The following will appear in the Jan 10 issue of The Lancet: 

Disabilities According to a report from the US Census Bureau, 19% of Americans–54·4 million people–reported some level of disability in 2005. Americans With Disabilities: 2005 finds that within this group, 35 million people–12% of the population–have a severe disability. In those aged 15 years and older, mobility problems are the most frequently reported disability, affecting 27·4 million people.

Food safety After perennial reports of food contamination in China, the Ministry of Health is introducing a monitoring system for food safety aimed at early detection and intervention. The announcement came as the chief executive of Sanlu, one of China’s largest dairies, pleaded guilty to her company’s role in selling tainted baby formula that made almost 300 000 children unwell.

Hospital parking The Scottish Government has abolished hospital car parking fees in a move motivated by commitment to maintaining the NHS’s founding principle of free-at-the-point-of-delivery health care. However, Scotland’s three private funding initiative hospitals will still charge staff, patients, and visitors for car parking.

Cholera update The United Nations has said that more than 1600 people have died from cholera in Zimbabwe, and over 30 000 cases have been reported overall. WHO response teams, with the aid of UNICEF supplies from South Africa, continue to battle the epidemic despite the collapse of Zimbabwe’s health system and the worsening humanitarian crisis. (more…)

The following will appear in the Jan 3 issue of The Lancet: 

Happy New Year Welcome to 2009, the International Year of Reconciliation. The UN has stated that it is determined to pursue reconciliation processes in societies affected by or divided by conflict. Throughout the year the main focus will be to help establish firm and lasting peace in countries such as Zimbabwe, Somalia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, occupied Palestinian territories, Iraq, and Afghanistan, to name just a few.

Face transplant The USA’s first almost complete face transplant has been done at the Cleveland Clinic in Ohio. A team of eight specialists-led by Dr Maria Siemionow-replaced 80% of a woman’s face with that of a dead donor in an operation lasting 22 h. It is the fourth transplant of this kind to be done worldwide-the first was in France, in 2005.

Helmet laws In Vietnam, government measures enforcing the use of motorcycle helmets have resulted in 1400 fewer road deaths in 2008 than in 2007. In Dec, 2007, a law was passed to introduce fines for motorcyclists and passengers riding without helmets, and further decrees followed to ensure that helmets are worn correctly and meet minimum safety standards. Plans to extend fines to those under 16 years of age are hoped to save more lives.

Suicide risk The US Food and Drug Administration has announced that it will require antiepileptic drugs to carry a warning about suicide risk. A review of 199 randomised trials of 11 antiepileptic drugs found an increased risk of suicidal thoughts or behaviour in patients taking these drugs (reported in 0·43% of cases) compared with those given placebo (0·24%).

Compliance The Howard League for Penal Reform has criticised the UK Government’s decision to continue allowing private security companies to use pain to ensure compliance of children in custody. The charity has released figures obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showing that physical restraint was used 2729 times on 227 children in the year leading up to June, 2008. (more…)

 The following will appear in the Dec 20/27 issue of The Lancet: 

Adolescent health The US National Research Council and Institute of Medicine has published a report that highlights deficiencies in adolescent health care, describing a fragmented and poorly coordinated system that leads to missed chances for disease prevention and health promotion in teenagers. The report provides guidance to health workers on integrating services to better cater for those between 10 and 19 years of age.

Child development Save the Children has produced the world’s first Child Development Index, which assesses countries and ranks them according to how they are performing in relation to children’s wellbeing. Assessment focuses on child health, nutrition, and education. Japan is ranked the best performing country, with Niger as the worst. Africa is the continent with the worst performance overall.

Guinea-worm The Carter Center, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the UK Department for International Development have pledged US$55 million to eradicate Guinea-worm disease. Last week, the Carter Center announced that the disease had reached a record low of less than 5000 cases worldwide, clustered in six African countries-Ghana, Ethiopia, Niger, Nigeria, Mali, and Sudan. (more…)

The following will appear in the Dec 13 issue of The Lancet: 

Tired doctors In the USA, an Institute of Medicine report has recommended changes in medical training to help ensure patient safety. At present, medical residents can work up to an 80 h week, with individual shifts of 30 h. The report proposes compulsory sleep breaks and better shift structures to minimise the risk of errors caused by tiredness. However, it might be difficult for hospitals to afford the changes, which could cost up to $1·7 billion.

Teething-syrup deaths 34 infants in Nigeria have died from kidney failure after taking teething syrup tainted with diethylene glycol. The National Agency for Food, Drug Administration and Control has said that it is flying in doses of antidote from the UK. So far, more than 400 bottles of the syrup have been retrieved from the market and several arrests have been made in connection with the case.

Health-system collapse In Zimbabwe, doctors from Parirenyatwa Hospital-named after Tichafa Parirenyatwa, the first black Zimbabwean to graduate as a doctor-have presented a petition to the health minister, David Parirenyatwa, Tichafa’s son. The hospital, once one of Zimbabwe’s best, has been forced to close because of a lack of power, running water, medical supplies, and staff-most of whom have walked out because of the conditions. (more…)

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. (more…)