The Nation's Health back issues from August 2006:
Global family planning efforts struggle with U.S. funding cuts: programs vital to women's health.
Aug 01, 2006; ... THE UNITED STATES has been funding international family planning programs for decades, subscribing to the belief that such services are "vital to safe motherhood and healthy families," according to the U.S Agency for International Development. But for the past few years, maintaining U.S ....
New vaccine for cervical cancer virus raises access questions: vaccine approved.(Gardasil )
Aug 01, 2006; ... NOW THAT a cervical cancer vaccine has won federal approval and has been recommended for routine vaccinations, questions remain over who will actually receive the vaccine and when. A new vaccine against the two most dangerous strains of the human papillomavirus was licensed by ...
U.S. seniors navigating new Medicare prescription drug plan: some beneficiaries encounter problems.
Aug 01, 2006; ... MILLIONS OF OLDER Americans have been settling into the new Medicare prescription drug program in recent months, discovering its advantages and navigating its pitfalls. However, while health care advocates agree that Medicare sorely needed a prescription drug benefit, they are "also ...
APHA hails health funding victory.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)(American Public Health Association)
Aug 01, 2006; ... APHA members helped secure a victory for public health funding in May on Capitol Hill. In late spring, Association members were among the many public health advocates who contacted their congressional representatives and urged them to provide vital public health funding via the ...
APHA: health key in U.S. trade talks.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)(American Public Health Association)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... APHA staff were part of a delegation that met with the office of the U.S. Trade Representative in June in Washington, D.C., to discuss public health representation in international trade issues. The discussion, led by the Center for Policy Analysis on Trade and Health, focused ...
APHA calls for aid for earthquake victims.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... APHA expressed sympathy for victims of an earthquake that devastated parts of Indonesia in May and urged Association members to donate as "generously as possible" to aid relief efforts. "This latest tragedy is reminiscent of the 2004 tsunami that also ravaged parts of South ...
APHA: pandemic flu preparedness crucial.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)(American Public Health Association)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... APHA joined other health advocates in successfully urging federal policy-makers in May to support adequate funding for pandemic flu preparedness activities. The Association was part of a letter sent to House and Senate members by the Working Group on Pandemic Preparedness. The ...
Correction.(Correction notice)
Aug 01, 2006 ... A photo in the June/July issue of The Nation's Health that showed participants in the ...
Learning from public health heroes, becoming an inspiration for change.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)(Personal account)
Aug 01, 2006; ... IN MY 40 years of working in public health, few things have given me greater pleasure than learning from the individuals that have put our profession on the world stage. Those who have stayed with me include social scientist Godfrey Hochbaum, PhD, who researched the Health ...
New $5.9 million grant will strengthen APHA affiliates: ALPHA receives funding from W.K. Kellogg Foundation.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)(American Public Health Association)
Aug 01, 2006 ... APHA'S STATE AND REGIONAL affiliated public health associations will be able to strengthen their infrastructures and become stronger voices for public health, thanks to a new $5.9 million grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation. The grant, which was announced by the foundation ...
APHA, universities to tackle animal-borne diseases.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)(American Public Health Association)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006 ... APHA will be working in coming months with two U.S. universities on a project that will help protect Americans from animal-borne infectious diseases. The project, led by the Michigan State University School of Veterinary Medicine, the University of South Carolina School of ...
New APHA Web site features influenza facts: resources include influenza fact sheets, news, resources.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)(American Public Health Association introduces new website www.apha.org/flu)
Aug 01, 2006 ... APHA HAS created a new Web site that serves as a one-stop resource for influenza information, including material on flu types, symptoms, complications and prevention. The site, online at <www.apha.org/flu>, answers common questions about influenza--such as the difference between ...
APHA members: reach out to your legislators this month.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)
Aug 01, 2006 ... APHA IS calling on its members to take action for public health this month in their home states. U.S. congressional law-makers are back home during their long Congress recess through Sept. 5, and as part of APHA's Public Health Action--or PHACT--campaign, Association members are ...
