WHO says treat HIV patients sooner, advice could double number of people who qualify for drugs

LONDON - People infected with the virus that causes AIDS should start treatment earlier than currently recommended, the World Health Organization said Monday. The U.N....More

Progress made in AIDS fight, but funds needed to ensure treatment access: doctor

TORONTO - Working in the continent hardest hit by HIV-AIDS, Dr. Michael Schull sees glimmers of hope amid the often bleak realities of the epidemic. Schull, his wife, Dr. Josee Sarrazin, and their three children began their year-long relocation from Canada to Malawi in July....More

Ontario expands access to costly cancer drug

TORONTO - Ontario is expanding access to a cancer drug that was the subject of a scathing report by the province's ombudsman earlier this year....More

Is there a 3rd wave of H1N1 in the cards for this winter? Who knows?

TORONTO - The current wave of H1N1 activity may have peaked in all provinces and territories, the Public Health Agency of Canada says in its latest assessment on the state of the pandemic....More

America wages new war in Vietnam - on AIDS

TINH BIEN, Vietnam - When her husband fell ill with AIDS, doctors at the hospital turned him away, fearing they would catch the virus. "They told him, 'There's nothing we can do for you. Just go home and wait to die,"' said Do Thi Phuong....More

Monkey business: Puerto Rican town divided over plan to breed primates for research in US

GUAYAMA, Puerto Rico - Puerto Rico has such a bad history with research monkeys running amok, some residents are stunned that its territorial government has approved a plan to import and breed thousands of primates for sale to U.S. researchers. Bioculture Ltd....More

Indian victims still haunted 25 years after the world's worst industrial disaster

BHOPAL, India - Hazra Bi wishes she could forget. But her damaged family is a living reminder of that December night 25 years ago when lethal gas leaked from a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India, in the worst industrial disaster the world has ever seen....More

First rigorous autism treatment study in children as young as 18 months finds vast improvement

CHICAGO - The first rigorous study of behaviour treatment in autistic children as young as 18 months found two years of therapy can vastly improve symptoms, often resulting in a milder diagnosis....More

Audit finds half of Manitoba nursing homes not meeting core standards

WINNIPEG - An investigation by Manitoba's auditor general has found that more than half of the province's 126 nursing homes failed to meet four of the five core standards of care set out by the government....More

Safety needle program being extended to more health care facilities

TORONTO - The provincial government is expanding a needle safety program to a third group of workplaces in Ontario. So-called safety needles are designed to eliminate or minimize the risk of needle punctures to nurses and other health care workers....More

Ont. trying to tackle dramatic increase in out-of-province OHIP visits: minister

TORONTO - Ontario is trying to tackle a huge increase in out-of-province visits covered by public health insurance over the last decade, Health Minister Deb Matthews said Thursday....More

Number of doctors in Canada rises, physician-to-population ratio improves

TORONTO - The number of doctors in Canada has risen over the last five years, and the rate of increase is greater than the rate of population growth, says a new report that was greeted Thursday with cautious optimism....More

Manufacturing changes to heparin mean decreased potency, Health Canada warns

TORONTO - Health Canada is informing Canadians who use the blood thinner heparin as well as health-care professionals that certain heparin products will soon undergo a reduction in potency....More

Italy, citing safety concerns, puts approval of RU-486 abortion pill on hold

ROME - An Italian Senate committee has decided to keep the RU-486 abortion pill off the market while its safety is evaluated....More

Alberta researcher makes stem cell breakthrough that could help premature babies

EDMONTON - An international team headed by a University of Alberta researcher has used stem cells to heal and protect the lungs of newborn rats - research that could help premature babies with chronic lung disease. Dr....More

1,400 families affected by lead poisoning to be relocated in northern China

BEIJING - China will relocate 1,400 families who live near a smelter that caused lead poisoning in about 850 children this year, state media said Friday....More

US report: No evidence that swine flu vaccine is causing serious side effects

ATLANTA - There's no evidence that the swine flu vaccine is causing any serious side effects, U.S. health officials said Wednesday, in their first report on the safety of the new vaccine....More

UN AIDS report says heterosexual sexual contact main cause for HIV's spread in China

SHANGHAI, China - The virus that causes AIDS is now spreading fastest in China through heterosexual sex, a trend demanding new strategies to stave off a rebound in the epidemic after years of progress in containing it, a United Nations report said....More

Studies, health officials say cutting global warming pollution has health benefits

WASHINGTON - Cutting global warming pollution would not only make the planet healthier, it also would make people healthier too, new research suggests....More

PHAC confirms 24 cases of anaphylaxis across Canada after H1N1 flu shots

TORONTO - There have been 24 confirmed cases of a type of severe allergic reaction called anaphylaxis in Canadians who have received an H1N1 flu shot, including one person who died after getting vaccinated, the head of the Public Health Agency of Canada said Wednesday. Dr....More

P.E.I. introduces bill that would allow it to sue tobacco companies

CHARLOTTETOWN - A bill has been introduced in the Prince Edward Island legislature that would allow the province to sue tobacco companies for past health-care costs related to the product's use....More

Class-action suits filed across Canada against B.C.-based crib manufacturer

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Class-action lawsuits have been filed across Canada on behalf of consumers who bought drop-side cribs now subject to a massive North American recall....More

Canadian Medical Assoc. writing patients' charter, wants national debate

TORONTO - A national debate is needed on what health services should be provided in the future and how they will be paid for, the president of the Canadian Medical Association said Wednesday....More

