Recent News

By Region: Middle East

Pentagon Picks Firm to Support Armenian Biodefense Effort

GSN DAILY NEWS — The Kansas-based firm Black & Veatch on Thursday said it had received a contract from a Defense Department agency to help Armenia organize a continuing initiative aimed at augmenting the nation's capacity to counter biological threats to humans and animals (see GSN, April 30, 2009). The company would undertake the planning Read More »

June 6, 2011
| Filed under Middle East, International, and Policy & Initiatives
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World First: Cattle Plague Is Declared Eradicated

AFP — (Paris) World farm monitors on Wednesday declared a cattle-killing virus that has been a curse through the ages had been wiped out, the first time an animal disease has been eradicated in human history. To prolonged applause from delegates, the global watchdog for farm-animal trade approved a report certifying that the last 14 Read More »

May 25, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Agriculture, and International
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Sixty-fourth World Health Assembly closes after passing multiple resolutions

24 May 2011 — The Sixty-fourth World Health Assembly concluded on Tuesday afternoon. The Assembly spent eight days working through a broad agenda. In the end, 28 resolutions and three decisions were adopted to guide the upcoming work of WHO and to address priority global health issues.

May 24, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, Agents & Toxins, International, Policy & Initiatives, and Public Health
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UN puts off destroying last smallpox viruses

GENEVA (AP) — Health ministers from around the world agreed Tuesday to put off setting a deadline to destroy the last known stockpiles of the smallpox virus for three more years, rejecting a U.S. plan that had called for a five-year delay. After two days of heated debate, the 193-nation World Health Assembly agreed to Read More »

May 24, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Asia/Pacific, Europe, Middle East, North America, South America, South Asia, and Public Health
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Smallpox-Destruction Deadline Delayed for 3 Years

WSJ – Global health officials agreed Tuesday to delay setting a deadline for destroying the last known stocks of smallpox for at least three years, in a compromise through which scientists will continue research to develop medicines to combat a potential bioterror attack. The consensus reached in Geneva by the World Health Assembly, the decision-making Read More »