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Washington DC's HIV prevalence more than twice national average

Initial results from a Washington, D.C., campaign to have all residents tested for HIV show that HIV prevalence in the city is more than twice the nation's average, according to results released Tuesday during a meeting of the Mayor's Task Force on HIV and AIDS, the Washington Post reports.

26 Sep 2006

Indian not-for-profit organization establishes school for HIV-positive children

The not-for-profit organization Karunalayam last week opened a school in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh that plans to educate exclusively HIV-positive children who have been turned away by other schools, officials said Thursday, AFP/Today Online reports.

26 Sep 2006

Roche to transfer technology for Saquinavir to three generic drug companies in Africa

Switzerland-based pharmaceutical company Roche on Friday said it will provide three generic drug companies in sub-Saharan Africa assistance in producing the protease inhibitor saquinavir under its Technology Transfer Initiative, Reuters South Africa reports (Reuters South Africa, 9/22).

26 Sep 2006

HIV prevalence in Ethiopia lower than expected

HIV prevalence in Ethiopia is lower than expected, according to results of the Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey 2005, which was at the U.N. Economic Commission for Africa, the Daily Monitor/AllAfrica.com reports.

26 Sep 2006

Kashmir faces unique challenges in HIV/AIDS fight

Kashmir, which is controlled by India in the south and Pakistan in the north, faces many unique challenges in the fight against HIV/AIDS, IANS/DailyIndia.com reports. According to IANS/DailyIndia.com, there are 745 reported HIV cases in Kashmir; however, unofficial estimates put the number at 25,000.

26 Sep 2006

New CDC HIV testing recommendations could compromise patients' civil rights

CDC's revised recommendations on HIV testing in the U.S. -- that say HIV tests should become a routine part of medical care for residents ages 13 to 64 and that requirements for written consent and pretest counseling should be dropped -- could harm the health and civil rights of people who receive the tests, the American Civil Liberties Union said in a release on Thursday, CQ HealthBeat reports.

26 Sep 2006

Cigna provides data on cost, quality of services to web site

Cigna, which last year began to post cost and quality information for inpatient services performed at hospitals on a Web site for members, this week added data for outpatient services performed at stand-alone surgical centers, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (Perotin, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9/20).

22 Sep 2006

Health insurers in Florida rank lower

Health insurers in Florida rank lower on a series of quality measures compared with insurance companies in other parts of the country, according to a report released on Monday by the Florida Health Care Coalition, the Miami Herald reports. FHCC -- a coalition of Florida employers including Macy's, county governments and school boards -- studied the state's six largest insurers.

22 Sep 2006

Senate HELP committee approves Von Eschenbach nomination to head FDA

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Wednesday by voice vote approved President Bush's nomination of acting FDA Commissioner Andrew von Eschenbach to permanently head the agency, but potential holds to a full Senate vote on the nomination remain, the New York Times reports (Harris, New York Times, 9/21). Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.)

22 Sep 2006

New Hampshire nursing homes file complaint seeking $4.4m in Medicaid reimbursements

About 60 of New Hampshire's 78 nursing homes have signed a complaint alleging that the state Department of Health and Human Services owes them $4.4 million for care provided to Medicaid beneficiaries since 2002, the Concord Monitor reports.

22 Sep 2006

Many Medicare beneficiaries lack coverage in prescription drug benefit 'doughnut hole'

Eighty-eight percent of Medicare beneficiaries enrolled in stand-alone drug plans under the Medicare prescription drug benefit are in plans that do not provide coverage during the so-called "doughnut hole," according to a report released on Thursday by Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee, the AP/Boston Globe reports.

22 Sep 2006

Prices on medications most commonly used by older people rose 4.3% in first half of 2006

Manufacturer prices for the brand-name drugs most commonly used by individuals ages 50 and older increased by an average of 6.3% during the 12-month period ending in June, according to an AARP survey released on Tuesday, the Newark Star-Ledger reports.

22 Sep 2006

Opinion piece examines CDC cash awards process

The Atlanta-Journal Constitution recently published an editorial and an opinion piece that addressed issues related to the CDC cash awards process.

22 Sep 2006

Lawmakers push AMA to support linking Medicare payments, quality measures

House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health Chair Nancy Johnson (R-Conn.) on Wednesday met with physician groups to discuss legislation that would stop a 5.1% reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements that is scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2007, CQ Today reports.

22 Sep 2006

Hispanics in 'new growth communities' face greater barriers to health care

Hispanics in smaller, more rural communities have greater barriers in accessing care than do Hispanics in larger communities, according to a report released on Thursday by the Kaiser Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, the Bradenton Herald reports.

22 Sep 2006

Inclusion of prescription drug reimportation provision in delaying action on homeland security appropriations

Provisions that would permit U.S. residents to purchase lower-cost prescription drugs from abroad have become a "major sticking point" to settling negotiations on the House and Senate fiscal year 2007 Homeland Security appropriations bills, CongressDaily reports (CongressDaily, 9/19).

22 Sep 2006

WHO backs health sector response to HIV pandemic

The World Health Organization Western Pacific Region, in collaboration with international partner agencies, is seeking to scale up HIV/AIDS prevention and control activities in line with the goal of universal access for HIV/AIDS treatment throughout Asia and the Pacific by 2010.

21 Sep 2006

Researchers patent novel method for measuring blood pressure in the heart

Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center have developed and patented a new, noninvasive means of measuring blood pressure inside the heart.

21 Sep 2006

Some Alabama abortion clinics facing difficulties finding local physicians to provide backup services

Some abortion-rights advocates in Alabama say it has become increasingly difficult for abortion clinics to find local physicians who will serve as backups for abortion providers because of fears they will be targeted and harassed by abortion-rights opponents, AP/Columbus Ledger-Enquirer reports.

20 Sep 2006

GSK seeks regulatory approval in U.S., Europe for Tykerb

GlaxoSmithKline on Monday said it has submitted its experimental breast cancer drug Tykerb, which is taken orally, for FDA approval and plans to file for approval in Europe in the fourth quarter of this year, Reuters reports.

20 Sep 2006