Diarrhea, tetanus outbreak feared in typhoon-ravaged areas

By Carmela Fonbuena
abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak

One week after Typhoon Frank ravaged the Philippines, Department of Health Secretary Francisco Duque III is worried of the possible health risks faced by the typhoon-ravaged areas because of the widespread shortage of potable water and poor sanitation.

“The devastation was really terrible, particularly in the provinces of Aklan and Iloilo . The whole of Kalibo town in Aklan is under mud. Many of them get their drinking water from open sources. This poses a threat to the people’s health. They may suffer from diseases like typhoid fever, infections, or diarrhea,” Duque said in a recent interview.

Iloilo and Aklan are provinces of Region VI or western Visayas, the hardest hit when typhoon Frank hit the Philippines. Water supply is still irregular in both areas. They remain under mud, too.

In Iloilo city, one resident already died because of diarrhea, vice mayor Jed Mabilog today told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak. “But it’s just one case so we still can’t attribute it to the typhoon,” he said.

Unsafe drinking water is one of the major causes of diarrhea, a frequent loose or liquid bowel movement, which can lead to dehydration and sometimes death.

Rationing of water

Water supply in Iloilo city is still cut off, forcing the city government to ration water. “The main pipe from a neighboring town—which provides two-thirds of the city’s water supply—was destroyed,” Mabilog explained. “The pipe was under a bridge that was destroyed during the typhoon. The bridge hit the pipe and damaged it. We only have one-third of our regular water supply.”

Although there are some areas with water pumps in the city, these were submerged in mud. “It will take a few weeks before the water in the pumps can be used,” Mabilog said.

The local water district in Kalibo town in Aklan province is servicing only three of the town’s 16 barangays. The generator was submerged in mud during the typhoon. “According to a report of the local health office, diarrhea may become a problem in the following week,” Raymar Reblado today told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak.

The municipal government is also rationing mineral water to the barangays. “Fortunately, the water distributor agreed to supply us with container vans of mineral water even if we don’t have money to pay them. We are under debt. The municipal government doesn’t have the money to buy the needs of the people,” Reblado said.

Tetanus, leptospirosis

Aside from diarrhea, the local government of Iloilo city and Kalibo town are also watching out against leptospirosis and tetanus.

“We are on the watch against the outbreak of leptospirosis. It’s fatal. I had to take medicine against leptospirosis myself,” Reblado told abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newbreak. In Iloilo city, a team of local health officials is going around the city for the injection of the residents against tetanus and leptospirosis,” Mabilog said.

Leptospirosis and tetanus are both infectious diseases, which may be prevented by vaccines. Leptospirosis is a water-borne disease usual in flooded areas. It is caused by the contamination of the flood water with animal urine. Infection begins when the contaminated water comes in contact with broken skin. During the typhoon, water reached as high as a two-story house in Iloilo city and Kalibo town.

Tetanus, on the other hand, typically arises from a skin wound that becomes contaminated by bacteria often found in soil. Kalibo and Iloilo city remain under mud. “There are areas where mud is still two-feet high. When residents clean up, they don’t see the broken glasses or metals in the mud,” Mabilog said.

Frank’s death toll

The death toll from Typhoon Fengshen continues to rise. Based on the latest figures of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), death toll has reached 713.

The high death toll was attributed to flash flooding, particularly in western Visayas. It also includes the confirmed deaths of at least 173 passengers of the M/V Princess of the Stars, which capsized off Romblon province in the Visayas. The ferry, bound for Cebu Island , central Visayas, was carrying 866 passengers.

Fifty-six were found to have survived. The rest remain unaccounted for, believed to have been trapped inside the ferry.

Source:

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Drug News

The FDA has approved the following generic equivalents:

* risedronate sodium 5, 30, and 35 mg tablets - for the treatment and prevention of postmenopausal and glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, and for the treatment of Paget disease. This medication is generically equivalent to Actonel.
* oxcarbazepine 150, 300, and 600 mg tablets - an anticonvulsant for the treatment of partial seizures in adults and children 4 years of age and older. The medication is the generic equivalent of Trileptal. The prescribing information for the generic versions may differ from that of Trileptal, as some sections of the Trileptal label are protected by patents and/or exclusivity.

