Recent News

By Category: Policy & Initiatives

World Health Agency Gets a Grip on Its Budget

(ScientificAmerican) Just three years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) was in deep financial trouble, with a US$300-million deficit. Today the agency’s future looks healthier. Last week, the World Health Assembly — the annual gathering in Geneva, Switzerland, of health ministers of the WHO’s 194 governing member states — voted in favor of major budgetary  Read More »

Not too early to vaccinate for anthrax

(BovineVeterinarian) Now is the time for livestock producers to get their animals vaccinated against anthrax. “Conditions this year are conducive to the development of anthrax,” warns Charlie Stoltenow, North Dakota State University Extension Service veterinarian. Those conditions include the heavy rainfall most of North Dakota is experiencing this spring. Anthrax spores can survive in the  Read More »

Duke to co-lead NIH research network on antibacterial resistance

(EurekAlert) Investigators at Duke Medicine and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) have been selected to oversee a nationwide research program on antibacterial resistance, which includes a focus on the growing unmet challenges associated with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and E. coli. The research team will direct the allocation of a federal grant from  Read More »

Iranian general warns of bio-warfare

(WND) Viruses can be turned into easily concealed weapons with high epidemic powers that could contaminate food, water and animals, Iran has warned. Gen. Gholamreza Jalali, head of Iran’s Passive Defense Organization, in a recent event discussing defensive and offensive measures for cyber-attacks and viruses, talked about the strategic importance of using viruses as weapons  Read More »

Notable Contracts: DTRA Award to Institute for Systems Biology

(GlobalBiodefense) The Department of Defense this week announced a notable contract award related to the field of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) defense or life science research of interest for potential applications in biodefense: Institute for Systems Biology, Seattle, Wash., is being awarded a $7,665,557 cost-type contract for research into pre-symptomatic detection of post-operative  Read More »