WHO published its World health statistics report 2025, revealing the deeper health impacts caused by the COVID-19 pandemic on loss of lives, longevity and overall health and well-being. In just two years, between 2019 and 2021, global life expectancy fell by 1.8 years—the largest drop in recent history— reversing a …
the challenge faced in the control of infectious diseases such as hiv/aids, tb and malaria is now seen more as a political and communications one than scientific and medical. Medical and technical solutions to keep major contagions in check are now available. Yet, they remain major killers, says a recent …
PUSHPA M BHARGAVA Former director, Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology Manipulating research is not a new phenomenon. Earlier, the reason for manoeuvring the results of scientific research was professional rivalry. But for the last four decades, it has been economic gain and power, which could be personal, corporate or …
the death rate in Italy's industrial regions is higher than the less industrial ones, reveals a recent World Health Organisation (who) report. Covering the period from 1990 to 1994, the who study compared death rates in 15 heavily industrialised areas, which account for 20 per cent of Italy's population, against …
For just us $101 billion a year in medical research and treatments, 8,000,000 lives can be saved annually in the developing world. Moreover, us $186 billion a year in world income now lost to illness can be recovered. So concludes a report on economics and health published recently by the …
An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus has spread from Gabon to the neighbouring Congo. The country's health officials have identified 11 cases in a remote forested region on the northeastern border with Gabon, where 16 cases have already been reported, said the World Health Organisation in a statement. Although …
In the next 60 minutes, around 600 persons will add to the growing number of people infected by the deadly HIV virus. Worse, more than 60 children will die due to the infection. This has been stated by a World Health Organisation (WHO) report released recently. The report revealed that …
What is the need of regulating biotechnolgy? Biotechnology products have acquired a special significance today as they can be used to cure diseases where conventional drugs have failed. Unfortunately, despite a growing demand for these products, the existing regulations are not comprehensive enough to address the market needs adequately. What …
In June 2000, seven months after non-governmental organisations demanded that the WTO look beyond trade concerns at the doomed Seattle ministerial, a WTO dispute settlement panel (DSP) ruled in favour of public health and against free trade for the first time, in a case involving Canadian asbestos exports. WTO representatives …
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has proposed a two-year US $11 million study to determine whether there is a link between air travel and fatal blood clots
the world's six leading publishers of medical journals have agreed to give researchers in developing countries online access to their publications free of cost or at greatly reduced prices. The agreement covers about 1,000 of the world's top 1,240 medical journals. The World Health Organisation ( who ) had urged …
The global pharmaceutical industry is feeling the heat. Following the industry's embarrassing withdrawal in April from a case against the South African government over the issue of access to cheap aids drugs, the us government dropped its complaint against Brazil's law dealing with the same issue at the World Trade …
Globalisation is increasingly reducing the power of individual governments vis a vis multinational corporations whose annual turnover far exceed the gross national product of many wto members. This makes wto a major force influencing countries to open up to the world faster. Unfortunately this leaves a country vulnerable to market …
the unwillingness of the us to take strong action against the tobacco companies was highlighted during the second round of talks regarding the World Health Organisation's framework convention on tobacco control. The talks were held in Geneva from April 30 to May 4, 2001. The us government's reluctance has been …
the inhabitants of Zimapan, a district in Mexico, consume water contaminated with arsenic (as), a poisonous chemical. But, a remedy may be locally available to remove the contamination. About half of the water supply samples tested by Mexico's National Water Commission in the region contained arsenic concentrations above current World …
a new refrigerator run on solar power, developed by Hyderabad-based public sector giant Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (bhel), could go along way in eradicating polio in remote areas of the world besides helping in other vaccine programmes. Vaccines are transported and stored from the place of manufacture up to the …
twenty states in India are endemic to fluorosis, a disease caused by excess intake of fluoride in drinking water that can result in various health hazards such as discoloured teeth and deformed bones. Several nations including Argentina, China and Japan are under the grip of this disease. It has spread …
the World Health Organisation (who) has raised concerns about the large-scale spread of the mad cow disease. "Our concern is that there was sufficient international trade in infected meat, bone meal and live cattle and consequently there has already been a worldwide exposure,' said Maura Ricketts of who 's animal …