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Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA)

The incidence of community-associated Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) is on the rise. Recent media coverage has brought this health problem to the attention of public.

Be aware that in the community, MRSA infections are infections of the skin that may appear as pustules or boils. They are often red, swollen, painful, or have pus or other drainage, and occur at sites of visible skin trauma and areas of the body covered by hair. Most MRSA skin infections can be treated effectively by draining the site; sometimes antibiotics are administered as well.

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Drug News

* Revised labeling has been approved for the following:
carbamazepine-containing drugs (eg, Carbatrol, Epitol, Equetro, and Tegretol) - to include a recommendation that before starting drug therapy, patients of Asian ancestry get a genetic blood test that identifies a significantly increased risk of developing a rare, but serious, skin reaction. These life-threatening skin reactions include toxic epidermal necrolysis and Stevens-Johnson syndrome.

* Merck has initiated a voluntary recall of 11 lots of PedvaxHIB (Haemophilus b conjugate [meningococcal protein conjugate]) and 2 lots of Comvax (Haemophilus b conjugate (meningococcal protein conjugate]) vaccines because the sterility of these lots is uncertain.

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Coffee Drinkers Have Slightly Lower Death Rates, Study Finds

A new study has found that both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption (up to 6 cups per day) is associated with a somewhat smaller rate of death from heart disease. (Credit: iStockphoto)


A new study has good news for coffee drinkers: Regular coffee drinking (up to 6 cups per day) is not associated with increased deaths in either men or women. In fact, both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee consumption is associated with a somewhat smaller rate of death from heart disease.

"Coffee consumption has been linked to various beneficial and detrimental health effects, but data on its relation with death were lacking," says Esther Lopez-Garcia, PhD, the study's lead author. "Coffee consumption was not associated with a higher risk of mortality in middle-aged men and women. The possibility of a modest benefit of coffee consumption on heart disease, cancer, and other causes of death needs to be further investigated."

Women consuming two to three cups of caffeinated coffee per day had a 25 percent lower risk of death from heart disease during the follow-up period (which lasted from 1980 to 2004 and involved 84,214 women) as compared with non-consumers, and an 18 percent lower risk of death caused by something other than cancer or heart disease as compared with non-consumers during follow-up. For men, this level of consumption was associated with neither a higher nor a lower risk of death during the follow-up period (which lasted from 1986 to 2004 and involved 41,736 men).

The researchers analyzed data of 84,214 women who had participated in the Nurses' Health Study and 41,736 men who had participated in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. To be in the current study, participants had to have been free of cancer and heart disease at the start of those larger studies.

The study participants completed questionnaires every two to four years that included questions about how frequently they drank coffee, other diet habits, smoking, and health conditions. The researchers then compared the frequency of death from any cause, death due to heart disease, and death due to cancer among people with different coffee-drinking habits.

Among women, 2,368 deaths were due to heart disease, 5,011 were due to cancer, and 3,716 were due to another cause. Among men, 2,049 deaths were due to heart disease, 2,491 were due to cancer, and 2,348 were due to another cause.

While accounting for other risk factors, such as body size, smoking, diet, and specific diseases, the researchers found that people who drank more coffee were less likely to die during the follow-up period. This was mainly because of lower risk for heart disease deaths among coffee drinkers.

The researchers found no association between coffee drinking and cancer deaths. These relationships did not seem to be related to caffeine because people who drank decaffeinated coffee also had lower death rates than people who did not drink coffee.

The editors of Annals of Internal Medicine caution that the design of the study does not make it certain that coffee decreases the chances of dying sooner than expected. Something else about coffee drinkers might be protecting them. And some measurement error in the assessment of coffee consumption is inevitable because estimated consumption came from self-reports.

This study was supported by National Institutes of Health research grants.

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Injecting stem cells sparks progress in repairing heart

ORLANDO — Researchers here reported small successes Wednesday in using stem cells to patch ailing hearts, an effort that has generated more debate than breakthroughs.

