Policy

Aggressive Tobacco taxation policy can reduce cigarette smoking

Lung cancer is the most common and deadly cancer worldwide. About 1.4 million people are diagnosed of lung cancer this year out of which // 85% will die before 2010. Habit of smoking is reducing in high income countries, but it is fastly increasing in low and middle income countries. The most important cause of lung cancer occurrence is smoking. Globally smoking related disease causes 5 million d...

New policy allows Britons to decide on treatment center

The right to choose health policy to Briton citizen could increase advertising competition among Britain hospitals. The new policy is aimed at // reducing the waiting time of the patients for getting treatment from NHS as the people can make their own choice of treatment at any of the four NHS centers or private hospitals at their comfortable location and choice. Health Secretary as assured tha...

New UK Policy Threatens The Flexible Working Scheme

The British Medical Association (BMA) said that the financial crisis would put an end to the new scheme, which helps the lady doctors wanting to work part-time after childbirth. // This scheme comes under the National Health Center (NHS). But ministers are posing a threat to stop the scheme and transferring the powers to the regional health bosses. This move was taken mainly...

Clash of Difference of perceptions in food policy among Principals’ and Director

A research conducted to study food service policy acceptance in schools it has been found that there is a difference between principals' and foodservice directors' perceptions. // They have different ideas of 'competitive food' policies.These highlight the need for communication among key stakeholders addressing new wellness policy development mandated by the Child Nutrition and WIC R...

Private Health Insurance Policy Holders on the Rise

There has been a remarkable increase in the membership of health insurance companies. The public hospital waiting list cuts is one of the major reasons for it//. Southern Cross Healthcare, a major health insurance company in New Zealand, has enrolled around 7,500 new members to make a total of 808,000. According to Claire Austin, Executive director of Umbrella group Health F...

Global Fund Policy Encouraging Drug Resistance

WHO has warned Global Fund, the world's leading funder of treatments for infectious disease, that its current policy of Treating AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria// carried a risk of causing drug resistance. Kochi Arata, head of the WHO's malaria programme referring to the compliance list of drugs circulated by the Global Fund which contains advice on the malaria drug artemisinin. It has bee...

Medical councils Claim Lack Of Funds For The New Medical Policy Of The Elderly

The new policy of free personal care for the elderly was planned as a new deal for Scotland's pensioners, which seemed to guarantee the dignity and security //for everyone in old age. But now this policy is filled with controversies over serious lack of funding. Many medical councils are alleging that they have already run out of money to provide the service. Earlier this week it was r...

Neurologists Call For National Stroke Prevention Policy

Neurologists across the country today called for mass screening to identify people prone to brain strokes and urged the Centre to develop a national stroke prevention policy. // On the eve of World Stroke Day, the medicos also sought to bust popular myths about strokes -- widely and wrongly believed to be related to the heart and not the brain. "Unlike heart attacks, peopl...

HIV/AIDS Policy Needed at Workplace: Experts

Employers need to take serious and immediate steps to introduce policies at the workplace with regard to HIV/AIDS // , especially for women employees, representatives from various sectors said at a workshop today. Respresentatives of trade unions, human rights organisations, universities, businesses and various NGOs who participated in a workshop on 'HIV/AIDS -- A Workplace Issue: Are...

OPPI Opposes Draft National Pharmaceuticals Policy

Coming down heavily on the draft National Pharmaceuticals Policy, industry body OPPI has said the proposed policy will hamper the growth of the pharmaceutical sector // and lead to the destruction of Indian pharma companies. "The previous governments had reduced the number of drugs under control from 347 to 143 and finally to 74. The Drug Policy in February 2002 had proposed a further...

NIACL to Pay Rs 2.19 lakh for Repudiating Mediclaim Policy

A consumer court here has asked an insurance company to pay Rs 2.19 lakh to a man who was denied reimbursement after undergoing cardiac bypass surgery,// and held it guilty of "wrongful repudiation" of the mediclaim policy on the ground of concealment of pre-existing ailments. The Delhi State Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission ordering the National India Assurance Company Limited (...

China's Insurance Companies Offer Policy for Altitude Sickness

China's health insurance companies will offer a special policy for customers who may suffer from altitude sickness.// The policy will be available from August 8 after the insurance companies have liaised with travel agencies and rail ticket offices. It will be valid for 30 days and open to people aged between 3 and 70. It will cost 88 yuan ($11) and compensation will inclu...

Cabinet Clears Purchase Preference Policy for Pharma PSUs

The Government today said the central departments, public sector undertakings and autonomous bodies will give first preference to central pharma PSUs like IDPL// and their subsidiaries for purchasing 102 medicines for a period of five years. As per a decision of the Cabinet, which met here today, the first preference will also be given to these pharma PSUs and their subsidiaries by st...

PM promises forward-looking IT, electronics policy soon

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday promised a "forward-looking" electronics and IT hardware manufacturing policy soon to help realise //late prime minister Rajiv Gandhi's dream of building a modern India. Inaugurating an industrial park set up here by Singapore-based Flextronics, Manmohan Singh termed it as a tribute to the memory of Rajiv Gandhi, who was assassinated in this town...

