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Increased funds lead to 'significant progress' in global malaria fight, WHO report says

WHO's World Malaria Report 2009, which was released on Tuesday, found "increased funding is starting to pay off in the battle against malaria but prevention and treatment must be increased to try to halt the killer disease," Reuters reports (Kelland, 12/15). According to the Associated Press, there were more than 240 million cases of malaria and an estimated 863,000 people, mostly in Africa, died of the disease in 2008 (Cheng, 12/15).

15 Dec 2009

Wild poliovirus reaches more African countries in 2009, WHO official says

Cases of polio have been reported in some African countries that have eradicated the disease, Luis Gomes Sambo, the WHO's Africa regional director, said Monday at the opening of a child immunisation conference in Zimbabwe, Agence France-Presse reports (12/14). It is the WHO's first annual regional conference on immunization, according to VOA News. Sambo said the conference will review the status of immunization in the 46-country sub-Saharan region (Mafundikwa, 12/14).

15 Dec 2009

A selection of opinions and editorials

In the Senate debate over health care reform, our priority should be to lower costs for American families and small businesses (Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, 12/14).

15 Dec 2009

Also in Global Health news: Drug trafficking in Kenya; violence in S. Sudan; Uganda bill; sleeping sickness

Drug trafficking and use are fueling the spread of HIV/AIDS in Kenya, according to a recent report by the U.N. Security Council, the Nation reports. "A statement from the council's Presidency currently … states that Afghan heroin was being imported, causing a dramatic increase in heroin addiction and spreading HIV/AIDS in the slums of Nairobi and Mombasa, Kenya's two main cities," the newspaper writes.

15 Dec 2009

Questions raised on health bills' affordability, cost savings

The Wall Street Journal: "The health-care bills moving through Congress contain little to reward consumers for lowering their health costs, an omission prompting some lawmakers to press for more such incentives. Sen. Ron Wyden (D., Ore.) is proposing amendments to the Senate bill that would give people who are eligible for coverage through their employer the option of buying cheaper coverage from the new insurance exchanges -- and pocketing the difference."

15 Dec 2009

Obama urgently pushes lawmakers to pass reform bill

President Barack Obama will meet with Senate Democrats at the White House today and urge them pass legislation as a last chance opportunity for comprehensive health care reform.

15 Dec 2009

CALSTAR 6 recognised with the "Thermal Angel Lifesaver of the Year Award"

Estill Medical Technologies, Inc., a family-owned Texas company that produces the Thermal Angel Blood and IV Fluid Infusion Warmer, a patented medical device being utilized by U.S. hospitals, military and emergency responders to lessen the effects of fluid-induced hypothermia, named the CALSTAR 6 Unit of South Lake Tahoe as the first-ever recipient of their "Thermal Angel Lifesaver of the Year Award."

15 Dec 2009

Democrats say victorious Lieberman flip-flopped on Medicare buy-in

CNN: Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., "an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, has emerged as the majority party's main obstacle to its efforts to get a health care bill through the Senate before Christmas. He ratcheted up his public opposition to the bill Sunday by threatening to join a Republican filibuster if the legislation contains either a government-run public health insurance option or a proposed alternative that would expand Medicare to people as young as 55" (Bash and Cohen, 12/14).

15 Dec 2009

VA struggles to provide better care for increasing numbers of younger, female veterans

New patients using Veterans Affairs health services are more likely to be younger and women. The Associated Press reports on a Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Martinsville, W.Va., that is increasingly seeing women in their twenties who served in Iraq and Afghanistan. "The hospital sees nearly twice as many women it did before the Sept. 11 attacks.

15 Dec 2009

Contentious party politics consume health care debate

The Wall Street Journal's Capital Journal details the tough choices facing Democrats. "At this stage in the sausage-making process that is writing legislation, nobody is under the illusion he or she is working on anything like the perfect health bill, or one that is growing in popularity. A series of recent polls shows the opposite -- that support is eroding the longer the bill hangs in the balance

15 Dec 2009

Prescription drug import amendment divides Senate Democrats

The Senate is battling over a proposed amendment that would allow prescription drugs to be imported from other countries where prices are lower.

15 Dec 2009

Kidney drug plan divides transplant and dialysis supporters

The New York Times: "A Congressional proposal to help pay for drugs needed by transplant recipients to prevent rejection of donated kidneys has run into opposition from dialysis providers, drug companies and the National Kidney Foundation." The groups support extending Medicare drug coverage but say the measure would cut funding for dialysis

15 Dec 2009

After tense meeting, Dems likely to ditch Medicare buy-in plan in health bill

Top Senate Democrats were prepared Monday night to sacrifice proposals to expand Medicare in a bid to win over moderates and amass the 60 votes needed to pass their health legislation, according to news reports.

15 Dec 2009

First Edition: December 15, 2009

A glance at today's health policy headlines offers a common theme: Senate Democrats are likely to abandon the Medicare buy-in plan, which just last week was heralded as part of a compromise plan in that chamber's health bill.

15 Dec 2009

Sierra Vista Developmental Center in Yuba City to close its doors

After a decade of providing vital services to people with some of the most challenging behaviors and needs, Sierra Vista Developmental Center in Yuba City is scheduled to close its doors December 18.

15 Dec 2009

New study shows healthcare spending is an investment rather than an expenditure

As the national discussion of health care focuses on costs, a new study from North Carolina State University shows that it might be more accurate to think of health care spending as an investment that can spur economic growth.

15 Dec 2009

Senator Arlen Specter's amendment to The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act applauded

More than twenty of our nation's premiere physician organizations applaud Senator Arlen Specter (D-PA) for introducing an amendment to The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (H.R. 3590).

15 Dec 2009

Medicare power mobility remains a viable option for beneficiaries

Across America, seniors, together with their families and caregivers, are making difficult decisions about the future. Did that last emergency room visit after a fall mean it's time to consider nursing homes? How much longer can their loved one remain safely in their own home or apartment?

15 Dec 2009

Decline in reducing youth smoking and increase in smokeless tobacco use

The 2009 Monitoring the Future Survey released today by the National Institute of Drug Abuse shows that the nation continues to make gradual progress in reducing youth smoking, but declines have slowed significantly compared to the dramatic gains early in the decade. In especially troubling news, the survey also finds that smokeless tobacco use has increased among 10th and 12th graders in recent years, a period during which tobacco companies have introduced a slew of new smokeless tobacco products and significantly increased marketing for smokeless tobacco.

15 Dec 2009

GBC: Most federal executives lack confidence in government on taking new roles in health care

According to a new study by Government Business Council (GBC), the research division of Government Executive Media Group, most federal executives lack confidence that the government can successfully take on new roles related to health care.

15 Dec 2009