Draft Guidelines on Hand Hygiene in Health Care have been released by the World Health Organization (WHO) at the launch of its Global Patient Safety Challenge. "Clean Care is Safer Care" was initiated to reduce nosocomial infections, which are costly and cause illness and death in millions of patients around the globe each year. The guidelines will be field-tested in each of the WHO's six regions before being finalized. Go to http://www.who.int/patientsafety/information_centre/en and scroll down for the link to the guidelines.

"Lost in Transition" describes the 10 million cancer survivors in the United States, according to a new report released by the Institute of Medicine and the National Research Council. The report, From Cancer Patient to Cancer Survivor: Lost in Transition, points to a lack of knowledge and coordination of care as the primary source of difficulties once cancer patients finish treatment. Among the recommendations made in the report are for all cancer survivors to receive a detailed cancer treatment summary and plan for follow-up care and the development of clinical practice guidelines for screening for, and treating, the effects of cancer and its treatment. The report is online at http://www.iom.edu/report.asp?id=30869.

Polio eradication campaign declared successful in 10 African countries, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The program ended in November, after no new cases had been reported since June in 10 affected countries in west and central Africa. However, a maintenance program will continue, in order to keep the disease in check. More intense efforts are continuing in northern Nigeria, where outbreaks are still occurring. Nigeria accounts for 37% of cases worldwide, according to the November report from WHO's Global Polio Eradication Initiative.

In Minnesota, however, officials are trying to track the source of poliovirus in four Amish children, none of whom has experienced paralytic symptoms. (None had been vaccinated against polio, either.)