Underfunding is a growing concern, though, says WHO
TB patient in Ethiopia being carried by her sons (photo, WHO)
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Sustained efforts by a number of large countries are responsible for much of the dramatic improvement in the global picture for tuberculosis, the World Health Organization said late Tuesday 11 October.
China has halved the prevalence of the disease and seen the number of people dying from TB fall by 80 percent in the past decade. Brazil, Kenya and Tanzania have pumped resources into fighting the disease with very good results.
Worldwide, says the UN health organization in its WHO 2011 global tuberculosis control report, published 11 October, that:
- the number of people who fell ill with TB dropped to 8.8 million in 2010, after peaking at 9 million in 2005
- TB deaths fell to 1.4 million in 2010, after reaching 1.8 million in 2003
- the TB death rate dropped 40 percent between 1990 and 2010, and all regions, except Africa, are on track to achieve a 50 percent decline in mortality by 2015
- in 2009, 87 percent of patients treated were cured, with 46 million people successfully treated and seven million lives saved since 1995. However, a third of estimated TB cases worldwide are not notified and therefore it is unknown whether they have been diagnosed and properly treated.
Funding gap hitting multidrug resistant cases
The WHO says in a statement that rapid progress is being made in detecting multidrug resistant (MDR) TB, thanks to new tests that are being widely adopted. But detection is outpacing treatment for the MDR cases:
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Money invested in mental health comes to a global average of only $3 per capita, according to the World Health Organization, and in some developing countries it is as low as $.25, with most funds spent on long-term hospitalization. Only two percent of all health resources are invested in mental health services and prevention is badly underfunded, the Geneva-based group says in its Mental Health Atlas 2011, published Friday 7 October.
The report “finds that the bulk of those resources are often spent on services that serve relatively few people”, with 70 percent of scarce funding going to mental institutions.
A key problem is that “in lower income countries, however, shortages of resources and skills often result in patients only being treated with medicines. The lack of psychosocial care reduces the effectiveness of the treatment.”
Half of the world’s population lives in areas where there is only one psychiatrist per 200,000 people.
MILAN, ITALY – Sunday 9 October was a car-free day in Milan, designed to get the pollution level, one of Europe’s highest, down to legally acceptable levels. Seventy firefighters and extra police officers ensured that from 08:00 to 18:00 virtually no cars were driven in the city. The city’s safety commissioner said they were also checking cars with stickers for the handicapped, which could be driven, to catch cheaters, according to Corriere della sera newspaper.
The fine is euros 155 for driving on a car-free Sunday.
The ban followed 10 days of restrictions on certain categories of vehicles that were labelled polluters. The system kicks in when the pollution level rises above 50 micrograms of particulates per m3 of air over 12 days
Source: WHO, September 2011
Detractors, including some environmental groups, say the day off does little to bring down levels. Corriere della sera cites one critic who notes that the level has dropped to within legal limits after only on six of the 15 car-free Sundays in recent years, and that the city should invest more in anti-pollution measures for its public transport system.
Milan’s citizens were encouraged to take advantage of free entry Sunday to the city’s swimming pools and discounted entries for several museums, using the additional buses and subway trains that were put on for the day.
The northern Italian city has one of the highest car ownership ratios in the world and ranks as one of Europe’s most polluted cities for both the extent to which pollution rises above the European Union PM10 (particulates) limit of 50 micrograms per m3, and the duration. An Ecopass system to reduce car traffic went into effect in 2008, at which point 98,000 cars reportedly entered the city every day. The number of cars affected by Sunday’s ban three years later was 120,000, according to city officials.
The most recent comparative figures, from the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva in late September, show Milan, Torino and Naples sharing the top spot, with 2008 annual PM10 figures of 44 or 45 on average. The WHO published its new clean air guidelines and database covering more than 1,000 cities in 91 countries, noting:
“PM10 particles, which are particles of 10 micrometers or less, which can penetrate into the lungs and may enter the bloodstream, can cause heart disease, lung cancer, asthma, and acute lower respiratory infections. The WHO air quality guidelines for PM10 is 20 micrograms per cubic metre (µg/m3) as an annual average, but the data released today shows that average PM10 in some cities has reached up to 300 µg/m3.”
