The Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) continues to be a major global public health issue, having claimed more than 39 million lives so far. According to the most recent fact sheet on HIV/AIDS (Fact sheet N°360) published by the World Health Organization (WHO), about 1.5 million people died from HIV-related causes in 2013, globally. There were […]
Breastfeeding is the best source of nourishment for infants and young children — and one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), “If every child was breastfed within an hour of birth, given only breast milk for their first six months of life, and […]
Vaccination affects us all, and in World Immunization Week 2015 (April 24 – 30), the World Health Organization (WHO) is calling on everyone, from policy-makers and health professionals to community-based initiatives and the private sector, to raise awareness about the importance of immunization and mobilize their collective resources and creativity to close the immunization gap. […]
Tuberculosis — or TB for short — is as old as humanity itself. It is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, an exclusive human pathogen. According to the World Health Organization, in 2013, 9 million people fell ill with TB and 1.5 million died from the disease worldwide. Although it is difficult to estimate the number of […]
In 2010, in a demonstration of global commitment to immunization, partners from all over the world came together to begin the Decade of Vaccines (2010–2020). In 2011, more than 100 vaccine and public health experts developed the first version of the Global Vaccine Action Plan (GVAP). The plan was refined through a global consultation effort, […]
The 2014 Ebola epidemic began as a mysterious disease in a small village in Guinea at the end of 2013, but was not identified as Ebola until March 2014. From the original location near a tropical rainforest, it spread to major rural and urban areas across West Africa. Formerly known as Ebola hemorrhagic fever, Ebola […]
During the past few years, the global fight against tuberculosis (TB) has made noticeable progress: according to the World Health Organization, between 2000 and 2013, over 37 million lives have been saved through effective diagnosis and treatment. However, as detailed in the Stop TB strategy, much more needs to be done. One of the targets […]
Bullying can happen anywhere and to anyone. According to stopbullying.com, a federal government website managed by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, “Bullying is unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated, or has the potential to be repeated, over time. Bullying includes actions such as making […]
The beneficial effects of prolonged fasting — fasting that lasts 48–120 hours — have been known for several years. One of these effects is the enhancement of the cellular resistance to toxins in both experimental animals and humans. A recent study (Prolonged Fasting Reduces IGF-1/PKA to Promote Hematopoietic-Stem-Cell-Based Regeneration and Reverse Immunosuppression) published in the journal Cell Stem Cell (June 5, […]
Scientists generally believe that it is not possible to voluntarily influence the autonomic nervous system, which regulates — among other physiological processes — heart rate, breathing, blood circulation and the immune response. However, results from a new study show that, using techniques developed by Wim Hof, it is indeed possible to modulate our own autonomic nervous system and, consequently, […]