Health News

Intensity of snoring sounds linked to sleepiness

Washington, Dec 15 : A new study has shown that there''s an independent relationship between the intensity of snoring sounds and sleepiness.

The study showed that objectively measured snoring intensity is directly linked to subjective sleepiness independent of the apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) in patients with moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

The study is the first to use polysomnography and sound measurements to demonstrate the relationship between snoring sounds and sleepiness.

It has revealed that the sound intensity of objectively measured snoring in patients with OSA is independently correlated with subjective sleepiness as measured by the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS).

UN report: injuries major cause of child death

UN report: injuries major cause of child deathHanoi - Accidental injury is a leading cause of death among children in underdeveloped countries, killing some 2,000 children every day, according to a UN report released Wednesday.

But the report says efforts to reduce injuries among children are underfunded and have been too often ignored.

The report, released by the World Health Organization and the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) at a press conference in Hanoi, uses Vietnam as an example of how efforts to prevent injuries in children can be unexpectedly complex.

Measles deaths drop by nearly 75 per cent this decade

Geneva  - Measles deaths fell by 74 per cent globally between 2000 and 2007, with countries in the eastern Mediterranean region cutting the death rate by 90 per cent, the United Nations reported Thursday.

The Arab states and other countries in the bloc, such as Afghanistan, Pakistan and Somalia, made the "remarkable" progress thanks to immunization programmes.

Margaret Chan, the head of the World Health Organization, called on all states affected by the disease to step up efforts to immunize children in order to meet the UN's goal of cutting measles deaths by 90 percent by 2010.

Teething mixture kills more Nigerian babies

Teething mixture kills more Nigerian babiesAbuja  - The number of babies who died after being administered a locally made teething mixture in Nigeria has risen from 25 to 34, the state-run food and drugs regulatory agency said Wednesday.

Dora Akunyili, Director-General of the National Food and Drugs Administration and Control, said the additional deaths were recorded at one of Nigeria's oldest medicine training institutes, the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in Zaria, where eight had died earlier.

Bush's AIDS fight gets PEACE award; White House in red

Washington  - As most Americans were beginning to think about hanging their Christmas decorations, the White House first paused to mark another anniversary - the
20th World AIDS Day - with a giant red AIDS ribbon on the presidential residence.

The 8.5-metre-high decoration which appeared Monday on the north portico symbolized the US "resolve to confront" the dreaded scourge that has infected 33 million people worldwide, US President George W Bush said.

But his commitment to fighting the disease is more than just symbolic, and even his critics and political opponents have lauded his administration's work on the issue.

Bush: Huge AIDS ribbon on White House signals US support for fight

Washington  - A huge red AIDS ribbon hung Monday on the north portico of the White House Monday, symbolizing the US "resolve to confront" the dreaded scourge that has infected 33 million people worldwide, US President George W Bush said.

Bush emphasized the accomplishments of his nearly eight years in office in supporting the fight against AIDS, which even his critics acknowledge was one of the strongest overtures of his administration.

The ribbon, Bush said, affirmed "the matchless value of every life."

He claimed his emergency plan for AIDS relief, known as PEPFAR, was the "largest international health initiative dedicated to a single disease."

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