No Valentine's Day is complete without some chocolate! Indulge your sweetheart with this creamy mousse recipe from Chef Anthony Stewart of the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida. Healthy ingredients like tofu and ginger juice are masked by a rich chocolate flavor. Your valentine will never guess this dessert is sugar-free with zero grams of trans fat!
Ingredients:
4 oz. Hershey unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 c. hot water
12 oz. extra-firm silken tofu
1/4 c. Splenda
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tbsp. fresh ginger juice (grate the ginger root and squeeze to extract juice
Directions:
Combine cocoa powder and hot water in a stainless steel bowl. Cook slowly over a hot water bath for 5 minutes until the mixture is like fudge. In a food processor blend tofu for 1 minute, add fudge, Splenda, vanilla extract, and ginger juice and blend until smooth. Place mixture in parfait glass. Garnish with raspberries or as desire and serve cold.
Makes 4 servings.
113 calories, 10 grams sugar
?Instead of making sticky Rice Krispie treats glued together with calorie-loaded melted marshmallow, try this diet-friendly version. Honey, peanut butter, and believe it or not, organic baby food all combine to keep these sweet morsels under 150 calories!
?Ingredients:
?3 c. brown rice crisps cereal
?1
NurturMe Crisp Apple Pouch
?3/4 c. peanut butter
?1/2 c. + 2 tbsp. honey
?1 tbsp. vanilla
?1 c. chocolate chips (optional
?Directions:
?In a large bowl, mix brown rice cereal with peanut butter. In another bowl, add 3-5 tbsp. of water to crisp apple pouch. Stir honey and vanilla into the puree. Pour into the dry ingredients. Mix well. Press into one large or two small glass trays. Shape into mini Valentine's Day hearts! Optional: Decorate with frosting, powdered sugar, red sprinkles. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
?Makes 15-20 hearts.
Stumped about what to whip up for your gluten-free girl or guy? We've got just the solution! Even those who follow a gluten-free diet can enjoy this rich bread pudding. A creation of
Chef Stuart O'Keeffe, the dessert oozes delicious raisins and apples, which lends the pudding its smooth, custard-like consistency.
Ingredients:
Non-stick spray
8 slices Udi's Cinnamon Raisin Bread
6 apples, cored and sliced
6 egg yolks
1/2 c. granulated sugar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1 c. cream
2 c. whole milk
1/2 c. soft light brown sugar
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly spray a (12 in. x 9 in. x 2.5 in. glass baking dish, and set on a baking sheet. Tear bread roughly and arrange a single layer in the baking dish. Spread apple slices over bread layer. Sprinkle with brown sugar and repeat layers of bread, apples, and brown sugar until full. Whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract, cream, and milk together in a large bowl until well combined. Carefully pour mixture over the layers in the baking dish. Sprinkle with more brown sugar. Gently press down on the layers with a spatula so the mixture makes its way to the bottom. Set aside to soak for about 10 minutes. Bake for about 45-50 minutes until it is slightly firm to the touch but still moist.
Makes 8-10 servings.
It's true: You can make delicious brownies without any flour whatsoever! Replace flour with blended black beans in this recipe. Not only are the protein-rich legumes healthier for you, they infuse each dense, luscious square with moist texture.
Ingredients:
1 (15 1/2 oz. can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 eggs
3 tbsp. vegetable oil
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1 pinch salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. applesauce
1 tsp. instant coffee
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Lightly grease an 8 x 8 in. square baking dish. Combine the black beans, eggs, oil, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla extract, sugar, applesauce, and instant coffee in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into the baking dish. Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top. Bake for about 30-45 minutes until edges start to peel away from the sides of the pan.
Makes about 16 brownies.
This delectable chocolate cake by chef and entertaining expert Heather Christo contains one majorly surprisingly ingredient—beets! These earthy, healthy veggies only serve to enhance the chocolate-y flavor, in addition to infusing the batter with a melt-in-your-mouth moist texture.
Ingredients:
3/4 c. butter, room temperature
?1 1/2 c. white sugar
?1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
?3 eggs
?1 1/4 c. beet puree (comes from 2-3 large beets
?1 1/2 c. flour
?1 1/2 c. cocoa powder
?1 tsp. baking powder
?1 tsp. baking soda
?1/2 tsp. salt
?1/2 tsp. cinnamon
?1 c. milk
?Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. In a medium pot filled with simmering water, boil the beets. When the beets are fork tender drain them and let them sit until cool enough to handle. Peel the skin off and trim the top off of them. Chop the beets into large pieces and throw them in the food processor. Pulse the beets until they are a smooth puree. Set the puree aside. In the bowl of a standing mixer, beat the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla and the eggs and beat to combine. Add the beets and combine well. It will look like the batter has curdled, but it is fine. In a separate bowl add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and spices and sift them all together. Add half of the flour mixture to the batter, and then half of the milk. Combine completely and then add the rest of the flour and the rest of the milk. Mix the batter until it is completely combined. Prepare two 9 in. round cake pans with baking spray. Divide the batter evenly between the two pans. Bake the cake rounds for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the cakes from the heat and let them cool on a rack completely.
?Makes 12 servings.
Nothing's sexier than a heaping bowl of creamy cookie dough dip as a Valentine's Day treat! But this chocolate-studded creation gets a wholesome twist since it's made with fiber and protein-rich chickpeas. This recipe by
Chocolate-Covered Katie is guaranteed to have your beau eating out of the palm of your hand. Slather pieces of fruit in the dip, or eat it plain by the spoonful!
Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. chickpeas (1 can, drained
1/8 tsp. + 1/16 tsp. salt
Tiny bit over 1/8 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1/4 c. nut butter (You can get away with using only 3 tbsp. If you use peanut butter, it'll have a very slight PB taste, so if you don't want this, you can sub oil.
Up to 1/4 c. milk of choice (start with 1 tbsp., and add more as needed
2/3 c. brown sugar (or liquid sweeteners such as agave, maple, or evaporated cane juice
1/3 c.
Sugar-Free Chocolate Chips
2-3 tbsp. oats (or flaxmeal
Directions:
Add all ingredients (except for chocolate chips to a good food processor (not blender , and blend until very smooth. Then mix in the chocolate chips.
Makes about 12 servings.
If your significant other's got a serious sweet tooth, they'll love these smooth cheesecake bars with a swirl of strawberry flavor. But the secret ingredient—non-fat Greek yogurt—concealed in these delectable bites keeps the calorie count from getting too high!
Ingredients:
1 c. low-fat graham cracker crumbs
3 tbsp. butter, melted
1 c. non-fat vanilla Greek yogurt
1 8 oz. package reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 c. Splenda
3 eggs
3 tbsp. flour
4 tbsp. sugar-free strawberry jelly
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter together and press into an 8 x 8 in. baking plan. Bake crust for 10 minutes. Blend the Greek yogurt, cream cheese, sugar, eggs, and flour in a food processor until smooth. Swirl the 4 tbsp. of jelly into the mixture. Pour over the baked crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until the filling is solidified. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate for several hours prior to serving.
