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REUTERS/Athit Perawongmetha/Summary WHO's executive board meets from Jan. 30-Feb. 7WHO seeking $6.86 bln for 2024-2025 budgetBody seen pushing for bigger role in global health crisesGENEVA, Jan 30 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization will push at its board meeting this week for an expanded role in tackling the next global health emergency after COVID-19, but is still seeking answers on how to fund it, according to health policy experts. Also on his list was "the position of the World Health Organization, recognizing there is a need for a reinforced central role for WHO" in the global health emergency system. "It's a huge knot," said Nicoletta Dentico, the co-chair of the civil society platform the Geneval Global Health Hub. PANDEMIC PREPARATIONThe WHO, which celebrates its 75-year anniversary having been set up in 1948, will also use the meeting to advocate for a boosted role in pandemic preparedness, documents showed. Tedros will call for a Global Health Emergency Council to be set up linked to WHO governance.

"Everybody has a different amount of fibroglandular tissue and a different pattern," Freer said, referring to dense breast tissue. In individual interviews as part of Gunn's survey, six out of 61 women said dense breasts contributed to breast cancer risk. There are two reasons dense breasts are linked to a higher risk of breast cancer. To lower one's risk of breast cancer overall, doctors recommend limiting alcohol intake, exercising regularly and maintaining a healthy diet. The Breast Cancer Surveillance Consortium offers an online tool to help people gauge their breast cancer risk based on multiple factors, including breast density.

☆ Emirates passenger gave birth midway through 12-hour flight
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-27 | by ( Beatrice Nolan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

An Emirates passenger gave birth midway through a 12-hour flight. The passenger was assisted by the cabin crew, an Emirates spokesperson told Insider. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyAn Emirates passenger gave birth midway through a 12-hour overnight flight from Tokyo to Dubai. The passenger was assisted by cabin crew on board the flight, which landed on time despite the emergency, an Emirates spokesperson told Insider. Last year, a United Airlines flight made headlines after a woman gave birth to a healthy baby weeks before her due date.

☆ Republicans' plans to slash Social Security and Medicare are becoming clearer: 'We have no choice but to make hard decisions'
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-25 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

House Republicans have alluded to cuts they want to make to the federal budget for months. They're becoming more explicit about those cuts involving Medicare and Social Security funds. So popular, in fact, that former President Donald Trump recently warned the GOP to keep them out of debt ceiling negotiations. The White House, and Democratic lawmakers, have criticized the GOP using the debt limit to implement cuts to Medicare and Social Security. "They claim their plan to use the debt ceiling to trigger global economic chaos is about fiscal responsibility.

☆ The FDA's power to approve drugs faces sweeping challenge in lawsuit seeking to pull abortion pill from U.S. market
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Spencer Kimball | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

The Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine asked a federal district court in Dallas late last year to declare the FDA approval unlawful and completely remove the abortion pill from the U.S. market. If the lawsuit prevails, women across the U.S. would lose access, at least temporarily, to the most commonly used abortion method. Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk is hearing the challenge to the FDA's approval of the abortion pill. Lawrence Gostin, an expert on public health law at Georgetown Law, said it would be "highly irresponsible" and "reckless" for a judge to overturn the FDA approval of mifepristone. Under federal law, lawsuits against the U.S. government must be filed within six years of an agency action.

☆ Even as New York nurses return to work, more strikes could follow
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

NYSNA nurses walk off the job, to go on strike at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, U.S. Jan. 9, 2023. Last year, six unions representing a total of 32,000 nurses launched strikes outside of hospital systems around the country, according to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Those strikes represented about a quarter of all the major strikes in the U.S. last year, an increase from the year before. The number of nurses working in the profession is starting to rebound to pre-pandemic levels, said Dave Auerbach, the director of research at the Massachusetts Health Policy Commission. April Hamilton, a 55-year-old food writer, cooking teacher and mother from Baton Rouge, La., will walk into her first class when that new nursing program starts Tuesday.

