Polio eradication this week

This week, health ministers from around the world are convening in Geneva for the annual World Health Assembly (WHA).  Among other public health topics, delegates will review and discuss the latest global polio epidemiology.  The GPEI has set up a WHA-specific polio website, with the key documents that are guiding discussions.

Closing remarks of WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan at the Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland, 28 May 2016

Mister President, Excellencies, honourable ministers, ambassadors, distinguished delegates, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen,

I have taken one overarching message from this Assembly. We can do anything in the world we want to, provided we speak with a united voice.

Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly closes

Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly closes
28 May 2016

GENEVA—The Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly closed today after approving new resolutions on WHO’s Framework for Engagement with Non-State Actors; the Sustainable Development Goals; the International Health Regulations; tobacco control; road traffic deaths and injuries; nutrition; HIV, hepatitis and STIs; mycetoma; research and development; access to medicines and integrated health services.

Saturday Digest brings you thought-provoking quotes on ‘LIFE LESSONS’ 21-27 May 2016

Dear Friends, 

This week, the Saturday Digest brings you thought-provoking quotes on ‘life-lessons’:

“Growing up means learning what life is. When you're little, you have a set of ideals, standards, criteria, plans, outlooks, and you think that you have to sit around and wait for them to happen to you and then life will work. But life isn't like that, for anybody; you can't fall in love with a standard, you have to fall in love with a person.

WHA 69: World Health Assembly agrees resolutions and decisions on the election of the next Director-General.

Director-General election
Delegates have agreed three proposals from the Director-General to increase transparency around the upcoming election of her successor.

WHA 69: World Health Assembly agrees resolutions and decisions on Prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases

Member States reviewed the progress made by countries in addressing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs), including heart and lung diseases, cancers and diabetes, since the first UN High-level Meeting on NCDs in 2011. 

WHA 69: World Health Assembly agrees resolutions and decisions on Global plan of action on violence

Global plan of action on violence
Delegates agreed a resolution on the WHO global plan of action on violence. Non-fatal acts of violence take a particular toll on women and children. One-in-four children has been physically abused; one-in-five girls has been sexually abused; and one-in-three women has experienced physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence at some point in her lifetime.

WHA 69: World Health Assembly agrees resolutions and decisions on air pollution, chemicals, the health workforce and childhood obesity.

27 May 2016, GENEVA--Delegates at the World Health Assembly have agreed resolutions and decisions on air pollution, chemicals, the health workforce and childhood obesity. 
 
Air pollution
Delegates welcomed a new road map for responding to the adverse health effects of air pollution. Every year, 4.3 million deaths occur from exposure to indoor air pollution and 3.7 million deaths are attributable to outdoor air pollution. The road map outlines actions to be taken between 2016 and 2019, and is organized into four categories.

Certificate Course in Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (CCGDM)

“This Course is Accredited by the South Asian Federation of Endocrine Societies - SAFES (2014 – 16) &Recognized by the International Diabetes Federation - IDF (2015 – 17)” (A joint certificate course between Public Health Foundation of India (PHFI) & Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Education Academy (DMDEA), Chennai)

WHA 69 Press Release: World Health Assembly agrees new Health Emergencies Programme

World Health Assembly agrees new Health Emergencies Programme
25 May 2016

GENEVA--WHO Member States today agreed to one of the most profound transformations in the Organization’s history, establishing a new Health Emergencies Programme. The programme adds operational capabilities for outbreaks and humanitarian emergencies to complement its traditional technical and normative roles.

Bread’s got cancer? Food safety standards need to be upgraded and expanded on a war footing

May 25, 2016, 2:00 am IST, TOI New Delhi

In yet another case that casts serious doubts about our food safety standards, the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has found high levels of potassium bromate – identified as a possible carcinogen by WHO – and potassium iodate – which can affect thyroid functioning – in 84% of samples of common varieties of packaged bread. The use of both additives as flour treatment agents in bakery products has been banned in several countries such as the UK, EU nations, Canada, Australia and even China. However, in India both chemicals are allowed in bread-making with certain conditions.

World Health Assembly highlights importance of multisectoral action on health

25 May 2016

GENEVA--Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, addressed the World Health Assembly today. She stressed the links between climate change and health, including those related to the spread of vector-borne diseases. Her address was followed by a  technical briefing that underscored the need for multisectoral action in order to achieve the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and agreement on a new resolution on meeting those goals.

WHA 69- Address by Dr Margaret Chan, Director -General of WHO (Must read by all Public Health Professional)

Dr Margaret Chan

Director-General, World Health Organization

   
Address to the Sixty-ninth World Health Assembly
Geneva, Switzerland, 23 May 2016

Check against delivery
Mister President, Excellencies, honourable ministers, ambassadors, distinguished delegates, ladies and gentlemen, Public health constantly struggles to hold infectious diseases at bay, to change lifestyle behaviours, and to find enough money to do these and many other jobs. 

But sometimes we need to step back and celebrate.

Certificate Course in Management of Hypertension (CCMH)

Salient Features of the Course: 
Certificate Course in Management of Hypertension (CCMH) is a joint certification program designed, implemented and delivered by Public Health Foundation of India in collaboration with academic partners Center for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC) and knowledge partners International Society of Hypertension (ISH) and British Hypertension Society (BHS).

