October 15, 2009

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today warned consumers to use extreme care when purchasing any products over the Internet that claim to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure the H1N1 influenza virus. The warning comes after the FDA recently purchased and analyzed several products represented online as Tamiflu (oseltamivir), which may pose risks to patients. One of the orders, which arrived in an unmarked envelope with a postmark from India, consisted of unlabeled, white tablets taped between two pieces of paper. When analyzed by the FDA, the tablets were found to contain talc and acetaminophen, but none of the active ingredient oseltamivir. The Web site disappeared shortly after the FDA placed the order. At the same time, the FDA also purchased four other products purported to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure the H1N1 influenza virus from other Web sites. Full release.

A new Senate bill introduced today by Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) will not only protect the health and well-being of RNs in hospitals and other health care facilities, but also will ensure patients get the care they need, are transported and moved in the safest way possible, all while improving the bottom line for health care facilities by decreasing work injuries, said leaders of the United American Nurses, AFL-CIO and the Minnesota Nurses Association. The Nurse and Health Care Worker Protection Act of 2009 (S. 1788) requires OSHA to develop and implement a standard to eliminate, to the greatest degree feasible based on technological and medical considerations, manual lifting of patients by direct-care registered nurses and other health care workers through the use of mechanical devices. The legislation also requires health care facilities to develop a plan to comply with the standard (with input from RNs), provides protection for RNs through refusal of assignment and whistleblower provisions and requires the Secretary of Labor to perform audits. Full release.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today after the House passed the conference report for the fiscal year 2010 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which makes key investments to improve the security of our borders, aviation system, ports, and transit, and provide aid to our first responders. The bill passed by a vote of 307 to 114: "Every Member of Congress knows that our first responsibility is to keep the American people safe. There is nothing more critical to our future than a strong, effective effort to defend our cities and other high-risk targets, as well as all of our residents. Full release.

Following today's pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea, off the coast of Cameroon, the President of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, His Excellency Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo issued a warning to the United States and Europe not to turn a blind eye to the growing security threat in the Gulf of Guinea. President Obiang issued the following statement to call attention to the increase in piracy activity that resembles the unsafe waters on the East Coast of Africa in the Gulf of Aiden. "Today's pirate attack in the Gulf of Guinea should serve as a warning to the United States and Europe that this situation is becoming a great threat to maritime security off the West coast of Africa. The United States and Europe must recognize that the growing number of attacks by rebel groups and smugglers in the region is strikingly similar to the dangerous environment that exists in the Gulf of Aiden and can no longer be ignored. Equatorial Guinea is a willing partner and is eager to work with the United States and Europe to immediately address this increasing security risk to ensure the safety of the people of West and Central Africa and those travelling through the open waters of the Gulf of Guinea." Full release.

A Purdue University professor, whose research was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), received the 2009 World Food Prize Oct. 15 for his concerted effort in the development of drought and parasitic weed resistant varieties of sorghum which has increased the food supply to millions in sub-Saharan Africa. The 2009 World Food Prize was awarded to Dr. Gebisa Ejeta for developing sorghum plant hybrids that yield three to four times more than local varieties; dramatically increasing the production and availability of one of the world's five principal grains. "Hunger is one of humankind's oldest problems," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she announced the food prize selection in June. "Dr. Ejeta. . .reminds us of the international approach we need to this problem. We don't believe any country can do it on its own, but we believe the United States has a particular opportunity to lead and to make the changes that we have outlined in our policy." Full release.

One more piece of the crack cocaine puzzle fell into place today when 10 senators introduced a bill to make crack cocaine penalties the same as those for powder cocaine. The picture is nearly complete - the White House and Department of Justice have endorsed the elimination of the cocaine sentencing disparity, the Sentencing Commission has found the disparity unreasonable, and the House of Representatives and now the Senate have introduced legislation to equalize crack and powder cocaine penalties. "No institution stands in the way of crack cocaine changes," said Families Against Mandatory Minimums (FAMM) president Julie Stewart. "Every piece is in place to make this decades past due reform a reality." Full release.

