Global Health News

Engineers have developed a system to allow individuals with low hearing or deafness to communicate using video chat over 3G networks. Using video chat in this manner allows individuals to communicate using American Sign Language (ASL). The mobile ASL project can potentially run on any device and allows for emotions, inflections, and body language – all of which are limited by text-only options - to be conveyed effectively.

A gel has been developed which could help to significantly speed wound healing. Nexagon works by interrupting cellular communication and preventing the production of a protein that blocks healing. Though additional testing is needed, according to experts the gel could have an enormous impact on treating chronic wounds, like leg or diabetes ulcers, as well as scrapes and injuries from accidents.

An experimental drug has been developed which may prevent tumors from making proteins that they need to survive. According to the biotech company that developed the medication, ALN-VSP uses RNA interference (RNAi) therapy to stop cells from making proteins. This process could help in treating almost any disease, particularly cancer, which arises when abnormal cells produce excessive amounts of proteins.

U.S researchers have employed an experimental scanner and gold nanoparticles to identify the most dangerous types of blocked arteries. Gold nanoparticles mark blockages of immune cells, which previous studies have shown are the most likely to break off and cause heart attacks. The newly developed scanner, which uses a multicolor computed comography, is then able to visualize the progression of the gold particles.

For the first time, scientists have used light pulses to control a living animal’s heartbeat. Researchers at Case Western Reserve University placed a laser fiber near the heart of a two-day-old quail embryo. Using laser pulses, they were able to pace the contractions of the heart without damaging the tissue. This method could be used to study and potentially prevent congenital heart defects, according to researchers.

The iPad and other tablet computing and wireless communication devices offer the potential to make healthcare more portable and widely available. According to experts, tablet computing devices and other mHealth technologies continue to gain acceptance among healthcare providers as well as consumers. The success of these products could lead to further innovation and the development of new healthcare technologies.

Semantic technologies are being explored, improved, and applied to healthcare in a movement known as Health 3.0. The word “semantic” in the context of the Internet is used to describe how computers can understand the meaning of words and text on websites or in databases. The processing speed of computers may allow semantic technologies for data-linking to be used to speed diagnoses and improve health outcomes.

For nearly a million Pakistanis affected by the massive recent floods, communicable illness has now become a major concern. The World Health Organization announced recently that cases of acute diarrhea have topped 204,000, and more than 263,300 cases of skin diseases including scabies have been reported. In addition, more than 204,600 individuals have reported acute respiratory infections, and thousands have reported cases of suspected malaria.

Reports indicate that the H1N1 pandemic recently reached its peak in India. The number of new cases rose sharply, and between August 2 and 8, the number of H1N1 positive cases reached 942, and nationwide a total of 83 deaths were recorded. Since the outbreak of the disease in May 2009, nearly 37,000 cases and 1,833 deaths have been recorded in India.

A measles outbreak has infected about 77,000 people and killed 197 in Malawi since the beginning of the year – the highest recorded in the country in the last decade. During the last outbreak in 2000, a total of 54 people died. Measles is an infectious disease characterized by high temperatures and red spots all over the body.

An outbreak of cholera in northeastern Nigeria has killed more than 231 individuals this year and infected 4,500 others. Neighboring nations, including Cameroon, have also been affected by cholera epidemics. Cholera is a disease generally spread through food and water contaminated by bacteria. In addition to this recent cholera outbreak, Nigeria’s health system has been strained by a measles epidemic.

More than 2,700 cases of whooping cough have been reported this year in California, eight times as many as at this point last year. Whooping cough affects children more than adults, particularly those who have not been vaccinated or who have not yet built up immunity. The vaccination regimen begins with a shot at two months, and continues until children are 5 years old.

A recent United Nations meeting addressed the rights and concerns of individuals with disabilities. According to Nanda Krairiksh, Director of the Social Development Division of ESCAP, “Many of the 400 million or so persons with disabilities in the region live in rural and isolated areas in conditions of abject poverty, encountering deep and persistent barriers.” The UN hopes to make changes through the next decade to promote socially inclusive business development.

Findings of a recent study indicate that more Americans with psychiatric conditions are being treated only with medications. Compared with a decade ago, the use of “talk therapy” – either by itself or in combination with medication – is on the decline. The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that one in 10 American adults experiences depression in any given year, and 18 percent suffer from some form of anxiety disorder.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as issued an analysis of food-borne disease outbreaks. Surveillance data in 2007 revealed that norovirus and salmonella contamination were the leading causes of food-borne disease. Poultry, beef, and leafy greens were found to be the foods most commonly involved in infection. No cause was identified for about one-third of outbreaks and a quarter of victims.