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First Edition: August 16, 2012

In this Kaiser Health News video, Insuring Your Health columnist Michelle Andrews answers a reader question about what you can do when insurance only covers a portion of an ambulance bill.

16 Aug 2012

Universal health coverage achieved by Mexico in less than a decade

Mexico has achieved universal health coverage in less than ten years, with more than 50 million previously uninsured Mexicans enrolling on a public medical insurance scheme since 2004.

16 Aug 2012

IRIN examines expected surge of doctors in Ethiopia

"Ethiopia is preparing for a flood of medical doctors within 'three to four years,' an influx meant to save a public health system that has been losing doctors and specialists to internal and external migration," IRIN reports.

16 Aug 2012

Delaying gratification at 4 years of age may affect weight later in life

As adults, we know that self-control and delaying gratification are important for making healthful eating choices, portion control, and maintaining a healthy weight. However, exhibiting these skills at a young age actually may affect weight later in life. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that delaying gratification longer at 4 years of age is associated with having a lower body mass index (BMI) 30 years later.

16 Aug 2012

Calorie Calculator can help assess impact of health policy choices on childhood obesity

Dieters often use online calorie calculators to stay true to their weight-loss plan. Translating the concept to the population health arena, researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health created the Caloric Calculator to help policymakers, school district administrators, and others assess the potential impact of health policy choices on childhood obesity.

16 Aug 2012

Brain changes can occur after long-term methadone treatment

Long-term methadone treatment can cause changes in the brain, according to recent studies from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health. The results show that treatment may affect the nerve cells in the brain. The studies follow on from previous studies where methadone was seen to affect cognitive functioning, such as learning and memory.

16 Aug 2012

Yo-yo dieting does not negatively affect metabolism or ability to lose weight long term

Yo-yo dieting - the repetitive loss and regain of body weight, also called weight cycling - is prevalent in the Western world, affecting an estimated 10 percent to 40 percent of the population. The degree to which weight cycling may impact metabolism or thwart a person's ability to lose weight in the long run has been unclear - until now.

16 Aug 2012

Computer and web-based weight management programmes show promise against obesity

Computer and web-based weight management programmes may provide a cost effective way of addressing the growing problem of obesity, according to a team of seven researchers who undertook a Cochrane systematic review. The researchers, from Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island, USA, found that delivering weight loss or weight maintenance programmes online or by computer helped overweight and obese patients lose and/or maintain weight.

16 Aug 2012

Computer-based partner violence screening does not improve QOL in women

In a study that included more than 2,700 women receiving care in primary care clinics, those who were screened for partner violence and received a partner violence resource list did not experience significant differences for several outcomes, including overall quality of life, general health, and recurrence of partner violence, compared to women who just received a partner violence resource list, according to a study in the August 15 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on violence and human rights.

16 Aug 2012

Recognizing the role of international partnerships in global health

"When you're dealing with a global public health crisis, having an international presence isn't just advisable -- it is imperative," Margaret McGlynn, president and CEO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), writes in this post in USAID's "Impact" blog, adding, "That's why the [IAVI], in partnership with USAID, has worked diligently over the past several years to establish itself as a truly global non-profit partner."

15 Aug 2012

ADHD in girls portends continuing problems, through early adulthood

Girls with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) - and their families - often look forward to the likely decline in visible symptoms such as fidgety or disruptive behavior as they mature into young women.

15 Aug 2012

Online weight management programmes show promise

15 Aug 2012

NICE guidelines for diabetes prevention welcomed by EKF Diagnostics

EKF Diagnostics welcomes the recent release of a public health guidance document1 to prevent the development of type 2 diabetes in high risk individuals.

From EKF Diagnostics 15 Aug 2012

Overtreatment of malaria in central, south Asia leading to neglect of other diseases, study finds

"Over diagnosis and mistreatment of malaria in central and south Asia may be widespread, leading to the neglect of other serious illnesses, according to a new study from Afghanistan," published in the British Medical Journal last month, SciDev.Net reports.

15 Aug 2012

George Washington University releases 'Obesity Drug Outcome Measures'

The George Washington University School of Public Health and Health Services (GW) today released a report representing consensus findings from a cross-section of stakeholders that could help transform the process used to evaluate interventions to treat obesity, a public health crisis that now affects one in three adults. The report, "Obesity Drug Outcome Measures," results from a stakeholder dialogue group convened by GW that, over a period of nine months, explored why development and approval of obesity drugs have proven so difficult.

15 Aug 2012

Insurance status affects survival after cardiac event

Patients admitted to hospital with an acute cardiac event have higher rates of mortality if they are underinsured compared with those who have private insurance, show US study results.

14 Aug 2012

Study shines light on specific link between oral health and performance in school

Poor oral health, dental disease, and tooth pain can put kids at a serious disadvantage in school, according to a new Ostrow School of Dentistry of USC study.

14 Aug 2012

Six manufacturers receive FDA approval to produce 2012-2013 flu vaccines

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced today that it has approved the 2012-2013 influenza (flu) vaccine formulation for all six manufacturers licensed to produce and distribute the vaccines in the United States.

14 Aug 2012

Carnegie Mellon University awarded CURE grant by the Pennsylvania Department of Health

Pennsylvania Department of Health Executive Deputy Secretary Michael Wolf today presented a Commonwealth Universal Research Enhancement Program, or CURE, grant to Carnegie Mellon University. The $983,783 grant will be used for a two-year research project focused on cancer treatment technologies.

13 Aug 2012

CBIS initiates CS-TATI-1 GMP development plan

Cannabis Science (CBIS), a pioneering U.S. Biotech Company developing pharmaceutical to meet global public health challenges is pleased to announce the initiation of GMP development plan for CS-TATI-1 with the initial production of CS-TATI-1 to be performed in Colorado under C-GMP conditions evaluated by the FDA for initial human studies to treat HIV associated Kaposi Sarcoma.

13 Aug 2012