Gordon Brown, Public Affairs & Communications Manager at Asthma UK Scotland, says: ‘We are delighted that the Scottish Government has taken another step forward in tackling the damage tobacco can do. We know that smoking is bad for everyone’s health, but this is especially true for people with asthma. [click link for full article]

At the launch of ‘Gifts from the heart’ campaign last night in Mexico City, eleven Mexican celebrities joined forces and formed a formidable chorus promoting children’s right to birth registration, to education, and to grow up free from child labour, violence, and exploitation. This campaign aims to focus the Mexican society towards the need to guarantee every child their every right. [click link for full article]

The Royal College of Physicians and British Association of Dermatologists advised holidaymakers to look for changes to their skin on return from holiday, particularly the growth of new moles or changes to existing moles. Being alert can save lives, as these changes can be signs of skin cancer, and patients have a better chance of being treated successfully if melanomas are found early. [click link for full article]

New guidelines on the diagnosis and management of cows’ milk allergy (CMA), published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood, are set to improve the standard of care of infants with CMA, the most common food allergy in children. [click link for full article]

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Boots the Chemist is teaming up with Action Breast Cancer (ABC), a programme of the Irish Cancer Society, for the seventh year to help raise awareness of breast cancer and generate much needed funds for the work carried out by Action Breast Cancer. [click link for full article]

More than 70 pharmacy executives and representatives from pharmacy companies across the country are visiting with Members of Congress to advocate on behalf of community pharmacy. [click link for full article]

The Coalition for Fairness in Mental Illness Coverage commends the United States Senate for passing S. 558, the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, setting the stage for enactment of a strong parity bill. This legislation - because of the leadership of Senators Pete V. Domenici (R-NM), Edward M. Kennedy (D-MA) and Michael B. Enzi (R-WY) - will make mental health and substance use disorder insurance coverage on par with physical health care coverage for American workers and their families. [click link for full article]

The American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) is pleased to announce the winners of the 2007 Annual Awards. The awards recognize individuals who have made a significant contribution to the kidney community. Nominations were received from across the country from both renal professionals and renal patients, and were presented during the 34th Annual AAKP Convention held in St. Louis, MO. These individuals have shown a great desire to improve the lives of all kidney patients. [click link for full article]

In the sumptuous main hall of the Wills Memorial Building, Bristol University, almost 500 people - mostly laypersons with a percentage of international scientists and researchers - attended last Sept. 18, the public lecture “Who nearly killed Sir Ranulph Fiennes?”. The lecture was organized by the Bristol Heart Institute in collaboration with the Bristol University, and took place during the joint meetings of the European Vascular Genomics Network (EVGN, [click link for full article]

The majority of patients who undergo male to female sex-change surgery are happy with the results, despite the fact that complications are common, according to a study of over 200 patients in the September issue of the urology journal BJU International. [click link for full article]