Health Care News and Research

RSS

Production of synthetic artemisinin an attack against farmers currently growing the plant

"On Thursday, the founder of Amyris Biotech triumphantly announced production of 70 million doses of the anti-malarial compound artemisinin," Jim Thomas, research program director for ETC group, a technology watchdog that works with farmers' organizations, writes in The Guardian's "Poverty Matters" blog.

16 Apr 2013

ACS releases limited-edition book on improving surgical health care

Today, the American College of Surgeons released a limited-edition book, Inspiring Quality Tour: Lessons Learned in the Pursuit of Quality Surgical Health Care, in conjunction with its annual Leadership and Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC.

16 Apr 2013

Pakistani Taliban deny responsibility for attacks on polio workers

"The Pakistani Taliban on Friday denied any involvement in attacks on polio workers, which have killed 21 people since December, but confirmed it opposed the vaccination as 'un-Islamic,'" Agence France-Presse reports.

16 Apr 2013

Malaria strategies need to target at-risk populations, researchers say

New strategies are needed to fight malaria in countries with low prevalence, because "pockets of infection remain, mainly among men living or working outdoors," according to a paper published in The Lancet, BBC News reports.

16 Apr 2013

Lessons learned from India's polio response could help country combat other diseases

"More than 400 signatories to [a scientific declaration urging the world to eradicate polio], hailing from 80 countries, believe polio eradication is achievable in large part because of the great gains India has made against the disease," T. Jacob John, a retired professor of clinical virology at Christian Medical College in Vellore, India, writes in the Wall Street Journal's "India Real Time" blog.

16 Apr 2013

IRIN examines how mining industry in Mozambique increasing fears of HIV

IRIN examines how "[e]very mining boom brings the fear of a rising HIV infection rate, particularly in a country like Mozambique, where the estimated prevalence is already 11.3 percent."

16 Apr 2013

Global Fund has achieved impressive results, but more work remains

"This week I had the pleasure to host a preparatory meeting between donors of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria," European Commissioner for Development Andris Piebalgs writes in the Huffington Post's "The Big Push" blog.

16 Apr 2013

Pneumococcal vaccine: an interview with Graham Clarke, CEO ImmBio

The pathogen that we are talking about is called streptococcus pneumoniae. That is a fairly common bacteria and if you did a nasal swab you would find that quite a lot of people have this bacterium living in their nasal passages.

16 Apr 2013

Examining global health research funding under FY14 budget request

Writing in the Global Health Technologies Coalition's "Breakthroughs" blog, GHTC Policy Officer Ashley Bennett examines proposed funding for global health and research under President Obama's FY 2014 budget request, which was released last week.

16 Apr 2013

Drug products from ApotheCure, NuVision Pharmacy lack sterility assurance, FDA warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting health care providers, hospital supply managers, and pharmacists that sterile drug products made by ApotheCure, Inc. and sterile lyophilized (freeze dried powder) drug products made by NuVision Pharmacy were produced under conditions that could create a high potential for contamination.

16 Apr 2013

White House mental health fix for security clearance process draws critics' questions

The Obama Administration is trying to revamp how the government approaches mental health issues in the security clearance process - but security and mental health experts say the proposed fix may open the door to new problems.

16 Apr 2013

New study examines weight loss benefits offered through health insurance

Although most overweight adults agree that health insurance benefits designed to promote weight loss are a good idea, they don't want to pay extra for them, finds a new study in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

16 Apr 2013

Viewpoints: Editorial boards offer advice to Supreme Court on gene patents

On Monday, the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear argument about that decision in Association for Molecular Pathology v. Myriad Genetics.

16 Apr 2013

Supreme Court to decide crucial case on patenting human genes

The high court will hear a challenge to Myriad Genetics' patent of breast and ovarian cancer genes in a case that will affect the future of biomedical research, the fight against diseases like breast and ovarian cancer and a multi-billion dollar biotechnology business.

16 Apr 2013

Study to examine ways to improve involvement of mental health service users

A groundbreaking study could help to revolutionise the way in which mental health service users and their carers plan their care.

16 Apr 2013

Sebelius assures lawmakers that insurance marketplaces will open Oct. 1

In a Friday appearance before the House Ways and Means Committee, HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius offered assurances about the readiness of 33 federally run health insurance marketplaces and answered questions about health care "navigators."

16 Apr 2013

Discussion paper shows sharing health information could help improve health care, reduce costs

Information collected from individual patients at doctor's office and hospital visits could be used to improve health care and reduce costs on a national scale, according to a discussion paper released by the Institute of Medicine.

16 Apr 2013

Roundup: Ariz. gov. vetoes bill that would require docs to post prices online, long-term care costs soar in Virginia

Gov. Jan Brewer vetoed legislation Friday that would have required doctors, hospitals and other health care providers to post prices for their most common services, a move the bill's sponsor said was a blow to consumers and driven by industry pressure.

16 Apr 2013

Aetna releases two new metabolic syndrome programs to lower risk factors

Aetna (NYSE: AET) today announced the launch of "Metabolic Health in Small Bytes" and the "Metabolic Health Advisor." The two new components can help people control the risk factors associated with metabolic syndrome.

16 Apr 2013

Obama discusses health exchanges and premium 'rate shock' with insurers

Media outlets report on a White House meeting between the president and insurance executives, the unexpected boost the overhaul has given to physician-owned hospitals and doctors' concerns that they may receive delayed pay from some patients who get coverage through the exchanges.

16 Apr 2013