enforce public policies to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, including:    regulating the sale of alcohol, in particular to younger people enacting drink-driving policies

  •     reducing demand through taxation and pricing
  •     raising awareness of public health problems caused by harmful use of alcohol
  •     providing affordable treatment for people with alcohol-use disorders

Source: ctv news

One bottle wine a day keeps the doctor away!

bottle-wine

Scientists have revealed that a bottle of wine a day is not bad for the health and abstaining is worse than drinking.
Former World Health Organisation expert has claimed that alcohol is only harmful when it is consumed 13 units in a day, the Independent reported.

Kari Poikolainen, who has analysed decades of research into the effects of alcohol on the human body, revealed that drinking more than the current recommended daily intake may in fact be healthier than being a teetotaler.

Poikolainen added that the weight of the evidence shows moderate drinking is better than abstaining and heavy drinking is worse than abstaining, but moderate amounts can be higher than the guidelines say

Source: Yahoo news

 

World Malaria Day 2014: Avoid Mosquito Bites & Prevent Malaria

malaria

Although, malaria mortality rates have fallen by 42% globally and 49% in Africa, this life-threatening disease needs to be watched and treated in time.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) latest estimates, released in December 2013,

there were about 207 million cases of malaria in 2012 and an estimated 627000 deaths, mainly children under 5 years of age in sub-Saharan Africa.

Malaria is caused by Plasmodium parasites that are transmitted to people through the bites of infected mosquitoes.

World Malaria Day (WMD) is observed on April 25 every year to highlight the need for continued investment and sustained political commitment for malaria prevention and control.

Malaria is a curable and preventable, but can be deadly if left untreated.

Preventive measures include:

Avoid mosquitoes bites: This is the first and foremost line of defence for malaria prevention. You can avoid mosquito bites by following these guidelines such as by – using a mosquito net while sleeping, wearing protective clothing (long sleeved-shirts and long pants), spraying your home with insecticide, staying inside between dusk and dawn if possible. Also insect repellent with DEET can be used on skin.

Medicines: If you’re travelling to a region where malaria is common, you should take precautions so that you do not contract it. Tell your doctor which location you will be travelling so that he can prescribe you the right medicine depending on the type of malaria parasite most commonly found in that region. Take the medication as prescribed by your doctor – before, during and after your trip to avoid getting malaria.

Vaccines: As of now, there are no licensed vaccines against malaria or any other human parasite even as scientists are working on developing effective vaccines against the disease.

Source: Zee news

 

Today Is World Health Day – Prevent Vector Borne Diseases

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Over 1 million people all around the world die due to vector borne diseases. Focusing mainly on the increasing threat of viral and parasitic infections caused by insects, this year’s World Health Day (April 7) highlights ‘Prevention of vector borne diseases.’

Vector borne diseases are diseases caused by pathogens that are transmitted to humans through insects and ticks carrying the pathogen. They are difficult to prevent because of several challenges facing the control of vectors and transmissibility of the pathogens. Here are top 10 vector borne diseases that contribute to increased morbidity and mortality:

1. Malaria: According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), malaria is the deadliest of all vector-borne diseases, which accounts for nearly 1.2 million deaths all over the world every year and is prevalent in about 100 countries. The disease is caused by the protozoan parasite Plasmodium. The most common species of Plasmodium responsible for most malaria cases are Plasmodm flaciparum and Plasmodium vivax. The parasite is transmitted to humans via the vector female Anopheles mosquito. The mosquito bearing the protozoa transmits the disease to humans by biting at night. The parasite then attacks the red blood cells and reaches the liver causing symptoms like fever, chills and anemia.

2. Kala Azar: Leishmaniasis or Kala Azar ranks second (malaria being the first on the list) on the list of fatal diseases caused by parasites. It is mainly prevalent in India, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Brazil and Sudan. It is caused by protozoan parasite of the genus Leishmania. In India, Leishmania donovani is the only parasite causing the disease. The parasite is transmitted to humans by female sand flies. Upon entry, the parasite attacks the immune system and causes ulcers or sores at the site of entry.

3. Dengue: Dengue is common in tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. In the recent years, transmission of dengue has significantly increased in urban areas and has become a major public health concern. According to the current estimates of WHO, dengue infections have reached 50–100 million worldwide, annually. Dengue is caused by a virus that is transmitted to humans by the vector Aedes Aegypti mosquito.

4. Plague: Plague had an explosive epidemic and was a major health concern at the beginning of the 20th century. It is a deadly disease caused by the bacteria Yersina pestis. It is primarily transmitted by rodents. But it is also spread through insects that acquire the infection from rats harboring the bacteria. Common insect that acquires the bacteria from rodents is flea. The bacteria enter the blood stream after a flea bite and attack the cells of the immune system. They secrete toxins which causes clots and tissue death.

