News Bites

Goals to reduce poverty and infant mortality will be missed

Published on the eve of the recent United Nations summit in New York, the UN's 2005 Human Development Report finds that progress on human development, public health, and education is slowing or stagnating in many parts of the world.

The report predicts that the UN's millennium development goals-a commitment made by 189 nations to reduce infant mortality and extreme poverty and to improve maternal health, primary education, and sex equality-are in many cases further from realisation today than they were in 1990.

As in previous years the annual report predicts that if current trends continue the world's failure to meet the goal on infant mortality will result in an extra 41 million children dying between now and 2015. On current trends, the report predicts, the world will not meet the goal of reducing child mortality by two thirds until 2045-30 years late. As for the goal of achieving universal primary education, 46 countries are currently going backwards or will not meet the target until after 2040, it says. The authors estimate that the income of the world's 500 richest people listed by Forbes magazine is equal to that of the world's poorest 416 million people. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cqi/content/full/331/7517/593-a/DC1

Medical students satisfied with their studies
Medical students in the UK are pleased with the education they're getting, according to the first national student satisfaction survey, published in The Times Higher. Medical students gave their course a median satisfaction score of 4.1 out of 5.0, when the highest score was 4.3 (Philosophy, theology and religious studies), and the lowest was 3.7 (Arts and design).

The questions posed in the survey covered different aspects of degree courses, such as teaching on courses, assessment and feedback, academic support, organisation and management, learning resources and personal development. Medical students seem to regard professional development as a very important aspect of their studies. They rated their degree in terms of personal development with a score of 4.3 out of 5.0, the highest score out of all undergraduate degree courses.

However, of all degree courses, medical students attributed gave a score of 3.0 to assessment and feedback, one of the lowest scores for this category. http://www.thes.co.uk/

More medical students will start training in service hospitals
Medical staff in district and smaller hospitals is becoming increasingly involved in teaching medical students, according to a questionnaire survey of doctors. In an effort to address workforce shortages, the expansion of undergraduate medical education is pushing full time professional medical education to district and smaller hospitals, which traditionally have been run as service, rather than academic, facilities.

According to the survey, medical staff in district and smaller hospital wants to be involved in teaching and believe that having medical students contributes to better quality health care. They also believe that they have insufficient time to cope with both clinical and teaching roles. The current expansion may not be sustainable without increased resources to convert service hospitals to teaching hospitals. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/7516/561  

Medical students are naive about drug companies
A survey of more than 1000 medical students from across the United States has shown that they are a soft target for drug companies. Respondents from eight medical schools received an average of one gift or sponsored event each week. Almost all the students had eaten sponsored lunches and accepted pens or coffee mugs from drug representatives. More than four fifths (690/798, 86%) had also attended sponsored grand rounds, and about half had accepted gifts of textbooks. Four fifths of the students (all third years) believed that they were entitled to gifts from drug companies, and 69% (556/808) said that gifts and other direct marketing would not influence their practice. http://bmj.bmllournals.com/cqi/content/full/331/7517/597
 

Ketamine use on the rise in the UK club scene
Ketamine, an anaesthetic most commonly used in veterinary medicine, has become one of the most established drugs in the UK club dance scene, according to a survey published in Druglink magazine by the charity Drugscope. The survey was carried out in 15 towns and cities in the UK, with ketamine being found on sale in eight. In last year's survey, the drug was not found to be on sale in any of the surveyed cities.

"Ketamine now has established its place alongside the usual dance scene drugs like ecstasy," Nottingham drugs worker Pete Hurd told Druglink magazine. Currently, it is not illegal to possess the drug, but the government's intentions are to make it class C before the end of 2005.
The drug is also known as K or Special K among recreational users, first became popular with the gay clubbing scene.
http://www.druqscope.orq.uk/news_item.asp?a=3&intID=1241
 

Men's life expectancy is catching up with women's
The historic gap between men and women's life expectancy could vanish as more and more women accustom themselves to the work hard-play hard culture of modern Britain, new figures from the Office of Health Economics show.

The rise of women in the workplace and the increasing prevalence of heavy drinking among women are leaving more women than ever vulnerable to illnesses traditionally experienced by men, the office's Compendium of Health Statistics says.

Although traditionally lower, male life expectancy is rising at a faster rate than women's, says the report. A male born in 2002 could expect to live to about 76, while his sister would live until 81, but it is likely that by 2010 life expectancy for both men and women will start to converge at about 81, estimates show. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/331/7518/656
 

Dutch researchers call for sex education in primary schools
Dutch researchers are calling for more primary school sex education after a study of sexual behaviour that shows that more teenagers are having sex than 10 years ago, and they are starting younger. The report, produced by two Dutch sexual health organisations, concludes that it is important for teenagers' sexual health to have a "warm family environment." Teenagers who received help and affection from their parents had less experience of sex, were more competent at negotiating with sexual partners, used contraception better, and were less likely to be forced into sex.

This first large scale study since 1995 included responses from 5000 12 to 25 year olds. It aims to mould health promotion policies in a country where teenage abortion rates are among the lowest in Europe but have been rising. Researchers stress that sexual health is generally good but recommend the targeting of specific ethnic, religious, educational, and age groups.

The study shows that, compared with 1995, more Dutch secondary schoolchildren are having sex-30% as opposed to 24%. http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgilcontent/full/331/7518/654-a

Record breaking medical school philantropist
Jan Vilcek, a microbiology researcher at New York University (NYU) School of Medicine, has donated $105 million to the institution where he has worked for 40 years. It is considered to be a record-breaking philanthropic gift from a staff member of the university.

The donation comes from royalties Dr. Vilcek earned from Remicadade, an antiinflammatory drug he developed. www.thes.co.uk