East-Meets-West foundation efforts in Vietnam

Mon, 2009-05-04 15:08 — JRees

The East Meets West Foundation recently introduced a model programme to help communities in the central region of Vietnam adapt to climate change.

According to the foundation’s survey, climate change is affecting lives in all 25 communes in Quang Nam province where vulnerable farmers in the coastal, mountainous and lowland areas rely heavily on agriculture and fishing industry.

Most of those interviewed said they often lacked timely information on upcoming disasters and did not have access to Government policies regarding natural disasters preparedness and CC adaptation.

Director of WHO statement on H1N1 situation

Mon, 2009-05-04 14:49 — JRees

"The only thing that can be said with certainty about influenza viruses is that they are entirely unpredictable. No one can say, right now, how the pandemic will evolve."

On the supply of antiviral medication:
"Global manufacturing capacity, though greatly increased, is still not sufficient to produce enough antiviral medication and pandemic vaccines to protect the entire world population in time."

What we know from history:

WHO Chief warns of second flu wave

Mon, 2009-05-04 13:57 — JRees

Margret Chan, head of the World Health Organization warned in a interview with the Financial Times that swine flu may re-emerge stronger than ever even if the current outbreak appears to be declining.

From an article published 3 May, Chan told Britain’s Financial Times that an apparent decline in mortality rates did not mean the pandemic was coming to an end and a second wave may strike ‘with a vengeance.’ If it’s going to happen it would be the biggest of all outbreaks the world has faced in the 21st century,’ the paper quoted her as saying.

Social Separation stops flu spread, if started soon

Mon, 2009-05-04 12:33 — JRees

A disease spread sim has shown that flu interventions must be done quickly, to be effective. Researchers writing in the journal BMC Public Health have shown that staying at home, closing schools and isolating infected people within the home should reduce infection, but only if they are used in combination, activated without delay and maintained for a relatively long period. Professor George Milne and his colleagues from the University of Western Australia (UWA) simulated the effect of social distancing on the spread of a flu virus within a small town.

Burmese junta still shuns survivors of the cyclone

Sat, 2009-05-02 19:02 — admin

By Andrew Buncombe, Asia correspondent
Saturday, 2 May 2009

On the anniversary of the Burmese cyclone, more than a hundred thousand survivors are still living in makeshift shelters hopelessly inadequate to the monsoon rains that will soon engulf the country.

But despite the population's desperate need, the ruling junta has now tightened regulations to make it harder for aid workers to get visas.

'Walking well' flood hospitals with -- or without -- flu symptoms

Sat, 2009-05-02 18:35 — admin

By Madison Park
(CNN)

A runny nose. A cough. A sore throat. And even pork eaten a week ago.

Hospitals like Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch, California, set up triage tents to handle overcrowding

After a week of headlines about the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, many emergency rooms and hospitals are crammed with people, many of whom don't need to be there.

The visits by the "worried well" have triggered concerns of overburdening the nation's hospitals and emergency departments, several health care professionals told CNN.

Eleventh Futures Forum on the ethical governance of pandemic influenza preparedness

Fri, 2009-05-01 13:11 — admin

2008, iv + 28 pages ISBN 978 92 890 7186 4
WHO Regional Office for Europe- Copenhagen, Denmark

Available online PDF [36p.] at: http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E91310.pdf

“…..The Eleventh Futures Forum reviewed some countries’ experience in applying ethical governance approaches to a major contemporary policy concern for WHO and its Member States: preparedness for an influenza pandemic. The topic provided a concrete policy-making example that participants could use to discuss broader and more generic ethical governance approaches in European health systems.

Today's View of the "Swine Flu" 2009 H1N1

Fri, 2009-05-01 13:10 — admin

Right now, at the beginning of the outbreak, I am more worried about those that think this is hype than the ones that think selective schools should be shut down.

We should be worried about stopping community spread. Even though this is relatively mild, everyone should do their best to avoid what appears to be a fairly infectious agent, that is killing people that don't get good medical care early.

Why is Mexico's Death Toll So High for 2009 H1N1 ("Swine Flu")?

Fri, 2009-05-01 12:53 — admin

First Flu Death Provides Clues to Mexico Toll

Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times

By MARC LACEY and ELISABETH MALKIN
Published: April 30, 2009

OAXACA, Mexico — Adela María Gutiérrez fell ill in the beginning of April with what she thought was a bad cold. She tried aspirin and antibiotics, bed rest and moist towels, but nothing brought down her soaring fever, reduced her aches and pains, or boosted her energy level.

Mexico begins shutting down as flu fears spread

Thu, 2009-04-30 19:32 — admin

By Catherine Bremer

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico began shutting down parts of its economy on Thursday to slow the spread of a new flu strain as officials urged increased worldwide precautions against an imminent pandemic.

-- snip --

New confirmed flu cases were reported in the United States, Canada and Europe, although a case in Peru, which would have been the first confirmed case in Latin America outside of Mexico, was later discounted.

Primary Health Care Teams for Canadians

Wed, 2009-04-29 17:08 — admin

Teams in Action:
Primary Health Care Teams for Canadians

Health Council of Canada – April 2009

Teams Should be “Standard of Care” for Canadians with Chronic Health Conditions

Available online PDF [57p.] at: http://www.healthcouncilcanada.ca/teamsinaction.pdf

As Canada’s health care system deals with an aging population, collaborative health care teams are an effective way to treat the increasing number of Canadians with chronic health conditions.

UK Equity Bill

Wed, 2009-04-29 17:07 — admin

UK Government Equalities Office (GEO)

On Friday 24th April 2009 the Equality Bill was introduced in the House of Commons and it was published on Monday 27th April.
Please see below for more information, documents and relevant downloads:
· The Equality Bill and Explanatory Notes (Links to external site.)
· A Fairer Future- The Equality Bill and other action to make equality a reality
· Impact Assessment
· Equality Impact Assessment
· Easy Read
· Assessing the Impact of a Multiple Discrimination Provision

Equality Bill 2008-09

Face Mask that kills Swine Influenza?

Wed, 2009-04-29 17:02 — JRees

Filligent, the Hong Kong-based biotech company, claims they are mobilizing stocks of a anti-infective face mask called BioMask which traps and kills 99.9% of bacteria and viruses on contact, and is a powerful weapon to contain the spread of the swine flu. The Filligent website claims:

MDG's Failing Poor Children: Case for Equity-adjusted Measures

Wed, 2009-04-29 12:52 — admin

The Millennium Development Goals Fail Poor Children: The Case for Equity-Adjusted Measures

Daniel D. Reidpath1*, Chantal M. Morel2, Jeffrey W. Mecaskey3, Pascale Allotey1
1 Centre for Public Health Research, Brunel University, Uxbridge, United Kingdom,
2 LSE Health, London School of Economics, London, United Kingdom,
3 Save the Children UK, London, United Kingdom
PLoS Med 6(4): e1000062. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000062 - April 28, 2009

Available online at: http://www.plosmedicine.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pmed.1000062

Mexico City restricts thousands of public places over swine flu

Tue, 2009-04-28 18:14 — admin

Many governments around the world have begun to impose restrictions in hopes of limiting the spread of Swine Flu. A CNN story gives an update of cases and focuses on Mexico's new enforcement of restaurant closures and contemplation of transportation restrictions.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28/swine.flu/index.html

MEXICO CITY, Mexico (CNN) -- About 35,000 public venues in Mexico City were shut down or told to serve only takeout meals Tuesday as officials tried to contain a deadly swine flu outbreak.

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