Reuters - Health Report

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Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Trump administration vastly expands global anti-abortion policy

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Trump administration said on Monday it was vastly expanding the scope of a policy blocking U.S. assistance to foreign groups that perform or provide information about abortions, a move critics say will hinder women's access to critical care.

New York county sues Purdue, J&J over opioid marketing

(Reuters) - A county in New York state has sued Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson and other drugmakers, accusing them of engaging in fraudulent marketing that played down the risks of prescription opioid painkillers, leading to a drug epidemic.

Cholera death toll in Yemen reaches at least 180: Red Cross

ADEN/DUBAI (Reuters) - Cholera has killed at least 180 people in Yemen in recent weeks, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) said on Monday, a day after authorities declared a state of emergency in the capital Sanaa and called for international help.

Ceaseless Middle East wars forcing change in approach to medical care

BEIRUT (Reuters) - The Middle East's protracted conflicts have caused a region-wide health crisis that goes beyond war wounds to heightened resistance to antibiotics and a collapse in vaccination drives, leading to a resurgence of diseases tamed in peacetime.

Workers say Wal-Mart discriminated against thousands of pregnant women

(Reuters) - Two former Wal-Mart Stores Inc employees have filed a lawsuit accusing the retailer of treating thousands of pregnant workers as “second-class citizens” by rejecting their requests to limit heavy lifting, climbing on ladders and other potentially dangerous tasks.

Many U.S. travelers don’t get recommended measles vaccine

(Reuters Health) - More than half of U.S. adults who should get vaccinated against measles before traveling abroad don’t do it, a new study suggests.

Does the weather influence women's risk for pregnancy diabetes?

(Reuters Health) - Yet another reason to worry about global warming may be an increase in the number of women who develop diabetes during pregnancy, suggests a new study that found seasonal higher temperatures are tied to an increased risk for what's known as gestational diabetes.

Segregated neighborhoods may influence blood pressure

(Reuters Health) - African-Americans who move from segregated neighborhoods to more racially diverse communities might experience improvements in their blood pressure, a U.S. study suggests.

How AstraZeneca cancer drug forecasts are set to rise

LONDON (Reuters) - Sales forecasts for AstraZeneca's all-important new cancer immunotherapy drug Imfinzi are set to rise after the drugmaker received an unexpectedly early boost for the medicine in lung cancer last week. [nL8N1IE19S]

Siemens sees first results of ultrasound turnaround

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Siemens is seeing the first signs of success from a turnaround of its underperforming medical ultrasound business, the chief executive of Siemens Healthineers said on Monday.