Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said the Bush administration would launch an effort to have all providers of federal health care to adopt quality-measurement tools and uniform standards for their information technology.

Leavitt made the statement at an annual session of the National Governor's Association. He said the goal of the measure was to reduce health-care inflation while improving the quality of medical care.

Government researchers say they have found an experimental injectable drug that works within hours for the treatment of depression. They say that it is much faster than conventional antidepressants.

Although the study is based on a sample, it is part of a push from scientists to come up with fast-acting drugs to treat mood disorders. Patients and doctors say that if often requires weeks or even months to get a handle on symptoms.

Although fish are hyped for their health benefits, they are also said to contain mercury, PCBs as well as a host of other contaminants.

Some experts worry that there's sufficient conflicting advice out there for people to stop eating fish altogether.

A study in the Archives of General Psychiatry reveals obesity may increase the risk of some mental illnesses, including mood disorders like depression or bipolar disorder and anxiety disorders like panic or generalized anxiety disorder. At the same time, the study indicates that the risk for alcoholism and drug abuse is less with obesity.

A national survey of over 9,000 men and women was conducted to collect data. Over 2,300 had a body mass index -a measure of weight relative to height - of 30 or higher which are determiners for obesity. Interestingly enough, the obesity-psychiatric illness association was most common among whites and people with higher education levels.

Indonesia has confirmed reports of its human bird flu death toll now reaching 43. The disease's latest victim is a 16-year-old boy who died last Monday according to health ministry officials.

Indonesia has reported the most bird flu deaths this year.