Top 5 Global Health Headlines: Aid to Egypt, Obesity and Cancer

Backers of Egyptian President Mubarak on the streets of Cairo. Mohammed Abed/AFP/Getty Images

U.S. Aid to Egypt in Question

Massive demonstrations against Egypt’s President Mubarak and a deteriorating
security situation in the streets of Cairo have thrown the future of U.S. foreign aid to
the country into uncertainty.

Over the weekend, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said cutting off U.S. aid to Egypt

• amounting to more than $1 billion a year– was not under discussion. But by Wednesday, after
  Mubarak announced he would not run in the next election and demonstrations
  turned more violent, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs indicated the situation is under consideration.

“We will evaluate the actions of the government of Egypt in making and reviewing
decisions about aid,” Gibbs said.

An unnamed senior official told the Washington Post, decisions on aid “will be
events-driven. We will have to be evaluating things” based on how the government
responds.

Inactivity Contributing to Cancer Rates

February 4 is World Cancer Day, and the World Health Organization is spotlighting the role of physical activity in cancer prevention. Physical inactivity is estimated as the main cause for up to 25 percent of breast and colon cancer, the organization said, and the situation is getting worse as obesity rates climb around the world.

The WHO is recommending at least 150 minutes of “moderate” physical exercise a week to cut the risk of breast and colon cancers.

Special Diets Urged for ADHD

The disruptive behavior of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder could be exacerbated by particular foods, according to a new study by Dutch researchers in the Lancet.

The behavior of 78 percent of 41 children who were put on a restricted diet improved after five weeks in the study. However, the foods causing the problem likely differ from child to child, so each case needs to be handled as unique, the researchers said.

Rwanda Planning Vasectomy Drive

In an effort to control population growth in the impoverished country of Rwanda, the government there is encouraging more men to get vasectomies. The procedure would be offered by the same network of health providers offering circumcisions for HIV prevention purposes, an intervention Rwanda has supported for years.

About 700,000 Rwandan men are expected to voluntarily participate in the vasectomy drive over the next three years, Rwanda’s health minister said.

World Economic Forum Launches Risk Response Network

At its annual meeting in Davos, the World Economic Form announced plans to launch a network that could help countries and organizations respond to crisis situations like food insecurity, natural disasters and economic failures.

The network would establish expert councils to look at possible risks proactively, and create public-private partnerships for teams that can mobilize quickly in the event of an emergency.