While the Supreme Court's ruling last week on same-sex marriage was a victory for gay rights, it could lead to some fallout when it comes to benefits for both gay and heterosexual couples.

Domestic-partner benefits may decline as employers reassess their human-resources (HR) plans following the ruling, according to Aon Hewitt, which estimates that 77 percent of employers currently offer same-sex domestic partner health care coverage. Many employers extended these benefits because gay couples often didn't have the right to marry, but now that marriage is legal for them nationwide, HR experts say some of those companies may drop domestic partner benefits.

Even before the Supreme Court made its ruling, some companies were already tweaking their benefits, given that 37 states and the District of Columbia had legalized gay marriage. Verizon (VZ) and Delta Air Lines (DAL) were among those that gave ultimatums to their employees: Get hitched, or lose your partner's health care coverage.

Verizon gave same-sex couples in states where it was legal six months to get married, or else forfeit the benefits. The company said its reasoning was to level the playing field for both gay and straight couples.

Domestic same-sex partner benefits were created "to equalize benefits for spouses and same-sex couples who couldn't get married," said J.D. Piro, senior vice president and national practice leader in the Aon Hewitt Health Law Group. "The question is if it's still needed. The answer for every employer will be different."

About 22 percent of companies polled by The Erisa Industry Committee earlier this year said they would drop benefits offered to domestic partners if the Supreme Court ruled in favor of gay marriage. The good news for domestic partners who rely on these benefits is that more than two-thirds of companies said they would keep them if the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage.

Companies most likely to drop health care coverage might be those that offer domestic benefits only to same-sex couples, given that the reason for doing so was to provide benefits to people who weren't legally able to get married, said Lenny Sanicola, senior practice leader at WorldatWork, a nonprofit HR association. Companies that offer benefits to domestic partners, regardless of gender, may be more likely to keep those benefits.

"There are many couples who choose not to get married for various reasons," Sanicola said. "Companies realize there is a lot of talent out there, including people who are in a relationship and committed, but not in a marriage situation."

If a company phases out same-sex domestic partner benefits, couples who aren't prepared to tie the knot still have options, noted Scott Belsky, government relations manager at GoHealth, an online health insurance exchange.

Under the Affordable Care Act, individuals who get dropped from a partner's health insurance plan can enroll through what's called a "qualifying life event," Belsky noted. These events allow individuals to buy health insurance through the state or federally run exchanges outside of the annual enrollment period.

But even before the Supreme Court ruling, some people had moved off their domestic partner's insurance plan in favor of buying an individual plan through Obamacare, Belsky said. "They are often getting tax credits or were finding plans that were cheaper than through" their partner's workplace, he said. "That will be accelerated by the Supreme Court ruling."

Even though gay couples can now get married across the country, other issues are at stake. Some states don't have antidiscrimination laws, so gay couples there may be wary about getting married in case they "out" themselves and suffer negative consequences, such as being denied services or housing, according to the Human Rights Campaign, which is urging employers to maintain their domestic-partner benefits.

"If an LGBT employee is, in effect, 'outed' by being required to obtain a public marriage license in a state that doesn't provide explicit non-discrimination protections, it could place that employee and their family at risk of being denied credit, housing and public accommodation," said HRC legal director Sarah Warbelow in a statement. "These core elements of daily life could be compromised for LGBT families, even in states that might honor their marriage license."

source: http://www.cbsnews.com/

Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim-majority country, is at high risk of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus spreading with at least 1 million of its citizens going to the Middle East for religious trips annually.

The Health Ministry general director for disease control and environmental health, Muhammad Subuh, said on Friday that Indonesia was prone to MERS virus outbreaks because of the high number of Indonesians traveling for hajj pilgrimage and umrah (minor pilgrimage) to Saudi Arabia, where the virus originated.

He said there were 250,000 hajj pilgrims and 750,000 religious travelers travelling to Saudi Arabia every year.

"There is no country as big as Indonesia, whose citizens go in huge number to a MERS-infected country for a long time," he said as quoted by kompas.com.

Hajj and minor pilgrimages require Muslims to stay in Saudi Arabia for at least two weeks.

In 2014, Subuh said two Indonesians were infected by MERS with one of them infected during an umrah trip. Both of them were hospitalized in Saudi Arabia and returned to Indonesia after they recovered.

The head of the Health Ministry's research and development body, Tjandra Yoga Aditama, meanwhile, reminded travelers that MERS virus was still active in its point of origin.

He said there were three new MERS cases in Saudi Arabia, bringing the total to 1,038 people with 459 dead, 573 recovered and six were hospitalized. (ika)(+++)

source at: http://www.thejakartapost.com/

Climate change, if left unchecked, threatens to undermine the last half century of gains in global health. That's the conclusion of a study released Monday by an international commission convened by the Lancet, a prestigious medical journal based in the UK. Declaring it a "medical emergency," the authors argued that the potential impacts of global warming—such as floods, drought, heat stress, catastrophic storms, the spread of disease, and increased food insecurity—pose a "potentially catastrophic risk" to human health.