Makes 9 squares.
One bite of these vanilla cupcakes will have your valentine wondering what makes them so light and fluffy! The surprising answer lies in navy beans, which are pureed with honey and vanilla extract to make these tasty, low-cal morsels.
Ingredients:
1 15 oz. can unsalted navy beans, rinsed and drained
5 large eggs
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/3 c. honey
1/4 c. coconut oil
1/3 c. coconut flour
Pinch of sea salt
1 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, blend the first four ingredients together. Then add the last four, pureeing well. Pour into a lined cupcake tin. Bake in oven for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of a cupcake comes out clean. Frost with your favorite low-fat frosting.
Makes 12 cupcakes.
Want to impress your valentine this year? We've got eight delectable recipes to whip up, including a rich chocolate cake and a creamy cookie dough dip that will make your mouth water. But no matter how indulgent these
sweet treats sound, they go easy on your waistline, thanks to secret healthy ingredients. Shh… your sweetheart never needs to know!
Canadian Red Cross
Kenya
04 Mar 2012
The Canadian Red Cross Society (CRCS , a non-profit, humanitarian organization dedicated to helping Canadians, as well as the most vulnerable throughout the world, is currently seeking a project manager experienced in maternal, newborn and child health in developing countries to support the initiation, development, and implementation of a CRCS/CIDA supported maternal and child health program in Kenya through the Kenya Red Cross Society.
The MNCH Project Manager will work in close collaboration with the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS and the Ministry of Public Health and Sanitation (MoPHS . Will be responsible to ensure quality and adherence to established guidelines, policies, and strategies of the Ministry of Health, as well as in accordance with CRCS principles, guidelines. The project manager will also coordinate with ACTED to receive updates on food security activities.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: The job holder will facilitate the development and execution of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH activities and provide technical assistance to implementing partners. S/he will also support, ensure timely reporting, smooth implementation of the project in collaboration with KRCS, and MoPHS. S/he will continues monitoring the MNCH activities in the district in line with project objectives, indicators, agreed, work plans and organizational strategies.
Management:
• Closely collaborate with the KRCS to initiate the implementation of the MNCH project in Kenya • Provide the required technical assistance to the team to efficiently and effectively manage the project. • Support the KRCS in the implementation of the MNCH project activities at the central, province and district level. • Take a lead in potential research activities related to MNCH with the aim of improving quality and service provision. • Work in collaboration with the KRCS team members and the Ministry of Health at national and district level, and to represent CRCS and KRCS at meetings and other technical forums. • Support positive relationships and communications with internal and external authorities as well as partners such as municipalities, appropriate ministries of health, and other RC Movement partners. • Ensure effective program coordination and integration at the community level and within the KRCS, ensuring collaborative programming and cross-sectoral program integration.
• Support the ministry of health in Kenya in the development of the MNCH strategies. • Meet regularly with the ACTED Coordinator to review program status and monitor outcomes of the project implementation.
Capacity Building: • Support the KRCS, to develop plans, and write comprehensive narrative and financial reports. • Assess capacity of stakeholders and identify training opportunities for health programme staff, volunteers and other stakeholders, in line with the expectations of KRCS. • Collaborate with ministry of health and other relevant partners in the development of training materials related to the project implementation. • Ensure capacity building with a special emphasis on design, development and the application of participatory approaches and methodologies with the KRCS programme staff and other seconded staff to the project.
Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation: • Monitor and report progress and developments of the programs and related issues. • Participate and foster an active involvement of all counterparts in program reviews and evaluation. • Communicate and report on progress of designated activities, involving feedback from internal and external stakeholders as required. • Provide regular and accurate narrative and financial reports. • Monitor the efficient usage of the funds and assets allocated to the program. • Conduct continuous assessment and identify needs and possibilities for new interventions within the mandates of the KRCS/CRCS.
QUALIFICATIONS:
The CRCS seeks international delegates who have demonstrated a commitment and dedication to the Fundamental Principles and work from these principles daily. The ideal candidate for this position will have solid Project Management experience and skill, to contribute knowledge and capacity in project design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting. This candidate will be able to build from previous experience working in difficult working conditions in humanitarian aid contexts.
• Post graduate degree in Public Health or related field. • Demonstrated program management skills, including planning, monitoring and evaluation. • Minimum 5 years of experience in an international humanitarian organization, preferably in post-conflict or post-disaster. • Minimum of 3 years relevant working experience in the area of community-based public health, preferably in maternal, newborn and child health. • Demonstrated expertise in community based approaches. • Demonstrated reporting skills, both narrative and financial. • Experience in managing, motivating, training and development of staff. • Able to coordinate with authorities and other NGO partners. • Knowledge of health systems strengthening. • Demonstrated ability to work in an isolated environment - must be willing and able to work and live in isolated, difficult working conditions for at least 12 months. • Demonstrated commitment to the principles of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement.
• Strong track record in fostering effective working relationships with health stakeholders at various levels. • Strong interpersonal and communications skills. • Professional writing and facilitation skills. • Team player with good interpersonal, communication, documentation, presentation and good facilitation skills. • Must legally eligible to work in Canada (Canadian citizen or permanent resident .
Interested candidates may apply directly on the CRCS Website at
https://internationalcareers.redcross.ca. The deadline to receive applications is 4 March 2012. For a full position description and how to apply, visit the CRC Careers website at
https://internationalcareers.redcross.ca.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit their application without delay. While we appreciate all responses, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.
Canadian Red Cross
Liberia
04 Mar 2012
The Canadian Red Cross Society (CRCS , a non-profit, humanitarian organization dedicated to helping Canadians, as well as the most vulnerable throughout the world, is currently seeking a health professional experienced in maternal and newborn child health in developing countries to support the initiation, development, and implementation of a CRCS/CIDA supported maternal and child health program in Liberia.
The MNCH Project Manager will work in close collaboration with the Liberia National Red Cross Society (LNRCS and the Ministry of Health& Social Welfare (MoH&SW and will be responsible to ensure quality and adherence to established guidelines, policies, and strategies of the Ministry of Health, as well as in accordance with CRCS principles, guidelines, and evidence based best practices.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
The job holder will facilitate the development and execution of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH activities and provide technical assistance to implementing partners. S/he will also support, ensure timely reporting, smooth running and implementation of the project in collaboration with LNRCS, and MoH&SW. Continuous monitoring of the MNCH activities in the district in line with project objectives, indicators, agreed, work plans and organizational strategies.
Management:
• Closely collaborate with the LNRCS to initiate the implementation of the MNCH project in Liberia • Provide the required technical assistance to the team to efficiently and effectively manage the project.. • Coordinate and support the LNRCS in the implementation of the MNCH project activities at the central and county level. • Support and advise on the effective functioning of the LNRCS Community based health team. • Take a lead in potential research activities related to MNCH with the aim of improving quality and service provision. • Work in collaboration with the LNRCS team members and the Ministry of Health at national and district level, and to represent CRCS and LNRCS at meetings and other technical forums. • Support positive relationships and communications with internal and external authorities as well as partners. • Ensure effective program coordination and integration at the community level and within the LNRCS, ensuring collaborative programming and cross-sectoral program integration.
