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A New Blood Test for Tuberculosis Could Save Millions of Lives
As much as one third of the global population is currently infected with the bacterium that causes tuberculosis (TB), a disease typically concentrated in the lungs and characterized by weakness, fever, coughing and chest pain. About 9.6 million new infections occurred in 2014, the most recent year for which numbers are available. Roughly 1.5 million people died of TB that same year. The ability to easily, inexpensively and accurately diagnose TB is of utmost importance, but the most commonly used method fails, at least to some extent, on all three counts. A new blood-based technique might considerably rein in this epidemic.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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1mg Gets $16 Million Series B to Make India’s Health Industry More Transparent
India’s pharmaceutical market is filled with generic options—but they don’t always save consumers money. In fact, some drugs are even more expensive than their branded counterparts. Created to give patients more power over their health costs, startup 1mg announced today that it has raised a $16 million Series B led by Maverick Capital Ventures, with participation from returning investors Sequoia India and Omidiyar Network.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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Abell Foundation Invests in Baltimore Medical Device Maker
The Abell Foundation has invested $200,000 in Sisu Global Health, a Baltimore-based company that's developing medical devices for doctors in the developing world.
- Categories
- Health Care
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The Entire World Has 2 Weeks to Switch Over to a New Oral Polio Vaccine. Here’s Why.
The world is closer than ever to eradicating polio, the horrible disease that inflicts paralysis on its primarily young victims. It's not far-fetched to say that very soon the world will see its last polio case.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Tags
- vaccines
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Namibia’s First School of Pharmacy: From Creation to Graduation
On April 24, 2015, the first class of students graduated from the B.Pharm program at the University of Namibia (UNAM)–the first and only pharmacy degree program in the country. With the help of the USAID-funded SIAPS program, the Namibian Ministry of Health and Human Services was able to conceive, establish, and encourage enrollment in the B.Pharm degree. The graduation of the country’s first locally educated pharmacists constitutes a major step forward in alleviating the country’s dire shortage of pharmacy staff and helping to meet the health care needs of the largely underserved Namibian population.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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Malaria Resistance ‘Unable to Spread’
The first case of the malaria parasite being unable to spread its resistance to drugs has been discovered by scientists in Australia.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- Sub-Saharan Africa
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How Treating Anxiety, Depression Can Help Global Economy
According to the World Health Organisation, every dollar spent on treating anxiety and depression produces a fourfold return in better health and ability to work, which is good for the countries' development and economic growth.
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- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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Two Drug Makers Complain India Is Thwarting Licenses for Selling Generics
The controversy over access to medicines took a twist this week when two Indian drug makers disclosed they would no longer seek government licenses to make generic versions of two brand-name medicines. And they cited pressure from the global pharmaceutical industry on the Indian government as their reason for ending their efforts.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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