News & Perspective

(CIDRAP News) – A World Health Assembly (WHA)committee that took up a resolution to destroy the remaining stocks of smallpox virus failed to reach an agreement today, despite a working group's attempts to find an acceptable solution.

(CIDRAP News) – Uganda is planning to vaccinate about 2.5 million people in its northern regions against yellow fever, following the recent confirmation that the disease is the cause of a 2-month-old outbreak that has killed more than 40 people, according to press reports.

(CIDRAP News) – In its latest update, Haiti's health ministry said today that 56,901 people have been treated for cholera infections, of which 21,665 were hospitalized and 1,344 died, according to preliminary data as of Nov 19 from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO).

(CIDRAP News) – E coli O157:H7 was the comparative bright spot today in a federal report that showed little change in the incidence of most foodborne illnesses in 2009.

(CIDRAP News) – Officials from the World Health Organization (WHO) and a vaccine-maker trade group at a public hearing today defended themselves against allegations from some European politicians that they exaggerated the H1N1 pandemic threat to benefit drug companies.