Stories related to: World Health Organization

Chronic ailments such as heart disease have become the top causes of death around the world, Reuters reports. Infectious disease, such as tuberculosis and AIDS, has traditionally been the planet's number-one killer. But new World Health Organization stats show noncommunicable conditions, many of which are associated with a Western lifestyle, are killing more people, and the numbers are projected to continue climbing. More »

The danger of a worldwide bird flu epidemic is growing as the virus becomes established in the avian population, Reuters reports. World Health Organization experts today urged all nations to prepare in case the H5N1 virus mutates into a form easily transferable between humans. In birds, the strain has spread across Asia, Africa, and parts of Europe. More »

The outbreak of a deadly virus in China hasn’t peaked yet—but it won’t affect the Beijing Games, a World Health Organization rep said. “I don't see it at all as a threat to the Olympics or any upcoming events,” he noted. Enterovirus 71 has killed 24 children and infected thousands, the Guardian reports. But the highest volume of cases is usually seen in June and July, WHO said. More »

Over half a million children in Hong Kong are starting their Easter holiday early today after a flu outbreak led the government to order schools to close, AP reports. All kindergartens and primary schools in the densely populated territory will be shut down for two full weeks. Three children have died, but health officials stress that there is no evidence of any more virulent strain than the usual flu virus, and bird flu is not thought to be a factor. More »

Drug-resistant strains of tuberculosis are at the highest levels disease experts have ever seen, warns the World Health Organization. A survey of 81 countries found that levels of multi-drug resistant TB and even hardier, almost untreatable TB were much higher than expected, reports the BBC. Urgent action is needed to avert a health catastrophe, the WHO cautioned. More »

Next year's influenza vaccine will be reformulated to include three new flu strains in the hope of developing a more potent vaccine than this year's effort, according to US News & World Report . An FDA panel approved the move, following the lead of the World Health Organization. This year's vaccine failed to combat the disease in most states because many of the infections have been caused by two strains not matched by the current flu shot. More »

Women who live in areas with a large about of night-time light face an increased risk of breast cancer, and scientists believe it may be because the light interferes with a tumor- fighting hormone, reports the Washington Post . Researchers compared satellite images at night with cancer registries and found breast cancer rates up to 64% higher in well-lit areas than in regions with the least amount of night-time illumination. Scientists called it a "clear and strong correlation." More »

Aiming to slash the 5.4 million tobacco-related deaths worldwide per year, the World Health Organization today called on governments everywhere to discourage smoking, the Wall Street Journal reports. As it stands, only 5% of countries have programs working to curb the habit, such as advertising bans and warning labels. A WHO report offers a six-point strategy to battle the tobacco beast. More »

An eagerly anticipated HIV study returned disappointing results yesterday, crushing scientists' hopes that targeting the genital herpes virus could help reduce the transmission of HIV. Although the reasoning seemed sound—having herpes boosts a person's contraction risk nearly threefold, so targeting herpes should combat HIV infection—the study found no benefit at all, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. More »

The US is not prepared for major disasters, including biological attacks and pandemics, and funding to meet such emergencies is falling, according to a new study. Thirteen states don't have adequate plans to distribute vaccines, 12 states don't have systems to track the spread of diseases and 7 states are unable to test for biological threats, according to a survey by the Trust for America. More »

A man in China was diagnosed with the deadly bird flu virus a day after his 24-year-old son died from the disease, raising fears of a strain that can pass from person to person, the Telegraph reports. Health officials don't know for sure if the father caught the virus from his son but said they can't rule out the possibility. A human-to-human strain raises the risk of a global pandemic. More »

Working the night shift might increase your risk of getting cancer, an international health agency says. That theory has been percolating for decades, but it will gain credence next month when the WHO declares night work a probable carcinogen, the AP reports. The designation, likely to be followed by the American Cancer Association, will put working at night into the company of UV radiation and anabolic steroids. More »

The world stands at the brink of eradicating polio, Bill Gates says, and his foundation yesterday awarded $100 million toward that end. One of the foundation's largest challenge grants will fund programs in four countries where the disease is still epidemic, notably Nigeria. The Rotary Foundation received the grant and will match it over the next 3 years, reports the Chicago Tribune . More »

Indonesia won't send avian flu specimens to the World Heath Organization, it said today, continuing a months-long stalemate over assurances that resulting vaccines will be cheap enough for the developing world. The country’s health minister had been in Geneva to rebuild WHO’s virus-sharing system, the AP reports. More »

Fewer than four per cent of Africans use the Internet and less than one per cent have broadband access, helping to keep Africa behind in education, medicine and business, the BBC reports. Dr Hamadoun Toure, head of the International Telecommunication Union, is asking world organizations to make sure a third of Africa has broadband Internet access by 2012. More »

Depression is more debilitating than diabetes, asthma, arthritis, or angina—and people suffering from chronic illness and depression are in worse health than those diagnosed with any other combination of diseases, the BBC reports. "These results indicate the urgency of addressing depression as a public health priority," says the author of a new study. More »

A new global epidemic is likely on the horizon with fresh diseases cropping up at a record pace and billions of air travelers in motion to spread an illness with alarming speed, the World Health Organization warned yesterday. The AIDS or Ebola of tomorrow could be just around the corner unless countries cooperate to prevent outbreaks, said the United Nations organization. More »

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has given $105 million to the  University of Washington to study the effectiveness of public health programs around the world. The money will be used to create a center to track such measures as child mortality, the prevalence of major diseases  and the availability of medical treatment. More »