The number of lives lost due to viral hepatitis infections is increasing and already accounts for 3,500 deaths daily, according to this report by the World Health Organization (WHO). This is the first consolidated WHO report on viral hepatitis epidemiology, service coverage and product access, with improved data for action. …
Typhoid is an important public health challenge for India, especially with the spread of antimicrobial resistance. The decision about whether to introduce a public vaccination programme needs to be based on an understanding of disease burden and the age-groups and geographic areas at risk. Original Source
HYDERABAD: Indian scientists were aware of Zika virus way back in 1950s and had even stored a vial of the pathogen, which has now emerged as a global health threat, a senior government official said on Thursday. "We have that report and in fact, they (Indian scientists) even saved a …
The HPV vaccine protects people against the group of 150-odd HPVs, some of which can cause cervical cancer. Delhi has become the first state in the country to launch the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine as a public health programme for school children. Health Minister Satyendar Jain Monday said girls studying …
Oncologists Are Divided On The Issue As the Indian government toys with the idea of offering the cervical cancer vaccine to all girl children as part of its national immunisation plan, the issue divided a gathering of national and international oncologists at the Tata NCPA in Mumbai on Saturday . …
Chinese scientists have successfully isolated two Zika virus strains, which will assist research into a possible vaccination and the transmission pattern of the mosquito-borne disease that has triggered a global health emergency. The two strains were isolated from blood and urine samples from two patients, state-run Xinhua news agency reported …
Dengue is one of the most devastating mosquito borne diseases in the world. Plaguing mostly the developing countries, Dengue is a health hazard that takes scores of lives every year. Asian countries spend an estimated 6.5 billion USD annually in both direct and indirect medical costs due to Dengue. The …
The Lagos State government, on Monday confirmed that measles was responsible for the death of 20 children in Otodo-Gbame community in Ikate, Lekki area of the state. The state commissioner for Health, Jide Idris, confirmed the development at a news conference in Lagos. According to him, results of the laboratory …
Global vaccine experts and officials from all 26 African "meningitis belt" countries have convened in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to celebrate one of Africa's biggest public health achievements—the introduction of a vaccine, MenAfriVac, designed, developed, and produced for use in Africa, that in five years of use has nearly eliminated serogroup …
DEHRADUN: With 10 patients, six of them in the state capital, testing positive for swine flu, Uttarakhand government has declared an alert against the disease. So far, Dehradun has registered the highest number of cases of swine flu. Earlier, two deaths, one each in Haldwani and Dehradun, were recorded. State …
A high-risk group of people, including farmers and forest workers, will be vaccinated against Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) or monkey fever. The state government's decision on Tuesday has come after the tick-borne viral disease spread to newer villages in Sindhudurg district. Health officials have also warned trekkers and nature enthusiasts …
As vaccine manufacturers tackle increasingly intractable pathogens, vaccines will be developed that show efficacy, but that are less efficacious than established vaccines. Consequently, regulatory and public health authorities will be faced with difficult decisions about whether such vaccines should be recommended for implementation and, if so, under what circumstances. The …
The phase 3 trial of the RTS,S/AS01 malaria vaccine candidate showed modest efficacy of the vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum malaria, but was not powered to assess mortality endpoints. Impact projections and cost-effectiveness estimates for longer timeframes than the trial follow-up and across a range of settings are needed to inform …
The Vaccine Alliance, Gavi, has signed a $5m (£3.5m) deal for an Ebola vaccine, to protect against future outbreaks of the deadly disease. The deal commits pharmaceutical company Merck to keeping 300,000 vaccines ready for emergency use or further clinical trials. It will also submit an application to license the …
The mosquito-borne dengue virus infects up to 390 million people a year. Symptoms of dengue fever include a measles-like rash, fever, body aches and joint pain. In a small subset of cases, the disease develops into life-threatening dengue hemorrhagic fever, resulting in bleeding and low platelet count; this can progress …
Polio transmission may be at its lowest-ever levels globally, but a top WHO official warns that the risk of importation of the virus into all polio-free areas still persists. On January 13, WHO South-East Asia Region completed five years without any case of wild polio virus. “Globally, polio transmission is …
KOCHI: A total of 26.16 lakh children under five years of age were administered polio drops in the State on Sunday as part of phase-I of the immunisation drive. The programme was conducted through 21,371 pulse polio booths arranged at bus stands, railway stations, airports, government/private hospitals and anganwadis. Mobile …
While the goal of polio virus eradication is in sight, there are concerns about post-eradication manufacturing and stockpiling vaccine stores containing live virus that could escape and repopulate the environment. A study published on December 31st in PLOS Pathogens reports the generation of new vaccine strains that appear both effective …
The thriving big cat population at the Jim Corbett National Park might be a show piece for successful conservation, but the famous wild life sanctuary's tigers and leopards might be at risk from canine diseases from some 17,000-odd dogs living in villages in the 5km buffer zone. A first of …
Brazil has joined Mexico and the Philippines in granting approval for use of the world’s first vaccine for dengue fever, French drug maker Sanofi Pasteur announced Monday. Brazil’s Anvisa regulatory agency authorized the use of the Dengvaxia vaccine for people between the ages of 9 and 45 living in areas …
For the first time a team of Australian scientists have revealed how malaria parasites cause an inflammatory reaction that sabotages the human body's ability to protect itself and fight against the disease, according to a study at the Walter And Eliza Hall Institute. The researchers' new development paves the way …
