Poverty and obesity: the role of energy density and energy costs

Worldwide, some 240 million people have chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV), with the highest rates of infection in Africa and Asia. Our understanding of the natural history of HBV infection and the potential for therapy of the resultant disease is continuously improving. New data have become available since the previous APASL guidelines for management of HBV infection were published in 2012. The objective of this manuscript is to update the recommendations for the optimal management of chronic HBV infection. The 2015 guidelines were developed by a panel of Asian experts chosen by the APASL. The clinical practice guidelines are based on evidence from existing publications or, if evidence was unavailable, on the experts' personal experience and opinion after deliberations. Manuscripts and abstracts of important meetings published through January 2015 have been evaluated. This guideline covers the full spectrum of care of patients infected with hepatitis B, including new terminology, natural history, screening, vaccination, counseling, diagnosis, assessment of the stage of liver disease, the indications, timing, choice and duration of single or combination of antiviral drugs, screening for HCC, management in special situations like childhood, pregnancy, coinfections, renal impairment and pre- and post-liver transplant, and policy guidelines. However, areas of uncertainty still exist, and clinicians, patients, and public health authorities must therefore continue to make choices on the basis of the evolving evidence. The final clinical practice guidelines and recommendations are presented here, along with the relevant background information.

/pdf/asian-pacific-clinical-practice-guidelines-on-the-management-za5qxgu5i6.pdf

Asian-Pacific clinical practice guidelines on the management of hepatitis B: a 2015 update.

https://www.thelancet.com/pdfs/journals/lancet/PIIS0140-6736(04)16675-0.pdf

Association between child and adolescent television viewing and adult health: a longitudinal birth cohort study

Responding to global infectious disease outbreaks: lessons from SARS on the role of risk perception, communication and management.

Reviews of evidence regarding interventions to improve vaccination coverage in children adolescents and adults.

The Ministry of Health convened a workshop in June 1998 on the future of the immunisation schedule. Your comments are invited on the recommendations of the workshop. PRINCIPLES BEHIND THE SCHEDULE: Improve on-time immunisation coverage as the priority. Reaching the last 20% will cost at least as much as the first 80% and is vital to achieve the aims of the immunisation programme (disease elimination and improved control). Obtain regular secure coverage data, derived from a tracking system that ensures children are followed up. Assess compliance with early childhood centre immunisation checks at entry and improve if necessary. Establish an expert committee to advise on the immunisation schedule and policies. Keep the schedule as simple as possible. Accept that vaccines are not generic and future schedule recommendations may be vaccine-specific. Involve providers in the process of change. PROPOSED CHANGES: Move the second dose of measles-mumps-rubella vaccine from age 11 years to around five years. Consider moving the third visit from five to four months to achieve earlier protection against pertussis. Consider adding a fifth dose of pertussis vaccine. Change to acellular pertussis vaccine, once suitable vaccines are available. Change to inactivated polio vaccine, once suitable vaccines are available. Consider omitting the fourth dose of polio vaccine. Consider introducing an adult immunisation schedule with fewer adult tetanus-diphtheria boosters.

The future of the immunisation schedule: recommendations of a workshop.

Modern surveillance needed to control the increase in STIs.

Influenza is a common respiratory viral infection. Seasonal outbreaks of influenza cause substantial morbidity and mortality that burdens healthcare services every year. The influenza virus constantly evolves by antigenic drift and occasionally by antigenic shift, making this disease particularly challenging to manage and prevent. As influenza viruses cause seasonal outbreaks and also have the ability to cause pandemics leading to widespread social and economic losses, focused discussions on improving management and prevention efforts is warranted. The Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) hosted the 2nd New Zealand Influenza Symposium (NZiS) in November 2015. International and national participants discussed current issues in influenza management and prevention. Experts in the field presented data from recent studies and discussed the ecology of influenza viruses, epidemiology of influenza, methods of prevention and minimisation, and experiences from the 2015 seasonal influenza immunisation campaign. The symposium concluded that although much progress in this field has been made, many areas for future research remain.

Osman Mansoor

Papers

The future of the immunisation schedule: recommendations of a workshop.

Modern surveillance needed to control the increase in STIs.

What's new with the flu? Reflections regarding the management and prevention of influenza from the 2nd New Zealand Influenza Symposium, November 2015.

Pneumococcal infections in New Zealand.

The first analytic evidence for socio-economic gradients in 1918 pandemic influenza mortality rates for New Zealand.