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Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief provides overview of global health diplomacy

Noting the U.S. "recently announced plans to create an Office of Global Health Diplomacy at the State Department, designed to promote the use of diplomacy to advance U.S. global health efforts and support the next phase of the Global Health Initiative (GHI) in the diplomatic arena," the Kaiser Family Foundation on Tuesday published an issue brief that "provides an overview of global health diplomacy, including how it has been defined and used historically both globally and in the U.S.," according to a summary on the foundation's webpage.

20 Sep 2012

Blog examines role of community health workers in Zambia's malaria control efforts

In this post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, Laura Newman, a senior communications officer of the Malaria Control and Evaluation Partnership in Africa, examines the role of community health workers in "Zambia's three-step plan to establish large malaria-free zones in the country by 2015."

20 Sep 2012

BMJ examines emergence of China as 'major new player' in global vaccine production

"The Chinese drug industry is on the verge of getting the green light to manufacture the Japanese encephalitis vaccine for the developing world, an event that will signal the emergence of a major new player in global vaccines," BMJ reports.

20 Sep 2012

Views on obesity: Difficulty changing eating habits; Huge changes in the food marketplace

The New York Times and the Journal of the American Medical Association offer opinions on the U.S. battle against obesity.

20 Sep 2012

WHO increasing efforts to fight cholera in Sierra Leone

An ongoing cholera outbreak continues to affect Sierra Leone, and the WHO said on Tuesday it is increasing efforts to fight the disease, "as fatalities from the water and food-borne disease continue to increase," the U.N. News Centre reports.

20 Sep 2012

Study analyzes effectiveness of ultrasonography in diagnosis and treatment of critical care patients

A study published in the October issue of Anesthesiology analyzed the effectiveness of ultrasound examination in the diagnosis and treatment of critical care patients. In particular, the study looked at the ability of ultrasound to detect hidden anomalies, prompt urgent changes in therapy, induce further testing or interventions, and confirm or modify diagnoses.

20 Sep 2012

NPR blog examines simple cervical cancer screening technique being adopted by African countries

NPR's "Shots" blog examines efforts to reduce cervical cancer deaths in Botswana, noting that "in Africa and other impoverished regions, few women get pap smears because the countries lack the laboratories and other resources necessary to offer them."

20 Sep 2012

New Cochrane Review: All countries should consider establishing proper home birth services

A new Cochrane Review concludes that all countries should consider establishing proper home birth services. They should also provide low-risk pregnant women with information enabling them to make an informed choice. The review has been prepared by senior researcher, statistician Ole Olsen, the Research Unit for General Practice, University of Copenhagen, and midwifery lecturer PhD Jette Aaroe Clausen.

20 Sep 2012

Report: Obesity rates will continue to grow, causing increases in health care costs, disease incidence

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and Trust for America's Health concluded that, based on current trends, most Americans could be obese by 2030.

20 Sep 2012

Bill Gates describes how 'catalytic philanthropy' can help bring vaccines, medicines to untouched markets

In an essay adapted for Forbes magazine from a speech given at the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy in June, Bill Gates, co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, discusses how "innovations for the poor suffer from ... market limitations" and his idea of "catalytic philanthropy." Gates writes, "The market is not going to place huge bets on research when there are no buyers for a breakthrough. This explains why we have no vaccine for malaria today, even though a million people die from it every year."

20 Sep 2012

Global health funding cuts threatening fight against HIV, TB in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, NGO report says

The fight against HIV and tuberculosis (TB) in Eastern Europe and Central Asia is being threatened by cuts in global health funding, according to "a report [.pdf] by leading European non-governmental health organizations," Reuters reports.

20 Sep 2012

HHS rule limits access to exchanges, insurance subsidies for young immigrants who are exempt from deportation proceedings

The Department of Health and Human Services issued rules last month that said the young people wouldn't be allowed to shop for insurance policies through newly established health exchanges or receive federal subsidies toward the cost of premiums starting in 2014.

20 Sep 2012

Therapeutic video games can show health-related benefits

Can video games help patients with cancer, diabetes, asthma, depression, autism and Parkinson's disease? A new publication by researchers from the University of Utah, appearing in the Sept 19 issue of the journal Science Translational Medicine, indicates video games can be therapeutic and are already beginning to show health-related benefits.

