Health & Science

• Thursday, March 19th 2009 - 16:34 UTC

  UN pushes for ratification of global pact outlawing cluster bombs

  

  The pace of the ratification of a global pact outlawing cluster bombs must be accelerated to relegate the deadly weapons “to the pages of history,” Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro said Wednesday.

• Thursday, March 19th 2009 - 06:08 UTC

  Condoms essential to fight AIDS epidemics says UN

  

  With over 7,400 new HIV infections daily, comprehensive approaches – including condom use – are essential to stop the spread of the AIDS epidemic, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) said Wednesday, warning that there is no “single magic bullet” for prevention.

• Tuesday, March 17th 2009 - 10:10 UTC

  Dengue confirmed in five countries and in Brazil’s posh seaside resort

  

  The mosquito transmitted dengue disease which has caused havoc in the heartland of South America and at least five countries, has now been reported in the northeast of Brazil where authorities confirmed Monday the spread of the disease with a death toll of 25 people since the beginning of the year and 4.751 new cases reported in the last week.

• Friday, March 13th 2009 - 06:23 UTC

  Surging global population adds to water crisis warns UN

  

  The surging growth in global population, climate change, widespread mismanagement and increasing demand for energy have tightened the grip on the world’s evaporating water supplies, warned a new United Nations report released today.

• Thursday, March 12th 2009 - 16:09 UTC

  Bolivian president Morales chews coca leaf and calls for respect

  

  Bolivian president Evo Morales ate a coca leaf in front of delegates at the UN summit on drugs in Vienna on Wednesday, to underline his demand that the raw ingredient used to make cocaine be removed from the United Nation's list of prohibited drugs.

• Thursday, March 12th 2009 - 08:28 UTC

  Planet Earth ever so crowded: 7 billion by early 2012

  

  The world’s population will hit 7 billion early in 2012 and top 9 billion in 2050, with the majority of the increase taking place in developing countries, according to revised United Nations estimates released today.

• Thursday, March 12th 2009 - 04:25 UTC

  Paraguayans consume eight times more beer than milk

  

  Beer consumption in Paraguay is eight times that of milk according to the Paraguayan Chamber of Dairy Industries based on information from the Pan-american Health Organization.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 11:01 UTC

  Spain confirms fifth human death of mad cow disease

  

  Spain confirmed that a woman has died from the human form of mad cow disease, the fifth such death in Spain since 2005. The victim died in January in the northern city of Santander, according to the statement, released by the Ministry of Health.

• Monday, March 9th 2009 - 09:56 UTC

  Bolivia’s Morales heads fumigation campaign against dengue

  

  Bolivian president Evo Morales headed this weekend a massive fumigation and clean up campaign in one of the poor neighbourhoods of the city of Santa Cruz as part of a major effort against the mosquito transmitted dengue disease which has caused so far 22 deaths and an estimated 41.000 cases.

• Thursday, March 5th 2009 - 16:46 UTC

  First death caused by dengue reported in north Argentina

  

  A 65 year old man is the first confirmed death of the mosquito transmitted dengue disease in the north of Argentina, it was officially informed Wednesday. The area where the case was reported, Tartagal, recently suffered a deadly mudslide which left thousand in precarious living conditions.