Health departments get mixed marks for using Web to communicate about flu crisis, study finds

Tue, 2009-07-07 07:05 — JRees

Published: Tuesday, July 7, 2009 - 00:43

Is This One of Our Great Challenges?

Tue, 2009-07-07 05:52 — sbeard

This blog is intended to kick off a discussion on how Resilience Networks could support the achievement of the Millenium Development Goals

which will probably progress over a sustained period of time. However I thought it worth starting the discussion.

Flu in Argentina: a preview of America in the Fall

Tue, 2009-07-07 04:59 — JRees

The spanish language newspaper "La Nacion" has several articles detailing the current situation in Argentina. The situation may be a precursor of what the Northern Hemisphere may face in the Fall.

Argentina has declared a health emergency. This is the first natonal health emergency since 2002.

The paper reports less activity in major cities in Argentina has slowed. Less people in the streets, on the subways, at the malls, in restaurants, and many shops closed.

The Millennium Development Goals Report 2009

Mon, 2009-07-06 15:27 — admin

Recent gains in eradicating hunger and poverty endangered by economic and food crises, says UN report

United Nations, 2009

Available online PDF [60p.] at: http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/pdf/MDG%20Report%202009%20ENG.pdf

Tamiflu resistant H1N1 from Hong Kong more worrying than earlier findings

Sun, 2009-07-05 18:38 — admin

By Helen Branswell –

TORONTO — All cases of Tamiflu resistance are not created equal. So while the first three instances of swine flu infection with Tamiflu-resistant viruses were reported in the past week, it was Number 3, not Number 1 that put influenza experts on edge.

Public health authorities in Hong Kong announced Friday they have found a case of Tamiflu resistance in a woman who hadn't taken the drug. That means she was infected with swine flu viruses that were already resistant to Tamiflu, the main weapon in most countries' and companies' pandemic drug arsenals.

Learning to Live in a World with the H1N1 Pandemic (webcast & podcast)

Fri, 2009-07-03 11:06 — speel

New Webcasts Now Available
**************************************************

Learning to Live in a World with the H1N1 Pandemic
http://smtp01.kff.org/t/1045/427611/485/0/
June 30, 2009 Rayburn House Office Building

The CSIS Global Health Policy Center and the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation, in partnership with the Congressional Global Health Caucus, sponsored a briefing on the current H1N1 flu outbreak.

From CIDRAP:One Family's Experience in Preparing for a Pandemic

Thu, 2009-07-02 06:58 — speel

This is from CIDRAP; it’s an interview with one of the Flu Wiki crowdsourcers who was participating with the Friday meeting via webinar:

One family's experience

For Amy Bates Grant, preparing for a pandemic has been a process since 2006.

"I've learned everything that I could about pandemics," said the mother of two who lives outside Portland, Ore.

Grant said she used resources such as the Flu Wiki forum to learn how an influenza pandemic might affect her and her family, how to reduce exposure, and how she would cope if family members were infected.

@INFLUENZA - New listserver on Influenza Information and Knowledge Sharing

Wed, 2009-07-01 20:49 — admin

Dear Colleagues:

We are glad to announce the inauguration of the @influenza e-list for the dissemination and exchange of information about Influenza in the Americas and in the world; and as a contribution to improve the access to information.

The list is moderated to update and maintain the quality, and relevance of the content.

This virtual space is proposed for learning and active participation. We invite you to share this space and to send us your suggestions and information.

Greetings,

Marcelo D’Agostino
Knowledge Management and Communication Advisor

Pandemic Information Sharing and Community Resilience Workshop

Wed, 2009-07-01 20:04 — speel

http://www.developmentseed.org/blog/2009/jun/26/pandemic-preparedness-meeting-nih-community-resilience-live-streaming-today

On June 26th 2009 a dynamic synergy was established around the SO-H1N1 pandemic influenza at a Workshop hosted by the National Library of Medicine at the NIH near Washington DC.

Major steps were taken towards building a coalition of willing participants internal and external to government to better our nation’s planning and response efforts in support of the upcoming 2009 flu season.

Will a “play-or-pay” policy for health care cause job losses?

Tue, 2009-06-30 10:14 — Joyce Fedeczko

June 2009

Will a “play-or-pay” policy for health care cause job losses?

by Phillip Cryan

A play‐or‐pay employer contribution policy for health care would require employers who don’t provide their workers comprehensive health insurance to pay a new payroll tax to help fund public provision of health insurance for those workers. Many of the health care reform proposals currently under discussion in Congress incorporate such a contribution — as did the campaign proposal put forward by President Barack Obama.

D.C. Area Health Officials See Rise in Summertime Flu Cases / Resistance in Denmark

Tue, 2009-06-30 08:21 — speel

By Lori Aratani
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Hospital emergency rooms and doctor's offices across the Washington region are reporting a higher-than-normal number of flu cases during a time of year when such infections are rare, a signal that the H1N1 virus continues to spread.

Study of Mexico H1N1 outbreak: victims were young, many healthy

Mon, 2009-06-29 23:17 — JRees

Date: June 29
Author: Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor
Source: Reuters

* Most patients were under age 59

* All hospitalized patients had pneumonia

* No single pattern predicts sickest patients

Swine flu patients in Mexico were young and many were healthy before developing severe infections, doctors reported on Monday.

Swine flu 'shows drug resistance'

Mon, 2009-06-29 18:37 — admin

The drug has been offered to those with close contact to swine flu
Experts have reported the first case of swine flu that is resistant to tamiflu - the main drug being used to fight the pandemic. Roche Holding AG confirmed a patient with H1N1 influenza in Denmark showed resistance to the antiviral drug. David Reddy, company executive, said it was not unexpected given that common seasonal flu could do the same.

Critical infrastructure for Resilience in Pandemic Conditions

Fri, 2009-06-26 23:55 — admin

The mission of this working group is to identify and promote the critical infrastructure requirements to enable a resilient response to pandemic conditions.

Information Sharing in Pandemic toward resilient communities

Fri, 2009-06-26 23:48 — admin

A collaborative working group for those interested in pushing innovative solutions to information sharing during pandemic and similar events that threaten health and resilience.

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