A coalition of 55 groups on Monday asked lawmakers to increase funds for SCHIP and Medicaid, CQ Today reports. In a letter to lawmakers, the coalition — which includes American Academy of Pediatrics, the AFL-CIO, the American Federation of State and Municipal Employees, the [click link for full article]

The San Francisco Chronicle on Sunday examined the differences between California and the Bush administration on sex education for middle and high school students (Weiss, San Francisco Chronicle, 2/11). The Title V abstinence education grant program, administered by HHS’ [click link for full article]

Former New York City Mayor and possible Republican presidential candidate Rudolph Giuliani in recent weeks has “distanc[ed] himself from a position favoring abortion rights that he espoused” during his mayoral campaigns and “highlighted a different element of his thinking on the abortion debate,” the New York Times reports. [click link for full article]

In a randomized placebo-controlled trial, patients smoking cannabis experienced a 34 percent reduction in intense foot pain associated with HIV - twice the rate experienced by patients who smoked placebo.”This placebo-controlled clinical trial showed that people with HIV who smoked cannabis had substantially greater pain reduction than those who did not smoke the cannabis,” said study lead author Donald I. Abrams, MD, UCSF professor of clinical medicine. [click link for full article]

Efforts to enroll eligible uninsured Louisiana children in LaCHIP have been affected in a number of ways by Hurricane Katrina, the [click link for full article]

Among Greek adults, taking regular midday naps is associated with reduced risk of death from heart disease over a six-year period, especially among working men, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.Some evidence suggests that in countries where siestas are common, rates of death from heart disease tend to be lower. [click link for full article]

The number of “high-risk” pregnancies — which has been used to refer to pregnant women older than age 35 or women who have conditions, such as high blood pressure, that could be dangerous for the fetus — is increasing in the U.S., the AP/Boston Globe reports. [click link for full article]

Although Medicare coverage for colorectal cancer screening has increased, there are still significant disparities in screening practices by ethnicity, sex, age, education and income level, according to a report in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer affecting men and women in the United States with approximately 145,290 new cases in 2005, according to background information in the article. [click link for full article]

Professor Ian Gilmore, President of the Royal College of Physicians, welcomed today’s report ‘Global Health Partnerships: The UK contribution to health in developing countries’, written by Lord Crisp. He said: “This report will provide vital impetus for UK involvement in developing healthcare and health systems internationally. [click link for full article]