Archives: Morning Breakouts

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's November 8 speech at the NIH, in which she called for the creation of an "AIDS-free generation" through the use of combination prevention strategies, "could be more than just political lip-service: it may also shape the next several years of U.S. global health programming and funding, analysts say," PlusNews reports. "'It's the first time the U.S. has outlined a policy goal on how to reach an AIDS-free generation,' explained Jennifer Kates," vice president and director of Global Health & HIV Policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation, the news service writes. "Natasha Bilimoria, president of the Friends of the Global Fight Against AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, ... says she hopes Clinton's 'incredibly strong message' will be backed by strong funding commitments for the next financial year," the news service writes (11/14).

As members of the super committee race against the clock in their quest for a plan to reduce the deficit, some of the Republicans running for president criticize efforts that would raise taxes.

News reports track some of the justices' issues that will be a part of the consideration of these challenges -- among them, how the case will shape the legacy of Chief Justice John Roberts.

The Miami Herald reports that a conservative website has raised questions about the former governor's role in a case in which a state agency sought to stop life support for a young girl who later came out of her coma.

This is Africa reports on how changing priorities for major generic drug producing countries, such as Brazil, India and China -- countries that "redefined affordable drugs, making access to medicines possible for millions in low-income regions" -- and greater adoption of intellectual property rules could reshape the African pharmaceutical landscape, potentially leading to price increases.

In this Atlantic opinion piece, Amanda Glassman, director of Global Health Policy at the Center for Global Development (CGD), reports on how "lengthy, inefficient review processes" or "non-existent regulatory capacity" in some developing countries for drug and vaccine candidates waiting in the pipeline is keeping new medicines, vaccines, and diagnostic techniques from reaching millions in need. Glassman highlights a number of trials that were delayed due to regulatory and ethical approval processes, writing, "Not only do these delays prevent access to effective treatments by a growing number of patients," but "they can lead to unnecessary costs that eat away at already small budgets to find new cures for neglected diseases."

"One in 10 adults will have diabetes by 2030, posing a huge challenge to health care systems around the world, according to a report" released by the International Diabetes Federation to coincide with World Diabetes Day on Monday, Reuters reports. According to the report, the number of people living with diabetes worldwide will increase to 552 million by 2030 from 366 million in 2011 unless action is taken, Reuters notes (Hirschler, 11/14).

"Up to 3.2 million South Sudanese children have received vaccinations against polio in a United Nations-backed campaign to ensure the new country remains free of the deadly disease, more than two years after the last case was reported," the U.N. News Centre reports. The three-phase campaign, which is being coordinated by South Sudan's health ministry and backed by UNICEF and the WHO, will continue with additional immunizations next month, according to the news service. "Polio ... re-emerged in South Sudan in April 2008, but after an intensive vaccination campaign, no new cases have been reported since June 2009," the U.N. News Centre writes (11/14).

"Climate change is expected to worsen the plight of millions of children in East Asia and the Pacific who already lack food and clean water and are vulnerable to disease, ... UNICEF said Monday ... in its report (.pdf) 'Children's vulnerabilities to climate change and disaster impacts in East Asia and the Pacific,'" AlertNet reports. "'Higher temperatures have been linked to increased rates of malnutrition, cholera, diarrheal disease and vector-borne diseases like dengue and malaria,' putting children at far greater risk of contracting these diseases and succumbing to their complications, the report said," the news service writes.