Public Health News and Research

RSS

New type of anti-clotting drug called Apixaban

The dean of the University of Oklahoma College of Public Health and a team of scientists worldwide have found a better way to prevent deadly blood clots after joint replacement surgery - a major problem that results in thousands of unnecessary deaths each year. The research appears this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.

11 Aug 2009

Nurses harnessing the power of wireless technologies and online communities

The Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) is harnessing the power of wireless technologies and online communities to help nurses throughout the world “connect for health.” Under the direction of Associate Professor Patricia A. Abbott, PhD, RN, FAAN, the School’s Global Alliance for Nursing and Midwifery Community of Practice (GANM) has become a teacher for the 21st century, speeding new health information and know-how to nurses around the globe—from the most urbanized, high-tech cities to the most remote villages, using low bandwidth telecommunication technologies.

11 Aug 2009

Stress management to male nursing in Johns Hopkins Nursing Summer issue

The birth of a baby. A diagnosis of breast cancer. The frailty that comes with old age. They are part of the dynamic, complex, and ever-changing landscape that makes up a women's life span. Whatever the ailment, Hopkins nurses are empowering women to embrace healthier lifestyles.

11 Aug 2009

UNAIDS report says 50 million women in Asia at risk of HIV infection from intimate partners

A UNAIDS report released Tuesday at the 9th International Congress on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP) in Bali, Indonesia, estimates that more than 90 percent of the 1.7 million HIV-positive women living in Asia were infected by husbands or long-term partners who engaged in "high-risk sexual behaviours," Agence France-Presse reports. The UNAIDS report also found "women accounted for 35 percent of all adult HIV infections in Asia in 2008, up from 17 percent in 1990, the AFP writes.

11 Aug 2009

‘Antiquated’ systems means the Government is not delivering

Dr. Terry Mason, Commissioner for Chicago's Department of Public Health (CDPH), famously started his tenure by telling City Hall to shape up - but he soon discovered that waistlines weren't the only thing that needed to be leaner.

11 Aug 2009

Discovery of link between over-indebtedness and obesity

Scientists at the University of Mainz have discovered a close correlation between over-indebtedness and obesity. According to the report published in the journal BMC Public Health, over-indebted Germans are more likely to be overweight or obese than the population in general.

11 Aug 2009

HIV-treating clinicians support health care reform, express caution

The International Association of Physicians in AIDS Care (IAPAC), which represents approximately 4,000 HIV-treating clinicians in the United States [out of a global membership of over 13,000], today released results of a nationwide survey indicating that while supportive of ongoing health care reform efforts, a significant percentage of its U.S. membership is concerned about issues ranging from increased patient caseloads to the possibility of rationing HIV care.

11 Aug 2009

Restrictive feeding practices may not always be best solution for childhood obesity

Many clinicians and public health officials view parental involvement as an essential part of solving the current childhood obesity epidemic. However, it’s important for parents to use the right approach when trying to combat childhood obesity. Restrictive feeding practices, or forbidding certain foods, may not always be the best solution.

11 Aug 2009

Lawmakers scrutinized, but signal a possible deal

Lawmakers are facing scrutiny from constituents over the August recess, but some signal they might be ready for a deal.

11 Aug 2009

Don't smoke, exercise and eat sensibly to reduce risk of chronic disease

Four healthy lifestyle factors - never smoking, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly and following a healthy diet - together appear to be associated with as much as an 80 percent reduction in the risk of developing the most common and deadly chronic diseases, according to a report in the August 10/24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

11 Aug 2009

Obama to discuss combating H1N1 at North American Leaders Summit

President Obama arrived in Guadalajara, Mexico, Sunday for a two-day North American Leaders Summit with Mexican President Felipe Calderon and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper, the Wall Street Journal reports. The leaders "are discussing efforts to stem the spread of the H1N1 flu virus, economic competitiveness, national security, and global climate change," according to White House officials (Williamson, 8/9).

11 Aug 2009

Taxes, Medicare cuts and insurance provisions in reform bills spark worry

The Washington Post reports on seniors "remaining wary:" "Proposals to squeeze more than $500 billion out of the growth of Medicare over the next decade have fueled fears that his effort to expand coverage to millions of younger, uninsured Americans will damage elder care. … From the raw numbers, it appears seniors are the net losers under bills approved by three House committees last week.

10 Aug 2009

MRSA may follow hospital patients home

Infection with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) appears relatively common among patients discharged from the hospital into home health care, according to a report in the August 10/24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals. In addition, about one-fifth of infected patients may transmit the organism to other people in their households.

10 Aug 2009

Discovery of gene linked to maturity-onset diabetes of the young

Researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center have linked another gene to a rare form of diabetes, a finding that could prove beneficial to those with the more common type 2 diabetes.

10 Aug 2009

Government versus insurance: Who's the bad guy?

Depending on which ads one watches, the enemy of American health care is either the federal government or insurance companies, The Wall Street Journal reports.

10 Aug 2009

Low inhibitory control and restrictive feeding practices predict weight outcomes

Many clinicians and public health officials view parental involvement as an essential part of solving the current childhood obesity epidemic. However, it's important for parents to use the right approach when trying to combat childhood obesity. Restrictive feeding practices, or forbidding certain foods, may not always be the best solution. A child's inhibitory control, a behavior similar to self-control, may be more important than parental restrictions.

10 Aug 2009

CDC expands existing vaccine distribution partnership with Mckesson to include H1N1 flu vaccine

McKesson Corporation (NYSE:MCK) today announced that its current partnership with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has been expanded to include preparations for H1N1 flu vaccine distribution. The CDC currently has a contract with McKesson for distribution of its public-sector purchased adult and pediatric vaccines, including those distributed through the Vaccines for Children Program.

10 Aug 2009

Association of Specialty Professors announces the 2009 T. Franklin Williams scholars

The Association of Specialty Professors (ASP) is pleased to announce the eighth class of T. Franklin Williams Scholars. These scholars are recipients of two- to four-year career development awards funded by a generous grant from the Atlantic Philanthropies (USA) Inc. and the John A. Hartford Foundation, and co-sponsored by 12 internal medicine specialty societies.

10 Aug 2009

Americans divided on government involvement in health insurance

Researchers from Indiana University's Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research (CHPPR) have found that support for government-sponsored health insurance for individuals under age 65 remains virtually the same regardless of how the plan is described or how involved the government would be.

10 Aug 2009

Human swine flu conference in Washington DC, August 19-20

Tribal, local, state, federal and other leaders in the field will share best practices and current research with more than 700 delegates already registered, including participants from 32 countries at the International Swine Flu Conference. Priority will be placed on identifying the responsibilities of various stakeholders in order to improve global communication coordination and collaboration

10 Aug 2009