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MSF claims aid for vaccines subsidizing pharmaceutical companies, Guardian reports

"Large sums of public money intended to ensure children in the developing world are immunized against disease are effectively being used to subsidize Big Pharma, doctors working in the field claim," the Guardian reports.

5 Feb 2013

India's success in fighting polio shows what country is capable of with proper funding, accountability

"India's successful war on polio shows what can happen when its government sets clear policy goals backed with proper funding and real accountability," journalist and author Dan Morrison writes in an opinion piece in the New York Times' "Latitude" blog.

5 Feb 2013

WHO executive board meeting discusses global initiative to fund research of diseases that affect developing countries

"Hopes for a global convention aimed at kick starting research and development programs on diseases that particularly affect developing countries have been reignited after a meeting of the World Health Organization's executive board," BMJ reports.

5 Feb 2013

Combined strategy needed to combat TB in Nunavut

A combined strategy is needed to combat tuberculosis in Nunavut where the rate is 66 times higher than in the general Canadian population, states a commentary in CMAJ (Canadian Medical Association Journal).

5 Feb 2013

Children with autism spectrum disorders more likely to have feeding problems

Healthy eating not only promotes growth and development, but also provides important opportunities for children to socialize during meals. A new, comprehensive analysis of feeding behavior in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) indicates that these children are five times more likely to have a feeding problem, including extreme tantrums during meals, severe food selectivity and ritualistic mealtime behaviors.

5 Feb 2013

Ahead of World Cancer Day, WHO survey shows half of all countries struggle to prevent cancer, provide long-term treatment

"Ahead of World Cancer Day, the United Nations health agency Friday launched a survey showing that more than half of all countries are struggling to prevent cancer and to provide appropriate long-term treatment and care to avoid human suffering and protect countries' social and economic development," the U.N. News Centre reports.

5 Feb 2013

AAPOS committee revises guidelines for automated preschool vision screening

The Vision Screening Committee of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus, the professional organization for pediatric eye care, has revised its guidelines for automated preschool vision screening based on new evidence. The new guidelines are published in the February issue of the Journal of AAPOS.

5 Feb 2013

Sun Pharma receives FDA approval for generic Doxil

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the first generic version of the cancer drug Doxil (doxorubicin hydrochloride liposome injection).

4 Feb 2013

Viewpoints: Obama's 'olive branch' on birth control coverage; Sen. Kirk recounts his stroke therapy; Nurses oppose mandatory flu shots

The Obama administration released the final details Friday of the exemption it will provide religious-affiliated employers from the requirement to include free birth control in employees' insurance policies. Not surprisingly, the announcement didn't seem to mollify any of the critics who'd been arguing that the exemption was inadequate.

4 Feb 2013

Asthma attack risk increases after stopping low-dose corticosteroids

Patients with stable asthma who stop using low-dose inhaled corticosteroids are at a significantly increased risk for exacerbations over the following 6 months, show results from a systematic review and meta-analysis of published studies.

4 Feb 2013

Sleep disorders common in active duty military personnel

Researchers have found significant associations between service-related illnesses and a high rate of sleep disorders, particularly insomnia, in US military personnel.

4 Feb 2013

Researchers discover gene that causes MRSA infection to linger on skin longer than other strains

In the last decade, a new strain of MRSA has emerged that can spread beyond hospital walls, putting everyone at risk of contracting the dangerous bacterial infection. This particular strain of MRSA - known as USA300 - contains a chunk of genes not shared by any other strains, though it is unclear how this unique genetic material enables the bacteria to survive and persist in the community.

4 Feb 2013

WHO issues new guidance on sodium intake

"The World Health Organization (WHO) has for the first time recommended limits on children's daily consumption of sodium which it hoped would help in the global fight against diet-related diseases becoming chronic among all populations," Reuters reports, adding, "The guidelines vary depending on the child's size, age and energy needs, and apply to children over the age of two."

3 Feb 2013

U-M study takes in-depth look at public participation in medical research across the U.S.

Medical research is vital to the advancement of health care, but many medical research studies have too few people who participate. A new study from the University of Michigan takes an in-depth look at public participation in medical research across the United States.

3 Feb 2013

Sperling: Obama 2014 budget won't cut Medicaid

White House economics adviser Gene Sperling also told a gathering at a conference sponsored by Families USA that GOP efforts to transform the program into a block grant would be an "attack."

3 Feb 2013

Health sector emerges as major new jobs creator

Since the recession hit in late 2007, a huge proportion of the new jobs have been in the health sector - hospitals, doctors' offices and nursing homes. All along, those jobs have been rising at a steady clip, while jobs in all other sectors have seen more dismal performance.

3 Feb 2013

Democrats appear unlikely to cut Medicaid funding

Los Angeles Times reports that healthcare programs for the poor seem secure in any upcoming budget battles. Meanwhile, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says efforts to fix the fiscal problems will have to include new revenues and can't just be cuts in spending.

3 Feb 2013