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Genetic Immunity, InPlay: Company To Present At Phacilitate's 8th Annual European Vaccine Forum
Power of the Dream Ventures, Inc. (OTCBB: PWRV), Hungary"s premier technology acquisition and development company, is pleased to present this Genetic Immunity release, based on a previously announced agreement whereby Power of the Dream Ventures will issue communications for Genetic Immunity on an ongoing basis.
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Officials Concerned About Potential Disease Outbreaks Among Displaced Pakistanis; Obama Requests More U.S. Aid Money
U.N. officials on Thursday expressed growing concern about potential disease outbreaks among the two million displaced Pakistanis and warned that aid money is running out, AFP/Yahoo! News reports (AFP/Yahoo! News, 6/4). According to the U.N., more than two million Pakistanis have been driven from their homes in the past month because of a government-led offensive against the Taliban, "in addition to the 400,000 already displaced in fighting last year," Environment News Service reports (ENS, 6/4).
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Rep. Stupak Signals Willingness To Compromise On Abortion Coverage In Health Reform Legislation
Rep. Bart Stupak (D-Mich.) on Monday said that he and House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) are negotiating to resolve the concerns of antiabortion-rights Democrats who want to exclude abortion coverage from the House health reform bill (HR 3200), Dow Jones reports. Stupak said that the compromise would affect how state abortion laws are handled under the bill (Yoest, Dow Jones, 7/20.). According to the AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Stupak did not give details on the negotiations, and aides said that no final deal has been reached (Werner, AP/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 7/21).Stupak said that he and Waxman"s staff discussed the compromise over the weekend. According to Stupak, a compromise could be voted on this week as an amendment during the committee"s markup of the bill. According to Dow Jones, Stupak holds a key vote on the health bill, which faces opposition from some other conservative Democrats on the panel over costs. His comments on Monday suggest "an easing of tensions" between antiabortion-right Democrats and supporters of the bill, Dow Jones reports. Stupak and 19 other House Democrats last week sent a letter to party leaders stating that they "cannot support a health care reform proposal unless it explicitly excludes abortion from the scope of any government-defined or subsidized health plan." They also stated that they want to ensure that a health benefits advisory council created under the bill "cannot recommend abortion services be included under covered benefits or as part of a benefits package." The advisory council would make recommendations to the HHS secretary, who would make final determinations on what public and private plans would be required to cover in a health insurance exchange. Stupak said that the two sides are "working in good faith" and that other members of the committee should not push their own abortion-related amendments (Dow Jones, 7/20). On Monday, committee voted 20-35 to reject an amendment, offered by Rep. Nathan Deal (R-Ga.), that would have eliminated a provision requiring states to adhere to minimum benefits requirements that employer-sponsored insurance must include. Deal said that states could be required to cover abortion or "out of mainstream" services. Stupak responded, "I hope we"re not going to start using reproductive rights as a red herring on every amendment that comes up." Panel Approves Sex Education AmendmentThe panel voted 33-23 to approve an amendment that would authorize $250 million through 2014 for "evidence-based" sex education programs for teenagers. Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.), who offered the amendment, said that abstinence-only programs would not be excluded if they are proven effective. Following debate on Capps" amendment, Rep. Lee Terry (R-Neb.) offered an amendment that would reauthorize the Title V abstinence-only sex education program. Committee Chair Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said that Title V "has been a failure," adding that 25 states refused to accept the money through the program because it is ineffective. Terry"s amendment was rejected 26-29.The committee also voted 36-23 to adopt an amendment that would provide $150 million in grants through 2014 to state and local governments and not-for-profits for educating residents in "medically underserved" areas on various topics, including sexual behavior (Wayne, CQ Today, 7/21).
Mental Health

THT Hits Target For Chlamydia Testing In Barking & Dagenham, But Must Get A Quarter Of Under 25s Testing By 2010

NHS Barking and Dagenham and HIV and sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) have achieved a national target by encouraging over 17% of under-25s in the region to test for the sexually transmitted infection (STI) chlamydia. To tackle chlamydia in the area, more young people need to come forward for testing and continue testing on a regular basis - the target for 2009/2010 is 25%. To combat increasing rates of undiagnosed chlamydia, the Government established the National Chlamydia Screening Programme (NCSP) in England, setting a yearly national target for young people to come forward for testing. The NCSP is aimed at young people under 25, a group in which approximately one in ten currently has undiagnosed chlamydia. Part of the reason chlamydia is so widespread is that most people with the infection have no symptoms, and it only takes one sexual encounter to pass it on. If left untreated it can lead to serious health problems, including infertility. THT worked closely with NHS Barking and Dagenham to achieve the 2008/2009 target of 17%, using a series of initiatives including focused outreach work at schools, colleges, and youth groups. As a result of the programme, 28% of young people in the region have been encouraged to take a test, and those who tested positive were treated with antibiotics. Adam Wilkinson, THT"s Regional Delivery Manager for London, said: "We"re pleased to have encouraged so many young people in Barking & Dagenham to take a chlamydia test. This is a great start on bringing infection rates down in the region, but we still need more people to come forward if we"re to significantly reduce undiagnosed chlamydia. "A lot of young people assume that taking an STI test is painful or embarrassing, but these days it can all be done through a urine sample, with the results in a week. We hope that, by showing young people how easy it is, they will not only be encouraged to come back for repeat testing each year, but will also encourage their mates to take the test." Dr Justin Varney, Joint Assistant Director of Health Improvement at NHS Barking & Dagenham said: "Chlamydia testing for under 25yr olds is about giving young people access and choice to detect, prevent and treat a sexually transmitted disease which can lead to infertility if not treated. "We hope that by putting testing into places like leisure centres, GP practices and youth centres, we can take some of the stigma out of testing. Getting tested is a positive step young people can take for free to improve their health and protect their futures. We hope that young people take advantage of it." Terrence Higgins Trust


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