In 1997 Dr. Margaret Chan (Director-General of the WHO) and Professor Kennedy Shortridge stopped an avian pandemic happening. Shortridge’s solution was a practical hands-on solution and one not based upon a drug cure, for they knew that this would never happen in time. Due to his and Dr. Chan’s swift actions, millions if not hundreds of millions, were most probably saved from a highly contagious global killer pandemic.

Little is said about this in the press or media for it definitely appears that they have been programmed to believe that a drugs cure will come in time.

This is a total fallacy if we refer to the ‘Spanish flu’ (swine flu) where at least 20 million perished but where in all probability nearer to 100 million worldwide died. Unfortunately the next deadly flu pandemic will kill far more than these numbers, as the world’s population is now many times larger and with modern air travel, it will take effect far more quickly and will spread even wider.

Indeed, common sense dictates that if it takes two to three months to isolate and develop antidotes, and a minimum of a further 6 months to provide a drug together with an extra minimum 6 months to effectively distribute to the masses, not many will survive if they are infected. For the wretched problem here is that the 1918 killer flu did its worst in the first 4>6 months and where travel was much slower in those days. Indeed, several months before the deadly Spanish Flu arrived, there was a milder swine flu outbreak across the world, just like what we have today, but where it reappeared with a vengeance in the Autumn of 1918 (between Sept. and Nov.).

That is what we have clearly to be fearful of and where it may happen again. Professor Shortridge defeated the killer flu at its source and where he believes in the global strategy of ‘to never let it happen in the first place’. Predominantly this is really what governments should be doing all across the world, as the drugs cure will simply come too late.

It is time therefore that the media and press took note of the ‘only’ real solution to this killer pandemic, whenever it happens, and where presently they are being deluded by the large pharmaceuticals and governments into believing that a drugs cure will come in time. Unfortunately for the media this time, even their own families with some certainty will be affected. We therefore require an ‘open debate’ to be undertaken and ‘open minds’ to be heard if we are to stop such unprecedented deaths happening and on an unimaginable scale.

Dr David Hill
World Innovation Foundation

Flu articles

• A(H1N1) Pandemic: Hoping for the best (beinghealthyhomeandaway.blogspot.com)
• Aboriginal leaders concerned as flu numbers rise (ctv.ca)
• The Doctor’s World: Is This a Pandemic? Define ‘Pandemic’ (nytimes.com)
• US company makes first batch of swine flu vaccine (beinghealthyhomeandaway.blogspot.com)
• WHO Pushes H1N1 Flu to Pandemic State (pharmexec.com)

Evolution accepted by the world, according to survey results announced at World Conference of Science Journalists in London today.

A British Council survey into awareness of Charles Darwin and attitudes towards evolution has found that there is a broad international consensus of acceptance towards his theory of evolution.

The British Council, the UK’s international body for cultural relations, announced the results of its international survey at the World Conference of Science Journalists (WCSJ) in London on Tuesday 30 June, 2009, as part of its international programme Darwin Now, to mark the publication of Charles Darwin’s groundbreaking work On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection on 24 November, 1859.

More than 10000 people were surveyed across ten countries included Argentina, China, Egypt, India, Mexico, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Great Britain and the USA.

The results show that the majority of adults surveyed have heard of Charles Darwin and know at least a little about his theory of evolution with the highest levels in Great Britain (71%), the USA (71%), Mexico (68%), Argentina (65%), China (54%) and Russia (53%) whilst 62 percent of adults surveyed in Egypt and 73 percent in South Africa said they had never heard of Charles Darwin or his theory of evolution. Overall, the majority (70%) of adults surveyed across the 10 countries have at least heard of the British naturalist.

In all countries surveyed more people showed some agreement than disagreement that “it is possible to believe in a God and still hold the view that life on Earth, including human life, evolved over time as a result of natural selection”.

The results also show that USA, in South Africa and in India are the most likely to believe that life on Earth, including human life, was created by a God and has always existed in its current form (all at 43%).

But most people in the world take a scientific view, with the majority of adults in China (67%), Mexico (42%), Argentina (37%), Great Britain (38%), Spain (38%) and Russia (32%) believing that life on Earth, including human life, evolved over time as a result of natural selection, in which no God played a part.

“The international Darwin survey has thrown up some very interesting results,” said Fern Elsdon-Baker, Head of the British Council Darwin Now programme, “especially as it includes data from countries not previously covered before. The most encouraging aspect of the survey shows that whilst there are diverse views on Darwin’s theory of evolution, there appears to a broad acceptance that science and faith do not have to be in conflict.”

Take the follow-up survey now

Researchers at Imperial College London believe stress in the womb can last a lifetime. They say that reducing stress during pregnancy could help prevent thousands of children from developing emotional and behavioral problems.

Expectant mothers who visit the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, which opened today, June 30, will be able to see for themselves how their stress levels could affect the heart rate of their unborn baby and find out why they should reduce their anxiety levels to protect their baby before it’s born.

The researchers behind the exhibit, led by Vivette Glover, hope that it will raise families’ awareness of the importance of reducing levels of stress and anxiety in expectant mothers.

Glover and colleagues have shown that maternal stress and anxiety can affect the development of the baby’s brain. The researchers say that the stress hormone cortisol may be one way in which the fetus is affected by the mother’s anxiety during pregnancy. Usually the placenta protects the unborn baby from the mother’s cortisol, by producing an enzyme that breaks the hormone down. When the mother is very stressed, this enzyme works less well and lets her cortisol through the placenta.

This in turn can result in a greater risk of emotional problems such as anxiety or depression, behavioral problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and learning disabilities.

Of course, this news is almost certain to cause worry among expectant mothers…best advice? Chill out and keep baby in mind.

Developmental news

• ADHD genes found, known to play roles in neurodevelopment (scienceblog.com)
• More children with special needs in mainstream schools (telegraph.co.uk)
• ADHD Meds and Deaths (blisstree.com)