Archives: Morning Breakouts

"Yemen's populist uprising and the political crisis that followed have pushed the country to the brink of a humanitarian emergency, according to the United Nations and aid agencies," the Washington Post reports, noting that "children have been hit especially hard." The newspaper continues, "Fresh conflicts, including a raging battle between the government and Islamist militants, have disrupted basic services; water, fuel and electricity shortages affect nearly every aspect of life, from hospital operations to trash collection. Food prices are rising, and health services have collapsed. In a nation in which half the population is younger than 18, many aid workers fear that the political crisis and the problems it has spawned will be felt beyond this generation of children" (Raghavan, 1/8). The newspaper also provides a graphic on malnourishment rates in Yemen and select other countries (1/8).

"For the first time in India, 12 people have been detected with totally drug-resistant lung tuberculosis (TDR-TB), a condition in which patients do not respond to any TB medication" and for which the mortality rate is 100 percent, the Hindustan Times reports. "Doctors treating these patients say the absolute resistance is a result of the patients being prescribed wrong antibiotics," the newspaper reports (1/7). "While Iran first reported TDR-TB cases three years ago, India seems to be only the second country to report this deadly form of the disease," the Times of India notes (Iyer, 1/7).

"Nigeria's 36 Executive Governors and the Federal Capital Territory have signed up to the Nigeria Immunization Challenge launched by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation last year," a Gates Foundation press release states. "The Nigeria Immunization Challenge sets specific objectives that need to be met during each quarter of 2012. If met, Nigeria will significantly improve its chances of stopping polio and protecting more children against vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles and whooping cough," the release adds, noting, "As of December 30, 2011, 51 cases of wild poliovirus had been reported in eight Nigerian states" (1/5).

PSI's "Healthy Lives" blog reviews a recent Science magazine article written by James Shelton of USAID's Bureau of Global Health in which he raises concerns about the use of antiretroviral drugs (ARVs) as a prevention strategy. The blog notes he especially expresses concerns over drug adherence and resistance. "Dr. Shelton does not entirely dismiss the usefulness of ARVs, but seeks to look a bit more critically at how effective they are as a prevention tool," the blog states, noting that Shelton's article concludes, "ARVs are no 'magic bullet.' But ARVs' best potential is to contribute to the existing combination arsenal, which, well applied, can have a major impact in stemming the global HIV pandemic" (1/6).

Republican presidential candidates faced each other on Saturday and Sunday. They found rare accord on sending safety net programs, like Medicaid, back to the states. Also, front-runner Mitt Romney got testy about a hypothetical question on contraception.

As the Republican candidates plan two debates - tonight and tomorrow morning - news outlets are covering the possible topics.

A senior Obama administration official faced a question about the unpopular vegetable in a briefing with reporters.

In its brief, the Obama administration defended the constitutionality of the requirement that people buy health insurance.

The Wellcome Trust reports on neglected tropical disease (NTD) research and awareness efforts in this feature story, writing, "In the past five years or so, wider attention has begun to fall on these other diseases, thanks largely to a campaign led predominantly by scientists and centered on a new name: 'neglected tropical diseases,' or NTDs." The article includes quotes from "some of the scientists who coined the new phrase to raise awareness of the continuing burden of these diseases, and ... Trust-funded researchers whose work is helping to develop better solutions for tackling them" (Regnier, 1/6).

"The BBC has done an extensive (40 minute) report on the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation titled 'Fortress Bill,'" which "is available for [four] more days online and will be rebroadcast on Sunday, Jan. 8," KPLU 88.5's "Humanosphere" blog reports. Commenting on the piece, KPLU's Tom Paulson writes, "Perhaps the BBC report indicates the mainstream media is poised to take a more critical tack examining the nature of philanthropy and global health. ... What's needed is a more open and realistic dialogue about how best to fight inequity and poverty -- one that can simultaneously hold the powerful to account while also accepting that some of the super-rich may actually also want to make the world a better place" (1/4).

"The Kenyan government has changed its HIV testing algorithm following the withdrawal of a widely used brand of HIV test [based] on warnings from" the WHO, PlusNews reports. "In November, WHO removed the Standard Diagnostics Bioline HIV 1/2 3.0 Rapid HIV Test Kit from its list of approved rapid test kits with immediate effect ... after Bioline failed quality assurance tests," the news service notes. There is "concern about the impact the recall will have on public confidence in HIV testing, especially as the country pushes for universal access to HIV counseling and testing," according to the news service (1/5).

Media outlets report on what Rick Santorum did after he left the Senate and what he would have on his to-do list if elected, the continuing "risks" Mitt Romney faces from the left and the right, and on an ethics group that is directing a challenge at Newt Gingrich.