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Baucus: Several changes to make health bill affordable for middle class

"Under pressure from fellow Democrats, the chairman of the Senate Finance Committee endorsed additional measures to defray the cost of insurance for working class families on Tuesday as the panel opened debate on sweeping health care legislation,"

23 Sep 2009

After criticisms, Baucus expects big changes to health bill

The Senate Finance Committee is meeting beginning today to consider chairman Max Baucus' health proposal and is very likely to make substantial changes.

23 Sep 2009

World Vision calls on U.S. Congress, G20 leaders to make commitments to end hunger

As world leaders gather at the United Nations and G20 meetings this week, the future of the $20 billion food security initiative first proposed at July's G8 summit remains uncertain, say aid policy experts at Christian humanitarian agency World Vision.

22 Sep 2009

Parents' role in the stability and well-being of children growing up in foster care

Greater priority needs to be given to working with parents of children in long-term foster care, according to new research by the University of East Anglia (UEA).

22 Sep 2009

Millions more in Horn of Africa could face food shortages this year, FAO says

Millions of additional people in the Horn of Africa could face food shortages this year because of poor harvests from a lack of rain, worsening conflicts and the El Nino climatic effect, the U.N. Food and Agriculture organization (FAO) said on Monday, Reuters reports.

21 Sep 2009

U.N. report calls for $1.48B to help developing nations cope with H1N1

The U.N. this week will request that wealthy nations and development banks donate $1.48 billion to help developing countries fight H1N1 (swine flu), Bloomberg reports. "Most of the money is needed for vaccines and drugs … to help the least-developed nations cope with the influenza pandemic, according to a U.N. report obtained" Monday by the news service.

21 Sep 2009

Study: Racial health disparities cost $229 billion from 2003-2006

"Racial health disparities cost the United States $229 billion between 2003 and 2006 — money that could help cover an overhaul of the nation's health care system, according to a new report by Johns Hopkins and University of Maryland researchers," The Baltimore Sun reports.

21 Sep 2009

Recent releases: Climate change, health; ITNS; Mexico H1N1; Policy Tracker; TB treatment; blogs

In addition to the Lancet's recent publication of an opinion piece and letter by 18 doctor association leaders about the potential health risks associated with climate change, the journal includes an editorial about sexual and reproductive health and climate change and a comment on the upcoming Copenhagen conference in December (9/19).

21 Sep 2009

Lawmakers wonder if the Baucus Plan does enough to control premiums

Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers fear a new plan unveiled by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., could impose added costs on middle-class people in the form of higher health insurance premiums, a problem they will seek to mitigate, The Washington Post reports: "Some Senate Democrats, along with a key moderate Republican, Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (Maine), are now discussing ways to increase assistance for individuals and families who could face premium costs of up to $15,000 per year by 2016.

21 Sep 2009

Despite signs of economic growth, world's poorest 'still not out of the woods,' U.N. Secretary-General says

During a news conference Thursday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon highlighted the need to focus on the poorest people in the world even as "economists in developed nations are cautiously pointing to the first signs of renewed economic growth," the New York Times reports (MacFarquhar, 9/17).

21 Sep 2009

Some governors worry about proposals to expand Medicaid as part of reform effort

The provisions in health care reform legislation have caused concern among some governors who fear it could increase financial burdens on their states.

18 Sep 2009

World Bank says additional 89M in 'extreme poverty' by 2010, asks for increased aid

An additional 89 million people are expected to be pushed to levels of "extreme poverty" by the end of 2010, according to a new World Bank report that urges developed nations to increase aid to developing countries, Bloomberg reports.

18 Sep 2009

Mcgill Food Conference to focus on shortage of food in Guatemala

Some of the important reasons underlying the current food crisis in Guatemala - where more than 50,000 families don't have enough to eat and women and children in particular are today struggling to survive - are at the top of the agenda of McGill University's second annual Global Food Security Conference, Oct. 5-7, in Montreal.

