Archives: Morning Breakouts

"Antimalarial drugs are safer for pregnant women than contracting the disease," according to a study from the University of Oxford published in the journal Lancet Infectious Diseases on Tuesday that "assess[ed] the effects of malaria and its treatment in the first trimester of pregnancy," HealthCanal.com reports. The researchers examined the medical records of women who attended an antenatal clinic at the Shoklo Malaria Research Unit in Thailand over a 25-year period and "found that malaria increased the risks of miscarriage from one in five pregnancies (in women without malaria) to one in two pregnancies," the news service adds (12/12).

The Associated Press/San Francisco Chronicle examines what it will take for the WHO to reach its new target of reducing malaria deaths to near zero by the end of 2015 and how "[s]ome experts questioned if WHO should be setting such lofty goals, especially at a time of declining funding."

In this post in the Health Affairs blog, Martha Kwataine, executive director for the Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) and head of the Access to Medicines Campaign in Malawi, examines the role of local advocates and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the country's health system. She writes, "Amidst [Malawi's health] challenges, the role of civil society, especially advocates, cannot be overemphasized. Civil society organizations are the 'watchdogs' of government. Historically, they have played a critical role, not just by influencing policy formulation, but also by providing checks and balances to government power."

AlertNet examines how water shortages in Nepal are impeding women's hygiene in the country. The news service profiles the village of Paudiyalthok in the country's Panchkhal Valley, about 25 miles east of the capital Kathmandu, where "a lack of reliable water sources is affecting many aspects of [residents'] lives, and women are bearing the brunt of changing weather patterns."

"U.S. officials have arrived in Beijing to meet with North Korean leaders about whether and how to resume food aid to the isolated and impoverished country, according to State Department officials," the Washington Post reports (Wan, 12/14). "U.S. special envoy for North Korean human rights issues Robert King and senior U.S. aid official Jon Brause met Thursday with North Korea's director-general for American affairs, Ri Gun," and "are to focus on strict monitoring mechanisms should the U.S. decide to give aid," the Associated Press writes (Bodeen, 12/15).

"With a needle puncture on your finger and a drop of blood, the magic of modern science can give you a rapid HIV test in seconds, and so, knowing your status, you are better able to negotiate the rocky road of surviving HIV where timely detection is key," Farai Sevenzo, a columnist and filmmaker, writes in this BBC News opinion piece, part of a series from African journalists. "But human nature is not so straightforward and despite hundreds of rapid HIV test centers in many capitals, the knee-jerk response is not to want to know," he continues, adding, "It is this attitude which may account for the continuing high rates of infection."

"Malaria mortality rates have fallen by more than 25 percent globally since 2000, and by 33 percent in the WHO African Region, according to the World Malaria Report 2011, issued [Tuesday] by [the] WHO," the organization reports in a press release. "This is the result of a significant scaling-up of malaria prevention and control measures in the last decade," the press release adds. However, the press release notes, "WHO warns that a projected shortfall in funding threatens the fragile gains and that the double challenge of emerging drug and insecticide resistance needs to be proactively addressed" (12/13).

In this Africa.com opinion piece, Ana Ruth Luis, medical director of the Southern Africa Strategic Business Unit at Chevron Africa and Latin America Ex in Angola, discusses what she calls "the important role Chevron has in driving down the incidence of HIV/AIDS in Africa." She writes, "Chevron was able to drop new infections to zero among our employees and their babies by educating our employees, establishing a culture of voluntary, confidential testing and treatment, addressing stigma and discrimination in the workplace, and providing comprehensive medical care for expectant mothers."

In this TIME "Ideas" opinion piece, David Bowen, CEO of Malaria No More, writes that with the right resources and political will, an end to malaria is possible. He recounts progress made against the disease, citing a report by the WHO released Tuesday that shows "deaths from malaria have fallen by more than 25 percent globally since 2000 -- and by more than five percent in the last year alone," and writes, "Despite these gains, much more needs to be done. The unacceptable fact still remains that malaria claims a child's life in Africa every minute. The world has begun to mobilize the skills, resources and innovative genius needed to end this terrible death toll."

In this Huffington Post opinion piece, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) writes about access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation among the world's poor, stating, "As America prepares for the holiday season ... I hope that Congress will give a gift of life, health and hope by helping people around the world with something that most Americans take for granted: safe drinking water."

In this post in the Hill's "Congress Blog," John Castellani, president and CEO of Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, reports on how biopharmaceutical exports benefit the U.S. economy and global health, writing, "Leadership is needed to help keep U.S. biopharmaceutical research companies competitive in the global export market." He continues, "According to the Administration, if we increased exports by just five percent, we would create hundreds of thousands of new U.S. jobs. ... Among the ways that they can advance this effort is by knocking down foreign barriers and promoting strong intellectual property (IP) protections that allow biopharmaceutical companies to bring their medicines into other markets and, importantly, to the patients who need them."

The U.N. on Tuesday issued its 2012 consolidated appeal process (CAP), or joint appeal, for $1.5 billion to fund 350 projects in Somalia, "where famine and conflict have already cost tens of thousands of lives," the Guardian reports (Chonghaile, 12/13). "The $1.5 billion appeal is based on a realistic assessment of the emergency needs of four million people in crisis, tens of thousands of whom will die without assistance," Mark Bowden, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said, Agence France-Presse notes.