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Common myths about hospice care

People mistakenly think hospice care is about dying... you call hospice when nothing more can be done. Nothing could be further from the truth. Hospice of the Western Reserve focuses on life by bringing comfort, dignity and peace to those facing serious illness. Hospice is about living life to its fullest.

30 Jul 2011

Political, economic tensions in Malawi threaten new HIV/AIDS strategy

In a guest post on the GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog, Janet Fleischman, a senior associate at the CSIS Global Health Policy Center, describes the Malawian government's "plans to launch a 'test and treat' program in which all HIV-infected pregnant women will immediately be put on antiretroviral treatment drugs for life."

30 Jul 2011

Physicians to provide high-quality care, training to medically underserved community

Today, the first class of Texas Children's Global Health Corps will depart Houston for assignment in Africa. This talented team of pediatricians and family doctors will provide medical care and treatment to thousands of children and families affected by serious or life-threatening medical conditions, including sickle cell disease, malaria, tuberculosis, malnutrition, cancer and HIV/AIDS.

30 Jul 2011

Improved cardiovascular health can help hear better

Improving cardiovascular health appears to be the best way to help process what we hear, according to Ray Hull, an audiologist at Wichita State University.

29 Jul 2011

MSNBC's Chris Matthews interviews NIAID head Anthony Fauci

The Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog features video of an interview of Anthony Fauci, director of the NIH National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, that was conducted by MSNBC "Hardball" host Chris Matthews at a Capitol Hill briefing on Tuesday, which was hosted by the Foundation for AIDS Research.

29 Jul 2011

Many factors contribute to high caesarean section rate around the world

A wide range of clinical and non-clinical factors can affect whether women go on to have a vaginal delivery after having a caesarean, according to two major reviews published in the August issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

28 Jul 2011

Pharmaceutical companies' profit protection hurts global AIDS fight

In her latest piece on the New York Times' "Opinionator" blog, author and journalist Tina Rosenberg argues that the terms of Gilead's recent agreement with the Medicines Patent Pool is "confirmation of a dangerous new trend: middle-income countries as a target market for drug makers."

28 Jul 2011

CIA's use of vaccine program to hunt Bin Laden hurt U.S. health diplomacy

The incoming C.I.A. director, David Petraeus, ought to impose clear restrictions and prohibitions on medically oriented spy tactics so that the integrity and humanitarian purpose of U.S. health aid are affirmed and that current and future health aid operations will not be misused," Jack Chow, a former U.S. global AIDS ambassador and assistant director-general of the WHO, writes in a New York Times opinion piece responding to reports that the U.S. used a vaccination campaign in Pakistan to help locate and kill Osama bin Laden.

28 Jul 2011

Control and elimination of neglected tropical diseases can help treat HIV/AIDS

There is a growing body of evidence revealing the connection between neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) and HIV/AIDS, prompting experts to call for greater integration of national NTD treatment programs with HIV/AIDS initiatives.

28 Jul 2011

Smokers are misinformed about safety and efficacy of nicotine replacement therapy

Nearly half of all smokers in the United States attempt to quit at least once per year, yet the majority of these efforts fail. One factor contributing to the low annual rate of successful cessation is that the majority of quit attempts are made without evidence-based treatment such as nicotine replacement therapy.

28 Jul 2011

GlobalPost blog interviews Iranian doctor imprisoned after treating HIV/AIDS patients

GlobalPost's "Global Pulse" blog features an interview with Iranian physician Kamiar Alaei, who along with his brother, Arash Alaei, worked to treat patients with HIV/AIDS in Iran and were arrested and imprisoned by Iranian government authorities in June 2008.

28 Jul 2011

Efforts to fight HIV/AIDS, NTDs should be integrated

"The neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) produce a devastating level of chronic disability in sub-Saharan Africa, with some estimates suggesting that the NTD disease burden exceeds tuberculosis and is one-half that of malaria," Julie Noblick and Richard Skolnick of George Washington University and Peter Hotez of the Sabin Vaccine Institute write in a PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases editorial.

28 Jul 2011

Surge of generics will trigger drop in drug prices

In the next 14 months, seven of the world's 20 best-selling drugs are scheduled to go "off patent." As they do, the brand-name drugs will lose out to generic versions, cutting costs for patients and companies that provide health benefits.

27 Jul 2011

New HIV prevention findings delay release of WHO guidelines for discordant couples

"Upbeat new HIV prevention findings presented last week at an international AIDS conference held in Rome have complicated attempts by the World Health Organization (WHO) to draft much-anticipated guidelines for heterosexual couples in which one partner is infected," ScienceInsider reports.

27 Jul 2011

Study reveals clear need to halt escalating use of Caesarean sections

Caesarean section rates are steadily increasing globally. Requiring two doctors to agree that a Caesarean section is the best way to deliver a baby, rather than just needing one opinion, providing internal feedback to doctors on the number of operations performed and seeking support from local opinion leaders may reduce the use of this procedure.

27 Jul 2011

Early initiation of HIV therapy would save money, lives of South Africans

If the South African government followed a recent recommendation by the World Health Organization to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) for HIV-infected residents earlier in the progress of the disease, the policy shift would start saving the country money after 16 years and would extend thousands of lives for dozens of years, according to a new study.

27 Jul 2011

Volunteers needed in worldwide study to help people breathe easier

Australian sufferers of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD), one of the most important causes of breathlessness and difficulty performing tasks of normal daily life, have the opportunity to participate in a worldwide study, starting this month, assessing a potential new treatment.

26 Jul 2011