Posts tagged health

New Infectious Diseases a Challenge to MDG Success

By Neena Bhandari

SYDNEY, 11.06.2010 (IPS) – While successful immunisation programmes worldwide have saved millions of lives, the threat of new infectious diseases and drug-resistant strains of existing diseases are posing a major challenge to governments, especially in developing regions like Asia, in meeting their commitment to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

“We have two major problems in the context of emerging infectious diseases in the coming decade – outbreaks, which might develop into pandemics, and the continuing increase in anti-microbial resistance,” Professor Tanya Sorrell, director of the newly established Sydney Institute of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Biosecurity, based at University of Sydney, tells IPS.

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Vaccine therapies need boost, say scientists

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 14.04.2008 (IPS): While millions of children’s lives have been saved as a result of a successful worldwide campaign to boost vaccination programmes, governments across the world are failing in following through on their commitments to health aid and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

‘’Wealthy countries such as the G8 members continue to content themselves with largely symbolic gestures. We have to make sure that the pledge made by governments (on MDGs) is followed,” eminent medical scientist Gustav Nossal told IPS.

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Calculating Breast Cancer

By Neena Bhandari

Sydney, 18.11.2007 (Women’s Feature Service): The reminder for a mammogram had been staring her in the face for a while now. There was no pain or lump in her breast so she had been ignoring the reminders for a free mammogram, sent to all women above 60 years of age. When Gladys Roach finally, decided to get it done five years ago, she was in for a rude shock.

After the mammogram, the doctors conducted an ultrasound, but were still concerned and so performed a biopsy. After four hours of various tests, Gladys says, “I was told I had breast cancer. I was stunned and cried my heart out as I took the train home.”

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