BEIJING (AP) - China announced Wednesday new rules that require health care providers to report all cases of a viral illness that has killed 28 children and sickened thousands in outbreaks across the country.\r\nThere have been 15,799 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease this year, the official Xinhua News Agency said, cropping up in areas ranging from the tropical island province of Hainan in the south to Jilin province in the northeast and Yunnan province in the southwest.\r\nThe number and s
May 7 2008 11:28AM CT
(AP) - Disease outbreaks spread by mosquitoes, dirty water and poor sanitation were among the World Health Organization's biggest concerns after a devastating cyclone hit Myanmar, home to one of the world's shoddiest health care systems.\r\nWHO was waiting Tuesday for permission from the country's ruling junta to send in medical teams but demolished infrastructure would likely hamper early efforts, said Vismita Gupta-Smith, spokeswoman for WHO's regional office in New Delhi.\r\n"The communicati
May 6 2008 9:55AM CT
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - More than 200 million children worldwide under age 5 do not get basic health care, leading to nearly 10 million deaths annually from treatable ailments like diarrhea and pneumonia, a U.S.-based charity said Wednesday.\r\nNearly all of the deaths occur in the developing world, with poor children facing twice the risk of dying compared to richer children, according to Save the Children's global report.\r\nSweden, Norway and Iceland top the ranking in terms of well-being
May 6 2008 6:41AM CT
EAGAN, Minn. (AP) - Senate candidate Al Franken wants to talk about jobs, health care and global warming. Republican blogger Michael Brodkorb wants to talk about Franken's failure to pay all his income taxes on time.\r\nGuess what everyone is talking about?\r\nFrom the kitchen table in his tranquil suburban neighborhood, Brodkorb for the last year has used his blog "Minnesota Democrats Exposed" to launch a furious political assault on Franken. He's labeled the former comedian and liberal comment
May 2 2008 10:19AM CT
WASHINGTON (AP) - A bipartisan plan for universal health care coverage would pay for itself and eventually could create modest budget surpluses, according to a congressional report released Thursday.\r\nThe report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office and Joint Committee on Taxation said the health care plan could be fully operational by 2012 and become "budget-neutral" by 2014. That means the plan would bring in as much revenue as it costs to implement.\r\nSen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., one o
May 1 2008 4:58PM CT