Executive Board: APHA Annual Meeting to return to New Orleans: board conducts business at May meeting.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)(Conference notes)
Aug 01, 2006 ... APHA'S Executive Board in May made good on the Association's promise to return to New Orleans, choosing the city as the site of the 2014 APHA Annual Meeting. The decision means that APHA will be able to bring the strength and spending power of the Association and its members to ...
Health, human rights on agenda for 2006 APHA Annual Meeting.(VITAL SIGNS: Perspectives of the president of APHA)(Conference notes)
Aug 01, 2006 ... THE SUCCESSES and challenges of human rights efforts in the United States and around the globe will be in the spotlight during APHA's 134th Annual Meeting, which will be held Nov. 4-8 in Boston. The meeting's events, which will include scientific sessions and educational ...
Preventive services a good investment for health.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)
Aug 01, 2006; ... SCREENINGS for blood pressure, colorectal cancer and alcohol use are among the top preventive services that can bring Americans the most health gains for their investments, according to a new study from the Partnership for Prevention. The study, published in the July issue of ...
Report: Americans want, deserve universal health coverage.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)
Aug 01, 2006 ... ACCESS to affordable health care for all Americans, guaranteed financial protection against high health care costs and a "core" benefits package for every individual are among the recent recommendations released in a report from the national Citizens' Health Care Working Group. ...
Any amount of secondhand smoke is unhealthy, report says.(The NATION: Health news at the national and federal levels)(Report)
Aug 01, 2006; ... ANY level of exposure to secondhand smoke puts nonsmokers at an increased risk for life-threatening disease, a federal report issued June 27 concluded. The Finding is particularly concerning coming just weeks after a report from the National Institutes of Health that said very few U.S ....
Nation's emergency care in bad shape.(NATION IN BRIEF)(Report)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... The U.S. emergency care System is fragmented, stretched to the breaking point and severely compromised in its ability to handle disasters, according to a new trio of Institute of Medicine reports. Released in mid-June, the reports concluded that emergency departments across the ...
Final EPA mercury rule falls short.(NATION IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... The Environmental Protection Agency in May reaffirmed its approach to reducing mercury pollution from power plants, prompting a civil suit and outcry from environmentalists who had petitioned the agency to strengthen mercury rules and employ a strict mercury cap at each power plant. ...
IoM cautions against reusing face masks.(NATION IN BRIEF)(Institute of Medicine)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... There is no simple, reliable way to decontaminate disposable medical masks once they've been used, according to the Institute of Medicine, which recommends one-time-only use of the masks in the event of a flu pandemic. "Respiratory protection through the use of face coverings is ...
U.S. doctors support insurance mandate.(NATION IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... The American Medical Association recently approved a policy calling for the nation's wealthiest Americans to, at a minimum, carry catastrophic and preventive health care coverage. The policy, which was approved in June, calls for individuals and families with incomes greater ...
New Jersey mayors taking steps toward more active lifestyles.(STATE & LOCAL: Issues at the state and community levels)
Aug 01, 2006; ... A LITTLE exercise can have a big impact on health. That is the message that New Jersey's mayors are sending out to their communities as part of a statewide physical activity campaign. Last year, New Jersey began the Mayors Wellness Campaign, a program designed for its mayors to ...
Disparities found in government funding for state health programs.(STATE & LOCAL: Issues at the state and community levels)
Aug 01, 2006; ... FEDERAL funding for disease prevention and other important public health programs varies widely among states, a June report released from the Trust for America's Health found. The report, "Shortchanging America's Health 2006," looked at the amount of federal funding states ...
Mississippi tobacco program in jeopardy.(STATES IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Tobacco prevention advocates are urging Mississippi lawmakers to restore $20 million in annual funding for the state's successful prevention program after a court ordered that the money from the 1998 landmark tobacco settlement could not constitutionally fund a long-standing prevention ...