☆ 'Damaging cuts' to Medicare and Social Security are looking more likely with McCarthy as House speaker. Here's what it will mean for retirees.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Jason Lalljee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

Those concessions likely include budget cuts that will threaten Medicare and Social Security. Even if that agenda doesn't pass, negotiations could threaten Social Security payments, advocates say. According to a screenshot of the presentation viewed by CNN, the spending priorities were vague but mentioned reforms to "mandatory spending programs" that could include Social Security and Medicare. But it looks like some House Republicans are already strong-arming the policy direction of their renewed majority. Johnson also noted that any sort of stalemate over budget negotiations could endanger the timely payment of Social Security benefits, which would hurt seniors.

☆ Health care is in crisis. New York’s nurses strike is just the latest sign
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-11 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

It is just the latest in a series of job actions across the nation by nurses’ unions and other health care workers who say they had to strike in order to provide patients with quality health care. Of the 20 major strikes tracked by the Labor Department over the first 11 months of 2022, seven of them, or 35%, were in health care. The surge in health care related strikes comes despite the fact that only 3% of union members nationwide work at private sector health care jobs. “Labor is the main expense in health care, so how do you make money? If someone is tired, overworked, sleep deprived, they’re going to make more mistakes.”A nurse’s strike won’t help patients in the short term, he said.

☆ Rep. Jason Smith Picked to Lead House Ways and Means Committee
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-10 | by ( Richard Rubin | Siobhan Hughes | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Rep. Jason Smith of Missouri had been the top Republican on the House Budget Committee. WASHINGTON—House Republican leaders chose Rep. Jason Smith (R., Mo.) to run the House Ways and Means Committee, giving him a prime perch to shape the party’s approach to tax, trade and health policy. As chairman, Mr. Smith will lead a committee with broad power over economic policy and healthcare that is poised to receive an influx of new Republican members. He will help guide the party’s oversight work as the Internal Revenue Service starts spending the $80 billion it received last year.

☆ Players could play at Australian Open with COVID - Tiley
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MELBOURNE, Jan 9 (Reuters) - Players at this month's Australian Open will not be required to take COVID-19 tests and could play even if they had the virus, tournament director Craig Tiley said on Monday. "We just wanted to follow what's currently in the community," Tiley told reporters at Melbourne Park. Cricketer Matt Renshaw continued to play for Australia in a five-day test match against South Africa in Sydney last week despite testing positive for COVID. "We've made it clear to our players, as well as our staff, if anyone is feeling unwell, stay home," Tiley added. "It's a normalised environment for us and, not dissimilar to the cricket, there will potentially be players that will compete with COVID."

☆ China’s Covid wave threatens another snarl of U.S. medical supply chain
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Shannon-Pettypiece-Circle-Byline-Template.Jpg | Shannon Pettypiece | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +8 min

“We’re looking a lot for potential early warning signs in the medical supply chain for any kinds of disruptions,” said an administration official. “One major concern throughout the entire pandemic has been that because of China’s zero Covid policy, shutdowns greatly reduced manufacturing capacity in China. Despite efforts over the past two years by the Biden administration to bolster the country’s domestic medical supply chain, the complexity, costs and regulations involved in health care manufacturing has limited companies’ ability to shift production. I think that would be a natural response,” said Douglas Kent, executive vice president of corporate and strategic alliances at the Association for Supply Chain Management. Health care officials say they hope that the U.S. is in a better place to withstand any shocks from China.

☆ How health insurance may have made health care more expensive
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-08 | by ( Charlotte Morabito | In Charlottemorabito | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Roughly 40% of U.S. adults have at least $250 in medical debt, according to a survey conducted by Kaiser Family Foundation. There are many complicated reasons for the rise in the cost of care such as not prioritizing preventive care or a lack of price transparency, but one of the biggest catalysts for inflation was the rise of health insurance. In the early 2000s, federal legislation led to a major restructuring of how insurance plans shared costs, with the 2003 Medicare Modernization Act spurring a boom in high-deductible health insurance plans. A deductible is the amount a policyholder has to pay upfront before their health insurance plan kicks in. Watch the video above to learn more about how medical debt became so common in the U.S. health care system and what we can do to change it.

