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Health: Infectious diseases

Opinions

Here is a list of the latest articles

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Biomed Analysis: To control or eradicate malaria?

Some scientists worry that renewed enthusiasm for malaria eradication could distract from vital control efforts, says Priya Shetty.

18 November 2009 | EN | 中文

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Dengue-free Cuba an example to developing countries

Cuba has managed to stay free of dengue fever through locally-relevant research, say Maria G. Guzmán and Gustavo Kourí.

Source: The Lancet

18 November 2009 | EN | ES

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Collaboration key to developing world genomics research

Poor countries need support to participate in genomics research, say Josefina Coloma and Eva Harris in PLoS Medicine.

Source: PLoS Medicine

10 November 2009 | EN | ES

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South Africa needs an HIV/AIDS truth commission

A truth commission can account for South Africa's past HIV/AIDS denialist policies and rebuild trust, says AIDS expert, Salim S. Abdool Karim.

15 October 2009 | EN | FR

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BioMed Analysis: Pooling patents for HIV drugs

A UNITAID patent pool could revolutionise HIV treatment and research in developing countries — if payment can be agreed, says Priya Shetty.

28 September 2009 | EN | FR | 中文

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Home-grown vaccines are crucial for public health

Countries need to produce their own vaccines, and they need to invest in public sector capacity to do it, says Indian scientist Y. Madhavi.

23 September 2009 | EN

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The malaria myths of climate change

Contrary to oft-repeated claims, climate change is unlikely to cause a major rise in malaria, says medical entomologist Paul Reiter.

9 September 2009 | EN | ES | FR | 中文

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Better surveillance key to malaria early warning systems

Quickly detecting, not predicting, malaria epidemics is the key to disease control, says tropical medicine expert, Jonathan Cox.

9 September 2009 | EN | ES | FR | 中文

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Climate change brings natural disasters and disease

We must prepare for climate change bringing more natural disasters that favour mosquito-borne disease, says Jai P. Narain from the WHO.

9 September 2009 | EN | ES | FR | 中文

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Tackling insect-borne disease whatever the weather

We must reduce the poor's vulnerability to insect-borne disease regardless of climate change, says public health expert Ulisses Confalonieri.

9 September 2009 | EN | ES | FR | 中文

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The challenge of reporting on climate change and health

Reporting on how climate change affects health is a real challenge — screen your sources and find reliable experts, says Asefaw Getachew.

9 September 2009 | EN | ES | FR | 中文

Flu vaccine

All countries deserve equal access to pandemic vaccines

Swine flu vaccines should be equally available, regardless of a country's ability to pay, says medical expert Tadataka Yamada.

Source: New England Journal of Medicine

18 August 2009 | EN

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Bednets should be free

Evidence shows that the best way to increase bednet use in Africa is to make them free, says economist Jeffrey D. Sachs.

Source: Scientific American

7 August 2009 | EN

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How to fill the gaps in global clinical research networks

Policymakers must think outside the box to strengthen clinical research networks for global health, says Harvard researcher Jeff Blander.

22 July 2009 | EN

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Can early therapy prevent HIV?

More research is needed on how to tackle HIV with antiretroviral therapy, say Kevin M De Cock and colleagues at the WHO.

Source: Bulletin of the WHO

17 July 2009 | EN

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'Lack of political will' to develop new vaccines

A lack of political will to create vaccines is causing millions of deaths a year due to infectious diseases, says Manuel Elkin Patarroyo.

Source: Soitu.es

28 May 2009 | ES

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Real-time info key to tackling epidemics

Scientists can help policymakers tackle epidemics by providing critical information in real time, says an editorial in Science.

Source: Science

27 May 2009 | EN | 中文

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Food factories help viruses spread and evolve

The current swine flu outbreak is linked to how we produce food, argues Sunita Narain, editor of the Indian science magazine Down to Earth.

Source: Down to Earth

22 May 2009 | EN

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Media and government to blame for Egypt swine flu chaos

Blame for the turmoil in Egypt over swine flu can be laid squarely at the feet of the media and politicians, says Nadia El-Awady.

15 May 2009 | EN | 中文

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Scientists have vital role to play in swine flu outbreak

Scientists have a key role to play in communicating the risk and uncertainties of swine flu, says a Nature editorial.

Source: Nature

11 May 2009 | EN | 中文