In brief...

Retired academics wanted for developing world-The World Medical Association has called for retired medical academics to teach in developing countries. Around half of all higher education students live in developing countries, but these countries often see promising staff and students heading overseas in search of better money and conditions. The Association of Commonwealth Universities has set up a database to link academics to universities in need (visit www.acu.ac.uk/adverts/rad)

People with sickle cell disease should be screened for pulmonary hypertension-A team of US researchers has recommended that people with sickle cell disease should also be screened for pulmonary hypertension. This recommendation came after reviewing the results of their study. Pulmonary hypertension was found to coexist with sickle cell disease in about a third of the cases they studied (New England Journal of Medicine2004:350:886-95).

Médecins Sans Frontières sends help to the Canary Islands-Médecins Sans Frontières has set up a field hospital on the shoreline in Fuerteventura in the Canary Islands to treat immigrants arriving by sea from Africa. Last year, more than 7800 immigrants made the 20 hour crossing to Fuerteventura after police surveillance on the former route, along the Straits of Gibraltar, was increased. The island's government has not set up any reception centres for the immigrants, who have hypothermia, hunger, and thirst.

Nigerian states boycott west African polio campaign-Some northern Nigerian states have boycotted the West African polio immunisation campaign, claiming the vaccines are unsafe and could cause sterility and HIV/AIDS. Experts from the World Health Organization feel this may cause a resurgence of polio in an area where total eradication was almost in sight.