Latest KFF Health News Stories
Multipronged Approach Needed To Conquer Malaria
“A malaria vaccine could be a powerful new tool,” but “[c]ontrolling mosquitoes and diagnosing malaria remain essential. Among the highest priorities now is to develop new methods to do both,” a Bloomberg editorial states. “There is both less and more than meets the eye in the recent news that an experimental malaria vaccine cut in half the risk that children would contract the illness,” according to the editorial, which adds, “Many of the headlines that followed promised a life-saving vaccine around the corner — a prospect that in truth remains a maybe. At the same time, the trial results affirmed the benefits of a multipronged attack on malaria.”
South African President Introduces National Strategic Plan On HIV, STIs, TB
South African President Jacob Zuma in a speech on Thursday to mark World AIDS Day introduced a new five-year National Strategic Plan (.pdf) on HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and tuberculosis (TB), which “calls for stepped-up prevention efforts to halve new infections of HIV and tuberculosis by 2016 and to put 80 percent of eligible patients on antiretroviral drugs to fight AIDS,” Agence France-Presse reports (12/1). In addition, the plan aims to reduce the number of mother-to-child HIV transmission cases, which Zuma noted was halved between 2008 and 2010, reduce HIV- and TB-related stigma, target high-risk populations, and promote education among youth to reduce their risk of HIV infection, according to Times Live (Chauke/Mclea, 12/2).
Latin American, Caribbean National Rotavirus Immunization Campaigns Show Success, CDC Report Says
“Fourteen of the 32 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean make the rotavirus vaccine available for all infants via national programs,” according to a report published Friday in the CDC’s “Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report,” United Press International reports. Approximately “seven million infants, 66 percent of the infants born in Latin America and the Caribbean, were immunized in 2010 against rotavirus infection — the most common cause of severe diarrhea among infants and young children, and one of several viruses that cause infections often called stomach flu,” the news agency writes. The WHO recommends rotavirus vaccination for children worldwide, the report noted, stating, “Studies from countries in this region have shown declines in the burden of hospitalizations and deaths related to severe diarrhea after rotavirus vaccine introduction,” according to UPI (12/2).
Opinion Pieces, Editorial Recognize World AIDS Day
Thursday, December 1 was World AIDS Day. The following is a summary of several opinion pieces and an editorial published in recognition of the day.
Product Development Partnerships ‘Essential’ In Fight Against Global Diseases
“If the momentum gained in the last few years” in fighting global diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis (TB), malaria, measles, and meningitis “is any indicator of our future trajectory, we are standing on the threshold of a revolutionary change in the state of global health,” Wendy Taylor, senior adviser of Innovative Finance and Public Private Partnerships at USAID, and David Cook, executive vice president and COO of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI), write in this opinion piece in The Hill’s “Congress Blog.” They discuss the importance of “Product Development Partnerships, or PDPs for short,” which “are great examples of public-private collaborations [that] are starting to build deep pipelines for new drugs, vaccines, and diagnostic tools.”
Nations At Busan Forum Sign Non-Binding Declaration To Form Worldwide Aid Partnership
Representatives of organizations and governments from 160 countries “agreed on Thursday to form a worldwide partnership to ensure tens of billions of dollars in foreign aid goes to help the neediest,” Agence France-Presse reports. The declaration (.pdf) concluded the three-day 4th High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness held in Busan, Korea, where major donors, including the U.S., Japan, and European nations, “tried to bring emerging donors like China — which does not co-ordinate with other major aid-givers — into the international fold,” according to the news agency (Jung, 12/1).
IOM Essential Benefits Recommendations Draw Criticism
A letter sent to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius from more than 2,400 health care providers and advocates offered objections to the Institute of Medicine’s recommendations regarding what benefits must be covered in state health insurance marketplaces. Additionally, Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, offered a warning regarding an Internal Revenue Service proposal on premium assistance in the health law’s insurance exchanges.
Senate Republicans Reject Payroll Tax Extension Measures
Proposals to extend payroll tax relief, as well as take steps to prevent a scheduled 30 percent reduction in Medicare physician reimbursements from taking effect in January, are high on the congressional to-do list. A House vote on a doc-fix patch could take place as soon as next week.
Viewpoints: Is Berwick A Scapegoat?; Rep. Smith On Kagan; Daschle On Health IT
A selection of today’s opinions and editorials from around America.
Court OKs Payment For Bone Marrow Donation
A federal appeals court called bone marrow donation blood parts, not organ parts. The new reading of the federal prohibition could attract thousands more donors.
GAO Report: Medicare Advantage Enrollment Still Rising
Democrats applauded the report’s findings that enrollment in Medicare’s private plans continues to grow at a brisk pace.
Foster Children On Medicaid Are Overly Medicated, Says Report
A study of five states found that foster children are more likely than other kids to be given mind-altering drugs, including antipsychotics and antidepressants.
Research Roundup: Recession’s Big Impact On Men’s Insurance Coverage
This week’s reports come from Morbidity And Mortality Weekly Report, the Archives of Internal Medicine, the Urban Institute, the Kaiser Family Foundation, The New England Journal Of Medicine and The National Bureau Of Economic Research.
Medicaid A Factor In Minnesota Budget Surplus
The state’s unexpected $876 million surplus is partly due to lower-than-expected Medicaid enrollment.
Business Interest Grows In Employee Wellness And Consumers’ Health Choices
Media outlets report on how corporations are mindful of “healthy” opportunities. Meanwhile, WellPoint announces that it will begin covering lung CT scans for heavy smokers.
On World AIDS Day, Obama Announces Plan To Redirect $50 Million To Fight AIDS
President Barack Obama told advocates, patients and other stakeholders that his administration will do more to get antiretroviral drugs to people infected with HIV – in the United States and in low-income countries around the world.
State News: Mass. Seeks Medicaid Waiver Extension; Calif. Payment Reform
A selection of health policy stories from California, Georgia, Texas, Colorado, Massachusetts and Louisiana.
As Gingrich Gains Support In Polls, His Policies Draw Attention, Too
News outlets analyze GOP presidential hopeful Newt Gingrich’s policy positions, including those regarding Medicare and other health issues.