The report notes that deaths from air pollution and heat waves have been on the rise. In 2010, for example, wildfires in Russia burned 2.7 million acres, doubling the amount of particulate matter in the Moscow region. The pollution, combined with a severe heat wave, contributed to an increase of 11,000 deaths in just one month. (Or consider a more recent example, when nearly 700 people died over three days during a blistering June heat wave in Pakistan.) In some areas, dengue fever and malaria may rise, the study says. Cholera outbreaks can occur during extreme weather, and clean water can become harder to get. The report discusses scenarios in which higher temperatures can lead to food shortages, migration, and even conflict.

The study's authors, however, highlight a potential sliver of good news: Tackling the issue immediately presents "the greatest global health opportunity of the 21st century."

The report is the latest in a series of documents released in the run-up to December's UN climate summit in Paris, when nations from around the world will attempt to finalize a global deal on cutting emissions. Last week, Pope Francis issued a landmark encyclical on climate change, declaring that humans are turning the Earth into "an immense pile of filth" and calling on governments to work together to take climate action. In November, the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned that climate change will result in "severe, widespread, and irreversible impacts." Before that, a group of economists argued that reducing emissions will generate better economic growth than continuing to emit high levels of greenhouse gases.

Confronting climate change—and therefore achieving better public health and a decarbonized global economy—is no longer a technical or economic question, the report states. The primary barrier is political. "Bold political commitment can ensure that the technical expertise, technology, and finance to prevent further significant climate change is readily available, and is not a barrier to action." Here are some of the Lancet commission's policy recommendations that, they say, would help safeguard global health from the impacts of climate change:

• Countries should enact a rapid phase-out of coal from the global energy mix: "Many of the 2200 coal-fired plants currently proposed for construction globally will damage health unless replaced with cleaner energy alternatives," the report states.
• Health care professionals should take a leading role in in responding to the health threat of climate change. As the report notes, health care workers have previously engaged in policy fights involving "powerful entrenched interests," such as the tobacco industry: "A public health perspective has the potential to unite all actors behind a common cause—the health and wellbeing of our families, communities, and countries. These concepts are far more tangible and visceral than tonnes of atmospheric CO2, and are understood and prioritized across all populations irrespective of culture or development status."
• Governments should implement an international agreement to help countries transition to a low-carbon economy. According to the commission, "Whilst the negotiations are very complex, their goals are very simple: agree on ambitious and enforceable global mitigation targets, on adaptation of finance to protect countries' rights to sustainable development, and on the policies and mechanisms that enable these measures."
• Wealthy countries should help poorer nations pursue more sustainable development that addresses key public health issues, including access to safe water and clean air. The study cites research that estimates that reducing carbon emissions could prevent as many as 500,000 premature deaths by 2030.

Here are some graphics from the report, illustrating how climate change affects global public health:

source: http://www.motherjones.com/

Women make up 90% of the world's nurses. EPA/Ahmed Jal- lanzo

The traditional focus on women's health tends to emphasise only their healthcare needs.

But women are important providers – as much as they are recipients – of healthcare in their homes and wider communities.

This involvement is undervalued eco- nomically, politically and culturally.

Data analysed from 32 coun- tries, constituting about 52% of the world's population, and reported in the Lancet Commission on Women and Health, shows that women contribute around US$3 trillion in healthcare annually.

The report is the culmination of three years work and represents an important mile- stone in the consideration of some of the key issues affecting women and their role in society.

Huge economic contribution Women play a vital role in the global healthcare workforce as nurses, midwives, community health workers and doctors.

In some countries 90% of nurses are women. Although they are still less likely than men to reach senior po- sitions in healthcare professions, in some countries (such as the UK), women now predominate in terms of medical school intake.

This does not, however, translate to equality in terms of those who go on to practice medicine once trained, nor equality in pay.

The report also documents the vital role that women play in health- care that goes unpaid.

This includes contributions made by women and children to giving care in the home.

An ageing population, living longer but experiencing chronic diseases, means a larger demand for care, much of which is traditionally pro- vided by women and children.

Such informal care responsi- bilities, while enhancing the care provided to individuals and making significant savings in the formal care sector, can impact caregivers in a number of ways.

As well as affecting their own health, it can also hinder their ability to take up educational, employment and social opportuni- ties.

Valuing the input of unpaid la- bour is certainly not straightforward but the commission undertook de- tailed research to "value the invaluable".

They estimate that women's unpaid contributions equate to 2.35% of global GDP, with a large variation around this depending on assumptions made about wage rates and other factors.

