THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH EXPANDED INFORMATION AND PHOTOS AT:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/newsletter/weekly
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) Secretary Thompson Travels to Polio-Affected Countries and Pledges U.S. Support For Global Effort To Eliminate Disease By End Of 2004
2) Physicians, Nurses and U.S. Government Release New Foodborne Illness Guide
3) PREVENTION: April is National Donate Life Month
4) Medicare Minute
5) Secretary Thompson's Public Schedule
Secretary Thompson Travels to Polio-Affected Countries and Pledges U.S. Support For Global Effort To Eliminate Disease By End Of 2004
HHS Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced last week that the United States and its global partners are on track to eradicate polio by the end of 2004. Secretary Thompson credited the cooperation between the U.S. government and its global partners for the remarkable progress that has occurred in the fight against polio.
"I believe we can eliminate polio within a matter of months, not years," said Secretary Thompson who traveled to India, Pakistan and Afghanistan last week. "Polio has claimed too many lives and caused too much destruction. It's time we end this scourge forever." He stressed the need for the United States to continue to partner with committed national governments, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children's Fund and Rotary International. Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Dr. Julie Gerberding and Director of the National Institutes of Health Dr. Elias Zerhouni traveled with Secretary Thompson.
"This truly is a global effort," Secretary Thompson said. "The United States is proud to be working toward this noble goal with our public and private partners around the world." Polio cases have declined dramatically since 1988, when countries from around the world came together to establish the goal of complete polio eradication. At that time, wild poliovirus was endemic in more than 125 countries on five continents and paralyzed nearly 1,000 children every day.
Over the last 15 years, polio cases have been reduced by more than 99 percent worldwide, from about 350,000 cases in 1988 to only 784 cases reported in 2003. HHS' CDC is one of the spearheading partners of the Global Polio Eradication Initiative, which is seeking to certify the global eradication of polio.
Polio is a highly contagious infectious disease that can cause debilitating effects including paralysis and death. It is spread person-to-person and primarily affects children. More than 80 percent of all people paralyzed by polio are under five years old.
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Physicians, Nurses and U.S. Government Release New Foodborne Illness Guide
Americans' vulnerability to foodborne illness has been highlighted by large outbreaks over the last two years. To increase awareness, a new educational guide for health care professionals on how to identify and treat foodborne illnesses, as well as consumer tips for patients, was released Wednesday.
"Approximately 76 million Americans suffer from a foodborne illness every year, and 5,000 deaths each year are attributed to foodborne illness," said Cecil B. Wilson, M.D., American Medical Association Trustee. "Health care professionals are the front-line of prevention. Arming physicians with the latest information on foodborne illnesses helps them better diagnose and treat their patients."
The easy to read primer, "Diagnosis and Management of Foodborne Illnesses: A Primer for Physicians and Other Health Care Professionals" contains charts, scenarios and a continuing medical education section and is free to health care professionals. The primer, initially introduced in 2001, contains five new sections on new and re-emerging foodborne illnesses and was written with an emphasis on living in the post 9-11 environment.
"Recent concerns about hepatitis A and norovirus outbreaks have emphasized the need for health professionals to be vigilant for foodborne pathogens, and this need is further emphasized by concerns about intentional contamination of food," said David Acheson, M.D., Director of the Office of Food Safety at FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition. "The new primer will assist physicians and other health care professionals to be aware of what to look for in relation to foodborne disease, whether accidental or deliberate."
More than 75 percent of foodborne illness deaths are caused by just three pathogens: salmonella, listeria and toxoplasma. Information on both salmonella and toxoplasma has been added to the new primer, and the listeria section has been updated. Other new sections are: hepatitis A, norovirus and unexplained illness.
The primer was created though a partnership of the American Medical Association (AMA) and the American Nurses Association (ANA) - American Nurses Foundation (ANF) in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Food Safety Office, the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Health care professionals can request a free copy of the primer by visiting the AMA Web site at www.ama-assn.org/go/foodborne. The consumer tips to food safety are also available at this site.
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PREVENTION: April is National Donate Life Month
In 1954 the first organ transplant was performed when surgeons removed a kidney from one identical twin and placed it in the other twin. In the year 2002, almost 25,000 transplants were performed. "Today, one donor, just one person, can save or enhance up to 50 other lives across America," Secretary Thompson said. "One person truly can make a difference by becoming a donor and giving the precious gift of life."
The percentage of organ donors has steadily increased because of President Bush and Secretary Thompson’s Gift of Life Initiative and HHS' Workplace Partnership for Life campaign. However, the need for organ, tissue, marrow and blood donors continues to increase at an even faster rate. More than 84,000 Americans are waiting for an organ donation. Sixty-eight of those people will receive an organ transplant, but another 18 people will die waiting.
The science, technology and ability to safely transplant organs exist, but people must be willing to donate their organs, sign a donor card and discuss their wishes with their family. Registered organ donors should also encourage their family and friends to become donors.
"As we celebrate National Donate Life Month, I encourage my fellow Americans to learn more about the critical need for organ, tissue, marrow and blood donation," Secretary Thompson said. "I urge you to sign an organ and tissue donor card, be screened for bone marrow donation and donate blood at a local blood drive."
Learn more about organ donation by visiting www.organdonor.gov.
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Medicare Minute
Volunteer counselors and representatives from the State Health Insurance Assistance Programs (SHIPs) and other organizations participated in a CMS conference on Wednesday and Thursday to learn more about the new Medicare law and the Medicare-approved drug discount card program.
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Secretary Thompson's Public Schedule:
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Last updated: April 8, 2004
United States Department of Health and Human Services
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