Copyright 2009 Medical News Today Latest Public Health News From Medical News Today. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/sections/public_health/ admin@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Admin) editors@medicalnewstoday.com (MNT Editors) en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 13:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171684.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171684.php AMA Vice President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that the AMA is encouraging people to visit their GP to be immunised against swine flu. It has been reported that there are still far too many Australians who have not been vaccinated to protect themselves from the virus. Dr Hambleton said that people should not be complacent because of the warmer weather or because swine flu is no longer dominating the TV and radio news or the newspaper headlines. Swine Flu Fri, 20 Nov 2009 07:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171681.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171681.php AMA Vice President, Dr Steve Hambleton, said today that Schoolies Week is a traditional celebration for students after a tough year, but it is also a time of high health risk for young people. Dr Hambleton, a Brisbane GP, said the focus has been on preventing the risks of alcohol and binge drinking but students should be equally careful and cautious about their sexual health. Sexual Health / STDs Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171636.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171636.php "Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set the stage for a climactic debate in the Senate over health care by unveiling a 10-year, $848 billion bill that would extend insurance to 31 million Americans without coverage," The Wall Street Journal reports. The proposed measure, which totals 2,074 pages in length, "is the Senate's answer to a bill that narrowly passed the House Nov. 7. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171643.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171643.php The Hill reports that former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle helped Obama Administration officials strategize to win health care reform votes from Senators on Capitol Hill Wednesday. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171653.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171653.php In light of World Toilet Day Thursday, several news outlets examine the impact of poor sanitation on health. Reuters examines the challenges of poor sanitation in Mumbai, India, "where more than half its 18 million residents live in slums and where the average ratio of people to toilets is 81:1. Water - Air Quality / Agriculture Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171642.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171642.php The New York Times reports that "the health care proposals from the House and the Senate are broadly similar but differ on some major issues." It reports on five issues - the public plan, employer contribution, abortion, illegal immigrants and financing - and puts differences in bold type (11/19). Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171648.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171648.php The Breast Brouhaha The New York TimesEveryone has been trying to come up with a good nickname for the 10 years we're concluding next month. Terror Era really sounds like too much of a downer. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171626.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171626.php About 40 antiabortion-rights advocates protested a "bubble zone" ordinance on Tuesday at a North Side Planned Parenthood clinic in Chicago, the Chicago Tribune reports. The measure took effect on Wednesday. Abortion Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171632.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171632.php The American Optometric Association (AOA) and Digital Healthcare, Inc. (DH) have joined together to assist optometrists in providing better care for patients with diabetes and other chronic diseases, and in promoting public health. Both parties recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Eye Health / Blindness Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171637.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171637.php The Washington Post reports: "Democratic leaders were jubilant that the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office determined that the Senate bill would cut federal deficits by $130 billion over the next decade. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171547.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171547.php IOS Press announces the November 2009 publication of a special issue of NeuroRehabilitation: An International Journal devoted to residential design for persons with neurodisability. Neurology / Neuroscience Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171550.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171550.php Scientists are reporting evidence that air pollution - a well-recognized problem at major airports - may pose an important but largely overlooked health concern for people living near smaller regional airports. Those airports are becoming an increasingly important component of global air transport systems. Water - Air Quality / Agriculture Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171558.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171558.php Sandra Eskin, director of the Pew Health Group's Food Safety Campaign, has issued the following statement regarding the markup of the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act by the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions Committee: "The Pew Health Group applauds the members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, & Pensions (HELP) Committee for approving the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (S. 510) today. Nutrition / Diet Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171503.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171503.php "Senator Charles E. Grassley wrote to 10 top medical schools Tuesday to ask what they are doing about professors who put their names on ghostwritten articles in medical journals - and why that practice was any different from plagiarism by students," The New York Times reports. Medical Students / Training Thu, 19 Nov 2009 06:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171539.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171539.php Indoor smoking bans have forced smokers at bars and restaurants onto outdoor patios, but a new University of Georgia study in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests that these outdoor smoking areas might be creating a new health hazard. The study, thought to be the first to assess levels of a nicotine byproduct known as cotinine in nonsmokers exposed to second-hand smoke outdoors, found levels up to 162 percent greater than in the control group. Smoking / Quit Smoking Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171485.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171485.php Some provisions in the health bills are attracting a new wave of analyses and some criticism of the health reform bills. The "individual mandate" issue has taken on new life because of conservatives' "assertion that under the Democrats' plan, people who refuse to buy health insurance could spend five years in prison," The Wall Street Journal reports. Health Insurance / Medical Insurance Thu, 19 Nov 2009 05:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171506.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171506.php What Our Amendment Does Politico Rather than work with us to find a true compromise, members who support abortion rights ignored our concerns (Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., 11/18). Abortion Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171494.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171494.php The White House announced Tuesday that billions of federal dollars were spent in improper payments in 2009 and that spending in the Medicare and Medicaid programs accounted for more than half of that total. President Barack Obama will issue an executive order to crack down on the problem, officials said. Medicare / Medicaid / SCHIP Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171512.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171512.php U.S. health officials defended their handling of the country's H1N1 (swine flu) vaccine campaign Tuesday "against criticism that their plan to protect Americans was confusing and over-optimistic," Reuters reports (Fox, 11/17). Swine Flu Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171513.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171513.php Innovation, Coordination Needed To 'Bring TB Research Into The 21st Century' Though tuberculosis "is one of the world's leading killers … few citizens, scientists and policymakers are demanding more attention to TB research, treatment and prevention. … It's time to bring TB research into the 21st century," Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, writes in an Tuberculosis Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171470.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171470.php With H1N1 flu causing illness all across the country, the American Red Cross has some steps to take that will lessen the chances of getting sick over the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend. "Thanksgiving is a time to enjoy being with family, not to be in bed with the flu," said Sharon Stanley, chief nurse of the American Red Cross. "You can follow easy tips to try and avoid becoming ill over the upcoming holiday. Swine Flu Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171480.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171480.php The Alabama Department of Public Health will begin offering nasal mist flu vaccine to kindergarten through third grade students in Alabama schools at voluntary H1N1 influenza vaccination clinics. A few clinics will begin the week of Nov. 23, but the majority will be held beginning the week of Nov. 30-Dec. 5. "Vaccination is the best way to protect your children from this potentially serious disease," said State Health Officer Dr. Donald Williamson. Swine Flu Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171437.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171437.php Commenting on the Queen's Speech and the Government's plans to enshrine maximum waiting times through secondary legislation, Steve Barnett, Chief Executive of the NHS Confederation, which represents over 95 per cent of NHS organisations, said: "It is a major departure for a government in this country to guarantee what patients can expect through legislation and this has more in common with how systems have developed elsewhere in Europe. Public Health Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171438.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171438.php Rogue gas fitters are being warned that they will be taken to task over shoddy jobs that risk lives. The Health and Safety Executive is using Carbon Monoxide Awareness Week (16-20 November) to renew its commitment to bring them to justice. According to provisional figures, HSE successfully prosecuted 28 people for breaching gas legislation in 2008/09, covering 66 separate offences. 173 enforcement notices were also served during this period. (see notes). Public Health Thu, 19 Nov 2009 02:00:00 PST http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171441.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/171441.php Finally! It's the holiday season! We get a break from work, visit family, watch football games, eat great food. And the other time-honored tradition: we get to stress out. And with unemployment across the country rising, many people might truly have a blue, blue Christmas. "When someone becomes stressed they're experiencing an age-old, very normal reaction to the perception of some sort of threat," says Dr. Public Health