Global Health Weekly News Round-Up

Politics and Policies

• Texas has passed regulations on barring Planned Parenthood clinics and other “affiliates of abortion providers from participating in the state’s Medicaid program starting March 14 (Source: http://thehill.com/blogs/healthwatch/state-issues/212301-texas-defies-obama-administration-bars-abortion-providers-from-state-medicaid-program ).
• A program created to help insurance-seekers in Texas cut through the complexities of federal health care reforms is shutting down in April (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/24/us/texas-to-shut-consumer-health-assistance-program.html?_r=1&ref=policy ).
• Medicare covers Yoga for heart disease (Source: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/25/health/medicare-covers-yoga-heart-disease/ ).

Programs

• A national immunization campaign to eradicate polio was launched on 23^rd February in the Central African Republic (CAR) to reach all children in the country (including those who have limited access to health services) (Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201202241273.html ).
• The Department of Health (DH) of Hong Kong has issued a warning on the slimming product (name Sheng Yuan Fang) with undeclared and banned drug ingredients (Source: http://www.moviemazaa.com/node/1068362 ).
• The Philadelphia city Health Department will begin offering free, confidential testing for human immunodeficiency syndrome virus (HIV). The free testing site will be in Tuscarawas County (Source: http://www.timesreporter.com/communities/x1618024551/Phila-to-offer-free-HIV-testing ).

 

Research

• A study published in Australian Journal of Law and Medicine has cited numerous flaws in the Kenya, South Africa and Uganda studies which claimed that male circumcision provides protection against HIV transmission (Source: http://www.newzimbabwe.com/news-7273-Circumcision%20HIV%20impact%20doubted/news.aspx ).
• A study reveals that Zelboraf, a drug to treat advanced cases of deadly shin cancer melanoma, nearly doubles length of patient’s lives (Source: http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/22/10480484-advanced-melanoma-drug-nearly-doubles-survival-time ).
• According to a study pregnant females who get vaccinated for influenza vaccine have less likely babies with low birth weight (Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/health/Moms-Flu-Vaccination-Boosts-Baby-Birth-Weight-140341143.html ).
• Research demonstrates the use of antibiotics in food production can lead to the development of Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) Strain (Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-201202221120usnewsusnwr201202210221staphfeb22,0,635726.story ).
• According to a research study, colonoscopy reduces the chances of colon cancer death risk (Source: http://articles.boston.com/2012-02-23/lifestyle/31087870_1_colon-cancer-colonoscopy-growths ).
• A study reveals that a chemical found in the Chilean fruit Avocado has the property to combat multi-resistant bacterial strains (Source: http://zeenews.india.com/ayurveda/avocado-can-help-combat-multi-resistant-bacterial-strains_1063.html ).
• A study published in journal Stroke has provided evidence that consuming more citrus fruits as a part of the daily fruit and vegetable intake reduces the risk of ischemic (blood clot related) stroke (Source: http://health.einnews.com/picture/9053 ).
• According to a recent study Hepatitis C kills more Americans than by the HIV/AIDS infection. According to the Centers of Disease Control and Infection (the CDC) data, published in the Annals of Internal Medicine, in 2007 more than 15,000 people died of Hepatitis C infection as compared to 12,734 deaths due to HIV-related causes (Source: http://health.einnews.com/picture/9056 ).

Diseases and Disasters

• E.coli outbreaks in Michigan linked to consumption of raw sprouts (Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/25/e-coli-outbreak-linked-to_n_1300994.html ).
• About forty people died across Nigeria from the outbreak of Lassa fever in last four weeks (Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201202220127.html ).
•  The health authorities in the Republic of Congo have warned the spread of Cholera in the northern district of Likouala (Source: http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/congo-cholera-continues-spreading ).
• A 16^th case of the measles has been confirmed in central Indiana. According to health officials, visitors to a popular Carmel county club may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus. The outbreak has been traced to a family who was infected during a trip overseas (Source: http://www.theindychannel.com/news/30537578/detail.html ).
• According to Shaoguan city government (China), about 64 children have been diagnosed with elevated blood lead levels (Source: http://english.cri.cn/6909/2012/02/24/2724s683087.htm ).
• Four babies were identified as carrying Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus Aureus  (MRSA) in the neonatal ward of Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) of Hong Kong (Source: http://7thspace.com/headlines/406545/queen_elizabeth_hospital_mrsa_cases_and_update_on_vre.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:%207thspace%20%287thSpace%20Interactive%29 ).
• A Haiti aid group warns on cholera surge during the rainy season (Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/americas/haiti-aid-group-warns-of-cholera-surge-on-eve-of-rainy-season/2012/02/24/gIQAg7bvXR_story.html ).