[Infographic] The Stats about Pharmaceutical Companies

How Youth Drive Change - UNESCO Youth Forum 2011

          Today’s youth are raising their voices to shape the present and futures of their countries. They want to be heard, to be included in decision-making debates and to make change. Student engagement, social innovation, fostering democracy, youth employment, conflict and sustainable development are among the issues that will be discussed on the floor of the 7th UNESCO Youth Forum. 

• Young  people in the world: So different and so alike, Monique Coleman
• Mobile revolution, Gigi Ibrahim
• Spring of outrage, Alfredo Trujillo Fernandez
• Miracle Weapons, Serge Amisi
• When poetry is louder than a bomb,Nate Marshall
• Moonlight stars, Carol Natukunda
• A young sughar, Noshan Abbas
• Rebels with a cause, Jens Lubbadeh
• Prescriptions for a sick planet, Zhao Ying
• Green architecture, Carlos Bartesaghi Koc

Held from 17 to 20 October 2011 in UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, the Forum brings together youth delegates, civil society participants, UN entities, intergovernmental organizations, academics and the private sector. Participants will discuss, debate, and exchange ideas on the Forum’s timely themes and have the opportunity to present their recommendations to the representatives of Member States during the 36th UNESCO General Conference. 

Marijuana replaces Ritalin treatment in Children and Adolescents with ADD/ADHD

Brief Overview 
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is also known as hyperactivity or attention deficit disorder (ADD). ADHD is a common condition that affects children and adolescents, while ADD is more common in adults.
        The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) estimates that 3% to 5% of children have ADHD. Some experts, though, say ADHD may occurs in 8% to 10% of school age children. Experts also question whether kids really outgrow ADHD. What that means is that this disorder may be more common in adults than previously thought.

       Children with ADHD generally have problems paying attention or concentrating. They can't seem to follow directions and are easily bored or frustrated with tasks. They also tend to move constantly and are impulsive, not stopping to think before they act. These behaviors are generally common in children. But they occur more often than usual and are more severe in a child with ADHD.

How to Turn your iPhone into a Microscope

       CellScope is a UC Berkeley project designed to enable microscopic image captures from a cell phone’s camera. At first it might sound like a pointlessly geeky project to do microscopy on a cell phone, but in fact it has important applications for mobile health services in remote areas. In some areas of sub-Saharan Africa and other developing areas of the world, access to health care of any kind is scarce, and it often falls upon poorly-equipped doctors or volunteers to take up the slack.

Since health care equipment is generally expensive to begin with, outfitting even a low-power microscope with a wireless transmitter capable of communicating with doctors at a remote location could easily run into the thousands of dollars. Not only that, but the equipment itself would likely be bulky, temperamental, and easily damaged. That's where CellScope comes in. Via an attachment, CellScope can turn a standard cell phone camera into a 5x to 50x microscope, essentially creating a miniaturized blood lab that can capture images and transmit them far more cheaply than traditional equipment.

2011 Recommended Immunizations for Children from Birth Through 6 Years Old

Vaccine-Preventable Diseases and the Vaccines that Prevent Them

The Blue Zones and The Secret of Longevity

        Dan Buettner is the team leader of  "The Blue Zones" which is a longevity research project funded by National Geographic. They are studying human longevity in various cultures around the world. In his book "The Blue Zones", Dan Buettner outlines the healthy habits, the longevity diets and the cultural and familial values that each longevity society upholds.
The name for the project was coined after Dan's team happened to be using a blue marker to circle areas with high rates of human longevity on a map. A blue zone is specifically a geographical region somewhere in the world that has exceptionally high rates of longevity. For example, Okinawan longevity is the best in the world, per capita. One in 2,000 Okinawans can expect to make it past 100, whereas the average American has a 1 in 100,000 chance (according to statistics from 1990).

