Rapid HIV tests have been found to be highly effective in preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission in clinical trials in India, according to a study published online Tuesday in PLoS Medicine, the Times of India reports (Sinha, Times of India, 5/7). For the study, the researchers used

Should patients be allowed to purchase the treatment they want? UKIn the UK, some believe that patients should be allowed to purchase anytreatments that they want. This policy shift is debated between twoexperts in an article published on BMJ.com.The motivation for debate comes from a recent ruling regarding theAlzheimer’s drug Aricept.

The Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday plans to mark up a supplemental war appropriations bill that will include language to block for one year seven new Medicaid regulations proposed by the Bush administration, as well as additional funds for FDA, CQ Today reports (Higa, CQ Today, 5/7). The House

Senate Finance Committee Chair Max Baucus (D-Mont.) on Wednesday said a Medicare package that would delay for 18 months a 10.6% cut to physician fees would cost between $15 billion and $18 billion over five years, prompting committee members to begin discussions on how to offset those costs, CQ Today reports (Wayne/Armstrong, CQ Today, 5/7).Sens. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) and Kent Conrad (D-N.D.

Statement by Nancy E. Roman, Director of Public Policy and Communications. “The World Food Programme has decided to send in two relief flights asplanned tomorrow, while discussions continue with the Government of Myanmaron the distribution of the food that was flown in today, and not releasedto WFP. Today, two WFP flights arrived with high-energy biscuits,sufficient to feed 95,000 hungry people in Myanmar”.

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said shortcomings in U.S. hospitals’ disaster preparedness plans would not be fixed by proposed Medicaid changes that would block pending cuts, the

Advocacy groups on Wednesday during a briefing about the millions of children worldwide who have lost one or both parents to AIDS called for an increase in community-based programs to assist AIDS orphans, as well as the passage of legislation to reauthorize the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief,

Two in three people with asthma feel that their condition is in some way preventing them from achieving what they want from life and one third of patients are living in fear of having an attack, according to a new survey released to mark World Asthma Day. The survey also found that a third of people with asthma worry about the impact asthma will have on their future health. Respondents also indicated that asthma impacts every day life.

The Bush administration on Wednesday sent letters to state health officials to clarify a policy directive issued last year that restricts states’ ability to expand their SCHIP programs, CQ HealthBeat reports (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 5/7).

The Denver Post on Wednesday examined possible changes to federal funding for human embryonic stem cell research with the next president. According to the Post, stem cell research in the U.S. is “likely to get a fresh look” from the next president, “no matter who it is.