Top of the Morning: Road Deaths, Cancer, and Diabetes OH MY!

Top stories from DAWNS Digest

Road Deaths, Cancer, and Diabetes OH MY!

Africa’s hidden epidemics that will soon get worse:  road deaths, cancer and diabetes, warns the World Bank. “Road traffic deaths in sub-Saharan Africa are predicted to rise by 80% by 2020, according to a World Bank report, which found the region to have the highest number of accidents, but the fewest vehicles on the road. An estimated 24.1 people per 100,000 are killed in traffic accidents every year, according to the bank. Younger and poorer people are disproportionately vulnerable: accidents on the road are expected to become the biggest killer of children between five and 15 by 2015, outstripping malaria and Aids.” (Guardian http://bit.ly/13U6IGh)

It Just Got Cheaper to Prevent People Living With HIV from Going Blind

An innovative drug licensing program is teaming up with big pharma. “The Medicines Patent Pool and Roche today announced an agreement to increase access in developing countries to valganciclovir, a key easy-to-take oral medicine to treat cytomegalovirus (CMV), a viral infection that can cause blindness in people living with HIV. The agreement, available here [pdf], will significantly improve access to Roche’s valganciclovir for people living with HIV in 138 developing countries by making it up to 90% cheaper than current prices. As a second step, the Medicines Patent Pool and Roche will also enter into licensing and technology transfer negotiations to encourage the development of internationally approved quality generic versions of valganciclovir.” (Medicines Patent Pool http://bit.ly/13IhpMR)