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U.S. to consider purchasing some food aid locally, acting USAID head says at World Food Summit

The U.S. is interested in potentially using more locally-produced food aid rather than U.S. grown food as a way to expand investment in agricultural development in the developing world, said Alonzo Fulgham, acting head USAID, "on the sidelines of a World Food Summit in Rome" on Tuesday, Reuters reports.

19 Nov 2009

WHO to launch yellow fever vaccination campaign in West Africa

The WHO on Tuesday announced it would lead a week-long, multi-country vaccination campaign in Africa next week to protect those "deemed at highest risk from yellow fever," Reuters reports.

19 Nov 2009

Humana to commence 'Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition' program for CMS

Effective Jan. 1, 2010, Humana will begin administering the Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition (LI-NET) program for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). This program allows individuals who receive Medicare’s low-income subsidy to also receive immediate prescription drug coverage at the point of sale if they are not already enrolled in a Part D plan.

19 Nov 2009

Opinions: Fighting TB; currency transaction tax

Though tuberculosis "is one of the world's leading killers … few citizens, scientists and policymakers are demanding more attention to TB research, treatment and prevention. … It's time to bring TB research into the 21st century," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, writes in an MSNBC opinion piece.

19 Nov 2009

Sebelius issues statement on mammography guidelines as GOP attacks health reform proposals

ABC News: "HHS Secretary Sebelius did her best to ride the wave of incredulous opposition to the new government-sponsored guidelines advising women to hold off on regular mammograms til age 50. Perhaps anticipating that opponents of the President's health reform efforts will argue that this is a glimpse of the future under Obamacare."

19 Nov 2009

CareRadius suite, a first-ever care management system from Landacorp

Landacorp today announced the public release of CareRadius suite, the only care management application of its kind to successfully achieve a large-scale, live implementation.

19 Nov 2009

GAVI Alliance drives down pentavalent vaccine costs, data shows

The "co-ordinated buying policy" of the GAVI Alliance has driven down "[t]he price of a vaccine that helps babies fight off killer diseases," according to data released by the group, Reuters reports. In 2010, the price of pentavalent vaccine, which protects against Hib (Haemophilus influenzae type b), diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus and hepatitis B, will fall "below $3.0 - a drop of almost $0.50 cents per dose on the 2009 price," according to the news services.

19 Nov 2009

Some House Democrats face questions about House bill positions; outside groups defend vulnerable 'yes' votes

Democrats are still taking issue with particular votes of other House lawmakers on health care reform. Meanwhile, Speaker Nancy Pelosi is taking a hard line against the people in her caucus she thinks "threw me under the bus," Politico reports.

18 Nov 2009

Senate health reform bill timeline slipping, Reid plans caucus meeting today

Senate action on health care reform before the Thanksgiving break seems less likely "as the upper chamber still doesn't have a final version of the bill," The Hill reports.

18 Nov 2009

AAHSA commends Senator Reid for including CLASS provisions in health reform bill

The American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA) commends Senator Reid (D-Nev.) for his leadership on ensuring that the Community Living and Supportive Services (CLASS) Plan provisions are included in the Senate's health reform bill.

18 Nov 2009

U.S. health officials testify before Senate Committee about H1N1 vaccine campaign

U.S. health officials defended their handling of the country's H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine campaign Tuesday "against criticism that their plan to protect Americans was confusing and over-optimistic," Reuters reports (Fox, 11/17).

18 Nov 2009

New Senate health bill to be topic of Democrats closed-door meeting

The Associated Press: "Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada met Wednesday morning at the Capitol with Vice President Joe Biden to go over the game plan on health care. Crucial to the White House and Reid is winning over a handful of reluctant moderate Democrats."

18 Nov 2009

CBO says Senate reform bill to cost $849 billion and cut the deficit by $127 billion

Roll Call : "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-Nev.) health care reform proposal will cost $849 billion over 10 years but cut the deficit by about $127 billion, leadership aides announced Wednesday afternoon.

