Student specialties Competition for places on dermatology and plastic surgery residency programmes is increasingly fierce among top medical students, according to a report by the Association of American Medical Colleges and the National Resident Matching Program. Better pay, friendlier hours, and greater autonomy make these specialties more attractive than traditional ones such as internal medicine and general surgery.

Bird-flu threat Indonesia needs economic and political support to coordinate attempts to contain the H5N1 virus, the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organization has said. The current failure to control the virus in Indonesia is creating an environment in which the virus may mutate, raising the risk of a human influenza pandemic.

US mental-health bill The US House recently approved a bill requiring insurance companies to offer equivalent coverage for mental and physical illnesses in cases where policies cover both. Supporters of the bill hope that it will alleviate some of the stigma associated with mental illness, but opponents suggest that it will increase costs, possibly forcing some employers to cut insurance coverage altogether.

Blood scam Seventeen people who have been giving blood for up to 2 years were found by Indian police in a house in Uttar Pradesh thought to be the centre of an illicit blood-donation scheme. Donors, who were found in an extremely weakened state, said that they had been promised 300 rupees every time they gave blood but had only received 50.

Ship ahoy! The International Medical Guide for Ships, first published in 1967, has been updated by three UN agencies-the International Maritime Organization, the International Labour Organization, and the World Health Organization. The new edition provides information consistent with the International Health Regulations in the hope of reducing the health risks faced by seafarers.

Safety move The Palestinian Ministry of Health, the Palestine Red Crescent Society, and the International Committee of the Red Cross have launched a campaign to protect medical staff and health facilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The campaign also aims to make people realise that respecting medical neutrality will also help to keep them from being put at risk.

Atomic fallout After losing several lawsuits from atomic-bomb survivors, the Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has announced the widening of criteria for benefits. From April, 2008, eligibility will be determined by distance from ground zero, time and duration of exposure, and a history of cancer, leukaemia, cataracts, hyperparathyroidism, or myocardial infarct.

Tracking global-health funding Researchers at the George Institute for International Health have received a 5-year US$8·8 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to collect and report global investment in R&D for neglected diseases. This study should help donors to determine where their investments are most needed.

Holiday woes 8% of people who travel abroad for cheap operations require further hospital treatment on their return to the UK, according to a report by consumer magazine Which? Many of the medical tourists had travelled abroad for elective cosmetic surgery, and 18% reported health problems after the operation.

New campaign The Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), non-governmental organisations, civil society groups, and the UN Population Fund have launched a national public awareness campaign aimed at tackling the widespread sexual violence against women and girls throughout DRC. The campaign will run for a month and include radio and television broadcasts, public marches, and school conferences.

Food security and HIV/AIDS The Canadian International Development Agency has given US$3 million to fund a 5-year research project into the relation between food security and the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Africa. The venture will be led by Queen’s University in South Africa and will involve the collaboration of experts from both Canadian and African universities.

Businesses battle the bulge Corporate Japan will join the fight against the country’s expanding waistlines by the introduction of compulsory health checks for employees. Obese workers will be given exercise and diet plans. Firms who fail to reach government targets to reduce obesity face increased welfare contributions.

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