Bern, Geneva and Zurich showed annual averages of 21 to 24, while Rome was 35 and Paris 38, according to WHO figures.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The Hug university hospitals in Geneva were handed a surprise strike Thursday 6 October by the workers who transport patients and material, and the union for which they work and hospital officials immediately met. The hospital says in a statement issued during the morning that its first preoccupation is the patients, and that they must not be taken hostage by the situation.
The workers’ demands prompted the hospital’s management to suggest three solutions:
- given that the hospital itself does not have responsibility for salaries, which are set by cantonal authorities, it recommends that as a temporary measure both types of transport workers be placed on the same salary scale
- that the hospital can recommend an increase in the number of staff, but for the 2012 budget
- that a reorganization of the service should be put under review.
Infectious diseases prevention projects honoured as international references
The Hug had earlier announced, Thursday evening, brighter news: its penitentiary hospital staff were awarded Wednesday, in Italy, the World Health Organization’s Health in Prisons Project prize. The award was given to the HUG jointly with the Champs-Dollon prison in Geneva, for two projects. Both are considered projects of reference in Switzerland and abroad, notes the HUG: one for measles prevention and the other a syringue-distribution project designed to reduce infectious diseases.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – World Health Organization (WHO) figures Sunday 5 June showed that 21 people have died from E. coli or HUS, which is provoked by E. coli, while in Germany public health authorities in Lower Saxony say they have a “really hot lead” to the cause: bean and other sprouts from a farm 70km south of Hamburg are looking like the culprit.
Gert Lindemann, agriculture minister for the state of Lower Saxony said at a press conference that the deadly strain of the bacteria has now been traced to a farm in the Uelzen area; German media say it is near Bienenbuettel. The farm has been closed while the investigation continues. Reuters notes that “Lindemann said that not only beansprouts, but also alfalfa sprouts, mung bean sprouts, radish sprouts and arugula sprouts from the farm might be connected to the outbreak. Raw sprouts are popular among Germans and often mixed in salads or added to sandwiches.”
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The WHO in Geneva, which keeps the official world tally on infectious diseases, with all affected countries reporting to it, published its latest figures at 18:00 Sunday:
Germany, HUS: 627, with 15 deaths
Germany, E. coli: 1,536, with 6 death (note: does not include the HUS cases)
| Country | HUS | EHEC |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | 0 | 2 |
| Czech Republic | 0 | 1 |
| Denmark | 7 | 11 |
| France | 0 | 10 |
| Netherlands | 4 | 4 |
| Norway | 0 | 1 |
| Poland | 1 | 0 |
| Spain | 1 | 0 |
| Sweden | 15 | 31 |
| Switzerland | 0 | 3 |
| United Kingdom | 3 | 8 |
In addition, the WHO reports that the United States has published information about two suspected E. coli cases linked to the German outbreak. In the figures above, “all except 1 of the above HUS and EHEC patients had travelled to or from Germany during the incubation period for infection, typically 3–4 days after exposure (range 2–10 days),” according to the WHO.
Countries that are affected are also reporting their cases to Germany, and European countries are reporting to the secure Early Warning and Response System (EWRS) as well.
WHO headquarters in Geneva
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Geneva prides itself on its international role, but if you sense that the city’s native sons and daughters are outnumbered by foreign guests at the moment, you’re right. Runners, weather and climate specialists, world health workers have all converged on the city for three weeks of events.
Geneva Marathon has massive increase in runners
The Geneva Marathon races 14-15 May brought out 5,700 runners, a massive increase of 2,100 over the 2010 race, and they were cheered on by 47,000 spectators. This year’s Marathon for Unicef also saw a sharp increase in international participation, with runners from 191 countries. The winner of the men’s marathon was Ethiopian Hailu Begashaw, and Pascale Prevel from France won the women’s marathon. Geneva-based New Zealander Guy Simpson came in second in the men’s and Tsige Germa from Ehtiopia was third.
Weather and disaster preparedness the focus at Meteorological Congress
The World Meteorological Congress opens Monday 16 May and runs until 3 June. A key item on the agenda is a new recommendation to create a Global Framework for Climate Services. The recommendation was made last week, as part of a report and plan of action to help countries adapt to climate change, approved in Geneva during the Global Platform on Disaster Risk Reduction meeting.