• Support the MoH&SW in the development of the Maternal Newborn and Child Health strategies.
Capacity Building: • Support the LNRCS to develop plans and write comprehensive narrative and financial reports related to the project.
• Assess capacity of stakeholders and identify training opportunities for health programme staff, volunteers and other stakeholders, in line with the expectations of LNRCS. • Collaborate in the development of training materials related to the project implementation. • Ensure capacity building with a special emphasis on design, development and the application of participatory approaches and methodologies with the LNRCS.
Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation: • Monitor and report progress and developments of the programs, using Results-Based Management (RBM approach. • Participate and foster an active involvement of all counterparts in program reviews and evaluation. • Communicate and report on progress of designated activities, involving feedback from stakeholders. • Provide regular and accurate narrative and financial reports, in line with CRC methodology • Monitor the efficient usage of the funds and assets allocated to the program. • Conduct continuous assessments, and identify needs and possibilities for new interventions within the mandates of the LNRCS/CRCS.
QUALIFICATIONS:
The CRCS seeks international delegates who have demonstrated a commitment and dedication to the Fundamental Principles and work from these principles daily. The ideal candidate for this position will have solid Project Management experience and skill, to contribute knowledge and capacity in project design, planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting. This candidate will be able to build from previous experience working in difficult working conditions in humanitarian aid contexts.
• Post graduate degree in Public Health or related field. • Demonstrated program management skills, including planning, monitoring and evaluation. • Minimum 5 years of experience in an international humanitarian organization, preferably in post-conflict or post-disaster. • Minimum of 3 years relevant working experience in the area of community-based public health, preferably in mother, newborn and child health. • Demonstrated expertise in community based approaches. • Demonstrated reporting skills, both narrative and financial. • Experience in managing, motivating, training and development of staff. • Able to coordinate with authorities and other NGO partners. • Knowledge of health systems strengthening. • Demonstrated ability to work in an isolated environment - must be willing and able to work and live in isolated, difficult working conditions for at least 12 months. • Demonstrated commitment to the principles of the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement.
• Strong track record in fostering effective working relationships with health stakeholders at various levels. • Strong interpersonal and communications skills. • Professional writing and facilitation skills. • Team player with good interpersonal, communication, documentation, presentation and good facilitation skills. • Must be legally eligible to work in Canada (Canadian citizen or Permanent Resident .
Interested candidates may apply directly on the CRCS Website at
https://internationalcareers.redcross.ca. The deadline to receive applications is 4 March 2012. For a full position description and how to apply, visit the CRC Careers website at
https://internationalcareers.redcross.ca.
Candidates are strongly encouraged to submit their application without delay. While we appreciate all responses, only candidates under consideration will be contacted.
Authentic Self Wellness. "Chia seeds are gaining popularity, as more people are discovering their amazing health-promoting properties," Rathbun says. "These little seeds are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids (for heart health , fiber (for digestive health , calcium (for strong bones , and protein (for healthy muscles ."
The daily recommended amount of chia seeds is about 1 tablespoon.
It's also rich in omega-3 fatty acids and has been shown to promote sustained energy levels, balanced blood sugar, a healthy heart, and beautiful skin, hair, and nails.
FiberIstheFuture.com, says blueberries are always a great addition to your breakfast. "Mix them in with your cereal," she suggests. "One cup of blueberries provides 4 grams of fiber and 84 calories. They are [also] packed with antioxidants."
EatWellWithJanel.com, reminds you to eat nut butter, like peanut butter or almond butter. "These are great sources of healthy fats and protein, and they help to keep you satiated," she says. "Nut butter mixed into hot oats gives it a creamy texture, or spread on whole wheat toast makes for a healthy breakfast on the go."
More reasons to reach for Greek yogurt in the morning: Its probiotics aid digestion, which diminishes belly bloat, and yogurt also reduces the amount of odor-causing bacteria in your mouth, so you won't have to worry about bad breath.
Nutrition for Dummies, reminds us not to forget to add fresh fruit to our breakfasts. It's an easy way to get a dose of vitamin C and dietary fiber into your first meal of the day.
Merlin
Pakistan
27 Feb 2012
Grants Coordinator Position: Grants Coordinator Programme: Pakistan Responsible To: Operations Manager Working With: Country Management Team (CMT / Field Programme staff Location: Islamabad, Pakistan Start Date: ASAP Duration: 12- 24 months Salary: ?31,850 - ?32,600 per annum (dependant on relevant experience inclusive of annual Cost of Living allowance and annual restricted movement allowance. Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, free return flights, annual loyalty bonus and 24 days per annum rising to 30 days at the completion of 12 months of continuous employment with Merlin.
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date.
Please note that this is an unaccompanied position.
Merlin International Profile Merlin specialises in health, saving lives in times of crisis and helping to rebuild shattered health services. Each year, Merlin helps more than 15 million people in up to 20 countries.
Context and Background Merlin has been operational in Pakistan since 2005, providing life saving activities for the most vulnerable communities in Kashmir, Baluchistan, FATA and KPK Provinces. Merlin first became operational in Pakistan following the 2005 earthquake in Kashmir, and has since responded to a number of emergencies including the Yemyin Cyclone in 2007 and Ziarat quake in 2008 in Baluchistan, and the IDP crisis from 2009 onwards, affecting various districts of KPK. Since 2008 Merlin has also been implementing a large-scale development project focusing on malaria control in Baluchistan, FATA and KPK, this has included acting as the procurement agent for Global Fund partners in Pakistan. Merlin is a major health player in Pakistan, working in close coordination and collaboration with all involved stakeholders. Merlin’s main objective in Pakistan has been to improve the health status of the population most affected by natural disasters, diseases and conflict. Merlin is committed to longer-term programming in Pakistan and plans to continue to operate to meet the health needs of the Pakistani population.
In response to the July 2010 monsoon flooding disaster and subsequent health crisis, Merlin mobilised health and medical teams to lead a rapid emergency response to meet escalating health needs of flood-affected and displaced communities. Merlin has continued its regular programmes and extended coverage to communities affected by the flood; currently reaching approximately 2,000,000 people through the provision of essential health services, community management of malnutrition and communicable disease surveillance and management. Merlin is currently operating in Swat, Buner, Nowshera, and Charsadda districts in KPK province and Muzaffargarh in Punjab province. Merlin’s model of care is based on the provision of an integrated package of health and nutrition services via static and mobile outreach services (currently supporting a total of 38 static health facilities and 26 mobile clinics . Merlin also currently supports seven diarrheal treatment units across all operational districts. Merlin has expanded its malaria control operations to six flood affected districts in Baluchistan and KPK provinces. This has been done through the initiation of malaria case management, surveillance and outbreak response in disease endemic parts of the country in partnership with the provincial malaria directorate. Merlin’s malaria programs are therefore now reaching a total of 11 million people across 16 districts in KPK, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA and Baluchistan. Merlin works closely with the Ministry of Health, Health and Nutrition Clusters and Department of Malaria Control, to ensure close coordination and collaboration with all involved stakeholders.
