Rotary International, Gates Foundation, United Kingdom, and Germany pledge critically needed funds and urge donor and endemic country governments to help end crippling childhood disease

Rotary International, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and the British and German governments today committed more than $630 million in new funds to fight polio, a crippling and sometimes fatal disease that still paralyzes children in parts of Africa and Asia and threatens children everywhere. In addition to pledging needed funds, leaders urged additional donors and leaders of countries where polio still exists to join them in aggressive push for eradication.

The Gates Foundation is awarding a $255 million challenge grant to Rotary, which Rotary will match with $100 million raised by its members over the next three years. At the same time, the United Kingdom is giving an additional $150 million (100 million pounds sterling) and Germany is giving an additional $130 million (EUR 100 million), both to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI). Contributions from the U.K. and Germany over the next five years will not count toward Rotary’s match of the Gates Foundation challenge grant.

As a spearheading partner in the initiative, Rotary’s chief role is fundraising, advocacy and mobilizing volunteers. The announcements came during the Rotary International Assembly, the humanitarian service organization’s annual leadership conference.

“Rotarians, government leaders and health professionals have made a phenomenal commitment so polio afflicts only a small number of the world’s children,” said Bill Gates, co-chair of the Gates Foundation. “However, complete elimination of the polio virus is difficult and will continue to be difficult for a number of years. Rotary in particular has inspired my own personal commitment to get deeply involved in achieving eradication.”

In accepting the Gates challenge, Rotary Foundation Chair Jonathan Majiyagbe said the funding partnership will inspire other polio eradication allies, both current and new, to ramp up their support.

“With the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we are on the brink of eradicating one of the most feared diseases in the world,” Majiyagbe said. “This shared commitment of Rotary and the Gates Foundation should encourage governments and nongovernmental organizations to ensure that resources and the will of the world are available to end polio once and for all.”

UK International Development Secretary Douglas Alexander said, “This 100 million pound sterling pledge by the UK Government, combined with the money from our other partners, is a massive boost in the battle to rid the world of the scourge of polio. We have already significantly increased the number of vaccinations for those people most at risk, and there has been real progress in reducing the number of new infections. Now is the time to make the final push to eradicate polio. This investment will ensure future generations in the developing world will no longer have their lives blighted by this crippling disease.”

New funding and government support still required

The polio eradication initiative faces an ongoing funding shortfall that must be closed if eradication is to be achieved. With these new investments, along with contributions received from Canada, Russia, the United States and other donors, the shortfall for 2009-10 is $340 million. The new funding from Germany will further reduce the gap.

“G-8 countries pledged repeatedly to take all necessary steps to eradicate polio,” said Heidemarie Wieczorek-Zeul, German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development. “Germany has contributed significantly to living up to this commitment. We urge other countries to join us in closing the funding gap and ensuring that health workers have the support they need to protect the world’s children from polio.”

Polio has been completely eliminated in the Americas, the Western Pacific and Europe, but the wild polio virus persists in Afghanistan, India, Nigeria, and Pakistan, and imported cases from these countries threaten other developing nations. It is in these four countries that the most serious challenges exist, including vaccine effectiveness (India), low vaccination coverage rates (Nigeria), and access problems due to conflict (Afghanistan and Pakistan). Much depends on the countries themselves. Recent progress in key areas has shown that these challenges can be overcome with sufficient national and sub-national commitment.

Launched in 1988, the GPEI — spearheaded by Rotary, the World Health Organization, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and UNICEF — has reduced the number of polio cases by 99 percent over the past two decades, from more than 350,000 cases in 1988 to an estimated 1,600 in 2008.

The GPEI partners will use the new polio eradication funds to support a range of activities, including:

  • National Immunization Days, when countries aim to immunize every child under five years old with oral polio vaccine
  • Supplemental immunization activities focused on providing extra vaccinations to children in high-risk areas
  • Research into new vaccines and ways to ensure they are available to vulnerable children
  • Surveillance activities to detect cases of polio so that progress can be measured and outbreaks contained

WHO Director-General Dr. Margaret Chan said: “Together with enhanced commitment by the last four endemic countries at all levels, the new funding commitments are precisely what is needed to help the governments in these countries overcome the remaining barriers to reaching every child with polio vaccine.”