Vermont law posts nurse-patient ratios.(STATES IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... A law signed by Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas in May requires all hospitals in the state to publicly post the nurse-to-patient ratio for every unit and shift. The required daily posting applies to registered nurses, licensed practical nurses and nurse assistants. The law requires ...
Massachusetts will allow formula bags.(STATES IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Following an intervention by the state governor, the Massachusetts Public Health Council decided in May to allow hospitals to continue to participate in formula marketing campaigns. In December, the council had issued a decision to ban formula gift hags at state hospitals. Gov ....
Public health may separate in California.(STATES IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration announced in April a proposal to create a new California Department of Public Health to strengthen the state's emergency preparedness and public health programs. Under the plan, the California Department of Health Services ...
New Orleans mold creates air hazards.(STATES IN BRIEF)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Airborne mold levels left in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina posed a "significant respiratory hazard," according to a study published online June 15 in Environmental Health Perspectives. The study, believed to be the first scientific study of New Orleans air ...
Chiropractic Health Care Section publishes its own APHA history: publication celebrates decade as a Section.(The SECTIONS: New about APHA's Sections, Special Primary Interest Groups & Caucuses)
Aug 01, 2006; ... THE American novelist and humanitarian Pearl S. Buck once said that "if you want to understand today, you have to search yesterday." Those words hit home this year when the Chiropractic Health Care Section commemorated 10 years of Section status by chronicling and publishing its own ...
Community health Section starts summer with book club.(The SECTIONS: New about APHA's Sections, Special Primary Interest Groups & Caucuses)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... A LONG with the sunscreen, sunglasses and healthy snacks, members of APHA's Community Health Planning and Policy Development Section will be stuffing their beach totes this summer with interesting books, journal and magazine stories and Web articles to share with fellow members as part of ...
APHA Section leaders gather to discuss priorities, plan activities.(The SECTIONS: New about APHA's Sections, Special Primary Interest Groups & Caucuses)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006 ... APHA headquarters in Washington, D.C., has been the site of several mid-year Section meetings in recent months. In May and June, those meetings included leaders from the HIV/AIDS and Environment Sections. ...
More postpartum depression programs reaching mothers: Navy, state screening programs launched.(SPECIAL REPORT: An in-depth look at current public health issues)
Aug 01, 2006; ... IN JANUARY 1984, Richard and Mary Jo Codey got the best news of their lives: They were going to become parents. At no time during that day of celebration could the couple have imagined that one year later, Mary Jo, overcome by the devastating effects of postpartum depression, world be ...
U.S. hantavirus cases on the rise this year.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Rains and flooding in the western United States have led to an increase in cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome this year, according to the June 9 issue of Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. During January-March 2006, nine confirmed cases of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome ...
National diabetes awareness is low.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... One-third of U.S. adults with diabetes are unaware they have the disease, even as the prevalence of diabetes has increased nationally from about 5.1 percent to 6 percent of adults ages 20 and older. According to a study published in the June issue of Diabetes Care, not only did ...
Low literacy means poor health for aged.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... People ages 70 and older with limited literacy skills are up to twice as likely to have poor health and poor health care access as people with adequate or higher reading ability, according to a study in the May issue of the Journal of the American Geriatric Society. Researchers ...
Drugs add years of life for HIV-infected.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Multi-drug antiretroviral treatment for people with HIV can add up to 13 years to a person's life, according to a study in the July 1 issue of the Journal of Infectious Diseases. Researchers used a computer simulation model to examine national surveillance and efficacy data for ...
Asthma programs must address triggers.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Asthma programs that address environmental triggers and are closely connected to front-line health care providers and local communities are most likely to succeed, according to study of more than 400 asthma programs. The study, called the Asthma Health Outcomes Project, looked ...
