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Leading up to Mother's Day on May 13, the Huffington Post's "Global Motherhood" section, in partnership with Mothers Day Every Day, an initiative of the White Ribbon Alliance and CARE, is publishing opinion pieces from a diverse group of people. The following are summaries of two of those opinion pieces.
In this opinion piece in the Kansas City Star's "As I See It," Nancy Lindborg, USAID assistant administrator for democracy, conflict and humanitarian assistance and a guest speaker at this week's International Food Aid and Development Conference in Kansas City, discusses food aid and highlights USAID's response to last year's food crisis in the Horn of Africa. She writes, "None of this would have been possible without the hard work and generosity of the American public, and especially the farmers, manufacturers and shippers that I am honored to meet with again this week in Kansas City."
"Death rates among children under five at the [Millennium Villages Project (MVP)] -- set up in Africa to demonstrate what is possible if health, education, agriculture, and other development needs are tackled simultaneously -- have fallen by a third in three years compared with similar communities, according to the project's first results," published in the Lancet on Tuesday, the Guardian reports (Boseley, 5/8). The study "offers quantitative evidence of the success of the MVP model at nine Millennium Village sites in sub-Saharan Africa," Nature News writes, adding, "Between 2006 and 2009, mortality in under-fives fell by an average of 22 percent, reaching a level roughly two-thirds of that in control villages not involved with the project, where child mortality seemed to rise."
"Bacteria, viruses and parasites cause around two million cases of cancer in the world each year, experts believe," the Press Association/Guardian reports. According to the news service, "Scientists carried out a statistical analysis of cancer incidence to calculate that around 16 percent of all cancers diagnosed in 2008 were infection-related," and "[t]he proportion of cancers linked to infection was three times higher in developing countries than in developed ones."
Nonprofit hospitals face a range of challenges related to increasing costs and diminishing resources, while hospitals with religious affiliations play by rules that can affect the care they deliver.
Chamber of Commerce prepares ads in a variety of congressional races that hit Democrats for supporting health law, among other issues. Meanwhile, the Obama campaing releases Spanish-language ads in three battleground states promoting the health overhaul.
In response to a letter from Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel written on behalf of Accretive Health Inc., a Chicago-based company, Attorney General Lori Swanson vowed to press on in her investigation. Meanwhile, Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., scolded the company for not yet answering questions he raised last month.
The Institute of Medicine panel recommended five critical areas to focus on to lower obesity: physical activity, food and beverage, marketing, work and schools.
This estimate, released by Fidelity Investments, reflects a 4 percent increase over medical bill projections for a couple that retired last year. The amount doesn't include long-term care costs or over-the-counter drug expenses, among other things.
Advocates hope the fatal beating of a California homeless man by police, captured by a security camera, may spur changes. In the meantime, a D.C. report says thousands of children who need mental health services aren't getting them, and New York state fines insurers over mental health notices.
In other state news reports on Medicaid issues, Florida officials seek federal approval for changes in Medically Needy program, and Connecticut House passes budget that would cut $50 million from Medicaid programs.
Politico examines HHS's ability to protect consumers from "unreasonable" premium increases. Meanwhile, The Hill reports on a study analyzing how many insurance plans should be allowed in state-based health exchanges.
The proposal, which will be formally unveiled today, follows suggested blueprints from the governor and the House on cutting the growth rate of health care costs.
A selection of editorials and opinions on health care policy from around the country.
A selection of health policy stories from around the United States.
Today's early morning highlights from the major news organizations, including details of the Institute of Medicine report on the nation's obesity epidemic.
The budget plan, developed by House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan, R- Wis., targets a number of Obama administration domestic initiatives. It trims an estimated $261 billion in domestic spending over the next decade and undoes elements of the health law.
Although both Democrats and Republicans agree on the idea of extending the current interest rate for student loans, they want to pay for it differently. Democrats would raise Medicare payroll taxes for some high-earning stock holders. Republicans would use health law funds. Pundits predict a showdown.
In his column, "The Common Good," Forbes contributor Rahim Kanani interviews "former model, author and advocate for maternal and child health Christy Turlington Burns" regarding "the founding of her organization Every Mother Counts (EMC), lessons she's learned around advocating for global change, her new campaign, titled 'No Mother's Day,' advice to the class of 2012, and much more." In the interview, Turlington Burns discusses the motivation behind EMC and her "advocacy and mobilization campaign to increase education and support for maternal mortality reduction globally"; highlights her 2010 documentary "No Woman, No Cry"; and encourages others to visit the campaign's website to find ways to get involved.
"New statistics show that the rate of child death across sub-Saharan Africa is not just in decline -- but that decline has massively accelerated, just in the last few years," Michael Clemens, a senior fellow at the Center for Global Development (CGD), writes in the center's "Global Development: Views from the Center" blog, citing a paper released last week by Gabriel Demombynes and Karina Trommlerova in the Kenya office of the World Bank. Clemens provides "figures for some of the recent changes in rates of child death across the continent" and concludes, "This will be startling news for anyone who still thinks sub-Saharan Africa is mired in unending poverty and death" (5/4).
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