“Successfully eradicating polio is crucially important, not just to ensure that no child will ever again be paralyzed by this devastating disease, but also to show that today — in the 21st Century — we can deliver life-saving health interventions to every single child, no matter where they live, and even in the most difficult and challenging environments,” said Dr. Chan, who in 2008 made polio eradication WHO’s top operational priority.

This is the second challenge grant for polio eradication the Gates Foundation has given Rotary. The first came in November 2007, when Rotary agreed to match a $100 million grant dollar-for-dollar.

Rotary clubs worldwide already are hard at work raising the matching funds for what the organization has named Rotary’s $200 Million Challenge. Since the first Gates Foundation challenge grant was announced, Rotary clubs have raised more than $60 million toward the goal. Their enthusiastic commitment was a major reason the second challenge was made and accepted. Rotary also invites the general public to participate by visiting rotary.org/endpolio to learn about polio eradication and contribute to Rotary’s $200 Million Challenge.

For video and still photos go to: www.thenewsmarket.com/rotaryinternational


Survey Finds Employers Split on Impact and Cost of Migraine

  • Author: Health Informer
  • Filed under: Health News
  • Date: Jan 22,2009

Most employers are unsure of how migraine headaches influence the health and productivity of their employees

In a survey of large employers released today by the non-profit Midwest Business Group on Health, 91 percent of respondents recognize that migraine headaches impact productivity, yet most don’t track the costs or seriousness of the problem in their covered populations. And despite the fact that employers rely on their health plans and wellness vendors to help manage worker productivity and costs associated with migraine, they often don’t know how effective these programs are.

The National Headache Foundation (NHF) estimates that U.S. industry loses $50 billion per year due to absenteeism, lost productivity and medical expenses caused by migraine.

“This research is part of an ongoing effort by MBGH to educate our employer members on the importance of early and ongoing screening to prevent and identify health issues that are impacting their covered populations,” said Larry Boress, MBGH president and CEO. “Migraine is a serious, neurological, chronic condition that non-sufferers often view as only stress-related and easily treated. The reality is that it results in lost productivity and causes significant disruptions to migraine sufferers’ work and personal lives.”

Additional survey findings:

  • While 76 percent of responding employers indicated they have not calculated the direct and/or indirect costs of migraine, the impact is considered a more costly and serious problem for employers involved in manufacturing, with 44 percent responding that this is a concern. Forty-seven percent of employers are interested in tools to measure the costs associated with migraine.
  • Most employers offer migraine resources and programs with the majority offering health coaches/nurse lines (38 percent); migraine materials and website information from health plans or vendors (24 percent) and onsite clinics (24 percent). Employers consider the health coaches/nurse lines to provide the most valuable support.

According to the NHF, nearly 30 million Americans — or one in eight workers — suffer from migraine, an illness characterized by a variety of symptoms, including sharp throbbing pain on one or both sides of the head, nausea or vomiting, visual disturbances and sensitivity to noise and light. With the help of a health care provider, migraine headaches can be effectively managed and patients can identify and alleviate their symptoms with an appropriate treatment regimen.

MBGH’s January 2009 survey was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline and was submitted electronically, with 34 employers responding.

Midwest Business Group on Health (www.mbgh.org)

The Midwest Business Group on Health (MBGH) is one of the nation’s leading business groups of private and public employers. MBGH’s 96 members represent over 2 million lives, spending more than $2.5 billion on health care benefits on an annual basis. The nonprofit MBGH offers employers a variety of health benefit educational seminars, networking opportunities, quality and community initiatives, demonstration projects and group purchasing programs. MBGH is a member of the National Business Coalition on Health.


Less invasive and less costly cosmetic procedures on the rise due to quicker recovery time

As unemployment rises in the United States, people are doing all they can to ensure their job security. Thus the cosmetic surgery industry has since seen a significant increase in the less invasive and less costly procedures. These types of procedures are extremely effective but require less downtime and allow the patient to return to work quicker.

