The following will be published in the May 1 issue of The Lancet:

Paying organ donors “Should more people be expected to donate organs, eggs and sperm and, if so, how far can we ethically go in encouraging them to donate?” asks the UK’s Nuffield Council on Bioethics at the launch of a public consultation. Ideas under consideration include payment and priority for an organ in the future. The consultation is open until July 13.

Vaccines for all The Pan American Health Organization last week launched its eighth Vaccine Week in the Americas (VWA). Started in 2003 in response to a measles outbreak in Colombia and Venezuela, VWA hopes to reach more than 42 million children and adults, especially those with limited access to health care. Similar campaigns are running in the eastern Mediterranean and Europe.

GP specialists French President Nicolas Sarkozy has announced that the price of general practitioners’ consultations will be increased to the amount a specialist would charge—ie, from €22 to €23 from January, 2011. The union of general practitioners, MG France, has been demanding this recognition for years, especially since universities recognised their status as specialists in medical practice in 2007.

Restriction removal China is con­sider­ing the removal of travel restrictions on people with HIV, acknowledging that the policy is outdated and discriminatory. “As HIV/AIDS cases have been seen in all provinces in China, a travel ban on foreigners will not help local public health”, admitted He Xiong, deputy director of the Beijing Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.

Salt reduction The US Institute of Medicine has released a consensus report on the reduction of salt intake in the country. It recommends that the national guideline daily amount of sodium be reduced from 2400 mg to 1500 mg per day, and that the Food and Drug Administration enacts legislation to gradually reduce the amount allowed in foodstuffs.

DRC warning Margot Wallström, the UN special representative on sexual violence in conflict, has warned that withdrawal of UN peacekeepers from the Democratic Republic of Congo could increase the already high rates of rape and violence against women in the country. The government wants the UN’s peacekeepers to start scaling back in the coming months, with complete withdrawal by next year.

Kinderpalliativzentrum On the grounds of the Vest Children’s Hospital in Datteln, Germany, the country’s first children’s palliative care centre has opened. The centre includes ‘’Station Lichtblicke’’—eight rooms tailored to the specific needs of seriously ill children and young people. Also on offer are educational and training workshops in paediatric palliative care.

Drug addiction Addiction to heroin, opium, and hashish is on the increase in Afghanistan, according to the country’s Ministry of Counter-Narcotics. Afghanistan produces more of these drugs than any other country, but addiction has not been seen as a domestic problem. However, figures show an increase in the number of Afghan drug users from 920 000 to 1·5 million in the past 5 years.

Rights of indigenous people Susan Rice, US ambassador to the UN, has announced a review of her country’s position on the rights of indigenous people, which could affect native Americans living in reservations. The 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was rejected by the USA, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, although Australia and New Zealand have since recanted.

Funds for food crisis Oxfam and the Government of Mali have warned that they are short of funding to launch an emergency response for 629 000 people who face food insecurity in western, northern, and north­eastern parts of the country. The govern­ment needs US$59 million to launch its response, while Oxfam needs to raise $4·5 million for its plans to dis­tri­bute food to vulnerable families.

Heatwave hell Extreme temperatures of up to 47°C contributed to the deaths of 80 people in India during the month of April, according to news reports. The continued heatwave, which has seen temperatures 4–6°C higher than average for the time of year, is also expected to take a toll on the country’s wheat harvest. Rice production had already been damaged by a fiercer than usual monsoon.

Animal action Animal protection groups in the USA have filed a law­suit against the Food and Drug Admini­stration. The groups assert that, by failing to provide legislation on the adoption of alternatives to animal testing, such as those used in the EU for the past 23 years, the agency has neglected its obligations under the Administrative Procedure Act.

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