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World No Tobacco Day observed worldwide

In a new online survey of 15,559 Internet users in China findings show that more than fifty percent smokers find it difficult to quit the habit without professional assistance. This survey came in the wake of the World No Tobacco Day observed on the 31st of May and supported by the media center of the Ministry of Health and the Life Times newspaper.

31 May 2010

Officials' plan to enforce rescission ban still unclear

WellPoint, UnitedHealth and other major insurers have said they will end the practice of terminating policies when policyholder become sick except in cases of fraud, earlier than the September deadline the health overhaul set, Reuters reports. But, it may be difficult for government officials to enforce the new prohibition on rescission, as the practice is called.

3 May 2010

Attack on ‘junk food’ marketing to cut down on obesity

Amidst warnings of the obesity epidemic health authorities voicing their concern called for restrictions on fast non healthy food and alcohol advertising. Australia is one of the most overweight nations in the world, with more than 60% of adults and 25% children overweight or obese.

5 Apr 2010

Obama signs executive order affirming ban on federal funding for abortion

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25 Mar 2010

Health reform creates winners, losers and an interesting timeline

The health legislation creates a slew of winners and losers, as well as immediate effects and changes that will arrive slowly.

24 Mar 2010

Coalition of international health organizations oppose compensation for bone marrow donors

Voicing concern about the potential impact on patient and donor safety, nine leading international health organizations have formed a coalition to oppose compensating people who provide bone marrow for transplantation.

23 Mar 2010

Health bill's passage rested on White House executive order on abortion

"Abortion was one of the most contentious issues in this debate from the very beginning, more than a year ago. A longstanding law — the Hyde Amendment — bars federal funds from being used to pay for elective abortions. It's an agreement between anti-abortion and pro-abortion rights lawmakers that is so delicate it could balance on a pin."

23 Mar 2010

U.S. bishops urge House members to fix flaws or oppose Senate health reform bill

The U.S. bishops urged the House of Representatives to fix flaws in health care legislation or vote against its passage in a March 20 letter to House members.

22 Mar 2010

FDA restricts the sale, distribution and use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco

A rule issued today by the Food and Drug Administration underscores the historical progress made towards fighting the nation's number one cause of preventable death: tobacco-related disease.

19 Mar 2010

Chitosan put forward as effective alternative to growth-promoting antibiotics in the diet of ruminants

The natural-occurring biopolymer known as chitosan is being put forward as an effective alternative to growth-promoting antibiotics in the diet of ruminants, according to research carried out by scientists at the Basque technological centre, Neiker-Tecnalia.

1 Mar 2010

FEHBP PBM contracts: HR 4489 to reduce fraud and grant OPM greater power to audit

The House Subcommittee for the Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia heard testimony today on HR 4489, the “FEHBP Prescription Drug Integrity, Transparency, and Cost Savings Act.” The proposed bill would reform many aspects of how the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) contracts with pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to provide prescription drug benefits to federal workers.

24 Feb 2010

APA urges Pentagon and Congress to end restrictions on gays and lesbians serving in military

The American Psychological Association urged both the Pentagon and Congress today to move swiftly to end the restrictions on gays and lesbians serving openly in the military, noting that there are decades of scientific research demonstrating no threat to military readiness or morale.

5 Feb 2010

U.S. lawmakers introduce resolution condemning Uganda's anti-gay bill

U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday introduced a congressional resolution condemning an anti-gay bill before Uganda's parliament, "calling it an attack on human rights and an obstacle to battling HIV/AIDS," Agence France-Presse reports.

5 Feb 2010

FDA approves first heart valve conduit that can delay need for open-heart surgery

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the Medtronic Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve and Ensemble Delivery System, the first heart valve to be implanted through a catheter, or tube, in a leg vein and guided up to the heart. This new approach to the treatment of adults and children with previously implanted, poorly functioning pulmonary valve conduits can delay the need for open-heart surgery.

27 Jan 2010

Federal judge upholds key provisions of new law, gives FDA the power to regulate tobacco products

In a significant victory for public health, a federal judge in Kentucky today upheld most key provisions of the new law giving the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) the power to regulate tobacco products.

6 Jan 2010

Fred Pritzker calls on meat suppliers to pay medical bills incurred by victims of E. coli

National food safety lawyer Fred Pritzker is calling on National Steak and Poultry company to immediately pay all medical bills and lost wages incurred by victims of a multi-state outbreak of E. coli O157:H7 associated with blade-tenderized steaks.

30 Dec 2009

NPAF impressed with progress on health care reform

The National Patient Advocate Foundation (NPAF) - a national, non-profit organization dedicated to the mission of creating avenues of improved patient access to health care through public policy reform at the state and federal levels - today praised Senate leadership for their tireless work on historic health care reform, and encouraged lawmakers to continue their steadfast work on this important issue in the weeks to come.

24 Dec 2009

Cannabis as a substitute for heavy alcohol usage?

Substituting cannabis in place of more harmful drugs may be a winning strategy in the fight against substance misuse. Research published in BioMed Central' open access Harm Reduction Journal features a poll of 350 cannabis users, finding that 40% used cannabis to control their alcohol cravings, 66% as a replacement for prescription drugs and 26% for other, more potent, illegal drugs.

1 Dec 2009

Health reform bill: 10 key positive and negative consumer protection provisions

Consumer Watchdog released a list today of the 10 key positive and negative consumer protection provisions of the U.S. Senate health reform bill, HR 3590, which passed an important procedural vote this weekend.

24 Nov 2009

Op-Eds: HIV travel ban; improving sanitation; counterfeit drugs

A "blot" on U.S. HIV/AIDS leadership "ended last month when President [Barack] Obama lifted the prohibition" that kept HIV-positive foreigners from visiting the U.S. or seeking residency, according to a Washington Post editorial. "The process for eliminating the travel ban started under President George W. Bush in July 2008, when he signed legislation that repealed the original statute."

19 Nov 2009