Main purpose of the role
The Grants Coordinator is responsible for developing and managing the funding portfolio for Merlin’s country programme in Pakistan. He/she will be responsible for developing and implementing the funding strategy, and coordinating all donor concept notes, proposals and reports, as well as general donor relations and compliance issues. He/she will be the main point of contact for all information and documentation related to Merlin grants in Pakistan.
The Grants Coordinator is part of the national support team charged with improving donor compliance and the grants management process of the country programme.
The Grants Coordinator provides support, guidance and training to support staff and the field teams in the development and management of all proposals, reports, donor relations and compliance. S/He is the main point of contact for all information and documentation related to Merlin grants in PAKISTAN, particularly for donors.
Together with the Country Director, the Grants Coordinator is ultimately responsible for assuring full donor compliance of closed, running and future projects implemented by Merlin. He/she has an essential role in assessing, managing and advising on risks and hits within the Merlin Pakistan programme.
The Grants Coordinator manages directly Merlin’s relationships with a number of major donors on behalf of the CD, and is instrumental in the identification of potential donors, the preparation of proposals and proposal budgets, negotiation with donors, and subsequent donor liaison on grants secured in-country.
Overall Objectives (scope • Develop, strengthen and monitor the project cycle at Merlin Pakistan, including acting as safeguard for compliance on donor requirements with closed, running and future grants • Strengthen adherence to contracts and donor requirements by providing teams with the required technical support, guidance and training to ensure all Merlin Pakistan projects are donor compliant • Ensure that the donor funding opportunities in Pakistan are investigated, assessed and action is taken in coordination with the Country Director, Head Office, Regional Programme Team and Country Management Team • Build institutional relationships with donors and Merlin Head Office to ensure technical accuracy and smooth implementation of grants according to Merlin and donor protocols • Assess, manage and advise the CMT and Head Office programmes department on financial and donor compliance-related risks • Coordinate and communicate appropriately, internally and externally on funding issues
Responsibilities
Grant Management and development • Overall responsibility for the development and management of all grants, with pro-active engagement in programme development and strategy discussions • Work in close collaboration with the CMT and other staff, and coordinate the development of plans, proposals and budgets for new projects/project extensions in conjunction with the relevant operations, logistics, health, HR and financial staff • Ensure budget allocations for individual donors are clear, where possible giving ownership of individual activities and / or geographical locations, and avoiding overlaps. • Ensure adequate support costs and management and admin fees are included in donor budgets and contracts. • Maximise where possible flexibility in donor agreements in terms of eligibility dates / timeframes and activities that are funded, to allow for changing circumstances. • Maximise where possible the amount of unrestricted funding versus restricted funding, to allow for flexibility and the financing of difficult to fund costs, namely staffing and support. • Reduce funding shortfall as far as possible to minimise dependence on unrestricted funds. • Produce, update and circulate funding matrix and related documents to key people to communicate the funding situation. • Work with the Funding Team in HQ to seek advice and support in the development of donor proposals and contracts with new and existing donors. • Ensure donor grant files (electronic and hard copies are maintained and updated regularly
Donor compliance • Act as focal point for concept note and proposal preparation, including budget and narratives as required, in collaboration with Country Finance Director, Programmes, support departments and relevant field teams; • Provide donor-specific guidance on budget preparation and closure; • Liaise closely with programme staff in budget preparation and incorporate budget lines in liaison with the coding structure of the master chart of accounts and advise the Country Finance Director of updates as necessary; • Increase field team’s grant management capacity, understanding of, donor compliance and budget management through targeted training of field staff at each project location and in Goma; • Support field teams and liaise with HO to ensure complete, correct and timely submission of high quality reports to donors; • Coordinate closely with finance, logistics and medical teams to ensure highly accurate and scrutinized reports are submitted to Head Office and donors; • Assess, troubleshoot and minimize current and retroactive compliance issues and risks in coordination with donors, support and field teams; • Provide quality control on all donor reports, including financial; • Act as focal point for any information required on past or present grants, including potential grants; • Provide ongoing guidance to Merlin pakistan team to ensure an improved standard of compliance with donor requirements. • Dealing directly with major donors on behalf of the Country Director. • Ongoing identification of potential donors in country • Preparation of proposals and proposal budgets, including negotiation with donors and subsequent donor liaison on grants secured in Pakistan
Donor relations • Research, assess and recommend action on donor strategies and opportunities in collaboration with the Country Director and Deputy Country Directors and HO regional team; • Strengthen Merlin Pakistan’s relationships with existing and potential donors on behalf of Country Director and HO; regional team with regard to proposals, financial and narrative reporting, operational issues and contracts as required. • Liaise with and inform donor contact persons of project status as and when required. • Acknowledge donor support to the programme through the website, in branding at project activity sites (security allowing and of donor funded assets, and in publications.
Administrative functions • Develop, update and circulate the donor report tracking system; • Ensure donor grant files (electronic and hard copies are maintained and updated regularly. • Ensure security of all key documents including agreements, proposal documentation, correspondence, donor reports, rules & regulations, charts of accounts for all donor / grant programmes as assigned; • Liaise with field teams and HQ/donors in the organisation and orientation of external visitors as requested.
Representation • Represent Merlin at national-level coordination meetings in country as requested by the Country Director; • On request, represent Merlin and its activities to other key stakeholders (community, authorities, donors other NGOs .
Other • Visit field sites regularly to ensure current understanding of projects and address problem areas in coordination with field teams and support offices; • Provide coverage for other administrative and programme support posts when needed and carry out any other responsibilities as requested by the Country Director / Deputy Country Director.
Person Specification Essential Qualifications, experience and competences
• Substantial experience of grant management and donor compliance • Familiarity with major bilateral and pooled funding donors • Sound understanding of the donor environment including experience building and maintaining relationships with a variety of donors • Demonstrated project management skills and experience • Strong demonstrated skills with budget development and budget monitoring • Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken • Proven problem solving and organizational skills, flexible and calm under pressure • Excellent organizational and document revision skills • Good team player, able to live and work closely with a small team • Ability to work under stressful conditions • Ability to work on own initiative and multitask • Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office • Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures • Demonstrated ability to be flexible in prioritizing a large workload and multiple tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines and constantly changing parameters • Experience of proactively identifying and addressing implementation issues • An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values
Desirable Qualifications, experience and competences
• Degree or qualification in related field - preferably accounting and finance, auditing, business administration or law. • Interest in grant management and programme support • Previous working experience in the region
To apply for this position To apply for this job, please go to
www.merlin.org.uk/jobs and apply using our online recruitment system. In order to apply for a job with Merlin online you will need to complete a short registration process and create an account – the online recruitment system explains how to do this. Once your account has been created, you will be able to save the information that you have entered in your application and re-visit it at any time before you submit it.
If you are unable to apply online please contact:
applications@merlin.org.uk.
