This page provides links to descriptions of activities, reports, news and events, as well as contacts and cooperating partners in the various WHO programmes and offices working on this topic. Also shown are links to related web sites and topics.
The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that infects cells of the immune system, destroying or impairing their function. As the infection progresses, the immune system becomes weaker, and the person becomes more susceptible to infections. The most advanced stage of HIV infection is acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). It can take 10-15 years for an HIV-infected person to develop AIDS; antiretroviral drugs can slow down the process even further.
HIV is transmitted through unprotected sexual intercourse (anal or vaginal), transfusion of contaminated blood, sharing of contaminated needles, and between a mother and her infant during pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding.
Acrylamide (C3H3ONH2) is a chemical that is produced naturally in certain foods when they are cooked at high temperatures. It is also manufactured industrially for use in the production of polyacrylamide gels, which are used for various purposes, including the treatment of drinking-water and wastewater. Acrylamide is known to cause cancer in animals and, in high doses, can cause nerve damage in humans.
A radiation accident involves a non-routine overexposure to ionizing radiation, as a result either of dispersal of radioactive material or of being too close to a radioactive source. This could occur, for example, following a major accident at a nuclear facility, in industrial or medical settings because of lack of appropriate occupational or patient safety, following loss or theft of radioactive material, or as a result of a deliberate malicious act. Exposure to ionizing radiation can pose a substantial health risk, with the type and level of risk depending on the duration and amount of exposure.
herbal supplements: Acrylamide
