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U.S. officially ends HIV travel ban

The White House on Friday announced an end to a 22-year-old travel ban on HIV-positive foreigners visiting the U.S. or seeking residency, the New York Times reports. The newspaper writes that President Barack "Obama announced that a rule canceling the ban would be published on Monday and would take effect after a routine 60-day waiting period" (Preston, 10/30).

2 Nov 2009

Deaths from H1N1 rise by 700 in one week, WHO reports

The number of deaths from H1N1 (swine flu) rose by 700 in a week, to top 5,700 since the virus was first identified in April, the WHO reported Friday, Agence France-Presse reports (10/30).

2 Nov 2009

Washington Post examines role of USAID's Richard Greene

As part of its ongoing "Federal Player of the Week" series with the Partnership for Public Service, the Washington Post examines the role of Richard Greene, the head of USAID's Office of Health, Infectious Diseases, and Nutrition in the Bureau of Global Health.

2 Nov 2009

CBO: Few Americans would sign up for public health insurance plan

The New York Times: "More and more, the Great Health Care Debate of 2009 is a numbers game. And the longer the debate goes on, the squishier the numbers seem to get. For months, many leading Democrats, including President Obama, have pushed for the creation of a government-run insurance plan to compete with private insurers. A main argument was that a public plan would save people money. It would not be under pressure to earn profits, pay high private-sector salaries or deny needed care."

2 Nov 2009

Poor managerial leadership linked with the amont of sick leave taken at workplace

Perceived poor managerial leadership increases not only the amount of sick leave taken at a workplace, but also the risk of sickness amongst employees later on in life. The longer a person has had a "poorer" manager, the higher his or her risk of for example suffering a heart attack within a ten-year period, according to a new thesis from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet.

2 Nov 2009

First Edition: November 2, 2009

Today's headlines feature insights into President Obama's behind-the-scenes role in advancing the Democrats' health overhaul efforts in Congress, plus more analysis of the public insurance option.

2 Nov 2009

Global health organizations observe World Pneumonia Day; urge governments to take steps to fight pneumonia

Nearly 100 leading global health organizations from around the world joined forces to recognize the first-annual World Pneumonia Day on November 2 and urge governments to take steps to fight pneumonia, the world’s leading killer of young children.

2 Nov 2009

Unexpected consequences emerge in patients who are prescribed PPI medications for reflux diseases

Despite being highly effective and beneficial for many patients, unexpected consequences are emerging in patients who are prescribed proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) for reflux diseases. Physicians are warned to monitor these effects and prescribe these medications carefully, according to a new commentary published in the November 2009 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

2 Nov 2009

Study examines trajectories in sleep disturbances before and after retirement over an extended time window

A study in the Nov.1 issue of the journal Sleep shows that retirement is followed by a sharp decrease in the prevalence of sleep disturbances. Findings suggest that this general improvement in sleep is likely to result from the removal of work-related demands and stress rather than from actual health benefits of retirement.

2 Nov 2009

WCMC-Q's biomedical research program makes significant progress

The biomedical research program of Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar has made significant progress in its dual goals of advancing basic science and building a sustainable research community in Qatar since it was launched less than a year and a half ago.

2 Nov 2009

IVCC to launch new Malaria Decision Support System at MIM conference

IVCC will launch its new Malaria Decision Support System MDSS) at the 5th Pan-African Multilateral Initiative (MIM) conference in Nairobi, Kenya, 1-6 November 2009.

2 Nov 2009

Congressman Mike Thompson lauded for endorsing the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act

Today, Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) praised Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) for his endorsement of the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act of 2009. Thompson joins Representatives Michael Honda (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Lucille Roybal-Allard (D-CA) in strengthening California's Congressional support for this critically needed legislation.

31 Oct 2009

Response and investigation of the outbreak of foodborne illnesses vary greatly

A survey of state health departments regarding their capacity to track produce-related foodborne illnesses found that the response and investigation of outbreaks varies greatly and can lead to delays in public-health response.