Please note that we do not accept CVs. Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Data Protection Please note that in accordance with the 1998 Data Protection Act, Merlin will hold and use personal information that you have given for the purpose of recruitment and employment. This information can be stored in manual and/or electronic form. This information may also be disclosed to third parties in accordance with the Data Protection Act. In cases where a job offer is conditional on ensuring that potential employees’ names do not appear on counter terrorism lists generated by the United Nations, European Union or the United States due to donor funding requirements, Merlin will use the information that you have given for checking that your name does not appear on these lists.
Keyota Cole was born with a bad heart.
The 33-year-old from of Bakersfield, Calif., suffers from a congenital heart disease called Ebstein's malformation of the tricuspid valve, and from abnormal pulmonary veins. She has undergone multiple surgeries over her lifetime, including one to repair a hole in her heart, a valve replacement and the implantation of a pacemaker.
Although she has a 13-year-old daughter (and an adopted 3-year-old daughter , doctors felt she would likely never be able to have more children because of her condition.
Then, in early 2011, a year-and-a-half after her last surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, to replace a tricuspid valve, Cole had become so much stronger and healthier that she unexpectedly became pregnant. Her local doctors advised that the pregnancy would be life-threatening to her and her unborn baby, and they recommended that she terminate the pregnancy.
Instead, she sought out experts at UCLA experienced in the management of high-risk pregnancies and high-risk babies. UCLA is one of a select number of medical centers in the country where high-risk expectant mothers and their unborn children can be cared for by experts in pediatric and adult congenital cardiology, maternal-fetal medicine and congenital cardiothoracic surgery. Infants can be delivered and undergo the most advanced lifesaving pediatric heart surgery within days of their birth without needing to be transferred to another specialty hospital.
"Our goal is to give our patients the hope, confidence and means to live a normal life — including helping a mother have her baby," said Dr. Jamil Aboulhosn, an assistant clinical professor of cardiology and co-director of the Ahmanson/UCLA Adult Congenital Heart Disease Center. "Patients born with complex congenital heart disease 60 years ago would likely not have survived into adulthood. Given our medical and surgical advances, many patients are now living long, fulfilled lives."
During an initial prenatal ultrasound at UCLA, Cole's pregnancy took another unexpected turn.
Dr. Mark Sklansky, chief of pediatric cardiology at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA, performed a fetal echocardiogram using state-of-the art technology and found that the unborn baby had a serious, life-threatening congenital heart problem called double inlet left ventricle, meaning it would be born with only one pumping chamber. The baby would require advanced, risky open-heart surgery within days of her birth to survive.
"Knowing the baby needed this surgery, we were able to plan ahead," Sklansky said. "Our entire team, including adult cardiology, pediatric cardiology, obstetrics, maternal–fetal medicine, heart surgery, neonatology and nursing all came together to plan each step of the way."
Dr. Brian Reemtsen, an assistant professor of cardiothoracic surgery who had performed Cole's latest tricuspid valve replacement, would operate on the newborn baby too.
"With this complex form of double inlet left ventricle, we essentially need to re-do the heart's plumbing so that the one chamber can pump efficiently and supply blood to the lungs," Reemtsen said. "It's a high-risk operation that must be done the first week of life."
Over the next few months, Cole's pregnancy and her heart condition were carefully monitored by her UCLA team.
Finally, the big day arrived. Baby Faith was born, full-term, on Dec. 13, 2011.
"The good outcome for this complicated pregnancy is most gratifying," said Dr. Brian J. Koos, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology. "As a subspecialist in maternal–fetal medicine, I am pleased to have been part of the multidisciplinary team that provided state-of-the-art care for Keyota and Faith."
Immediately following the birth, Faith was wheeled to the neonatal intensive care unit, located on the same floor as the delivery area, for monitoring and to await her surgery.
"Parents are comforted in knowing that everything their baby could need is available here, with all the expertise and technology," said Dr. Uday Devaskar, a professor of neonatology at Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA. "There is nowhere else that can offer a higher level of care."
Just five days after birth, Faith underwent the complex four-hour surgery to fix the plumbing in her heart. She will need another, less risky surgery when she is between four and six months old, and then again at 3 years old, to further refine the original surgery. Reemtsen anticipates that Faith will have some physical limitations as she grows older, but his hope is that she will lead a normal life.
"My heart may never be perfect, and her heart is never going to be perfect, but we are alive and we are here," said Cole. "My hope for Faith is that she'll have a wonderful life, just like her mother." The UCLA Health System has for more than half a century provided the best in health care and the latest in medical technology and research to the people of Los Angeles and the world. The UCLA Health System is among the most comprehensive and advanced health systems in the world, comprising Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; UCLA Medical Center–Santa Monica; the Resnick Neuropsychiatric Hospital at UCLA; Mattel Children's Hospital UCLA; and the UCLA Medical Group, with its wide-reaching system of primary care and specialty care offices throughout the region.
For more news, visit the UCLA Newsroom and follow us on Twitter.
English will soon become the language of choice for health insurance companies, replacing their traditional dialect of legalese, mumbo-jumbo and fine print.
A management consultant working in healthcare speaks out on what can be a cynical profession, thriving on the fear and uncertainty of clients. He forecasts a worrying future in which consultants play a central role as the NHS prepares itself for radical reforms.
Rapid policy change often leads to pressure, confusion and uncertainty. And wherever you find management under pressure and uncertain about how to implement policy, you can bet there will be a management consultant knocking at the door, ready to speak with confidence about a suggested ‘way forward’ that will solve all of their problems. Many such consultants are experts in their field, and can save public money at an order of magnitude higher than any fees they charge. However, there are others who take advantage of uncertainty, regardless of their ability to improve the situation.
The NHS is proving fertile ground for such consultants as the health service prepares for the radical reforms set out in the Health and Social Care Bill, now passing through the Lords. Changes are already well underway ahead of the Bill’s passing, particularly in the creation of the new
Clinical Commissioning Groups of GPs. On top of this, many hospitals are being forced to seek support in fighting against chronic underinvestment to make further ‘efficiencies’ and to
obtain Foundation Trust status by 2013.
I write as a graduate management consultant working in healthcare. I have no deeper knowledge of the NHS than what I have learned first-hand over the last six months of working in a ‘failing’ hospital and through actively following the policy debate. But I was shocked to find that many of my more senior colleagues were in a similar position. Many did not have any understanding of the nature or depth of the reforms being implemented, let alone their ideological underpinning. Most trumped up any previous knowledge they had of the workings of a hospital, and few seemed to have any deeper concerns about the nature of the work we were undertaking.
I was in a hospital full of hard-working people, passionate about improving the service they deliver. But they live in a world of uncertainty, scared for their jobs and worn down by endless rounds of restructuring and laborious temporary fixes for aging, inefficient systems. On the whole, I found that they knew what their problems were and they were working to solve them. We consultants did little to help. We worked for the management, to whom the opinions of staff are often a revelation. And our objective, let’s not forget, was to encourage the hospital to continue to spend money on us.
