Happy Nirvana

As the new school year starts, California Department of Public Health’s (CDPH’s) director, Dr. Mark Horton, urges parents and caregivers to ensure that their kids are fully vaccinated. He also urges other groups, especially those who live or work around babies to be vaccinated against whooping cough (pertussis). 3,834 illnesses and 8 deaths caused by [...]

The US worker is paying an average of $482 extra this year for family health coverage, 14% more than last year, even though total premiums – including what employers contribute – only rose 3% to an average of $13,770 in 2010, according to a survey released by the Kaiser Family Foundation and the Health Research [...]

Today’s bipartisan passage of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (S. 3307) by the U.S. Senate gives new momentum to efforts to reauthorize the nation’s federal child nutrition programs before the programs expire on September 30.Today’s action is another step toward ensuring that millions of children across the country receive healthier breakfasts and lunches [...]

California’s epidemic of pertussis (whooping cough) shows no signs of slowing, Dr. Mark Horton, director of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), warned today. As of July 27, the number of illnesses from the disease this year had climbed to 2,174, a six-fold increase from the 349 illnesses reported for the same period last [...]

Chemical flame retardants have made their way into a very long list of mundane everyday household objects. This was no doubt originally intended to help save lives, which it has done. Unfortunately a string of studies published over the past few decades have shown that flame retardants may also be putting our health at risk [...]

The Australian Greens’ health plan would reduce the burden of cancers linked with obesity, smoking and alcohol in Australia, Cancer Council Australia said today. Chief Executive Officer, Professor Ian Olver, welcomed the Greens’ proposals to end junk food ads in children’s TV viewing hours, introduce traffic light labelling for food products, set a floor price [...]

The Holiday Survival Kit “We’re all going on a summer holiday no more troubles for a week or two…” but wait this isn’t true I can see trouble brewing for lots of girls including myself. What beauty products can I do without and what will fit in my only just large enough baggage allowance. I [...]

Delivering on its commitment to helping independent retail pharmacies diversify revenue and improve profitability, Cardinal Health announced that it has partnered with the American Society of Consultant Pharmacies (ASCP) to offer retailers training, tools and guidance that will help them tap into one of the fastest-growing markets in health care: long term care (LTC). The [...]

Medical waste is sorted outside Bangalore, India. Image via: NYT If you’ve ever sat in the dentist’s chair wondering where all those shiny, silver teeth-cleaning tools might end up one day, or perhaps contemplated the future of the bio-hazardous waste bin in your doctor’s office–you, like me, probably assumed the “invisible” landfill as its next [...]

Imagine a healthcare system in which amputations and major surgeries are performed with no anesthesia, hospitals that do not sterilize needles, hospital bed sheets that are so rarely washed they stink, and a population most of whom do not have the money to pay for their most basic medical needs – according to Amnesty International, [...]