Hypertension and Kidney Disease

Introduction

High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Kidney disease is the most common cause of secondary hypertension. Thus, hypertension may be a cause or a consequence of kidney failure.

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World Malaria Day 2014: WHO helps countries assess feasibility of eliminating malaria

24 APRIL 2014 | GENEVA - On World Malaria Day (25 April), WHO is launching a manual to help countries to assess the technical, operational and financial feasibility of moving towards malaria elimination.

WHO’s new guide, "From malaria control to malaria elimination: a manual for elimination scenario planning", will provide these countries with a comprehensive framework to assess different scenarios and timelines for moving towards elimination, depending on programme coverage and funding availability.

“Increased political commitment and the expansion of global malaria investments have saved some 3.3 million lives since 2000,” says Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General at WHO. ”Countries where malaria remains endemic now want to build on this success.”

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WHO issues its first hepatitis C treatment guidelines

9 APRIL 2014 | LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - WHO has issued its first guidance for the treatment of hepatitis C, a chronic infection that affects an estimated 130 million to 150 million people and results in 350 000 to 500 000 deaths a year.

The publication of the "WHO Guidelines for the screening, care and treatment of persons with hepatitis C infection" coincides with the availability of more effective and safer oral hepatitis medicines, along with the promise of even more new medicines in the next few years.

“The WHO recommendations are based on a thorough review of the best and latest scientific evidence,” says Dr Stefan Wiktor, who leads WHO’s Global Hepatitis Programme. “The new guidance aims to help countries to improve treatment and care for hepatitis and thereby reduce deaths from liver cancer and cirrhosis.”

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Busting the myths about Ebola is crucial to stop the transmission of the disease in Guinea

Will eating raw onions once a day for three days protect me from Ebola? Is it safe to eat mangoes? Is it true that a daily intake of condensed milk can prevent infection with Ebola? These are just some of the questions posed to the health workers responding round the clock to calls received through the free Ebola hotline. With so many Ebola deaths to date, fear has allowed the spread of rumours and misinformation.

WHO/MA Heine

The Ministry of Health of Guinea set up Hotline 115 when it announced the country’s Ebola outbreak on 21 March. Its main goal is to respond to people’s concerns and to be able to quickly refer suspect cases to the isolation ward at Donka hospital in Conakry for further investigation. It currently receives between 200 and 300 calls per day.

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Reaching every child: the polio programme leaves its legacy

Four-year-old Pooja lives with her family in a jhuggi – a makeshift shanty made of corrugated iron – on a construction site on the outskirts of Kolkata, where her father has been working for the past few months.

The settlement is crowded with temporary workers and their families living in sheds and slum dwellings in and around the buildings that are under construction. They don’t have access to toilets or safe drinking water.

Pooja’s father’s work is precarious. Once the construction at this site is completed, he and his family will pack up their few possessions and move on, setting up home wherever he can find work.

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Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV)

Maklumat Terkini MERS-CoV Kenyataan Akhbar Berkaitan MERS-CoV

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Resolve to Change

News Strait Times Tuesday, 31/12/2013 By: Kasmiah Mustapha BECOMING healthier — whether by eating better, losing weight or exercising more — is one of the top resolutions people make as a new year approaches. But those who have successfully made changes in their lives and those who have maintained the changes know that January alone does not determine if you will succeed.

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Quit smoking on Mondays, not New Year's

The Star Monday, 30/12/2013 Quit smoking on Mondays, not New Year's Experts say once-a-week resolution tends to work better. IF you’re like millions of people around the globe, quitting smoking tops your New Year’s resolution list. But experts say that rather than trying to quit once a year, which rarely works, try every Monday Earlier this year, US researchers monitored Google search queries about quitting smoking over the past five years in English, French, Chinese, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish, finding that search volumes peaked on Monday, almost every week, in all languages.

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Survey shows which countries exercise the most

The Star Tuesday, 31/12/2013 Survey shows which countries exercise the most Losing weight and looking good among biggest motivators. A NEW survey of 8,000 people living in Europe and the US – 1,000 from each country, also including Sweden, Germany, Italy, and Holland – found that an average of 72% of people set fitness goals. While nearly a third (29%) claims to hit their target most of the time, 5% always fail.

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