The following will appear in the Nov 8 issue of The Lancet:

US veterans The US Department of Veterans Affairs has reported that almost 15% of soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan who have sought medical care through the VA system say they experienced some form of “military sexual trauma”. Forms of trauma ranged from unwelcome advances to rape.

Uganda loses aid The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has halted the release of US$12 million allocated to Uganda in 2003-04, because of poor management of funds. With an estimated 1 million Ugandans living with HIV/AIDS, the country will need to maintain donations from the Global Fund and other donors for its ambitious plan for HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention, predicted to cost $2 billion over 5 years.

Artificial heart A prosthetic heart, that is shaped like the human organ and pumps blood in the same rhythm, could be ready to implant into patients by 2011. The heart was developed by cardiac expert Alain Carpentier and engineers from the aerospace group EADS. It uses electronic sensors to control heart rate and blood flow, and includes chemically enhanced animal tissue to reduce the risk of rejection by the patient’s immune system.

(more…)

The war of words between the US presidential candidates heated up in the last week before the election with Barack Obama taking aim at John McCain’s health-care plan. “The truth is, John McCain’s health care plan is radical, it’s unaffordable, and it’s not the change we need right now”, Obama said Oct 29 at James Madison University in Virginia.He praised McCain’s top economic advisor, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, for offering “a stunning bit of straight talk–an October surprise” in his assessment of McCain’s plan to CNN. Holtz-Eakin said younger, healthier workers would not abandon their employer sponsored health plans to take up tax credits offered under McCain’s proposal. “Why would they leave?” Holtz-Eakin said “What they are getting from their employer is way better than what they could get with the credit.”

Obama said the remark confirmed that employer coverage would be better than that offered by McCain. “Now this is the point I’ve been making since Senator McCain unveiled his plan”, Obama said.

Holtz-Eakin said the quote was taken out of context and that he was arguing that the tax credit would not undermine employer sponsored care, which provides coverage for more than 60% of Americans under 65 years. Erosion of employer coverage under McCain’s plan is a major concern of some economists and health policy experts. The proposal “has the potential to reduce the incentive for many employers, particularly small employers, to continue providing health coverage to their employees”, argues the Commonwealth Fund, a Washington, DC, based think tank.

McCain is proposing elimination of the current tax exemptions offered to employers who provide coverage, replacing them with a refundable credit of $2500 for individuals and $5000 for families to purchase coverage in a proposed deregulated insurance market. (more…)

The following will appear in the Nov 1 issue of The Lancet:

Childhood allergies The number of children with allergies in the USA has risen 18% over the past 10 years, according to an Oct 22 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 3 million US children are now affected, with increases in asthma, other allergies, and eczema. Overall, 3·8% of boys and 4·1% of girls have allergies.

Hospital crisis Zimbabwe’s two largest health institutions have been forced to turn patients away because of shortages of equipment, drugs, and staff. Doctors and nurses, who are on strike protesting against poor working conditions, are calling for the government and aid agencies to donate adequate funds to prevent the collapse of the country’s health sector.

Mental health The Foresight group, advisers to the UK Government, have released a report on the nation’s mental health, warning of the adverse effect the economic climate and increased global competition will have on workers’ mental states. The report recommends more flexible working arrangements and the provision of public advice to maintain mental wellbeing.

Safe water The provision of safe water and sanitation is key to breaking the cycle of poverty, particularly for women and girls, according to the report Safe Water as the Key to Global Health from the UN International Network on Water, Environment and Health. The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation will also soon publish the first ever world map of underground freshwater resources.

(more…)

Since the beginning of July, our intrepid reporters in the USA have been blogging about health-related US-election news. If you haven’t kept up-to-date, read their posts on our special election page and vote in our new polls to let us know who you think will be the best candidate for health in the USA, global health, and US medical research. Why wait until Nov 4 to vote if you are American and why wait at all if you are not!

Udani Samarasekera

 The following will appear in the Oct 25 issue of The Lancet:

Infant deaths The US infant mortality rate fell by 2% between 2005 and 2006, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, but  is still 50% higher than the national goal of 4·5 deaths per 1000 births.  The decline is the first since 2000, a delay which is attributed to increased preterm births and associated complications. Infant mortality rates were substantially higher (2·4-fold) in non-Hispanic black women, than in non-Hispanic white women.

Praise Uganda Female genital mutilation (FGM) has been banned by the Sabiny, the only remaining community in Uganda still practising the act. The local Kapchorwa district council is lobbying parliament to make the ban part of national law. The ban, encouraged by last year’s UN resolution against FGM, has been enforced just before the start of the seasonal tribal ritual of the procedure.

Vitamin D The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends doubling its previously recommended dose of vitamin D for infants, children, and adolescents. New clinical trials show that 400 IU daily can prevent and treat rickets and could boost immunity and reduce risk of osteoporosis later in life.

HIV in Iran The number of people infected with HIV/AIDS in Iran has reached 18 320-a 30% increase on the 2007 figure. So far, 1592 of those infected with HIV have developed AIDS and 2800 have died. 93·7% of infections were in men. Intravenous drug use is believed to be responsible for the increase. (more…)