More pregnancies unintended in poor.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... The rate of unintended pregnancy among U.S. women living in poverty increased by 29 percent between 1994 and 2001, while it fell 20 percent among women whose incomes were at least twice the federal poverty level. While the overall nationwide unintended pregnancy rate remained ...
Cuts harming services for mentally ill.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Low-income Americans with serious mental illnesses face increasing gaps in care, according to a study in the May/June issue of Health Affairs. Service gaps for the mentally ill have grown in recent years, especially for the uninsured, as a result of state budget pressures and ...
Hearing problems best detected early.(HEALTH FINDINGS: The latest public health studies and research)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Babies whose hearing impairments are caught early have higher language scores in mid-childhood than those whose hearing impairments went undetected in early babyhood. According to a study in the May 18 New England Journal of Medicine, confirmation of hearing impairment by the ...
Earn a chance to attend the APHA Annual Meeting for free.(American Public Health Association)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006 ... APHA members can have the chance to win a free registration to the APHA Annual Meeting just by suggesting the names of people who may be interested in becoming Association members. Launched in June, the Each One, Reach One campaign asks members to spread the word about APHA and ...
New APHA book sheds light on mistreatment of the elderly.(American Public Health Association )
Aug 01, 2006; ... ELDER ABUSE has been called America's hidden social problem, but as the population ages it will emerge from the shadows to pose a serious public health issue and shatter the idealized visions long associated with the golden years, according to an APHA book released in July. As ...
Public health credentialing effort hopes to raise professional bar.(ON THE JOB: News for the public health profession)(National Board of Public Health Examiners)
Aug 01, 2006; ... THE diversity of educational backgrounds among public health workers can be both a blessing and a curse: It reflects the broad range of skills needed in building a comprehensive public health infrastructure, but it also means the field's work force is often viewed as lacking the full scope ...
Commission: U.S. prisons, jails in need of reform: problems include violence, safety, lack of mental health care.
Aug 01, 2006; ... CORRECTIONAL facilities in the United States fail to provide proper safety, health care and living conditions for inmates and lack adequate funding and oversight, according to a new report that calls for major reforms. Released June 2 in conjunction with a Senate hearing in ...
Sexual orientation can affect access to care.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the June, July issues of the American Journal of Public Health)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Poor health care access is a problem for many lesbian women in the United States, according to a study in the June issue of the American Journal of Public Health. However, gay men may actually be more likely than heterosexual men to have a usual source of health care and health insurance ...
HIV among youth linked to disparities.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the June, July issues of the American Journal of Public Health)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... HIV infection is taking a heavier toll on the nation's black population than on any other racial or ethnic group, and the disparity seems to appear in early adulthood, according to a June AJPH study. The study of HIV infection rates among young adults ages 19-24, based on data ...
Gastric bypass surgery rates skyrocket.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the June, July issues of the American Journal of Public Health)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Gastric bypass surgery rates have risen exponentially in the United States in recent years, likely due to advances in surgery techniques and improved success among patients, according to a July AJPH study. The study of gastric bypass surgeries found the rate increased from 7.0 ...
Blacks, less educated in worst nursing homes.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the June, July issues of the American Journal of Public Health)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... Being poorly educated or black increases a Medicare recipient's odds of being discharged to a low-quality nursing home after hospitalization. A July AJPH study of more than 62,000 Medicare nursing home admissions found blacks and patients without a high ...
Border deaths are largely preventable.(JOURNAL WATCH: Highlights from the June, July issues of the American Journal of Public Health)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... As the debate continues over the rights of U.S. immigrants and rules that should govern their entry and stay in the country, a July AJPH study found a little-publicized but preventable public health problem at the nation's southern border. Migrants who die while illegally ...
Report: restaurants must do more in fight against U.S. obesity.
Aug 01, 2006; ... RESTAURANTS AND CAFETERIAS should promote lower-calorie foods, decrease portion sizes and provide customers with nutritional information to help combat the rising U.S. obesity epidemic, according to a new report. The report, prepared by the non-profit Keystone Center and ...