China Embarks On 'One Dog' Policy

In an effort to implement China's 'one dog' policy and check rising cases of rabies, the police will embark on a special drive to crack down on illegal pet dogs from Nov 16. // The campaign aims to check illegal pet businesses in Beijing and ensure that citizens have licence for their dogs, local police said. In the first three quarters of this year, China recorded 2,254 r...

New Drugs Prices Control Order to Be Issued After Finalisation of New Pharmaceutical Policy

Keeping in view the directions of the Supreme Court it has been proposed in the draft National Pharmaceutical Policy//, 2006 that basket of drugs for price control would be the essential medicine as contained in the NLEM 2003 in addition to the 74 drugs which are at present under price control under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 1995. After the finalisation of the Policy a new DPCO would be i...

Kerala Drafts a New Health Tourism Policy

A new health tourism policy from Kerala promises heavy investment opportunities for Non-Resident Keralites (NRK), making it a reliable venture ensuring steady returns in the// long term. Kerala Tourism Department has planned for an investor meet in Kochi from March 23 – 27 for showcasing the opportunities in the health tourism sector. The meet is expected to be a congregation of majo...

Drugs Policy, Turning a Blind Eye?

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) sufferers are not being enabled the treatment which would benefit their eyesight//. On the contrary, as per the claims of a labor MP, the primary care trusts (PCTs) are not in a position to sponsor a new treatment which would be beneficial to people with AMD. Alice Mahon, a patient, who suffered the condition, is on the verge of suing her PCT, i...

Experts Stresses the Need for National Vaccination Policy

A group of experts here have called for a national policy on vaccination and sustained disease surveillance. The American consulate here brought together a dozen immunization experts this week. The US has a Vaccine Action Programme (VAP) with India that began in 1984. India's vaccination modules go by a plethora of names though it is part of a global programme to achiev...

FDA Reaffirms Policy Barring MSM From Donating Blood

FDA on Wednesday reaffirmed a policy that prohibits men who have sex with men from donating blood, the AP/New York Times reports. According to the policy, which has been in effect since the early 1980s, MSM are barred from donating blood regardless of sexual activity, safer-sex practices or HIV status. Potential blood donors are asked to fill out a questionnaire before donating, and MSM, inject...

Kenya to Implement National Food and Nutrition Policy

A team from the Friedman School and the government of Kenya has jointly agreed to build strategies for implementing Kenya’s National Food and Nutrition// Policy. The Friedman team, led by Gary Gleason, PhD, associate professor at the Friedman School, is assisting the Kenyan government with translating the policy document into a strategic, actionable plan. The scope of the plan ranges from agricul...

National Pharmaceutical Policy Referred to Ministerial Panel

The draft National Pharmaceutical Policy has been referred to a Group of Ministers (GOM) though no timeframe has been set for// its finalisation, Lok Sabha was informed Monday. The policy envisages ways to make available cheaper drugs to people and the public health system as also to promote the production and marketing of generic drugs in the country, said B.K. Handique, minister of...

Policy Changes Have Direct Effect on Nursing Home Care

States that set high staffing standards for elder care in nursing homes are the only ones that come close to having enough staff nurses to prevent serious safety violations, according to a new study by a professor in the UCSF School of Nursing. The majority of the nation's elderly and disabled in nursing homes remain in situations where staffing is well below national recomme...

Chinese Take Fertility Drugs to Beat One Child Policy

The iron hand with the Communist government in China is implementing family planning policies is often held up as a striking example of administrative efficiency. Well the element of coercion may be forgiven when they are seeking to contain a population exploding beyond relentlessly.The riots against punitive measures reported last week was an indication of how insensitively things...

Medical College Students Help Change Global Health Policy

In a move to improve global public health, Weill Cornell Medical College students have helped place a lifesaving heart disease drug onto the World Health Organization's (WHO) list of essential medicines. This list is a guideline for developing countries to choose which high-priority drugs should be supplied to their citizens inexpensively. Students from Weill Cornell's chapter of U...

Quality Versus Quantity: Transforming Kidney Transplant Policy

A new article published in American Journal of Transplantation examines the dilemmas faced in trying to change kidney transplant policy; addressing the need to balance the benefits of immediate transplants with those to be had from waiting for a more suitable match. The article highlights some of the important points to be considered in any new policy-making, and suggests a new met...

National Pharmaceutical Policy Referred to Ministerial Panel

The draft National Pharmaceutical Policy has been referred to a Group of Ministers (GOM) though no timeframe has been set for its finalisation, Lok Sabha was informed Monday. The policy envisages ways to make available cheaper drugs to people and the public health system as also to promote the production and marketing of generic drugs in the country, said B.K. Handique, minister of...

Labor's Preventive Health Care Policy Looks to Address Future Needs

AMA President, Dr Rosanna Capolingua, today welcomed Labors preventative health care plan as a timely and significant contribution to addressing Australias future health needs. Dr Capolingua said the policy recognises that Australias ageing population and the increasing incidence of chronic disease in the community, including among younger people, will place great strain on the hea...

Draft National Policy on Sight-saving Drugs unacceptable

Restricting use of drugs for macular degeneration to patients who have already gone blind in one eye is unacceptable concludes the July issue of Drug and Therapeutics Bulletin (DTB). But that is what the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), the body responsible for guiding the NHS on which treatments to use, is proposing. Ranibizumab (Lucentis...