A landmark report released today by the Institute of Medicine provides powerful new evidence that elected officials have no excuse for failing to enact comprehensive smoke-free workplace laws. The IOM report concludes smoke-free laws reduce the number of heart attacks and save lives. The report also confirms that there is conclusive scientific evidence that secondhand smoke causes heart disease, including heart attacks, and finds there is compelling evidence that even relatively brief exposure to secondhand smoke can lead to a heart attack. These powerful conclusions, reached by one of the most prestigious scientific authorities in the United States, send a loud and clear message to elected officials across the U.S. and worldwide: No excuses, no half-measures. It's time to protect everyone's right to breathe clean air by enacting comprehensive smoke-free laws that include all workplaces and public places, including restaurants and bars. There should be no exceptions or loopholes. No one should have to put themselves at risk of a heart attack, lung cancer or the other serious diseases caused by secondhand smoke in order to earn a paycheck or enjoy a night out. Full release.

Americans without health insurance are one major illness away from financial catastrophe, according to a new study. New research by the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University suggests that uninsured individuals nearing retirement age who experience a major health concern, such as heart disease, cancer or a stroke, can lose up to half of their household assets in order to pay their medical expenses. The study, titled "Does Major Illness Cause Financial Catastrophe?", will be published in an upcoming issue of Health Services Research Journal. The research was conducted by professors David Dranove and Andrew Sfekas at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, and Keziah Cook, PhD candidate in economics at Northwestern University. Dranove and his co-authors discovered a significant finding among the uninsured, ages 51 to 64, who experienced a major illness. The assets of uninsured households declined between 30 and 50 percent--in total, a median loss of 46 percent. In contrast, when matched with uninsured households with similar backgrounds, those with private health insurance did not experience a financial loss. Full release.

Univision Communications Inc. and the Kaiser Family Foundation today unveiled the second phase of "SOY. . ." (I AM. . .), the groundbreaking Spanish-language media campaign featuring the personal stories of a diverse group of Latinos living with HIV and their loved ones. The new campaign materials will debut on the Univision Network, the Telefutura Network and Galavision in conjunction with National Latino AIDS Awareness Day (NLAAD) on October 15th and continue throughout 2010. "SOY. . ." features 14 Latinos in the U.S. and Latin America living with HIV/AIDS who share both a passion for life and a desire to end the spread of the disease. They are musicians, academics, businessmen and housewives - everyday people who share their experiences living with HIV. Shot in Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Mexico City, San Salvador, Lima, and Buenos Aires, the documentary-style public service ads (PSAs) aim to create a personal connection to HIV/AIDS among the audience and engender the feeling that HIV/AIDS could affect "people like me and those I care about." Full release.

Spending time online reduces depression by 20 percent for senior citizens, the Phoenix Center reports in a new Policy Paper released today. In addition to the quality of life benefits, the Policy Paper said reducing the incidence of depression by widespread Internet use among older Americans could trim the nation's health care bill. "Maintaining relationships with friends and family at a time in life when mobility becomes increasingly limited is challenging for the elderly," says Phoenix Center Visiting Scholar and study co-author Dr. Sherry G. Ford, an Associate Professor of Communications Studies at University of Montevallo in Alabama. "Increased Internet access and use by senior citizens enables them to connect with sources of social support when face-to-face interaction becomes more difficult." Full release.

Most U.S. states do not adequately protect the rights of abused and neglected children, leaving our most vulnerable citizens exposed to the vagaries of the juvenile court system without adequate legal representation, according to a state-by-state study conducted by two national child advocacy organizations. The peer-reviewed study -- A Child's Right to Counsel: A National Report Card on Legal Representation for Abused and Neglected Children -- was released today on Capitol Hill by First Star and the Children's Advocacy Institute at the University of San Diego School of Law (CAI). To view the full report, visit www.firststar.org, or www.caichildlaw.org. Full release.

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