Audit finds half of Manitoba nursing homes not meeting core standards

WINNIPEG - An investigation by Manitoba's auditor general has found that more than half of the province's 126 nursing homes failed to meet four of the five core standards of care set out by the government....More

New Brunswick to launch provincewide program for colorectal cancer screening

FREDERICTON - New Brunswick is increasing efforts to deal with colorectal cancer by establishing a provincewide screening program and by becoming one of the last provinces to cover the cost of Avastin, an expensive cancer drug....More

GSK says still no answer on whether H1N1 vaccine batch triggers more reaction

TORONTO - The investigation into whether a batch of H1N1 vaccine may have triggered a higher-than-normal rate of allergic reactions hasn't yet come up with answers, vaccine manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline said Tuesday....More

Formerly conjoined twins sampling food, enjoying TV as they recover from separation surgery

MELBOURNE, Australia - Formerly conjoined twin sisters Trishna and Krishna are enjoying a favourite DVD and trying new foods as they continue their recovery from marathon separation surgery, doctors said....More

Comatose for 23 years, Belgian says he feels reborn after being "lonely, frustrated"

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Helped by a therapist, Rom Houben's outstretched finger tapped with surprising speed on a computer touchscreen, spelling out how he felt "alone, lonely, frustrated" in the 23 years he was trapped inside a paralyzed body....More

CEO of company that produced recalled cribs says products safe, recall voluntary

VANCOUVER, B.C. - The head of a British Columbia crib manufacturing company behind a massive recall says his products are safe - if used properly. Jim Moore, president and chief executive of Stork Craft Manufacturing Inc., said the four U.S....More

After massive recall, agency concedes it moved slowly on crib safety

WASHINGTON - The head of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has conceded that the agency has not been "acting as quickly as it should" on crib safety problems....More

$25B deficit no excuse to delay Ontario's poverty plans, advocates say

TORONTO - It's time for Ontario to take aggressive action on child poverty despite a $25-billion deficit because the longer the province waits to deal with the burden, the more expensive it's going to get, child poverty advocates said Tuesday....More

UN AIDS report says heterosexual sexual contact main cause for HIV's spread in China

SHANGHAI, China - The virus that causes AIDS is now spreading fastest in China through heterosexual sex, a trend demanding new strategies to stave off a rebound in the epidemic after years of progress in containing it, a United Nations report said....More

Ottawa teams up with Juvenile Diabetes Foundation in $30-million partnership

WATERLOO, Ont. - The federal government is announcing a $30-million partnership with Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Canada toward combating the disease....More

Formerly conjoined Bangladeshi twins leave intensive care, adjusting well following separation

SYDNEY, Australia - Recently separated conjoined Bangladeshi twins left intensive care on Monday and were adjusting well after their marathon operation, hospital officials said....More

Donated 'weed,' snacks and old cafe provide social outlet for Oregon medical marijuana users

PORTLAND, Ore. - At the newly opened Cannabis Cafe, people sit around taking tokes from a "vaporizer" -7 a contraption with a big plastic bag that captures the potent vapours of heated marijuana....More

Doctors cautiously try lung bypass machine for sickest swine flu patients

WASHINGTON - A technology originally developed for premature babies may be helping to save some of the sickest swine flu patients by rerouting their blood so their lungs can rest. It's a risky approach using equipment that only certain specialized hospitals have....More

Belgian man, thought to be in a stupor for 23 years, says he was alert but unable to cry out

BRUSSELS, Belgium - For 23 torturous years, Rom Houben says he lay trapped in his paralyzed body, aware of what was going on around him but unable to tell anyone or even cry out....More

B.C.-based company voluntarily recalls 2.1 million drop-side cribs

VANCOUVER, B.C. - More than 2.1 million Canadian-made drop-side cribs have been recalled in Canada and the United States after more than 100 cases of injuries, including four deaths were reported, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Monday....More

UN: HIV epidemic peaked in 1996, number of infected almost unchanged since 2007

GENEVA - The number of people worldwide infected with the virus that causes AIDS - about 33 million - has remained virtually unchanged for the last two years, United Nations experts said Tuesday....More

After massive recall, agency concedes it moved slowly on crib safety

WASHINGTON - The head of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has conceded that the agency has not been "acting as quickly as it should" on crib safety problems....More

Dems seal 60-vote majority to advance health care reform bill; Landrieu, Lincoln to vote ’yes’

WASHINGTON - In a show of unity, Senate Democrats sealed a 60-vote majority needed to advance health care legislation Saturday ahead of an evening showdown with Republicans eager to doom the bill and inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama....More

Democrats secure votes to move forward on health care overhaul

WASHINGTON - Democratic leaders secured the last votes needed to move ahead on historic health care reform legislation, clearing the way for a Saturday night showdown on President Barack Obama's top domestic policy initiative....More

Democrats seal majority to advance health care bill on 60-39 vote

WASHINGTON - Democrats united to push historic health care legislation past a key Senate hurdle over the opposition of Republicans eager to inflict a punishing defeat on President Barack Obama. There was not a vote to spare....More

Democrats move toward crucial vote on Senate version of health care overhaul

WASHINGTON - Democratic senators called an overhaul of the U.S. health care system long overdue as historic legislation advanced toward a crucial first vote Saturday night, an early test of party unity on President Barack Obama's top domestic initiative Democratic leaders are...More

