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Hundreds Gather For California Rally Protesting Proposed Cuts To HIV/AIDS Programs
Hundreds of people gathered at a planned rally on Wednesday at the California State Capitol in Sacramento to protest the proposed $80.1 million in budget cuts to HIV/AIDS programs in the state, which would result in an 80 percent reduction in prevention, testing and counseling programs, as well as significant cuts in programs for people living with HIV, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. According to the Chronicle, the budget plan "faces pushback from the Legislature, where the leaders of both houses have announced their strong opposition," including Sen. Mark Leno (D). At the rally, Leno urged other lawmakers to examine the possible effects of the cuts. Lisa Page, a spokesperson for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R), said the governor understands the consequences of the cuts but the state is facing a $24.3 billion budget deficit and has limited options. She said, "Many of these cuts the governor would never consider except in a worst-case scenario, and this is the worst-case scenario" (Buchanan, San Francisco Chronicle, 6/11).

"What Must EPS Pilot Prove?" Asks NPA
The NPA is asking its members to utilise the new NPA IT forums website to comment on the criteria that should be used to demonstrate that EPS is operationally functional ahead of national roll-out. The NPA believes that EPS must work technically, be business and operationally functional, improve service delivery at pharmacies, and is safe for patients, before full roll-out can be contemplated. The website, http://itforums.npa.co.uk, provides an opportunity for members throughout the UK to voice their opinions on the IT programmes affecting their country or on general IT topics which affect all nations.
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Laboratory Monitoring System Has Unique Functionality
A unique CO2 sensor and a novel approach to user communication via SMS will make the XiltriX® registration, monitoring and alarm system of interest to any laboratory needing to audit the performance of its equipment or the security of stored materials, especially if operating under GLP, GMP or similar norms.
Oncology

Opinion: Governments Must Take 'Concrete Action' To Reduce Maternal Mortality, Morbidity

With the U.N. Human Rights Council"s June session coming up, governments have a "chance to prove that they value women"s lives by taking concrete action" to recognize "preventable maternal death as a violation of women"s rights," Mary Robinson and Alicia Yamin, advisory council members of the International Initiative on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights, write in a Boston Globe opinion piece. In this "critical year" leading up to the U.N. Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) review in 2010, the council has an "historic opportunity in its June session to recognize the need to incorporate human rights into programs and policies designed to combat maternal deaths and encourage international cooperation and assistance in this area," Robinson and Yamin write. Although "we know what is needed to save women"s lives" women are still dying or "left with lifelong, debilitating complications. Moreover, when mothers die, children are at greater risk of dropping out of school, becoming malnourished, and simply not surviving. Not only is maternal mortality and morbidity a global health emergency, but it triggers and aggravates cycles of poverty that cause generations of suffering and despair," Robinson and Yamin write, adding that "saving women"s lives" would cost an estimated additional "$6 billion a year to be on track to achieve" the U.N. MDGs. They write that "poor governments" will not "be blamed for not doing what they cannot do," but asserting that these "preventable deaths are an issue of human rights" highlights the "profound injustice of disparities in maternal deaths" and makes it "more urgent that donor states honor their funding commitments." Robinson and Yamin conclude that the U.S., as a new member of the Human Rights Council, "has the chance to lead the way in promoting a woman"s right to go through pregnancy and childbirth in safety and, just as important, to back up that assertion with adequate funding commitments" (Robinson/Yamin, Boston Globe, 6/4). 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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