Recent News

By Region: Africa

UGANDA: Anatomy of an Ebola outbreak

IRIN — KAMPALA – A confirmed case of the deadly Ebola virus in eastern Uganda three weeks ago has been quickly contained, leading health experts in the country to believe the virus has not spread. “According to the present report, it seems the virus didn’t pass to anybody,” said Issa Makumbi, head of epidemiology and Read More »

June 1, 2011
| Filed under Africa, Agents & Toxins, and Public Health
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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 »