Public health news: February 2007

Food traffic light labelling popular

27 February 2007

Public and industry support for the UK Food Standards Agency 'traffic light' food labelling system appears to be increasing, despite the early appearance of a competing system from some industry bodies.

Public want food 'traffic lights'  (BBC News, February 2007)
Eatwell - traffic light labelling  (FSA, February 2007)
Health promotion  (Internal link)

Evidence mounting of circumcision effectiveness in HIV

22 February 2007

Two papers in this week's Lancet add to the growing body of research suggesting male circumcision dramatically reduces the risk of acquiring HIV through sexual intercourse.  The latest reports are from trials in Kenya and Uganda, both suggesting a reduction in incidence of new HIV disease in circumcised men of between 50-60% compared with control individuals over a 2 year follow-up.

Bailey, RC et al, Lancet doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60312-2 [?] (Lancet, February 2007)
Gray, RH et al, Lancet doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(07)60313-4 [?] (Lancet, February 2007)
International and global public health - infectious diseases (Internal link)

General Medical Council to cede powers to Government  21 February 2007
The professional body governing doctors in the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC), is set to lose its powers to sanction poorly performing doctors to an independent authority, under proposals in a controversial White Paper, 'Trust Assurance and Safety'.  The White Paper also supports expected changes to the revalidation and licensing of doctors.  The changes are in part a result of a number of high-profile cases where the existing arrangements for professional self-regulation have been seen to have failed.

Trust, Assurance and Safety - the regulation of health professionals in the 21st Century (DH, February 2007)
BMA warns of the risks of medical regulation proposals (BMA press release, February 2007)
General Medical Council response  (GMC press release, February 2007)

H5N1 outbreak in birds confirmed in England

3 February 2007

Tests have confirmed that 2,600 turkeys which died suddenly this week on a farm in Suffolk had the H5N1 strain of avian influenza.  The farm in Holton is now subject to a 3km protection zone and a 10km surveillance zone.  These are the first confirmed cases of avian influenza in the UK since a single case in a swan in Scotland in March 2006, which was thought likely to be a migrant bird.  There is international concern that the current H5N1 outbreak in birds in Asia, the Middle East, Europe and Africa may be a prelude to an influenza pandemic in humans.  The strain currently in birds can infect humans, but only following extensive contact with affected birds, and does not appear to spread easily within man.

Tests show bird flu is H5N1 virus  (BBC News, February 2007)
Flu pandemic planning  (Internal link, regularly updated)
Avian influenza (bird flu)  (DEFRA, February 2007)
Avian influenza in UK  (Internal link, April 2006)