Smoking Ban Passes in Virginia

The State of Virginia has passed legislation banning smoking in many public places.  Effective December 1, 2009, smoking will be banned in most restaurants and bars, although it will be permitted in private clubs, on some outdoor patios and in separate ventilated rooms.  Civil penalties for violation of the new law will amount to no [...]

UK stockpiles second pandemic bird flu antiviral drug

The UK government has bought 10.6 million doses of Relenza in addition to another 7.6 million doses of Tamiflu – the drug that has been stockpiled since 2005, reports the BBC.
The UK will now have enough anti-viral drugs to treat half the population. The Public health minister, Dawn Primarolo said, “The increased flu-drug stockpile means [...]

Zimbabwe cholera outbreak sickens 60,000 and kills 3000

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said that more than 60,000 people in Zimbabwe have now been infected by cholera since the epidemic broke out in August 2008. This figure has been described by WHO as the “worst case scenario”.
Aid workers are concerned that the rainy season might worsen the situation due to increased contamination [...]

World Bank proposes ‘vulnerability fund’ for poor countries

The World Bank is urging wealthy countries to set up a “vulnerability fund” to aid poor countries hit hard by the global financial crisis.
Ahead of the two day Group of Seven talks, the World bank President, Robert Zoellick said, “I propose that developed countries agree to devote 0.7 percent of their stimulus packages to a [...]

Global Fund faces $5 billion funding gap

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, which supplies one-quarter of all AIDS funding, two-thirds of tuberculosis funding and three-fourths of malaria funding is facing a $5 billion funding gap for its worldwide programs.Based in Geneva, the Global Fund oversees hundreds of programmes in 136 countries through public-private partnerships that have raised more [...]

US Court orders Illinois TB patient into isolation

21 Jan 09- A US judge in Champaign County Circuit ordered 20-year-old tuberculosis (TB) patient Clasance Botembe to be isolated for 30 days after health officials and prosecutors said he failed to take precautions to avoid spreading the disease. He could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor if he defies the judge’s order.
Botembe, a [...]