Bangladeshi mother says formerly conjoined twins should grow up in Australia

DHAKA, Bangladesh - The mother who gave up conjoined Bangladeshi newborn twins for adoption said Saturday she is overjoyed the toddlers have been successfully separated and wants them to grow up in Australia. "My babies are alive and doing well....More

Study: Preschoolers watching TV at home-based daycare may spend hours in front of TV screen

SEATTLE - Parents who thought their preschoolers were spending time in home-based day cares, taking naps, eating healthy snacks and learning to play nicely with others may be surprised to discover they are sitting as many as two hours a day in front of a TV, according to a study published...More

Formerly conjoined Bangladeshi twins leave intensive care, adjusting well following separation

SYDNEY, Australia - Recently separated conjoined Bangladeshi twins left intensive care on Monday and were adjusting well after their marathon operation, hospital officials said....More

Donated 'weed,' snacks and old cafe provide social outlet for Oregon medical marijuana users

PORTLAND, Ore. - At the newly opened Cannabis Cafe, people sit around taking tokes from a "vaporizer" -7 a contraption with a big plastic bag that captures the potent vapours of heated marijuana....More

Asthma appears to be significant risk factor in kids for severe H1N1: study

TORONTO - Parents of children with asthma should have an "increased state of alertness" about the pandemic flu virus, suggests the co-author of a new Canadian study comparing it to seasonal flu....More

Anatomical art once owned by Ben Franklin go on display at Philadelphia hospital

PHILADELPHIA - Centuries before X-rays, CAT scans and ultrasounds gave doctors a view inside the human body, the best images medical students often had were illustrations drawn by artists of bodies in a morgue....More

Alberta health minister looks to taxpayers to make up for lost health premiums

EDMONTON - Alberta's health minister is thinking about a new way for taxpayers to put money towards health care. Ron Liepert says there's a need to replace roughly $1 billion a year that was lost when the government dropped health premiums last year....More

1 formerly conjoined twin awakes, talking normally after separation surgery in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia - A Bangladeshi toddler separated this week from her conjoined twin sister was talking and behaving normally Thursday after waking from a medically induced coma, the head of the surgery team said....More

Military experiment seeks clues to predict which troops might suffer post-traumatic stress

TWENTYNINE PALMS, Calif. - Two days before shipping off to war, marine Pte. 1st Class Jesse Sheets sat inside a trailer in the Mojave Desert, his gaze fixed on a computer that flashed a rhythmic pulse of contrasting images. Smiling kids embracing a soldier....More

Guidelines say less frequent Paps OK to detect cervical cancer - every 2 years for under-30

WASHINGTON - Most women in their 20s can have a Pap smear every two years instead of annually, say new guidelines that conclude that is enough to catch slow-growing cervical cancer....More

Diarrhea and pneumonia are biggest child killers, but world is focused on AIDS and malaria

HANOI, Vietnam - Diarrhea doesn't make headlines. Nor does pneumonia. AIDS and malaria tend to get most of the attention. Yet even though cheap tools could prevent and cure both diseases, they kill an estimated 3....More

As price of child vaccines drop, millions of lives saved from preventable diseases

HANOI, Vietnam - Babies squirmed and wailed as needles plunged into their chubby thighs at a public health clinic on the outskirts of Hanoi on Friday. Like little ones everywhere, the reaction to the sting was never pretty. Starting next year an extra 6....More

Head of US international AIDS program says recession not dampening his efforts

PRETORIA, South Africa - The global recession is not dampening America's international drive to stop AIDS, the head of the campaign said Wednesday....More

Formerly conjoined twins in serious, stable condition after separation surgery in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia - An aid worker who helped bring formerly conjoined Bangladeshi twins to Australia where doctors managed to separate them spoke of her relief Wednesday over their successful surgery, as the girls remained in serious but stable condition....More

Ex-Kiss drummer Peter Criss, a survivor of male breast cancer, urges men to get checked for it

SPRING LAKE, N.J. - Lying in bed one night in 2007, Peter Criss felt something strange: a small lump on his left breast. "I thought, 'It's a nodule, I'm a guy, I don't think it's anything more than that,"' he said....More

CT scan is faster to rule out heart attack in chest pain sufferers:study

ORLANDO, Fla. - A CT scan - a kind of super X-ray - provides a faster, cheaper way to diagnose a heart attack when someone goes to the emergency room with chest pains, a new study suggests. About six million people each year go to U.S....More

Senate health bill to cost $849 billion over a decade, cover 94 per cent of eligible Americans

WASHINGTON - The Senate received $849 billion health care legislation and is set to begin work on the subject that has become the biggest domestic issue facing President Barack Obama's administration....More

Experts: Radical swine flu measures in China, elsewhere, won't stop outbreaks

LONDON - Health experts say extraordinary measures against swine flu - most notably quarantines imposed by China, where entire planeloads of passengers were isolated if one traveller had symptoms - have failed to contain the disease....More

AstraZeneca applies for US approval for blood clot preventer Brilinta

LONDON - AstraZeneca PLC said Thursday it has applied to U.S. regulators to market its blood clot preventer Brilinta, a potential new big seller for the company. AstraZeneca submitted a new drug application to the U.S....More

