Friday 29th January 2016- World Health Organisation: Increasing breastfeeding could save 800 000 children and US$ 300 billion every year

‘A major new Series on breastfeeding, published in “The Lancet”, finds that despite strong health and economic benefits from breastfeeding, few children are exclusively breastfed until 6 months, as recommended by WHO. Globally, an estimated 1 in 3 infants under 6 months are exclusively breastfed – a rate that has not improved in 2 decades.’

‘Breastfeeding has substantial benefits for women and children in rich and poor countries alike, and now the evidence is stronger than ever.

New WHO estimates published in “The Lancet” reveal that increasing breastfeeding to near-universal levels could save more than 800 000 lives every year, the majority being children under 6 months. In addition, nearly half of all diarrhoeal diseases and one-third of all respiratory infections in children in low- and middle-income countries could be prevented with increased rates of breastfeeding.

Children who are breastfeed perform better in intelligence tests, are less likely to be overweight or obese, and less prone to diabetes later in life. Mothers who breastfeed also reduce their risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. At current breastfeeding rates, an estimated 20 000 deaths from breast cancer are prevented and an additional 20 000 could be saved if rates improved.’

‘Beyond health, the new Series presents a strong economic case for investing in promoting and protecting breastfeeding worldwide. The findings from WHO and partners estimate that global economic losses from lower cognition associated with not breastfeeding reached more than US$ 300 billion in 2012, equivalent to 0.49% of the world’s gross national income.

Boosting breastfeeding rates for infants below 6 months of age to 90% in Brazil, China, and the United States of America, and to 45% in the United Kingdom would cut treatment costs of common childhood illnesses, such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and asthma, and save healthcare systems at least US$ 2.45 billion in the United States, US$ 29.5 million in the United Kingdom, US$ 223.6 million in China, and US$ 6.0 million in Brazil.

Yet, worldwide low levels of optimal breastfeeding affect both high- and low-income countries. Fewer than 1 in 5 infants are breastfed for 12 months in high-income countries and only 2 out of 3 children between 6 months and 2 years receive any breast milk in low- and middle-income countries.’

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Increasing breastfeeding could save 800 000 children and US$ 300 billion every year

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Breastfeeding could save 800,000 babies’ lives each year – study- The Telegraph

Breastfeeding could prevent 800,000 child deaths worldwide, new study finds- The Independent

Thursday 28th January 2016- The World Health Organisation: WHO to convene an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations

‘WHO Director-General, Margaret Chan, will convene an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations.

The Committee will meet on Monday 1 February in Geneva to ascertain whether the outbreak constitutes a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Decisions concerning the Committee’s membership and advice will be made public on WHO’s website.

Outbreak in the Americas

In May 2015, Brazil reported its first case of Zika virus disease. Since then, the disease has spread within Brazil and to 22 other countries and territories in the region.

Arrival of the virus in some countries of the Americas, notably Brazil, has been associated with a steep increase in the birth of babies with abnormally small heads and in cases of Guillain-Barré syndrome, a poorly understood condition in which the immune system attacks the nervous system, sometimes resulting in paralysis.

A causal relationship between Zika virus infection and birth defects and neurological syndromes has not been established, but is strongly suspected.’

See:

WHO to convene an International Health Regulations Emergency Committee on Zika virus and observed increase in neurological disorders and neonatal malformations

Tuesday 26th January 2016- BBC News: Zika virus: Outbreak ‘likely to spread across Americas’ says WHO

‘The Zika virus is likely to spread across nearly all of the Americas, the World Health Organization has warned.

The infection, which causes symptoms including mild fever, conjunctivitis and headache, has already been found in 21 countries in the Caribbean, North and South America.

It has been linked to thousands of babies being born with underdeveloped brains and some countries have advised women not to get pregnant.

No treatment or vaccine is available.

The virus was first detected in 1947 in monkeys in Africa. There have since been small, short-lived outbreaks in people on the continent, parts of Asia and in the Pacific Islands.’

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Zika virus: Outbreak ‘likely to spread across Americas’ says WHO

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Tuesday 26th January 2016- The Telegraph: Toddler gets world first adult kidney transplant using 3D printing

‘A three-year-old girl from Northern Ireland has become the first to have a life-saving adult kidney transplant, using 3D printing.

At four months old, Lucy Boucher suffered heart failure which starved her kidneys of oxygen. She was told she would need to have kidney dialysis for life, until surgeons at London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ and Great Ormond Street Hospital performed the transplant.’

‘To conduct the transplant, for which Lucy’s father Chris, 35, donated his kidney, the surgeons made detailed models of Mr Boucher’s kidney and Lucy’s abdomen with a 3D printer, so they could map out the procedure with precision, hence minimising risks.

The surgery, which took place last November, has now been pronounced a success, with both father and daughter in recovery.’

