Thailand first in Asia to eliminate mother-to-baby HIV: WHO

BANGKOK: Thailand has become the first Asian country to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV, the World Health Organisation said on Wednesday, a milestone in the fight against the disease. The announcement is a boost for a generation of Thai health workers who have transformed the nation from one of Asia's most HIV-ravaged societies to a pin-up for how to effectively tackle the crisis. Describing the elimination as a "remarkable achievement", the WHO said

“Our hearts resonate at the same frequency..." Thought for the day

“Our hearts resonate at the same frequency as the earth and the universe. Therefore, we are all valuable instruments in the orchestration of the world and its harmony. We must always be aware of the vibrations we emit individually and collectively. Always be in command of your music. Only you can control and shape its tone. If life throws you a few bad notes or vibrations, don't let them interrupt or alter your song.”

Rise in patents from India for essential drugs may hurt affordable treatment

MUMBAI: Increase in patients on essential medicines in India will jeopardise supply of affordable treatment , not only in the country, but also in developing nations. The latest trigger raising concerns among public health advocates is exorbitantly-priced hepatitis C drug sofosbuvir by Gilead, which was recently granted a patent in India,

The Saturday Digest: Rumi’s sayings and verses "Oh soul,"

This week, the Saturday Digest brings you a selection of Rumi’s sayings and verses:

“Hardship may dishearten at first, but every hardship passes away. All despair is followed by hope; all darkness is followed by sunshine.” 

“Patience is not sitting and waiting, it is foreseeing. It is looking at the thorn and seeing the rose, looking at the night and seeing the day. Lovers are patient and know that the moon needs time to become full.” 

Bread and butter issues in food safety

The potassium bromate episode informs us about the gap between Indian and world food standards

A recent study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) points to the presence of possible cancer-causing chemicals in pre-packaged bread. The specific chemical in question, potassium bromate, has been used as an oxidising agent for bread and a few other bakery items such as pao, bun and pizza base.

Charting a path to end the AIDS epidemic

Charting a path to end the AIDS epidemic:
From 8 to 10 June 2016, heads and representatives of states and governments, along with other key stakeholders, will assemble at the United Nations (UN) in New York, for the High-Level Meeting on Ending AIDS. There are three reasons why this meeting is an important milestone for the global response against HIV and AIDS.
Read full article: http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.176875

Innovation for healthy ageing: a call for papers

Innovation for healthy ageing: a call for papers

Islene Araujo de Carvalho, Isabella Aboderin, Eri Arikawa-Hirasawa, Matteo Cesari, Yoshiaki Furukawa, Luis Miguel Gutierrez Robledo, John E Morley, Anne Margriet Pot, Jean-Yves Reginster, Greg Shaw, Naoko Tomita & John R Beard
Read full article: http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.176743

Syndrome associated with congenital Zika virus infection

Defining the syndrome associated with congenital Zika virus infection
Anthony Costello, Tarun Dua, Pablo Duran, Metin Gülmezoglu, Olufemi T Oladapo, William Perea, João Pires, Pilar Ramon-Pardo, Nigel Rollins & Shekhar Saxena

Original research article available at: http://dx.doi.org/10.2471/BLT.16.176990

World No Tobacco Day: Get ready for plain packaging

May 31, 2016
APHA champions efforts to help Americans live free of tobacco, the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. Today, we join World No Tobacco Day host World Health Organization in supporting this year’s theme, “Get ready for plain packaging.”

Bottled water seems wasteful:

We take water for granted. We waste it. And when we consume bottled water, we pay far too much for it. Skipping the bottle is one step toward solving the water crisis.

There's no question about it. We live in a thirsty world. Water scarcity is quickly becoming the issue of our time. Climate change is real and it's effecting farmers from California to Kenya. And already today, as many as 1 in 8 people don't have access to safe water to drink.