Latest KFF Health News Stories
Al Jazeera Examines Maternal Mortality In Afghanistan
Al Jazeera examines maternal mortality in Afghanistan, which “remains one of the worst places to be a mother,” 10 years after the beginning of the U.S. war in Afghanistan and “[d]espite billions of dollars in aid and considerable progress.” In an accompanying video, the news service reports, “One in five children born in Afghanistan dies by the age of five, and the statistics for mothers aren’t good either.”
Cholera Epidemic Hits Western, Central Africa
“Western and central Africa are facing one of the biggest cholera epidemics in their history, the World Health Organisation and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said last month, in reporting that more than 85,000 cases of cholera have been registered since the beginning of the year, with nearly 2,500 deaths,” according to Le Monde/Guardian. The newspaper writes, “UNICEF has identified three main cholera epidemic outbreaks in the Lake Chad basin, the West Congo basin and Lake Tanganyika,” and “[f]ive countries — Cameroon, Ghana, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (RDC) and Chad — account for 90 percent of the reported cases and fatalities.”
U.N. Officials Warn Yemen Facing Humanitarian, Health Disasters
High-level officials from UNICEF and the World Food Programme (WFP) this week warned that “[r]outine immunization of children has dropped by 40 percent in some areas of Yemen, leading to outbreaks of polio and measles and reflecting a growing collapse of public services in a country that is on the brink of a humanitarian disaster,” IRIN reports. Earlier this month, U.N. Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos cited “conflict, poverty, drought, soaring food prices and collapsing state services” as reasons for widespread suffering of millions of people in the country, according to IRIN.
South Sudan, UNFPA Program Works To Deploy More Midwives Throughout Country
The Ministry of Health of South Sudan and UNFPA, working through the Capacity Placement of International United Nations Volunteer Midwives Project, has deployed 18 midwives throughout South Sudan since December 2010, when the program began, the Sudan Tribune reports. South Sudan, where 2,054 per 100,000 women die during labor, according to figures from the health ministry, has fewer than 100 midwives for a population of more than eight million people, Minister of Health Michael Milli Hussein said, the newspaper notes. Midwives and others involved in the project are meeting in Juba this week to discuss progress and goals, the Tribune writes (10/25).
Denver-Based Dialysis Operator Is Target Of Federal Probe
DaVita Inc., which is the biggest operator of dialysis clinics in the nation, announced that it is the subject of a government probe into payments for drugs it used in the N.Y. Medicaid program.
Immunizations can be a cost-effective means of disease prevention, but “[t]o reach the fully realized stage of cost-effectiveness, … it is vital to acknowledge — and more importantly, address — the barriers that often prevent them from either being as cheap or as widely used as needed,” Forbes contributor Sarika Bansal writes in a Forbes opinion piece. She cites costs associated with vaccines, such as shipping and refrigeration; time and monetary commitments from potential vaccine recipients; a lack of medical professionals in rural areas; and the implementation of public awareness campaigns as barriers to successful immunization campaigns.
Venture Capitalists Focus On Medical Device Rules
As Congress considers legislation that sets fees for medical device makers, venture capitalists are taking a position on what they see as regulatory roadblocks.
NPR’s Tell Me More Examines Cholera In Haiti
NPR’s Tell Me More host Michel Martin on Monday spoke with Christine Ivers of Partners In Health (PIH) in Haiti and journalist Jacqueline Charles of the Miami Herald about the ongoing cholera outbreak in Haiti. The guests discuss the origins of the epidemic, ongoing public education campaigns, and PIH’s plans to rollout a cholera vaccine (10/24).
Survey Investigates Provider-Beneficiary Ratio In Medicaid Managed Care Plans
Modern Healthcare reports on a survey of members of the Association for Community Affiliated Plans.
Abortion: Federal Court Blocks N.C. Ultrasound Requirement
Federal court’s injunction affects new N.C. law which takes effect today. In addition, the New York Times examines state “personhood” amendments.
Federal Panel Recommends HPV Vaccine For Boys
The organization that helps set vaccination standards for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention voted overwhelmingly to immunize boys; girls have been getting the vaccine for several years to help guard against cervical cancer.
Quarter Of Medicare Drug Plans Get Poor Ratings
Federal officials gave negative assessments to more than 25 percent of these prescription drug plans. In the Washington area, that number is even higher. Also in the news, Medicare’s database comparing hospital patient safety.
Is The Health Law To Blame For Premium Cost Increases?
iWatch News investigates whether blame for these increases should actually fall on the health law.
A selection of opinions about health care policy from around the country.
State Roundup: Ohio Voters Will Determine Public Employee Benefits
A selection of health care stories from around the country.
Cancer Experts Say Needs Of Younger Patients Slighted
The Los Angeles Times reports that adolescents and young adults often receive inconsistent care and that research often overlooks this group.
White House Urges Community Health Centers To Hire Vets
The Obama administration on Tuesday called on community health centers to hire 8,000 military veterans in the next three years. The plan would draw on funds already included in the health law to boost primary care at these clinics.
