Dr Seth Berkley, Chief Executive Officer of the GAVI Alliance, asks "how is it that Rwanda, among the world’s poorest countries – and still recovering from a brutal civil war – is able to protect its teenage girls against cancer more effectively than the G-8 countries?". The answer is that Rwanda has vaccinated 93 percent of its teenager girls … [Read more...] about Girls in Rwanda better protected than girls in the US @GAVISeth #HPV #HPVaccine
Archives for October 2013
Reasons #polio may not be eradicated by 2018: a journal trips over itself #GPEI
An article in the current PLoS Medicine is sure to ruffle feathers amongst those committed to polio eradication by questioning whether polio can or should be eradicated by 2018. An independent expert board has concluded that there is a realistic prospect of no new transmission by 2014 but the authors of the PLoS paper think that even 2018 is too … [Read more...] about Reasons #polio may not be eradicated by 2018: a journal trips over itself #GPEI
European governments increasingly wobbly on #climatechange and #greenenergy
Years of inconclusive negotiations on a global agreement to limit greenhouses gases probably made it inevitable that Europe's expensive policies to encourage renewables would come under increasing threat. This week gave some excellent examples. Germany's "massively expensive Energiewende" policies are not simply unaffordable, they are … [Read more...] about European governments increasingly wobbly on #climatechange and #greenenergy
Why even good market research is becoming less reliable
There is a widely held belief that views all over the world are becoming more polarised because market research says they are. This is most obvious in politics -- people seem to be taking more and more extreme positions. But we have seen this phenomenon in qualitative and quantitative reputation research too: respondents seem more likely than they … [Read more...] about Why even good market research is becoming less reliable
What Marriott’s leaked crisis guide tells you
Wikileaks is probably best known for casting light onto the activities of the intelligence services or of American diplomats. Recently, though, it got its hands on the crisis management manual for Marriott hotels. These massive folders are treasured by big PR agencies - sorry, reputation management consultants - as big fee earners with even … [Read more...] about What Marriott’s leaked crisis guide tells you
Imagine telemedicine #Acano
Should you fall ill at 4am, you still want the best healthcare professionals as you would at 2pm when the staff are on-duty in the hospital. However, at 4am, most senior consultants are at home and out of reach. Telemedicine is the use of telecommunication and information technologies in order to provide clinical health care at a distance in both … [Read more...] about Imagine telemedicine #Acano
China’s first global #vaccine against a backdrop of massive #sciencefraud
This was a good news, bad news week for Chinese science. China's got its first vaccine ever pre-qualified by the World Health Organization. Pre-qualification means that, "WHO has given the vaccine its stamp of approval in safety and efficacy terms, and United Nations procuring agencies can now source this vaccine," according to the UN. It's … [Read more...] about China’s first global #vaccine against a backdrop of massive #sciencefraud
Cervical cancer: large study shows #HPV vaccines have no serious side effects #hpvvaccine
According to FIGO (the global professional body for obstetricians and gynaecologists), "a large-scale study in Sweden and Denmark has established that the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine does not carry a risk of serious adverse reactions." The study from Karolinska followed a million girls born between 1998 and 2000. 300,000 were vaccinated … [Read more...] about Cervical cancer: large study shows #HPV vaccines have no serious side effects #hpvvaccine
South Africa breaks ranks with Brazil, China and India on #climatechange
According to today's edition of The Hindu, South Africa has broken with its BASIC (Brazil, India and China) partners by demanding that the new global agreement on climate change be in the form of a protocol with targets, commitments and actions for all parties. India is, predictably, unhappy. The new South African position "is a mix of what the … [Read more...] about South Africa breaks ranks with Brazil, China and India on #climatechange
Where do Iran and the West have shared interests in #Syria? What can’t be discussed in polite conversation
If you're interested in the real politics of the Middle East (as we are), this thoughtful 17-minute podcast from the New Yorker deserves your time. Dexter Filkins wrote a typically long and detailed piece in last week's New Yorker about Qasssem Suleimani, the Commander of the Quds Force within the Republican Guard (picture below). The discussion … [Read more...] about Where do Iran and the West have shared interests in #Syria? What can’t be discussed in polite conversation
The Three Commitments
Why Consultants end up not telling the truth
The worst kind of market research interviewing technique ever
Why bright people can’t explain themselves
