Category Archives: Health Care

Amit Paley, the Movement Against Malnutrition, Work for Efficient RUTF Delivery

Health Care,

Approximately 2 million children die from malnutrition every year. Amit Paley, Executive Director of The Movement Against Malnutrition, explains that there is a simple treatment: Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF). Developed twenty-five years ago, RUTF is a paste made from powdered milk, peanuts, butter, vegetable oil, sugar, and a mix of vitamins and minerals. It has a two-year shelf life, 500 high-nutritional calories, and is tasty for children. There is no need for refrigeration, cooking or water; children can eat the RUTF product directly from the packet. Remarkably, RUTF has been proven to be 90% effective at curing acute malnutrition.

However, due to a complex, inefficient and costly delivery system, only about 1 in 5 children have access to this lifesaving treatment. In addition, it is nearly impossible for families who live in war-torn or rural areas to access health clinics. Amit Paley is working to restructure the current ineffective system in order to simplify the delivery of RUTF so that more children have access to this miracle treatment.

Compassionate Care Provided at Camden Treatment Associates in New Jersey

Health Care, News

Camden Treatment Associates in New Jersey works around the clock to help those suffering from opiate drug addiction. The Camden Treatment staff is comprised of case managers, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, certified alcohol and drug counselors and board-certified addiction medicine physicians.

Camden Treatment Associates (CTA) provides tailored care to suit the diverse needs of patients, accommodating various lifestyles and schedules. This flexibility ensures that each individual receives optimal support, regardless of their work or personal commitments.

The main focus of New Jersey’s Camden Treatment Associates includes the combination of methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) and both group and individual drug counseling, in line with New Jersey State and Federal guidelines. This holistic approach is crucial for fostering lasting recovery from drug addiction.

With Methadone Maintenance Treatment, Camden Treatment patients receive a daily therapeutic dose of methadone, specifically designed to jumpstart the recovery process. When this is paired with counseling and psychosocial services, methadone alleviates cravings and withdrawal symptoms, setting the stage for a successful recovery journey.

Camdent Treatment’s MMT is particularly beneficial as it normalizes the body’s neurological and hormonal functions disrupted by heroin or other short-acting opioids. The benefits include reducing or eliminating opioid cravings, preventing withdrawal symptoms for over 24 hours, blocking the effects of other opioids, and enhancing physical and emotional health, thereby improving the overall quality of life and functioning.

Medical services provided by Camden Treatment Associates and Dr. John Holtsclaw’s medical team are licensed by the New Jersey Department of Human Services and federally accredited by CARF. Medical service include both group and individual counseling sessions. These therapeutic sessions at the New Jersey based facility foster self-awareness and provide insights into how addiction has impacted the individual’s life. The 90-day Camden Treatment Associates curriculum covers the biology of addiction, coping strategies, trigger identification, and skills development to support recovery and maintain sobriety.

This combination and unique way of treating the addiction epidemic in New Jersey and across America offers hope to those who suffer from drug addiction offering a way forward towards relief from the pain of addiction and a healthier lifestyle.

California is on Track to Produce Affordable Insulin

Companies, Health Care, Health Tech, News

Drug company Covica Rx has contracted with the state of California to create affordable insulin. Pending FDA approval, this 10-year, $50 million agreement will allow Civica to start making CalRx insulin in late 2023.  

People with Type 1 diabetes do not produce enough insulin, and they rely on manufactured insulin in order to survive. Currently, insulin can cost up to $300 for a 10 milliliter vial. But insulin produced by Civica for the state of California will cost no more than $30 per 10 milliliter vial, even for the uninsured. This will save patients who pay out of pocket up to $4,000 a year. 

This arrangement is part of California’s CalRx initiative which aims to reduce the cost of medications by producing generic drugs under the state’s own label. 

Civica will be producing three types of insulin, glargine, lisprom and aspart, which will all be the equivalent of the insulin produced by the major drug companies. Although California has initiated this project, the medicines will be available all across the country.

The production of affordable insulin is a game changer for Americans with diabetes. NPR.com reported that 1 out of 6 Americans living with diabetes ration their supply of insulin due to the high cost of the drug. University of California College of Law professor Robin Feldman called this an “extraordinary move in the pharmaceutical industry, not just for insulin but potentially for all kinds of drugs.”

Several pharmaceutical companies such as Eli Lilly and Sanofi have announced that they will also be cutting the cost of insulin in the upcoming year.

Nutritional Labels Found to Stump Shoppers

Consumerism, Health Care, Lifestyle, , , ,

The good news is most American consumers want to eat healthy; the bad news is companies are not making that easy. In a recent study conducted by Attest, research showed that 60% of 2,000 surveyed shoppers are committed to living healthy lifestyles. They aim to buy nutritious products but 52% of the participants were concerned about the steep prices of foods said to contain special, healthy ingredients.

The survey also showed that food labels are highly misunderstood by consumers. Participants were asked to identify which of six different cereal bars was the healthiest choice. Only 9% chose the correct one, while 13% actually indicated the least healthy of the six options. Marketing slogans, such as “whole grain,” “100 calories,” or “naturally favored,” contributed to the confusion that the participants felt.

Jeremy King, founder and CEO of Attest, remarked that the results should be seen as a call to action for the food and beverage industry to reevaluate their marketing and labeling practices. King concluded: “This data shows that identifying real, healthy products appears to be a serious difficulty for American shoppers, as packaging messages simply aren’t accessible enough for consumers. With six-in-ten consumers actively looking to buy healthy food and beverage products, addressing this issue will be of significant benefit to the industry.”

When asked what would be most helpful in gaining clarity, shoppers agreed that packaging labels with straightforward nutritional information was a priority. Some added that coupons may entice people to try a product for the first time. Others wanted to see a stamp of approval from certified health officials on the product labels.

FDA Finally Certifies Pfizer COVID-19 Vaccine as Fully Approved

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Despite the fact that hundreds of millions of Pfizer-manufactured mRNA vaccines have been injected into people’s arms, until today the shot’s widespread consumption has been only under an “Emergency Use Authorization.” Today the US Food and Drug Administration has decided it can throw its full weight of approval behind the vaccine, opening the way for organizations, governments, and other large entities to mandate vaccination for staff and others.


It is expected that the certification, which has been in process since the vaccine entered the world stage in December 2020, will increase confidence in the treatment, helping overcome the last traces of vaccine hesitation which has led in part to the current surge in COVID-19 around the world, due to the spread of the Delta variant.


The US defense establishment announced that it will in all likelihood make vaccination mandatory for all members of the armed services. Universities have also said that they will require students and staff to be vaccinated if they want to attend in-person learning, among them the University of Minnesota and major public universities in Louisiana.


The FDA said it was able to upgrade the approval rating based on the large amount of hard evidence proving that serious side-effects are highly unusual, and the benefit of the vaccine vastly outweigh any risk presented by its administration.


President Joe Biden said, addressing those who have been wary of the vaccine because it was only being given under the emergency use authorization, that now that the vaccine has received the “gold standard” approval, “the moment you’ve been waiting for is here!”