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Opinion Piece Examines Efficacy Of Foreign Aid
"President Obama signaled recently a major shift in the way the United States tries to help poor countries," Philip Stevens, policy director at the International Policy Network, writes in a Providence Journal opinion piece, adding, "Whereas the Bush presidency pushed to spend enormous sums on individual high-profile diseases such as AIDS, Obama says he will broaden U.S. aid to improve health more generally." However, Stevens writes that the "$63 billion question remains (for that is the sum proposed by Obama): Is it likely to help improve health over the long term?" He adds, "Because far more people in poor countries die of preventable diseases like pneumonia than AIDS, the plan makes some sense. But, heartless as it seems, health care programs funded by foreign aid rarely if ever live up to the soaring rhetoric with which they are launched by politicians." According to Stevens, "[s]tudy after study shows that health aid makes almost no difference to mortality rates and health outcomes, despite the expenditure of billions." He adds, "In happier economic times, indefinitely financing state health care in Africa may have imparted a warm humanitarian glow to U.S. taxpayers. Now that times are harder, and it is clear such transfers rarely work, maybe it"s time to pare them right back." Stevens writes, "When governments become dependent on foreign s to maintain their activities, it drives a wedge between them and their citizens and allows corrupt and repressive governments to remain in power." It also "discourages governments from enacting the politically difficult reforms needed to promote economic development strengthening the rule of law, establishing property rights and opening markets," Stevens writes, adding, "Without improving prosperity, you can"t improve health care."He concludes, "Fortunately, the recession has accelerated recent declines in foreign aid. Congress still has to approve the funds so it has a chance to end subsidies to corrupt governments and being a new chapter for the world"s poorest people" (Stevens, Providence Journal, 5/17).
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First Cancer Congress Update A Huge Success
The 2009 Cancer Congress Update held at the Park Plaza hotel in central London was hailed a resounding success by clinicians from the worlds of breast, colorectal, lung, prostate and haematological cancer.
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Genetic Factors May Predict Depression In Heart Disease Patients
Individuals with heart disease are twice as likely to suffer from depression as the general population, an association the medical community has largely been unable to explain. Now, a new study by researchers at The Miriam Hospital, in conjunction with The Montrçİal Heart Institute, University of Montrçİal and McGill University, reveals there may be genetic variations that contribute to depression in heart disease patients.
Public Health

Tiller Murder Increases Tension Over 'Common Ground' Approach To Abortion-Rights Debate

The recent murder of Kansas abortion provider George Tiller has increased tensions between groups on both sides of the abortion debate at a time when the White House is advocating a move toward "common ground" on the issue, the Los Angeles Times reports. Tiller, one of the few doctors who performed abortions later in pregnancy, was shot to death in his church on Sunday. According to the Times, some advocates feel that the murder will further complicate the Obama administration"s efforts to find areas for agreement in the abortion-rights debate. Abortion-rights advocate Cristina Page -- an author and blogger who attended initial White House meetings on forming effective reproductive health policies -- called Tiller"s death a "massive setback" to the idea of finding common ground with abortion-rights opponents. She added that it is "sort of like having a family member murdered and then being asked to make nice with the assassin"s family. It"s unnatural." However, some antiabortion-rights groups say that President Obama"s policy moves, such as his proposal to rescind the Bush administration"s provider "conscience" rule, have undercut his calls for compromise. Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of the Susan B. Anthony List, said, "It is very hard to find common ground when none of your policies overlap with the people you are trying to find common ground with."The Obama administration in the coming months plans to continue meetings with advocates on both sides of the abortion debate as it drafts policy proposals aimed at preventing unintended pregnancies and reducing the need for abortion, the Times reports. According to the Times, one area of debate that arose after the first meeting was the White House"s distinction between reducing the need for abortion versus some antiabortion-rights advocates" focus on reducing the number of abortions. After the meeting, Wendy Wright, president of the antiabortion-group Concerned Women for America, blogged that she disagreed with abortion-rights advocates" objections to the phrase "reducing abortions." Page said that Wright seemed to aim to start a fight over words to impede discussion. "We"ve gotten dragged very quickly, by [Wright], back to the same debate that we"ve all suffered through for 36 years," Page said. Nancy Northup, president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, said that the "issue should be reducing the number of unintended pregnancies." Melody Barnes, head of Obama"s Domestic Policy Council, said in an interview in May that the White House"s "goal is to reduce the need for abortions.÷ ... If people have better access to contraception, that"s a way of addressing the issue at its root, rather than do a tally of abortions" (Wallsten/Abcarian, Los Angeles Times, 6/3). Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women"s Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women"s Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company. © 2009 The Advisory Board Company. All rights reserved.


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