20 Sep 2012

Roundup: Ore. insurance CO-OP readies coverage; N.J. Medicaid liabilities hurt state's fiscal outlook; Wis. AG appeals collective bargaining ruling

Independent workers -- artists, journalists, information technology professionals, craftsmen and even those who earn their living buying and selling on eBay -- will soon have the ability to buy health coverage without having to dicker with a privately-run insurance company such as Regence BlueCross BlueShield. ... people can sign up when enrollment opens for the health insurance exchange in October 2013.

20 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: Romney says citizens 'do need help from government;' One Retiree suggests sacrifices on Medicare, entitlements would be used to prop up rich

Government benefits are heavily skewed towards seniors, nearly all of whom paid Social Security and Medicare taxes for decades to earn them. Judging by the polls, both they and low-income workers are likely to give Romney respectable levels of support in November, unless they feel he is insulting them or cannot relate to their situation.

20 Sep 2012

Small subset of patients with OAG accounts for large proportion of all glaucoma-related charges

A small subset of patients with open-angle glaucoma (OAG) account for a large proportion of all glaucoma-related charges in the United States, according to new data published by researchers at the University of Michigan Kellogg Eye Center and Washington University, St. Louis.

20 Sep 2012

Health IT firms scrambling for workers

Technicians are needed to help hospitals develop and use electronic health records. Other reports look at the efforts to develop secure and efficient digital records.

20 Sep 2012

U.S. can help improve global food security

"For all its importance to human well-being, agriculture seems to be one of the lagging economic sectors of the last two decades," Tyler Cowen, a professor of economics at George Mason University, writes in a New York Times opinion piece.

20 Sep 2012

Women play important role in fighting NCDs

"As world leaders make their way to New York this month to attend the United Nations General Assembly, we call on them to renew their commitments to combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs)," Jill Sheffield, president of Women Deliver, and Nalini Saligram, founder of Arogya World, write in the Huffington Post "Global Motherhood" blog, adding, "Tackling NCDs with a woman-centered focus is a critical step towards reaching all development goals."

20 Sep 2012

GE feels pinch of drop in advanced medical imaging

General Electric Co.'s $18 billion health-care business is being forced to navigate a slowdown in medical imaging - one that in some ways has been aggravated by GE itself. GE put its 85,000 U.S. white-collar workers on a high-deductible health plan in an effort to stem the growth of its U.S. health bills, which are now running $2.5 billion a year.

20 Sep 2012

Health Care News and Research

Kaiser Family Foundation issue brief provides overview of global health diplomacy

Blog examines role of community health workers in Zambia's malaria control efforts

BMJ examines emergence of China as 'major new player' in global vaccine production

Views on obesity: Difficulty changing eating habits; Huge changes in the food marketplace

WHO increasing efforts to fight cholera in Sierra Leone

Study analyzes effectiveness of ultrasonography in diagnosis and treatment of critical care patients

NPR blog examines simple cervical cancer screening technique being adopted by African countries

New Cochrane Review: All countries should consider establishing proper home birth services

Report: Obesity rates will continue to grow, causing increases in health care costs, disease incidence

Bill Gates describes how 'catalytic philanthropy' can help bring vaccines, medicines to untouched markets

Global health funding cuts threatening fight against HIV, TB in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, NGO report says

HHS rule limits access to exchanges, insurance subsidies for young immigrants who are exempt from deportation proceedings

Therapeutic video games can show health-related benefits

Roundup: Ore. insurance CO-OP readies coverage; N.J. Medicaid liabilities hurt state's fiscal outlook; Wis. AG appeals collective bargaining ruling

Viewpoints: Romney says citizens 'do need help from government;' One Retiree suggests sacrifices on Medicare, entitlements would be used to prop up rich

Small subset of patients with OAG accounts for large proportion of all glaucoma-related charges

Health IT firms scrambling for workers

U.S. can help improve global food security

Women play important role in fighting NCDs

GE feels pinch of drop in advanced medical imaging

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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