1 formerly conjoined twin awakes, talking normally after separation surgery in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia - A Bangladeshi toddler separated this week from her conjoined twin sister was talking and behaving normally Thursday after waking from a medically induced coma, the head of the surgery team said....More

No fast-food phenom: Ancient mummies show signs of heart disease, scientists say

ORLANDO, Fla. - You can't blame this one on McDonald's: Researchers have found signs of heart disease in 3,500-year-old mummies....More

New device boosts heart failure survival in study; could be permanent pump for frail elderly

ORLANDO, Fla. - Doctors say that a new type of heart pump greatly improves survival of people with severe heart failure. It could become the first one of these devices to be widely used as a permanent treatment....More

Medical marijuana dispensaries will have to start paying sales taxes in US state

DENVER - Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter plans to direct medical marijuana dispensaries to start paying sales tax....More

Health advocacy group find excessive lead levels in toys with Barbie, Disney name

WASHINGTON - Children's toys carrying the Barbie and Disney logos have turned up with high levels of lead in them, according to a California-based advocacy group - a finding that may give consumers pause as they shop for the holiday season....More

BC court rules Vancouver private for-profit health clinics can be audited

VANCOUVER, B.C. - Private doctors in British Columbia who argue rules against for-profit health care are unconstitutional will get their day in court. The case was given the green light by the B.C....More

Alberta cutting vacant health care jobs, 550 staff taking buyouts

EDMONTON - Alberta health superboard says it's trying to eliminate its $1.3 billion deficit by cutting hundreds of health-care jobs. Alberta Health Services has cut 660 jobs by not filling vacant positions and another 550 staff have agreed to take voluntary buyouts....More

Formerly conjoined twins in serious, stable condition after separation surgery in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia - An aid worker who helped bring formerly conjoined Bangladeshi twins to Australia where doctors managed to separate them spoke of her relief Wednesday over their successful surgery, as the girls remained in serious but stable condition....More

Ex-Kiss drummer Peter Criss, a survivor of male breast cancer, urges men to get checked for it

SPRING LAKE, N.J. - Lying in bed one night in 2007, Peter Criss felt something strange: a small lump on his left breast. "I thought, 'It's a nodule, I'm a guy, I don't think it's anything more than that,"' he said....More

Half of Quebec's illegal drug users not aware what they're taking: report

MONTREAL - A report on illegal drug use says more than half of Quebecers who use so-called designer drugs have no idea what they're consuming when they swallow what they think is ecstasy or speed....More

Australian doctors begin surgery to separate Bangladeshi twins conjoined at top of the head

MELBOURNE, Australia - A team of Australian surgeons were working Monday on a delicate and complicated surgery to separate twin sisters who are joined at the top of the head....More

AIDS researchers say immunity to deadly virus is key to finding vaccine

WINNIPEG - Researchers say they are closer than ever to finding a vaccine against HIV/AIDS thanks to people who have had contact with the virus but haven't become infected....More

Activists, medical community to Obama: More funding needed to fight AIDS in rural South

JACKSON, Miss. - People with AIDS, activists and health care professionals want the Obama administration to provide more money to combat the disease's toll in the rural South....More

About 1 in 5 Canadians immunized against H1N1: chief health officer

WINNIPEG - The country's chief public health officer says Canada is leading the world when it comes to the percentage of its citizens vaccinated against the swine flu. Dr....More

'So far, so good,' say Aussie docs in marathon surgery to separate twins joined at top of head

MELBOURNE, Australia - Twin Bangladeshi girls joined at the top of their heads were in good condition Tuesday but were not yet separated after 24 hours of complicated surgery, hospital officials said....More

'Active surveillance' of some prostate cancers safe approach: study

TORONTO - A significant proportion of men newly diagnosed with prostate cancer can be safely managed with "active surveillance" instead of undergoing radical treatment that can cause a variety of unpleasant side-effects, a Canadian study suggests....More

Twin girls joined at top of heads successfully separated after 25-hour surgery in Australia

MELBOURNE, Australia - A team of 16 surgeons and nurses successfully concluded 25 hours of delicate surgery Tuesday to separate twin Bangladeshi girls who had been joined at their heads, sharing blood vessels and brain tissue....More

Sask. conference to focus on helping aboriginal women with HIV, substance abuse

REGINA - A spokeswoman for a group hosting a conference in Regina says the best way to help aboriginal women deal with such things as HIV, AIDS, hepatits and substance abuse is to give them a voice....More

Post-traumatic stress disorder being over-diagnosed, says doctor

A new study suggests post-traumatic stress disorder is being over-diagnosed in Canada and that disability claims could skyrocket as a result....More

Niacin shrinks artery plaque; Merck's Zetia does not and may carry risks, new study finds

ORLANDO, Fla. - A new study raises fresh concerns about Zetia and its cousin, Vytorin - drugs that are still taken by millions of people to lower cholesterol, despite questions raised last year about how well they work....More

Hundreds of doses of H1N1 vaccine discarded in Canada due to 24-hour shelf life

HALIFAX, N.S. - Some health authorities across the country have tossed out hundreds of doses of the swine flu vaccine because of miscalculations over how many of the time-sensitive dosages are needed at community clinics....More

H1N1's true toll not shown by death tally, picture may take months to come clear

TORONTO - Are you confused by the H1N1 numbers? Wondering why public health officials are making such a fuss about a virus that has so far killed so few people? You aren't alone....More

