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New York Times profiles UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé

The New York Times profiles UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé, recounting some of his successes since becoming the head of the agency; quoting several colleagues about their experiences working with him; and providing a brief history of his family life, which he says helped him develop his diplomatic skills.

22 Feb 2012

Biocompatible interface scaffolds for improved prosthetics

Sandia National Laboratories researchers, using off-the-shelf equipment in a chemistry lab, have been working on ways to improve amputees' control over prosthetics with direct help from their own nervous systems.

22 Feb 2012

Congress approves tax package including temporary 'doc fix'

In Friday action, the House and Senate OK'd legislation that prevented a 27.4 percent reduction in Medicare physician pay, which was scheduled to kick in on March 1.

22 Feb 2012

India still faces challenges in efforts to eradicate polio

The PBS NewsHour examines polio eradication efforts in India, which has gone an entire year without reporting a polio case. "For India, the challenge is to remain vigilant and polio free for two more years to officially fall off the list of endemic countries," according to the news service.

22 Feb 2012

Meeting demand for primary care, family physicians

New medical schools are opening with an emphasis on training young physicians in primary care. Meanwhile, the federal government awarded funds to medical students in 30 states and the District of Columbia to encourage their pursuit of family medicine.

22 Feb 2012

Birth control issues crop up on the campaign trail

Republicans cast the debate over mandatory coverage as one of religious freedom, while Democrats frame it as a matter of women's health.

22 Feb 2012

Essential benefits, health exchanges trigger questions, answers

Today's headlines include a range of stories about the implementation of the health law and related policy developments.

22 Feb 2012

Obama contraceptive rule reverberates through health care marketplace

Before the federal rule was advanced, the policies put in place by various states allowed employers room to manuever, The Washington Post reports. Meanwhile, the insurance industry fears it may be left holding the bag for this requirement, and the New York Times explores the market share of Catholic hospitals.

22 Feb 2012

Health policies part of political buzz words in presidential, congressional races

While GOP presidential hopeful Rick Santorum says the health law could discourage marriage, first lady Michelle Obama is courting women to back her husband's re-election efforts.

22 Feb 2012

How 30 kidneys linked 60 lives

The New York Times examines a lengthy kidney transplant chain and explores how the current system continues to hamper transplantation efforts.

22 Feb 2012

State roundup: Calif. expands uninsured access, gives adult day care reprieve

Nearly two years before the federal health reform law kicks in, 10 California counties have expanded medical coverage to more than 250,000 people who were previously uninsured, according to new state data.

22 Feb 2012

USAID's Shah discusses role of faith-based organizations in humanitarian aid

PBS "Religious and Ethics Newsweekly" host Kim Lawton on Friday interviewed USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah, who spoke about the role of faith-based organizations in humanitarian relief efforts.

22 Feb 2012

Medicaid: Bachmann calls for scrutiny of Minn. system, other state developments

Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., has called for a broader investigation of Minnesota's Medicaid system after allegations that the state inflated premiums for low-income residents. Elsewhere, Maine's Medicaid system costs more than in other states, and the Florida Hospital Association is pushing back against forced contracting with Medicaid managed care providers.

22 Feb 2012

March issue of BMJ's 'Sexually Transmitted Infections' focuses on HIV, health systems

Karen Grepin, assistant professor of global health policy at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service, describes the March issue of BMJ's Sexually Transmitted Infections in this post in her "Global Health Blog."

22 Feb 2012

Nebraska readies for exchange debate

Nebraska's state legislature is set to debate formation of a health insurance exchange as other states introduce measures that would extend exemptions on a controversial contraception rule in health reform to secular insurers and businesses, if they so choose.

22 Feb 2012

Combination of key guideline-recommended heart failure therapies improve survival odds

A UCLA-led study has found that a combination of several key guideline-recommended therapies for heart failure treatment resulted in an improvement of up to 90 percent in the odds of survival over two years.

22 Feb 2012

Viewpoints: Medicare mudslinging, 'pound-foolish' doc fix and unrealistic death attitudes

For all its technological sophistication and hefty price tag, modern medicine may be doing more to complicate the end of life than to prolong or improve it. ... When families talk about letting their loved ones die "naturally," they often mean "in their sleep" - not from a treatable illness such as a stroke, cancer or an infection. ... While it's easy to empathize with these family members' wishes, what they don't appreciate is that very few elderly patients are lucky enough to die in their sleep.

22 Feb 2012

PBS NewsHour blog discusses curable, preventable neglected tropical diseases with CDC experts

In this video report, PBS NewsHour's "The Rundown" examines curable and preventable diseases such as measles and river blindness that countries are focusing more effort on fighting. Mark Eberhardt, a neglected tropical diseases expert at the CDC, and Stephen Cochi, a measles and polio expert from the CDC, "describe the diseases and why they still need attention."

22 Feb 2012

Contraception opinions: We're all Catholics now, a sex tax? And the 'safe, legal, rare' illusion

Because when the state comes against the Catholics, or the Jews, or the Muslims, or the Pentecostals, or the Mormons or those of any other faith – exotic or familiar – we must all stand up as one: We are all Catholics now. ... Perhaps this is a hard line. But when it comes to the separation of church and state, we need absolutes.

22 Feb 2012

IRIN examines whether poverty reduction schemes can help lower TB rate in developing countries

IRIN examines "whether a new generation of social protection schemes, aimed at reducing poverty and often using cash transfers to the poorest, can be harnessed to bring down the rate of tuberculosis (TB) in developing countries."

22 Feb 2012