☆ Rapid tests for Covid, RSV and flu are available in Europe. What's stopping them in the U.S.?
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-06 | by ( Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Aria-Bendix-Byline-Jm.Jpg | Aria Bendix | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +7 min

But unlike Covid tests, which are available over the counter, RSV and flu tests must be performed at a doctor’s office or ordered via prescription. The rapid test from Brus' photo, however, is available in the European Union, and the manufacturer has certified that it meets the E.U. The FDA said it strongly supports at-home tests for respiratory viruses, including combination tests for flu and Covid. Unlike Covid tests, Butler-Wu said, there have been fewer opportunities to study whether rapid flu tests can be administered in the shallower part of the nose and maintain their accuracy. Butler-Wu said rapid flu tests given by medical professionals are generally about 60% sensitive, meaning they produce false negatives about 40% of the time.

☆ EU strongly recommends travelers from China to take Covid test before entering Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Silvia Amaro | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

European nations are looking at new travel requirements from China after Beijing lifted Covid restrictions. European nations on Wednesday recommended imposing new restrictions on travelers from China amid fears of an increase in Covid cases. Passengers departing from China will likely have to present a negative Covid test before leaving the country if heading toward one of the 27 EU countries. Several EU nations have already stepped up their protection measures against potential new cases from China. Correction: This story was updated to reflect that European officials on Wednesday recommended pre-flight testing of travelers from China.

☆ Starting 2023 with Dry January? We can cut alcohol consumption even more via taxes.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-02 | by ( Keith Humphreys | Keith Humphreys Is The Esther Ting Memorial Professor Of Psychiatry At Stanford University School Of Medicine. He Was A Drug Policy Adviser In The Bush | Obama White Houses | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

There is thus a relationship between American alcohol consumption rising and the cost of alcohol falling over the past quarter century. Indeed, the biggest change to federal alcohol taxes Congress has made over the period has been to cut them for craft beer and spirit producers. Reduced alcohol consumption would thus almost certainly deliver large benefits not just to public health but also to public safety. The case for higher alcohol taxes is thus very strong and some advocacy groups are pushing vigorously for them. When the new Congress convenes Tuesday and focuses on America’s addiction crisis, raising alcohol taxes should be at the top of its agenda.

The Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company negotiates directly with drugmakers. So far, that's been the strategy for the Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Company. In October, Cost Plus Drug Company announced a partnership with Capital Blue Cross. Cuban said he wanted Cost Plus Drug Company to be as transparent as possible on pricing. Cost Plus Drug Company is considering a test program for insulin that would offer a 90-day supply of insulin, or a total of 12 vials, for $170.

☆ Fact Check-‘Catastrophic Contagion’ video is fictional and does not support claims about pandemic preparedness exercises
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +6 min

Baseless claims that pandemic preparedness exercises are proof that disease outbreaks are “planned” by authorities have been a recurring narrative since the coronavirus pandemic broke out. These fictional scenarios go beyond infectious diseases, as such exercises also exist for natural disasters or nuclear events, for example. These rules, that are binding for WHO members, set out countries’ obligations when handling public health events and emergencies that could potentially cross borders (here) (here). Otherwise, we will be unprepared for the next infectious disease event. Experts told Reuters that preparedness exercises like “Catastrophic Contagion” have been a part of pandemic preparedness for at least the last two decades.

The UK government has promised to overhaul the youth gender care system, after it was deemed inadequate by England’s regulator of health and social care. They described a deeply flawed system that is now hobbled by a toxic political climate around gender care. The letter said a decision would be made at some point from early 2022 on whether the child “is likely to meet the access criteria” for gender care. The family has received no NHS gender care or mental health support since the referral, she said. These recommended supporting “identity exploration” and mental health treatment as the first steps to ensure that any psychological issues are addressed.