Federal laboratories having difficulty accounting for pathogens: audit

OTTAWA - Government labs, including the one handling samples of swine flu, struggle to keep track of viruses and bacteria, a recent audit found....More

Australian doctors begin surgery to separate Bangladeshi twins conjoined at top of the head

MELBOURNE, Australia - A team of Australian surgeons were working Monday on a delicate and complicated surgery to separate twin sisters who are joined at the top of the head....More

Activists, medical community to Obama: More funding needed to fight AIDS in rural South

JACKSON, Miss. - People with AIDS, activists and health care professionals want the Obama administration to provide more money to combat the disease's toll in the rural South....More

Activists, doctors call for moratorium on Ont. hospital cuts, closings

TORONTO - A panel set up by the Ontario government to review health care services in rural and northern communities is "nonsense" because it won't stop hospitals from cutting services or closing altogether, complain activists, local politicians and doctors....More

Using glue to mend breastbone after open-heart surgery means quicker healing

TORONTO - Canadian researchers have pioneered a new way to mend a patient's breastbone after open-heart surgery, using a Superman-strength glue that cuts healing time and reduces pain....More

US adult smoking rate rises for the first time in 15 years, nearly 21 pct, CDC says

ATLANTA - Cigarette smoking rose slightly for the first time among Americans in almost 15 years, dashing health officials' hopes that the U.S. smoking rate had moved permanently below 20 per cent. A little under 21 per cent of U.S....More

Pioneering cardiologist and inventor of specialized catheter William Ganz dies in US

LOS ANGELES - Dr. William Ganz, a pioneering cardiologist and one of the inventors of a specialized catheter, has died. He was 90. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center released a statement Wednesday saying Ganz died of natural causes Tuesday in Los Angeles....More

P.E.I government uses throne speech to promise new agency to deliver health care

CHARLOTTETOWN - The Prince Edward Island government plans to create a new arm's-length organization to deliver health services on the Island. The plan to create Health P.E.I. was announced today in the throne speech opening the fall session of the legislature....More

Drowning prevention info translated into 26 languages to reach more Ontarians

TORONTO - The Lifesaving Society is translating vital drowning prevention information into 26 additional languages in an effort to reach new immigrant parents in Ontario....More

Canadians think governments have done OK on H1N1, but media overreacting: poll

TORONTO - Opposition politicians and the media may be hammering governments for their handling of the H1N1 situation, but a new poll suggests Canadians themselves feel their governments are doing an OK job....More

B.C. health officer hopeful that H1N1 virus has peaked in the province

VANCOUVER, B.C. - When it resurged this fall, H1N1 hit Canada's westernmost province first, and quickly reared its ugly head across the country. Now health officials in other provinces might be hoping to follow in B.C....More

UNICEF says hunger causes stunted growth in nearly 200 million children around the world

ROME - Nearly 200 million children in poor countries have stunted growth because of insufficient nutrition, according to a new report published by UNICEF before a three-day international summit on the problem of world hunger. The head of a U.N....More

Quebec resistance case points to dangers of using Tamiflu to prevent H1N1

TORONTO - Doctors should be cautious about giving Tamiflu to people to prevent them from becoming ill after they've been exposed to H1N1, an antiviral expert said Wednesday as he reported details of North America's first reported case of Tamiflu-resistant H1N1 viruses. Dr....More

N.L. government reaches tentative deal with community-based ambulances

ST. JOHN'S, N.L. - The Newfoundland and Labrador government has reached a tentative contract agreement with the province's 22 community-based ambulance operators. Finance Minister Tom Marshall announced the four-year deal Wednesday night. Details were not released....More

High doses of BPA in Chinese factory workers linked to men's sex problems: study

NEW YORK - Male factory workers in China who got very high doses of a chemical that's been widely used in hard plastic bottles had high rates of sexual problems, researchers reported Wednesday....More

Harper phones premiers to discuss swine flu, economy

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper held a conference call with the premiers on Tuesday to talk about swine flu and the economy. The call came at Harper's behest and mainly covered the troubled H1N1 vaccination campaign....More

Activists, doctors call for moratorium on Ont. hospital cuts, closings

TORONTO - A panel set up by the Ontario government to review health care services in rural and northern communities is "nonsense" because it won't stop hospitals from cutting services or closing altogether, complain activists, local politicians and doctors....More

Poll suggests Canadians lukewarm to official H1N1 efforts, media overreacting

TORONTO - A new poll suggests most Canadians are pretty lukewarm in their response to government handling of the H1N1 influenza pandemic....More

Pioneering cardiologist and inventor of specialized catheter William Ganz dies in US

LOS ANGELES - Dr. William Ganz, a pioneering cardiologist and one of the inventors of a specialized catheter, has died. He was 90. Cedars-Sinai Medical Center released a statement Wednesday saying Ganz died of natural causes Tuesday in Los Angeles....More

Sick Kids Hospital program prescribes legal remedies for families in need

TORONTO - Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children is launching an innovative program that is adding lawyers to the teams of doctors, nurses and therapists who care for its young patients....More

Placebo power: Belief in treatment can help you feel better, scientists say

People looking for natural cures will be happy to know there is one. Two words explain how it works: "I believe." It's the placebo effect - the ability of a dummy pill or a faked treatment to make people feel better, just because they expect that it will....More

Parents outraged, but expert says don't worry about H1N1 double doses for kids

TORONTO - Families in several provinces were expressing outrage and concern Tuesday after they said their children got double the recommended dose of the H1N1 vaccine, but at least one medical expert said there's little need for concern....More