Unpaid caregivers are predom- inantly women. shutterstock.com

This worldwide picture is re- flected in the UK, where the infor- mal care sector is dominated by women, with similar effects on their health and employment options.

Just in terms of the ageing popula- tion, the demand for unpaid care is substantial.

In England, about 1.4m older people with disabilities living in their own homes currently receive unpaid care.

Plus there are predic- tions that the demand for this care will rise sharply and a growing "care gap" will emerge in terms of the availability of unpaid carers.

As welfare cuts in both health and social care sectors in many European countries are imple- mented over the next few years, it is likely that these demands will only intensify.

Women's health The report also analyses the health status of women worldwide over the course of their life times.

It focuses on the shifting burden of disease and illustrates that while there have been important advances in priority areas such as maternal and reproductive health, there is still some way to go.

Deaths from communicable diseases and maternal, perinatal and nutritional disorders decreased by about 20% between 2000 and 2013.

But there are still big varia- tions across the world and in the ten most fragile countries (mainly in sub-Saharan Africa) deaths from these largely preventable condi- tions account for two-thirds of the 3m neonatal deaths and 60% of all maternal deaths.

The commission also broadens the focus beyond traditional con- cerns that relate to reproductive health, to consider the entire life- course of women.

It concludes that more attention to chronic disease and non-communicable disease is required as conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke, cancer, diabetes and mental health disorders are now the leading causes of death and disability for women in almost all countries.

The position of women in society has a major impact on their ac- cess to healthcare and chances of avoiding or managing this health conditions.

Why women?

It is worth noting that choosing to focus specifically on gender to cat- egorise health status is not univer- sally accepted as the best analytical approach.

Particularly by those who see the complex interplay between a range of determining factors (such as socioeconomic status, race, geog- raphy) as being far more important for an in-depth understanding of health and health inequalities.

The authors recognise this issue in part by referring to policies that have improved overall healthcare.

But they contend that the shift- ing demographic, social, political and environmental arena presents specific and complex challenges to women which require targeted rather than general measures.

For instance, by ensuring that the po- litical and cultural barriers to ac- cessing healthcare by women are recognised.

Empowering women through education has important health benefits. EPA/Jalil Rezayee

The commission also makes suggestions for acting on their find- ings.

Their solutions look at the role of women more broadly in society.

They also suggest specific policies to address education, access to health- care, workforce and remuneration policies, as well as changes to the way in which statistics and research studies account for women.

It seems very appropriate that rather than focusing only on things that can be done for women, there is a need to empower them.

In recog- nition of the huge amount women contribute towards care giving, it makes sense that women who themselves are healthy contribute to a "virtuous circle" of health.

The authors make the case that those who experience gender equal- ity and are valued in their societies, are best placed to make a substantial contribution to their own health and well-being, as well as that of their communities.

As Kofi Annan once said: When women thrive, all of soci- ety benefits, and succeeding genera- tions are given a better start in life. Goddard is Professor of Health Economics at University of York

source: http://businessdayonline.com/

BANGKOK - A total of 175 people were exposed to Thailand's only case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and the patient's condition has improved, the health ministry said on Saturday.

In a statement, the ministry said it had been in touch with all 175 and had instructed them to stay away from public spaces and for medical personnel to monitor their health.

Also on Saturday, South Korea's health ministry said that no new cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) had been recorded, the first time in 16 days, and there were no more deaths.

The deadly disease, which was first identified in Saudi Arabia, has killed 24 people and infected 166 people in South Korea since it was detected there last month.

On Friday, Thai health minister Rajata Rajatanavin told reporters the chances of a MERS outbreak in Thailand like the one in South Korea were low.

"Health authorities were able to isolate the patient very quickly before he could travel any further and infect others. The patient spent most of his time in hospitals," said Rajata.

The virus was first detected in Thailand in a 75-year-old man from Oman who traveled to Bangkok for treatment of a heart condition.

On Thursday, the man was moved from Bumrungrad International Hospital to an infectious diseases facility.

Three relatives of the man are also being kept in isolation rooms at the institute and had tested negative for the virus, Surachet Satiniramai, acting permanent secretary at the health ministry, said on Saturday.

"The condition of the MERS patient is better overall," he said. "The chest x-rays show improvement and he can eat soft food." .

Thai authorities have said it had taken nearly four days to confirm the illness.

Doctors at Bumrungrad Hospital said on Friday that it quarantined 58 staff members but that there was no sign of panic and no patients at the hospital had asked for transfer to other facilities.

MERS was first identified in humans in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and the majority of cases have been in the Middle East. Isolated cases have cropped up in Asia before South Korea's outbreak.

source: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/

The rise in diabetes around the globe is one of the greatest health catastrophes the world has seen, with more than 382 million people now affected by the condition, according to a report.

The condition, which causes heart disease, stroke, blindness and death, has imposed an immense burden on health systems and national economies, and currently absorbs about 11 per cent of global health spending, it said.

