The News Review:
- Mums’ health ‘key to saving children’
- Commission recommends federal health takeover
- China death toll from child viral disease rises to 30
- Man Routes 100-Mile Run Securing Health Care for Inner-City Children
Mums’ health ‘key to saving children’
Gulf Daily News – May 8, 2008
“But in poor countries, where there is little access to skilled health workers, it is typically tragic. Every woman in the 10 worst countries is likely to suffer the unbearable loss of a child in her lifetime. ”
The gap in availability of maternal and child health services is especially striking when comparing Sweden, at the top of the list, and Niger, at the bottom, added Mr MacCormack. Skilled health personnel are present at virtually every birth in Sweden, while only 33 per cent of births are attended in Niger.
Commission recommends federal health takeover
The Australian – May 8, 2008
The Prime Minister appointed the commission in February to deliver on his central election promise of ending "the blame game" between the two levels of government over health services. In its report the commission, led by Christine Bennett, chief medical officer for private insurer MBF, responds to Mr Rudd’s call for ideas that can be fed into ongoing negotiations between the commonwealth and the states for a new five-year funding agreement. It recommends that states retain their responsibility for public hospitals, in-hospital mental health and maternal and child health, while the commonwealth runs primary care through the Medicare system as well as indigenous health. But it calls for the commonwealth to broaden its public health role to take in allied health care. "This would involve moving beyond general practice to allied health, district nursing, community mental health services and community health services for example," the report says. "The commonwealth is best-placed to take the lead and be accountable for all primary health care services. "
The report also proposes both levels of government agree to accept a clear division of responsibilities upon which they can be judged against agreed benchmarks.
China death toll from child viral disease rises to 30
International Herald Tribune – May 8, 2008
It said the two children tested positive for enterovirus 71, a virus that can cause a severe form of the disease, a common childhood ailment that typically causes little more than a fever and rash. Xinhua said late Wednesday that the number of reported cases of hand, foot and mouth has jumped to 19,962, A day earlier, the number of infections was 15,799, cropping up in areas ranging from Guangdong province in the south to Jilin province in the northeast and Anhui province in the country's heartland. Health experts have said they expect the number of cases to rise as a result of an order issued this week by the Ministry of Health requiring health care providers to report infections within 24 hours.
Man Routes 100-Mile Run Securing Health Care for Inner-City Children
Earthtimes – May 8, 2008
Now, four years and four marathons later, Harper has raised the stakes. On May 15, he will run 100 miles in 24 hours, starting in El Dorado Hills, through Folsom, around Sacramento and ending at the inner-city school near downtown Sacramento. Harper calls it The Extra Mile Run and believes that it will raise the awareness and finances needed to provide every uninsured child adequate health care. Principal Lewis believes a healthy child learns better: "A child’s health and wholeness is critical to assure long-term learning. "Harper will ask businesses, individuals, pediatricians, dentists and health care providers to provide assistance in securing basic health care services and enrollment in health care programs. Along the run, media personalities, community leaders, even Harper’s nine-year-old daughter will run a segment of the route. Harper has asked Cole, his original running partner, and Lewis to run the last ten miles, finishing the 100th mile on Oak Ridge’s campus.