World Health Assembly opens with several contentious issues on the agenda
WHO says over 50% population obese in 10 Pacific islands, causing host of health problems
Adolescents learn good eating habits at a youth centre in Port Vila, Vanuatu (photo: Unicef /Giacomo Pirozzi)
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch.com) – Three Pacific Island regions, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia are home to 10 islands whose populations are suffering from growing health problems, with obesity at the root of the problem. Imported foods are the main culprit, says the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva.
WHO surveys show that in at least 10 Pacific island countries, more than 50 percent of the population is overweight.
Obesity prevalence ranges from more than 30% in Fiji to a “staggering 80 percent among women in American Samoa”, a territory of the USA, says the organization.
Overweight is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) equal to or more than 25, and obesity as a BMI equal to or more than 30.
“Promotion of traditional foods has fallen by the wayside. They are unable to compete with the glamour and flashiness of imported foods,” says Dr Temo K Waqanivalu, the WHO’s technical officer for nutrition and physical activity for the South Pacific.
Fewer imports and more fresh, local food, including fish and vegetables, are needed in people’s diets, he says.
Imported food in the past came mainly from Australia and New Zealand, but much of it now comes from China, Malaysia and the Philippines. These foods are often energy-dense and nutritionally poor, such as highly refined cereals and fatty meat, according to the Pacific Food Summit.
Lack of food safety regulations is a problem, with old, damaged and contaminated products arriving in the market as well as products with low mineral content that are high in sugar and fat.
Indonesia is the only country in Asia not to have signed the World Health Organization’s framework on tobacco control. CNN has highlighted the extent to which children are affected by smoking with a story about two-year-old Aldi, a new media darling in the country who can’t give up smoking. His parents want him to stop, but not, according to health authorities because they recognize it’s bad for the child but because of the cost.
WHO in Geneva, Switzerland
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The fading role of traditional media and the rise of new media were overlooked by the WHO (World Health Organization), a root cause of some of the management problems with the H1N1 epidemic, a senior WHO official says. Keiji Fukuda, the WHO’s special advisor on pandemic influenza, was addressing 29 experts who have gathered to review how the swine flu pandemic was managed, the first review of International Health Regulations.
Traditional media’s past role of disseminating information correctly has been weakened by the rise of rapid and often rumour-based new media, Fukuda implied.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Monday 23 March is World Water Day, and Swiss consumer groups are doing their bit by encouraging Swiss consumers and restaurants to favour tap water over bottled water. There is no reason for people in Switzerland to pay for bottled water, they argue, for hygiene or health reasons, and tap water doesn’t require containers so is better for the environment.
Swiss water suppliers offer a search page (F/G/I) on their site where consumers can check details about the source and quality of their water, although smaller towns and villages may be able to check only nearby larger towns.
Viral Flu, © 2009 Novartis AG
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – US President Barack Obama declared swine flu a national emergency late Friday 23 October, in order to relax some Medicaid and Medicare (national health insurance for the elderly and the poor) rules ahead of a potential surge in cases that could swamp the country’s medical facilities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the epidemic has increased in the past weeks and is now widespread in 46 of the 50 states. Swine flu activity has reached levels that the seasonal flu variety normally reaches in late November to March, CDC reported 23 October.
People at particular risk are pregnant women, especially those in the latest stage of pregnancy, children under the age of two, and people with pre-existing pulmonary problems, like asthma. In these cases, patients can develop severe symptoms within 3-5 days. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that the disease can progress rapidly, leading to respiratory collapse and the urgent need for mechanical respiration.
[includes video] Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Two Boston University student interns, one at the World Health Organization, the other at the World Trade Organization, were interviewed by their university’s BU Today, on video, about their experience working in international organizations in Geneva.
The accompanying article and video are reproduced with permission from BU.
By Devin Hahn. Text by Benjamin Hall.
“I’d be lying if I said I didn’t feel like I had a bit of an edge, having studied under the bright minds at the World Health Organization,” says Tara Vaughn.
