Audio News - Global Health Podcasts

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Zimbabwe: HIV-AIDS Infection At Birth: Far More Common Than Was Thought

Health workers in the developing world may need to test adolescents routinely for HIV acquired "vertically" — through mother-to-child transmission, following findings published in the medical journal; Public Library of Science – Medicine. Nearly half of a group of three hundred patients between the ages of 10 and 18, admitted to hospital in Zimbabwe for any reason, tested positive for HIV. And the absence of herpes simplex infection in the majority of these — along with other factors — clearly indicates that sex was not the principal means of transmission. Rashida Ferrand discusses the findings of her London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine team working jointly with the Biomedical Research Institute in Harrare.

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Posted 16 March 2010

Surviving Heatwaves: Shower, Drink Water...And Perhaps Have A Beer!

With hundreds of thousands of people at risk of dying in unexpected heat-waves the latest advice on protecting yourself has been reviewed by a joint Canadian/British team in The Lancet medical journal. Shakoor Hajat of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine tells Peter Goodwin that showering and drinking plenty of fluids is good, but — contrary to the usual advice — you could also allow yourself the occasional light beer in very hot weather.

Listen to podcast (MP3 1.0MB)

Posted 1 March 2010

Finding The London School Expert You Need: Rockefeller Grant Awarded For Global Tracking

It will soon be easier to track the public health expert you need in around 190 different countries thanks to a Rockefeller Foundation grant awarded to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to strengthen its network of more than 12 000 former students and staff all over the world. Alice Perry tells Peter Goodwin about their aims to improve the availability of public health experts particularly in low-income countries.

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Posted 1 March 2010

Bluetongue Disease Of Sheep: Two New Vaccines On The Way

Professor Polly Roy discusses her team's new vaccines for bluetongue: a lethal midge-borne disease of sheep, which is related to human diseases, including rotavirus infection. The vaccines — one already under development by a pharmaceutical company, the other at an advanced stage of laboratory testing — have been designed at the molecular level following clarification of the gene structures within the bluetongue virus. This makes them intrinsically safe to use, avoiding the need to use weakened forms of the actual virus for inoculation.

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Posted 12th February 2010

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