31 Oct 2009

RESPOND program to improve global perspective on emerging diseases

Experts from the University of Minnesota will soon be on the frontlines working to help developing countries better respond to emerging animal diseases that pose a threat to human health.

31 Oct 2009

Dr. Benjamin's confirmation as Surgeon General lauded by National Alliance For Hispanic Health

"The Senate has done the right thing for the nation's health in confirming Dr. Regina Benjamin as our nation's 18th U.S. Surgeon General," said Dr. Jane L. Delgado, President and CEO of the National Alliance for Hispanic Health, the nation's leading Hispanic health advocacy group. "As a woman in the field of health I am proud that she will become the third woman to serve as Surgeon General of the United States. She is a true inspiration to girls considering health and science careers."

31 Oct 2009

GAA welcomes Obama's announcement to lift HIV travel ban

The Global AIDS Alliance welcomes President Obama's announcement today to lift the 22 year-old U.S. travel and immigration ban on those living with HIV/AIDS. GAA Executive Director Paul Zeitz said "We congratulate President Obama on his decision to end this unfounded and discriminatory policy. This is an important sign of U.S. leadership and commitment."

31 Oct 2009

Conference to address the need for gender specific diagnostic strategies for women

The 'Red Alert for Women's Hearts' conference, taking place on 5 November 2009, at the European Heart House, Sophia Antipolis, France, will address the subject of Women and CVD. The conference is jointly organised by the European Society of Cardiology (ESC) and European Heart Network (EHN), as part of Work Package 6 of the EuroHeart project .

31 Oct 2009

2009 mHealth Summit discusses to integrate science and wireless solutions to improve public health

The 2009 mHealth (Mobile Health) Summit, organized by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH), today opens an unprecedented two-day summit bringing together more than 800 public and private sector science, medical, policy and mobile technology experts to develop a new roadmap related to the integration of science and wireless solutions to improve public health delivery, particularly to underserved populations, in the U.S. and around the world.

31 Oct 2009

New tools and interventions can help in eradicating malaria

Although malaria has been controlled in many local and regional populations, the permanent elimination of malaria parasites throughout the world remains an elusive goal, and the disease continues to claim nearly one million lives each year.

31 Oct 2009

Study indicates possibility of a vaccine to prevent Group B Streptococcus infection

Scientists supported by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, have completed a Phase II clinical study that indicates a vaccine to prevent Group B Streptococcus (GBS) infection is possible. GBS is the most common cause of sepsis and meningitis in newborns in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It can also cause severe illness in pregnant women, the elderly and adults with chronic illnesses.

31 Oct 2009

Public Health News and Research

U.S. officially ends HIV travel ban

Deaths from H1N1 rise by 700 in one week, WHO reports

Washington Post examines role of USAID's Richard Greene

CBO: Few Americans would sign up for public health insurance plan

Poor managerial leadership linked with the amont of sick leave taken at workplace

First Edition: November 2, 2009

Global health organizations observe World Pneumonia Day; urge governments to take steps to fight pneumonia

Unexpected consequences emerge in patients who are prescribed PPI medications for reflux diseases

Study examines trajectories in sleep disturbances before and after retirement over an extended time window

WCMC-Q's biomedical research program makes significant progress

IVCC to launch new Malaria Decision Support System at MIM conference

Congressman Mike Thompson lauded for endorsing the Lung Cancer Mortality Reduction Act

Response and investigation of the outbreak of foodborne illnesses vary greatly

RESPOND program to improve global perspective on emerging diseases

Dr. Benjamin's confirmation as Surgeon General lauded by National Alliance For Hispanic Health

GAA welcomes Obama's announcement to lift HIV travel ban

Conference to address the need for gender specific diagnostic strategies for women

2009 mHealth Summit discusses to integrate science and wireless solutions to improve public health

New tools and interventions can help in eradicating malaria

Study indicates possibility of a vaccine to prevent Group B Streptococcus infection

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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