The News Review:
- Health checks failing to close the gap
- One-off child health checks not enough: research
- Health Tip: If Your Child is Having Surgery
- HealthNet TPO Programme Managers in Cambodia and local counterparts
- Daily Times – Leading News Resource of Pakistan
- Easing access to care for kids cost-effective
- Doctors fear a measles return
Health checks failing to close the gap
The Australian – May 19, 2008
The records show that 35 per cent of children in the remote NT communities were failing to thrive, compared with only 6per cent in NSW and WA children. Chronic ear disease, anaemia and chronic respiratory disease were also far higher in the NT. Compulsory child health checks were introduced last June as part of the Howard government’s emergency intervention into 73 NT remote communities, but these checks were based on a regime rolled out across Australia in mid-2006. Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance of the Northern Territory executive officer John Paterson said the study indicated that social problems of violence, alcohol and drug misuse, overcrowded housing and youth suicide were not being dealt with under the NT emergency intervention. "Health and social problems are closely interrelated and until they are treated as such, and integrated and funded appropriately, we’ll always be battling to close the gap on Aboriginal disadvantage," he said. Three-year-old Harry Marranya from Daly River, 220km southwest of Darwin, received a health check from visiting doctors this year as part of the intervention. His mother, Bernadette Marranya, said Harry was found to be healthy and had been receiving regular checks at the community’s clinic since he was a baby.
One-off child health checks not enough: research
abc.net.au – May 19, 2008
The research by the Darwin-based Menzies School of Health looked at the intervention’s delivery of child health services in the Northern Territory. Researcher Jonathan Carapetis says initial medical checks might successfully identify a problem, but more needs to be done. “You need to have a program in place to deal with that problem in the longer term,” he said. “So the idea of flying a whole team in undertaking health checks and then just having a once-off simple follow up for kids with ear infections and kids with teeth problems which is the current major plan is not enough. ”
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Health Tip: If Your Child is Having Surgery
Washington Post – May 19, 2008
The Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital offers these suggestions:Find out as much as you can about the surgery, so you can answer the child’s questions and reply with the right information. Be honest when answering questions, but make sure your responses are appropriate for the child’s age. Read books with your child about preparing for a trip to the hospital. Take a tour of the hospital, including areas where the child will be. If your child is old enough and mature enough to make a choice, let the child make it. © 2008 Scout News LLC. All rights reserved.
HealthNet TPO Programme Managers in Cambodia and local counterparts
Reuters AlertNet – May 19, 2008
THE MONDULKIRI PROVINCE
Mondulkiri Province is located in the North-East of Cambodia, in a remote corner of the country. The province is inhabited by about 40,000 people, 80% of whom belong to indigenous minorities (the Phnong). The population is vulnerable to health hazards, in particular with regard to reproductive and mother and child health. The main reason of the vulnerability of the population is poverty (mainly due to low food production), lack of access to safe drinking water, lack of access to public health services due to long distances, bad roads and uninformed health seeking behaviour. Cultural factors also play a role, given that senior staff in the public health facilities belong to the Khmer group, who may have a limited understanding of the traditional treatment methods of the indigenous Phnong. The project aims to contribute to improved health status of the vulnerable population of Mondulkiri Province. The project purpose is utilisation and coverage of the public health services.
Daily Times – Leading News Resource of Pakistan
Daily Times – May 19, 2008
A large number of students from various educational institutes, teachers and doctors took part in the walk. Health Secretary Syed Anwar Mehmood led the walk. The participants carried banners displaying slogans for eradication of polio, Aids, TB, malaria, hepatitis and child health. A number of singers performed on the occasion and asked the government to adopt preventive measures to avoid diseases. Consumers’ Rights Commission of Pakistan (CRCP) organised a discussion programme to mark the day and drew attention towards the state of potable water in hospitals. The speakers expressed concern over the quality of water being supplied to hospitals. The CRCP representative said filtration plants had not been installed in most of the hospitals.
Easing access to care for kids cost-effective
Rocky Mountain News – May 19, 2008
byline –> Monday, May 19, 2008 Nearly 160,000 Colorado children do not have health insurance. Two-thirds of these children are currently eligible for coverage through Medicaid and the Child Health Plan Plus (CHP+) but remain unenrolled. For these children to obtain coverage, Colorado must simplify and streamline the current eligibility system. There are too many barriers for children to access coverage. The current process is too confusing and complicated to navigate. For the remaining uninsured children, we must expand opportunities to obtain health-care coverage.
Doctors fear a measles return
Colorado Springs Gazette – May 19, 2008
Ironically, though, the rarity of such diseases is why some parents don’t get their children immunized. Doctors say the recent spike in cases illustrates what they’ve long preached about childhood shots: The diseases haven’t gone away, and it’s the immunizations that keep them contained. “I’m worried about our measles immunization rate,” said Dr. Robert Brayden, a pediatrician at the Child Health Clinic at The Children’s Hospital in Aurora and head of the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition. “When our rate falls, we can be virtually guaranteed that we will have measles re-enter our population. It is worldwide, extremely contagious, and it is just a plane ride away. ” The cases this year reflect that.