5. Filariasis: Lymphatic filariasis is commonly called elephantiasis. Although the disease is quite widespread, it is neglected diseases because it is more disfiguring and disabling than fatal. Currently, more than 120 million people are infected and nearly 40 million people suffer from the fully developed disease. Filariasis is caused by thread like filarial worms or nematodes. Wuchereria bancrofti is the most common filarial worm, causing the disease in 90 percent of the cases. The worm is carried by and transmitted to humans by mosquitoes –mainly Culex mosquito. The worm invades the lymphatic system causing profuse selling mainly in the legs.

6. Chickungunya: Chickungunya has been identified in 40 different countries including India. It is caused by a virus classified under the family Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus. It is transmitted to humans by Aedes mosquito (mainly Aedes aegypti) in the daytime. Common symptoms of the disease are similar to dengue.

7. Lyme disease: Lyme disease is caused by the spirochete bacterium Borrelia burgdorferi. It is transmitted to humans by black-legged ticks that are infected with the bacteria. Upon entry, the bacterium attacks the central nervous system and causes neurological problems.

8. Yellow fever: Mainly found tropical South America and sub-Saharan Africa region, yellow fever is a mosquito-borne viral disease. The disease is caused by the yellow fever virus and spread by female mosquito of Aedes aegypti species. The virus affects the cells of the immune system and causes symptoms like fever, chills, nausea and muscle pain.

9. Chagas’ disease: Chagas’ Disease is widely found in communities of Latin America. It is caused by the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by a large insect called ‘kissing bug’ (Reduviidae Tratominae). The parasite damage several organs and mainly affects heart function.

10. Japanese encephalitis: It is a viral disease that is spread through infected Culex mosquito. The virus mainly affects the central nervous system and causes headache, fever, meningitis, coma, tremors, paralysis and loss of coordination. Several cases of the disease have been found in India. The most affected states include Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala.

Source: Naira land

Worst Ebola Outbreak in Seven Years Kills 83 in Guinea

The death toll from the worst Ebola outbreak in seven years climbed to 83 in Guinea as the aid organization Doctors Without Borders said the disease’s geographical spread marks the flare-up as unprecedented.

In neighboring Liberia, one of two confirmed cases has died, while a second person who died with a suspected Ebola infection tested negative for the virus, the World Health Organization said in a statement. Both confirmed cases in Liberia were exposed to Ebola in Guinea, Gregory Hartl, a WHO spokesman, said on Twitter.

The outbreak is the first in Guinea, which reported five new cases, raising the total to 127 suspected or confirmed illnesses, Tarik Jasarevic, a WHO spokesman in Guinea, said today. The pattern of infection, with patients found in the coastal capital of Conakry as well as villages in the country’s southern area, marks this outbreak as different, according to Mariano Lugli of Doctors Without Borders.

“We are facing an epidemic of a magnitude never before seen in terms of the distribution of cases,” Lugli, coordinator of the organization’s project in Conakry, said in a statement. The group “has intervened in almost all reported Ebola outbreaks in recent years, but they were much more geographically contained and involved more remote locations.”

Guinea’s government has asked people not to eat monkeys, chimpanzees and bats and to avoid travel in the affected areas, while Senegal closed its southern border with Guinea. The WHO said it doesn’t recommend any restrictions on travel to or trade with Liberia or Guinea.

No cases have been reported in Sierra Leone, which shares borders with Guinea and Liberia near the worst affected area.

Serious Threat

The Economic Community of West African States expressed “deep concern” over the outbreak and asked for international help in combating the “serious threat” to regional security.

The Guinean towns of Gueckedou and Macenta, near the border with Liberia, have been hardest hit, with 55 and 14 deaths respectively, according to the nation’s health ministry. There are 11 confirmed cases in the capital Conakry, and three deaths, Jasarevic said yesterday by phone from Guinea.

The WHO has distributed single-use protection equipment and hygiene kits to health-care workers in hospitals in an effort to stem the spread of Ebola, Jasarevic said.

The virus, first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo, is transmitted to people through the blood and other secretions of wild animals such as chimpanzees, gorillas, bats and porcupines, according to the WHO. Humans transmit the virus to each other through contact with blood and other body fluids.

All the outbreaks of the past decade have been in Congo, the neighboring country of the Republic of Congo, and Uganda, with the exception of one in Sudan in 2004.

There are no drugs or vaccines approved to treat or prevent Ebola.

Source: Bloomberg