“The days of taking two or more weeks off of work in order to have a cosmetic procedure are long gone,” states AACS President Patrick McMenamin, MD. “If most people take that amount of time off in this economic climate, they may return to their job to find that someone has replaced them.”

In addition, cosmetic procedures are becoming an integral part of employees looking their best for jobs. “Any way someone can have a leg up in this job market is a plus. Looking young and feeling young can be a strong component when trying to get or keep a job and that is the reason more people are seeking cosmetic procedures,” says Dr. McMenamin.

Lynn is a patient of Dr. McMenamin’s who went in for a Laser Facelift on December 16th, 2008. She was determined to get back to her job as an RN as quickly as possible and did; she was back at work in three days. “It was a top priority of mine to get an effective procedure that required little to no downtime,” explains Lynn. “Dr. McMenamin recommended the laser facelift, I trust his judgment and in no time I was ready to get back to work feeling and looking younger than ever. In the workplace, I now look less stressed and my job was never in jeopardy due to a lengthy recovery time.”

To speak with Dr. McMenamin and his patient, Lynn, please contact the Academy. Information on choosing a cosmetic surgeon and questions to ask before having cosmetic surgery can be found on the AACS website, at www.cosmeticsurgery.org.

The American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery is a professional medical society whose members are dedicated to patient safety and physician education in cosmetic surgery. Most members of the AACS are dermatologic surgeons, facial plastic surgeons, head and neck surgeons, general surgeons, oral and maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons, or ocular plastic surgeons – all of whom specialize in cosmetic surgery. AACS is an organization that represents all cosmetic surgeons in the American Medical Association through its seat in the AMA House of Delegates.

Source: American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery


But Survey Finds Communication Gap Between Patients and Physicians and Other Barriers Are Making Weight Loss Difficult

Physicians say they are counseling their overweight type 2 diabetes patients to lose weight, but patients say that the message is not getting through, according to a new survey announced today by the Behavioral Diabetes Institute.

Eight in 10 physicians surveyed said that they discuss weight issues with their patients every/almost every visit, yet half as many patients – only four in 10 – report having these discussions with such frequency. In particular, roughly half of overweight patients and a third of obese patients say their physician seldom or never discusses their weight with them.

Almost all of surveyed physicians (85 percent) acknowledge that losing even a little weight can help manage type 2 diabetes. When discussing weight issues with their patients, 90 percent of physicians surveyed report that they tell their overweight patients to lose weight. However, when the surveyed patients were asked whether or not their doctor ever suggested that they lose weight, only 66 percent of them said yes.

“Type 2 diabetes is often associated with obesity. Losing weight can help to improve blood glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol and so much more. But it is notoriously difficult to lose weight and to keep it off and this can be even more difficult for someone with diabetes,” said Founder and Chief Executive Officer of the Behavioral Diabetes Institute William Polonsky, PhD, CDE. “Genetics and our immediate, food-rich environment play large roles in making weight loss tough, but disconnects between physicians and patients can make weight loss efforts even more difficult and frustrating.”

The phone survey conducted by Yankelovich, part of The Futures Company, assessed the behaviors, opinions and attitudes of 703 people with type 2 diabetes and 200 physicians that treat patients with type 2 diabetes. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2008 on the heels of the release of the American Diabetes Association and the European Association for the Study of Diabetes consensus statement placing increased focus on weight management as a treatment consideration in type 2 diabetes care.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 23.6 million people in the United States have diabetes, an increase of more than 3 million in two years. This means that 7.6 percent of the U.S. population has diabetes, mostly type 2 diabetes, which is linked with obesity, improper diet and a lack of exercise. Estimates show that another 57 million people have pre-diabetes, a condition that puts people at increased risk for diabetes. In addition, about two-thirds of US adults–133.6 million–are overweight. Of these, 63.3 million are obese.

The survey also found that when physicians and their type 2 diabetes patients are talking about weight loss, it is not always in specifics. While more than half of patients do report having been referred to a dietitian or diabetes educator, told to eliminate certain foods from their diet and receiving literature about weight loss, only 27 percent of patients say their physician prescribed specific recommendations for exercise and less than 20 percent say their physician suggested a commercial diet plan such as Weight Watchers. And, even though more than half of the physicians said their patients understand that diabetes medications can cause weight gain, only 34 percent of surveyed patients report being warned by their physician that this could occur.