Ontario has 52 swine flu related deaths since April, infection rates on the rise

TORONTO - Ontario's top medical official says there have been 52 swine flu related deaths in the province since April. That's up from the 37 deaths reported last week, and Dr. Arlene King says 14 of the newly reported deaths occurred before last Friday....More

Ont. to broaden flu vaccine group to police, firefighters, ministry staff

TORONTO - Police, firefighters and Ministry of Health staff are among the groups that will be offered the H1N1 vaccine next in Ontario, the province's top medical health official said Tuesday....More

Ont. joins Manitoba, N. Brunswick in temporarily shutting some H1N1 clinics

TORONTO - Ontario has joined Manitoba and New Brunswick in temporarily shutting down some H1N1 clinics due to a shortage of vaccine, even for priority candidates....More

More health crises to come for First Nations long after H1N1 disappears: chief

WINNIPEG - Canada's national aboriginal chief says the swine flu is just the first of more health crises that First Nations communities will face. Shawn Atleo says aboriginals will continue to be hard hit by illnesses until living conditions on reserves improve....More

Harper phones premiers to discuss swine flu, economy

OTTAWA - Prime Minister Stephen Harper held a conference call with the premiers on Tuesday to talk about swine flu and the economy. The call came at Harper's behest and mainly covered the troubled H1N1 vaccination campaign....More

Obama says it's time for House to 'answer call of history' and pass health overhaul bill

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama urged lawmakers to pass a proposed health care overhaul during a rare visit to Capitol Hill on Saturday and later told them: "Now is the time to finish the job....More

Quebec streamlines swine flu vaccination programs

MONTREAL - Montreal is speeding through its vaccination campaign and will begin immunizing people under 65 with chronic medical conditions ahead of schedule....More

Experts say don't fall for swine flu 'cures' or myths, stick with flu shot

TORONTO - Pop a vitamin, ban doctors' neckties, vacuum away swine flu germs and smoke an e-cigarette to ward off H1N1. Those are just some of the suggestions making the rounds on the Internet that have health officials and experts shaking their heads....More

Experience from previous pandemics suggest H1N1 may not have peaked: experts

TORONTO - As delivery of H1N1 vaccine to the provinces ramps up this week after an unfortunate slowdown, some public health officials are warning that Canadians shouldn't decide they can do without vaccine just because they've made it this far without a shot....More

Can cheap drugs help save H1N1 patients? Studies aim to find out

TORONTO - Can cheap and readily available treatments like steroids and cholesterol-lowering statin drugs help save the sickest of H1N1 patients? New efforts by researchers in Canada, the United States and France could help answer this pressing question....More

Asbestos killing more Canadians than ever; like old 'landmines'

MONTREAL - An aggressive cancer linked to asbestos exposure is killing more Canadians than ever before. The most recent federal figures available show the number of new cases of mesothelioma shot up 67 per cent over a decade and a half....More

A nurse's perspective: Head of CNA tells of pitching in to give flu shots

It's all hands on deck for the largest flu vaccination campaign in Canadian history, and even the president of the Canadian Nurses Association is back on the front lines to give shots....More

11 children in Brampton, Ont., get double dose of H1N1 flu shot by mistake

TORONTO - A Brampton, Ont., man is questioning why the nurse who gave his young daughter and almost a dozen other children double the recommended dose of the H1N1 flu vaccine is still giving out the swine flu shot....More

Obama says it's time for House to 'answer call of history' and pass health overhaul bill

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama urged lawmakers to pass a proposed health care overhaul during a rare visit to Capitol Hill on Saturday and later told them: "Now is the time to finish the job....More

Quebec streamlines swine flu vaccination programs

MONTREAL - Montreal is speeding through its vaccination campaign and will begin immunizing people under 65 with chronic medical conditions ahead of schedule....More

Experts say don't fall for swine flu 'cures' or myths, stick with flu shot

TORONTO - Pop a vitamin, ban doctors' neckties, vacuum away swine flu germs and smoke an e-cigarette to ward off H1N1. Those are just some of the suggestions making the rounds on the Internet that have health officials and experts shaking their heads....More

Experience from previous pandemics suggest H1N1 may not have peaked: experts

TORONTO - As delivery of H1N1 vaccine to the provinces ramps up this week after an unfortunate slowdown, some public health officials are warning that Canadians shouldn't decide they can do without vaccine just because they've made it this far without a shot....More

Can cheap drugs help save H1N1 patients? Studies aim to find out

TORONTO - Can cheap and readily available treatments like steroids and cholesterol-lowering statin drugs help save the sickest of H1N1 patients? New efforts by researchers in Canada, the United States and France could help answer this pressing question....More

Asbestos killing more Canadians than ever; like old 'landmines'

MONTREAL - An aggressive cancer linked to asbestos exposure is killing more Canadians than ever before. The most recent federal figures available show the number of new cases of mesothelioma shot up 67 per cent over a decade and a half....More

A nurse's perspective: Head of CNA tells of pitching in to give flu shots

It's all hands on deck for the largest flu vaccination campaign in Canadian history, and even the president of the Canadian Nurses Association is back on the front lines to give shots....More

11 children in Brampton, Ont., get double dose of H1N1 flu shot by mistake

TORONTO - A Brampton, Ont., man is questioning why the nurse who gave his young daughter and almost a dozen other children double the recommended dose of the H1N1 flu vaccine is still giving out the swine flu shot....More

