Poor nations’ health systems must be boosted to improve maternal and newborn health, Unicef says

Health systems in poor countries, especially in Africa and south Asia, need to be substantially strengthened to improve care of newborn babies, and reduce mortality in women during pregnancy and childbirth, a Unicef report says. (Pictured credit: Unicef).

Other news published on 15 January:

• Doctor charged with manslaughter for giving patient a lethal dose of adrenaline 10 years ago
• Emergency patients in England wait longer to be seen
• Surgical checklist reduces complications by one third

Working on the Congolese front line

For anaesthetic nurse Paul Kanulambi Walelu (pictured), dealing with gunshot wounds, open fractures, emergency caesarean sections, peritonitis, and typhoid perforations is all in a day's work. In October 2008 he helped British surgeon David Nott in a forequarter amputation on a 16 year old boy who was close to death. The BMJ interviewed him with the help of Médecins sans Frontières.

Other news published on 14 January:

• Older US women are less likely than men to get kidney transplants
• Primary care trusts lack the skills to implement Darzi reforms, say MPs
• London trusts lose out in proposed formula for funding primary care
• Milburn is to head initiative to widen entry to medical training
• Nepalese government is to start providing free maternity care
• UN reports big increase in number of civilian casualties in Gaza

Health workers protest at unfair trial in Iran of HIV doctors

The trial of two Iranian doctors on secret charges has caused a storm of protest from advcoacy group Physicians for Human Rights and medical practitioners worldwide. Arash Alaei and Kamiar Alaei, two brothers known internationally for their groundbreaking work as HIV and AIDS physicians, had been held without charge for more than six months before their appearance at Tehran's Revolutionary Court at the end of December.

Other news published on 13 January:

• Health crisis in Zimbabwe is "man-made" and needs intervention from all UN states, report says
• Vaccinate people at risk and healthcare workers against flu, says European public health office

Germany abolishes its compulsory retirement age for doctors

A new law abolishing the compulsory retirement age of 68 for GPs and specialists in primary care in Germany came into effect at the beginning of this month. The new law has been introduced because of a shortage of doctors in rural areas and small towns, especially in east Germany. (Photo credit: Hao Wang - Fotolia.com)

Other news published on 12 January:

• Less than half of essential drugs for children are available in most central African countries
• Ethnicity "influences breast cancer risk, diagnosis, and treatment but not survival"

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