December 2004
News: November 2004 Archives
The Merck Institute of Aging & Health (MIAH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) are releasing this report to assess the health status of the growing number of older Americans and to make recommendations to improve the mental and physical health of all Americans in their later years. This report is divided into six sections. Two sections offer report cards—one at the national level and one for individual states and the District of Columbia—that show whether older Americans are meeting specific health targets set in Healthy People 2000. The other four sections examine issues that are critical to improving our ability to meet these targets.
DANIEL YEE
Wednesday, November 24, 2004 Posted: 5:24 PM EST (2224 GMT)
ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) -- The flu season in the United States is off to a slow start, with only Delaware and New York reporting significant outbreaks -- a relief to government health authorities, given the U.S. vaccine shortage.
Even so, the "widespread" flu activity in Delaware -- the first state to be classified at the nation's highest flu level -- is a little misleading. The state meets the designation because confirmed cases of the flu had been found in every county of that state.
The Sallie Rosen Kaplan Fellowship is specifically designed to encourage
women scientists in cancer research to pursue advanced training at the
NCI. Successful applicants will be matched with an intramural NCI
investigator for a postdoctoral fellowship and are eligible to receive an
augmented stipend. The goal is to support the careers of women in
biomedical research. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent
residents. Completed applications are due Wednesday, December
15th.
Get flyers or access a brochure about the fellowship.
Apply online by going to NCI's StarCather Web site or contact M. Teresa
Estrada, Ph.D., Office of Workforce Development, NCI, 6116 Executive Blvd.,
Ste. 502, Bethesda, MD 20892-8342, 301-451-8826, 301-402-3509 FAX,
BALTIMORE (November 20, 2004) —
A potential new case of mad cow disease has been found in the U.S. – but tests so far are inconclusive, said U.S. agriculture officials.
A preliminary screening test for mad cow disease will be confirmed in 4-7 days, and few additional details will be released until then.
Despite the public message from agriculture officials that this shouldn't cause alarm, the news has already economically rattled the cattle industry, meat companies and hamburger restaurant chains. Thursday's announcement about the inconclusive test sent cattle prices tumbling. Shares of McDonald's, Wendy's, and other restaurant chains slumped, as did those of U.S. meat producers such as Tyson Foods.
By Dorsey Griffith and Lesli A. Maxwell -- Bee Staff Writers
Published 2:15 am PST Saturday, November 20, 2004
Calls for changing the way the government monitors drug safety erupted Friday, as consumer advocates and worried patients zeroed in on testimony that five federally approved medicines posed significant health risks.
The allegations, made public in Washington on Thursday, sparked a spirited rebuttal by the Food and Drug Administration, which sought to defend itself against claims by one of its own that the agency fails to protect consumers.
From the UK
This White Paper sets out the key principles for supporting the public to make more healthier and informed choices in regards to their health. The Government will provide information and practical support to get people motivated and improve emotional wellbeing and access to services so that healthy choices are easier to make.
UK Department of Health
GPHIN II collects and disseminates alerts in seven languages
OTTAWA/NEW YORK -- The newest version of the Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN II) was jointly launched today by the Government of Canada and the Washington-based Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). This unique "early warning" system gathers and disseminates preliminary reports of public health significance on a real-time, 24/7 basis in seven languages.
The secure, web-based system was developed by Canadian health officials with important support and financial assistance from NTI, an organization devoted to reducing global threats from nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, co-chaired by philanthropist Ted Turner and former United States Senator Sam Nunn.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004 · Last updated 9:42 p.m. PT
By LAURA MECKLER
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
WASHINGTON -- A senator suggested Tuesday that money federal health officials have sought to upgrade flu vaccine production is on the way - an effort to avoid another year like this one, when the United States lost nearly half its supply of vaccine.
The current system for producing flu vaccine relies on millions of chicken eggs, which are used to incubate the viruses needed to create the vaccine. Many scientists believe the system could be improved by brewing vaccines in human and monkey cells instead.
The Health and Human Services Department has requested $100 million to speed this transition. This year, it got $50 million.
Tue 16 November, 2004 22:30
By Lorraine Orlandi
MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Global health leaders meeting in Mexico this week want nations of the world to spend more on medical research, not only to develop new cures but to make those now on the market available to the poor.
Existing tools as simple as mosquito nets can cut deep into massive health problems such as malaria in developing nations, but research is needed to find ways to best use them, organizers of a summit for health research said at the start of the four-day event in Mexico City on Tuesday.
Tuesday, November 16, 2004 Posted: 9:25 AM EST (1425 GMT)
LONDON, England -- England could become the latest country to ban smoking in public places, including restaurants and most pubs and bars, under a government proposal.
The ban would be phased in gradually, starting with government offices by 2006, if it is approved by lawmakers, Health Secretary John Reid told parliament Tuesday.
"All government departments will be smoke-free," Reid said. "All enclosed public places and workplaces ... will be smoke free. All restaurants will be smoke free. All pubs and bars preparing and serving food will be smoke free."
