THIS ISSUE AVAILABLE ONLINE WITH EXPANDED INFORMATION AND PHOTOS AT:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/newsletter/weekly
IN THIS ISSUE:
1) Secretary Thompson Visits Iraq & Jordan
2) Prevention: HHS Launches Campaign to Prevent Youth Bullying
3) Science in the News
4) Medicare Minute
5) Secretary Thompson's Public Schedule
Secretary Thompson Visits Iraq & Jordan
Secretary Tommy G. Thompson said the United States and Iraq are making rapid progress in rebuilding that nation's health care system, which was starved and neglected under Saddam Hussein, when he visited Iraq and Jordan February 27-29 to assess progress in building a health infrastructure and health care system. Under Saddam's reign, antibiotic drugs were scarce, supplies were unavailable, and medical training was stilted. However, with the help of the U.S. and its coalition partners, Iraq is turning the corner and someday hopes to return to a country of medical preeminence in the Middle East.
"I saw the hope of the Iraqi people everywhere I went," Secretary Thompson said. "They know they have a long way to go, but they are happy about the aggressive steps we are taking and are encouraged by the progress. Iraq's families are looking forward to a happier, healthier future now that Saddam is no longer standing the way of quality health care."
Iraq's 2004 budget for health care is $950 million, compared to only $16 million for the Ministry of Health in 2002 under Saddam Hussein, which represented a 90 percent reduction from a decade earlier. Most of the funding for health care is coming from the Iraqi oil sales, with support from other nations, including the United States.
Secretary Thompson visited three hospitals and spoke with health officials, doctors and nurses, and patients to assess the overall needs of the Iraqi health system. One of the primary goals of the new Iraqi Minister of Health Dr. Abbas is to cut the infant mortality rate in half over the next two years. Currently, Iraq has a child mortality rate of 108 per 1,000 live births, compared with 40 out of 1,000 live births in 1989, and about 7 per 1,000 in the U.S.
------------------------------
Prevention: HHS Launches Campaign to Prevent Youth Bullying
Secretary Tommy G. Thompson announced a new campaign this week to educate more Americans about how to prevent bullying and youth violence -- behaviors that can have tremendous negative impact on children's success in school and overall well-being.
"Bullying is something that we cannot ignore," Secretary Thompson said. "From the schoolrooms to the schoolyards, we must nurture a healthy environment for our children. By engaging the entire community in preventing bullying, we can promote a more peaceful and safe place for children to grow."
The campaign -- "Take A Stand. Lend A Hand. Stop Bullying Now!" -- is designed to stop bullying, including verbal or physical harassment that occurs repeatedly over time, that is intended to cause harm, and that involves an imbalance of power between the child who bullies and the child who is bullied.
The campaign was developed by HHS' Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) in partnership with more than 70 health, safety, education and faith-based organizations. In addition, a Youth Expert Panel comprised of 18 9- through 13-year-olds provided creative direction during the development of the campaign.
In addition to the animated "webisodes," which will be updated every two weeks at www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov, the campaign will feature television and radio public service announcements distributed through the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) member stations. The campaign Web site also offers camera-ready print PSAs and a Resource Kit about bullying prevention programs and activities that can be implemented at the school or community level. The Web site and Resource Kit also provide tools to help in handling individual bullying problems and for creating bullying prevention programs.
For more information on "Take A Stand. Lend A Hand. Stop Bullying Now!" go to www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov, or call 1-888-ASK-HRSA.
------------------------------
Science in the News
NIDA Study Finds Alcohol Treatment Medication, Behavioral Therapy Effective for Treating Cocaine Addiction
Results of a study funded by the National Institute on DrugAbuse (NIDA), National Institutes of Health, suggest that disulfiram, a medication used to treat alcohol addiction, is effective in combating cocaine abuse. The researchers also conclude in the same study that combining disulfiram with behavioral therapy provides more positive results in treating cocaine dependence than disulfiram in combination with another form of therapy. The research is published in the March 2004 issue of the "Archives of General Psychiatry".
In the study, 121 cocaine-dependent individuals randomly were assigned to receive disulfiram (also known as Antabuse) or a placebo, in addition to undergoing one of two behavioral therapy interventions. Participants received either cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT) in individual sessions during the 12- week project. Results showed that participants given disulfiram reduced their cocaine use significantly compared with people given placebo. In addition, those who received disulfiram in combination with CBT reduced their cocaine use compared with those who received disulfiram in combination with IPT. Lead investigator Dr. Kathleen Carroll, of Yale University School of Medicine, and her colleagues also report that benefits seen with disulfiram and CBT were most pronounced for people who were not alcohol dependent or who abstained fully from alcohol during therapy.
"About 60 percent of people dependent on cocaine also abuse alcohol, so it was thought you could reduce cocaine abuse by targeting the accompanying codependence on alcohol," says NIDA Director Dr. Nora D. Volkow. "But these results suggest that disulfiram exerts a direct effect on cocaine use, rather than reducing concurrent alcohol use. More research is needed about whether combining disulfiram with CBT provides an even more effective tool for treating cocaine dependence."
The National Institute on Drug Abuse is a component of the National Institutes of Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIDA supports more than 85 percent of the world's research on the health aspects of drug abuse and addiction. The Institute carries out a large variety of programs to ensure the rapid dissemination of research information and its implementation in policy and practice. Fact sheets on the health effects of drugs of abuse and information on NIDA research and other activities can be found on the NIDA home page at http://www.drugabuse.gov.
------------------------------
Medicare Minute
Medicare-approved drug discount cards will be available in June of 2004 to help seniors save on prescription drugs. Medicare will contract with private companies to offer new drug discount cards until a Medicare prescription drug benefit starts in 2006. A discount card with Medicare's seal of approval can help you save 10-25% on prescription drugs.
Voluntary enrollment begins this May, and continues through December 31, 2005.
Medicare Advantage is the new name for Medicare+Choice plans. Medicare Advantage rules and payments are improved to give you more health plan choices and better benefits. Plan choices might have improved already in your area. To find out more, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
------------------------------
Secretary Thompson's Public Schedule:
------------------------------
FOIA¬Privacy ¬Disclaimers¬Accessibility
Last updated: March 8, 2004
United States Department of Health and Human Services
Contact the HHS Newsletter Team.