Stem cells are the building blocks of a variety of tissues, while embryonic stem cells can grow into any tissue in the body.

Researchers from Finland and California showed it is possible to inject heart attack patients with muscle stem cells and boost their hearts' pumping power. The studies, though preliminary, are the latest of several to open a window into the future of heart attack care.

"If we can do this, we are going to see a complete revolution in medicine, how we treat heart disease and heart attacks," says Nabil Dib of the University of California, San Diego Medical Center.

That day is years off. Doctors are still trying to figure out how to plant cells in the heart so they will take over for tissue that no longer functions. It won't be easy. The heart is complex with a built-in electrical system, blood supply and tireless cells.
FIND MORE STORIES IN: White House | University of California | Finland | University of Pennsylvania | San Diego Medical Center | University of Frankfurt

Over the past few years, researchers have carried out about two dozen trials in which stem cells were injected into the heart, most of them taken from adult tissues. Most yielded positive, though modest, results.

Scientists have yet to answer key questions. How long will stem cells survive after they're injected? Can they be tweaked to become heart cells? Such questions must be resolved before research takes off, says Joseph Wu of Stanford University.

Last year, three major studies showed mixed results. "One was positive, one was negative, and one was equivocal," Wu says. "Now we're back to the drawing board."

Scientific issues aren't the only obstacles. Others include ethical and religious concerns about the use of embryonic stem cells, which prompted the White House to restrict their use. "The added burden we have in the U.S. is that regulatory issues make it difficult to get anything off the ground," says Mariell Jessup of the University of Pennsylvania.

In the studies reported at a meeting of the American Heart Association:

•Doctors concluded it was feasible and safe to replace scarring from decade-old heart attack s with hundreds of thousands of custom-cultured cells taken from each patient's thigh muscle. The cells appear to take root and grow, but some scientists question that. The procedure likely would cost more than $100,000, says Jonathan Dinsmore of Mytogen, Inc., the company that cultures the cells.

•Doctors at two hospitals in Finland injected 39 patients with special bone marrow cells within a week of having a heart attack, boosting their pumping power compared with patients who did not get the treatment.

"There clearly is a signal that cell therapy can contribute to recovery in acute (heart attacks)," says Andreas Zeiher of the University of Frankfurt, lead investigator of a larger study released last year that yielded similar findings.

-USA Today

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Drug Update

(from Drug News Weekly)

• The FDA has approved the following new indication:
  • Diovan (valsartan) - for the treatment of high blood pressure in children and adolescents 6 to 16 years of age.
• The FDA has approved Triesence (triamcinolone acetonide) 40 mg/mL injectable suspension, a synthetic corticosteroid for visualization during vitrectomy and treatment of sympathetic ophthalmia, temporal arteritis, uveitis, and ocular inflammatory conditions unresponsive to topical corticosteroids.
• Roche Pharmaceuticals has discontinued the production of Roferon-A (interferon alfa-2a, recombinant). This action is related to the product's life cycle, not to any safety or efficacy concerns.
• Manufacturers have updated the prescribing information for desmopressin acetate (DDAVP, DDAVP Nasal Spray, DDAVP Rhinal Tube, DDVP, Minirin, and Stimate Nasal Spray). Patients taking desmopressin and children treated with intranasal formulations for primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) are at risk for developing severe hyponatremia, resulting in seizures and death. Thus, desmopressin intranasal formulations are no longer indicated for PNE treatment and should not be used in hyponatremic patients or patients with a history of hyponatremia. All formulations should be used with caution in patients at risk for water intoxication with hyponatremia.

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New System Allows Wound Checks Without Dressing Removal

In the United Kingdom, bioengineers at the Strathclyde Institute for Medical Devices, Glasgow, Scotland, have developed a new system that allows doctors and nurses to check the conditions under a dressing without having to remove it. A tiny sensor is attached to the gauze monitors to detect whether the wound is moist—the optimum environment for healing—or too dry or wet to heal properly. About half the size of a first class stamp, the sensor is attached via a sterile pad to the dressing itself, thus avoiding pain to the patient. It is connected to wires that can be plugged in to the monitor to allow doctors or nurses to take a reading.

