Pregnant women in Africa can reduce their risk of miscarriage or still birth by up to a third by sleeping under insecticide-treated bed nets.
This study drew on the results of four earlier trials in Kenya and Ghana involving more than 6,000 women.

Malaria is a preventable disease that kills more than 1m people a year, 90% of them in Africa – mostly children. A treated net costs about $4 – simply too much for many African families.

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For decades, Mississippi and neighboring states with large black populations and expanses of enduring poverty made steady progress in reducing infant death. But, in what health experts call an ominous portent, progress has stalled and in recent years the death rate has risen in Mississippi and several other states.

The setbacks have raised questions about the impact of cuts in welfare and Medicaid and of poor access to doctors, and, many doctors say, the growing epidemics of obesity, diabetes and hypertension among potential mothers, some of whom tip the scales here at 300 to 400 pounds.

To the shock of Mississippi officials, who in 2004 had seen the infant mortality rate — defined as deaths by the age of 1 year per thousand live births — fall to 9.7, the rate jumped sharply in 2005, to 11.4. The national average in 2003, the last year for which data have been compiled, was 6.9. Smaller rises also occurred in 2005 in Alabama, North Carolina and Tennessee.

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Just 28% of poor people with HIV have access to the antiretroviral drugs that could save their lives, a study published by the World Health Organization, UNAids and Unicef shows. It warned many obstacles remain to meeting the United Nations’ target of universal access to HIV/Aids prevention and care programs by 2010.

The report found that by the end of 2006, 2,015,000 people in low and middle-income countries were receiving antiretroviral drugs to control their HIV infection – a 54% increase in one year; however, it is estimated that 7.1 million people in those countries could benefit from the drugs. It also falls short of the WHO aim of getting antiretrovirals to 3 million needy people by the end of 2005.

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Bovine TB can spread from human to human, scientists fear after a cluster of six cases, one fatal, in England. All had visited the same Birmingham bar or nightclub, yet only one of the young patients had been in contact with infected unpasteurised milk or cattle.

The Health Protection Agency said although rare, the cases emphasised the need for rigorous checks and controls.

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More evidence has emerged suggesting a link between pollutants found in oily fish and type two diabetes.

An international team found high levels of persistent organic pesticides (POPs) in the blood correlated to insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes. POPs are stored in fatty tissues – the study suggested this may be why obese people are more vulnerable to diabetes.

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The military is joining the fight against fat. The pool of recruits fit enough to enlist is shrinking and troops’ waistlines are expanding, a reflection of the nation’s battle with obesity.

Almost one-third of 18-year-olds who applied for service in all branches of the military in 2005 were overweight, according to a recent report by the Army. The share of applicants who were obese doubled to 6% from 1996 to 2005.

The issue is magnified now because the Army is struggling to meet its recruitment goals at a time when its ranks are strained by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Read (USA Today)

Drinking green tea could help in the fight against HIV, research suggests.

Scientists found a component called epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) prevents HIV from binding to immune system cells by getting there first. Once EGCG has bound to immune system cells there is no room for HIV to take hold in its usual fashion.

It is not a cure, and nor is it a safe way to avoid infection; however, researchers suggest that it should be used in combination with conventional medicines to improve quality of life for those infected.

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Eating a Mediterranean diet could help protect children from respiratory allergies and asthma, a study suggests.

UK, Greek and Spanish researchers assessed the diet and health of almost 700 children living in rural areas of Crete, where such conditions are rare.

They found those with a diet rich in fruit and vegetables were protected against both conditions.

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Exclusively breastfeeding until a baby is six-months old can significantly reduce the risk of mother-to-child HIV transmission, an African study says.

The South African researchers compared solely breastfed babies with those also given formula or solid foods. They say breastfeeding carries a low transmission risk, but protects against potentially fatal conditions such as diarrhoea and pneumonia. They say it is the best option for most women in the developing world.

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