Start Where You Stand: an inspirational poem by Berton Brale

Start Where You Stand  

Start where you stand and never mind the past
The past won't help you in beginning new,
If you have left it all behind at last,
Why that's enough, you're done with it, you're through.

This is another chapter in the book,
This is another race that you have planned.
Don't give the vanished days a backwards look,
Start where you stand.

OBESITY: Mind your WEIGHT

Obesity is a leading preventable cause of death worldwide, with increasing rates in adults and children. In 2014, 600 million adults (13%) and 42 million children under the age of five were obese. Obesity is more common in women than men. Authorities view it as one of the most serious public health problems of the 21st century. In 2013, the American Medical Association classified obesity as a disease. As a result, obesity has been found to reduce life expectancy.On average, obesity reduces life expectancy by six to seven years, a BMI of 30–35 kg/m2 reduces life expectancy by two to four years, while severe obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2) reduces life expectancy by ten years.

Hypertension in Young Adults: The Silent Killer

High blood pressure is a silent killer, often with no obvious or visible symptoms. The only way to find out if you have hypertension is through testing by your physician, who will make the diagnosis on the basis of two or more readings taken on different visits.  Study shows 19 percent of young adults have high blood pressure. National Library of Medicine (NIH) funded analysis indicates higher risk for young adults than previously believed.

India needs $6 billion a year to deal with stunting

'India needs $6 billion a year to deal with stunting' - With nearly one-half of all children under 3 years of age either underweight or stunted, India will require at least $6 billion annually to deliver nutrition-specific interventions at full coverage, says a paper published in a report, ‘Stop Stunting in South Asia’

Summer may bring Zika to Europe: Times of India, New Delhi, Thu, 19 May 2016, Page 19

GAIT Disturbance: Types and differences

PUBLIC HEALTH ASIA: GAIT Disturbance: Types and differences: Types and differences of gait disturbances There are a great number of different gait disturbances. Some are specifically characteri...

2nd International Conference on Public Health

The 2nd International conference on Public Health (ICOPH 2016) will be held on 28th and 29th of July 2016 in Sri Lanka. The organizing committee of ICOPH 2016 devotes itself to supply to you and all conference participants the most cutting-edge updated information relevant to public health. ICOPH 2016 refers to Bridging the gap between research and policy and creating a global platform to discuss evidence based health policies and interventions in public health.
Read more http://publichealthconference.co/2016/

‘Cologne is every day’: Europe’s rape epidemic

GERMANY, Sweden and other European countries are facing growing public unrest amid a wave of reports of sexual assaults since the Cologne attacks.
New York-based conservative think tank Gatestone Institute has compiled a shocking list of sexual assaults and rapes by migrants in Germany in just the first two months of the year.
Drawing only from German media reports, the list documents more than 160 instances of rape and sexual assault committed by migrants in train stations, swimming pools and other public places against victims as young as seven.

Public Health 2.0

Public Health 2.0 is a movement within public health that aims to make the field more accessible to the general public and more user-driven. The term is used in three senses.

In the first sense, "Public Health 2.0" is similar to "Health 2.0" and describes the ways in which traditional public health practitioners and institutions are reaching out (or could reach out) to the public through social media and health blogs.

Migration and its impact on Europe: Germany's migrant crisis - Refugees committed more than 200,000 crimes last year

REFUGEES in Germany committed 92,000 more offences in the country last year than in 2014, according to official figures.

The leaked report comes just weeks after New Year's Eve sex attacks in the country, which has taken in more than one million people during the current migrant crisis. Officials also warned of a "growing trend" of terror suspects mingling with genuine refugees. This is the third "crime in the context of immigration" report of the Federal Criminal Office (BKA) - which is classified for police and civil servants eyes only - but was leaked to best selling newspaper Bild. It covers crimes by immigrants from January to December last year, a time when hundreds of thousands of migrants poured into Germany.

Top 20 Schools for a Graduate Degree in Public Health in 2015

visit: http://www.healthcare-management-degree.net/best/graduate-degree-in-public-health/

Adolescents Health: Risks and Solutions

Key facts

• An estimated 1.3 million adolescents died in 2015, mostly from preventable or treatable causes.
• Road traffic injuries were the leading cause of death in 2012, with some 330 adolescents dying every day.
• Other main causes of adolescent deaths include HIV, suicide, lower respiratory infections and interpersonal violence.
• Globally, there are 49 births per 1000 girls aged 15 to 19 per year.
• Half of all mental health disorders in adulthood start by age 14, but most cases are undetected and untreated.

The Real Reason You Feel (and Are) Poorer

The Real Reason You Feel (and Are) Poorer: For those of you who have been struggling financially and wondering why, perhaps it is time to do a refresher course on these new rules of money. Over the next eight weeks, I'll do a post on each one. If you want to get out of the rat race and start playing the game of money like the rich, it will be worth your time to check in each week.

