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Study Advises Chinese Government To Change Fuel In Millions Of Households
Scientists in China are recommending that the Chinese government consider phasing out the direct burning of traditional chunks of coal in millions of households. It suggests that the government substitute coal briquettes and improved stoves for cooking and heating to help reduce the country"s high air pollution levels. The recommendation stems from one of the first scientific studies showing that this approach is effective in improving air quality, including a 98 percent reduction in air pollution from tiny, inhalable particles of coal soot. Their study is scheduled for the July 15 issue of ACS" Environmental Science & Technology, a semi-monthly journal.

Psychiatrists Begin Revising Diagnostic Manual For Mental Illnesses
Over the next 18 months, psychiatrists will revise the American Psychiatric Association"s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is used to determine how U.S. residents" mental health is assessed, diagnosed and treated, the Los Angeles Times reports. Since the manual was last updated in 1994, technologies such as brain imaging and new understandings of the biological and genetic causes of many disorders have "almost guaranteed alterations" in the number of mental disorders included in fifth DSM volume, which is scheduled to be published in 2012, the Times reports.While some psychiatrists argue the manual should be broad enough to determine treatment for those who need it, others are concerned that if too broad, the manual will diagnose conditions that would otherwise be considered normal human behavior. David Kupfer, a psychiatrist at the University of Pittsburgh"s Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinics and chair of the DSM-V task force, said the DSM-V will recognize variations of disorders that have not been seen as part of "classic" illnesses, and will describe disorders in more detail, including how they differ based on race, gender, age, physical health and culture. Health insurance companies use the manual to determine coverage options for certain treatments.People involved in the revisions said the manual will be a better reflection of mental conditions of "real" people, rather than just those with the most severe cases of disorders or obvious diagnoses, the Times reports (Roan, Los Angeles Times, 5/26).
News of the day
Rates Of Sexually Transmitted Infections In Allegheny County, Pa., Disproportionately High Among Blacks, Officials Say
Health officials in Allegheny County, Pa., on Wednesday held a sexually transmitted infection diversity conference to discuss the disproportionately higher STI rates among blacks and strategies to reduce them, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports. Blacks comprise 13.5% of the Allegheny County population. According to the Post-Gazette, last year in Allegheny County blacks were involved in:
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CQ Examines House Foreign Affairs Committee Outline To Overhaul U.S. Foreign Aid

Congressional Quarterly examines a "three-page concept paper" issued by the House Foreign Affairs Committee that lays out a plan to overhaul U.S. foreign aid. The committee suggests "giving the administration greater flexibility to control aid in exchange for greater public oversight and a performance- and need-driven allocation system," the news service writes. "The plan would reorganize aid programs around seven purposes, including "reducing poverty and alleviating human suffering," "supporting human rights and democracy," and "expanding prosperity through trade and investment,"" according to CQ. The House committee wants to enhance USAID"s role, "giving the agency a seat on the National Security Council and putting it in charge of the U.S. global AIDS plan and the Millennium Challenge Corporation," the news service writes. Reforming U.S. foreign aid is a "top legislative priority" for Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Rep. Howard Berman (D-Calif.), who earlier this year introduced a bill "to require the administration to put together a development strategy, which he called a "down payment" on greater change," CQ reports. Last week, Senate Foreign Relations Chair John Kerry (D-Mass.) introduced bipartisan legislation "to beef up" USAID, "also intended as a first step toward an overhaul," writes CQ. The story includes reaction to the House committee"s concept paper from Capitol Hill and foriegn aid experts (Graham-Silverman, 8/3). 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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