There are management consultants who add great value to the NHS. It is unfair to view all consultants as being jargon-touting suits intent on ‘headcount reduction’ (otherwise known as culling staff . The NHS does need to update some of its working practice, and many consultants, in a stable environment, would be well placed to offer advice on changes based on their extensive experience. But in an unstable environment the NHS will get exactly the sort of consultants it doesn’t need. By forcing through changes that the NHS does not have the time or capacity to implement, the government is forcing up spending on consultants.
So what’s the alternative? Empowering leading experts from within the health service to make change happen. The government should have worked with these leaders from the outset to devise any large policy changes, and should now give them the mandate, support and freedom to help their peers bring about reform in a sustainable, cost effective manner.
But it is clear that the government has
already alienated many of the professionals who will have to play out its reforms on the ground. Forcing through changes without the support and leadership of those in the Health Service is clearly a mistake. The government must broker deals that empower and give a voice to the disenfranchised body of the Health Service. Leaving a power vacuum around the NHS will mean it is management consultants, not doctors, whose “mouths are stuffed with gold” to bring about these reforms.
If regional governments keep failing to pay their pharmaceutical bills, "the supply could be cut off," Humberto Arnes, head of the Farmaindustria association, warned on Friday.
His deputy, Javier Urzay, said there are already small pharmaceutical companies that avoid selling drugs to certain regions because of the risk of not getting paid for more than two years. Urzay mentioned Valencia and Andalusia as being among the culprits. For now, though, he insisted, there is no risk for patients because these suppliers are replaced by others.
In the Valencia region, pharmacies went on strike recently to protest the fact that they were not getting paid by health authorities for subsidized prescription drugs. Meanwhile, Catalonia has announced a one-euro charge for patients who get prescriptions from the public health service; the fee will be introduced in May as part of a slew of cost-cutting measures affecting the health sector in the northeastern region.
Spain has already been warned by the Swiss laboratory Roche, which has stopped servicing some Greek health centers. At one point, the company began charging a Castellon hospital for each antitumoral drug it supplied, rather than charging it to the account as before. Another lab, Novartis, included Spain in a warning about the risk of certain countries defaulting on their drug bills.
Regions owe pharmaceutical labs over 6.7 billion euros for medicines sold to public hospitals. Arnes warned that if public spending on health continues to be slashed, things could reach the point where authorities will have to choose which treatments to stop subsidizing to focus on the truly serious diseases.
This week, the Obama administration announced that yes, it will be implementing
the rule it announced last month requiring health insurance providers to cover birth control without co-pays. To allay the "moral" concerns of the criminal enterprise that has for decades been
covering up the rape and molestation of children—aka, the Catholic Church—the administration revised the rule to include a further exemption for religious-affiliated organizations so that if the idea of their employees using contraception (as most of them do gives them a sad, they can force insurance companies to pick up the cost, thereby protecting the "religious liberty" of the Church to be very, very sad that despite its teachings about the "intrinsically evil" practice of birth control, just about all sexually active Catholic women use it.
Although the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
initially responded to the revised rule by saying it was "a first step in the right direction," later in the day—coincidentally, as
news spread that "at least 8,000 kids were sexually abused by over 100 priests and other offenders in the Milwaukee Catholic Diocese"—the bishops issued a
new statement, calling the decision cause for "grave moral concern," and
launched a campaign urging Catholics to write to Congress and demand passage of the Respect for Rights of Conscience Act (H.R. 1179, S. 1467 . Pay no attention to the thousands of abused children! Make women stop using birth control, since they won't listen to us when we tell them!
Just imagine those letters: Dear Congress, In the name of Jesus, please make it harder for me and the other 98 percent of Catholic women who use birth control to get our prescriptions filled. Yeah, good luck with that one, fellas.
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL
is sponsoring a similar bill to protect bishops from being sad. Here's the funny part:
Rubio became aware of the issue while attending a church service where an officiant read a letter from the Catholic archdiocese opposing the administration’s decision. Rubio told his staff the next day to draft legislation to exempt faith-based organizations from the new mandate.Hey, aren't Republicans supposed to be opposed to legislation based on religious law? If Rubio had introduced a bill because of what he'd heard in his mosque, instead of his church, Republicans would be wailing about sharia law. But of course, IOKIYAARH. (It's okay if you are a Republican hypocrite.
The faux pearl clutching continued after the White House's announcement. Speaker of the House John Boehner
renewed his
threat to overrule the American people "on behalf of the American people."
The Republican presidential candidates also expressed their disingenuous outrage. And the conservative brain trust gathered at CPAC came up with a novel approach to persuade the majority of Americans who support the rule that it's really, really bad:
they'll just make shit up. Memo to conservatives: when you have to lie, you've lost the argument.
Although the administration's decision is widely interpreted as a win, and it pretty much is, the whole debate has further emphasized the need to change how we think about women's health care. These separate insurance rules carve up women's bodies, as if uterus health is somehow distinguishable from health-health. Such concessions in the name of "religious liberty" are a terrible way to write health care policy. If we on the left continue to accept the false premise that certain kinds of health care require approval of religious leaders, women will need to purchase separate riders for all of their different lady-part needs. Broken lady ankle? You'll need a rider for that. Lady brain head trauma? Get a note from your employer before seeing your doctor. Lady breast cancer in your lady breasts? Well, "some say" that's caused by abortion (all evidence to the contrary , so tough titties; only sluts get breast cancer, so it's your own damn fault.
We must view women's health as no different from men's health. Yes, we have different anatomical parts, but women deserve the same head-to-toe coverage that men enjoy. You don't need a separate rider to buy Viagra; why should you need a papal dispensation to see an OB/GYN?
This week, we won the battle. But we're going to have to do much better if we want to win the war.
This week’s good, bad and ugly below the fold.
President Barack Obama's budget plan is expected to cut $360 billion in health care funding, including $300 billion from Medicare, over the next 10 years.
MASSDEVICE ON CALL — The White House's budget proposal is expected to cut $360 billion in health care spending over the next 10 years, according to a budget summary released last week.
That bulk of the cuts, $300 billion, will come from Medicare programs.
The proposal has changed little since President Barack Obama released the initial $3 trillion savings plan in September,
Healthwatch reported.
The Opposition says that the reason the Government plans to means test the private health insurance rebate is simply that it wants the money, and the Opposition is quite right.
The Government does indeed want the money so that it can spend it on something useful, rather than on the stupid, wasteful, inequitable, unconscionable rort that is private insurance for the rich.
When John Howard introduced the scam in 1999 it had two clear purposes: to undermine Medicare by strengthening the private system at the expense of the public system, and to lock in the votes of the well-off - especially the so-called doctors' wives with whom he was having a little trouble. This was at least consistent with traditional Liberal policy, which has always been to oppose and attack public health wherever and whenever possible.
It goes back to the 1950s when Robert Menzies's health minister, Earle Page, set up the health insurance scheme which endured, unchallenged, until the advent of Gough Whitlam. Page was himself a very successful and wealthy surgeon and his principal aim was to secure and improve his own privileged position. He was vehemently opposed to the public health system. Public hospitals, he argued, posed unfair competition to private hospitals, of which he happened to own several.
