WASHINGTON, DC—The Army is on track for a higher number of suicides in 2009 than the previous year, according to Army officials in a recent statement. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—The Army said that it is increasing the number of mental health providers being sent to Afghanistan in order to help servicemembers deal with combat stress. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—On May 31, 2008, Army Pvt Kevin Kammerdiener was serving in Afghanistan when a suicide bomber drove into his Humvee. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—In November, the Senate unanimously passed the Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009— Full Article

BETHESDA, MD—Identifying and describing how deployment and its effects can place stress on families is important, but it is only the first step in the healing process, researchers agreed at last month’s Trauma Spectrum Disorder Conference hosted here by NIH, VA and DoD. Full Article

BETHESDA, MD— The first new embryonic stem cell lines for use in NIH-funded research in over eight years were announced last month. Full Article

WASHIGNTON, DC—President Obama signed the FY 2010 omnibus appropriations bill last month, which included the budget for most of the nation’s health care and health research agencies. Full Article

THE COMMERCIAL TARGETING AND ANALYSIS CENTER FOR IMPORT SAFETY was opened last month in a joint effort by HHS and Homeland Security to ensure the safety of food coming into the US. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—Injection drug users (IDUs) continue to represent a substantial proportion of new HIV diagnoses, a recent CDC study confirmed. Full Article

WASHINGTON, DC—Workers who are sick with H1N1 should stay at home so others are not infected. However, many jobs in the private sector do not offer paid sick leave to make time at home possible, according to a panel that testified before Congress last month.

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