The system is currently under clinical trial on patients with chronic leg ulcers with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. It is anticipated it could be used for any kind of chronic or acute wound, including burns, chronic surgical wounds, and pressure ulcers.

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Monitor Helps Measure Bandage Pressure

Ulsys, Halifax, UK, launched the Vowden Trainer, a cutting-edge pressure monitor designed to increase the accuracy of leg ulcer treatment, at Medica 2007, which was held recently in Germany. The Vowden Trainer works by accurately measuring the application of pressure under a bandage applied over a leg ulcer, indicating exactly how much pressure the bandage is generating in order to help health care professionals apply the correct pressure without having to estimate. This eliminates inconsistent pressure application, allows for greater accuracy in treatment, and saves working time.

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Hospitals Join Fight Against SSIs

Hospitals across the country are exploring the use of preoperative antiseptic skin cleansing or skin prepping to prevent or reduce the incidence of surgical site infections (SSIs). According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, SSIs are the leading hospital-acquired infection (38%) in surgical patients and the third most common in hospitalized patients. At Prince William Hospital in Manassas, VA, clinicians saw reduced incidence of SSIs, an estimated cost savings of more than $100,000, and a 75% decrease in SSI-related readmissions after 6 months of implementing a preoperative skin cleansing protocol. Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, MN, improved its preoperative skin preparation protocol by implementing a new product, leading to a 50% reduction in SSI rates in patients undergoing joint procedures. And VA Central Iowa Health Care System in Des Moines, Iowa, saw improvement after implementing a new preoperative skin preparation product, educating patients about appropriate skin antisepsis, and increasing compliance with preoperative skin antisepsis.

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Injectable Antibiotic Gets FDA Approval Letter

Theravance, San Francisco, CA, received a US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval letter for televancin, a novel bactericidal, once-daily injectable antibiotic for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections caused by gram-positive bacteria, including methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. The approval level indicates that televancin’s application is approvable subject to the resolution of current good manufacturing practices compliance issues and submission of revised labeling or reanalyses of clinical data or additional clinical data. In November 2005, Theravance entered into a collaboration with Astellas Pharma, Inc, Deerfield, IL, for the worldwide development and commercialization of televancin, excluding Japan. In July 2006, the collaboration was expanded to include Japan.

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Medline Unveils New Packaging for Silvasorb

Medline Industries, Inc, Mundelein, IL, introduces innovative packaging for its line of SilvaSorb wound care dressings, designed to increase user safety. The new packaging, including an outer box and inner pouch, provides clear, concise instructions on the proper use of the product, along with a pamphlet that offers a 2-minute tutorial on important wound care guidelines. Packaging for each family of wound care products is color-coded and the inner pouch includes a crack-and-peel sticker for dressing change and charting.

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American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Partner to Deliver Holiday Cards to Wounded Service Members

American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Partner to Deliver Holiday Cards to Wounded Service Members

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, December 18, 2007 — America’s wounded service members are always grateful for supportive cards and notes––especially during the holiday season.

This holiday season, communities across America are invited to mail cards along with personal messages of support to wounded service members at military hospitals around the country, through a unique partnership between the American Red Cross and Pitney Bowes Inc.

With the support of the U.S. Department of Defense and Walter Reed Army Medical Center, and with help from Pitney Bowes Government Solutions, the American Red Cross will collect, review and distribute holiday greeting cards to wounded military personnel. For security reasons, the Red Cross will be able to accept only holiday cards but not packages. Red Cross volunteers will receive and bundle the cards, which will be shipped by Pitney Bowes Government Solutions. Then, Red Cross volunteers at the medical facilities will distribute the cards throughout the holiday season.

“So many Americans want to show their support and gratitude by reaching out to wounded service members at Walter Reed and other military medical centers during the holiday season,” said Neal Denton, American Red Cross Senior Vice President for Service to the Armed Forces. “With the support of the Department of Defense, Walter Reed leadership and Pitney Bowes, we can bring a little cheer to these brave men and women,” added Denton.

