Motor and health insurance is likely to cost more from January 1, with the decontrolling of tariffs in non-life insurance. The industry, which is geared to meet the January one deadline for decontrolled tariffs, however, felt the overall premium in the sector is likely to come down as detariffing would inject competition.
Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Medical Examiner’s Office released its annual report on investigated deaths and death trends in 2005. Of the 1,945 deaths investigated by the Medical Examiner, there were 80 homicides, 226 fatal traffic crashes, 602 other kinds of fatal accidents (injuries), 233 suicides and 216 drug/poison deaths.
Interoperability between emergency services’ radio systems and better coverage in rural areas means improved care for patients. A new state-of-the-art radio system is to be installed by all NHS Ambulance Trusts in England beginning in early 2007.
All pregnant women should be offered screening for Down syndrome in their first trimester, according to new practice guidelines to be issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This is applicable to younger pregnant women regardless of their age.
The draft guidance for industry addresses the use of food and feed products derived from clones and their offspring. The guidance is directed at clone producers, livestock breeders, and farmers and ranchers purchasing clones. It provides the agency’s current thinking on use of clones and their offspring in human food or animal feed.
The proposed risk management plan by FDA addresses risks to animal health and potential remaining uncertainties associated with feed and food from animal clones and their offspring.
Auckland health authorities are on high alert for a possible outbreak of infectious hepatitis A after a sick McDonald’s worker handled food at one of Auckland’s busiest restaurants. The worker may have exposed hundreds of customers to the virus during an evening shift at the Greenlane restaurant just over a fortnight ago.
Vietnam health officials has reported first suspected cases of human bird flu in this year. Four members of a family have been hospitalized with symptoms of bird flu.
The presence of a spouse or partner may help reduce the physical effects of psychological stress, according to a recent study published in Psychophysiology. Subjects participated in a test designed to increase stress by irritating the cardiovascular system.
A protein called HIPK2 is essential for the survival of dopamine neurons, the cells lost in Parkinson’s disease, according to a study in mice. The results suggest that the molecular pathway in which the protein functions could be a possible new target for therapy, the study authors say.