As roads begin opening in Kenya and transport becomes possible, UNICEF is working with the Kenya Red Cross to send essential supplies to children affected by the violence due to political upheaval. Throughout the country, an estimated 500,000 people may need humanitarian assistance. The majority are women and children, says UNICEF.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is reminding doctors of the link between taking bisphosphonates and a raised risk of experiencing often incapacitating bone, joint, and/or musculoskeletal pain. Prescribing information for all bisphosphonates already includes warnings of severe musculoskeletal pain, the FDA informs. However, this information may be overlooked by doctors, resulting in delayed diagnosis, impairment and/or pain prolongation, and the subsequent use of analgesics.

St. Jude Medical, Inc. (NYSE:STJ) will present at the JPMorgan Healthcare Conference on Tuesday, January 8, 2008, in San Francisco. Dan Starks, Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer, will address the conference at 10:00 a.m. PST. The presentation will be web cast live at http://www.sjm.com. About St. Jude MedicalSt.

Black patients are significantly less likely than their white counterparts to receive therapy for various kinds of cancer, despite recent efforts to close gaps in treatment, according to a study by researchers at Yale School of Medicine published in the January 7 online issue of the journal Cancer.Prior research revealed racial disparities in cancer care in the early 1990s. Cary P. Gross, M.D.

Akron, Ohio, Health Department: The Ohio Commission on Minority Health has given the department an $83,000 grant to establish a new Office of Minority Health in Akron. The new office will aim to discover variations among blacks and whites in terms of health behavior.

New Jersey on Tuesday more than tripled Medicaid reimbursements for physicians who treat beneficiaries younger than age 21, the AP/Long Island Newsday reports. Medicaid physician reimbursements for a child’s office visit increased from $23.03 to $73.70, and dentist reimbursements increased from $18.02 per child’s exam to $64. Gov.

The Bush administration is imposing restrictions on the ability of states to expand their Medicaid programs that mirror a policy directive announced in August 2007 that limits states’ abilities to expand SCHIP, the New York Times reports.

Thousands of breast cancer patients might receive improper medications as a result of inaccurate results for two laboratory tests used to determine the most effective treatments for specific patients, the Wall Street Journal reports.

Actress Gloria Reuben, who played an HIV-positive woman on NBC’s television drama “ER” and left the show in 2000, on Thursday rejoined the cast for a “one-time appearance,” the Los Angeles Times reports.

For the fifth consecutive year, key research on the prevention, screening and treatment of GI cancers will be the focus of the Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium press program. Study authors will discuss notable research in an embargoed presscast (press briefing via live webcast) on January 23 from 1:00 to 2:00 PM (EST). Featured research includes: - A study on the association between insurance status and the extent of colorectal cancer spread at the time of diagnosis.