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August 9–15, 2014
This Week in Medicine
Christian Schmidt/Corbis
Asylum and care The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce condemned the Australian Government for the treatment of unaccompanied children seeking asylum and refuge. The report criticised medical care provided as inadequate and called for appointment of an independent guardian for all children. Chairman of the taskforce Dean Peter Catt said ignoring evidence was tantamount to “state-sanctioned child abuse”.
HIV in China The number of newly diagnosed cases of HIV in people aged 60 years or older in Beijing is on the rise. Statistics from the city’s Health and Family Planning Commission show an increase to 48 cases by the end of June this year compared with only 17 cases in 2007. The burden falls largely in men.
www.thelancet.com Vol 384 August 9, 2014
Wellcome genomics The Wellcome Trust has committed £27 million for a new genome-sequencing facility for Genomics England and Sanger Institute in the UK. The investment is to help a government-initiated project to decipher 100 000 complete genetic codes and to bring the benefits of genomic medicine to patients in the UK’s National Health Service.
Head-injury settlement On July 29, the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reached a settlement of US$70 million in a class-action head-injury lawsuit brought by former college athletes. The money will provide testing for brain trauma in current and former college athletes who sustained head injuries during matches or training.
AIDS-free Zambia? Zambia has been tipped to be one of the first countries to achieve an AIDS-free generation according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The country has increased the provision of antiretroviral treatment to people living with HIV and hope to eliminate any new HIV infections by as soon as next year.
Anti-gay law struck down In the wake of much international pressure, a court in Uganda has struck down the Anti-Homosexuality Act, a punitive law criminalising homosexual behaviour with life in prison. Some fear that the Act could be revived due to the narrow technical grounds on which the decision was made.
Alcohol in Australia In Australia, the highest number of deaths attributable to alcohol in 2010 were caused by injuries in men and by cardiovascular disease in women, according to a report titled Alcohol’s burden of disease in Australia. The burden of such disease was greatest in the Northern Territories. These data could form the basis for future estimates of costs of illness.
Menstrual bleeding The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has published the results of a 4-year audit showing improved treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding. The report described the outcome of 8000 women referred to a gynaecological outpatient clinic by their GP of whom 90% rated their care as good, very good, or excellent.
UN youth day “Youth and Mental Health” will be the theme for the UN International Youth Day on Aug 12. With the slogan “Mental Health Matters”, the aim is to reduce stigma surrounding youth with mental illness and to promote social inclusion. The day will be the culmination of a social media campaign by the UN that began in June.
The ART of medicine The life expectancy of South Africans living with HIV has increased substantially in the past decade, according to a report from the country’s national statistics agency. On average, people in the country now live up to the age of 61·2 years versus 52·2 years 10 years ago. Much of this improvement is thought to be due to the widespread availability of antiretroviral treatment (ART).
For the Lancet News Podcast see http://www.thelancet.com/ lancet-news-audio/ For more on care for Australian refugees see http://www. australianchurchesrefugeetaskforce.com.au/wp-content/ uploads/2014/07/ ProtectingTheLonelyChildren.pdf For more on Alcohol’s burden of disease in Australia see http:// www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/ Publications/Alcohol-Misuse/ Alcohols-burden-of-disease-inAustralia.aspx For more on the menstrual bleeding audit text see http:// www.rcog.org.uk/news/rcogrelease-four-year-national-auditshows-improved-treatmentwomen-heavy-menstrualbleeding-h
Yannick Tylle/Corbis
India landslide A landslide caused by heavy rainfall has almost completely destroyed the village of Malin in Maharashtra, India. 68 people have died, and over 100 more are feared trapped in their houses. Seven teams of rescue workers have been clearing out mud with diggers in an attempt to rescue survivors.
