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Balancing act: Deciding who can donate blood
WASHINGTON - Blood banks turn away up to 150,000 would-be donors each year on the slight chance they picked up malaria while traveling to any of dozens of countries.At the same time, concern is growing that a second parasitic infection from abroad - the Chagas disease rampant in parts of Latin America - increasingly threatens donated blood.
Both infections are rare here, but there's no way to test donated blood for either one. Now blood banks are pushing for better safeguards that also could help stretch the nation's tight supply.
First up, malaria: This week, the Food and Drug Administration opens debate on how to balance the need for blood with Americans' increasing travel to malaria hot spots, and to urge manufacturers to develop a malaria test to solve the problem.
Travelers to malaria zones ineligible to give blood
WASHINGTON - Blood banks turn away up to 150,000 would-be donors each year on the slight chance they picked up malaria while traveling to any of dozens of countries. At the same time, concern is growing that a second parasitic infection from abroad -- Chagas' disease, rampant in parts of Latin America -- increasingly threatens donated blood.Both infections are rare here, but there's no way to test donated blood for either one. Now blood banks are pushing for better safeguards that also could help stretch the nation's tight supply.
Next week, the Food and Drug Administration opens debate on how to balance the need for blood with Americans' increasing travel to malaria hot spots, and to urge manufacturers to develop a malaria test to solve the problem.
The vast majority of U.S.
Pact eases inter-island migration
Teachers and nurses will soon be allowed to move freely within the Caribbean Community as part of an effort to stop the flow of migration outside of the region and to expand the region's push of a regional trade agreement.The decision to expand the categories of workers allowed to move freely as part of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy was agreed to Tuesday after leaders from the 15-nation regional bloc meeting here spent most of the day ironing out the details of the historic trade pact, which went into effect in January.
In addition, the CARICOM leaders agreed to establish close to a $250 million regional fund to help provide technical and financial assistance to those nations and enterprises that may be put at a competitive disadvantage as a result of allowing the free trade of certain goods.
Drum Country
"This is drum country," Chippie summed it all up. And the fact that he seldom has any to carry home at the end of each Saturday night says it all.Most of the children flocking around 'the man with the drums' had no idea that they were in the presence of a legend. The colourful shirt and straw hat, the ease with which he took time to interact with each child and fit the drum properly, gave no hint of his fame and legend as a cultural icon in The Bahamas. But perhaps the unquenchable determination to be himself and celebrate his culture, while maintaining natural ease with everyone he meets is the secret of his greatness.
All official accounts of Chippie's life story begin with the late Howard Chipman and Ethelyn Taylor who gave birth to John "Chippie Chipman" on October 25th 1928.