According to the International Diabetes Foundation, the countries with the highest growth in diabetes prevalence will be the UAE, Oman and Qatar between 2013 and 2035.

The rates in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region as a whole will increase 96.2 per cent by 2035, it said.

The World Innovation Summit for Health (WISH), a global initiative of Qatar Foundation for education, science and community development (QF), has partnered with the Parliamentarians for Diabetes Global Network (PDGN), a major advocacy programme of the IDF, to present its diabetes report to Parliamentarians in Australia and elevate the diabetes debate on the national policy agenda.

WISH inspires and diffuses healthcare innovation and best practice, remaining closely aligned to the vision and mission of Qatar Foundation to unlock human potential and serve to underscore Qatar's pioneering role as an emerging centre for healthcare innovation.

The report, 'Rising To The Challenge: Preventing and Managing Type 2 Diabetes', revealed that Type 2 Diabetes is set to affect an estimated 10 per cent of the world's adult population (nearly 600 million people) by 2035 and calls on policymakers around the world to act to prevent the alarming rise in prevalence rates.

The report was distributed to all members of parliament in Australia to further raise the profile of the condition and inspire stakeholders to action.

Ken Wyatt AM MP, chair of the Parliamentary Diabetes Support Group, said: "Diabetes is fast becoming a worldwide epidemic and it is our role to raise awareness about the seriousness of the issue, promote prevention and early detection, and advocate for ways to improve care, support and management of diabetes.

"The WISH report puts a spotlight on this devastating illness and we are delighted to be working closely with WISH to help stem the tide of diabetes in Australia and beyond."

The report was published by the WISH Diabetes Research Forum, chaired by Stephen Colagiuri, professor of Metabolic Health and director of Boden Institute at the University of Sydney, at the second WISH summit, which took place in February in Qatar.

The summit brought together more than 1200 healthcare leaders and policymakers from 90 countries.

Professor The Lord Darzi of Denham, executive chair of WISH and director of the Institute of Global Health Innovation at Imperial College of London, said: "Combatting rising rates of diabetes should be a worldwide priority. Often, the impact of diabetes, alongside other chronic conditions, is underestimated. We must act now to prevent the disease before it becomes unmanageable for future generations.

"I am delighted that Parliamentarians in Australia will be reviewing our report to consider its policy recommendations, which we hope will enhance the debate and inform action on the diabetes pandemic for the benefit of populations everywhere." - TradeArabia News Service

source: http://www.tradearabia.com/

No travel bans are needed to contain a South Korean outbreak of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, the World Health Organization said Wednesday.

The organization's Emergency Committee said the outbreak is generally under control thanks largely to government efforts to trace potential contacts from initial infections. However, the outbreak that has killed 19 people and sickened 162 isn't over.

The outbreak started last month when a Korean flying from Bahrain tested positive. The patient also flew to China.

However, South Korea quickly informed China of the infected traveler, enabling the country to quickly locate and quarantine contacted people.

Not everything is known about how the virus is transmitted, including whether poor ventilation could lead to an infection, WHO said.

While WHO lauded South Korea on parts of its response, the UN agency called the outbreak a "wakeup call" and that in a highly mobile world all countries need to be prepared for similar outbreaks.

source: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/

The Dengue Tribe campaign was launched today on the sidelines of the annual ASEAN Dengue Day as regional health leaders, experts and ASEAN officials meet to address the growing public health, social and economic burden of dengue. Hosted by Laos this year, the ten member countries of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) participated in the annual ASEAN Dengue Day.

With 1.3 billion people living in Southeast Asia at risk of getting the disease, the region continues to demonstrate its commitment to combatting dengue by raising awareness, promoting cooperation, and reinforcing prevention strategies.

The newly established Dengue Tribe campaign aims to collect the faces and voices of individuals and communities globally and in the ASEAN region who are impacted by the disease, to help make it a public health priority by raising awareness of the disease through community engagement.

Each year, 390 million children, women, and men in over one hundred countries are infected with this vector-borne disease. According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the direct and indirect costs of dengue on the patients and their families can represent double, up to triple their monthly income[i], and cause an absence of 14 to 19 days from work or school. Up to 2.5 billion people in the world, including most of Africa, Latin America, and Asia Pacific, as well as the United States and several countries in Europe, live with the threat of the disease and its potential impact on their families and lives. The cost of dengue in the Americas alone is 2.1 billion US dollars annually. In Southeast Asia, it could be as high as 2.36 billion US dollars[ii].

The Break Dengue initiative, its partners, and supporters, are calling on citizens to join the dengue Tribe www.denguetribe.org. Members of the tribe will take several actions to report on the local concern that represents dengue, telling global leaders to "Free our Tribe from Dengue!"

source: http://www.thehansindia.com/