☆ States with more abortion restrictions have higher maternal and infant mortality, report finds
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-14 | by ( Doha Madani | Doha Madani Is A Senior Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News. Pronouns | She Her. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

New research released Wednesday adds to a growing body of evidence showing a link between more restrictive abortion policies and higher rates of maternal and infant mortality. According to the report, states that heavily restricted abortion access in 2020 had maternal death rates that were 62% higher than they were in states where abortion was more easily accessible. "Then, on top of all that, you're adding this variation in abortion services, reproductive health services, by states," Zephyrin said. Their report isn't the only one that has documented a correlation between abortion restrictions and higher maternal and infant mortality. And then you have these further restrictions on reproductive health care," Zephyrin said.

Annual gun deaths, ages 1 through 18 2021: 3,597 3,000 2,000 1,000 2000 ’10 ’20In May, the nation watched as horror unfolded in Uvalde, Texas. Last year, nearly two-thirds of gun deaths involving children — 2,279 — were homicides. Most homicides involved Black children, who make up a small share of all children but shoulder the burden of gun violence more than any others, a disparity that is growing sharply. Last year, suicides made up nearly 30 percent of child gun deaths — 1,078. The Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that has tracked deaths and injuries related to gun violence since 2014, compiles location and other data for thousands of fatal shootings.

☆ The triple threat of the influenza, Covid and RSV
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-09 | by ( Alex Rees | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —The United States is facing a triple threat, with a confluence of viral infections due to respiratory syncytial virus, influenza and Covid-19. Already, children’s hospitals across the United States are filled with kids infected with viruses, including RSV and influenza. While most people who contract RSV, influenza, Covid-19 and other respiratory illnesses will have mild symptoms, those most vulnerable could become severely ill, require intensive care and even die. CNN: Is a cloth mask or regular medical mask enough? Those individuals can wear two medical masks or a cloth mask on top of a medical mask.

“And the pulse oximeter is used from any age to geriatrics,” he said. The US Food and Drug Administration is mulling over next steps for the regulation of pulse oximeter devices, which may give less accurate readings for people of color. A panel of its Medical Devices Advisory Committee met in November to review clinical data on the issue. “I think of the pulse oximeter reading in the same way. Of course this can be dangerous.”Ultimately, the pulse oximeter can estimate the amount of oxygen a person has in their blood without the need for a blood sample.

South Africa, Pakistan and India were among countries that made formal requests, during an initial three days of talks that ended on Wednesday, to ensure the process is inclusive. "The advanced countries have the requisite resources and can afford to have it covered and we cannot," he said. In parallel, country teams are discussing setting up a G20 pandemic fund and revamping the WHO's existing health emergency rules. Many poorer countries lack technical specialists to advise on WHO matters within the Geneva diplomatic mission, where the U.N. agency is based. South Africa's Precious Matsoso, co-chair of the pandemic treaty talks, told Reuters countries could hire experts to help, or band together for regional representation.

The number of pregnant women and new mothers dying from drug overdoses grew dramatically as the pandemic took hold, reaching a record high in 2020, a new study finds. "It goes to an ever higher level of stigma among pregnant women." She does not work with pregnant women or those with substance use disorder, but did crunch the numbers for the new research. "Overdose deaths in general have increased, and pregnant women aren't immune to the effects of addiction," Wright said. A Biden administration report, released in October, called for broader access to opioid treatment medication among pregnant women and de-stigmatize addiction treatment during pregnancy.

☆ Inside the stunning unraveling of Bright Health, a health-insurance upstart that rocketed to an $11.2 billion valuation and then cratered as it grew too fast
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-05 | by ( ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Bright Health Group grew fast. "We're just starting to realize the full potential of our differentiated model, and we're excited about the future of Bright Health Group," Bright CEO G. Mike Mikan told analysts at that investor event. Bright Health is one of a handful of upstarts trying to take on the health-insurance industry. Clover Health; Bright Health; Oscar Health; Olivia Reaney/Business InsiderBreaking into the health-insurance industry is tough. Bright moves to cut expensesAs losses mounted in 2021, Bright scrambled to raise capital.

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