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About 75% Of People In Rwanda Who Have Experienced Discrimination Are HIV-Positive, Survey Finds
A recently released survey on stigma in Rwanda indicates that at least 74% of people in various segments of society who have experienced discrimination are HIV-positive, the New Times/AllAfrica.com reports. The discrimination often is in the form of isolation from family and physical harassment, according to the survey. The study was conducted by the Association of Vulnerable Widows Infected and Affected by HIV and AIDS in conjunction with the Network of People Living with HIV and UNAIDS Rwanda. It found that although 87% of respondents reported never having been denied health services, 88% reported being denied other social services, such as family planning, because of their HIV status. An estimated one-third of respondents reported that their rights had been abused because of their HIV-positive status. Chantal Nyiramanyana, AVVAIS president, said, "We conducted this survey as a way of providing basis for advocacy, policy change, and programmatic interventions by the government and other interested bodies to address stigma and discrimination related to HIV." The survey found that other groups experiencing stigma in the country include commercial sex workers and asylum seekers (Kwizera, New Times/AllAfrica.com, 5/27).
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University Of Miami Receives Grant To Improve Maternal And Infant Health In Haiti
The University of Miami (UM) School of Nursing and Health Studies has received a $98,000 grant from the Pan American Health and Education Foundation (PAHEF) for an initiative designed to address issues of maternal and infant health in Haiti. Financed by PAHEF from a fund created through the generosity of the People of Taiwan, the program will assist the Haitian Ministry of Health in addressing one of its foremost national objectives: the reduction of maternal and infant morbidity through increased access to family planning, pregnancy care, and labor and post-partum health services.
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Views Sought On European Regulation On Biocides
Views are being sought on European proposals for a revised regime for regulating the placing on the market and use of biocides.
Public Health

Public Health Campaign Associated With Major Reduction In Antibiotic Use

A national public health campaign in France was associated with a marked reduction of unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions, particularly in children, says new research published in this week"s open-access journal PLoS Medicine. The campaign, "Antibiotiques c"est pas automatique" (Antibiotics are not automatic), ran from 2002 to 2007 during the winter months when viral respiratory infections mainly occur. The campaign included an educational campaign for healthcare workers, the promotion of rapid tests for diagnosis of streptococcal infections, and a public information campaign about viral respiratory infections and about antibiotic resistance. The researchers, led by Didier Guillemot at INSERM and Institut Pasteur in Paris, France, report that compared to the preintervention period (2000-2002), the total number of antibiotic prescriptions per 100 inhabitants, adjusted for frequency of flu-like symptoms during the winter season, declined by more than 25% over 5 years. The decline occurred in all 22 regions of France and affected all classes of antibiotic except quinolones, say the researchers. The greatest decrease was observed among young children aged 6-15 years. The authors note that because this is an ecological analysis, they cannot conclude that the campaign actually caused the reduction in antibiotic use. Other factors that may have been responsible for the observed reduction could include other initiatives in France and Belgium at the same time, or the introduction of a vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae during the study period. In a commentary on the article, Benedikt Huttner and Stephan Harbarth (uninvolved in the research) say that this study "provides the largest and most sophisticated analysis published thus far correlating a nationwide public campaign to decreased antibiotic use over an extended period of time." Because reducing antibiotic use to avoid antibiotic resistance is so important, they argue, more longitudinal and modeling research to evaluate the impact of public health strategies is needed. Funding: No external funds were obtained for this work. Citation: "Significant Reduction of Antibiotic Use in the Community after a÷ Nationwide Campaign in France, 2002-2007." Sabuncu E, David J, Berne`de-Bauduin C, Pe÷´pin S, Leroy M, et al. (2009) PLoS Med 6(6): e1000084. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000084 PLoS Medicine


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