So since he could not abolish the public system altogether, he set up a private alternative which was heavily weighted in favour of the medical profession. People were more or less compelled to take out private insurance if they wanted prompt, top-class treatment, because that was where the money went.
The justification, then as now, was that encouraging people to move into the private system would take the weight off the already over-burdened (because under-funded public system - in fact it did, and does, no such thing. All accident, emergency and otherwise urgent cases still go first to public hospitals as a matter of course, but the doctors go the other way. After all, they get paid vastly more by the private than the public hospitals.
For some specialists, such as orthopaedic surgeons, it can be four or five times as much because they can effectively set their own fees. They know the insurance funds will usually raise their own rates to meet them and if they don't, well, tough - there is always gap insurance to cover the excess.
Thus the profession's outrage when Whitlam attempted to bring in Medibank, a truly universal public health care scheme, was one of the most vicious and unprincipled demonstrations of self-interest ever seen in the country. The hapless minister in charge, Bill Hayden, was accused by the Australian Medical Association (the militant and ruthless doctors' union of being a communist and also a Nazi. Medical records were faked to prove that he was insane as wild rumours about his private life were spread through the consulting rooms of the nation.
The Liberals gave the doctors their unquestioning support. Eventually Whitlam needed a double dissolution of parliament and a joint sitting of both houses to get the Medibank legislation passed. And when the Liberals regained power in 1975, Malcolm Fraser quietly set about dismantling the system. When Labor came back in 1983, Bob Hawke had to re-invent it as Medicare.
It took 13 years to put the Liberals back on the Treasury benches, and by then Medicare was too popular for John Howard to attack openly, so he promised to keep and improve it, while planning to undermine it by whatever devious means suggested themselves. The most obvious was to keep pouring public money into the private system, and the private health insurance rebate was the first move.
It was ineffective in its stated aim of increasing their membership. It took another step, the big stick which threatened voters with constantly increasing rates for every year they delayed taking out private insurance, to achieve any substantial jump. The private health rebate was simply a direct taxpayer subsidy to the chosen lifestyle of the rich.
Labor's shadow minister, Jenny Macklin, described it at the time as "the worst example of public policy ever seen in this parliament" and it would certainly have to be in anybody's top ten. But after that, Labor backed off - its opposition became muted and eventually non-existent as successive leaders consciously avoided offending any identifiable lobby group in an increasingly desperate struggle for votes.
Kevin Rudd even promised to leave the scheme untouched before the 2007 election, and it was the first - and just about the only - explicit promise he broke. And even then, rather than going the whole hog and abolishing the rebate altogether, his modest proposal was for a progressive means test. The populace was still to be encouraged to take out private insurance, but the super rich were no longer to be subsidised.
The Libs, of course, opposed even this puny measure, and twice knocked it back in the Senate. Now finally, with the help of the independents in the Reps and the Greens in the Senate, it is set to pass. There is, of course, a chorus of doom and gloom from the private funds, which, despite their regular profits and huge cash reserves, now claim to be facing ruin. They are, of course, lying. There is still a lot of milk to be extracted from those cash cows.
But the finest examples of confected outrage have come from the rich themselves. My favourites are the Richards, an Adelaide husband and wife team with a combined income of over $258,000 a year - that's about $5,000 a week to you peasants. Mrs Richards whinged to a sympathetic ear (from The Australian of course :
"It's ridiculous. The better we do, the more the Government takes."
Actually it's not the Government taking - it's the rest of us peasants no longer being made to pay for your indulgences.
Or at least not as much. We're still looking after the private school where you plan to send the kids. That will be the next popular front, when yet another Howard rort comes up for review later this year. Will Julia Gillard and her government hold their nerve when the time comes to storm the private education citadel? Watch this space.
Mungo MacCallum is a political journalist and commentator. View his full profile
here.
A disturbing situation is brewing and if we all don’t act now we may find our daily lives must include a form of neuroleptic drugs. This according to the new DSM-5.
The latest version of the DSM ( Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has many doctors in the mental health profession up in arms. This is understandable considering the new changes that have taken place in this “diagnostic bible ” used by a mass majority of mental health providers.
The DSM is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA and is used to help professional mental health providers define and diagnose mental health disorders.
The research was led by the 10/66 Dementia Research Group based at the Institute of Psychiatry at King’s College London and published today in PLoS Medicine.
MCI is an intermediate state between normal signs of cognitive aging, such as becoming increasingly forgetful, and dementia, and may be linked to an increased risk of dementia,
The research group interviewed roughly 15,000 people aged over 65 years who did not have dementia in eight low and middle incomes countries—Cuba, Dominican Republic, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Puerto Rico, China, and India.
Their mental and physical health, cognitive function were also assessed and their relatives and carers interviewed for further details about any memory loss, any other decline in cognitive function or the presence of any neuropsychiatric symptoms.
The prevalence of MCI ranged quite widely, from 0.8% in China to 4.3% in India. They found that age or level of former education did not seem to be linked to MCI and that men had a slightly higher prevalence of MCI than women. The authors found that MCI was associated with disability, anxiety, apathy and irritability but not with depression.
Dr Robert Stewart, senior author of the paper at the IoP at King’s says: ‘By 2050, it’s estimated that more than 115 million people will have dementia, and much of the expected increase will occur in low and middle income countries where the population is rapidly ageing.
‘I hope that the information on MCI in low and middle income countries we report in this study could help inform health care and social service planning in these rapidly ageing and highly populated regions of the world.’
The authors added that more long-term studies are needed to investigate whether MCI can be used as a reliable marker for further cognitive decline and dementia, and into the associations with disability and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
Dr Stewart adds: ‘It is also worth considering whether cultural influences may impact upon the identification of MCI – it may be that people in certain countries may be more or less likely to admit to memory difficulties. Whilst this may help in part explain the variation between countries, the association between MCI and disability remained constant throughout.’
The 10/66 Dementia Research Group is supported by the Wellcome Trust (UK , the World Health Organization, the US Alzheimer’s Association and the Fondo Nacional de Ciencia Y Tecnologia, Consejo de Desarrollo Cientifico Y Humanistico, Universidad Central de Venezuela (Venezuela . The lead author is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR Specialist Biomedical Research Centre for Mental Health at the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and Institute of Psychiatry, King’s College London.
http://www.healthcanal.com/mental-health-behavior/26395-Mild-cognitive-impairment-America-China-and-India.html
Full paper attached: Sosa, A.L. et al. ‘Prevalence, Distribution, and Impact of Mild Cognitive Impairment in Latin America, China, and India: A 10/66 Population-Based Study’ (7th February 2012 PLoS Medicine doi: 9(2 : e1001170.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is putting his weight behind Sen. Roy Blunt's amendment to the Affordable Care Act that would
allow employers to deny coverage not just for contraception but for any treatment or any condition they claimed was contrary to their religious beliefs.