From MDGs to SDGs

GENEVA - WHO launched a new comprehensive analysis of global health trends since 2000 and an assessment of the challenges for the next 15 years. "Health in 2015: from MDGs to SDGs" identifies the key drivers of progress in health under the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It lays out actions that countries and the international community should prioritize to achieve the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which come into effect on 1 January 2016.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are 17 goals with 169 targets that all 191 UN Member States have agreed to try to achieve by the year 2030. Health has a central place in SDG 3 “Ensure healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages”, underpinned by 13 targets that cover a wide spectrum of WHO’s work. Almost all of the other 16 goals are directly related to health or will contribute to health indirectly. The new agenda, which builds on the Millennium Development Goals, aims to be relevant to all countries and focuses on improving equity to meet the needs of women, children and the poorest, most disadvantaged people.

Pesticide residues in food?

Online Q&A
Reviewed May 2016

What are the health risks associated with pesticide residues in food?

Pesticides are chemicals used in agriculture to protect crops against insects, fungi, weeds and other pests. In addition to their use in agriculture, pesticides are also used to protect public health in controlling the vectors of tropical diseases, such as mosquitoes.
But pesticides are also potentially toxic to humans. They may induce adverse health effects including cancer, effects on reproduction, immune or nervous systems. Before they can be authorized for use, pesticides should be tested for all possible health effects and the results should be analysed by experts to assess any risks to humans.

World Health Day 2016: WHO calls for global action to halt rise in and improve care for people with diabetes

First WHO Global report on diabetes: 422 million adults live with diabetes, mainly in developing countries

News release

6 April 2016 | Geneva - The number of people living with diabetes has almost quadrupled since 1980 to 422 million adults, with most living in developing countries. Factors driving this dramatic rise include overweight and obesity, WHO announced ahead of World Health Day.
WHO is marking its annual World Health Day (7 April), which celebrates the Organization’s founding in 1948, by issuing a call for action on diabetes. In its first “Global report on diabetes”, WHO highlights the need to step up prevention and treatment of the disease.

Test your knowledge on #diabetes!

Test your knowledge on #diabetes!: Try our World Health Day 2016 quiz here http://goo.gl/PjBfeF

Posters: Stay super. Beat diabetes

Posters: Stay super. Beat diabetes: World Health Day 2016 is coming up on 7 April and will focus on the rising tide of diabetes worldwide.

World Health Day on 7 Apri 2016

WHO designed these posters for use around the world during this year's World Health Day on 7 April. The campaign will focus on the rising tide of diabetes worldwide.

New hope for MDR tuberculosis patients: Rapid diagnostic test and shorter, cheaper treatment...

News release
12 MAY 2016 | GENEVA - New WHO recommendations aim to speed up detection and improve treatment outcomes for multidrug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) through use of a novel rapid diagnostic test and a shorter, cheaper treatment regimen.
“This is a critical step forward in tackling the MDR-TB public health crisis,” said Dr Mario Raviglione, Director of WHO’s Global TB Programme. “The new WHO recommendations offer hope to hundreds of thousands of MDR-TB patients who can now benefit from a test that quickly identifies eligibility for the shorter regimen, and then complete treatment in half the time and at nearly half the cost.”

Measles immunisation: time to close the gap

Measles immunisation: time to close the gap
Since the beginning of the century, the number of measles-related deaths has fallen substantially; between 2000 and 2014 mass immunisation eff orts prevented an estimated 17·1 million deaths worldwide, and the number of cases decreased from 146 to 40 per million. Unfortunately, after this decrease the situation has stagnated and many countries are falling far behind the 2015 elimination targets according to a report by WHO and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released in November, 2015.

Costs, compassion, and the case for vaccination

Costs, compassion, and the case for vaccination

If you want an overview of the major political issues in the UK, the government’s petitioning website is a good place to start. Calls for action on Islamic State, immigration, and the National Health Service (NHS) have all garnered hundreds of thousands of signatures. But the most popular current petition—indeed, the issue that has received the most signatures ever on the site— concerns meningitis B vaccination. More than 820 000 people have backed a campaign for all children up to the age of 11 years to receive GlaxoSmithKline’s Bexsero, which is currently used as part of routine vaccination for babies born since May 1, 2015, with doses at 2 months, 4 months, and a booster at 12 months. The government has rejected these demands, citing the advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which concluded that such an expansion would not be cost eff ective.

VERIFYING THE SWITCH FROM tOPV to bOPV: GUIDELINES FOR ROTARY

INTRODUCTION

Only two countries in the world, Pakistan and Afghanistan, still have polio (74 in 2015 compared to 334 in 2014). Of the three polio viruses that cause paralytic polio – p1, p2 and p3 – there has been no case due to p2 since 1999. Therefore, the World Health Assembly has recommended a synchronized switch from trivalent oral polio vaccine (tOPV) to bivalent oral polio vaccine (bOPV)that contains only p1 and p3 vaccinesin all 156 OPV using countries and regions during 2 weeks in April 2016.  April 25, 2016 is the date for global switch from tOPV to bOPV. A key component of a successful switch involves effective monitoring of health facilities after the national switch date in all countries to ensure that tOPV is no longer available for administration. This is a prerequisite for the global certification of the eradication of the p2 virus.