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Autism Speaks calls on federal government to address the growing national autism public health crisis

In the wake of today's new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) stating that autism now affects 1 in every 110 American children, Autism Speaks, the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, called on the federal government to immediately step up its efforts - and dramatically increase funding - to address the growing national autism public health crisis.

18 Dec 2009

WHO sponsors event at Copenhagen conference to highlight climate change effect on public health

The WHO held a "side event" on Thursday at the U.N. climate change conference in Copenhagen to highlight climate change's effect on public health, CNN reports. "We're reminding people that climate change is not just an environmental issue or an economic issue - it's a health issue that's actually about people's survival," Diarmid Campbell-Lendrum, a scientist in the WHO's Public Health and Environment department, said of the event.

18 Dec 2009

Recent releases in Global Health

A Scientific American article examines recent efforts to tackle neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The author writes "NTDs have plagued humankind for thousands of years. … What is new, however, is that donors, drugmakers, health ministries in low- and middle-income countries, the World Health Organization (WHO), and public-private partnerships are linking their efforts to combat the NTDs in a more coordinated and systematic way."

18 Dec 2009

Opinion: Uganda anti-gay bill; Shah confirmation

Columnist Michael Gerson in a Washington Post opinion piece writes of Uganda's Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 being considered by the country's parliament "that would impose new and harsher penalties on homosexuality, including life imprisonment and capital punishment. It also would force pastors and others to report homosexuals to the authorities.

18 Dec 2009

Congress lifts federal ban on needle exchange programs

The Minnesota Independent: "An appropriations bill passed by Congress last weekend is being hailed by public health advocates for ending funding for abstinence-until-marriage sex education and eliminating the ban on federal funding for needle exchange programs" (Birkey, 12/17).

18 Dec 2009

One quarter of Detroit-area Arab Americans reported personal or familial abuse since 9/11

One quarter of Detroit-area Arab Americans reported personal or familial abuse because of race, ethnicity or religion since 9/11, leading to higher odds of adverse health effects, according to a new University of Michigan study.

18 Dec 2009

Many states still lack the 21st century technology capacity needed for disease surveillance

Today, CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) released a report showing that the number of state-level epidemiologists has decreased steadily since 2004, with a marked decline of over 10% since 2006.

18 Dec 2009

UAB professors honored for scientific contributions and outstanding mentorship

Three University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) professors have been elected fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

18 Dec 2009

CHA's statements on ‘Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009’

The Catholic Health Association is pleased to learn of the work being done to improve the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009. As we understand it, the Senate intends to keep the President's commitment that no federal funds will pay for abortions and in addition, provide significant new support for pregnant women.

18 Dec 2009

AHF praises California Assembly members' initiative to protect state’s AIDS drug program funding

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) today praised the action taken by thirty-eight members of the California Assembly who, in a signed letter, urged Governor Schwarzenegger to protect funding for California’s AIDS Drug Assistance Program (ADAP). The Governor, who is currently completing his 2010-11 budget, could propose up to $70 million in cuts to ADAP in his upcoming budget, a move which, if enacted, will gut the state’s lifesaving AIDS drug program currently serving more than 35,000 low-income Californians living with HIV/AIDS.

18 Dec 2009

Study findings highlight the need to develop specific health policies to address social disparities

Racial and ethnic disparities in cancer survival are greatest for cancers that can be detected early and treated successfully, including breast and prostate cancer, according to a study by researchers at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) at Columbia University Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.

18 Dec 2009

TSI organizes clinical, research and educational programs

The Wake Forest University Translational Science Institute (TSI) has announced a number of organizational changes. Four programs and four specialized centers have been organized to function collaboratively in support of research conducted at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

18 Dec 2009

Unigene Laboratories selects UGP281 lead peptide from obesity program for development

Unigene Laboratories, Inc. (http://www.unigene.com) announced today that it has selected a lead peptide compound, designated UGP281, from its obesity program for development.

18 Dec 2009

Genetic variant associated with reduced risk of COPD

What: Researchers have discovered evidence that suggests a genetic variant may be associated with better preserved lung function among children with asthma and adults who smoke, according to a new study funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), which is part of the National Institutes of Health.

18 Dec 2009

Link between ill-health and retirement age varies across European countries

A study of the impact of health "shocks" on the decision of individuals to retire early found that for men, rapidly deteriorating health had the largest impact in Ireland, Portugal, Greece and Spain.

18 Dec 2009

APHS: Senate needs to move quickly on health reform and reduce death and disability in the US

The American Public Health Association today urged the Senate to move quickly on health reform and advance the measure to conference with the House.

17 Dec 2009

Also in Global Health news: Hospital births in Guinea-Bissau; drought in E. Africa; drug-resistant malaria; U.S. response to H1N1

IRIN examines the increase in the number of women giving birth in hospital settings rather than delivery by a traditional birth attendant - a behavior that health officials hope will lead to a drop in the country's maternal mortality rate. "According to UNFPA, 38 percent of women gave birth in a hospital in 2009, up from 29 percent in 2003," the news service writes.

17 Dec 2009

Shift working may accelerate metabolic syndrome

Shift work exposures can accelerate metabolic syndrome (MetS) development among the large population of middle-aged males with elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT). Elevated serum alanine aminotransferase (e-ALT) is a common abnormality of health examinations in middle-aged working populations.

17 Dec 2009

La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology awarded $18.8M NIH grant for infectious diseases study

Researchers from the La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology will take aim at several of the world's most dangerous infectious diseases - tuberculosis, malaria and dengue virus -- in a five-year, $18.8 million federally-funded set of projects seeking to make new inroads toward vaccines against the disorders.

17 Dec 2009

Promising breakthrough in adjuvant development may lead to cost-effective therapeutic vaccines

It should be possible to use therapeutic vaccines to create both cheap and effective drugs for diseases like cancer and allergies. One problem in developing such vaccines has previously been the lack of adjuvants, substances that make vaccines more effective. However, there has now been a major breakthrough in this area. The study, led by Swedish scientists at Uppsala University, is published in the December issue of the journal Vaccine.

17 Dec 2009

Public Health News and Research

Autism Speaks calls on federal government to address the growing national autism public health crisis

WHO sponsors event at Copenhagen conference to highlight climate change effect on public health

Recent releases in Global Health

Opinion: Uganda anti-gay bill; Shah confirmation

Congress lifts federal ban on needle exchange programs

One quarter of Detroit-area Arab Americans reported personal or familial abuse since 9/11

Many states still lack the 21st century technology capacity needed for disease surveillance

UAB professors honored for scientific contributions and outstanding mentorship

CHA's statements on ‘Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2009’

AHF praises California Assembly members' initiative to protect state’s AIDS drug program funding

Study findings highlight the need to develop specific health policies to address social disparities

TSI organizes clinical, research and educational programs

Unigene Laboratories selects UGP281 lead peptide from obesity program for development

Genetic variant associated with reduced risk of COPD

Link between ill-health and retirement age varies across European countries

APHS: Senate needs to move quickly on health reform and reduce death and disability in the US

Also in Global Health news: Hospital births in Guinea-Bissau; drought in E. Africa; drug-resistant malaria; U.S. response to H1N1

Shift working may accelerate metabolic syndrome

La Jolla Institute for Allergy & Immunology awarded $18.8M NIH grant for infectious diseases study

Promising breakthrough in adjuvant development may lead to cost-effective therapeutic vaccines

Discover how SciY empowers scientists

Why use light scattering to analyze proteins and viral vectors?

Changing the landscape of R&D to build clinical success from the ground up

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