California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) on Sunday vetoed a bill (AB 1429) that would have required every individual or group health care plan that covers cervical cancer treatment also to provide coverage for human papillomavirus vaccination, the AP/Contra Costa Times reports (Young, AP/Contra Costa Times, 10/15). The California Legislature passed the bill last month.
The bill had stated that every health care plan that is issued, amended or renewed on or after Jan. 1, 2008, and that includes coverage for treatment or surgery of cervical cancer also must cover HPV vaccination in compliance with the recommendations of CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Health plans also would have been required to cover a Pap test, an FDA-approved HPV screening test and an FDA-approved cervical cancer screening test. The measure would have exempted specialized health care service plans from the requirement (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 9/18).
Schwarzenegger in his veto message said, "While I support increased access to preventive services, I cannot support this bill as it may contribute to rising premiums. Further, a mandate is not necessary as [HPV vaccines are] already routinely provided by health plans and insurers" (Schwarzenegger release, 10/14).
The veto message is available online (.pdf).
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
суббота, 25 февраля 2012 г.
суббота, 18 февраля 2012 г.
National Childbirth Trust, Save The Children, UNICEF Form Coalition To Urge U.K. To Ban Infant Formula Advertising
The National Childbirth Trust, Save the Children and UNICEF have formed a coalition to urge the United Kingdom to ban advertising for infant formula, Manchester reports (Manchester, 8/7). Companies are allowed to advertise formula for infants older than six months, but the U.K. Food Standards Agency is reviewing the policy on formula advertising (BBC News, 8/6).
The coalition in a report published Tuesday said that formula companies' advertising tactics are undermining parents who want to breast-feed, as well as confusing parents who are unsure whether to breast-feed or formula-feed their infants (Manchester, 8/7).
According to the coalition, companies are using formula advertisements for infants ages six months to two years to promote formula for younger infants by using the same name and logo on packaging, making the different formulas "virtually indistinguishable" to parents.
According to BBC News, about 76% of mothers in the United Kingdom begin breast-feeding when their infants are born, up from 7% in 2000. However, fewer than half of new mothers are breast-feeding when infants are age six weeks, and about 25% of mothers are breast-feeding when their infants are age six months. It is recommended that infants are breast-fed until they are six months old, BBC News reports.
The coalition is urging FSA to issue a ban, noting that new European Union recommendations say that information on infant formula "should not counter the promotion of breast-feeding." It is uncertain whether FSA will agree to the ban; however, some groups believe that under new restrictions, formula companies will not be permitted to claim that formula is similar to breastmilk.
The coalition in a report published Tuesday said that formula companies' advertising tactics are undermining parents who want to breast-feed, as well as confusing parents who are unsure whether to breast-feed or formula-feed their infants (Manchester, 8/7).
According to the coalition, companies are using formula advertisements for infants ages six months to two years to promote formula for younger infants by using the same name and logo on packaging, making the different formulas "virtually indistinguishable" to parents.
According to BBC News, about 76% of mothers in the United Kingdom begin breast-feeding when their infants are born, up from 7% in 2000. However, fewer than half of new mothers are breast-feeding when infants are age six weeks, and about 25% of mothers are breast-feeding when their infants are age six months. It is recommended that infants are breast-fed until they are six months old, BBC News reports.
The coalition is urging FSA to issue a ban, noting that new European Union recommendations say that information on infant formula "should not counter the promotion of breast-feeding." It is uncertain whether FSA will agree to the ban; however, some groups believe that under new restrictions, formula companies will not be permitted to claim that formula is similar to breastmilk.
Reaction
Ellie Lee, a researcher at the University of Kent who has examined the impact of formula advertising on women's decisions whether to breast-feed, said the advertising is "negligible," adding that the decision was a "pragmatic" one "based on personal circumstances." Belinda Phipps, executive director of NCT, said that formula companies "are finding ways to exploit ambiguity in the law and to continue aggressively marketing their products to parents" (BBC News, 8/6). Phipps added, "We need to close the loopholes, strengthen the law and protect both mothers that plan to breast-feed and those that formula-feed from this commercial tug-of-war for their money" (Manchester, 8/7).
The coalition's report is available online.
Reprinted with kind permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
суббота, 11 февраля 2012 г.
UNFPA Scales Up Efforts To Save Millions Of Women
A new thematic fund for maternal health has been created to boost global efforts to reduce the number of women dying in pregnancy and childbirth. The fund, established by UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, will also encourage developed countries and private sponsors to contribute more to saving women's lives.
Every minute a woman dies due to complications in pregnancy or childbirth, adding up to half a million women dying every year. Another 10-15 million women suffer serious or long-lasting illnesses or disabilities.
