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Health reform law facing showdown in courts, Congress

As the Obama administration presses ahead with the health care law, officials are bracing for the possibility that a federal judge in Virginia will soon reject its central provision as unconstitutional and, in the worst case for the White House, halt its enforcement until higher courts can rule.

28 Nov 2010

Serono Symposium to review options available for optimizing Assisted Reproductive Technologies

Serono Symposia International Foundation will gather a team of leading international experts meeting on November 26th in Montreal in order to review the different options currently available to optimize ART (Assisted Reproductive Technologies) outcomes during the event "Treating the Ovary to Obtain Better Eggs".

26 Nov 2010

Study shows relationship between nasal symptoms and severe asthma

People with multi-symptom asthma more often have night-time awakenings due to asthma-symptoms, a sign of severe asthma. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Respiratory Research have shown that asthma with multiple symptoms is more highly prevalent than previously suggested, comprising 20- 25% of all asthmatics.

26 Nov 2010

Canadian Red Cross announces First Responder Initiative for disaster response

The Canadian Red Cross is pleased to announce the First Responder Initiative, which increases the Red Cross' capacity to prepare for and rapidly respond to disasters and includes the ability to quickly deploy tented field hospitals.

26 Nov 2010

Hospital errors in U.S. continue despite efforts: Study

A new study published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) showed that all the efforts to make American hospitals error free and safe are inadequate.

25 Nov 2010

New study finds no decrease in patient harm at hospitals

Despite concerted efforts, no decreases in patient harm were detected at 10 randomly selected North Carolina hospitals between 2002 and 2007, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine, Harvard Medical School and the Institute for Healthcare Improvement.

25 Nov 2010

UMDNJ researchers develop comprehensive strategy for recovery from smoking addiction

Researchers at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ), following 10 years of studying tobacco use among smokers with mental illness, have developed a comprehensive strategy for recovery from smoking addiction that could serve as a nationwide model.

25 Nov 2010

NAFC urges volunteers to register for free medical clinic in Charlotte

The National Association of Free Clinics (NAFC) is urging volunteers to give back to their community by registering now for the large one-day free medical clinic for uninsured Carolinians to be held in Charlotte next month.

25 Nov 2010

WHO/UN-HABITAT report documents health disparities facing women in developing country urban areas

Womens News Network/Guardian Development Network examines a WHO/United Nations Human Settlements Programme report released last week that highlighted the health disparities affecting populations living in urban areas.

25 Nov 2010

Haiti cholera death toll increases, U.N. boosts estimate for number of expected cases

"The cholera epidemic in Haiti is gathering pace and some violence is expected when the country holds elections this week, U.N. officials warned Tuesday," Agence France-Presse reports. The official death toll from cholera is now above 1,400, but "experts believe that the real toll is close to 2,000 dead and the number of cases is between 60,000 and 70,000 rather than the 50,000 given by the authorities, Nigel Fisher, the U.N. humanitarian coordinator in Haiti said," according to the news service (11/23).

25 Nov 2010

Media outlets continue to follow major HIV/AIDS developments this week

Media outlets continued to track the major developments in HIV/AIDS this week, including: prevention research using an antiretroviral; new UNAIDS estimates of HIV/AIDS around the world; and Pope Benedict XVI's stance on condoms for HIV prevention.

25 Nov 2010

Poor governance major cause of Africa’s water problems, AfDB report says

A report released by the African Development Bank (AfDB) at a meeting in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the 3rd Africa Water Week, points to poor governance as a major cause of the inadequate water supply that threatens the health of millions living in Africa, 234next.com reports

25 Nov 2010

Public health: Frequency of dialysis treatment questioned, chemotherapy drug shortages

A new study funded by the National Institutes of Health suggests that receiving dialysis six days a week results in better self-reported patient health than the conventional treatment of three times per week.

25 Nov 2010

Middle East meeting addresses global food security

At a meeting of the Gulf Cooperation Council to address global food security, ministers "pledged to a set of recommendations meant to improve co-operation and develop policies that could cope with a sudden interruption of food supplies" and vowed to "improve co-operation with international bodies such as the U.N.'s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) on food security matters," The National reports (Detrie, 11/24).

25 Nov 2010

Privacy complaint targets online health sites

The New York Times: Consumer groups have filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission alleging popular health websites are collecting too much information from users, saying that "site visitors who provide personal details about themselves might not be aware that QualityHealth [among other websites] collects information about people's medical conditions, preferred medicines and treatment plans and uses it to profile its users for prescription drug marketing" (Singer, 11/23).

25 Nov 2010

New insurers rule meets resistance from Florida, Iowa

Florida officials plan to ask for a bye on the new health law's requirement that insurers spend at least 80 percent of premiums on medical care, and refund policyholders if they fall short, the St. Petersburg Times reports.

25 Nov 2010

New drug research, incidence rates and Pope's comments brighten AIDS outlook

The Associated Press: "In the nearly 30 years the AIDS epidemic has raged, there has never been a more hopeful day than this. Three striking developments took place Tuesday: U.N. officials said new HIV cases are dropping dramatically worldwide. A study showed that a daily pill already on pharmacy shelves could help prevent new infections in gay men. And the pope opened the way for the use of condoms to prevent AIDS" (Marchione, 11/23).

25 Nov 2010

Obama administration clashes with insurers over controlling costs

Better coverage. Health insurance premiums lower than they would have been otherwise. Millions of Americans eligible for rebates in just a little over a year.

25 Nov 2010

USAID's Shah announces Bureau for Food Security; Bread for the World releases 2011 Hunger Report

USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah announced on Monday the creation of a Bureau for Food Security within the agency "to manage the Obama administration's Feed the Future initiative, which Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton plans to turn over to USAID," National Journal Daily reports.

25 Nov 2010

New report from anti-poverty coalition Ontario Campaign 2000

Ontario's child poverty rate is on the rise with more than 1 in every 6 children growing up in a low income household, says a new report from the anti-poverty coalition Ontario Campaign 2000. The Ontario government needs to step up investment or it will not meet its target to cut child poverty by 25% by 2013.

25 Nov 2010