Public health

Attorney General's Office Testifies at USEPA Hearing on Ozone Standards

September 5, 2007 -- Chicago - Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan today submitted testimony calling on the federal government to heed the advice of its own scientists and substantially reduce the current standard for ozone levels to better protect the health of those most vulnerable to smog.    » read more »

Grants to raise awareness and educate women and young girls about the health risks associated with common disease and health conditions

September 4, 2007 -- SHERMAN– Officials from Illinois Governor Rod R. Blagojevich’s Administration today announced more than $1.5 million in Women’s Health Initiative Grants for non-profit organizations, health departments and service agencies in Illinois. The grants will help institute educational programs about menopause, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis.    » read more »

Places Cost Considerations Above Public Health Concerns; CMS rejects petition to establish new safety standards for genetic testing laboratories

Aug. 30, 2007 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a decision that places cost concerns above public health, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has rejected a petition filed by a coalition of health and consumer groups calling for the agency to strengthen standards for genetic testing laboratories. Citing cost concerns, the agency told petitioners in a recent letter that it would not pursue the safety standards.    » read more »

03 September 2007 -- Researchers say studies do not confirm whether wild birds are carriers of the H5N1 bird flu virus. Experts are gathering in Bangkok this week to figure out better ways to track how the disease is spreading.

Experts meeting in say they have been dealing with data that might be unreliable because there is no uniform system of checking H5N1 infection among wild birds. The Food and Agriculture Organization brought together more than 70 experts from 12 countries.    » read more »

02 September 2007 -- Medical experts with the U.N. World Health Organization are investigating an outbreak of an unknown illness with a high mortality rate in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

WHO has issued a statement saying it is unclear exactly how many cases or deaths are involved. But it says more than half the people affected are under the age of 10.

The statement listed symptoms that include fever, headache, diarrhea or abdominal pain and vomiting.    » read more »

August 31, 2007 -- PIERRE, S.D. – Summer may be winding down but West Nile virus is still a threat. South Dakotans who plan to head outdoors for the Labor Day weekend and upcoming hunting seasons need to take precautions, says a state health official.    » read more »

30 August 2007 -- More than 100 people have died in the central Democratic Republic of Congo, in what health officials suspect is an outbreak of hemorrhagic fever.

The chief health official for Kasai Occidental Province, Jean-Constatin Kanow, says a total of 217 people in four villages have come down with the illness.

Kanow says the outbreak appears related to the funerals of two village chiefs in early June. The U.N.-funded IRIN news service quotes him as saying all the people who assisted with those burials have died.    » read more »

Statement of Joseph Heyman, MD, AMA Board Member

August 28, 2007 -- "Today's announcement on the increase in the number of uninsured Americans is a forceful reminder that action is desperately needed. Currently, 47 million Americans, including nearly nine million children, don't have health insurance coverage.

"It is unconscionable that the number of uninsured children has substantially increased over the past year. Children are our future, and for kids to get a good start in life, they need access to regular visits to the doctor.    » read more »

Statement from Dr. Georges Benjamin, Executive Director, American Public Health Association

Washington, D.C., Aug. 28, 2007 – “U.S. Census Bureau data released today show a rise in the number of Americans lacking health insurance. 47 million people did not have health coverage in 2006, up from 44.8 million in 2005. This is a travesty.    » read more »

08/23/2007 -- Tennessee Governor Phil Bredesen is urging Tennesseans to take common sense steps to cope with the serious public health issue created by continued record-breaking temperatures across the state.

“The current heat wave has become a serious health issue, especially for seniors and young children who are most vulnerable to these conditions,” Bredesen said. “Until the weather breaks, I’m going to ask everyone to do three things.    » read more »

August 24, 2007 -- The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) is urging residents to be aware of the risks of carbon monoxide poisoning when using alternative sources of power during an outage.

Due to recent weather-related power outages, Allegan, and Barry, and Kalamazoo county residents are asked to be extra vigilant as they compensate for the lost power.    » read more »

New plan outlines collaborative approach, coordinated action among nations

22 August 2007 -- Washington -- As the human toll from avian influenza rises to 321 cases, with 194 deaths worldwide, leaders of the United States, Canada and Mexico have released a plan that outlines how the three countries will work together if the highly pathogenic virus makes its way to North America.    » read more »

August 21, 2007 -- According to news reports today, the Bush Administration has instituted a new policy making it harder for states to enroll children in the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which currently provides health care coverage to over six million children nationwide. The Washington Post reports that under a new Bush Administration policy states "must first ensure that the child is uninsured for at least one year" prior to enrolling a child in the SCHIP program.    » read more »

23 August 2007 -- When it comes to the subject of AIDS, the world's attention often turns to sub-Saharan Africa. That area has the greatest number of AIDS deaths and people infected with the HIV virus. The Asia-Pacific region has the second highest number of infections. Some health care workers and activists at the International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific being held in Sri Lanka until August 24 say Asian governments must do more to prevent the disease.    » read more »

August 23, 2007 -- HARRISBURG – Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell said today that the commonwealth is making the critical investments necessary to ensure the safety of Pennsylvania’s drinking water supplies.

One of those investments, he said, is the more than $2.6 million in sewage facilities enforcement grants approved today that will help 74 municipalities enforce on-lot sewage system requirements. The grants reimburse local governments for costs associated with permitting these systems.    » read more »