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Palestinian Health Ministry facing growing financial and humanitarian crisis

The Palestinian Health Ministry is facing a growing financial crisis as well as a humanitarian crisis, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned ahead of the Stockholm donor conference on the humanitarian situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

4 Sep 2006

U.N. High Commissioner calls on Thai Government to address spread of HIV in refugee camps along Thai-Myanmar border

U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterrez on Wednesday during a four-day trip to Thailand called on Thailand's government to address the spread of HIV within refugee camps along the Thai-Myanmar border, according to Thailand's deputy government spokesperson Chalermchai Mahakitsiri, AFP/Today Online reports.

1 Sep 2006

U.S. health care system offers good value in terms of life expectancy gains despite rising costs

U.S. residents have benefited from increases in health care costs since 1960 through increased life expectancy, according to a study published on Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.

1 Sep 2006

MRSA - surveillance, rapid screening and hospital hygiene

The origins and future perspectives about meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) are outlined in a Review in this week's issue of The Lancet.

31 Aug 2006

Grumpy old men run out of puff earlier

In the normal course of aging, lung power will decline for most people, but now researchers say that anger and hostility can accelerate that process.

31 Aug 2006

Preventive home visits postpone mortality: a controlled trial with time-limited results

Old people are less likely to die if they receive regular home visits from health professionals.

31 Aug 2006

Kids will eat more fruits and less fat

School lunches and vending machines aren't the only places to look for ways to improve students' nutrition. Modest changes in the kinds of snacks offered at after-school programs can also have a significant positive impact on children's diets.

30 Aug 2006

Variation in 3 genes influences risk of age-related macular degeneration

Researchers in Boston have discovered a new common, noncoding variant in the Complement Factor H (CFH) gene that is associated with age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of irreversible visual impairment and blindness among persons aged 60 and older.

30 Aug 2006

Massachusetts Council adopts new regulations on embryonic stem cell research

The Massachusetts Public Health Council on Tuesday adopted new regulations on human embryonic stem cell research that Harvard University and several state research centers and hospitals say could expose scientists to criminal penalties for conducting certain research activities, the Boston Globe reports.

30 Aug 2006

FluChip can spot bird flu in under 12 hours

Scientists in the United States have developed a new technology that reduces the time it takes to achieve a detailed diagnosis of avian flu, from one week or more down to less than 12 hours.

30 Aug 2006

FDA forms task force on human tissue safety

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced the formation of a multidisciplinary FDA task force on human cell and tissue safety.

30 Aug 2006

Researchers say cut bird flu deaths by transfusions

Scientists in the U.S. say that research suggests that transfusions of blood products might help to cut deaths in the event of a bird flu pandemic.

30 Aug 2006

Study aims to lower diabetes risk in youth

As schools across the country reopen their doors this fall, hundreds of sixth graders in 42 middle schools will begin taking part in a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

30 Aug 2006

Case definitions for human infections with influenza A (H5N1) virus

Prompt and accurate reporting of H5N1 influenza cases to WHO is the cornerstone for monitoring both the global evolution of this disease and the corresponding risk that a pandemic virus might emerge.

30 Aug 2006

Ortho-McNeil to lower the price of contraceptive pills and patches

Ortho-McNeil - which supplies contraceptives to the majority of family planning clinics nationwide - on Thursday announced it will lower the price of its contraceptive pills and patches, according to officials, the Chicago Tribune reports.

30 Aug 2006

California Senate happy to allow groups to distribute condoms to prison inmates

The California Senate on Thursday voted 22-16 to approve a bill (AB 1677) that would allow not-for-profit or public health organizations to distribute devices - such as condoms or dental dams - that can protect against sexually transmitted infections to the state's 162,000 prison inmates, the AP/San Jose Mercury News reports (Young, AP/San Jose Mercury News, 8/24).

30 Aug 2006