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Aurora Visiting Nurse Association to suspend its seasonal flu vaccination clinics

Delays in shipments from vaccine manufacturers will force the Aurora Visiting Nurse Association of Wisconsin to suspend its seasonal flu vaccination clinics throughout eastern Wisconsin.

19 Oct 2009

WHO, UNICEF publish plan to reduce childhood diarrhea deaths

The WHO and UNICEF have released a seven-point treatment and prevention plan to reduce the number of children around the world who die from diarrhea, the BBC reports (10/14). BMJ News writes, "Every year 1.5 million children aged under 5 years die from diarrhoea, more than 80% of them in Africa and south Asia" (Zarocostas, 10/14).

19 Oct 2009

CBO estimate: House bill closing in on Obama's $900 billion limit

An initial Congressional Budget Office estimate of a version of health reform legislation favored by House liberals puts the price-tag within reach of President Obama's stated $900 billion limit for the overhaul, The Washington Post reports.

19 Oct 2009

Democratic lawmakers seek momentum, Republican votes as two versions of reform bills are combined

Democrats are seeking momentum and votes -- from both Democrats and Republicans -- as leaders work to combine the two versions of reform approved by Senate committees.

19 Oct 2009

Recent releases in global health

In light of a recent Guttmacher Institute report that indicated 70,000 women in developing countries die each year from unsafe abortion, a Lancet editorial outlines ways to reduce deaths, and says, "The current political climate is favourable, because the global-gag rule (the U.S. Government's policy on banning funding of foreign organisations linked to any type of abortion practice) is out of favour" (10/17).

19 Oct 2009

Also in global health news: Street pharmacies; China health care; Hospital safety; African cardinals; Cells phones for health

Agence France-Presse examines Adjegounle, the "drugs" district in Benin. Although some are able to support their families by selling drugs at "street pharmacies," a minimum of "250 deaths and 340 cases of chronic illnesses linked to such drugs were recorded between April 2007 and June 2008," according to a medical thesis, the news service writes.

19 Oct 2009

House panel sets stage for reconciliation maneuver

A key House panel approved a measure Thursday setting the stage for Senate Democrats to bypass likely Republican attempts to block health reform legislation, CBS News reports.

19 Oct 2009

Center remains elusive despite Snowe's support

The political center remains elusive in the health care debate, despite Democrats' glee after one version of the bill received a GOP vote, Politico reports. "If Democratic leadership hoped Republican Olympia Snowe's decision to cross party lines Tuesday would inspire her fellow middle-of-the-roaders, they were mistaken."

19 Oct 2009

Internet use among older Americans can reduce U.S. healthcare costs

Spending time online reduces depression by 20 percent for senior citizens, the Phoenix Center reports in a new Policy Paper released today. In addition to the quality of life benefits, the Policy Paper said reducing the incidence of depression by widespread Internet use among older Americans could trim the nation's health care bill.

19 Oct 2009

Innovative tool for providing patient-centered care for diabetics

Mayo Clinic clinicians and designers, along with colleagues from other institutions, have developed and tested a tool to involve patients more in their diabetes treatment and medication choices.

19 Oct 2009

Initiative calls for more research and improved treatment methods on musculoskeletal pain

The Global Year Against Musculoskeletal Pain launches today, focusing attention on one of the largest and most significant areas of pain.

19 Oct 2009

Gates Foundation to announce grants to promote agriculture at world food prize symposium

During a "keynote speech" Thursday at the World Food Prize Symposium in Des Moines, Iowa, Bill Gates, cofounder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is expected to announce $120 million in grants "to promote dynamic, home-grown, sustainable agriculture in Africa and India,"

19 Oct 2009

FDA urges consumers to exercise care on online H1N1 drug products

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers to use extreme care when purchasing any products over the Internet that claim to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure the H1N1 influenza virus.

19 Oct 2009

Over 80 countries mark world handwashing day

VOA News reports that more than 80 countries marked Global Handwashing Day Thursday. The news service writes that "[d]iarrhea is the third cause of death in West and Central Africa, which is responsible for 30 percent of the world's deaths of children under the age of five."

19 Oct 2009

CVS Caremark's seasonal flu shot clinics to run through October 22

CVS/pharmacy announced today that its seasonal flu shot clinics will run through October 22, in light of manufacturer delays in delivery of seasonal flu vaccine affecting all health care providers. However, MinuteClinic will continue to administer seasonal flu vaccines at its 500 locations in 25 states throughout the flu season with the supply of vaccine replenished as frequently as possible.

19 Oct 2009

Opinions: Fighting hunger; property ownership, trade key to Africa's development

"For one billion people around the world, the daily effort to grow, buy or sell food is the defining struggle of their lives. This matters to them, and to all of us," Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton writes in a Times of India opinion piece.

19 Oct 2009

Obama: Health insurers' anti-reform efforts are 'deceptive and dishonest'

Just days before the full Senate is expected to vote on health care reform legislation, President Barack Obama ramped up his attacks on insurers.

19 Oct 2009

California study suggests more spending can save lives

An insurer in Utah is encouraging consumers to use less medical care, but a study of California hospitals suggests that sometimes spending more really does improve patient outcomes.

19 Oct 2009

Study reveals the cost effectiveness of Rheos blood pressure lowering device

A study conducted by the University of Rochester Medical Center demonstrates that, for certain patient populations, an experimental device that lowers blood pressure may be a cost effective treatment. The implantable device, called Rheos, is in advanced stages of testing for individuals with drug resistant hypertension.

19 Oct 2009