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Health: Infectious diseases

Features

Here is a list of the latest articles

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Climate change and insect-borne disease: Facts and figures

Priya Shetty explains the links between climate change and insect-borne disease, and outlines priorities for developing country policymakers.

9 September 2009 | EN | ES | FR | 中文

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Climate complexities stoke disease controversies

Modelling how climate change might affect insect-borne disease is hugely complex — and increasingly controversial, explains Justine Davies.

9 September 2009 | EN | ES | FR | 中文

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Back to basics in HIV research

Many HIV vaccines and microbicides have failed clinical trials and HIV researchers say the field needs to get back to basics.

Source: Nature Medicine

28 August 2009 | EN | 中文

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Swine flu: The view from the WHO

The WHO director-general on the first pandemic in four decades and the battle to get drugs and vaccines to the developing world.

Source: The Guardian

27 July 2009 | EN | ES | 中文

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Floating toilets may cut river illnesses

Persuading Cambodian river-dwellers to use a newly designed floating toilet instead of the river could cut soaring diarrhoea rates.

Source: IRIN

14 July 2009 | EN

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The pros and cons of GM mosquitoes

A proposal for tackling dengue fever has caused controversy because it would involve releasing GM mosquitoes into the wild.

Source: Newsweek

30 June 2009 | EN

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Massive potential in miniature microscopes

A tiny solar-powered microscope with no lens could be a cheap and disposable alternative for malaria diagnosis

Source: Nature

8 June 2009 | EN

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Spotting the animal bugs that could shift to humans

Scientists are monitoring people at risk of catching diseases from animals, in the hope of preventing a pandemic

Source: Scientific American

27 March 2009 | EN | 中文

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New ideas in the war against tuberculosis

As tuberculosis strains that are resistant to all known drugs continue to emerge, scientists are trying new approaches to drug development.

Source: Scientific American

27 February 2009 | EN | 中文

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The search for a polio-vanquishing vaccine

Polio is still with us, and scientists are having to rethink vaccination strategies for developing countries in the hope of eradication.

Source: Science

12 February 2009 | EN

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Profit from poverty: Turning victims into consumers

A Danish company is proving that there is profit to be made in making products for the poor, including a 'straw' that makes water drinkable.

Source: International Herald Tribune

6 February 2009 | EN

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Texting for TB: Mobile phones and drug adherence

Text messaging to ensure that TB patients in developing countries take their medication every day is showing promise in trials.

Source: The Lancet

8 January 2009 | EN

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Rapid diagnostic tests: The way forward?

Rapid diagnostic tests potentially present a quick, easy-to-use solution for improved malaria diagnosis. But are they the way to go?

25 September 2008 | EN

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How mobile phones contained Kenyan polio outbreak

A mobile phone application called EpiSurveyor proved instrumental in monitoring and containing a polio outbreak in Kenya.

Source: BBC Online

24 September 2008 | EN | 中文

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Vaccinating against 'Cantonese cancer'

Trials of a vaccine to prevent nasopharyngeal cancer will start soon in China, where it mainly affects the Cantonese-speaking population.

Source: Science

3 September 2008 | EN | 中文

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Clay filters clean up in Sri Lanka

A low-tech clay water filter is proving successful in Sri Lanka, cutting disease levels and saving on fuel costs.

Source: IRIN

15 July 2008 | EN

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Q&A: Advocating open source drugs

Leading geneticist Samir Brahmachari explains why India should kickstart a new open source approach to drug discovery for diseases like TB.

12 June 2008 | EN | 中文

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Antibiotic resistance and the developing world

Many factors are increasing antibiotic resistance, and authorities, doctors and patients all have a role in fighting it, writes Jia Hepeng.

26 March 2008 | EN | ES | FR | 中文

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Antibiotic resistance: Frequently asked questions

Priya Shetty answers some common questions surrounding antibiotic resistance, and the dangers for the developing world.

26 March 2008 | EN | ES | FR

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Zambia sets an example in malaria control

Researchers in Zambia are trying to eradicate malaria in rural areas, reduce deaths and set an example in malaria control.

Source: Nature

6 March 2008 | EN | 中文