While coverage of the bill will likely center around contraception, that's
not the Republicans' only target:
“The fact that the White House thinks this is about contraception is the whole problem. This is about freedom of religion, it’s right there in the First Amendment. You can’t miss it — right there in the very first amendment to our Constitution,” McConnell said. “What the overall view on the issue of contraception is has nothing to do with an issue about religious freedom.”That's the religious freedom to deny coverage for birth control, of course. But it's also the religious freedom to deny coverage for cervical cancer, because it's caused by HPV, which is transmitted sexually. It's the religious freedom to deny coverage for treatment for alcoholism or any health issue associated with drinking. It's the religious freedom for any employer, not just religiously affiliated ones, to be legally allowed to come up with any excuse to exclude any kind of care from the health coverage they provide their employees, as long as they say it's a religious or moral reason.
Even as they claim it's about something bigger than contraception, you can bet Republicans will keep the focus squarely on that—they want the public debate to be contraception (associated with sex and women's health, and therefore ... icky against religious freedom (a noble abstract idea and essential constitutional principle . But they're going for something much bigger. They're simultaneously looking to eviscerate the Affordable Care Act, turn over governance to churches—in fact, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL is sponsoring a bill similar to Blunt's because of
something he heard in church—and give employers yet another way to shaft their workers.
Mitch McConnell is right. This fight is bigger than contraception. It always has been, because women's health isn't just a minor issue. But now, thanks to Republicans, it's a fight about any kind of health care you might name, and about workers at any business. Because women aren't a big enough target anymore; they're going after everyone now.
Angst over federal health law could hurt home-grown fixes
The Salt Lake Tribune
Published Feb 13, 2012 10:50AM MDT
Copyright 2012 The Salt Lake Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
In Syria, the regime is making hospitals and health staff part of its system of repression. This is exactly what happened in Bahrain a few months ago, where it was publicly denounced by Medecins Sans Frontieres.
Even in the worst of circumstances the most basic respect for humanity demands that hospitals are protected and health staff are authorised to carry out their work. But in Syria today, a policy of terror is seeing injured demonstrators persecuted within hospital walls, and reprisals made against any doctors who attempt to treat them.
Terrified by the prospect of arrest and torture by the security services, and fearful of being refused hospital treatment, most of those injured during the bloody demonstrations in Syria are turning in desperation to unofficial networks of medical staff. Driven underground, the conditions in which these doctors are working are difficult and dangerous.
Medecins Sans Frontieres calls on the Syrian authorities to re-establish the neutrality of medical facilities. As an impartial organisation whose only concern is for the victims of violence, we have been trying for months to obtain official authorisation to come to their aid, so far without success.
The Syrian health system has both well-trained medical staff, including many specialised surgeons, and the technology to deal with emergencies involving cases of major trauma. If the treatment of the injured today is more like bush medicine, carried out by doctors hidden in cellars, kitchens and mosques, this is due to the merciless persecution of demonstrators and the medical staff seeking to treat them, and the terror that this persecution inspires.
By failing to comply with demands to report patients to the health authorities, or – as has been required in Homs governorate since last April – to refer patients injured “as a consequence of the events” to the military hospital, health workers run the risk of being considered enemies of the regime, and face possible arrest, imprisonment and even murder.
Driven underground, there is no knowing how long an injured patient will have to wait for treatment. Possibilities for treating the most serious cases or dealing with surgical or post-operative complications are limited. Anaesthetics, sterilisation and hygiene conditions are inadequate; and no treatment can last for more than a few hours. The clandestine doctors cannot risk asking for blood packs from the central blood bank as it is now under the authority of the Ministry of Defence, which has exclusive control over distribution.
The simple fact of having medical equipment or medicines in a house is considered a crime, forcing medical staff to constantly set up their makeshift hospitals in new locations. Private health centres which are still treating the injured – disguising the diagnoses to avoid detection – are now being attacked and destroyed by the Syrian armed forces, often with barely enough time to evacuate patients and equipment to a safer location. A very few of the injured who are fit enough to travel have found refuge in neighbouring countries where they can hope for medical treatment in decent conditions.
As Medecins Sans Frontieres has been unable to obtain official authorisation to access the public hospitals, we are supporting a number of networks of clandestine doctors who are working in secret with extremely limited resources. We are providing medicines, medical equipment and surgical and transfusion kits.
The aid that we are bringing today, although limited by circumstances, is a concrete expression of Medecins Sans Frontieres' solidarity with patients and health staff in Syria. Hospitals must be safe places where the injured can be treated without fear of discrimination, ill treatment or torture, and where health staff do not have to put their lives at risk simply to comply with their professional ethics.
Dr Marie-Pierre Allie is the president of Medecins Sans Frontieres in France. View her full profile
here.
10-February-2012
KOTTAYAM : Union Minister of State for Health Sudip Bandopadhyay has said that the Central government would assist to establish a mental health centre of national stature at the Athurasramam NSS Homoeo Medical College at Kurichy. He announced the decision during a discussion held after his visit to the college on Thursday.
The Minister also said that discussions would be held with the Union Minister for Health Ghulam Nabi Azad in order to implement the various proposals that have been submitted to the Department of Ayush that functions under the Ministry of Health. The proposed projects include establishing higher education, treatment and research facility, library, museum, and a special botanical lab.
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/tp-kerala/article2877783.ece
Doctors and nurses from
The Garden Clinic sexual health service are reminding people to have safe sex this Valentine’s Day, which marks the 20th anniversary of clinic.
“Making sure you are having safe sex is the best thing you can do for you and your partner this Valentine’s Day and every day of the year,” said Dr Stephen Dawson, a consultant at the clinic. “You don’t want to remember it as the day you contracted an STI.”
The Garden Clinic, which is based in Slough with local clinics in Bracknell and Maidenhead, first opened its doors on 14th February 1992 and now helps 20,000 people a year.
It provides a safe and confidential place for people to talk about their sexual health, advice on choosing the best method of contraception, and STI tests and get contraception, including emergency contraception.
“Over the past 20 years the garden clinic has evolved into a ‘one stop shop’ for people’s sexual health needs. The doctors and nurses who work here are highly skilled and we can nearly always meet a person’s sexual health needs in just one visit,” added Dr Dawson.
As well as a daily walk-in clinic, the service offers specialist clinics for long acting contraception, complex sexual health needs and HIV, and dedicated Speakeasy clinics for young people aged 18 and under, in Slough, Maidenhead and Bracknell.
The Garden Clinic in numbers
- 20,000 patients visited the clinic in the last year
- The Garden Clinic helps 550 people manage their HIV infection
- 1,356 IUDs (intrauterine devices and implants have been fitted in the past year
- In the past 12 months, 2,180 condoms have been given out to patients to promote safer sex
- 2,000 young people receive sexual health advice from the clinic each year
- There are 13 doctors, 15 nurses and four health advisors at The Garden Clinic
- HIV patients life expectancy increasing all the time due to better treatments
- New tests for common sexually transmitted infections work by using a urine sample, so no swabs need to be taken.
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