“It is an honor to provide this small measure of comfort at holiday time to those who have sacrificed so much,” said Pitney Bowes President and CEO Murray Martin. “We want to make it as easy as possible for all Americans to show their appreciation to the men and women who serve this nation so proudly and selflessly.”

Please address your holiday cards to:

We Support You During Your Recovery!
c/o American Red Cross
P.O. Box 419
Savage, MD20763-0419

Be sure to affix adequate postage when mailing to the Red Cross. Multiple cards without envelopes may be placed in one mailing envelope or a box that includes a return address. Please mail your holiday cards so that they are postmarked no later than December 24. Holiday cards must be received no later than December 27. Cards received after this date will be returned to the sender. Again, senders are reminded that "care packages" are not part of the program––send only cards and notes. Also, please refrain from using glitter or any other inserts that would not be appropriate in a hospital environment.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.

About Pitney Bowes

Pitney Bowes (NYSE:PBI) is a mailstream technology company that helps organizations manage the flow of information, mail, documents and packages. Our 35,000 employees deliver technology, service and innovation to more than two million customers worldwide. The company was founded in 1920 and annual revenues now total $6 billion. More information is available at www.pb.com.

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Red Cross Blood Donor and Volunteer Featured on mtvU's "CAUSE EFFECT"

Red Cross Blood Donor and Volunteer Featured on mtvU's "CAUSE EFFECT"

WASHINGTON, Tuesday, December 11, 2007 — Red Cross volunteer Krysta Leigh Meinzer is featured in "Cause Effect," a new multi-platform series from mtvU, MTV's 24-hour college network, profiling standout student activists on college campuses nationwide. Krysta details her passion for blood donations in an episode of the show, which is broadcast on mtvU and available on demand at mtvU.com and Think.MTV.com.

Meinzer is a 21-year-old college senior from North Carolina, majoring in communications at Lenoir-Rhyne College in Hickory, N.C. Krysta learned first hand about blood donation when she was a child. Her mother and father donated their own blood while her grandfather was undergoing chemotherapy as treatment for leukemia, and Krysta saw how beneficial it was in helping him have a greater chance at a longer, healthier life than he would have experienced otherwise. She currently holds the title of Miss Hendersonville, N.C. 2007, and has set the American Red Cross and blood donation as her platform.

"I am honored to be a part of the American Red Cross because it's an organization filled with friendly, dedicated people who are committed to making a difference in the world," said Meinzer. "When I became Miss Hendersonville, one of my goals was to recruit more blood donors, but I never imagined I would have the opportunity to reach a national audience through mtvU."

mtvU teamed up with Microsoft Corporation through the Windows Live Messenger i'm Initiative for "Cause Effect." Each episode spotlights two remarkable students, examining how they're using digital tools to effect positive, real world change, and inspiring others to take action and make a difference on pressing social issues.

When she was 17, Krysta began donating blood herself, and started volunteering with the local Red Cross Blood Services region a few years later. Beyond attending blood drives, Meinzer also travels to area schools, teaching students of all ages how blood works throughout the body, and the importance of regular blood donations for patients suffering from traumas and many diseases.

The new mtvU series is an extension of the Windows Live Messenger i'm Initiative, in which Microsoft donates a portion of the program's advertising revenue to one of several cause-related organizations each time a user has a conversation using the instant messaging software. The Red Cross is one of ten organizations receiving donations through this initiative, and is guaranteed by Microsoft to receive at least $100,000. Individuals can sign-up to support the American Red Cross through the i'm Initiative by visiting http://im.live.com.

Note: The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

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Fires and Floods Lead the List of Largest Red Cross Disaster Responses

Fires and Floods Lead the List of Largest Red Cross Disaster Responses

WASHINGTON, Thursday, December 13, 2007 — In a year predicted to be heavy with hurricanes, home fires, wildfires and flooding kept the Red Cross busy helping people whose lives were changed by disasters. Excessive rain in some portions of the country, severe drought in other areas and a lack of major hurricanes changed the traditional disaster response landscape for the American Red Cross in a year that called for more than 230 large scale disaster responses.

