The FDA has approved a medical device that uses shock waves to relieve chronic heel pain. The new device was approved for use on adults who have had plantar fasciitis for at least six months and have tried other standard methods for treating it, with little success.

Commemorating Breast Cancer Awareness Month, HHS Secretary Donna E. Shalala announced today the first race- and ethnic-specific rates of breast cancer detection. She also released public service announcements (PSAs) featuring Surgeon General David A. Satcher, M.D. that underscore the importance of early detection in the fight against breast and cervical cancer through health programs such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.

Pfizer Inc., said today that it is suspending the development of its aldose reductase inhibitor research candidate, zenarestat, which is under development for the treatment of diabetic neuropathy.

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood and a leading cause of disability among children. Since 1980, asthma prevalence has increased dramatically in children. The National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), the principal source of asthma prevalence data for the United States, was redesigned in 1997. This report presents NHIS data from 1980--1998 to examine the effect of the redesign on measuring trends in asthma prevalence overall and among age and racial subgroups of children.

The Kwazulu-Natal Department of Health has reported 2,175 cases and 22 deaths since the start of the outbreak in mid-August 2000.  The outbreak is in northern Kwazulu-Natal, affecting the Lower Umfolozi Districts which include Ngwelezane and Empangeni and  Eshowe/Nkandla areas.  The WHO Office in South Africa is working with the Department of Health to implement preventive and control measures, including health education, case management and surveillance and monitoring.

The articles in today's Vidyya are:

• FDA Approves Shock Wave Device For Severe Heel Pain

• Breast Cancer Detection Rates By Race And Ethnicity Show Importance Of Screening For All Age Groups

• Pfizer Suspends Development Of Compound For The Treatment Of Diabetic Neuropathy

• Measuring Childhood Asthma Prevalence Before And After The 1997 Redesign Of The National Health Interview Survey

• Cholera Outbreak In South Africa