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Weekly News and Notes
From the Duke Global Health Institute
Greetings!
This current outbreak of swine flu reinforces a fact those in global health know too well: diseases don't have borders. With the increasingly global economy and relative ease of travel across and among countries, new infectious diseases emerge each year. Recent epidemics such as SARS and West Nile have had a devastating impact on the economy, security and potential loss of life throughout the world.
That's why DGHI is investing in Emerging Infectious Diseases as one of its signature research initiatives. Led by Duke Infectious Diseases Physician and DGHI Member Chris Woods, MD, MPH, this research is engaging people and organizations at Duke to address the factors that contribute to these infections.
We at DGHI are paying close attention as the swine flu situation unfolds. Check our website for the latest news about Duke's response to the outbreak.
Until Next Week,
Geelea Seaford and Everyone at DGHI
PS: Don't forget about the Celebrate Haiti event on May 2 to support Family Health Ministries |
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Addressing Local Needs: New project seeks to address unmet needs of HIV-infected persons in Durham County
 The most persistent communicable diseases among Durham County residents are sexually-transmitted diseases, including HIV/AIDS along with infections that share common risk factors such as viral hepatitis. From 2005-07, Durham County ranked fifth among North Carolina counties in the numbers of reported persons diagnosed with HIV infection, with the highest HIV disease rates over the 3-year period.
This fact, among others, has led Duke Infectious Diseases Physician and DGHI Associate Director for Research John Bartlett, MD and Arlene C. Seña, MD, MPH of the Durham County Health Department, to assemble a multidisciplinary, community-wide team to address the issue of co-morbidities among the HIV-infected population in Durham County. In addition, the team has received funding from Duke Health Innovations (DHI) Partnership to support their work.
(10 new DHI-funded projects were announced today at a community-wide health conference. Read more )
The project offers an innovative care model by coordinating and integrating services for patients with HIV, sexually transmitted diseases and hepatitis in Durham County. This effort will increase the numbers of tested persons, and ensure that all of those who test positive enter and remain in care through an aggressive program of community outreach. In addition, secondary prevention education will be targeted to decrease the continuing spread of these diseases.
The innovation in the model lies in the unique care coordination and integration of services for STDs/HIV/hepatitis offered by the interdisciplinary team of Duke and Durham partners. Although care coordination using integrated social and medical models have been developed for chronic diseases, coordination for STDs and HIV is more challenging due to the stigma and fear of disclosure associated with these diseases in addition to complex social, behavioral and medical issues.
Achieving the goals of this project will result in decreased incidence rates, improved morbidity and mortality rates, and cost savings for health care systems.
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News and Announcements
New Kaiser Family Foundation Report details the structure, funding of US global health programs
With attention to global health rising on the US policy agenda in recent years, the Kaiser Family Foundation launched new resources providing US policymakers, non-governmental organizations, journalists and others working in the global health arena with timely information, including daily news summaries, a policy tracker tool, and original research and analysis. Read more
DGHI Member Kevin Schulman
The Obesity Epidemic - A Need for Social Intervention?
Originally distributed by Fuqua School of Business, Health Sector Management Program
Obesity is an epidemic raging in the US and in many other countries. The spread of obesity in the US has been dramatic over the last 20 years, as illustrated by the Centers for Disease Control, suggesting an almost pandemic spread of this condition. Pediatric obesity is also on the rise, with the prevalence for teenagers approaching 18%. Read more
Outreach and Communications Coordinator, Asian/Pacific Studies Institute, Duke
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Take a break from exam prep to help fight malaria
Mosquito SPLAT is a new Facebook game. Every time you play, advertisers make a donation to support malaria research in the developing world.
Mosquito SPLAT is a partnership between the McLaughlin-Rotman Center for Global Health at the University Health Network and the University of Toronto and the UN Foundation's Nothing But Nets campaign. The Mosquito SPLAT game is part of Malaria Engage, an initiative to enlist people directly in the anti-malaria battle by supporting malaria research projects in the developing world.
From Global Health Council:
Sunday, May 10 is Mother's Day
She taught you to make a difference. For some mothers, this Mother's Day will not be a day of celebration.
Why? Because on in 75 women in developing countries faces the risk of dying in childbirth. Compare that to one in 7,300 for women in developed countries.
Honor your mother with a gift of $15 or more to the Global Health Council and help develop healthy mothers around the world. Your contribution will help make a difference. Your gift will help make Mother's Day a time for celebration. Click here to make your donation >> |
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