While the California Wildfires and major flooding captured public attention, the majority of disaster relief operations were coordinated by Red Cross chapters responding locally to more than 70,000 community disasters, most of which were home fires. In fact, home fires account for approximately 93 percent of all Red Cross disaster responses in 2007, and that category leads the compilation of the five largest disasters.

The top five American Red Cross disaster responses for 2007 are:

• Home Fires – single family, multiple-family fires (continually)
• Southern California Wildfires (October 2007)
• North Texas and Midwest Floods (Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma, June 2007)
• New England Nor’easter (New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, April 2007)
• Midwest floods (Ohio, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, Oklahoma, August 2007)

This ranking was calculated based on the number of families served by the Red Cross, the aggregate amount of services provided (including food and shelter) and the cost to the Red Cross.

“While the hurricane season proved to be less eventful than normal, this year showed that disasters can strike anywhere around the nation, not just coastal communities,” said Joe Becker, senior vice president, disaster response. “That’s why it’s important for families and individuals to have a disaster plan, no matter where you live and even if you think you are not vulnerable to a disaster.”

Red Cross disaster relief services are delivered through the efforts of more than 700 local Red Cross chapters and often include providing disaster survivors with food, shelter, emotional support, basic first aid, and clean up supplies. While the top five disasters were the largest and most costly for the Red Cross, disaster workers were also on scene at other notable events this year. Mental health workers provided comfort during the tragedy at Virginia Tech. Disaster workers were in place during tornadoes in Lady Lake, Florida, Enterprise, Alabama and Greensburg, Kansas. And, the American Red Cross provided aid during international disasters such as the Mexico floods, Peru earthquake and Hurricane Dean.

You can learn how to prepare yourself and your loved ones for a disaster by visiting www.redcross.org. Here you will find an interactive online presentation that will show how you can Be Red Cross Ready by getting a disaster supplies kit, making a plan should disaster strike, and remaining informed before and during a disaster.

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Four U.S. Nurses Receive Red Cross Medal

Four U.S. Nurses Receive Red Cross Medal

A moving ceremony at American Red Cross national headquarters paid tribute to an elite group of nurses at the forefront of the profession

By Tom Goehner, Historical Outreach, National Headquarters

Friday, December 07, 2007 — Every two years since 1920, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has honored nurses and volunteer health aids worldwide who have shown exceptional courage and devotion to the sick, wounded and disabled in times of war and peace.

From left to right: Lt. Col. Steven Drennan, Catherine Head, Marilyn Self, Brenna Aileo. (Photo by Bill Crandall)

The ICRC award is named in honor of British-born nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale, who is credited with founding the modern nursing profession. In the mid-19th century, Florence Nightingale was able to elevate nursing from an occupation akin to servant’s work to an internationally recognized healthcare profession with consistent training and standards.

Since Nightingale’s time, nursing has made enormous strides in education, skills and responsibilities. In addition to working in a wide variety of settings and continuing to manage traditional patient care, many nurses have become leaders in the development of complex systems of medical assessment and treatment. This year’s medal winners demonstrate that Nightingale’s pioneering spirit and creativity continue to live on today.

2007 Florence Nightingale Medal Recipients

Brenna Aileo is a retired Army nurse whose close friends encouraged her to volunteer with the American Red Cross in response to the events of September 11. She distinguished herself by deploying to multiple disasters and developing key disaster training programs. In 2004, Aileo stepped in as health consultant for the Red Cross Services to the Armed Forces. In this position Aileo assesses their health status and clears staff for overseas deployment. As she received her award, Aileo described the Red Cross as a series of individual threads that form a “blanket” of care that can cover us all.

