Politics and Policies:
- The Japanese government has provided 6.8 million dollar grant to the government of Ghana- US $4.3 million for the multi-donor budget support (MDBS) and US $2.5 million for the health sector budget support- for the year 2012 (Source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201202/82266.php ).
- A settlement that BP is hammering out with victims of the massive Gulf oil spill finally provides a system for monitoring health concerns and compensating people whose illnesses are found linked to disaster (Source: http://articles.boston.com/2012-03-04/news/31122122_1_massive-gulf-oil-spill-medical-claims-bp-settlement ).
- A federal judge on Wednesday declared that a Food and Drug administration requirement – that tobacco companies should display predominantly graphic warning labels on cigarette packages- unconstitutional (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/01/business/us-judge-rejects-gruesome-cigarette-labels.html?_r=1&ref=policy ).
- The Virginia Senate adopted a revised bill that still requires doctors to perform an ultrasound on women before they have an abortion, but also says that women cannot be forced to have an invasive vagina ultrasound (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/us/virginia-senate-passes-revised-ultrasound-bill.html?ref=policy ).
- Federal health officials have issued safety alerts for statins (cholesterol reducing medicines) as they can be linked to the rare risks of memory loss, diabetes and muscle pain besides cognitive problems like forgetfulness and confusion (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/29/health/fda-warns-of-cholesterol-drugs-side-effects.html?ref=policy ).
- The Senate upheld President Obama’s birth control policy, voting to kill a Republican effort to let employers and health insurance company deny coverage for contraceptives and other items they object to on religious or moral grounds (Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/02/us/politics/senate-kills-gop-bill-opposing-contraception-policy.html?ref=policy ).
Programs:
- The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has pledged to continuously support Ghana in the areas of maternal and child health, women rights and commodities security and domestic violence (towards reducing maternal mortality and making family planning services accessible) (Source: http://edition.myjoyonline.com/pages/news/201203/82468.php ).
- The Health Impact Project, a collaboration of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the Pew Charitable Trusts, have announced the awardees of 15 new grants to do health impact assessments- to look at potential health impacts of policies and projects in the other sectors (Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/03/04/4311287/grants-awarded-to-help-build-health.html ).
- The Emirate’s first guidelines on the use of PET/CT imaging in breast cancer management have been issued by the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD) (Source: http://www.ameinfo.com/292333.html ).
- India’s Barefoot College, located in Rajasthan is involved in teaching the illiterate village women- treated as second class citizens- public health, dentistry, solar engineering and mechanics (Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5hdt-pgr5qDXpzlWwxJO9SV532IUw?docId=CNG.4eab7fccfa232de095290e5fb370f3a9.491 ).
Research:
- Dr. Peter Hotez of the National School of Medicine in his study reveals that the years of conflict and political struggle have caused massive human and animal migrants in the Middle East and North America leading to spread or re-emergence of a variety of tropical diseases- cutaneous leishmaniasis, dengue, rift valley fever, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever- some of which were previously eliminated or controlled (Source: http://www.voanews.com/english/news/health/Tropical-Infections-Rising-Amid-Turmoil-in-Mideast-North-Africa-141038033.html ).
- Metal-on-metal hip replacement joints linked to cancer, poisoning and pain (Source: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/9121861/Metal-hip-replacements-linked-to-cancer.html ).
- According to the study published in the journal of the National Cancer Institute, low levels of diesel exhaust might have an increased risk of development of lung cancer (Source: http://news.yahoo.com/study-links-exposure-diesel-exhaust-increased-risk-lung-171900438.html ).
- Company Metabolomx has developed a machine that sniffs cancer. The machine analyses the breath and its volatile organic compounds, among other things (Source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2012/03/05/BUIO1NFAK7.DTL&type=tech ).
- Human trials of Kala Azar (a lethal disease transmitted by the bite of a sand fly) vaccine has been jointly started by India and the United States (Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-03-03/india/31119358_1_kala-azar-visceral-leishmaniasis-candidate-vaccine ).
- According to a study published in the journal The Lancet, “the wonder drug” for breast cancer in India- Exemestane, sold under the brand name, Aromasin, is found to decrease bone density (Source: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/cancer-wonder-drug-affects-bone-density-report/234979-17.html ).
- Japanese scientists suggest that Vitamin E may interfere with the process that keeps bone healthy (Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17237569 ).
Diseases and Disasters:
- Tornado storms roar across Midwest and South United States (Source: http://www.usatoday.com/weather/storms/tornadoes/story/2012-03-02/severe-storms-tornadoes-south/53332072/1 ).
- Deadly storms strike Mozambique. Heavy rains and high winds killed eight people over the weekend (Source: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/deadly-storms-strike-mozambique-dead-15847386 ).
- Suicides among young females an epidemic in Kashmir, India (Source: http://www.globalissues.org/news/2012/03/02/12894 ).
- According to the director of the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry, “examination of the data for pancreatic cancer patients diagnosed in 2010 shows a doubling survival, a real breakthrough for this disease” (Source: http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/interactive/news/survival-rates-for-leukaemia-and-pancreatic-cancer-improve-in-ni-id801309225-t116.html ).
IH CONNECT 