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Studies look at Hispanics' access to U.S. health care system

Three studies published online on Wednesday in the American Journal of Public Health look at how poverty, language and health insurance coverage affect access to care among foreign-born U.S. residents, particularly Hispanics, HealthDay/U.S. News & World Report reports.

22 Sep 2008

Minnesota lawmakers seek suspension of proposed Medicaid rule that would reduce Federal funding for MinnesotaCare

Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) and Rep. Keith Ellison (D-Minn.) have introduced bills to suspend a proposed federal Medicaid rule that would reduce funding for the state's MinnesotaCare program and that potentially could cut up to 18,000 low- and middle-income beneficiaries from the program, the St. Paul Pioneer Press reports.

16 Sep 2008

Newly reported HIV cases increasing in Alberta, Canada

The number of newly reported HIV cases in Alberta, Canada, increased by 29% in 2007 compared with 2005, the CP/Calgary Sun reports.

16 Sep 2008

Ohio health officials discuss strategies to address racial heath disparities

A group of Ohio public health officials and community workers on Wednesday met to discuss strategies to address racial health disparities in the state and also to develop a plan of action, the Akron Beacon Journal reports.

15 Sep 2008

Stigma deters HIV-positive people from seeking treatment, panelist says at Arkansas HIV/AIDS Minority Task Force Meeting

The stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS in the Arkansas Delta prevents people living with the disease from coming forward and makes it difficult for the state to help the population, a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences researcher told the Arkansas HIV/AIDS Minority Task Force earlier this week, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports.

11 Sep 2008

Swaziland holds celebrations for King's birthday, independence; advocates call for increased social spending, other reforms

Swaziland on Saturday held celebrations for King Mswati's 40th birthday and the country's 40th year of independence -- an "extravaganza that contrasted sharply with the biting poverty" of the country -- the AP/Chicago Tribune reports.

10 Sep 2008

Houston Chronicle examines Baylor pediatric HIV/AIDS program in Burkina Faso

The Houston Chronicle on Saturday examined the Baylor College of Medicine's International Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Bobo-Dioulasso, Burkina Faso.

10 Sep 2008

World Vision report finds young brides at risk of contracting HIV/AIDS

A report recently released by World Vision has found that girls in developing countries who marry before age 18 -- whose numbers are expected to double to 100 million in the next 10 years -- are at an increased risk of HIV/AIDS, Reuters reports.

9 Sep 2008

U.N. report finds donors providing less aid to developing nations

Despite rising food and energy prices and slowing economic growth worldwide, aid to developing nations has been on the decline, according to a United Nations report released on Thursday by U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the New York Times reports.

7 Sep 2008

Advocates in Swaziland call for democratic reforms, social spending to address issues such as HIV/AIDS

About 1,000 people in the Swazi city of Manzini held a protest on Wednesday, calling for democratic reforms and increased social spending to address issues such as HIV/AIDS in the country, Reuters Africa reports.

7 Sep 2008

Wall Street Journal examines record of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Palin on health care, other issues

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday examined the record of Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on health care and other issues as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and as governor of the state.

5 Sep 2008

African countries commit to new meningitis vaccine

Health ministers from countries of the African meningitis belt today committed themselves to introduce a highly promising candidate meningitis vaccine. The vaccine is designed to prevent periodic epidemics of the deadly disease in these countries.

4 Sep 2008

Africa can successfully fight malaria with increased resources, commitment, WHO Director General says

Africa can achieve success in combating malaria and other diseases with sufficient resources and increased commitment from African leaders, World Health Organization Director-General Margaret Chan said Monday at the opening of the 58th session of WHO's Regional Committee for Africa in Yaounde, Cameroon, the Cameroon Tribune reports.

4 Sep 2008

Hurricane Katrina increased mental and physical health problems in New Orleans by up to three times

Half the residents of New Orleans were suffering from poor mental and physical health more than a year after their homes and community were devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005, according to research published in the September issue of the UK-based Journal of Clinical Nursing.

3 Sep 2008

U.S. needs national HIV/AIDS plan, should focus resources on epidemic's trends, opinion piece says

The recent CDC report on new HIV infections "underscore[s] ... the inexorable movement of the HIV/AIDS epidemic into black and other minority communities and the failure of government at all levels to respond to that change," C. Virginia Fields, president and CEO of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS, writes in a New York Daily News opinion piece (Fields, New York Daily News, 8/31).

2 Sep 2008

Social determinants, inequality have negative impact on global health, WHO report says

Social inequalities such as inadequate education, a lack of human rights, poverty and poor housing negatively can impact global health conditions, according to a report released Thursday by the World Health Organization's Commission on the Social Determinants of Health, Toronto's Globe and Mail reports.

1 Sep 2008

Economic pressures lead some uninsured to stop medications, cut doses

The Jackson Clarion-Ledger on Wednesday examined how some U.S. residents who cannot afford health insurance are reducing the amount of medications they take or cutting doses, as well as seeing the doctor less frequently, to save money.

1 Sep 2008

Marginalized populations should be focus of HIV prevention efforts, opinion piece says

Although the U.S. has "relatively abundant resources available to those living with HIV," socioeconomic gaps continue to lead to higher rates of the virus among marginalized groups in the country, Christine Jolly, president of AIDS Care Service, writes in a Winston-Salem Journal opinion piece.

29 Aug 2008

Social injustice is killing people on a grand scale reports WHO's Commission

A child born in a Glasgow, Scotland suburb can expect a life 28 years shorter than another living only 13 kilometres away. A girl in Lesotho is likely to live 42 years less than another in Japan. In Sweden, the risk of a woman dying during pregnancy and childbirth is 1 in 17 400; in Afghanistan, the odds are 1 in 8. Biology does not explain any of this. Instead, the differences between - and within - countries result from the social environment where people are born, live, grow, work and age.

28 Aug 2008

Number, percentage of uninsured U.S. residents decreased in 2007, according to U.S. Census Bureau

The number and percentage of uninsured U.S. residents declined in 2007 to 45.7 million people, or 15.3% of the population, according to an annual U.S. Census Bureau report released Tuesday, USA Today reports (Cauchon/Appleby, USA Today, 8/27).