The following will appear in the May 16 issue of The Lancet:

United stakes In a momentous show of unity, US President Barack Obama and leading figures in the country’s health-care industry stood together at the White House on Monday to pledge their commitment to health-care reform. Insurance, pharmaceutical, and hospital executives, and the President-Elect of the American Medical Association, committed to decreasing the annual growth in health-care spending by 1·5%, thus saving US$2 trillion over 10 years.

Meningitis deaths A meningitis epidemic simmering in Nigeria since December has reached a new pitch. There have now been 2148 deaths—more than six times the death toll of 333 reported in March. The number of cases is now 47 902, and the Nigerian Health Ministry has admitted that the outbreak is more serious than was initially suspected.

Alcohol intake increases Research into drinking patterns in the UK over the past 20 years, commissioned by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, shows that the proportion of women who binge drink at least once per week has doubled since 1998 to 15%. Researchers suggest that their findings might be linked to women’s greater financial security and the influence of advertising.

South Africa South Africa’s newly elected President Jacob Zuma has replaced the popular interim Health Minister Barbara Hogan with Aaron Motsoaledi, a medical doctor who previously served as a Member of the Executive Council for Agriculture, Land and Environment, for Education, and for Transport in Limpopo Province.

Wash your hands! Last week WHO launched an initiative that aims to help health-care workers to improve hand hygiene and stop the spread of health-care-associated infection. So far almost 5000 hospitals in 116 countries have joined SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands.

Policy parity US health insurance companies are to stop charging higher premiums for women than for men. In the past, women have often paid 25-50% more than men for the same coverage—a practice that companies justified on the basis that childbearing is expensive, and because women make more doctors’ visits and take more prescription medications.

Hacker havoc The Lancet was puzzled yet mildly thrilled to have had its Global Health Network hacked into last week. All has now been restored, but spare a thought for the Virginia Department of Health Professions who allegedly received a ransom note for US$10 million after a hacker claimed to have backed up and encrypted more than 8 million patient records and 35 million prescriptions and then deleted the original data.

At home with HIV Patients with HIV infection could eventually check their HIV levels from home thanks to a self-monitoring device being developed by scientists in London, UK. The finger-prick blood test, based on microcantilever array nanotechnology, could be ready for clinical trials in 3 years. In 2007 Britain had the highest number of new HIV infections in Europe, and a record number of 77 000 people are currently affected.

The right to exist In a welcome human rights move, 5 million citizens in Burkina Faso are to be issued with free birth certificates. Official registration of birth recognises a person’s right to exist, and can protect against child trafficking and illegal marriage and labour. The scheme is set to cost the government US$5 million, with the birth certificates for women and children being prioritised, and all being issued within 1 year.

Growth charts England’s Department of Health has launched new growth charts for newborn babies and children up to the age of 4 years. The charts are based on breastfed babies, whose weight tends to increase more slowly than that of formula-fed babies, and could thus identify signs of obesity earlier. The move marked the start of National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (May 10-16).

Influenza A (H1N1) As of May 12, WHO had reported 5251 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A (H1N1) and 61 deaths worldwide. 30 countries are now affected across the continents of North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia, but no deaths have occurred outside the Americas.

Tax plan up in smoke Gong’an county authorities in China have retracted a rule urging government workers to smoke more cigarettes to boost tax income. The county had told teachers and civil servants to smoke more Hubei cigarettes, which are locally produced. Fines were threatened for those who did not smoke enough, or used other brands.

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