The Health News USA February 6 2018

• Philanthropist and billionaire Bill Gates, and acclaimed author and surgeon Atul Gawande started their careers going down very different paths. These days, the two are on a similar mission — figuring out how to solve complex health care issues on a global scale, from dispelling myths about vaccines to improving child mortality rates. According to the WHO, more than 5 million children under the age of 5 died in 2016, and more than half of those deaths could have been prevented or treated with access to simple and affordable solutions.
• In a sign that the flu is becoming more virulent, sixteen children across the country have died in the latest reported week because of the virus — more than twice the number of children who died in the previous week, health officials said last Friday. The latest figures bring the national total of pediatric deaths to 53 for the week that ended January 27 up from 37 the week before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly report. In the week ended January 20, 7 children died from the flu.
• Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson suffered from a stroke but is “expected to make a full recovery,” according to a release from the network on Saturday. The televangelist was reportedly brought to the closest medical facility for strokes  around noon on Friday after a member of the family noticed he had symptoms of an embolic stroke. The 700 Club” host is reportedly “alert, awake and expected to make a full recovery” and be released no later than Monday.

News on Health Professional Radio. Today is the 6th of February 2018. Read by Tabetha Moreto.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/03/microsofts-bill-gates-and-surgeon-dr-atul-gawande-team-up-on-health.html

Philanthropist and billionaire Bill Gates, and acclaimed author and surgeon Atul Gawande started their careers going down very different paths. These days, the two are on a similar mission — figuring out how to solve complex health care issues on a global scale, from dispelling myths about vaccines to improving child mortality rates. And sometimes, the solutions are not as expensive as some may think.

According to the World Health Organization, more than five million children under the age of five died in two thousand sixteen, and more than half of those deaths could have been prevented or treated with access to simple and affordable solutions. Progress has been made: For example the under-five mortality rate has dropped by fifty six percent since nineteen ninety. However, the Microsoft founder argues a lot more can be done.
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For example, the philanthropist talked about how to keep a newborn from getting too cold, using a method called “Kangaroo Care.” The mother holds the baby skin-to-skin, and the baby’s body temperature will regulate. But he said, it can be difficult in certain parts of the world to make sure these practices are being followed. In order to save as many lives as possible, Gates and Gawande say they focus their efforts on children and older adults.
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When it comes to battling malaria, a disease that’s in almost half the countries in the world, Gates says his goal is to not only bring the number of cases down, but to eradicate it from entire countries. At the World Economic Forum, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, along with the Carlos Slim Foundation and others, announced plans to put one hundred eighty million dollars in efforts to eradicate malaria in Central America.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/health-care/article198211459.html

In a sign that the flu is becoming more virulent, sixteen children across the country have died in the latest reported week because of the virus — more than twice the number of children who died in the previous week, health officials said last Friday.

The latest figures bring the national total of pediatric deaths to fifty three for the week that ended January twenty seven, up from thirty seven the week before, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly report. In the week ended January twenty, seven children died from the flu.
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Two of the new pediatric deaths happened in Florida, bringing the state total up to five, reported the Florida Department of Health. Health officials reported that flu activity is at higher levels than at the highest points in previous flu seasons. For the week ended January twenty seven, New York City, Washington, D.C,. and forty two states experienced high levels of flu activity, according to Friday’s CDC report. Florida was one of those states.

This year’s virus — known as HthreeNtwo — is particularly difficult to combat with a vaccine, health experts say. The current crop of flu vaccines tend to be more effective against HoneNone viruses.

According to the CDC report, out of every one hundred thousand people in the general population, about fifty one have been admitted into the hospital for the flu — surpassing the two thousand fourteen and two thousand fifteen season rate. During that flu season, one hundred forty eight children died and seven hundred ten thousand were hospitalized . Adults who were sixty five and older had the most hospitalizations, followed by those ages fifty to sixty four, and children below the age of five.

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2018/02/03/pat-robertson-christian-broadcasting-network-founder-recovering-from-stroke-network-says.html

Christian Broadcasting Network founder Pat Robertson suffered from a stroke but is “expected to make a full recovery,” according to a release from the network on Saturday. The televangelist was reportedly brought to the closest medical facility for strokes  around noon on Friday after a member of the family noticed he had symptoms of an embolic stroke.

The CBN release said minutes after receiving tPA, a clot-busting drug, Robertson, eighty seven, was cognizant and had mobility in his limbs, a recovery which the neurologist referred to as a “tPA miracle.” “

The Seven Hundred Club” host is reportedly “alert, awake and expected to make a full recovery” and be released no later than Monday. In the release, Robertson and his family praised the medical care he received, and his son warned against the dangers of not knowing stroke symptoms.

“Awareness of the onset of symptoms and then rapid treatment is the key to recovery,” said Gordon Robertson, who is the company’s CEO. “We cannot express our thanks enough to the medical team that treated my father.”