‘According to Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust: “It is the first time in the world that 3D printing has been used to aid kidney transplant surgery involving an adult donor and a child recipient.”

Mr Boucher said: “My first reaction when I saw the 3D printout of my kidney was surprise at how big it was and I wondered how it could possibly fit into Lucy.

“Seeing the model of her abdomen and the way the kidney was going to be transplanted inside her gave me a clear understanding of exactly what was going to happen.”‘

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Toddler gets world first adult kidney transplant using 3D printing

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Tuesday 26th January 2016- The Independent: Diabetes cure may be step closer, scientists say

‘A cure for type 1 diabetes could be a step closer after scientists managed to halt the condition in mice for six months thanks to the use of insulin-producing cells that had been generated from human stem cells.

Experts from US hospitals and institutions including Harvard University managed to transplant cells into mice, which immediately began producing insulin.

The team was also able to show they could prevent the cells being rendered useless by the body’s own immune system, which was effectively “switched off” thanks to scientific work.

It means a cure for type 1 diabetes – which affects 400,000 people in the UK – could be much closer. Scientists are now working to replicate the results in humans with the condition.’

‘The man who led that breakthrough – Harvard Professor Doug Melton, who has been trying to find a cure for the disease since his son Sam was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a baby – also worked on the new studies.

The human islet cells used for the new research were generated from human stem cells developed by  Professor Melton.

Following implantation in mice, the cells immediately began producing insulin in response to blood glucose levels, and were able to maintain blood glucose within a healthy range for 174 days – the length of the study.’

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Diabetes cure may be step closer, scientists say

Harvard and MIT close to ‘cure’ for Type 1 diabetes which will end daily injections- The Telegraph

Tuesday 26th January 2016- The Guardian: Hunt apologises to family of dead boy over NHS sepsis failings

‘Jeremy Hunt has accepted the recommendations of a damning NHS report which found that doctors and the NHS helpline missed four opportunities to save the life of a one-year-old boy.

The health secretary offered a public apology to the family of William Mead, who died in September 2014 of the common sepsis bug, which went undetected despite repeated visits to the GP and a call to the NHS 111 helpline hours before his death.

Speaking in the Commons, Hunt said: “Whilst any health system will inevitably suffer some tragedies, the issues raised in this case have significant implications for the rest of the NHS which I’m determined we should learn from.”’

‘William’s mother Melissa – who has chronicled the family’s campaign for better awareness about sepsis on a blog – welcomed the apology and said that she hoped that a report into the 12-month-old’s death would have far-reaching implications across the health service.’

‘The report found that 16 mistakes had contributed to William’s death. It said the “tickbox” system used by helpline call handlers failed to include “sepsis red flags” despite the fact that it is one of the most common causes of death among children.’

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Hunt apologises to family of dead boy over NHS sepsis failings

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Jeremy Hunt: we let William Meade down in worst possible way – video- The Guardian

NHS 111 helpline ‘broken’, says mother of baby who died of sepsis- The Guardian

Hunt apologises for NHS failings over baby death- BBC News

William Mead’s ‘fate was sealed’ after NHS 111 call handlers failed to identify his deadly illness, says mother- The Independent

NHS 111 helpline missed chances to save baby William Mead’s life and is ‘unable to detect deadly child illnesses’- The Telegraph

Saturday 23rd January 2016- BBC News: Zika virus: Three Britons infected, say health officials

‘Three Britons have contracted Zika virus – which may cause severe birth defects – after travelling to South and Central America, officials have said.

The three people became infected with the illness through mosquito bites in Colombia, Suriname and Guyana, Public Health England (PHE) confirmed.

Pregnant women have been warned not to travel to countries where Zika has been reported.

The virus is not contagious and can be passed on through mosquito bites.

Zika “is not spread directly from person to person”, according to official guidance issued by PHE.’

‘However, the advice continues, “a small number of cases have occurred through sexual transmission or by transmission from mother to foetus via the placenta.”‘

‘What is Zika virus?

• It is spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which also carries dengue fever and yellow fever
• It was first discovered in Africa in the 1940s but is now spreading in Latin America
• Scientists say there is growing evidence of a link to microcephaly, that leads to babies being born with small heads
• While Zika virus can lead to fever and a rash, most people show no symptoms, and there is no known cure
• The only way to fight Zika is to clear stagnant water where mosquitoes breed, and to protect against mosquito bites’

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Zika virus: Three Britons infected, say health officials

Zika virus: Three returning UK travellers diagnosed- The Guardian

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Saturday 23rd January 2016- The Independent: Russian HIV cases reach record high of more than a million

‘More than a million Russians are now HIV-positive, as rates of infection in the country reach an all-time high.

Vadim Pokrovsky, the head of the Russian state Aids centre and an outspoken critic of the Kremlin’s conservative health policies, told Reuters that at at least 1 million and possibly as many as 1.5 million Russians were now HIV-positive.