Lt. Col. Steven Drennan is a nurse in the U.S. Army who has responded to conflicts and disasters and the ongoing health needs of communities worldwide. Drennan led a nursing team that developed a course for Iraqi ambulance teams and a burn management training program for Iraqi physicians and nurses. In addition, he successfully submitted grant proposals that provide burn treatment equipment and supplies for a Baghdad Hospital and created the Iraqi National Trauma Center, which offers clinical rotations within the Iraqi medical community. In his acknowledgements, Drennan praised the dedication and inspiration of Iraqi doctors and nurses in the face of so much adversity. He also thanked the Iraqi Red Crescent with whom he felt he shared the award.

Catherine Head has dedicated her career to improving health outcomes for vulnerable populations. Prior to serving as an American Red Cross volunteer, Head worked extensively as a nurse midwife in urban and rural settings. She then established one of the first full service birth centers in Pennsylvania. Along with Head’s many Red Cross duties, she established a process for deploying a healthy work force during disaster relief operations. As a result of Head’s new screening process, fewer relief workers need to be sent home in the middle of their assignments.

Marilyn Self has worked in paid and volunteer capacities with the American Red Cross for more than 25 years. Self has played a key role in recruiting, developing and effectively engaging nurses as health professional volunteers at the local, national and international levels. She improved the quality of health services available to victims of disasters through the development of a partnership to train public health nurses for work in shelters throughout Georgia. In addition, she coordinated Red Cross health activities in New York after September 11, in Georgia for Hurricane Katrina evacuees, and for many operations before and since. Self is a member of the Red Cross Critical Response Team and has led the health service response for multiple aviation disasters. As she thanked all those who helped her receive this honor, Self credited the American Red Cross for allowing her to grow professionally and face new challenges.

The American Red Cross helps people prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies. Last year, almost a million volunteers and 35,000 employees helped victims of almost 75,000 disasters; taught lifesaving skills to millions; and helped U.S. service members separated from their families stay connected. Almost 4 million people gave blood through the Red Cross, the largest supplier of blood and blood products in the United States. The American Red Cross is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement. An average of 91 cents of every dollar the Red Cross spends is invested in humanitarian services and programs. The Red Cross is not a government agency; it relies on donations of time, money, and blood to do its work.

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Measles deaths drop by 91 percent in Africa and 68 percent globally

Measles deaths drop by 91 percent in Africa and 68 percent globally

By Jennifer Lubrani, Staff Writer, RedCross.org

Thursday, November 29, 2007 — Measles is a leading killer of children in many developing countries where prevention, treatment and health care can be difficult to access. But with strong global support from governments, health workers and dedicated volunteers, significant progress is being made in the fight against measles.

A Malagasy Red Cross volunteer marks a child’s finger indicating she received a measles vaccine. (Photo: Gene Dailey/American Red Cross)

That’s the message from today’s announcement that the Measles Initiative has helped to reduce measles deaths in Africa by 91 percent—between 2000 and 2006— thereby reaching the goal to cut measles death by 90 percent four years ahead of the United Nations’ goal. Globally, measles deaths have dropped by 68 percent during this same time.

In 2001, a global health initiative—led by the American Red Cross, UNICEF, the United Nations Foundation, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization— was launched to reduce measles deaths in Africa. Since 2005, the Initiative has expanded to Asia and other parts of the world where children are at risk.

Since 2001, the Measles Initiative has supported the vaccination of more than 400 million children in over 50 countries. The vaccination campaign includes additional life-saving health interventions, including Vitamin A, de-worming medicine and insecticide-treated bed nets for malaria prevention.

A key to this success are volunteers at Red Cross and Red Crescent societies around the world. The American Red Cross provided financial and technical support to national societies, where volunteers work in advance to spread the word about upcoming campaigns.

“We literally go door-to-door informing, educating and motivating mothers and caregivers about the critical need to vaccinate their children,” said Bonnie McElveen-Hunter, chairman of the American Red Cross. “These mobilization efforts are essential for our success, helping us consistently reach more than 95 percent of the vulnerable population and saving countless lives.”

Still measles continues to take the lives of nearly 600 children under 5 years each day – approximately 242,000 children each year.

Although the fight against this deadly disease is not over, measles deaths are being dramatically reduced, ensuring that children around the world have a safer and healthier future.

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