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Report outlining global weaknesses in preventing deadly diseases

Significant weaknesses undermine the global community's abilities to prevent, detect early, and respond efficiently to potentially deadly species-crossing microbes, such as the pandemic H1N1 influenza virus sweeping the globe, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine and National Research Council. The report provides a detailed plan for establishing and funding a comprehensive, globally coordinated system to identify novel zoonotic disease threats as early as possible wherever they arise so appropriate measures can be taken to prevent significant numbers of human illnesses and deaths, and livestock losses.

23 Sep 2009

Automated software solution for H1N1 preparation

San Diego-based Concerro, Inc., the market leader in enterprise-wide hospital shift and emergency workforce management software, is pleased to announce the launch of PanFluAware™, an automated software solution and decision making system for H1N1 preparation and response. A free webcast demonstration will be held on Friday, September 25th at 1:00 PM eastern standard time.

23 Sep 2009

Report on species-crossing microbes and H1N1

23 Sep 2009

Depression, obesity and alcoholism interrelated in young women

There is new evidence that depression, obesity and alcohol abuse or dependency are interrelated conditions among young adult women but not men. Usinng data collected when young adults were 24, 27 and 30 years of age, a team of University of Washington researchers found that nearly half the sample of 776 young adults tracked during the study met the criteria for one of these conditions at each of these time points.

23 Sep 2009

Chan calls for additional H1N1 vaccines for poor countries during WHO Asia-Pacific regional meeting

During the WHO Asia-Pacific regional meeting Monday, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan discussed the organization's efforts to ensure that poor nations have access to H1N1 vaccines, VOA News reports (Bayron, 9/21).

23 Sep 2009

Sanofi Pasteur receives additional order H1N1 vaccine

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group (EURONEXT: SAN and NYSE: SNY), announced today that the company has received an additional order from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to produce vaccine to help protect against the Influenza A (H1N1) 2009 virus. The new order is for the production of bulk antigen equivalent to 27.3 million doses based on 15 mcg of antigen per dose.

22 Sep 2009

Breast Cancer Action launches "Milking Cancer" campaign against Eli Lilly

Breast Cancer Action (BCA), known as the watchdog of the breast cancer movement, today announced the launch of their "Milking Cancer" campaign challenging the pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly to stop manufacturing rBGH. rBGH (recombinant bovine growth hormone, also known as rBST) has long been linked to cancer.

22 Sep 2009

Smoking bans result in consistent decline in heart attack rates: Study

A consistent decline in heart attack rates following the implementation of smoking bansStrongly enforced legislation to restrict smoking produces rapid and substantial reductions in community rates of heart attack, according to a meta-analysis published today in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association.

22 Sep 2009

CGI commitment to Action improves health services in Rwanda and Haiti

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) today reported that the first year of its four-year $12.5 million CGI Commitment to Action to introduce and expand Performance-Based Financing (PBF) has resulted in dramatically improved quality and delivery of health services for millions of people in Rwanda and Haiti. PBF empowers health managers to allocate resources in a way that rewards meeting health goals. By improving financial management capacity and expertise, PBF strengthens the sustainability and performance of ministries of health, district and community institutions, and NGOs.

22 Sep 2009

Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan to partake in new Extremity Trauma Clinical Research Consortium

Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan is one of 12 clinical centers selected to participate in a newly established Extremity Trauma Clinical Research Consortium, funded by the Department of Defense and coordinated by the Research Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

22 Sep 2009

CDC recommends seasonal influenza vaccination to counter H1N1

Public health experts, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), recommend seasonal influenza vaccination as the first line of defense this year in protecting against the influenza virus.

22 Sep 2009

Diabetes more prevalent in African Americans due to living conditions

The higher incidence of diabetes among African Americans when compared to whites may have more to do with living conditions than genetics, according to a study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study, available online in advance of publication in the October 2009 edition of the Journal of General Internal Medicine, found that when African Americans and whites live in similar environments and have similar incomes, their diabetes rates are similar, which contrasts with the fact that nationally diabetes is more prevalent among African Americans than whites.

22 Sep 2009

Antigen to block infection by genetically-diverse strains of HIV

Scientists working to develop a vaccine for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) report they have created the first antigen that induces protective antibodies capable of blocking infection of human cells by genetically-diverse strains of HIV. The new antigen differs from previously-tested vaccines by virtue of its chemically-activated property that enables close sharing of electrons and produces strong covalent bonding.

22 Sep 2009

U.S. HHS orders for an additional 29 million doses of MedImmune's influenza vaccine

MedImmune announced today that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has placed an order for an additional 29 million doses of its live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. This brings HHS orders to date to more than 40 million vaccine doses, with a total cumulative contract value of approximately $453 million.

22 Sep 2009

NYC Health Insurance Link launches new website for high quality health insurance access

HealthConnect Systems, the leading online network for buyers and sellers of health insurance and employee benefits, announced today that its technology powers the NYC Health Insurance Link (www.nyc.gov/HILink), which went live today at a ceremony hosted by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. New York City’s Office of Citywide Health Insurance Access (OCHIA) and Management Information Systems (MIS), divisions of NYC’s Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services (HRA/DSS), developed this innovative website to bring high quality health insurance access to New York City residents and small businesses.

22 Sep 2009

Bi-directional health information exchange to deal with disease outbreaks

Building upon four decades of research and real world operation of electronic medical records and health information exchange, Regenstrief Institute researchers have developed, tested and are now operating innovative technologies to allow for the bi-directional flow of evidence-based medical information between clinical sources and public health organizations.

22 Sep 2009