Zinc Recovery from Steelmaking Dust by Hydrometallurgical Methods

Hydrometallurgical recovery of zinc from electric arc furnace dust was investigated on a laboratory scale, using aqueous sodium hydroxide solution as a leaching agent. Special attention was paid to the effect of NaOH concentration, temperature and liquid/solid phase ratio on the zinc leachability. It was found that all tested factors increased the leachability, with the maximum efficiency of 88% obtained in a 6 M NaOH solution at a temperature of 80 °C and the liquid/solid phase ratio of 40. The test results confirmed the high selectivity of the zinc leaching agent. In spite of this, complete recovery of zinc from steelmaking dust has proved to be very difficult due to the occurrence of this element in the form of stable and sparingly soluble ZnFe2O4 ferrite. Purification of the solution by cementation and electrolysis gave zinc of purity 99.88% in powder form

Comparison of US and EU prices for Orphan Drugs in the perspective of the considered US Orphan Drugs Act modifications and discussed price-regulation mechanisms adjustments in US and European Union

The 2019 worldwide sales of Orphan Drugs were estimated at $136 billion USD, which constituted 16% of the global pharmaceutical prescription market and is expected to grow by 12% in the next 5 years. A better understanding of Orphan Drug pricing may contribute to on-going discussions on Orphan Drug Act (ODA) corrections in US or modifications of price setting mechanisms in EU. The objective of the study was comparison and analysis of the prices of Orphan Drugs in US and EU. All drugs with Orphan Drug status were compared in the US and EU. For the US prices, the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) was sourced. The EU List Prices came from six EU countries: Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Poland, Spain. We found US prices to be higher than the six selected EU countries. The average Price Ratio was 1.64. The prices across EU countries were more homogeneous, while the number of the reimbursed and therefore available to patient medicines varied and was correlated with GDP per capita r = 0.87. Considered implementation of the External Reference Price system in US may generate significant savings in the US but may result in upward pressure on pricing of Orphan Drugs in EU. Centralization of the Orphan Drugs pricing negotiations in EU may prevent such development and offer a win-win opportunity for all involved parties

Influence of selected indicators of healthcare system functioning evaluation on the health result

Background: According to the World Health Organization’s statistics, 7 of the 10 main causes of death in 2019 were noncommunicable diseases. Health indicators are measures used to evaluate public health system effectiveness and functioning. Monitoring mortality rates from leading causes, life expectancy and other health indicators is essential to address their causes and adapt health systems to react adequately. The aim of this study is to present the dependencies of selected health care indicators and health outcomes. Methods: Based on the literature review conducted, selected health indicators, along with healthcare system data, were analyzed using Pearson’s r correlation. The analyses included data from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) presented in statistics and the Health at a Glance 2021 report and data collected as part of the preparation of the Financing Global Health 2020 report by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation. Results: Health system resources are linked to health outcomes. The number of medical consultations, the number of nurses per patient or the level of financing of services under general health insurance are related to life expectancy and deaths due to causes that could have been avoided or treated. Conclusions: Life expectancy is positively correlated with access to general health insurance and public expenditure on healthcare. There is a need for all countries to provide their citizens with broad access to healthcare services