CELEBRATION: World AIDS Day

Denmark will host the COP15 - United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen from the 30. November to 11. December 2009. To learn more about COP15, it’s goals, history and preparatory events link to the conference web site.

New HIV recommendations to improve health, reduce infections and save lives

Mon, 30 Nov 2009 06:12:40 +0000

30 November 2009 — WHO now recommends earlier initiation of antiretroviral therapy for adults and adolescents, the delivery of more patient-friendly antiretroviral drugs (ARVs), and prolonged use of ARVs to reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission of HIV. For the first time, WHO recommends that HIV-positive mothers or their infants take ARVs while breastfeeding to prevent HIV transmission.

(full text retrieval failed)

MEETING: Commonwealth Heads of Government

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 19:10:37 +0000

Dying to give birth: Fighting maternal mortality in Peru

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:54:48 +0000

Health Affairs (2009)

(full text retrieval failed)

24,000 More Died Today

Fri, 27 Nov 2009 07:54:48 +0000

Make Poverty History, \GCAP Canada (2009)

(full text retrieval failed)

New HIV infections reduced by 17% over the past eight years

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:53:51 +0000

24 November 2009 — An eight-year trend shows new HIV infections down by 17% globally, says a new report AIDS epidemic update. The report, released today by the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and WHO, highlights that beyond the natural course of the epidemic, HIV prevention programmes are making a difference.

(full text retrieval failed)

WHO/UNICEF : Largest-ever Yellow Fever vaccination campaign targets nearly 12 million people

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:53:44 +0000

printable version

WHO/UNICEF : Largest-ever Yellow Fever vaccination campaign targets nearly 12 million people

17 NOVEMBER 2009 | GENEVA/NEW YORK - The largest-ever yellow fever mass vaccination campaign is taking place across three African countries. The week-long event will target 11.9 million people across Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone, all three of which are at high risk of yellow fever outbreaks.

The campaign–supported by the World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Médecins sans Frontières and other partners–is the first in which yellow fever vaccination drives will be simultaneously launched across several countries. The drives will be administered by local health teams and will also offer a package of interventions, including vitamin A, deworming tablets and, in Sierra Leone, measles vaccine.

”High vaccination coverage will prevent outbreaks of yellow fever, a disease that is very difficult to diagnose in the early stages of infection,’’ said Dr William Perea, Coordinator of WHO Epidemic Readiness and Intervention unit. “A single dose of the vaccine offers full protection.” Dr Perea expressed hope that vaccination campaigns would be carried out throughout all high risk African countries by 2015.

Benin, Liberia and Sierra Leone are the latest 3 of the 13[1] highest risk African countries to carry out preventive campaigns. Since 2007, a total of 29 million people have been protected through mass vaccinations conducted in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Mali, Senegal and Togo, as well as a first phase completed in Sierra Leone.

A catalytic contribution of US$ 103 million from the GAVI Alliance for 2007 to 2010 resulted in tremendous gains in the fight against yellow fever, helping to establish the vaccine stockpile, fund vaccine and operational costs of vaccination, conduct surveillance and risk assessment to identify high-risk populations, and strengthen vaccine safety monitoring.

Vaccination against yellow fever early in life is also a crucial strategy in affected countries. “Thirty-seven countries in Africa and the Americas have introduced yellow fever vaccine in their routine childhood immunization schedule up from 12 countries a decade ago”, said Dr Jean-Marie Okwo-Bele, Director of the Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals at WHO.

However, 160 million people could still be at risk in Africa if further funding is not secured for the emergency stockpile and preventive vaccination in remaining high-risk countries. “Yellow fever is reappearing in countries that have not reported cases in many years,” said Dr Fenella Avokey, Medical Officer for Yellow Fever Control, of the WHO African Regional Office.

“We must finish the job we started to sustain the gains achieved so far,” said Dr Edward Hoekstra, UNICEF Senior Health Specialist. “Children and adults in West and Central Africa are unnecessarily affected by yellow fever, when one dose of vaccine would prevent them getting the disease at all.”

[1] The 13 highest-risk countries in Africa are Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

For more information please contact:

Aphaluck Bhatiasevi
WHO Media Officer
Geneva
Tel: +41 79 484 2997
E-mail:bhatiaseviap@who.int
Website: www.who.int/yellowfever

Christian Moen
UNICEF Media
New York
Tel: +1 212 326 7516
E-mail:cmoen@unicef.org

Methods for assessing the cost-effectiveness of public health interventions: Key challenges and …

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 20:53:44 +0000

Health Policy (2009)

(full text retrieval failed)