"No woman should die giving life," said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. "To have a healthy society, you have to have healthy mothers."
In many countries, however, progress in maternal health has been slow. In some, the situation has actually deteriorated over the last 20 years. The reason is insufficient political will and inadequate resources, as women's health is often pushed off the agenda in favour of other priorities.
"It is critical to invest in women if we are to achieve the Millennium Development Goals," said Ms. Obaid. "We urge countries to dedicate more resources to improving national health systems, training skilled birth attendants and promoting family planning. Millions of deaths and disabilities could be prevented, if every woman had access to reproductive health services."
Improving maternal health and reducing maternal deaths are at the heart of Millennium Development Goal number 5.
The thematic fund, which UNFPA has established in partnership with governments, United Nations organizations and other international partners, will help countries increase their access and use of quality maternal health services that would reduce maternal deaths and disabilities. It will also increase the capacity of health systems to provide a broad range of quality maternal health services, strengthen mechanisms to reduce health inequities, and empower women to exercise their right to maternal health.
The thematic fund will focus on supporting 75 countries with the greatest need. The goal is to raise $465 million during 2008-2011.
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.
unfpa
Every minute a woman dies due to complications in pregnancy or childbirth, adding up to half a million women dying every year. Another 10-15 million women suffer serious or long-lasting illnesses or disabilities.
"No woman should die giving life," said UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid. "To have a healthy society, you have to have healthy mothers."
In many countries, however, progress in maternal health has been slow. In some, the situation has actually deteriorated over the last 20 years. The reason is insufficient political will and inadequate resources, as women's health is often pushed off the agenda in favour of other priorities.
"It is critical to invest in women if we are to achieve the Millennium Development Goals," said Ms. Obaid. "We urge countries to dedicate more resources to improving national health systems, training skilled birth attendants and promoting family planning. Millions of deaths and disabilities could be prevented, if every woman had access to reproductive health services."
Improving maternal health and reducing maternal deaths are at the heart of Millennium Development Goal number 5.
The thematic fund, which UNFPA has established in partnership with governments, United Nations organizations and other international partners, will help countries increase their access and use of quality maternal health services that would reduce maternal deaths and disabilities. It will also increase the capacity of health systems to provide a broad range of quality maternal health services, strengthen mechanisms to reduce health inequities, and empower women to exercise their right to maternal health.
The thematic fund will focus on supporting 75 countries with the greatest need. The goal is to raise $465 million during 2008-2011.
UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, is an international development agency that promotes the right of every woman, man and child to enjoy a life of health and equal opportunity. UNFPA supports countries in using population data for policies and programmes to reduce poverty and to ensure that every pregnancy is wanted, every birth is safe, every young person is free of HIV/AIDS, and every girl and woman is treated with dignity and respect.
unfpa
суббота, 4 февраля 2012 г.
Australian House Approves Law Allowing Some Forms Of Therapeutic Cloning
The Australian House on Wednesday voted 82-62 to approve a bill that legalizes some forms of cloning of human embryos for stem cell research, the AP/Houston Chronicle reports (McGuirk, AP/Houston Chronicle, 12/6). The Australian Senate in November passed the legislation by a 34-32 vote (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 11/22). Parliament in 2002 approved a law that allows unused embryos from in vitro fertilization treatments to be used for stem cell research but prohibited all types of cloning (AP/Houston Chronicle, 12/6). The new law allows embryonic stem cells to be cloned for research use but bans importing or exporting cloned embryos, Reuters reports. In addition, the law maintains the ban that prohibits placing cloned embryos into a human body or the body of an animal (Grubel, Reuters, 12/6). Prime Minister John Howard and Kevin Rudd, leader of the opposition Labor party, opposed the measure, but members of Parliament were allowed a "conscience vote" on the legislation, meaning members did not have to vote the party's stance, AFP/Khaleej Times reports (AFP/Khaleej Times, 12/6). "I don't think the science has shifted enough to warrant the Parliament changing its view," Howard on Wednesday said, adding, "I think we do live in an age where we have slid too far into relativism, and there must be some absolutes in our society" (Reuters, 12/6). The bill "will enable Australia to stay at the forefront of medical research," Sen. Kay Patterson, a former health minister who drafted the measure, said, adding, "I didn't see how we could accept any treatment derived from this in the future if we didn't allow the research here in Australia." The law will take effect in six months after health and science officials draft guidelines for stem cell research licensing and egg donations, according to Patterson (AP/Houston Chronicle, 12/6).
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
"Reprinted with permission from kaisernetwork. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at kaisernetwork/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation . © 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.
Подписаться на:
Сообщения (Atom)