Vaughn spent last fall in the Geneva Internship Program, taking courses and working at the WHO in the strategic information unit, focusing on prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV/AIDS. Her courses featured daily speakers from different realms of public health, and topics included abortion rights, public health issues that arise from natural disasters, and climate change.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Chagas disease is one of the largest debilitating and killer diseases in Latin America, but it is not winning the battle it needs for public attention in order to reduce the number of its victims. It is considered a neglected tropical disease by the WHO (World Health Organization), which put it on the agenda for the May 2009 World Health Assembly, in part because it appears to be traveling, thanks to eco-tourism. It was bumped when the agenda was reduced to allow the meeting to focus on the new pandemic, A/H1N1.
Chagas disease appears to be spreading from isolated rural areas to urban areas as people move to cities, but there is little prevention for the insect-borne disease, no standardized diagnostic test and huge knowledge gaps remain about effective treatment.
Basel, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Pharmaceutical giant Novartis saw net sales grow 8 percent in local currencies, but slip 2 percent in US dollars in the first six months of 2009. Exchange rates had significant impact on profits, which fell by 12 percent to CHF4.32 billion, compared to the same period in 2008. Company CEO Daniel Vasella notes in the company’s press release on results that the company expects to “continue record underlying results in constant currencies.”
As the World Health Organization (WHO) announces phase six of the pandemic A/H1N1 swine flu 11 June, a curious fact jumps out from the map that the organization publishes each day with its statistics. Not one sub-Saharan African country has reported a single case of the new flu. The only African country with officially reported cases is Egypt, with 10 (11 June).
On the face of it, the populations in many of Africa’s countries would be prime candidates for contracting flu. They are poor, often malnourished, suffering from war and disease in many places, and crowded into teeming cities with poor provision of basic services. How have they avoided A/H1N1?
[with UN TV video] Geneva, Switzerland and Bonn, Germany (GenevaLunch) – Eighteen United Nations and non-UN aid agencies 8 June issued a joint statement arguing for “humanitarian impacts” to be included in the new climate change protocol. A December meeting in Copenhagen, Denmark of ministers from around the world will seek to replace the Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997. A new agreement must “set out a workable approach to help the world counter the impacts of extreme weather events and environmental degradation on vulnerable communities,” the Inter-Agency Standing Committee argues.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – A mid-way report from the World Health Organization (WHO) on how well nations are doing in their efforts to meet health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) shows some progress, particularly in reducing childhood mortality by 27 percent since 1990. Some countries are not on track, however, to meet the goal of reducing mortality in children by two-thirds from 1990 figures, and for the goals to improve maternal health and HIV/Aids care, many countries are lagging behind.
The World Health Statistics 2009 is an annual health report by the WHO that looks at 100 statistics provided by the organization’s 193 member countries. This year it provides the first assessment of MDGs progress.
Geneva, Switzerland and Mumbai, India (Financial Times) – Cipla, a company based in Mumbai, India, is shipping a quantity of its generic drug Antiflu, which replicates Basel-based Roche’s Tamiflu, to Mexico. The WHO has said this week that Antiflu is efffective against swine flu (A(H1N1). The Indian drug sells for about two-thirds the price of Tamiflu’s price for poor countries and half the price that Roche sets for Tamiflu in wealthier countries.
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Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Swine flu has now been confirmed in 4,379 cases in 29 countries worldwide, and 49 people have died of the disease, the World Health Organization announced 10 May. On Saturday Argentina, Australia, Japan and Panama became the latest to confirm cases.
In Costa Rica, one man has died, and in the United States another fatality has been confirmed, bringing that country’s total dead to two. Mexico now reports five deaths from the disease.
Related: BBC
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The WHO (World Health Organization) held an emergency meeting Saturday 25 April after cases of swine flu in the US and Mexico were confirmed and suspicions arose in several other countries after travelers returning from Mexico fell ill. The WHO issued a statement that the “Committee . . . agreed that the current situation constitutes a public health emergency of international concern.”
The United States has declared a public health emergency after 20 cases of swine flu were confirmed. There have been no deaths, but in Mexico 81 people have died from illnesses that could be swine flu in recent days and 20 cases of sick people have been confirmed.
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The World Health Organization’s European office in Copenhagen, Denmark is alerting the public to a possible measles epidemic in Europe. The organization 26 February published figures showing that in 2008 there were more than 8,000 cases in Europe in 2008, with 86% of them in six of the wealthiest countries, including Switzerland.
