Archives: Morning Breakouts

"Afghans are living longer, fewer infants are dying and more women are surviving childbirth because health care has dramatically improved around the country in the past decade, according to a national survey released Wednesday," the Associated Press/Guardian reports. The survey, conducted by the Afghan Health Ministry in 2010 and "sponsored and funded by international organizations such as UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the U.S. government and the British Department for International Development," "indicates that increased access to health care in Afghanistan, more hospitals and clinics, and more trained health care workers and doctors have significantly contributed to an overall improvement in the health of most Afghans," the AP writes (11/30).

News outlets analyze the impact that generic Lipitor could have on costs and the "era of 'blockbuster drugs'" as well as the strategies from Lipitor's maker to block its generic competitors. Meanwhile, some of these generics are already reaching the marketplace.

Politico reports that the recusal requests come from the left and right and focus on Elana Kagan and Clarence Thomas.

"The number of new HIV cases in Saudi Arabia declined by 9 percent to 1,121 in 2010 from the previous year, the official Saudi Press Agency said, citing a Health Ministry official," Bloomberg reports (Carey, 11/29). "The official Saudi Press Agency quotes deputy health minister Ziyad bin Ahmed as telling an HIV/AIDS conference Monday that the new cases include 439 Saudi citizens and 682 non-Saudis," the Associated Press writes, adding, "Bin Ahmed said that since 1984, 16,334 people have tested positive for HIV" (11/28).