Politics & Policies
Nearly 100 years after the 1918 flu pandemic claimed as many as 50 million lives, many of us would like to think such devastating losses will never be seen again. Unfortunately, the experts say otherwise.
Even as parts of north India are caught in the throes of a major public health emergency, and there have been calls to take urgent steps to mitigate the toxic air, the problem lies with the existing framework. It’s time for some hard policy decisions
EU is pledging 8% of its annual humanitarian aid budget to education in emergencies, an increase from 6% in 2017.
Programs, Grants & Awards
Peter Sands, a former British banker has been named as the head of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.
At the end of the first-ever WHO health minister meeting on ending tuberculosis held in Moscow, representatives from 114 countries agreed on a set of actions called Moscow Declaration to End TB.
On Sunday, November 19, the world turned its attention to the lowly—yet incredibly important—toilet bowl. World Toilet Day was created in 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly to inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. Today, 4.5 billion people inspire action to tackle the global sanitation crisis. Today, 4.5 billion people live without a household toilet that safely disposes of their waste.
Research
Amish people in rural Indiana have a rare gene mutation that protects them from Type 2 diabetes and appears to extend their lifespan.
In South Africa, a country with the largest number of women of childbearing age living with HIV, authors of a new study identify perceived facilitators and potential barriers to implementing the Women’s Health CoOp in clinics and substance abuse rehabilitation centers.
Analysis of Swedish national records with over 3.4 million people and spanning 12 years showed that registered dog owners had lower rate of cardiovascular disease and lower risk of death.
Diseases & Disasters
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is on the brink of a humanitarian crisis and the international community must step in before it worsens, humanitarian agencies warn.
The world is in the midst of a global sanitation crisis – about 2.3 billion people lack access to even basic sanitation services. Ensuring people around the world have access to basic sanitation services is vital to preventing the spread of infectious diseases and protecting our health.
The large plague outbreak that began in Madagascar in August appears to be waning, according to government case counts and local news reports. The outbreak has infected about 1,800 people so far, killing 127 of them.
U.S. and Congolese scientists are tracking a virus. At a time when a deadly disease can cross the globe, they need to understand mysterious monkeypox.
The debate over taxing sugary drinks has turned into a ferocious global policy brawl. In Columbia, proponents faced intimidation and censorship.
Technology
Around the globe, a staggering $455 billion intended for healthcare is lost every year to fraud or misuse. Much of this abuse occurs in developing countries, where the loss of funds can have devastating consequences for health and development.
Johns Hopkins biomedical engineering faculty and graduate students, global health experts, and technology specialists will receive $100,000 to further develop a phone-based system enabling mothers in remote villages to spot serious health problems during newborn babies’ critical first week.
Environmental Health
More than 16,000 scientists from 184 countries have published a second warning to humanity advising that we need to change our wicked way to help the planet.
A handful of researchers in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere are methodically accumulating evidence suggesting that higher temperatures could be linked to a higher risk of premature births, stillbirths, or other negative pregnancy outcomes.
Equity & Disparities
Some nomadic communities in Africa are among the most challenging populations to reach with consistent health care. The World Health Organization estimates that there are at least 400 million people who lack access to at least one or more essential health services, leading to scores of preventable deaths worldwide.
Jeffrey Sachs, economics professor in Columbia University has said that the world’s richest are waging a war on the poor and has urged senators to not support the tax cuts or proposed changes to health care.
According to a new study, temperatures in slums in Nairobi were 5 -10℉ higher than the temperature reported by the city’s official weather station less than half a mile away.
Maternal, Neonatal & Children’s Health
Adverse childhood experiences are linked to health problems in teens, a new study shows.
While prevalence of stunting decreased in African nations between 2000 and 2016, the absolute numbers rose from 50.4 million in 2000 to 58.5 million in 2016.
In a new report released to coincide with World Children’s Day, UNICEF revealed that in 37 countries, some 180 million youth are more likely to exist in extreme poverty, be out of school or be killed by violence, than children in those same countries 20 years ago.
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