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 Volunteers in Taiwan join a human chain in the form of a red ribbon for HIV/AIDS for World Aids Day 2011.
November 20th, 2012
02:17 PM ET
UNAIDS: Rate of new HIV infections drops by half in 25 countriesNew HIV infections have dropped more than 50% in 25 low- and middle-income countries, according to a new World AIDS Day report by the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS). There were 700,000 fewer new infections last year than in 2001, according to the report "Results." More than half of the countries reporting fewer infections are in sub-Saharan Africa, the region with some of the highest number of HIV cases in the world. Infection rates have dropped dramatically in Malawi (73%), Botswana (71%), Namibia (68%) Zambia (58% ), Zimbabwe (50%) and by 41% in Swaziland and South Africa, for example. Along with these reductions, AIDS experts say the number of people getting antiretroviral treatment increased 63% in the past two years. Sub-Saharan Africa treated a record 2.3 million people, and the number of people treated in China jumped 50% last year. FULL POST  A woman takes a home test to detect HIV. A task force of experts has expanded its recommendations for who should be tested.
November 19th, 2012
05:03 PM ET
New draft recommendations issued for HIV testingTeens and adults aged 15 to 65, as well as all pregnant women, should be tested for HIV according to new draft recommendations from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). The new recommendations include pregnant women who show up at a hospital in labor but don't know their HIV status, and younger adolescents and older adults who are at increased risk of HIV. In 2005, the task force recommended screening for all adolescents and adults at increased risk and all pregnant women. No recommendations were made regarding routine testing in that same population who were not at an increased risk. 
November 16th, 2012
01:00 PM ET
FDA: Several violations uncovered at Sunland's peanut plantHealth officials have found more clues about the nut product contamination that lead to at least 41 people getting sick this summer. Conditions at the Sunland, Inc. facility in Portales, New Mexico, may have contributed to the contamination of peanut butter and almond butter products with salmonella bredeney, according to new observations posted on the Food and Drug Administration website Thursday. These conditions were observed during inspections of the facility that took place between September 17 and October 16. Federal investigators determined that between June 2009 and August 2012, Sunland cleared - and in some cases distributed - peanut or almond butter products from 11 different lots, even though internal testing showed the presence of the salmonella bacteria. 
November 12th, 2012
09:02 AM ET
Children's headaches rarely linked to vision problemsIf your child gets recurring headaches and you think they might need glasses, you may be mistaken - a new study says children's headaches are rarely triggered by vision problems. The study, presented Monday at the American Academy of Ophthalmology's annual meeting, was conducted by researchers at the ophthalmology clinic of Albany Medical Center in New York. They evaluated medical records of nearly 160 children under the age of 18 who were being seen at the clinic for frequent headaches. 
October 24th, 2012
03:26 PM ET
Whooping cough vaccine recommended for all pregnant womenA federal advisory committee is recommending all pregnant women be immunized for pertussis or whooping cough. The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices (ACIP) for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention met Wednesday and voted 14 to 0, with one abstention, to recommend health care providers begin immunizations programs for Tdap. This is a vaccine that provides protection against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis (whooping cough). The committee says the vaccine should be administered during each pregnancy in the late second or third trimester (27 to 36 weeks gestation), regardless of whether the patient has had Tdap in the past. If that's not possible, the mother should receive the vaccine immediately after childbirth or before leaving the hospital or birthing center. Jennifer Liang, a member of the ACIP pertussis vaccine working group, told the committee the vaccine is very safe in all trimesters and could be given at any time during pregnancy. 
October 17th, 2012
04:47 PM ET
Fight against tuberculosis a mixed bagMore than 20 million people with tuberculosis (TB) are living today because of successful care and treatment, according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO's Global Tuberculosis Report 2012 found that access to care has been expanded significantly and over the last 17 years, 51 million people have been cured of the disease worldwide. The number of new cases has been on the decline for the last few years. Since 1990, the TB mortality rate decreased 41%, but the news is still mixed.  Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has vowed to repeal the Affordable Care Act if elected.
October 2nd, 2012
09:43 AM ET
New report compares Obama, Romney health care plansPresident Obama's Affordable Care Act, when fully implemented, will most likely reduce the number of uninsured in every state, age group and income level - a stark contrast to a GOP presidential nominee and Mitt Romney's plan, according to a new report by The Commonwealth Fund, which compares the ACA to Romney's pledge to repeal the law and replace it with more targeted policies. According to the report, children and low- and middle-income Americans would be hardest-hit if the ACA were repealed. The report found that by the year 2022, with the ACA in place, about 27 million Americans would still be uninsured - a reduction of nearly 33 million people. But with a Romney plan in place, about 72 million will be without coverage, the report projects. By 2022, according to the organization, an estimated 18 million kids under the age of 19 would be without insurance under Romney's plan compared to about 6 million under Obama's plan.  The FDA is aiming to raise awareness about fake Internet pharmacies and the risk they pose to consumer health.
September 28th, 2012
12:16 PM ET
FDA launches campaign against fake Internet pharmaciesBuyers beware when it comes to buying medicine online, the Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers. On Friday, the agency launched "BeSafeRx: Know Your Online Pharmacy," a national campaign to raise awareness about fake Internet pharmacies and their potential risk to consumer health. “Buying medicines from rogue online pharmacies can be risky because they may sell fake, expired, contaminated, not approved by FDA, or otherwise unsafe products that are dangerous to patients,” said FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg. “Fraudulent and illegal online pharmacies often offer deeply discounted products. If the low prices seem too good to be true, they probably are. FDA’s BeSafeRx campaign is designed to help patients learn how to avoid these risks.” 
September 26th, 2012
12:24 PM ET
Pregnant and just start snoring? You may have hypertensionIf you're pregnant and you (or your other half) notice you've started to snore, you might want to talk to your doctor. You could be at greater risk of getting high blood pressure and preeclampsia, according to a new study in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Preeclampsia, left untreated, can be life-threatening to the mother and unborn child. It usually starts after the fifth month of pregnancy and causes a pregnant woman's blood pressure to go up and the presence of protein in the mother's urine. This can significantly affect the placenta and the mother's liver, kidney and brain. Preeclampsia can cause seizures and is the second leading cause of death in pregnant women in the United States. It's also a leading cause of fetal complications including premature birth, low birth weight and stillbirth. There is no cure short of delivering the baby.  A product used to help infants with difficulty swallowing could lead to a life-threatening condition, the FDA says.
September 18th, 2012
03:04 PM ET
SimplyThick a risk to all infants, FDA cautionsA product used to help infants with difficulty swallowing could increase their risk of developing a life-threatening illness, the Food and Drug Administration warned Tuesday. The agency says 22 infants developed necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) after being fed the thickening agent SimplyThick – reportedly as directed. Seven of them died. Necrotizing enterocolitis is a condition where tissue in the intestines gets inflamed and dies. It occurs most often in babies that are ill or born prematurely. The cause is unknown. SimplyThick is mixed with breast milk or infant formula to help babies swallow their food and keep it down without spitting it back up. It's sold in individual packets or 64-ounce bottles that can be bought from local pharmacies or distributors across the country. |
  About this blog
Get a behind-the-scenes look at the latest stories from CNN Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Senior Medical Correspondent Elizabeth Cohen and the CNN Medical Unit producers. They'll share news and views on health and medical trends - info that will help you take better care of yourself and the people you love. Recent Comments
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