18 Sep 2009

CTI project to enhance child nutrition in Malawi and Tanzania

A McKnight Foundation grant recently awarded to Compatible Technology International (CTI), Tanzania's Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) and the International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT) will address these needs. The organizations are combining their expertise for a four-year $673,000 research and development grant project, which will focus on enhancing child nutrition and the livelihoods of rural households in Malawi and Tanzania.

18 Sep 2009

Summa Health System responds to healthcare reform

As the health insurance reform debate continues in Washington, D.C. and around the country, Summa Health System provides the following response to the latest developments in the debate and the potential impact on Summa. As a system, Summa continues to inform the debate by sharing its perspective on various policy changes and urges adoption of policies that would impact its patients' health in a positive way, including efforts to expand affordable health insurance to those without coverage.

18 Sep 2009

Debate focuses on cost for coverage mandates

The Democratic reform proposals in Congress mandate that people have health insurance and provide for different levels of government subsidies, which causes debate on how much people should pay for their health care. NPR reports on the bill released Wednesday by Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus: "The latest bill, however, provides less generous subsidies, which could make it harder for middle-class families to afford the mandatory insurance."

18 Sep 2009

Two-day forum addresses maternal, child mortality in Asia-Pacific region

Poor health care, gender inequality, violence and poverty are to blame for Asian-Pacific countries' failure to significantly reduce maternal and child mortality rates in the region, Noeleen Heyzer, executive secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), said during the Asia-Pacific Forum on International Conference on Population and Development in Bangkok.

18 Sep 2009

The Ontario Government must act to reduce the financial barrier to mental health services: MFH

Financial barriers can be immense for people who suffer from mental illness and the Ontario Government has an opportunity to act now. The All-Party Committee on Mental Health and Addictions is hearing from groups and individuals on what should be included in a strategy for the province.

17 Sep 2009

Proposal to impose tax on insurers for individual health insurance plans is unfair and unnecessary: Teamsters

Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa today said the proposal to impose a 35 percent tax on insurers for individual health insurance plans worth more than $8,000 is unfair and unnecessary.

17 Sep 2009

US NetMark project helps build African and international businesses

The NetMark project, a $67 million, USAID-funded public-private partnership to prevent malaria, ends September 30, but the bed net market continues to thrive in seven countries where it operated-Nigeria, Senegal, Mali, Ghana, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Zambia. Not only did the U.S. investment help spur major spending by private companies-for every $1 in public funds, African and international businesses spent $1.30-the new commercial sector now exists.

17 Sep 2009

Poverty News and Research

Baucus: Several changes to make health bill affordable for middle class

After criticisms, Baucus expects big changes to health bill

World Vision calls on U.S. Congress, G20 leaders to make commitments to end hunger

Parents' role in the stability and well-being of children growing up in foster care

Millions more in Horn of Africa could face food shortages this year, FAO says

U.N. report calls for $1.48B to help developing nations cope with H1N1

Study: Racial health disparities cost $229 billion from 2003-2006

Recent releases: Climate change, health; ITNS; Mexico H1N1; Policy Tracker; TB treatment; blogs

Lawmakers wonder if the Baucus Plan does enough to control premiums

Despite signs of economic growth, world's poorest 'still not out of the woods,' U.N. Secretary-General says

Some governors worry about proposals to expand Medicaid as part of reform effort

World Bank says additional 89M in 'extreme poverty' by 2010, asks for increased aid

Mcgill Food Conference to focus on shortage of food in Guatemala

CTI project to enhance child nutrition in Malawi and Tanzania

Summa Health System responds to healthcare reform

Debate focuses on cost for coverage mandates

Two-day forum addresses maternal, child mortality in Asia-Pacific region

The Ontario Government must act to reduce the financial barrier to mental health services: MFH

Proposal to impose tax on insurers for individual health insurance plans is unfair and unnecessary: Teamsters

US NetMark project helps build African and international businesses

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

From Puberty to Menopause: Clue’s CEO, Audrey Tsang on the Power of Femtech

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