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Michigan Report Shows Decline In Teen Pregnancy, Improvement In Prenatal Care
Michigan from 1992 to 2007 experienced improvements in rates of teenage pregnancies, smoking among pregnant women, and six other indicators of maternal and infant health, though there was an increase in out-of-wedlock births and low-birthweight infants, according to a Michigan League for Human Services report issued Tuesday, the Detroit News reports. The report, titled "Right Start in Michigan," examined statistics in eight categories that affect the health of newborns. The findings track trends for the state as a whole and for its 83 counties and 69 communities with populations greater than 25,000 (Jun, Detroit News, 6/30). According to the report, teen births and repeat births decreased by more than 25% statewide (AP/9and10news.com, 6/30). The decline in teen births was more pronounced in urban areas (Lavey, Lansing State Journal, 6/30). The report also found that the rate of women who received no or late prenatal care dropped by 15%, while the rate of premature births declined by 9%. In addition, smoking by pregnant women decreased by more than one-third. However, out-of-wedlock births increased by 10%, and the percentage of low-birthweight infants rose by 10% (AP/9and10news.com, 6/30).State budget cuts are expected to affect assistance programs for teen and low-income women with children, according to the Lansing State Journal. Marcus Cheatham, assistant deputy health officer for Ingham County, Mich., said, "I"m really worried that we"re going to lose the gains we"ve made in this state" (Lansing State Journal, 6/30).
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Declaration Of H1N1 Pandemic To Accelerate H1N1 Vaccine Production
The WHO"s decision Thursday to declare H1N1 (swine) flu a pandemic will "speed the production of a vaccine against the new virus," however scientists continue to caution that "it will be fall at the earliest before the first doses are available," the Los Angeles Times reports.
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Leading Health Organizations Launch New Accreditation Process For Laboratories Across Africa
Government health officials from 13 African countries today launched the first-ever push for accreditation of the continent"s medical laboratories, starting a process that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Government believe will be an historic step to strengthen health systems and lead to better care for patients.
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'Impossible' For Pakistan To Achieve Maternal, Infant MDGs, Doctors Say

Doctors at a seminar at Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) in Karachi, Pakistan, on Monday said that at the current rate, it will be impossible for Pakistan to achieve the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) related to child mortality and maternal health by 2015, the International News reports. The maternal mortality rate is 276 deaths per 100,000 live births, while the infant mortality rate is 78 deaths per 1,000 births. Senior physicians said that a lack of maternal healthcare services and education, as well as poor performance by doctors at most public hospitals and basic health units show a lack of commitment from the government to achieve the targets, the International News writes. Subhana Tayyab, chairperson of the Department of Gynaecology at DUHS, said the survey found that contraceptive prevalence in rural areas stood at 24 percent compared with 41 percent in urban areas between 2006 and 2007. According to the study, 65 percent of births in urban areas take place at home, 24 percent in private facilities and 11 percent in public hospitals. Inkisar Ali, chairperson of the Department of Paediatrics at DUHS, said "every fifth child in the country (below the age of five years) dies either due to malnutrition or diseases like measles and polio," adding that the overall routine immunization coverage decreased during the past few years after the government started focusing on the polio immunization program. Pakistan Medical Association Secretary General Samrina Hashmi said statistics from the study related to maternal and child health project will be included in the medical curriculum at government medical colleges across the country. "It is essential that medical students are updated about such studies and are mindful of the health issues women are faced with, which will help them during their practice," she said (6/30). This information was reprinted from globalhealth.kff.org with kind permission from the Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Global Health Policy Report, search the archives and sign up for email delivery at globalhealth.kff.org. © Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.


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