This means that a little over 1 per cent of Russia’s 144,000,000 inhabitants now test positive for the virus, meaning that Russia has more cases of HIV per person than any other European country, save Estonia. By way of contrast, there are only around 100,000 individuals in the UK living with HIV.’

‘“The epidemic is gathering strength,” Mr Pokrovsky added. “Unfortunately, the measures that have been taken have clearly not been enough.”

There were 90,000 new cases in Russia in 2014, and the Aids centre further estimate that the number of HIV infections will reach 2 million by 2019. Since Russia’s first recorded case of HIV in 1987, around 204,000 people have died as a result of the virus.

57 per cent of Russians infected with the virus acquired it through drug use, with around 20 per cent of the country’s large number of known drug users testing positive for the disease. Russia has the largest number of intravenous drug users in the world – 1.8 million of them, according to a 2012 Lancet study.

Only around 30 per cent of Russians diagnosed with HIV currently receive the antriretroviral medication that their bodies need to stop the virus from multiplying.

Mr Pokrovsky told Reuters that he needed at least double the $475,000,000 being offered to him by the Kremlin to fight the disease. However, the Russian economy has been deflated by the collapse in oil prices and the imposition of Western sanctions, and there is likely to be even less public health funding available than before.’

See:

Russian HIV cases reach record high of more than a million

Saturday 23rd January 2016- The Telegraph: New ‘sat nav’ operating technique could double chance of survival from brain cancer

‘A new ‘sat nav’ operating technique for surgeons could double the chance of survival of brain cancer patients by removing tumours which were thought to be inoperable.

Sheffield Children’s Hospital has launched new surgical suite which includes an MRI scanner which can precisely monitor the brain during an operation.

It allows surgeons to work out whether they have managed to remove all of a brain tumour while still in theatre.’

‘”The MRI images mean that we can be sure the tumour has been completely removed and nothing has been left behind before we finish the operation.”

Dr Hesham Zaki, Sheffield Children’s Hospital’

‘They can also work out precisely where a tumour is, thereby ensuring surrounding healthy tissue is not damaged.

Around 10,000 people are diagnosed with brain cancer each year and half will die. If a tumour is completely removed the chance of survival is up to 80 per cent. But if cancerous cells are left behind that falls to just 40 per cent.

Surgeons have already used the suite to carry out operations on two children and they hope to soon offer adults the benefit.’

‘Hesham Zaki, head of the department of paediatric neurosurgery, said the equipment puts the Sheffield hospital at the forefront of increasing survival rates from brain tumours in the UK and worldwide.

He said: “The fact we can use the MRI scanner during the surgery is a real step-change. “Just like a sat nav, it tells me where I need to go.

“We scan the patient that we are operating on with their skull still open and the operation still ongoing.

“The MRI images mean that we can be sure the tumour has been completely removed and nothing has been left behind before we finish the operation.

“This is important because some types of brain tumour can look like normal brain. This is a sea-change. Tumours that were inoperable can now be operated on.”‘

See:

New ‘sat nav’ operating technique could double chance of survival from brain cancer

Friday 22nd January 2016- The Independent: Zika virus: El Salvador urges women not to get pregnant until 2018 in order to avoid birth defects

‘El Salvador has urged women to avoid getting pregnant until 2018 to avoid their children developing birth defects from the mosquito-borne Zika virus which has rampaged through the Americas.

The Zika virus is transmitted by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which is also known to carry the dengue, yellow fever and Chikungunya viruses. Health experts are unsure why the virus, which was first detected in Africa in 1947 but unknown in the Americas until last year, is spreading so rapidly in Brazil and neighboring countries.’

‘Reuters said that although research is still underway, significant evidence in Brazil has suggested a link between Zika infections and rising cases of microcephaly, a neurological disorder in which infants are born with smaller craniums and brains.’

‘On Thursday, El Salvador’s Deputy Health Minister, Eduardo Espinoza, said 5,397 cases of the Zika virus had been detected in the country in 2015 and the first few days of this year.

“We’d like to suggest to all the women of fertile age that they take steps to plan their pregnancies, and avoid getting pregnant between this year and next,” he said.

Official figures show 96 pregnant women are suspected of having contracted the virus, but so far none have had babies born with microcephaly.’

‘In Colombia, which has the second-highest Zika infection rate after Brazil, the government is also advising women to delay becoming pregnant, but only for six to eight months.

Meanwhile, in Brazil it was reported that the number of babies born with suspected microcephaly or abnormally small heads since October has now reached nearly 4,000. In the worst affected area, about one per cent of newborns have suspected microcephaly. ‘

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Zika virus: El Salvador urges women not to get pregnant until 2018 in order to avoid birth defects

Zika virus: women in Colombia, Ecuador and El Salvador advised to postpone pregnancy- The Telegraph