Global leaders discuss measures to mitigate climate change effects.(The GLOBE: Public health news from around the world)
Aug 01, 2006 ... GLOBAL leaders met in May to hammer out ways to further strengthen international cooperation to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the United States was one country conspicuously absent from the discussions. At the Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn, Germany, in ...
New health regulations to address pandemic influenza.(The GLOBE: Public health news from around the world)
Aug 01, 2006 ... THE threat of a global influenza pandemic has led to new health regulations from the World Health Assembly. Meeting in Geneva in late May, delegates at the World Health Assembly agreed to immediately begin implementing parts of the International Health Regulations that apply to ...
Degutis, Saylor nominated to fill role as APHA's next president-elect.(American Public Health Association)
Aug 01, 2006 ... The following are biographical sketches and personal statements from the candidates for APHA president-elect. The member elected by the Governing Council will become president-elect at the close of the 2006 APHA Annual Meeting and assume presidency at the close of the 2007 Annual Meeting. ...
APHA Governing Council to vote for new Executive Board members: the Executive Board has 12 elected members, with three elected annually to four-year terms. The Governing Council will elect three new Executive Board members during APHA's 134th Annual Meeting in Boston in November. Voters will choose from the slate of six candidates, whose biographies follow.(American Public Health Association)
Aug 01, 2006 ... Olivia Carter-Pokras OLIVIA CARTER-POKRAS, PhD, is associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine,associate faculty member in the Department of Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins University and ...
American Public Health Association 134th Annual Meeting & Exposition: November 4-8, 2006 * Boston, MA.
Aug 01, 2006 ... The APHA Annual Meeting & Exposition is the premier Public Health Educational Forum! Learn from the experts in the field, hear about cutting edge research and exceptional best practices, discover the latest public health products and services, and share your public health experience with ...
New Web site boosts volunteer opportunities.(HealthCare Volunteer, www.healthcare volunteer.org)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006 ... VOLUNTEERS looking for opportunities in the health care field now have a new resource. Launched in January, HealthCare Volunteer is a free, Web-based service that connects anyone interested in offering their time for health-related work to an appropriate volunteer opportunity ....
Group work to integrate public health, medicine, EMS.(emergency medical services)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006 ... FOR THE United States to be truly prepared for future disasters or terrorist events, the nation's acute care, emergency medical service and public health systems must be better integrated, according to a group of leaders that is striving for that goal. Historically, acute care, ...
Mumps vaccination wrongly administered.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 01, 2006; ... I am a practicing physician assistant in Sacramento, Calif., and was reading the recent (June/ July 2006) issue of The Nation's Health when something on the cover page grabbed my and my colleagues' attention. In a cover photo, a University of Iowa student is receiving a ...
Multnomah County, Ore., wins 2006 Crumbine award.(LETTERS)(Letter to the editor)
Aug 01, 2006 ... THE Environmental Health Services section of the Multnomah County, Ore., Health Department is one of the nation's best at food protection, according to all awards program. In May, Multnomah County was named the winner of the 2006 Samuel Crumbine Consumer Protection Award for ...
APHA congratulates CDC on anniversary.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)(American Public Health Association)(Brief article)
Aug 01, 2006; ... APHA congratulated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in June for 60 years of protecting the health of people in the United States and around the world. "The CDC has consistently addressed the changing health risks that affect the well-being of millions of people, ...
APHA takes action on Medicaid, nutrition.(APHA ADVOCATES: Recent actions on public health by APHA)(American Public Health Association)
Aug 01, 2006; ... APHA has taken action on a number of other public health issues in recent months, including Medicaid enrollment, nutrition in schools, abstinence-only education and the rising numbers of uninsured. Among its actions, APHA: * expressed concern about a new Medicaid requirement ...