Posted on October 28, 2009 by Patients and Patents
Addressing five critical risk factors – underweight childhood, unsafe sex, alcohol use, lack of safe water, sanitation and hygiene, and high blood pressure – could add almost five years to global life expectancy, according to a new United Nations report.
These five factors are responsible for one quarter of the 60 million deaths estimated to occur annually, said the UN World Health Organization (WHO), which published “Global Health Risks.”
A health risk is defined in the report as “a factor that raises the probability of adverse health outcomes.” It looked at 24 of them which are a mixture of environmental, behavioural and physiological factors – such as air pollution, tobacco use and poor nutrition – and estimated their effects on deaths, diseases and injuries by region, age, sex and country income for the year 2004.
“Understanding the relative importance of health risk factors helps governments to figure out which health policies they want to pursue,” said Colin Mathers, Coordinator for Mortality and Burden of Disease at WHO.
Filed under: Public health, World Health Organization | Tagged: Public health, United Nations | Leave a Comment »
Posted on October 2, 2009 by Patients and Patents
Over 4 million people are now receiving treatment for HIV, marking a nearly 40 per cent jump from the previous year according to a new United Nations report.
The new study – produced jointly by the UN World Health Organization (WHO), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) – said that the 4 million figure at the end of 2008 represents a 10-fold increase over five years.
Despite the “tremendous progress” in responding to HIV/AIDS, “we need to do more,” said WHO Director-General Margaret Chan.
“Prevention services fail to reach many in need,” she added. “Governments and international partners must accelerate their efforts to achieve universal access to treatment.”
Nearly half of the 9.5 million people in low- and middle-income countries needed antiretroviral therapy are now receiving, with the fastest progress being seen in sub-Saharan Africa, where two-thirds of all HIV infections occur.
Filed under: Public health, World Health Organization | Tagged: access to medicines, AIDS, least-developed countries, United Nations | 1 Comment »
Health Canada warns people not to buy unauthorized products to fight H1N1 flu
Federal authorities are warning Canadians not to buy unauthorized products from the Internet or other sources that claim to fight the H1N1 virus. The Competition Bureau and Health Canada issued a statement Wednesday saying that only three products are authorized for use against the virus: the vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline called Arepanrix, which is available at flu clinics and doctors’ offices, and the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza.
“Taking unapproved or counterfeit drugs could pose serious risks to health,” the advisory says. “These products may contain ingredients not listed on the label or dangerous additives, and could cause serious side effects.”
The warning says vaccines should only come from a qualified health care provider, and antivirals should only be purchased with a prescription from a health care practitioner who has examined the patient.
The advisory says there are legitimate Canadian Internet pharmacies, but consumers need to be aware of the risks associated with buying drugs online.
Health Canada says it will monitor the Internet and take action against websites selling unauthorized products for the treatment or prevention of the H1N1 flu virus, or any other health condition.
200,000 doses of the unadjuvanted H1N1 vaccine called Panvax have also been imported from Australia for use in pregnant women.
Filed under: Commentary on news & events, Counterfeit drugs, North America, Public health | Tagged: Canada, counterfeit medicines, H1N1, internet pharmacies, Swine flu, vaccine | Leave a Comment »