World Health Organization (WHO)

In a significant reversal, the World Health Organization revised its estimate for the number of people who could die as a result of an avian flu outbreak to as many as 7.4 million. That number is far lower than earlier dire warnings which had suggested that up to 150 million lives could be lost in a global pandemic if the virus made the transition to a form capable of human-to-human transmission. The admission is particularly unusual, observers say, coming at a time when health officials …

>  A World Health Organization official in Indonesia said there is little evidence that the bird flu virus has mutated into a form capable of human to human transmission. Story

> Trends: The California HealthCare Foundation has released its annual survey of health care in California.  HMO enrollment is down; pay for performance gaining ground. …

> As Hurricane Rita was upgraded to Cat -5 status, HCA said it will close its Houston area facilities. Story

> Another Merck executive has given testimony damaging to his company's image. Edward Scolnick said his "anxiety quotient" about the drug was very high as early as the year 2000. Story

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The Indonesian government is predicting that an outbreak of H5N1 virus could evolve into an epidemic. The country's health minister said that two children, ages 5 and 2, died of the disease at a Jakarta hospital. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says his government will take all necessary measures to contain the disease. Critics however, note the country's slow response to last year's tsunamis which killed over 200,000 people, as a possible warning sign that the local response may not …

The World Health Organization launched an international drive to reduce the number of preventable medical errors. The Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) will play a leading role in the drive, which seeks to use best practices to eliminate preventable mistakes. While researchers say that up to 100,000 Americans die every year because of preventable medical mistakes, nobody is really sure how many are lost on a global basis. Supporters say simple steps could save thousands of lives. Story

> The HN51 virus is making headlines, but according to the World Health Organization, the real killer in Asia today is air pollution, which is claiming thousands of lives every month. Story

> Critics target church-owned, non-profit hospitals, saying they are making huge profits while overcharging those who cannot afford to pay for …

Researchers in Asia published a paper which criticizes western governments for not sharing access to drugs which can guard against the avian flu and said that the drug Zanamavir should be stockpiled in case of a possible pandemic. Writing in the Lancet, the group argues that experts have been overly conservative in ruling out the antiviral Zanamavir, which is marketed by GlaxoSmithKline as Relenza. Until now, most experts have argued that Oseltamivir, sold by Roche as Tamiflu, is …

An experimental vaccine produced by drug maker Sanofi-Pasteur has shown strong promise in protecting recipients from the HN51 virus, also known as the avian flu. A limited clinical trial conducted by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and the French drug maker found the vaccine produced a strong immune response in the patients who were given it. Experts say the development is a major step in the fight to prevent a catastrophic outbreak of the virus, which worst case …

The World Health Organization and the United Nations said they probably will not meet their goal of providing 3 million people with HIV/AIDS with retroviral drugs by the end of 2005. Current estimates indicate that health groups have been able to get retrovirals to about 1 million people in poor countries, according to WHO AIDS project head Dr. Jim Yong Kim. Story

Earlier this morning, the World Health Organization approved tough new regulations which give the international agency broadened powers to fight global health threats. Under the new rules, the WHO has strengthened authority to restrict travel and commerce from affected areas. In theory, WHO officials will also have more access to information on the ground in areas where diseases have broken out. In the past, many countries have withheld information. Governments will be required to report …