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Hundreds of parents in Nigerian state refusing polio vaccinations for children

Hundreds of parents "are defying threats of jail time by refusing polio vaccines for their children in a high-risk northern Nigerian state," according to Muhammad Abdu Zango, Kano state coordinator of Journalists Against Polio, the Associated Press/Seattle Times reports.

4 Aug 2011

First Edition: August 4, 2011

In today's news, reports about how lawmakers, lobbyists are lining up for the next phase of the deficit deal.

4 Aug 2011

Scientists say antibiotic-resistant salmonella strain may spread worldwide

"Scientists have identified an emerging 'superbug' strain of salmonella that is highly resistant to the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin, or Cipro, often used for severe salmonella infections, and say they fear it may spread around the world," according to a study published online Tuesday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases, Reuters reports.

4 Aug 2011

Obama administration issues new guidance on aid to drought-stricken Somalia

The Obama administration on Tuesday issued new guidance stating "the U.S. would not prosecute relief agencies for delivering aid to parts of Somalia controlled by the Islamist insurgent group al-Shabab, despite concerns that unrestricted aid in the failed state would be diverted to the wrong hands," Inter Press Service reports.

4 Aug 2011

U.S., Western governments can help prevent 'mass starvation' in Somalia

With the State Department's reassurance to aid groups on Tuesday that they "will not face prosecution if they are forced to pay bribes to al-Shabab or if militants divert some food supplies," organizations still have "the problem of gaining access to famine victims and ensuring the safety of their personnel, a number of whom have been murdered by the militants," a Washington Post editorial says.

4 Aug 2011

Breastfeeding for up to one year after birth can reduce child mortality, UNICEF says

Breastfeeding from birth to six months or a year can reduce deaths among children under five by 13 percent, a fact UNICEF is highlighting during World Breastfeeding Week, which runs through August 7, the International Business Times reports.

4 Aug 2011

Capsules: Blogwatch: Challenges for the debt deal’s 'super committee'

Now on Capsules, KHN's news blog, the latest installment of Blogwatch - Andrew Villegas rounds up what bloggers are saying about what might be at stake for Medicare, Medicaid and the health law.

4 Aug 2011

With debt deal in place, focus shifts to role of 'super committee'

This panel will be tasked with searching out more than $1 trillion in spending reductions from the mandatory-spending side of the budget, which includes Medicare and Medicaid. If they fail, automatic across-the-board cuts will be triggered.

4 Aug 2011

World must scale up AIDS fight, even as donors scale back

UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibe writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece that "amid all the good news" about HIV prevention recently presented at the 6th International AIDS Society Conference on HIV Pathogenesis, Treatment and Prevention, "one stubborn fact was hard to ignore: AIDS remains a metaphor for inequality."

4 Aug 2011

Tips to minimize risk of bug bites and related illnesses

While the image of a bug crawling on your arm or a creepy crawler snuggling up in your bed is enough to make you flinch, most bug bites are harmless and disappear on their own in a matter of days. Other insects, however, can spread disease and cause severe reactions that require medical attention.

4 Aug 2011

NIA, ACRO collaborate to create disease site-specific radiation oncology practice guidelines

National Imaging Associates (NIA), a subsidiary of Magellan Health Services, and the American College of Radiation Oncology (ACRO), the professional medical society established for educational and scientific purposes to advance the science and practice of radiation oncology, today announced the signing of a collaborative agreement.

4 Aug 2011

Government's tab for 'big' health care programs keeps growing

The costs of the government's big health care programs are soaring again, expenses not tackled in the agreement President Obama signed into law Tuesday to raise the nation's debt limit and cut federal spending.

4 Aug 2011

Hospitals that readmit 'too soon' will face Medicare penalty

Medicare soon will start docking payments to hospitals if they have a higher-than-expected level of patient readmissions within 30 days of being discharged.

4 Aug 2011

Children of depressed mothers in developing countries less likely to thrive, report says

"Children of depressed mothers in developing countries are 40 percent more likely to be underweight or stunted than those with mothers in good mental health," according to a report published in the August edition of the WHO Bulletin, Reuters reports.

4 Aug 2011

One third of patients do not receive follow-up care for depression across Ontario

Twenty-five percent of people who were hospitalized for depression were readmitted or visited an emergency room again for depression within 30 days of discharge, according to a new study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

4 Aug 2011

Technology-enabled pharmacists to make house calls

The University of Rhode Island's College of Pharmacy is pairing home visits from pharmacists with the latest technology, providing instant access to a patient's medical history and medications, all in an effort to reduce hospital readmissions.

4 Aug 2011

Debt deal's potential Medicare cuts echo through health care industry

Medicare and Medicaid advocates prepare for their luck to run out as the debt deal will likely lead to pressure on providers and could lead to family physicians, hospitals and even elderly patients feeling the pinch.

4 Aug 2011

'Political resolve' needed to end world hunger

"[A]s the worst drought in 60 years again devastates the Horn of Africa, throwing as many as 12 million into desperate hunger … there are hopeful signs that today's drought need not result in the tens of thousands of deaths that we saw in earlier decades," World Food Programme Executive Director Josette Sheeran writes in the Reuters blog "The Great Debate."

4 Aug 2011

Survey finds employers expanding coverage under reform

A new survey finds that employers are providing benefits to a growing number of people, particularly as employee benefits are extended to cover workers' adult children — a provision of the health law.

4 Aug 2011

European Respiratory Journal publishes updated WHO guidelines on drug-resistant TB

The European Respiratory Journal is today publishing the updated guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) that aim to help manage drug-resistant tuberculosis.

4 Aug 2011