Category: Healthcare knowledge
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Gene therapy: ‘Tame HIV’ used to cure disease
A pioneering treatment to correct errors in DNA, has transformed the lives of six boys with a deadly genetic disease, doctors declare. For people suffering Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome (WAS), a defective immune system leaves people susceptible to infections and bleeding. A British and French study, published in JAMA, has used tamed HIV to correct the irregularities. […]
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World Hunger: Crisis and a plan of action
According to UN food and agriculture agencies, the number of hungry people in the world has fallen over the past decade. However, the number still stands at 805 million, a figure representing one ninth of the global population. Some countries have been able to improve their domestic figures, but the number of undernourished people is […]
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Stem cell breakthrough for Parkinson’s disease
Swedish scientists from Lund University have found that stem cell treatment can be used to heal the damage in the brain caused by Parkinson’s disease. The disease, which affects body control and movement, is caused by loss of nerve cells which control the chemical dopamine – essential for these cognitive functions. Parkinson’s UK have come […]
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Ebola death toll: are we doing enough?
Since March this year, over 3500 people in western Africa have been affected by the Ebola virus, with over 1,800 people suffering fatalities. The virus, which is contagious, has affected the countries of Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone in this most recent outbreak. Discovered in 1976, the causes for Ebola are not clearly […]
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Ashya King: lessons to be learned
The parents of 5 year old Ashya King were released from a Spanish prison after a European arrest warrant against them was cancelled; this arose following their actions to smuggle him out of Southampton General Hospital and travel to Spain, believing he was not getting the best care and that his condition would deteriorate. They […]
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HIFA2015: to achieve goals – more support is required
“Our shared vision is a world where people are no longer dying for lack of healthcare knowledge.” Statement on HIFA2015 website. HIFA2015 (Healthcare Information for All by 2015) is a global network of more than 10,000 members which aims to improve the availability of lifesaving information in developing nations. Based in the United Kingdom, HIFA2015 […]