News

25 May 2012   New cases at lowest levels ever, but funding gap threatens progress Geneva, Switzerland 24 May 2012 – Despite the dramatic drop in polio cases in the last year, the threat of continued transmission due to funding and immunization gaps has driven the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI)to launch an Emergency Action […]

South Africa is burdened by one of the worst tuberculosis (TB) epidemics in the world. And, our gold mining industry may well have the highest incidence of TB in the world, with cases ranging from 3,000 to 7,000 per 100,000 miners per year, according to the Department of Health’s 2007 – 2011 strategic plans for

06 February 2012 Advocating for efforts to protect African children, families and communities from the threat of infectious diseases Cape Town, South Africa, 9 to 11 November 2012 Hosted by the Vaccines for Africa Initiative (VACFA), University of Cape Town (UCT), the conference is jointly organized by UCT and the National Institute for Communicable Diseases

Annually, over 12.7 million people are diagnosed with cancer worldwide and 7.6 million people die from the disease. This is more than the combined deaths from AIDS, malaria and TB, according to the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC). World Cancer Day takes place annually on 4 February and the theme for 2012 is ’Together

Cancer is a leading cause of death worldwide and accounted for 7.6 million deaths (around 13% of all deaths) in 2008.  Each year on 4 February, the NHLS supports the WHO and the International Union Against Cancer to promote ways to ease the global burden of cancer. Preventing cancer and raising quality of life for cancer patients are recurring

3rd SA TB Conference:Abstract submissions deadline extended! Due to large public interest, the abstract submission closing date has been extended to 3 February 2012. Applications can be made on-line at http://www.tbconference.co.za Submit your papers under any of the following tracks: Track 1: Basic Science Track 2: Clinical, Epidemiological & Operational Research Track 3: Patient & Civil Society

Through Grand Challenges Canada and the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 22 new proposals for Point-of-Care Diagnostics that are easy to use, low cost, multiplexed, and able to assess disease stage and provide information on prognosis have been awarded funding. A Multi-Disciplinary Point-of-Care Laboratory in an Active

Travelers during the festive season should be alerted to the infectious disease risks both locally and abroad. Healthcare professionals should also be reminded to be aware of travel associated infections in patients presenting during and after this period.   Typhoid fever: outbreak in Zimbabwe The Zimbabwean Ministry of Health and Child Welfare recently reported an ongoing outbreak of typhoid fever in the city of Harare.