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Reengineering A Food Poisoning Microbe To Carry Medicines And Vaccines
Scientists have used genetic engineering to tame one of the most deadly food poisoning microbes and turn it into a potential new way of giving patients medicine and vaccines in pills rather than injections. The study is in the current issue of ACS" Molecular Pharmaceutics, a bi-monthly journal.

Today's Racial Categories Evolved From Negative Assumptions Made Hundreds Of Years Ago To Justify Slavery
Much is often said about the glaring statistics showing that some racial and ethnic minorities face greater risks than whites when it comes to health.
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A New Chapter In The Fight Against Tuberculosis Opened By Unexpected Discovery
A close relative of the microorganism that causes tuberculosis in humans has been found to form spores. This is a sensational finding because researchers have long been convinced that these kinds of bacteria - the mycobacteria - were incapable of forming spores. Leif Kirsebom"s research group at Uppsala University now has photographic proof, obtained while working with the bacteria that causes tuberculosis in fish, to challenge this long-held belief. Their discovery, which has attracted much attention from other scientists, might constitute a new turn in the fight against human tuberculosis.
Public Health

New York Times Examines Maternal Mortality, Abortion In Africa

Focusing on Tanzania, the New York Times examines maternal mortality and abortion access in Africa. According to the New York Times, "[p]regnancy and childbirth are among the greatest dangers that face women in Africa, which has the world"s highest rates of maternal mortality - at least 100 times those in developed countries. Abortion accounts for a significant part of the death toll." Data from the WHO shows that the estimated 19 million "unsafe abortions" each year around the world kill 70,000 women annually and account for 13 percent of maternal deaths worldwide. More than two million women have serious abortion-related complications. Although reliable Tanzanian abortion statistics are "hard to come by," the WHO reports that its Eastern African region has the "world"s second-highest rate of unsafe abortions," the New York Times reports. "In most countries the rates of abortion, whether legal or illegal - and abortion-related deaths - tend to decrease when the use of birth control increases," according to the New York Times. The article includes information about failed abortions in Tanzania and describes the type of medical treatment that women there receive (Grady, New York Times, 6/2). Other Maternal Mortality News *The Washington Post reports on recent events in Lima, Peru, to mark "Healthy Maternity Week." The activities raised awareness of the 1,500 women, mostly in developing countries, who die each day from pregnancy-related complications. According to Laura Castleman, who serves on the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists" Committee on International Affairs, these deaths are "completely preventable," but "we"re not valuing women"s lives enough." Several countries are "making good progress according to Mary Ellen Stanton, senior maternal health advisor for USAID. She said some countries have seen maternal mortality reduced 20 to 50 percent over a 10-year period (Hom, Washington Post, 6/2). Dawn.com examines the Pakistani government"s recent actions, which indicate that the government "refuses to recognize the death of Pakistani mothers" as a "basic human rights issue." According to Dawn.com, "Pakistan was not one of the signatories to" a joint statement delivered to the UNHRC reaffirming their commitment to addressing maternal mortality as a human rights issue. Several groups have mobilized on the issue and have "urged the Pakistan government to sign the upcoming resolution on maternal mortality" at a June UNHRC session in Geneva (Abbas, Dawn.com, 6/2). This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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