In addition to the communication gap, the survey found a number of other barriers impacting physicians’ and patients’ abilities to properly manage weight as part of diabetes treatments.

  • Physicians see patients’ reluctance to change lifestyle as the biggest barrier to achieving the level of care they would like for their patients.
  • While some physicians say that their patients don’t try hard enough to lose weight, they also recognize that willpower alone is not enough. However, nearly half of surveyed patients (46 percent) believe that losing weight is mostly a matter of willpower and if they try hard enough, they can lose weight.
  • Physicians see the lack of support for education services and prevention by the healthcare system as another major barrier to successful treatment of type 2 diabetes.

“There are effective strategies for overcoming the weight management obstacles patients with type 2 diabetes face. Physicians and patients can start by talking together about the best ways to manage weight by developing a comprehensive plan of action that includes diet, exercise and the right medications,” Dr. Polonsky said.

For more information about behavioral strategies for successful weight loss and diabetes management, visit the Behavioral Diabetes Institute (www.behavioraldiabetes.org).

Easy Tips for Patients with Type 2 Diabetes to Successfully Manage Their Weight:

  • Ask your doctor about diabetes therapies that help control blood glucose and weight
  • Work with a diabetes-knowledgeable dietitian or diabetes educator to develop a realistic weight loss plan and set specific goals for action
  • Educate your loved ones about diabetes and your needs; ask for their support
  • Adjust your immediate home environment so that it supports, rather than sabotages, your weight loss efforts
  • Create new eating and exercise habits

Easy Tips for Physicians to Successfully Manage Their Type 2 Diabetes Patients’ Weight:

  • Don’t be reluctant about discussing the importance of weight loss issues with your patients, but do so in a way that is not blaming, shaming or judgmental.
  • Refer your patients to weight loss programs and health care professionals in your area who specialize in nutrition and weight management
  • Provide your patients with basic tools to enable them to make appropriate lifestyle changes
  • Reinforce the importance of setting manageable, achievable goals
  • Encourage your patients to be patient with their own efforts and progress; acknowledge with them that weight management is not easy and occasional setbacks are common
  • In a collaborative and caring manner, remember to ask your patients how they are doing each and every visit

About the survey

The Behavioral Diabetes Institute and Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc. collaborated on the design of the survey. The survey was sponsored by Amylin and conducted by Yankelovich, part of The Futures Company, assessing the behaviors, opinions and attitudes of 703 people with type 2 diabetes and 200 physicians that treat patients with type 2 diabetes. The survey was conducted in October and November of 2008. The margin of error for the physician study is +/- 6.9 percent and for the patient study it is +/- 3.7 percent.

Behavioral Diabetes Institute (BDI)

The Behavioral Diabetes Institute (BDI) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 organization dedicated to helping people with diabetes live long, healthy and happy lives. Addressing these real-life emotional aspects of diabetes is critical for long-term success, yet often they are given little attention in common medical practice. The BDI was created to better recognize, understand, and tackle these problems. The BDI provides clinical services for people with diabetes, professional services for health care professionals and research programs. More information is available at: http://www.behavioraldiabetes.org/.

The Futures Company

The Futures Company is the coming together of Henley Centre, HeadlightVision and Yankelovich, three premier research consultancies with deep legacies of thought leadership and a combined heritage of nearly 100 years of cutting-edge innovation, including Global MONITOR, a trends service combining survey data with an observational database of trends examples called Global Streetscapes and the Yankelovich MONITOR, the largest and longest running tracking of US consumer values and lifestyles. The Futures Company also offers future-facing qualitative and quantitative custom research and trends and futures consulting, with proprietary expertise in health, sustainability, and generational and multicultural marketing. Clients include leaders in CPG, pharmaceuticals, financial services, technology, telecommunications, travel and leisure, media and the public sector. The Futures Company is part of the Kantar Group of WPP with offices in London, Chapel Hill, NC, New York, Mumbai and Delhi and an established intelligence network spanning 28 countries. More information is available at: www.thefuturescompany.com.


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