Public Health

(CIDRAP News) – Saying dengue virus infections and deaths have mushroomed in recent years, the World Health Organization (WHO) recently released a strategy report that sets a goal of cutting deaths in half and reducing cases by 25% over the next 8 years.

(CIDRAP News) – More parents obtain medical vaccination exemptions for their kindergarten children in states where they are easier to get, which potentially reduces herd immunity and poses a threat to children who have real medical contraindications to vaccination, according to a study published yesterday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

Aug 29, 2012

In the wake of a newspaper investigation that questioned the value of the federal BioWatch program for detecting dangerous airborne pathogens, some public health officials familiar with the program acknowledge that it's far from perfect, but they say it's not time to scrap it.

(CIDRAP News) – Faced with a dramatic rise in West Nile virus illnesses and deaths and following medical advice, Dallas County, Tex., officials recently approved the use of aerial spraying for the first time in decades to control mosquito populations.

(CIDRAP News) – A detailed expert assessment of what it would take for the nation to improve its resilience to natural disasters, infectious disease outbreaks, and other emergencies by 2030 found that although the goal is big and wide ranging, a national vision centered on measurable short-term goals could make a big difference.

(CIDRAP News) – The federal grant program that helps states improve their public health emergency preparedness could lose more than $48 million in fiscal year 2013 funding, a 7.8% reduction, if automatic budget cuts kick in, according to a recent report from a Democrat who chairs a Senate appropriations subcommittee.

(CIDRAP News) – Largely as a result of gaps in global influenza surveillance that were exposed during the 2009 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a set of standards designed to improve the collection and use of flu data around the world.