Global

One Year Later, Ebola Outbreak Offers Lessons for Next Epidemic

Mon, 2015-03-23 08:02 — mike kraft

IN DEPTH OVERVIEW OF THE EBOLA CRISIS AND LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE
NEW YORK TIMES by Sheri Fink, MD, and Pam Belluck March 23, 2015

One year has passed since the declaration of what became the largest Ebola outbreak in history, with more than 10,000 deaths..

Assessing the lessons of an Ebola outbreak that became the largest in history, with 10,000 dead. Credit Daniel Berehulak for The New York Times

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Nearly All Fuel in Fukushima Reactor Has Melted, Says TEPCO

Sun, 2015-03-22 19:02 — Kathy Gilbeaux

tepco.co.jp - AFP - yahoo.com
March 19, 2015

CLICK HERE - Reactor imaging technology for fuel debris detection by cosmic ray muon
(13 page .PDF report)
Measurement status report in Unit-1
March 19, 2015
Tokyo Electric Power Company

CLICK HERE - TEPCO - Handouts at press conference

New tests show almost all of the fuel inside one of the Fukushima plant's reactors has melted, its operator said Thursday, the latest step in the clean up after Japan's worst ever nuclear crisis.

Tokyo Electric Power Co. said the technology, which uses elementary particles called "muon" to create x-ray style images, gave the most concrete evidence yet the fuel had dropped to the bottom of the first reactor.

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UN Warns World Could Have 40 Percent Water Shortfall by 2030

Sun, 2015-03-22 17:08 — Kathy Gilbeaux

CLICK HERE - The United Nations World Water Development Report 2015

CLICK HERE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

CLICK HERE - REPORT - The United Nations World Water Development Report 2015 (139 page .PDF report)

phys.org - by Hillel Italie - March 20, 2015

The world could suffer a 40 percent shortfall in water in just 15 years unless countries dramatically change their use of the resource, a U.N. report warned Friday.

The report predicts global water demand will increase 55 percent by 2050, while reserves dwindle. If current usage trends don't change, the world will have only 60 percent of the water it needs in 2030, it said.

(READ COMPLETE ARTICLE)

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Liberians overcome fear to volunteer for Ebola vaccine trial

Sun, 2015-03-22 09:41 — mike kraft

ASSOCIATED PRESS by Jpnathan Paye-Layleh March 22, 2015

MONROVIA, Liberia — Liberians are overcoming their fears of Ebola to volunteer for a vaccine trial...

One year after the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak, vaccine trials are under way in Liberia and Guinea. Sierra Leone will start a trial later this month.

In Liberia, scientists have fanned out across the country to explain the studies and reduce the fear and confusion that have stymied efforts to contain Ebola.

Dr. Stephen Kennedy, the Liberian lead investigator for the study, was among the first people to volunteer for the vaccine trial, getting his injection in front of the media. Similarly, in Guinea, authorities started the study by injecting a series of prominent officials, including the head of the country's Ebola response.

The outreach worked in Liberia, where more than 700 people have volunteered, well beyond the 600 required, according to Kennedy.

Read complete story.
http://news.yahoo.com/liberians-overcome-fear-volunteer-ebola-vaccine-trial-120848405.html

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How to stop the next epidemic

Sat, 2015-03-21 15:33 — mike kraft

THE ECONOMIST May 19, 2015

..when the next epidemic breaks out, how do we prevent it from spreading around the world? It is easier said than done.

First: Early detection is critical, and it relies on good surveillance. But only 64 of the 194 member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) have the surveillance procedures, laboratories and data-management capabilities required by the International Health Regulations. Improvements in things like basic public health infrastructure are needed...

Second: A swift response to an outbreak – which might involve getting skilled people, equipment and money to the right places – can potentially save more lives than drugs and vaccines. ... The World Health Organisation and the global community were slow to recognise that there was an international public health emergency.

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Ebola data and statistics : WHO

Sat, 2015-03-21 15:04 — mike kraft

WHO SITUATION SUMMARY March 20, 2015

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Ebola-proof tablet designed by Google rolled out in Sierra Leone disease centre

Sat, 2015-03-21 11:09 — mike kraft

THE TELEGRAPH by Aislinn Laing March 20, 2015

An Ebola-proof tablet that can survive being doused in chlorine and can be used while wearing gloves has been developed by Google and technology volunteers for use by health workers in Sierra Leone.

MSFStaff testing one of the Clinical Management Tablets at the Magburaka treatment centre in Sierra Leone Photo: MSF

The Android device, based in a waterproof Sony Xperia with an extra protective casing, allows medics to safely record and share patient temperatures and symptoms over days and weeks....

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Video - Congressional Forum - “Building Resilient Communities: Ebola and Global Health Crises – Where We Need to Go”

Fri, 2015-03-20 18:01 — Kathy Gilbeaux

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KljU5Fx09y8

University of Missouri - youtube

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Congressional Forum - “Building Resilient Communities: Ebola and Global Health Crises – Where We Need to Go”

Fri, 2015-03-20 18:00 — Kathy Gilbeaux

Dr. David Nabarro - Congressional Forum

upmchealthsecurity.org

CLICK HERE -Agenda

CLICK HERE -Photos

CLICK HERE - Videos

On February 25, 2015 a Congressional Forum was convened.

Objectives:

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Planetary Boundaries: Guiding Human Development on a Changing Planet

Fri, 2015-03-20 17:30 — Kathy Gilbeaux

(CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE)

CLICK HERE - RESEARCH - Planetary boundaries: Guiding human development on a changing planet

As Science publishes the updated research, four of nine planetary boundaries have been crossed: climate change, loss of biosphere integrity, land-system change, altered biogeochemical cycles (phosphorus and nitrogen). Image source: F. Pharand-Deschênes /Globaïa

stockholmresilience.org

Planetary Boundaries 2.0 – new and improved

As Science publishes the updated research, four of nine planetary boundaries have been crossed

Four of nine planetary boundaries have now been crossed as a result of human activity, says an international team of 18 researchers in the journal Science (16 January 2015). The four are: climate change, loss of biosphere integrity, land-system change, altered biogeochemical cycles (phosphorus and nitrogen).

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