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Pennsylvanians at-risk for H1N1 flu receive H1N1 vaccination

Governor Edward G. Rendell today announced that 100,000 Pennsylvanians at-risk for the H1N1 flu were vaccinated during the weekend at public health clinics held by the Department of Health and local health departments.

25 Nov 2009

HKI's Shawn Baker honored for groundbreaking research on malnutrition

At two recent conferences on innovative malnutrition research organized by the Copenhagen Consensus Center, Helen Keller International's programs to reduce malnutrition were awarded first prize by government officials, NGOs, researchers and private sector representatives.

25 Nov 2009

Congress brings oral health into conversation to improve nation's overall health

The W.K. Kellogg Foundation commends Congress for its recognition of the urgent need to comprehensively and substantially strengthen oral health care for our most vulnerable children.

25 Nov 2009

Community-based program proves to be successful in reducing skin infections in Australian aboriginal children

A community-based program aimed at reducing the burden of skin disease across remote communities in Australia's Northern Territory has been successful according to a study published November 24 in the open-access journal PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases.

25 Nov 2009

New findings suggest current system of classifying psychoactive drugs in UK may need to be revisited

Drug users are well informed about the harms associated with the drugs they use, and perceive alcohol and tobacco to be amongst the most dangerous substances, according to a survey by UCL (University College London) and Imperial College London researchers.

25 Nov 2009

$80 million grants may soon be available to support health information technology workforce

Dr. David Blumenthal, HHS’ National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, today announced plans to make available $80 million in grants to help develop and strengthen the health information technology workforce.

25 Nov 2009

Several new vaccines require booster shots to remain effective during a lifetime: Study

Preventing disease is the goal of every health care provider and fortunately every year, new vaccines are being added to assist in disease prevention. But do all vaccines boost immunity for the same period of time? And, if not, when are additional 'booster shots' needed to keep immunity strong?

24 Nov 2009

News outlets examine sanitation in Ethiopia, Liberia

The Daily Monitor examines efforts underway to improve sanitation and promote hygiene in Ethiopia. According to the country's Ministry of Health, "sanitation coverage of Ethiopia has made progressive achievement reaching 54.8% in the current year from 11.5% in 2003," the newspaper reports.

24 Nov 2009

Africa region leaders meet to discuss H1N1 procurement, distribution

Representatives of African countries are meeting in Abuja this week to discuss the procurement and distribution of the H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine, the Daily Trust/allAfrica.com reports (Rabiu, 11/23).

24 Nov 2009

Also in Global Health news: Home HIV treatment; voluntary testing in Kenya; women/HIV scorecard; Global Fund Zimbabwe grant; contraceptives in Tanzania

The New York Times reports on a Lancet study that found treating Ugandan HIV patients at home is cheaper and just as effective as treating them in a clinic.

24 Nov 2009

HIV peaked in 1996, according to the United Nations

The number of HIV cases worldwide — 33 million — has remained steady during the last two years and the epidemic peaked in 1996, according to the United Nations, The Associated Press reports. The disease looks stable in most regions, except for Africa, according to the UN. "

24 Nov 2009

New Medicare rules on home-oxygen affect patients, businesses

The Wall Street Journal: "New Medicare rules designed to reduce waste and fraud in medical-equipment reimbursements are driving some home-oxygen suppliers out of business and leaving patients scrambling to find new providers." The rules - scheduled to go into effect January 1, apply to people "who rely on Medicare to pay for oxygen services, which relieve the symptoms of conditions such as emphysema and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease."

24 Nov 2009

Americans with hepatitis C are at increased risk of developing liver cancer, says NVHR

New peer-reviewed data finding that fewer than one-fifth of the nearly 4 million Americans infected with chronic hepatitis C virus have received anti-viral therapy in recent years should be a wake-up call that Congress needs to move urgently on bipartisan legislation to support new state-based detection, research, and surveillance efforts, the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) said today.

24 Nov 2009

Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of stroke, heart disease and death, finds study

While mothers have known that feeding their kids milk builds strong bones, a new study by researchers at the Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center in Salt Lake City suggests that Vitamin D contributes to a strong and healthy heart as well - and that inadequate levels of the vitamin may significantly increase a person's risk of stroke, heart disease, and death, even among people who've never had heart disease.

24 Nov 2009

New study suggests financial incentives can affect the provision of patient-centered care

Like everybody, health care professionals enjoy a pay raise for a job well done. But in some instances, financial incentives for health care performance may actually backfire.

24 Nov 2009

Cardiovascular risks associated with taking Vioxx could have been identified earlier, say researchers

Evidence of cardiovascular risks associated with taking Vioxx, the popular, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (rofecoxib), could have been identified nearly four years before its manufacturer, Merck & Co. Inc., voluntarily pulled the drug from the market.

24 Nov 2009

2009-10 AACP Student Community Engaged Service Award announced

Four student-led community engagement projects will be awarded the 2009-10 AACP Student Community Engaged Service Award for their outstanding programs delivering consumer education about medication use, expanding access to affordable healthcare and improving the public’s health.

24 Nov 2009

New data indicates early association between anti-inflammatory medication and cardiovascular risk

Clinical trial data indicated an association between the anti-inflammatory medication rofecoxib and cardiovascular risk as early as December 2000, before the product was taken off the market in September 2004, according to a report in the November 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

24 Nov 2009

Exposure to environmental pollutants is associated with asthma symptoms in children

Exposure shortly after birth to ambient metals from residential heating oil combustion and particles from diesel emissions are associated with respiratory symptoms in young inner city children, according to a new study by researchers at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health.

24 Nov 2009

Team-based care and medical homes may improve chronic disease management

Patients whose hypertension is managed by a physician-pharmacist team have lower blood pressure levels and are more likely to reach goals for blood pressure control than those treated without this collaborative approach, according to a report in the November 23 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

24 Nov 2009

Public Health News and Research

Pennsylvanians at-risk for H1N1 flu receive H1N1 vaccination

HKI's Shawn Baker honored for groundbreaking research on malnutrition

Congress brings oral health into conversation to improve nation's overall health

Community-based program proves to be successful in reducing skin infections in Australian aboriginal children

New findings suggest current system of classifying psychoactive drugs in UK may need to be revisited

$80 million grants may soon be available to support health information technology workforce

Several new vaccines require booster shots to remain effective during a lifetime: Study

News outlets examine sanitation in Ethiopia, Liberia

Africa region leaders meet to discuss H1N1 procurement, distribution

Also in Global Health news: Home HIV treatment; voluntary testing in Kenya; women/HIV scorecard; Global Fund Zimbabwe grant; contraceptives in Tanzania

HIV peaked in 1996, according to the United Nations

New Medicare rules on home-oxygen affect patients, businesses

Americans with hepatitis C are at increased risk of developing liver cancer, says NVHR

Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk of stroke, heart disease and death, finds study

New study suggests financial incentives can affect the provision of patient-centered care

Cardiovascular risks associated with taking Vioxx could have been identified earlier, say researchers

2009-10 AACP Student Community Engaged Service Award announced

New data indicates early association between anti-inflammatory medication and cardiovascular risk

Exposure to environmental pollutants is associated with asthma symptoms in children

Team-based care and medical homes may improve chronic disease management

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