Politics & Policies
At a meeting with African leaders during the United Nations General Assembly, President Donald J. Trump underscored his commitment to promote the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) by noting, “We cannot have prosperity if we’re not healthy.”
In a keynote speech in Washington, D.C., yesterday at the Grand Challenges network annual meeting, US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson voiced support for US collaboration on global infectious disease issues, including ongoing efforts to battle threats such as HIV and malaria.
Programs, Grants & Awards
In recent years, Southeast Asia has surfaced as a “hotspot” for novel respiratory virus emergency due to dense populations of humans and domestic animals living in close proximity. The state of Sarawak in eastern Malaysia, where locals market and eat jungle products such as wild mammal meat, is one of these areas. This summer, six global health students traveled there to study viral pathogens and investigate their impact on humans.
Rosa Chemwey Ndiema, MBChB, MMEd, has years of bedside experience as a gynecologist in her native Kenya, and aspires to have an even greater impact on the health of her community through leadership and research. Like many countries in eastern and southern Africa, Kenya has a high rate of pediatric HIV, with nearly 100,000 children living with the virus. Ndeima hopes to put Kenya on the path to virtual elimination of the virus through research on how to better involve community leaders to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV.
Research
A new study predicts that the worldwide pattern of religious affiliation at the time of death will change over the next 50 years.
Diseases & Disasters
As part of global efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat, UNAIDS, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and partners have launched a new roadmap to reduce new HIV infections. The HIV prevention 2020 roadmap was launched at the first meeting of the Global HIV Prevention Coalition.
A recent Lancet article calls for a clear strategy and partnerships for reduction in NCDs.
Mongolia has the highest rate of liver cancers and highest mortality rate from this disease in the world.In response to this crisis, the government is subsidizing hepatitis medication,and infusing money in prevention and screening efforts.
Technology
Solar suitcase provides light, heat, battery charging and a baby monitor in a health center in a remote Nepalese village. Since its installation in 2014, there have been no maternal or neonatal deaths.
The possibility of Amazon entering the prescription drug market might already be disrupting healthcare.
Doctors and engineers at Duke and Stanford Universities have developed a $10 microchip that turns a 2D ultrasound machine to a 3D imaging device.
Environmental Health
Last year more than 50,000 people in 90 First Nations communities across Canada were affected by contaminated drinking water and 133 boil water notices were issued. Now researchers are partnering with 2 communities to find out what is contaminating drinking water.
The Lancet’s annual Countdown is calling on governments to fight factors that are exacerbating climate change. According to the study, climate change could displace a billion people by 2050.
Equity & Disparities
David Williams, a professor at Harvard University, has found that discrimination, which is a stressful experience, has negative impact on health.
In 2015, lives of 920,000 young children was claimed by pneumonia, a disease of poverty. Only 4 out 30 high burden countries are on track to meet the SDG target by 2030.
In the past 5 years nearly 40,000 students committed suicides in India and about 70% of suicide victims had an yearly income of less than Rs 100,000.
Maternal, Neonatal & Children’s Health
Children in Bangladesh’s Rohingya refugee camps are taking on breadwinner roles exposing them to high risk of exploitation and abuse.
According to the new Global Report on Nutrition, nearly 155 million children under 5 years of age are stunted and about 41 million children under 5 are overweight. The report finds a significant burden of malnutrition in the 140 countries that were included.
About one in five pregnant women carry Group B Streptococcus bacteria, a major but preventable cause of poor health among mothers and babies worldwide.
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