December 3rd 2008
This week in medicine
The following will appear in the Dec 6 issue of The Lancet:
Drug delay A preliminary report from the European Commission says there is evidence that drug companies have engaged in practices that delay or block market entry of competing medicines. The report takes a sample of products that faced loss of exclusivity in 17 countries from 2000 to 2007, and estimates that €3 billion could have been saved if generic medicines had entered the market without delay.
HAART less In Burma (Myanmar), 240 000 people have HIV/AIDS, with 76 000 in urgent need of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). However, a recent Médecins Sans Frontières report suggests that less than 20% of these people have access to HAART. Generic antiretrovirals are now cheap in absolute terms, but the Burmese Government spends only US$0·7 per person on health care each year, highlighting the need for increased donor resources.
Vaccine trials Phase I trials for an HIV/ AIDS vaccine will soon start in Spain, according to the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). The vaccine (MVA-B) was developed by the CSIC national biotechnology centre based on HIV subtype B. The trial, which will be in 30 volunteers aged 18 years to 55 years, is designed to test whether the vaccine can generate defences to HIV proteins.
Health gap Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children have poorer health outcomes than non-Indigenous children, according to a report card from the Australian Medical Association (AMA). This difference is largely due to socioeconomic factors and inadequate access to health services. The AMA recommends improved primary care and culturally appropriate services to close the health gap.
Last things The UK National Audit Office’s End of Life Care report criticises the standard of end-of-life care in England-although most people express a wish to die at home, in reality most die in a hospital or care home. More money is to be spent in the area over the next few years, but the report notes gaps in staff training and service provision that will be challenging to address.
Abortion debate In Uruguay, legislators have failed to overturn the presidential veto of a bill set to decriminalise abortion, and have been unable to persuade President Vazquez to support a referendum on the issue. The Roman Catholic Church has expressed its deep disapproval over the bill, but opinion polls show that 57% of Uruguayans are in favour of access to abortion.
Worrying workplaces Disabled people in the UK are more likely to be bullied or to experience physical violence in the workplace than their able-bodied colleagues, according to the Equality and Human Rights Commission. The British Workplace Behaviour Survey 2008 found that, in a sample of 4000 employees, people with a disability or long-term illness were more likely to have had negative experiences at work.
Health crisis The scale of Zimbabwe’s cholera epidemic is rising, and the UN reports a suspected 10 000 cases in total. WHO has said that ending the outbreak will be difficult because of limited medical supplies and health professionals. Many Zimbabweans are seeking treatment in neighbouring South Africa-in the border town of Musina, around 200 people have been treated for cholera at the local hospital.
Health workers The UK medical humanitarian organisation, Merlin, has launched a campaign to encourage support of, and investment in, health workers in countries caught up in conflict, disaster, and health system collapse. The Hands Up For Health Workers campaign aims to ensure that all health workers receive a regular living wage and are able to practise in a safe and secure working environment.
Child protection The World Congress Against the Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents, attended by delegates from 137 countries, has produced the Rio Declaration and Action Plan. The plan identifies new strategies and emphasises that policies, regulations, and services across all sectors should be combined to support prevention and respond to risks.
A lesson to all In Somalia, new doctors have graduated for the first time in 18 years. The 20 graduates from the Benadir University Medical College are a step towards repairing the war-torn country’s health system. Reverse fortune in Zimbabwe, however, with the news that the University of Zimbabwe Medical School has closed indefinitely-a loss that will only further the demise of the country’s crippled health service.
Bayer settlement Following a ruling by the US Justice Department, Bayer Healthcare will pay a US$97·5 million settlement over allegations that it encouraged suppliers to submit false Medicare claims. The settlement resolves allegations that Bayer paid 11 suppliers to convert their patients to Bayer products, relating to Medicare claims submitted from 1998 to 2007.
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