OTTAWA -- Health Minister Ujjal Dosanjh and Minister of State (Public Health) Dr. Carolyn Bennett will join Dr. David Butler-Jones, Chief Public Health Officer of Canada, former U.S. Senator Sam Nunn and philanthropist Ted Turner, co-chairs of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, as well as the World Health Organization's Dr. Stephen Corber in launching the enhanced Global Public Health Intelligence Network (GPHIN II). GPHIN II is a unique, secure Internet-based "early warning" system developed by Canadian health officials to gather and disseminate preliminary reports of public health significance (i.e., bioterrorism such as anthrax, infectious diseases such as avian flu, SARS) on a 24/7 basis.
Announcement link : Government of Canada
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 8, 2004--
Minnesota, New Hampshire and Vermont Hold Top Three Positions as Nation's Healthiest States, Southeastern States Experience Targeted Success but Continue to Face Challenges
United Health Foundation, together with the American Public Health Association (APHA) and Partnership for Prevention, today released the 15th annual America's Health: State Health Rankings at the APHA's Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.
This year's report reveals a 17.5 percent improvement in America's overall health during the past 15 years. However, the report also shows that the rate of improvement is slowing significantly due to a combination of personal, community and public health issues. During the 1990s, health in the United States improved by an annual rate of 1.5 percent each year. However, during the 2000s, health in the United States has improved by an annual rate of only 0.2 percent each year - 1/8 the rate experienced during the 1990s.
Article from Businesswire
Fri Nov 12,10:26 AM ET Health - Reuters
By Mike Peacock
LONDON (Reuters) - The British government will launch a long-awaited policy paper on public health next week with plans to curb public smoking, tackle obesity and address the way food companies target children through advertising.
A government official said the Public Health White Paper would be published on Tuesday, following hard on the heels of a decision by the Scottish parliament to ban smoking in public buildings from 2006.
Articlel from Health Reuters
08 Nov 2004
Public health officials are "more alarmed than they have signaled publicly" that the United States remains "woefully unprepared" for a bioterrorist attack, the Washington Post reports.
Officials have raised concerns because most U.S. hospitals and state and local public health agencies "would be completely overwhelmed trying to carry out mass vaccinations" or distribute antidotes in response to a large bioterrorist attack, and most facilities lack the "surge capacity" required to treat "a huge influx of very sick people," according to the Post. In addition, officials maintain that shared jurisdiction among federal agencies involved with bioterrorism response -- such as the Department of Homeland Security and HHS -- "leads to confusion inside and outside" of the federal government, the Post reports. Practice scenarios -- such as a failed May 2003 exercise in Chicago in which hospitals had three days to respond to a fictitious outbreak of the plague -- also have revealed that "more work is required" to plan how the federal government should communicate with the public after a bioterrorist attack and "manage the potential flight of perhaps millions of people" from cities, according to the Post. In addition, officials have raised concerns about the lack of new bioterrorism vaccines and medication in development at pharmaceutical companies or NIH and the lack of technology to detect bioterrorist attacks (Mintz/Warrick, Washington Post, 11/8).
Article from Medical News Today
Improvement slowing, though, and could stall, survey says
By Michael Coren
Monday, November 8, 2004 Posted: 12:03 PM EST (1703 GMT)
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- The average resident of Minnesota stands a better chance of avoiding smoking, car accidents and obesity than a friend living 900 miles to the south in Tennessee.
That is among the findings of a study released on Monday by the United Health Foundation, which has been tracking the nation's health for the past 15 years.
The nationwide study found plenty to cheer about -- Americans are getting healthier and smoking is on the decline -- but improvements are slowing and could stall completely if trends continue.
Article from CNN.com
Monday, November 08, 2004 - Page updated at 12:00 A.M.
By Reuters and The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — The U.S. influenza season is starting slowly, but it is still too early to tell how severe the outbreak will be as the nation faces a vaccine shortage, the head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said yesterday.
Article from The Seattle Times
We need your opinions and expertise
Last fall, more than 30 Cancer Center members participated in Minnesota's first CancerPlan Summit. During the past year, about a dozen Cancer Center members helped draft Minnesota's first comprehensive cancer control plan.
Now you have an opportunity to weigh in on this important initiative and support the contributions of your colleagues. We ask that you attend the second annual Summit , set for Nov. 16. The draft plan will be presented for discussion. Your comments will help shape the final plan that beginning next year will integrate and coordinate Minnesota 's approach to the entire spectrum of cancer control, including prevention, early detection, treatment, survivorship and palliation.
• The Summit will be held 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Nov. 16, at the Radisson Riverfront Hotel in St. Paul
• Registration is $35 per person and covers conference materials, continental breakfast, lunch and reception. The Cancer Center will reimburse the registration fee for cancer center members. Registration deadline is Oct. 31, so please register as soon as you can.
For more information about the CancerPlan Minnesota initiative and to register for the Summit , visit www.cancerplanmn.org. Or contact DeAnn Lazovich, Ph.D. (6-9099; lazov001@umn.edu) or Marva Bohen (4-2620; bohen001@umn.edu).