H1N1 vaccine supply dwindles just as demand begins to surge

OTTAWA - A promised torrent of H1N1 vaccine is suddenly slowing to a dismal trickle just as public demand for the shot surges in the face of escalating concern about swine flu....More

Beleaguered Quebec H1N1 vaccination sites start demanding proof of residence

MONTREAL - Quebec has begun demanding identification before doling out H1N1 vaccinations after a chaotic scene at one injection site that was flooded with out-of-towners and lower-priority patients....More

A look at the latest H1N1 developments in Canada and around the world

Developments Friday in the ongoing H1N1 pandemic in Canada and around the world: Amid public demand for H1N1 shots that's growing at an exponential rate, Ottawa is telling vaccine-hungry provinces to expect only a fraction of what they were hoping to get....More

Niagara-area woman dies from H1N1, third death in Ont. in just over a week

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - An Ontario woman from the Niagara Falls area has died after contracting H1N1, following an outbreak in the region, marking the province's third confirmed death from the flu in a little over a week....More

Health Canada demands cash on the barrelhead for government grass

OTTAWA - Health Canada is getting tough with patients who use government-certified medical marijuana, demanding full payment in advance before shipping the weed. The move, effective Nov....More

China reports 2 more deaths of swine flu as its moves to vaccinate

BEIJING - China's Health Ministry says two more people have died of swine flu on the mainland, bringing its death toll to six. The ministry said late Friday that China had reported 2,972 confirmed cases of H1N1 virus in 48 hours ending Friday afternoon....More

Officials didn't expect such uptake for swine-flu shot: Butler-Jones

OTTAWA - Canada's top doctor says health officials didn't expect so many people to line up for the swine flu shot. Dr....More

Federal e-health audit due next week as controversy continues in B.C., Ontario

VICTORIA, B.C. - It prompted a cabinet resignation in Ontario and is linked to an on-going RCMP investigation in British Columbia, and on Tuesday federal auditor general Sheila Fraser weighs in on Ottawa's management of the electronic health program....More

H1N1 vaccine supply dwindles just as demand begins to surge

OTTAWA - A promised torrent of H1N1 vaccine is suddenly slowing to a dismal trickle just as public demand for the shot surges in the face of escalating concern about swine flu....More

Beleaguered Quebec H1N1 vaccination sites start demanding proof of residence

MONTREAL - Quebec has begun demanding identification before doling out H1N1 vaccinations after a chaotic scene at one injection site that was flooded with out-of-towners and lower-priority patients....More

A look at the latest H1N1 developments in Canada and around the world

Developments Friday in the ongoing H1N1 pandemic in Canada and around the world: Amid public demand for H1N1 shots that's growing at an exponential rate, Ottawa is telling vaccine-hungry provinces to expect only a fraction of what they were hoping to get....More

Niagara-area woman dies from H1N1, third death in Ont. in just over a week

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - An Ontario woman from the Niagara Falls area has died after contracting H1N1, following an outbreak in the region, marking the province's third confirmed death from the flu in a little over a week....More

Health Canada demands cash on the barrelhead for government grass

OTTAWA - Health Canada is getting tough with patients who use government-certified medical marijuana, demanding full payment in advance before shipping the weed. The move, effective Nov....More

China reports 2 more deaths of swine flu as its moves to vaccinate

BEIJING - China's Health Ministry says two more people have died of swine flu on the mainland, bringing its death toll to six. The ministry said late Friday that China had reported 2,972 confirmed cases of H1N1 virus in 48 hours ending Friday afternoon....More

Officials didn't expect such uptake for swine-flu shot: Butler-Jones

OTTAWA - Canada's top doctor says health officials didn't expect so many people to line up for the swine flu shot. Dr....More

Federal e-health audit due next week as controversy continues in B.C., Ontario

VICTORIA, B.C. - It prompted a cabinet resignation in Ontario and is linked to an on-going RCMP investigation in British Columbia, and on Tuesday federal auditor general Sheila Fraser weighs in on Ottawa's management of the electronic health program....More

H1N1: Québec distribuera coupons et bracelets dans les files d'attente

QUEBEC - Les files d'attente aux centres de vaccination contre la grippe A (H1N1) ont pris une ampleur telle ces derniers jours que Québec se sent obligé d'intervenir....More

H1N1: les autorités font ce qu'elles peuvent, dit le Collège des médecins

MONTREAL - Bien qu'il n'aime pas voir des personnes souffrant de maladies chroniques attendre de longues heures dehors pour être vaccinées contre la grippe A (H1N1), le Collège des médecins défend les autorités québécoises de la Santé, affirmant qu'elles ne pouvaient procéder autrement....More

Grippe A/H1N1: le Tamiflu et le Relenza vendus sans ordonnance en Norvège

OSLO - La Norvège a annoncé mardi qu'elle vendrait à partir de jeudi les traitements antiviraux Tamiflu et Relenza sans ordonnance pour faire face à la rapide propagation de la grippe A/H1N1 dans le pays....More

GlaxoSmithKline reprend la production du vaccin avec adjuvant

TORONTO - Le géant pharmaceutique GlaxoSmithKline a annoncé mardi qu'il a terminé la production d'une version sans adjuvant du vaccin contre la grippe A (H1N1) - à l'intention des femmes enceintes - et qu'il reprend maintenant la production de la version avec adjuvant que recevront une...More

