National Health Service employees, including doctors, and contract staff will now be able to raise concerns without endangering their own jobs and careers. This law comes in the wake of recent medical tragedies. Suicide rate continues to rise in Ireland. The suicide rate in Ireland continues to rise. Suicide has now surpassed road-traffic accident as the leading cause of death among young men.
Young men are five times more likely to commit suicide than young women are.
Australia to increase research budget. The federal government of Australia committed itself to almost doubling the national research funding over a period of six years. This coincides with the release of a Health and Medical Research Strategic Review commissioned by the Ministry of Health. European Union launches initiative on orphan drugs. The European Union is launching an initiative to give pharmaceutical companies financial incentives to develop 'orphan drugs' for the management of rare illnesses which affect fewer than 5 in 10,000 people and where the financial returns may seem uneconomic.