Andrzej Wojcickl/Science Photo Library/Corbis
VA reform bill On July 31, the US Senate passed a bill allotting US$16·3 billion to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health-care system. The bill provides funding to hire more doctors for VA facilities and for veterans to seek private care. The bill awaits approval from President Obama.
i
Christian Schmidt/Corbis
Asylum and care The Australian Churches Refugee Taskforce condemned the Australian Government for the treatment of unaccompanied children seeking asylum and refuge. The report criticised medical care provided as inadequate and called for appointment of an independent guardian for all children. Chairman of the taskforce Dean Peter Catt said ignoring evidence was tantamount to “state-sanctioned child abuse”.
HIV in China The number of newly diagnosed cases of HIV in people aged 60 years or older in Beijing is on the rise. Statistics from the city’s Health and Family Planning Commission show an increase to 48 cases by the end of June this year compared with only 17 cases in 2007. The burden falls largely in men.
www.thelancet.com Vol 384 August 9, 2014
Wellcome genomics The Wellcome Trust has committed £27 million for a new genome-sequencing facility for Genomics England and Sanger Institute in the UK. The investment is to help a government-initiated project to decipher 100 000 complete genetic codes and to bring the benefits of genomic medicine to patients in the UK’s National Health Service.
Head-injury settlement On July 29, the US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) reached a settlement of US$70 million in a class-action head-injury lawsuit brought by former college athletes. The money will provide testing for brain trauma in current and former college athletes who sustained head injuries during matches or training.
AIDS-free Zambia? Zambia has been tipped to be one of the first countries to achieve an AIDS-free generation according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The country has increased the provision of antiretroviral treatment to people living with HIV and hope to eliminate any new HIV infections by as soon as next year.
Anti-gay law struck down In the wake of much international pressure, a court in Uganda has struck down the Anti-Homosexuality Act, a punitive law criminalising homosexual behaviour with life in prison. Some fear that the Act could be revived due to the narrow technical grounds on which the decision was made.
Alcohol in Australia In Australia, the highest number of deaths attributable to alcohol in 2010 were caused by injuries in men and by cardiovascular disease in women, according to a report titled Alcohol’s burden of disease in Australia. The burden of such disease was greatest in the Northern Territories. These data could form the basis for future estimates of costs of illness.
Menstrual bleeding The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has published the results of a 4-year audit showing improved treatment for heavy menstrual bleeding. The report described the outcome of 8000 women referred to a gynaecological outpatient clinic by their GP of whom 90% rated their care as good, very good, or excellent.
UN youth day “Youth and Mental Health” will be the theme for the UN International Youth Day on Aug 12. With the slogan “Mental Health Matters”, the aim is to reduce stigma surrounding youth with mental illness and to promote social inclusion. The day will be the culmination of a social media campaign by the UN that began in June.
The ART of medicine The life expectancy of South Africans living with HIV has increased substantially in the past decade, according to a report from the country’s national statistics agency. On average, people in the country now live up to the age of 61·2 years versus 52·2 years 10 years ago. Much of this improvement is thought to be due to the widespread availability of antiretroviral treatment (ART).
For the Lancet News Podcast see http://www.thelancet.com/ lancet-news-audio/ For more on care for Australian refugees see http://www. australianchurchesrefugeetaskforce.com.au/wp-content/ uploads/2014/07/ ProtectingTheLonelyChildren.pdf For more on Alcohol’s burden of disease in Australia see http:// www.vichealth.vic.gov.au/ Publications/Alcohol-Misuse/ Alcohols-burden-of-disease-inAustralia.aspx For more on the menstrual bleeding audit text see http:// www.rcog.org.uk/news/rcogrelease-four-year-national-auditshows-improved-treatmentwomen-heavy-menstrualbleeding-h
Yannick Tylle/Corbis
India landslide A landslide caused by heavy rainfall has almost completely destroyed the village of Malin in Maharashtra, India. 68 people have died, and over 100 more are feared trapped in their houses. Seven teams of rescue workers have been clearing out mud with diggers in an attempt to rescue survivors.
Andrzej Wojcickl/Science Photo Library/Corbis
VA reform bill On July 31, the US Senate passed a bill allotting US$16·3 billion to reform the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) health-care system. The bill provides funding to hire more doctors for VA facilities and for veterans to seek private care. The bill awaits approval from President Obama.
i