Des produits dangereux se trouvent en magasin sans avertissement

OTTAWA - Des produits cancérigènes ou pouvant provoquer d'autres maladies chroniques se retrouvent sur les tablettes des magasins du pays sans que les consommateurs ne soient avertis de leurs dangers....More

Des produits dangereux se trouvent en magasin sans avertissement

OTTAWA - Des produits cancérigènes ou pouvant provoquer d'autres maladies chroniques se retrouvent sur les tablettes des magasins du pays sans que les consommateurs ne soient avertis de leurs dangers....More

Actualités sur la santé

OTTAWA - Des produits cancérigènes ou pouvant provoquer d'autres maladies chroniques se retrouvent sur les tablettes des magasins du pays sans que les consommateurs ne soient avertis de leurs dangers....More

Actualités sur la santé

OTTAWA - Des produits cancérigènes ou pouvant provoquer d'autres maladies chroniques se retrouvent sur les tablettes des magasins du pays sans que les consommateurs ne soient avertis de leurs dangers....More

H1N1 vaccine supply dwindles just as demand begins to surge

OTTAWA - A promised torrent of H1N1 vaccine is suddenly slowing to a dismal trickle just as public demand for the shot surges in the face of escalating concern about swine flu....More

Beleaguered Quebec H1N1 vaccination sites start demanding proof of residence

MONTREAL - Quebec has begun demanding identification before doling out H1N1 vaccinations after a chaotic scene at one injection site that was flooded with out-of-towners and lower-priority patients....More

A look at the latest H1N1 developments in Canada and around the world

Developments Friday in the ongoing H1N1 pandemic in Canada and around the world: Amid public demand for H1N1 shots that's growing at an exponential rate, Ottawa is telling vaccine-hungry provinces to expect only a fraction of what they were hoping to get....More

Niagara-area woman dies from H1N1, third death in Ont. in just over a week

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - An Ontario woman from the Niagara Falls area has died after contracting H1N1, following an outbreak in the region, marking the province's third confirmed death from the flu in a little over a week....More

Health Canada demands cash on the barrelhead for government grass

OTTAWA - Health Canada is getting tough with patients who use government-certified medical marijuana, demanding full payment in advance before shipping the weed. The move, effective Nov....More

China reports 2 more deaths of swine flu as its moves to vaccinate

BEIJING - China's Health Ministry says two more people have died of swine flu on the mainland, bringing its death toll to six. The ministry said late Friday that China had reported 2,972 confirmed cases of H1N1 virus in 48 hours ending Friday afternoon....More

Officials didn't expect such uptake for swine-flu shot: Butler-Jones

OTTAWA - Canada's top doctor says health officials didn't expect so many people to line up for the swine flu shot. Dr....More

Federal e-health audit due next week as controversy continues in B.C., Ontario

VICTORIA, B.C. - It prompted a cabinet resignation in Ontario and is linked to an on-going RCMP investigation in British Columbia, and on Tuesday federal auditor general Sheila Fraser weighs in on Ottawa's management of the electronic health program....More

Officials didn't expect such uptake for swine-flu shot: Butler-Jones

OTTAWA - Canada's top doctor says health officials didn't expect so many people to line up for the swine flu shot. Dr....More

Les autorités ne s'attendaient pas à une telle ruée vers les cliniques

OTTAWA - Le Dr David Butler-Jones, administrateur en chef de la santé publique au Canada, affirme que les responsables de la santé ne s'attendaient pas à ce que tant de gens fassent la queue pour se faire vacciner contre la grippe H1N1....More

Les autorités ne s'attendaient pas à une telle ruée vers les cliniques

OTTAWA - Le Dr David Butler-Jones, administrateur en chef de la santé publique au Canada, affirme que les responsables de la santé ne s'attendaient pas à ce que tant de gens fassent la queue pour se faire vacciner contre la grippe H1N1....More

La Santé publique du NB surveille quatre cas de contamination à l'E Coli

FREDERICTON - La Santé publique du Nouveau-Brunswick surveille quatre cas confirmés de contamination à la bactérie E. Coli liés au restaurant Wendy's situé sur la rue Prospect à Fredericton....More

Federal e-health audit due next week as controversy continues in B.C., Ontario

VICTORIA, B.C. - It prompted a cabinet resignation in Ontario and is linked to an on-going RCMP investigation in British Columbia, and on Tuesday federal auditor general Sheila Fraser weighs in on Ottawa's management of the electronic health program....More

Campagne de vaccination, le Nouveau-Brunswick modifie sa liste prioritaire

FREDERICTON - Pour s'assurer que les personnes les plus vulnérables soient bel et bien vaccinées, le Nouveau-Brunswick a resserré les groupes ciblés pour recevoir les premières doses....More

Actualités sur la santé

OTTAWA - Le Dr David Butler-Jones, administrateur en chef de la santé publique au Canada, affirme que les responsables de la santé ne s'attendaient pas à ce que tant de gens fassent la queue pour se faire vacciner contre la grippe H1N1....More

Actualités sur la santé

OTTAWA - Le Dr David Butler-Jones, administrateur en chef de la santé publique au Canada, affirme que les responsables de la santé ne s'attendaient pas à ce que tant de gens fassent la queue pour se faire vacciner contre la grippe H1N1....More