Latisse - the new treatment promises to enhance the length, thickness and shade of Eyelashes

        The solution, manufactured by American pharmaceutical giant Allergen - which also makes Botox, must be applied daily during the period of the treatment, claims to double the thickness of the lashes as well as making them 18 % darker and 25 % longer. Having applied the lotion for four months, women can even reduce the dose by half to maintain the lashes' thickness and length and if they stop the treatment altogether, the lash will revert to its thinner, shorter original condition.

Since its launch, Latisse, which was originally targeted at middle-aged women with thinning lashes, has sold more than 2.5 million bottles.

Warnings about the safety of Codeine, Oxycodone and Acetaminophen in breastfeeding mothers

          Doctors have been prescribing Codeine for postpartum pain management for many years, and, until recently, it was considered safe to breastfeed while taking the opioid. But the death of an infant exposed to Codeine through breast-milk has many health care providers questioning the safety of the drug when used by breastfeeding mothers. Because of the potential risks, some doctors have begun the practice of prescribing Oxycodone as an alternative to Codeine; however, a new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that oxycodone is no safer for breastfed infants than codeine.The levels of Oxycodone in breast milk strongly correlated with plasma levels, suggesting that Oxycodone persisted in the breast milk of some mothers. Therefore, it is important to address the neonatal safety of Oxycodone during breastfeeding.

The Nobel Assembly at Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) has today decided the winners of the The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2011

       The 2011 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded to Bruce A. Beutler, Jules A. Hoffmann and Ralph M. Steinman.
       Beutler and Hoffmann were honoured for "their discoveries concerning the activation of innate immunity", while the other half of the prize was given to Steinman for "his discovery of the dendritic cell and its role in adaptive immunity".

From fundamental research to medical use

The discoveries that are awarded the 2011 Nobel Prize have provided novel insights into the activation and regulation of our immune system. They have made possible the development of new methods for preventing and treating disease, for instance with improved vaccines against infections and in attempts to stimulate the immune system to attack tumors. These discoveries also help us understand why the immune system can attack our own tissues, thus providing clues for novel treatment of inflammatory diseases.

Healthy Pumpkin Pudding - Grab your go-to dessert recipe for fall

What's your favorite pumpkin treat - or your fave got-to dessert recipe this time of year??

This sweet treat of Pumpkin Pudding is a creamy blend of fall spices, maple syrup and cozy pumpkin. Pumpkin pie flavors of nutmeg, cinnamon and ginger are swirled into each spoonful.

This is my go-to dessert recipe for fall because it is so simple to prepare in a flash. As easy to make as a smoothie. Yet elegant enough to serve at a fall dinner party. And even better, it's totally good for you! Healthy enough to eat any time of the day - from a quick breakfast to a midnight snack. 5 ingredients, 5 minutes no-cooking required. Blend, chill, serve..

October 2011- Health Observations and Events

October 2011 Health Current Events - Months

Awareness Event	Coverage	Related Organization
National Bandanna Day	Australia	CanTeen
SIDS Awareness Month	Canada	Canadian Foundation for the Study of Infant Deaths
Autism Awareness Month	Canada	Autism Society Canada
Eye Health Month	Canada	Canadian Association of Optometrists
Breast Cancer Awareness Month	Canada	Canadian Cancer Society
Breast Cancer Awareness Month	United Kingdom	Breast Cancer Care
National Liver Awareness Month	United States	American Liver Foundation
Celiac Awareness Month	United States	Celiac Sprue Association
Lung Health Day	United States	American Association for Respiratory Care
Healthy Lung Month	United States	American Lung Association
National Orthodontic Health Month	United States	American Association of Orthodontists
National Down Syndrome Awareness Month	United States	National Down Syndrome Society
National Spina Bifida Awareness Month	United States	Spina Bifida Association
Lupus Awareness Month	Worldwide	Lupus UK
Rett Syndrome Awareness Month	Worldwide	International Rett Syndrome Foundation

October 2011 Health Current Events - Weeks