Government of Canada announces funding for research to further protect Canadians from the H1N1 flu virus – The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, is pleased to announce another measure to address the H1N1 flu virus. The Government of Canada will fund a national influenza research network focused on pandemic vaccine evaluation.
New Report Finds 10 Early Lessons Learned from the H1N1 Outbreak – A new report – The Pandemic Flu: Lessons from the Frontlines – reviews 10 early lessons learned from the response to the H1N1 (swine) flu outbreak, 10 ongoing core vulnerabilities in U.S. pandemic flu preparedness.
Study: Benefit to women not enough to sway men to get HPV vaccine – Informing men that a new vaccine to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV) would also help protect their female partners against developing cervical cancer from the sexually transmitted infection did not increase their interest in getting the vaccine, according to a new Florida State University study.
Australian scientists develop a new low-cost, point-of-care HIV monitoring treatment – Scientists at the Burnet Institute, Australia’s leading medical research and public health institute focused on infectious diseases, have developed a prototype low-cost HIV monitoring test designed for field use in remote settings.
Worldwide report shows increase in assisted reproduction: 250,000 babies (approximately) born in 1 year – Assisted reproductive technology (ART) is responsible for an estimated 219,000 to 246,000 babies born each year worldwide according to an international study.
A crucial step towards large scale production of a vaccine against swine flu has been completed in the UK by the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), part of the Health Protection Agency. – A strain of virus suitable for vaccine manufacture has now been produced and is being made available to the pharmaceutical industry and other flu laboratories.
Following a healthy lifestyle is on the decline in the US – Researchers urge individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles, particularly in middle age. – Despite the well-known benefits of having a lifestyle that includes physical activity, eating a diet high in fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, moderate alcohol use and not smoking, only a small proportion of adults follow this healthy lifestyle pattern, and in fact, the numbers are declining, according to an article published in the June 2009 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Study questions whether Ontario’s primary health care reforms serve the sick and poor – Ontario has invested millions of dollars into the healthcare system in response to a serious doctor shortage. But despite improvements in primary care, a study out of the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES) has found Ontario’s chronically sick and poor are the least likely to benefit from the investments.
Computer-based programs provide help for smokers trying to quit – Trying to quit cigarettes but don’t know how? A new analysis led by researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, School of Public Health, suggests that Web- and computer-based smoking cessation programs are worth a try, and fortunately during these tough economic times, many of them are free.
New Web Site, www.foodsafetyworkinggroup.gov, Will Serve as Hub for Citizens and Stakeholders to Stay Informed and Provide Input – Responding to President Obama’s directive to upgrade the nation’s food safety system, the White House Food Safety Working Group, led by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, launched a Web site to provide information about the group’s activities and progress.
Research: Prevalence of disease related prion protein in anonymous tonsil specimens in Britain: Cross-sectional opportunistic survey – First results from a large tissue survey in Britain of the agent that causes variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (vCJD) are unable so far to establish that the prevalence is lower than that given by previous estimates, concludes a study published on bmj.com.
Excessive cola consumption can lead to super-sized muscle problems warn doctors – Doctors have issued a warning about excessive cola consumption after noticing an increase in the number of patients suffering from muscle problems, according to the June issue of IJCP, the International Journal of Clinical Practice.
