Archives: Morning Breakouts

A report (.pdf) released on Thursday by UNICEF highlights the recent progress made in reducing the practice of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) despite ongoing social pressures in five African countries, Deutsche Presse-Agentur/M&C reports. (11/18). "Millions of girls worldwide are cut or mutilated each year," according to a UNICEF press release (.pdf). "The practice, a serious violation of their human rights, can cause severe, lifelong health problems including bleeding, problems urinating, childbirth complications and newborn deaths," the release adds (11/18).

"The first known case of cholera in the United States linked to the outbreak in Haiti was confirmed Wednesday by health officials who said a southwest Florida woman contracted the disease while visiting family in a region at the heart of Haiti's epidemic," the New York Times reports.

Inter Press Service explores some advocates' concerns over how the "new emphasis in Washington on reducing government spending" could affect U.S. funding for global health programs, including HIV/AIDS. Come January, "Republicans will take control of the U.S. House of Representatives and have made it clear that reducing government spending in order to close the government's budget deficit will be a top priority," the news service writes.

Kaiser Health News reports that vulnerable Democrats are looking for alternatives to the health law's mandate that nearly all Americans carry health insurance.

Another state politician announces he will challenge the health care law while a group of bipartisan state lawmakers ask a judge in Florida to allow them to express support for the measure in that important case.

Republicans prepare strategy on health law for 2011 while at least some Democrats ask the law's congressional opponents to forego their own taxpayer-funded health care.

The First Global Symposium on Health Systems Research bringing together researchers, policymakers and donors kicked off in Montreux, Switzerland, on Tuesday, with conference attendees calling for African leaders to do more to promote health progress in their countries, PANA/Afrique en ligne reports.