February 17th 2009
This week in medicine
The following appeared in the Feb 14 issue of The Lancet:
Daschle drama Tom Daschle, Barack Obama’s nominee for US Secretary of Health and Human Services, has withdrawn his bid for the post after reports surfaced about him having unpaid taxes amounting to US$128 000. The scandal has come as a blow to many in Washington who thought Daschle was the ideal candidate to deliver Obama’s reform of the US health-care system.
Poverty in India India: Urban Poverty Report 2009-the first report of its type for India, provides an in-depth insight into the lives of those living in urban poverty. Launched in association with the UN Development Programme, the report details policy recommendations tackling housing, education, health-service issues, and how the growing burden of urban poverty can be alleviated.
Prison health Up to 90% of inmates in UK prisons have at least one mental-health disorder, and 10% have a serious mental-health problem, according to a report by the Prison Reform Trust. The report says that such inmates receive unsatisfactory treatment and that care rather than incarceration could help to relieve pressure on the nation’s over-crowded jails.
Rabies outbreak Health officials report that over the past 3 months, more than 50 children in Luanda, Angola, were killed by rabies. With thousands of stray dogs in the city, the potential for infection is a great concern. In an attempt to contain the virus, last month, 100 000 animals-including dogs, cats, and monkeys-were vaccinated against the virus.
New appointment Elias Zerhouni-former director of the US National Institutes of Health-has joined the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s global health programme as a senior fellow. He will advise the Foundation on a range of topics including the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative, which works to identify and find solutions for the most crucial scientific challenges in global health.
Chronic issue On Feb 5-7, Uganda’s Aga Khan University hosted an international summit on chronic diseases-Preparing Communities: Chronic Diseases in the Developing Regions of Africa and Asia. A collaboration with Uganda’s Ministry of Health and WHO, more than 100 delegates attended to discuss diverse policies for tackling non-communicable diseases.
Renal cancer drugs The UK’s National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) has provisionally overturned its decision of last year not to recommend sunitinib for patients with advanced or metastatic renal cell carcinoma in England’s National Health Service. The change of heart came after renewed consideration of the value of even a few more months of life, and a pricing deal with Pfizer.
Private concerns A report from Oxfam International, Blind Optimism, challenges the myths about private health care in poor countries. The report examines the available evidence and shows that scaling up private-sector provision of health care is unlikely to be of benefit to poor people. Instead, the report argues that governments and donors must strengthen publicly provided health care.
Planning ahead UNICEF’s Humanitarian Action Report 2009 has shown that the amount of funding needed this year to support the agency’s emergency response efforts has risen by 17% from last year. The report concludes that high food prices have put the most strain on populations of many countries in 2008, and this crisis is likely to continue into 2009, alongside further challenges from climate change and the increasing frequency of disasters.
Drug safety review The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has released a list of drugs that are under review for potential safety problems. The list is posted on the FDA’s website, and is to be updated every 3 months as part of the administration’s continuing review of potential side-effects of licensed drugs.
Health-care reform The Government of Sierra Leone is debating a health-care plan that would allow children and women who are pregnant or breastfeeding to receive free care. Outlined in a paper by the national social security agency and the International Labour Organisation, the proposed plan would combine a national insurance scheme with insurance premiums and taxes to finance basic health care.
Wii want to play too Elderly people in Scotland will soon be challenging their grandchildren to Nintendo Wii tournaments. Researchers in Aberdeen are launching a trial in people older than 70 years to investigate whether gentle exercise with a Wii balance board can prevent falls, which cause 90% of hip fractures in this population.
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