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Misdiagnosis Of Disorders Of Consciousness Still Commonplace
A sixteen-month study of consensus-based diagnosis of patients with disorders of consciousness has shown that 41% of cases of minimally conscious state (MCS) were misdiagnosed as vegetative state (VS), a condition associated with a much lower chance of recovery. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Neurology have demonstrated that standardized neurobehavioral assessment is more sensitive than diagnoses determined by clinical consensus.
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HIV/AIDS Advocates React To Obama's Proposed Global Health Initiative
Some HIV/AIDS advocates have voiced disappointment with the level of HIV/AIDS funding in President Obama"s proposed $63 billion, six-year global health initiative, VOA News reports. According to VOA News, the advocates say that Obama has not met pledges he made as a presidential candidate, while other say that the "picture is more complicated." According to the Global AIDS Alliance, Obama previously pledged to dedicate $50 billion over five years to HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria, but has instead proposed $51 billion over six years. GAA Executive Director Paul Zeitz said this proposal translates into significantly less annual funding for PEPFAR (Kilner, VOA News, 5/19). Zeitz said, "President Obama has a moral obligation to demonstrate global leadership on behalf of the poorest and most marginalized people of the world, especially in Africa," adding, "But by turning his back on those needs, the president is betraying the trust of tens of millions of people" (Pflanz, Daily Telegraph, 5/18). Advocates estimate that the funding shortfall could result in about one million people going without HIV/AIDS treatment and about 2.9 million women going without treatment to prevent mother-to-child HIV transmission. James Kamau, coordinator for the Kenya Treatment Action Movement, said that one effect of Obama"s proposal is that other donor countries could take similar actions, leading to additional cuts. "In Kenya here we say when the lead sheep limps then it does not get the others to the pastures," Kamau said, adding, "Now if [Obama] cuts back funding on the Global Fund, then the rest of the people will follow suit" (VOA News, 5/19). Some have welcomed Obama"s proposal, saying that it has expanded the focus of global health initiatives to include other health issues that can be treated at a low cost but have not received as much attention, VOA News reports. Obama"s proposal includes $12 billion for these additional areas of focus, including more emphasis on maternal health and health infrastructure, according to VOA News.According to VOA News, Obama"s proposal might be more than Congress is willing to allocate during the economic crisis. The current budget resolution under consideration by Congress would allocate $51 billion for foreign aid in FY 2010, almost $3 billion less than what Obama requested (VOA News, 5/18). African Government Spending on Health
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A New Chapter In The Fight Against Tuberculosis Opened By Unexpected Discovery
A close relative of the microorganism that causes tuberculosis in humans has been found to form spores. This is a sensational finding because researchers have long been convinced that these kinds of bacteria - the mycobacteria - were incapable of forming spores. Leif Kirsebom"s research group at Uppsala University now has photographic proof, obtained while working with the bacteria that causes tuberculosis in fish, to challenge this long-held belief. Their discovery, which has attracted much attention from other scientists, might constitute a new turn in the fight against human tuberculosis.
Sexual Health

Vigils Held Worldwide To Protest Jailing Of Iranian Physicians Who Addressed HIV/AIDS

Health professionals on Tuesday held vigils in several cities worldwide to protest the imprisonment of Iranian brothers Kamiar and Arash Alaei -- physicians and leading HIV/AIDS advocates in the country -- following the release of Iranian-American journalist Roxana Saberi, the Albany Times Union reports. Vigils were held in cities such as New York City and Washington, D.C., as a day of global protest against the brothers" imprisonment. Vigils also were held in cities across Africa, Asia, Europe and South America, according to the Times Union.Jonathan Hutson -- a spokesperson for Physicians for Human Rights, which is leading a campaign for the brothers" release -- said, "The release of Ms. Saberi has shifted the world"s attention to the plight of others who are likewise jailed in Iran on trumped-up charges." He added, "This is not an issue of politics, but of global health. The only battle they were engaged in is the public health battle to prevent and treat the deadly epidemic of AIDS. They need to be allowed to return to their lifesaving work" (Grondahl, Albany Times Union, 5/13). Related Editorials Three newspapers recently published editorials related to the Alaei brothers. Summaries appear below. *Boston Globe: "[I]f Iran"s leaders want to convey a message of conciliation and justice, they should have" the Alaei brothers "exonerated on their appeal of convictions for working with an "enemy government" and "seeking to overthrow the Iranian government,"" a Globe editorial says. The Globe adds the PHR and "several other public health and human rights groups are sponsoring rallies in New York; Washington, D.C.; and other cities around the world to call for the doctors" release," concluding, "We hope Iran"s leaders get this message as well" (Boston Globe, 5/12). *Los Angeles Times: "Human rights activists say there are several hundred political prisoners jailed in Iran solely for exercising rights that in the West are often taken for granted," a Times editorial says. The editorial continues that Iran "should allow international human rights organizations or independent jurists access to" the Alaeis" case records and "provide fair and open trials to all prisoners," concluding that "[d]efendants should be innocent until proven guilty, and the burden of proof must be on the prosecution" (Los Angeles Times, 5/12). *New York Times: The recent release of Saberi, who "had been sentenced to eight years in a notorious Iranian prison on espionage charges, is welcome news and a humanitarian gesture by Iranian leaders" but "should not be overstated," a Times editorial says. "Working conditions are still treacherous for journalists and other professionals in Iran," the editorial says, adding that PHR is "campaigning" for the release of the Alaei brothers, "whose unfair trials and horrifying sentences are still intact" (New York Times, 5/12). Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. © 2009 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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