By — Talea Miller Talea Miller Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/global-health-headlines-of-the-week-1 Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Global Health Watch: Cholera in Haiti, TB Numbers Leveling Off Health Nov 11, 2010 5:48 PM EDT We are starting a new feature on the Rundown from our global health unit. Once a week, we’ll be publishing a roundup of important health stories around the world you should know about. Here are our top five from this week: Cholera Spreading in Port-au-Prince Health workers are trying to stave off an explosion of cholera cases in the crowded tent camps and slums of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The highly-contagious waterborne disease reached the capital city this week, following heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Tomas. More than 600 Haitians have died from the cholera outbreak so far, and 10,000 are infected. TB Tide Turning The number of new tuberculosis cases around the world is leveling off, according to a new report from the World Health Organization. Yearly new infections held at 9.4 million from 2008 to 2009, and held steady or dropped in nearly all the highest burden countries, including China, India and Russia. Polio Strikes Congo A polio outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed nearly 100 people and paralyzed hundreds more. Reuters reports an emergency vaccination campaign will begin Friday to combat the crippling, deadly virus, which is preventable but has no cure. New Clues to HIV Immunity Some HIV infected patients never get severely sick or develop AIDS, members of a group the NewsHour reported on earlier this year called HIV elites. Now new research indicates small differences in proteins that work with the immune system may hold the key to this defense, and to a possible HIV vaccine down the road. World Pneumonia Day Supporters of the fight against pneumonia, a leading cause of death for children in the developing world, are planning to wear blue in solidarity to mark World Pneumonia Day Friday. Check out the World Lung Foundation’s Acute Respiratory Infections Atlas launched this week. Follow the Global Health unit on Twitter. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now By — Talea Miller Talea Miller
We are starting a new feature on the Rundown from our global health unit. Once a week, we’ll be publishing a roundup of important health stories around the world you should know about. Here are our top five from this week: Cholera Spreading in Port-au-Prince Health workers are trying to stave off an explosion of cholera cases in the crowded tent camps and slums of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. The highly-contagious waterborne disease reached the capital city this week, following heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Tomas. More than 600 Haitians have died from the cholera outbreak so far, and 10,000 are infected. TB Tide Turning The number of new tuberculosis cases around the world is leveling off, according to a new report from the World Health Organization. Yearly new infections held at 9.4 million from 2008 to 2009, and held steady or dropped in nearly all the highest burden countries, including China, India and Russia. Polio Strikes Congo A polio outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has killed nearly 100 people and paralyzed hundreds more. Reuters reports an emergency vaccination campaign will begin Friday to combat the crippling, deadly virus, which is preventable but has no cure. New Clues to HIV Immunity Some HIV infected patients never get severely sick or develop AIDS, members of a group the NewsHour reported on earlier this year called HIV elites. Now new research indicates small differences in proteins that work with the immune system may hold the key to this defense, and to a possible HIV vaccine down the road. World Pneumonia Day Supporters of the fight against pneumonia, a leading cause of death for children in the developing world, are planning to wear blue in solidarity to mark World Pneumonia Day Friday. Check out the World Lung Foundation’s Acute Respiratory Infections Atlas launched this week. Follow the Global Health unit on Twitter. A free press is a cornerstone of a healthy democracy. Support trusted journalism and civil dialogue. Donate now