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Pakistan re-launches polio vaccination campaign amid increased security

"Pakistan's ambassador for polio eradication, Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, re-launched the anti-polio campaign in Sindh province on Tuesday," Pakistan Today reports.

11 Jan 2013

U.N. warns humanitarian needs growing in Syria; 2.5M people need emergency food aid

"The United Nations food relief agency on Tuesday warned that humanitarian needs in Syria -- especially for food -- are growing, with serious bread and fuel shortages across the war-torn country," the U.N. News Centre reports.

11 Jan 2013

Roundup: Kan., Ga., Mass., Neb. face decisions on implementing health law

At an Atlanta panel discussion Tuesday previewing children's health issues for the upcoming General Assembly session, one item stood out. State Sen. Fran Millar (R-Atlanta) was officially on the panel to highlight "School Flexibility," but he summed up what he sees as the urgency of passing a Medicaid hospital provider fee during the legislative session. Approving the hospital assessment is "perhaps the most critical thing we have to do," Millar said.

11 Jan 2013

PLoS Medicine articles look at HIV care disengagement, development aid, mental health

PLoS Medicine Publications Assistant Michael Morris summarizes several articles published this week in the journal in this PLoS "Speaking of Medicine" blog post.

11 Jan 2013

Medicare spends about as much screening for breast cancer as treating it -- $1B annually

Medicare spends $1 billion annually on breast cancer screening, a new study has found. Another report, this one from UnitedHealth, says changes to how the government coordinates patient care could save half a trillion dollars over a decade.

11 Jan 2013

Loyola uses FilmArray Respiratory Panel to screen infectious diseases

Cold, allergies, the flu or something else? Thanks to advanced technology, physicians at Loyola University Health System receive confirmation of their patient's respiratory illness within one hour. Loyola is one of only two hospitals in lllinois to use the FDA-approved FilmArray Respiratory Panel, which screens for 17 viral and 3 bacterial pathogens in about 60 minutes.

10 Jan 2013

MSF, DNDi analysis shows increased investment in NTDs but low number of new therapy approvals

"Over the past decade, neglected diseases have attracted increased attention and larger investments in research," but "a new analysis by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) and the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) finds that the rate of approvals for new compounds over the past decade is roughly the same as it was during the previous two-and-a-half decades, when the diseases received little attention," Nature Medicine reports.

10 Jan 2013

Viewpoints: 'Accepted wisdom' about cutting entitlements disputed; Profit motive doesn't lead to good health care

It has become accepted economic wisdom that the only way to get control over America's looming budget deficits is to "reform entitlements." The accepted wisdom is wrong. ... Medicare and Medicaid costs are projected to soar. But here again, look closely and you'll see neither is really the problem. The underlying problem is the soaring cost of health care overall, combined with the aging of the boomer generation.

9 Jan 2013

First Edition: January 9, 2013

Kaiser Health News staff writer Ankita Rao reports: "While most health-related deals on sites like Groupon and Living Social are for cosmetic procedures like Botox, providers also offer everyday medical, vision and dental services. Health and medical deals make up about 5 to 10 percent of the online coupon industry, according to Unaiz Kabani, data product manager at Yipit, a service that aggregates companies' daily deals"

9 Jan 2013

Improving access to medical abortion

"In many countries, government policies, and societal practices do not uphold women's right not to continue a pregnancy and women with unwanted pregnancies are forced into motherhood," but "[f]ortunately for women, ... abortion with pills, also known as medical abortion (MA), provides a safe, low-cost and easy to use method to terminate pregnancies," Leila Hessini and Alyson Hyman of Ipas write in an RH Reality Check post.

9 Jan 2013

USAID blog examines WFP cash transfer program in Zimbabwe

A video report in USAID's "IMPACTblog" examines a cash transfer program in Zimbabwe, where, following a drought this year, "the numbers needing food assistance will rise to nearly 1.6 million people in coming months."

9 Jan 2013

High court turns away challenge to Obama administration stem cell policy

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court heard arguments in a case involving Medicaid and malpractice awards. In addition, the justices rejected an appeal from Social Security recipients who don't want Medicare benefits.