18 Nov 2009

Also in Global Health news: Sleeping sickness; aid for Philippines; U.S., China in Africa; polio eradication in Afghanistan; Ethiopia famine

Lancet Infectious Diseases Newsdesk examines how despite evidence that a new therapy to treat sleeping sickness, called nifurtimox—eflornithine (NECT) is a step forward in treating the disease, it has yet to be implemented by countries "13 months after data from a successful trial was presented." The main issue at hand - "nifurtimox is not registered for use in sleeping sickness," the journal writes. The article also examines other factors complicating the implementation of the therapy (Morris, 12/09).

18 Nov 2009

Some small businesses are scaling back or ending health coverage

"Across the country, businesses already strapped by the economy to turn a profit are sacrificing or scaling back employee health insurance plans because of their escalating costs," The Associated Press reports. "The crunch has particularly socked smaller employers, who have become a centerpiece in the debate over how to overhaul the nation's health care system."

18 Nov 2009

$Poll shows fractured public opinion; Dems claim 'widespread' support for health bills$

Poll shows fractured public opinion; Dems claim 'widespread' support for health bills

Public opinion remains divided on one of health reform's most controversial issues, the proposal to create a new government health insurance plan, according to poll this week by The Associated Press.

18 Nov 2009

House vote on abortion amendment causes division among Democrats

The inclusion in the House health reform bill of an anti-abortion amendment sponsored by Michigan Democratic Rep. Bart Stupak is causing division and debate among Democrats. Politico reports: "House passage of a sweeping anti-abortion amendment has set off a wave of soul-searching and finger-pointing among abortion rights activists — many of whom thought they'd found a safe harbor when Democrats won the White House and big majorities in Congress last year."

18 Nov 2009

Senate approves budget for veterans programs

"The Senate on Tuesday adopted the latest in a continuing series of major budget increases to provide medical care for veterans. The move came as the Senate passed, by a rare 100-0 vote, a $134 billion spending bill for veterans programs and military construction projects" the Associated Press reports.

18 Nov 2009

Generic and brand-name drug makers face off

"Teva Pharmaceuticals, a leading manufacturer of generic drugs, has been aggressively lobbying Congress to scrap provisions in the health care bills it claims would shut it out of the biologic drug market for too long," Roll Call reports. Lobbyists for the biologics makers have charged, however, that Teva is hypocritical because it is fighting to restrict generic production of its own brand-name product.

18 Nov 2009

AARP tells GOP it won't reverse support for Democrats' House health bill

"House Republicans want the AARP to rescind its endorsement of comprehensive health reform legislation after a government report showed it could cause some providers to stop accepting Medicare patients," CongressDaily reports. The report, issued by the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services. "warned some Medicare beneficiaries could lose access to providers if the House bill becomes law."

18 Nov 2009

Health Care News and Research

U.S. to consider purchasing some food aid locally, acting USAID head says at World Food Summit

WHO to launch yellow fever vaccination campaign in West Africa

Humana to commence 'Limited Income Newly Eligible Transition' program for CMS

Opinions: Fighting TB; currency transaction tax

Sebelius issues statement on mammography guidelines as GOP attacks health reform proposals

CareRadius suite, a first-ever care management system from Landacorp

GAVI Alliance drives down pentavalent vaccine costs, data shows

Some House Democrats face questions about House bill positions; outside groups defend vulnerable 'yes' votes

Senate health reform bill timeline slipping, Reid plans caucus meeting today

AAHSA commends Senator Reid for including CLASS provisions in health reform bill

U.S. health officials testify before Senate Committee about H1N1 vaccine campaign

New Senate health bill to be topic of Democrats closed-door meeting

CBO says Senate reform bill to cost $849 billion and cut the deficit by $127 billion

Also in Global Health news: Sleeping sickness; aid for Philippines; U.S., China in Africa; polio eradication in Afghanistan; Ethiopia famine

Some small businesses are scaling back or ending health coverage

Poll shows fractured public opinion; Dems claim 'widespread' support for health bills

House vote on abortion amendment causes division among Democrats

Senate approves budget for veterans programs

Generic and brand-name drug makers face off

AARP tells GOP it won't reverse support for Democrats' House health bill

Event guide: 3rd Measuring Patient Engagement Summit eBook

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How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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