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International Health Organizations Urge More Funding For Yellow Fever Vaccine Stockpile
The International Coordinating Group (ICG) on Yellow Fever Vaccine Provision is warning that the global emergency stockpile of yellow fever vaccine for the world"s most vulnerable populations in Africa is under threat.

New York Times Series Examines Maternal Mortality In Tanzania
The New York Times on Sunday examined maternal mortality in Tanzania, in the opening of a three-part series on maternal mortality in Africa. According to the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, the country has a maternal death rate of 578 per 100,000 births, though the World Health Organization puts the count at 950 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. Roughly 13,000 Tanzanian women die of pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes annually, giving it "neither the best nor the worst record in Africa," the Times reports. Tanzania is one of the world"s poorest countries and faces shortages in several areas -- including health workers, drugs, equipment and infrastructure -- that contribute to maternal mortality.The Times profiled obstetrical care at a rural hospital in Berega, Tanzania, that typifies efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Africa. Facing a shortage of doctors and nurses, the hospital has been training "assistant medical officers" to perform caesarean sections and other procedures. Meanwhile, the government also is attempting to train more assistants and midwives, build more clinics and nursing schools, offer housing to attract health workers to rural areas and provide places for pregnant women to stay closer to hospitals.According to the Times, many women who die in childbirth are young and healthy, and most maternal deaths are preventable with basic obstetrical care. The five leading causes of maternal death are bleeding, infection, high blood pressure, prolonged labor and complications resulting from abortions, the Times reports. In discussing maternal mortality, experts often refer to what are known as "the three delays": a woman"s delay in going to the hospital, the time spent traveling there and the hospital"s delay in starting treatment upon the woman"s arrival. Although only around 15% of births have dangerous complications, the problems are almost impossible to predict, and seemingly normal labors can quickly progress into serious emergencies. Worldwide, more than 536,000 women die annually from pregnancy or childbirth, according to WHO (Grady, New York Times, 5/24).
News of the day
Two-thirds Of Publicly-insured Adults Have One Or More Chronic Conditions
Nearly two of every three adult Americans under age 65 who were covered by public insurance from 2005 to 2006 had at least one chronic illness, such as diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
Diagnostics

Enhanced Digital Breast Imaging From US Navy-Funded Technology

A breakthrough technology adapted for breast cancer detection based in part on research originally sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) is set to air July 23 during a CNN International news segment on Vital Signs, a program hosted by Dr. Sanjay Gupta. The technology, referred to by the U.S. Navy as enhanced digital imaging, developed out of the Navy"s need to improve capabilities to detect, localize and classify underwater mines. It later served as the point of departure for research conducted by the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Division Newport (NUWC), part of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA), designed to enhance the discrimination of data in complex underwater environments. Researchers at NUWC later patented the enhanced digital imaging process. The NUWC"s Technology Transfer program, also known as T2, made possible the transfer, commercialization and transition of the digital enhancement technology. The innovative concept was adapted by software developer, Advanced Image Enhancement (AIE), to provide improved enhancement of digital mammography images, thereby increasing the potential for improved reliability in the early detection of breast cancer. The Vital Signs July program series is reporting on select medical advances born from military research, both on the battlefield out of necessity and other s, highlighting how innovations eventually are applied in emergency rooms and medical procedures around the world. AIE technology complements existing radiology devices by yielding more detailed images, especially by uncovering the often faint cancerous lesions in dense and hard-to-detect breast tissue. It is expected to be commercially available in the late summer 2009. Peter Vietti Office of Naval Research


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