Topic: US Department of Health and Human Services

CDC Swine flu outbreak a public health emergency

By Terry McMoore | May 1, 2009 |

Swine Flu (Influenza A/H1N1) is rapidly spreading, and has become a item of major concern to public health agencies around the globe. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has declared a public health emergency in the United States. Their response goals are to help reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public to address the challenges posed by this emergency.

Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the outbreak. To assist in this endeavour, the CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) to help coordinate the investigation.

The United States Government has thus far reported 109 laboratory confirmed human cases, including one death in Texas. Mexico has reported 97 confirmed human cases of infection, including seven deaths. The following countries have reported laboratory confirmed cases with no deaths – Austria (1), Canada (19), Germany (3), Israel (2), Netherlands (1), New Zealand (3), Spain (13), Switzerland (1) and the United Kingdom (8).

The World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 5 on April 29, 2009. «Read the rest of this article»

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Proposed HHS regulation could impact accessibility to birth control

By Christine Anne Piesyk | August 1, 2008 |

Sorry, Mr. Bush. Stay out of my bedroom. Keep your nose out of my medicine cabinet.

With six and a half long months left in office, President Bush and his administration, specifically the United States Department of Health and Human Services, still have time to tinker with laws and regulations that that challenge our civil liberties, human rights, and a woman’s right to choose. President Bush may soon have a new and controversial regulatory issue before him, one that flies in the face of existing laws and which does not need Congressional approval to be put in place.

“One of the most troubling aspects of the proposed rules is the overly-broad definition of “abortion.” This definition would allow health-care corporations or individuals to classify many common forms of contraception – including the birth control pill, emergency contraception and IUDs – “abortions” and therefore to refuse to provide contraception to women who need it.”

– Sen. Hillary Clinton and Sen. Patty Murray in a joint letter to HHS

Yes, the abortion/contraception issue is back on the front burner, this time in the form of a HHS draft regulation that essentially redefines “pregnancy” and could impact every single woman in the country seeking contraceptive services. While the HHS draft is still under debate with no timetable for submission or a seal of approval, its opponents suggest that the changes in regulations fall within the ideological scope of the Bush administration.

The potential law/regulation sparks debate to the most minute moment in time: when conception actually occurs, and could place the idea of “contraception” in the category of abortion. At best, the draft proposal could restrict or limit access to birth control for millions of women. The words “barefoot and pregnant” are not that far back in our legislative history. «Read the rest of this article»

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