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Studies find U.S. children face health quality issues

U.S. News & World Report/HealthDay News reports: "Uninsured children in the United States are three times more likely to die from trauma injuries than children with private insurance, according to a new study.

5 Nov 2009

Study examines campaign to increase use of zinc to prevent childhood diarrhea

Scientific American reports on a multiyear PLoS Medicine study, published on Monday, which "followed a nationwide public health campaign to increase zinc use for childhood diarrhea in Bangladesh."

5 Nov 2009

Medidata Solutions announces multi-year contract extension with Shire

Medidata Solutions, a leading global provider of hosted clinical development solutions, today announced a multi-year contract extension with Shire plc for use of Medidata Grants Manager™ and CRO Contractor™ benchmarking and analysis tools for investigator site and contract research organization (CRO) trial budget planning and forecasting.

4 Nov 2009

Insurers' pricing practices targeted by Senate health committee

Senate health committee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, asked four of the nations largest health insurers - Aetna, Humana, Wellpoint and UnitedHealth - to explain their pricing policies after small-business owners testified Tuesday that insurance premiums were crushing their businesses, the Des Moines Register reports.

4 Nov 2009

Designers of anti-cancer drugs aim at the genetic material DNA in preventing cancer cells

Designers of anti-cancer drugs are aiming their arrows at mysterious chunks of the genetic material DNA that may play a key role in preventing the growth and spread of cancer cells, according to an article in the current issue of Chemical & Engineering News, ACS' weekly newsmagazine.

4 Nov 2009

Key moderates influence the shape of health overhaul bills

The Washington Post: "Moderates have raised numerous concerns about aspects of the bill, including the public insurance option that liberals persuaded Reid to add last week. Although (Senate Majority Leader Harry) Reid included an 'opt out' provision for states that don't want to participate, many moderate Democrats prefer a "trigger" mechanism, proposed by their lone Republican ally, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine)." Resolving differences could take weeks some say (Murray and Montgomery, 11/4).

4 Nov 2009

Grow ornamental plants to remove indoor air pollutants

Air quality in homes, offices, and other indoor spaces is becoming a major health concern, particularly in developed countries where people often spend more than 90% of their time indoors. Surprisingly, indoor air has been reported to be as much as 12 times more polluted than outdoor air in some areas. Indoor air pollutants emanate from paints, varnishes, adhesives, furnishings, clothing, solvents, building materials, and even tap water.

4 Nov 2009

PEPFAR expands efforts to improve health services worldwide through use of mobile devices

Fierce Mobile reports on the recent announcement that PEPFAR is teaming up with the United Nations Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation and Vodafone Foundation to be a founding member of the mHealth Alliance, "a group seeking to bring health services to the most remote corners of the globe using mobile networks and technologies." U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Eric Goosby announced the partnership during a keynote address last week at the inaugural mHealth Summit in Washington, D.C., according to the news service (Versel, 11/3).

4 Nov 2009

House Republicans offer health overhaul plan

Their alternative health care bill "would reward states for reducing the number of uninsured, limit damages in medical malpractice lawsuits and allow small businesses to band together and buy insurance exempt from most state regulation," The New York Times reports.

4 Nov 2009

Health care jobs plentiful but tough to get

While health care jobs are plentiful, "getting one is hard work," The Associated Press/The News-Sentinel reports. "Many people who have lost jobs to the recession may find a cure for unemployment in the health care field," and the demand for nurses, specialists and technicians is strong

4 Nov 2009

Also in Global Health News: Childhood vaccines; USAID administrator; Pakistan polio fight; UNICEF fundraising; measles in India

As a follow-up to the release of the State of the World's Vaccines and Immunization by the WHO, UNICEF and World Bank last month, The International examines the findings that "despite child vaccinations hitting a record-high with about 106 million infants being immunised this year, life-saving vaccines fail to reach some 24 million children in 72 of the world's poorest countries," many of whom, "are estimated to be most at risk from vaccine-preventable diseases," the publication writes.

4 Nov 2009

Small business group lobbies for reform while trade groups see cuts in business

Small business owners lobby Congress while trade associations and a seniors' group worry about what lawmaker's efforts to overhaul the nation's health care system could mean for them.

4 Nov 2009

Reuters examines how much of G8 agriculture investment is new

Three billion of the $20 billion that G8 leaders promised to invest in agriculture in developing countries "appears to be new money, diplomats and sources close to the matter said on Tuesday," Reuters reports. "Most of that new money, up to $2 billion, is coming from the United States, according to two sources, one on the donor side and one on the recipient side," the news service writes.

4 Nov 2009

News outlets examine international efforts to contain H1N1

A WHO official on Tuesday backed the Afghan government's decision to declare H1N1 (swine flu) a health emergency, forcing the closure of all schools in the country for three weeks in an effort to contain the virus, IRIN reports.

4 Nov 2009

Abortion not the only sticky issue in health care debate - news outlets examine others

News coverage focuses on some of the sticky issues in health reform, including immigrants' coverage, long term care for the disabled, CHIP and insurance discounts for healthy habits.

4 Nov 2009

Emerson Resources announces partnership with Bio Research

Emerson Resources, Inc., a premier pharmaceutical solutions company, today announced that it has formed a strategic partnership with Bio Research, a contract research organization that specializes in the agrichemical and related industries, to further extend its business development capabilities. The exclusive partnership leverages the expertise of industry veteran Robert Westbrook, CEO of Bio Research, who is spearheading Emerson Resources' intensified business development and sales efforts.

4 Nov 2009

"Alternate-day fasting" reduces body weight and improves cardio health: Study

Restricting daily calorie intake is a common plan to help obese and overweight people slim down to healthier weights. But the regime requires a daily 15 to 40 percent calorie reduction, which makes sticking to the diet hard for many.

4 Nov 2009

GOP frames election outcome as rebuff of Dems' health overhaul, but Pelosi paints a rosier picture

"Republican victories in two gubernatorial elections are casting a shadow on House Democratic efforts to secure support from wavering members for health-care legislation," Dow Jones Newswires/The Wall Street Journal reports. "The GOP is framing the outcome as a rejection of Democratic proposals including the health-care bill, and some conservative and vulnerable Democrats seem inclined to agree, as they keep an eye on 2010 elections" (Vaughan, 11/4).

4 Nov 2009

Scientific evidence found linking second-hand smoke exposure to pre-menopausal breast cancer

Until recently, the evidence surrounding the link between breast cancer and tobacco smoke was inconclusive. Now, according to an international panel of experts convened by the Ontario Tobacco Research Unit (OTRU) sufficient scientific evidence exists linking second-hand smoke exposure to pre-menopausal breast cancer and active smoking to breast cancer in women of all ages.

4 Nov 2009

Statins may have negative effects on some cardiac patients, says study

Although statins are widely used to prevent heart attacks, strokes, and other cardiovascular disorders, new research shows that the class of drugs may actually have negative effects on some cardiac patients. A new study presented at CHEST 2009, the 75th annual international scientific assembly of the American College of Chest Physicians (ACCP), found that statins have beneficial effects on patients with systolic heart failure (SHF), but those with diastolic heart failure (DHF) experienced the opposite effect, including increased dyspnea, fatigue, and decreased exercise tolerance.

4 Nov 2009