9 Jan 2013

Sebelius, Fla. Gov. Scott have health care chat with no immediate results

A meeting Monday between HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and Florida Gov. Rick Scott on the health care law didn't seem to yield any immediate results on whether the GOP governor will implement parts of the law, but his willingness to meet may signal he is willing to do just that.

9 Jan 2013

Judge orders trial on Kan. law restricting insurance coverage for abortions

A federal judge turned down the ACLU's request to summarily invalidate the measure, but said the issues must be adjudicated at trial.

9 Jan 2013

Sandy Hook shooting changes lobbying dynamics for guns and mental health

The Washington Post reports on how the recent Sandy Hook shooting has altered the lobbying landscape regarding gun rights and mental health issues.

9 Jan 2013

'Kangaroo Mother Care' helping infants survive in middle-, low-income countries

Jennifer James, the founder of Mom Bloggers for Social Good who traveled last month with Save the Children to observe their work in Ethiopia, writes in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, "I was heartened to see that both hospitals we visited, Black Lion hospital in Addis Ababa and Bishoftu hospital in Debre Zeyit, had a dedicated 'Kangaroo Mother Care' (the practice of wrapping ones' baby to ones' bare chest and breastfeeding exclusively) unit."

9 Jan 2013

Guardian profiles health project in central India

"For 15 years, a dedicated group of doctors has been running a health project in central India called Jan Swasthya Sahyog," the Guardian reports, writing, "In a country where many people have no access to health care, their hospital -- which relies on grants and donations -- serves a population of almost one million people in rural areas of Bilaspur district in Chhattisgarh state."

9 Jan 2013

Report: U.S. health spending grew at record slow pace for third consecutive year

The country's health care bill tallied $2.7 trillion, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Some indicators, though, suggest the slowed growth may not last.

9 Jan 2013

UNICEF Executive Director discusses need for commodities market for life-saving medicines

In this Forbes interview, Rahim Kanani of the Skoll World Forum speaks with UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake about reducing child mortality and the need for a commodities market to improve access to medicines and health care.

9 Jan 2013

State roundup: Medicaid costs could affect state surpluses; Calif. gets 'C' for dental care

In Tennessee, Republican governor Bill Haslam has said that much of the state's $580 million surplus is already spent. Obamacare is expected to increase enrollment in TennCare, the state's Medicaid program, by more than 60,000 Tennesseans. ... At the same time, Texas has a $8.8 billion surplus and more than $8 billion in its rainy day fund, but faces a staggering $4.3 billion hole in its Medicaid budget.

9 Jan 2013

Health Care News and Research

Pakistan re-launches polio vaccination campaign amid increased security

U.N. warns humanitarian needs growing in Syria; 2.5M people need emergency food aid

Roundup: Kan., Ga., Mass., Neb. face decisions on implementing health law

PLoS Medicine articles look at HIV care disengagement, development aid, mental health

Medicare spends about as much screening for breast cancer as treating it -- $1B annually

Loyola uses FilmArray Respiratory Panel to screen infectious diseases

MSF, DNDi analysis shows increased investment in NTDs but low number of new therapy approvals

Viewpoints: 'Accepted wisdom' about cutting entitlements disputed; Profit motive doesn't lead to good health care

First Edition: January 9, 2013

Improving access to medical abortion

USAID blog examines WFP cash transfer program in Zimbabwe

High court turns away challenge to Obama administration stem cell policy

Sebelius, Fla. Gov. Scott have health care chat with no immediate results

Judge orders trial on Kan. law restricting insurance coverage for abortions

Sandy Hook shooting changes lobbying dynamics for guns and mental health

'Kangaroo Mother Care' helping infants survive in middle-, low-income countries

Guardian profiles health project in central India

Report: U.S. health spending grew at record slow pace for third consecutive year

UNICEF Executive Director discusses need for commodities market for life-saving medicines

State roundup: Medicaid costs could affect state surpluses; Calif. gets 'C' for dental care

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

Expanding access to NMR with the Fourier 80 Duo

Advancing Intracellular Delivery with LumiPore®

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