Below is a summary of current health news.
Social media can be damaging to youth mental health, warns US Surgeon General
Social media can profoundly damage the mental health of adolescents, especially adolescent girls, the U.S. Surgeon General warned in a statement Tuesday and urged tech companies to protect children who are in critical stages of brain development. US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy said that while social media offers some benefits, “there are many indications that social media can also harm children’s well-being.”
WHO has been “overstretching” in response to growing health threats
The rising number of health emergencies around the world, from COVID-19 to cholera, has left the World Health Organization’s response “overloaded”, a senior adviser said on Tuesday. Speaking at the UN agency’s annual meeting, Professor Walid Ammar, chairman of the committee reviewing WHO’s emergency response, said that in the face of ever-increasing demands, funding and staffing gaps are widening.
Abortion pill maker tries to uphold opposition to abortion ban in W.V.A
Lawyers for abortion pill maker GenBioPro Inc on Tuesday called on a West Virginia federal judge to allow them to continue to challenge the state’s near-total abortion ban, saying it was invalid because it conflicted with the federal government’s approval of mifepristone. U.S. District Judge Robert Chambers, at a hearing in Huntington, West Virginia, at times appeared skeptical of the state’s lawyer Jennifer Scragg Karr’s claims that West Virginia had the authority to regulate potentially dangerous drugs beyond what is required by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
UK fills gaps in nursing with international staff amid WHO concerns
The UK hired a record number of international nurses in the last financial year to fill hospital staffing shortages, with as many as 10% from so-called “red list” where health personnel should not be actively recruited. The UK has long recruited foreign workers into the state-owned National Health Service (NHS), and its vote to leave the European Union in 2016 meant that the number of EU workers has fallen sharply in recent years.
Exclusive anti-doping education first, but drug testing in the future of players, says WADA
Players using stimulants may be barred from competition after the World Anti-Doping Agency and the Global Esports Federation said they would work on an education program that could lead to the signing of the WADA Code and open the door to the Olympic Games. WADA told Reuters it was approached by the GEF to develop a health and wellness plan that could alert players who spend hours or even days behind screens to the dangers of performance-enhancing drugs.
The US is asking the court to set aside the ruling against the Travel Masks Directive
On Tuesday, the Department of Justice asked an appeals court panel to overturn an April 2021 ruling that found it unlawful to require masks on airplanes and other transportation during the COVID-19 pandemic, saying the issue is now moot. because the state of emergency in the country was now over. In January, a three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in January heard arguments on a government appeal against a U.S. district court ruling that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not have the legal authority to issue a nationwide travel mask mandate to fight from COVID-19.
Rich nations must do more to fight pandemics – draft WHO treaty
According to the new draft treaty being negotiated at the World Health Organization, richer countries should be asked to become more involved in helping the world deal with pandemics. Countries with greater “capabilities and resources” should bear a “commensurate degree” of responsibility for preparing for and responding to global health threats, a document seen by Reuters on Tuesday suggests.
US proposes new rule to increase transparency of prescription drug costs for Medicaid
The U.S. Department of Health proposed a rule on Tuesday to reduce the cost of prescription drugs for Medicaid for the Poor by increasing transparency about how much these drugs actually cost. The proposed rule would also hold drugmakers accountable for providing appropriate discounts on state Medicaid drug plans.
South Carolina lawmakers pass six-week abortion ban, send it to governor
South Carolina lawmakers on Tuesday passed a ban on most abortions after the fetal heart begins to function, which is about six weeks.
The fiercely contested bill, expected to be signed by Republican Governor Henry McMaster, passed largely along party lines with the notable exception of five members of the state senate who opposed it.
Abbott, other formula makers face FTC collusion investigation – WSJ
The US Federal Trade Commission is investigating whether infant formula makers colluded to bid for attractive state contracts, the Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday.
The FTC said it was investigating whether Abbott Laboratories and other formula makers “engaged in collusion or coordination with any other market participant regarding bidding” for state contracts, the report said, citing documents posted on the FTC website.
(With agency input.)