Spraying walls or cloths with spores of a fungus that kills mosquitoes could greatly reduce malaria transmission, according to a report on the non-profit Science and Development Network website. Two studies were published on Friday on the issue in the reputable peer-reviewed journal Science.
The Pandemic Preparedness Project is readying nations worldwide for an expected global flu epidemic, according to reports on the Science and Development Network website. Researchers agree that it is question of when, not if, a global flu epidemic occurs. Many experts predict the next outbreak will result from the current bird-flu epidemics in south-east Asia.
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/ 19 December 2004
The introduction of genetically modified (GM) maize to Kenyan farmers is to be delayed, according to the <i>Science and Development Network</i>. The GM maize is now scheduled to make its debut in 2010, following revised safety regulations for the Insect-Resistant Maize for Africa project. The new regulations are focusing greater attention to potential threats that GM maize could pose to the environment.
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/ 1 November 2004
Adding a naturally occurring mineral to water contaminated by arsenic could be a quick and cheap means of removing the toxic chemical, says the Science and Development Network. Water containing high concentrations of arsenic threatens the health of tens of millions of people, mainly in Bangladesh and the Indian state of West Bengal.
Researchers are claiming a breakthrough in the battle against leishmaniasis, a potentially fatal disease affecting millions, many of them in Africa. The Centers for Disease Control in the United States includes Southern Africa in its list of regions affected by the lethal illness, which produces fever, anaemia, and swelling of the spleen and liver. But the real fight has been against the severe lack of resources and facilities.
Global temperature increases could cause significant reductions in yields of rice — the staple food for more than half of the world’s population — according to just-released research available online at the <i>Science and Development Network</i>. Scientists have published direct evidence that rising night-time temperatures associated with global warming can cause rice yields to fall.