Public/Global Health

The Health and Human Services (HHS) Department announced $49 million in new grants to state and local health departments Monday.

The bulk of the money — roughly $36 million — came from the prevention and public health trust fund established by the healthcare reform law. Another $4 million came from general funding to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The grants will pay for enhanced lab systems and technology in all 50 states as well as a handful of large cities, HHS said. The money also will help states attempt to prevent hospital-acquired infections and bolster their immunization programs.

States aren't doing enough to fight cancer, the American Cancer Society's Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) says.

ACS CAN released new findings Thursday that say states are passing up key opportunities to control healthcare costs and expand access to treatment.

The study tracked legislative action in five areas: funding for cancer screenings; laws requiring coverage for certain screenings; anti-smoking laws; funding for smoking prevention programs; and tobacco taxes.

Delaware was the only state to meet ACS CAN's benchmarks in every category, and only three states met the group's goals in four of the five areas.

“Missed opportunities to pass laws that fight and prevent cancer not only leave new state revenue and health savings on the table, but deny the potential for saving countless lives from a disease that still kills 1,500 people every day," ACS CAN chief executive John Seffrin said in a statement.

The report calls on states to eliminate exceptions to smoke-free laws, such as carve-outs for cigar bars and casinos. It also says that even the highest taxes on cigarettes — New York's $4.35 per-pack fee — aren't enough to offset the health costs associated with smoking.

The authors of a law guaranteeing health coverage for first-responders want regulators to determine what benefits should be included. 

Some 50,000 Americans were infected with HIV every year between 2006 and 2009, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated in a new report.

The report found that the rate of infection is “relatively stable” overall, but infections among black men who have sex with other men saw a “sustained increase.” The report is the first to base HIV estimates on direct measurement of infections using a laboratory test that can distinguish recent infections from long-standing ones. 

The new tool gives researchers “a better idea of what’s happening,” Dr. Thomas Frieden, CDC’s director, told reporters.

“While we’re glad it’s not increasing, it’s not good enough,” he said. “HIV is preventable, and we need to do more to prevent it.”

He emphasized the need for people to get tested, reduce risky behaviors and get treatment.

A host of medical and public health associations are pressing the White House to quickly complete delayed rules that tighten Bush-era smog standards.

Their letter to President Obama Wednesday seeks to counter major industry and business groups, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, that are lobbying to scuttle the Environmental Protection Agency’s ozone rule.

“The ozone health standard must protect those who are most vulnerable from the dangerous health impacts of ozone, including infants, children, older adults, and those with chronic diseases. To safeguard the health of the American people, help to save lives, and reduce health care spending, we support the most protective standard under consideration: 60 parts per billion (ppb) averaged over eight hours,” the letter states.

It is from 14 groups, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, and the American College of Preventive Medicine.

Congress's top champion of embryonic stem cell research vowed Wednesday to continue pushing for legislation authorizing federally funded research, despite a major court victory supporting her position.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit challenging government-backed research. A three-judge panel said the court's hands were tied after an appellate court in April ruled that it was probably legal. 

The lawsuit sought to forbid federally funded researchers from using discarded embryos from fertility clinics to seek cures for Parkinson's disease, spinal cord injuries and other conditions. 

Despite the victory, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Col.) said her bill to allow funding for the research remains as vital as ever. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) is the lead co-sponsor.

A coalition of researchers and other stakeholders wrote to appropriators Tuesday urging them to continue funding scientific research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and leave politics out of the review process.

The letter from the Coalition to Promote Research comes as some conservatives are clamoring for a moratorium on NIH grant-making and an investigation into the research that is approved.

"Congressional decisions rescinding funding for individual grants that have been approved through NIH's process not only undermines the integrity of the world's premiere scientific enterprise, but also the work of our nation's top scientists, and ultimately, the public's health," reads the letter to Appropriations subcommittee Chairman Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) and ranking member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.).

The administrator of health benefits for victims of the 9/11 attacks in New York City on Tuesday declined to add cancer to the list of illnesses caused by the attacks.

The decision by 9/11 Health Program Administrator John Howard provoked immediate criticism from the trio of New York lawmakers who championed the law that created the benefits. Howard is due to revisit the issue in early to mid-2012.

“The collapse of the [World] Trade Center towers released a cloud of poisons, including carcinogens, throughout [L]ower Manhattan and we fully expect that cancers will be covered under our legislation,” New York Reps. Carolyn Maloney (D), Jerrold Nadler (D) and Peter King (R) said in a joint statement.

Twelve local health departments are getting grants to work with community members and local public health system partners in preparation for the new voluntary accreditation process starting in September.

The $35,000 grants, supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), were announced by the National Association of County and City Health Officials. 

"This is a critical step toward getting our nation's health departments ready for public health accreditation," RWJF Program Officer Pamela Russo said in a statement. "The lessons learned from this project will help other local health departments prioritize health needs in their communities based on evidence and community input and act on those priorities in collaboration with a wide range of partners."

Federal regulators should take the lead in creating a national system to keep tabs on chronic diseases and provide guidance for stakeholders across the country, the Institute of Medicine said Friday.

The IOM released a blueprint for building a national chronic disease surveillance system focused primarily on cardiovascular and chronic lung disease. The report says surveillance systems already collect a wealth of data on chronic diseases, but what's missing is a national effort to "integrate current and emerging data on chronic diseases and generate timely guidance for stakeholders at the local, state, regional and national levels."

The IOM proposes that the Department of Health and Human Services helm the effort.