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'Gender Gap' In Authorship Of Psychiatric Research
Less than a quarter of psychiatric research papers published in medical journals have a female first author, according to new research presented at the Royal College of Psychiatrists" 2009 Annual Meeting.
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'Humanized' Mice Speak Volumes
Mice carrying a "humanized version" of a gene believed to influence speech and language may not actually talk, but they nonetheless do have a lot to say about our evolutionary past, according to a report in the May 29th issue of the journal Cell, a Cell Press publication.
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New York Times Series Examines Maternal Mortality In Tanzania
The New York Times on Sunday examined maternal mortality in Tanzania, in the opening of a three-part series on maternal mortality in Africa. According to the Tanzanian Ministry of Health, the country has a maternal death rate of 578 per 100,000 births, though the World Health Organization puts the count at 950 maternal deaths per 100,000 births. Roughly 13,000 Tanzanian women die of pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes annually, giving it "neither the best nor the worst record in Africa," the Times reports. Tanzania is one of the world"s poorest countries and faces shortages in several areas -- including health workers, drugs, equipment and infrastructure -- that contribute to maternal mortality.The Times profiled obstetrical care at a rural hospital in Berega, Tanzania, that typifies efforts to reduce maternal mortality in Africa. Facing a shortage of doctors and nurses, the hospital has been training "assistant medical officers" to perform caesarean sections and other procedures. Meanwhile, the government also is attempting to train more assistants and midwives, build more clinics and nursing schools, offer housing to attract health workers to rural areas and provide places for pregnant women to stay closer to hospitals.According to the Times, many women who die in childbirth are young and healthy, and most maternal deaths are preventable with basic obstetrical care. The five leading causes of maternal death are bleeding, infection, high blood pressure, prolonged labor and complications resulting from abortions, the Times reports. In discussing maternal mortality, experts often refer to what are known as "the three delays": a woman"s delay in going to the hospital, the time spent traveling there and the hospital"s delay in starting treatment upon the woman"s arrival. Although only around 15% of births have dangerous complications, the problems are almost impossible to predict, and seemingly normal labors can quickly progress into serious emergencies. Worldwide, more than 536,000 women die annually from pregnancy or childbirth, according to WHO (Grady, New York Times, 5/24).
Cardiovascular

Recession-Battered States Cut Funding For Health Services

Under economic pressure, states are slashing funding for health services from Connecticut to California. The cuts frustrate providers and lawmakers are looking for ways to limit harm. The Associated Press reports: "Washington is pouring $87 billion in federal stimulus money into the states to help maintain state-run Medicaid health care for the needy - and to handle the expected surge in enrollment. But Connecticut and other cash-strapped states say they still must slash spending on health care to cover massive budget deficits. At least 21 states have already restricted low-income children"s and families" eligibility for health insurance or their access to services; at least 22 states and the District of Columbia are cutting services for low-income elderly or disabled patients." AP also reports: "The programs that do face cuts are diverse. And the reductions come at a time when the demand for government health care is expected to rise as the unemployment rate climbs and people lose their private health coverage. ... Many of the programs facing cutbacks or elimination were hard-won by advocates over the years." The story highlights approaches to cuts in Louisiana, Illinois, Ohio, Maryland and Washington state (Haigh, 7/29). San Diego Union Tribune: "San Diego County health care providers say they are outraged and devastated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger"s line-item veto of $394 million in state spending for health and welfare programs. The cuts will affect programs including those for child abuse and neglect, AIDS prevention and treatment, and health insurance for poor children. ... The move is ill-timed, clinic officials say, because layoffs stemming from the recession have boosted the number of needy patients." Some of the budgets cuts cited include $61 million from County funding to administer Medi-Cal; $52 million from AIDS prevention and treatment and $50 million from Healthy Families, California"s health insurance program for poor children (Su, 7/30). The New York Times: "Massachusetts trimmed its ambitious plan to provide health care for virtually all its residents on Wednesday when the legislature failed to restore enough money to the budget to provide full benefits for 30,000 legal immigrants. It did, however, provide for partial coverage, relieving some supporters of the program, who had feared that the cuts would be deeper. Last month, to help close a gaping deficit, the legislature eliminated health insurance for the immigrants, which cost about $130 million a year. Wednesday"s vote restored $40 million - about 30 percent - leaving unclear just how much care the affected immigrants would qualify for. Those affected are permanent residents who have had green cards for less than five years. It was the first retreat for the health care experiment just as Congress looked to the state as a model" (Goodnough, 7/29). The Eagle Tribune: "Small businesses in New Hampshire are struggling to provide affordable health care for their employees - and the state is doing something about it. As of Oct. 1, small-business owners could save up to 20 percent on health care costs, thanks to a new health care reform plan enacted by Gov. John Lynch. ... The new program, New Hampshire Healthcare First, was first introduced during the 2008 legislative session. It will give businesses with fewer than 50 employees additional health care incentives - health questionnaires, disease management programs and wellness incentives - to keep workers healthy and insurance costs low" (LaFay, 7/30). This information was reprinted from kaiserhealthnews.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at kaiserhealthnews.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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