Brazil Seeks to Lead in Stem-Cell Research
Monday, January 26th, 2009Brazil’s Health Ministry is sponsoring Brazilian research that has led to the production of the first line of induced pluripotent stem cells. Pluripotent stem cells are able to transform into any cell type. They are similar to embryonic stem cells but do not need to be obtained from embryos. Brazil becomes the fifth (and the […]
Cancer Agency: Smoke-Free Policies Work
Wednesday, July 2nd, 2008From the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC): SMOKE-FREE POLICIES EFFECTIVE, SAYS INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR RESEARCH ON CANCER Smoke-free policies reduce the exposure of both adults and children, reduce the prevalence of smoking in adults and reduce the risk of heart disease related to smoke exposure. A resulting reduction in the lung cancer burden […]
LAC Health Stats, Trends and Trivia
Saturday, June 21st, 2008Which Latin American or Caribbean nation smokes or drinks the most? In which are you more likely to die from cancer than infectious diseases such as malaria or dengue? Which has the highest percentage of obese people? Which spends the most on the health of their citizens? If you you’ve ever wondered about such questions, […]
World Heart Day – Are You Caring for Your Heart?
Saturday, September 29th, 2007Tomorrow, Sunday, 30 September, is World Heart Day. How well are you taking care of your heart? The World Heart Federation (WHF), a small NGO based in Geneva, Switzerland, created the annual campaign in the year 2000 to increase public awareness of the threat of heart disease and stroke and the importance of a heart-healthy […]
PAHO to Food Industry: Embrace “Trans-Fat Free Americas”
Friday, September 28th, 2007From the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO): Nutrition Experts Call on Food Industry to Support “Trans Fat Free Americas” Experts on nutrition and public health are calling on leaders in the food industry to speed up the elimination of industrially produced trans fatty acids from the foods they produce and distribute, and to become partners […]
Tackling Chronic Diseases in the Caribbean / Atacando enfermedades crónicas en el Caribe
Thursday, September 27th, 2007From the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO): Campaign against Chronic Diseases Set for the Caribbean A major new campaign to fight chronic disease in the Caribbean is getting underway in an effort to stem "the worst epidemic of chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease in the Americas," with the […]
Assessing Children’s Vulnerability to Chemical Exposures
Saturday, July 28th, 2007The report discussed in the press release below is actually from the International Programme on Chemical Safety (IPCS), for which the World Health Organization (WHO) serves as secretariat, but is also cosponsored by the International Labor Organization (ILO) and UN Environment Programme (UNEP). It represents an emerging international (not just North American or European) consensus […]
What to Expect from WHO’s New Director-General
Wednesday, November 15th, 2006On Thursday 09 November 2006 the World Health Organization (WHO) elected a new chief executive, and it wasn’t a Latin. Dr. Margaret Chan of Hong Kong (but representing China in the contest) beat out Mexican Health Minister Julio Frenk for the post of Director-General (DG) — first for the WHO Executive Board (EB) endorsement, and […]