4-Fold Overall Increase In Number Of Microcephalic Infants Born In Colombia Following Zika Outbreak, CDC Report Shows December 12, 2016 News Summary Agence France-Presse: In Colombia, deformed babies quadrupled amid Zika crisis “Four times the number of babies born with skull deformities linked to Zika virus were reported in Colombia this year following the outbreak of the mosquito-borne infection, said a U.S. government report Friday…” (12/9). CIDRAP News: Study confirms 4-fold rise…
Humanitarian Experts Face Decisions On Prioritizing Efforts As Funding Gap Grows December 12, 2016 News Summary IRIN: Scale up or cut back? Aid sector grapples with growing funding gap “[Last] week, the U.N. announced that $22.2 billion would be required to meet the needs of an estimated 92.8 million people affected by conflicts and natural disasters in 2017. It’s the largest humanitarian appeal ever launched, but…
Case Numbers Of Liver, Other Cancers Rise Significantly Worldwide, Especially In Poor Countries, Since 2005 December 12, 2016 News Summary NPR: Liver Cancer Is Becoming A Top Killer In Poor Countries “The number of new cancer cases grew worldwide to 17.5 million in 2015 from 13.1 million in 2005. And the fastest growth is in some of the world’s poorest countries, according to a report on the global burden of…
Boko Haram Insurgency Spreads Fear Of Food Shortages From Northeastern Nigeria Into Neighboring Niger, Some Aid Workers Say December 12, 2016 News Summary New York Times: Niger Feels Ripple Effect of Boko Haram as Fears of Food Shortage Spread “Only two years old, Fatouma Ouseini lay in a hospital room, undernourished and listless from fever. … Fatouma and her family fled from just across the border in northeastern Nigeria, the epicenter of the…
NYT Video Report Examines Drug Research Funding, Patents, Pricing December 12, 2016 News Summary New York Time’s “Retro Report”: ‘Could You Patent the Sun?’ In this video report, the New York Times examines new drug research in the U.S., including funding sources and patent holders, and how rising drug prices affect consumer access (12/11).
Blog Post Examines ‘How To’ Of Expanding Universal Health Coverage December 12, 2016 News Summary The Lancet Global Health Blog: Expanding universal health coverage from the ground up Stefan Nachuk, a health systems specialist at Thinkwell Global, and Nathaniel Otoo, chief executive officer of the Ghana Health Insurance Authority and former steering group convener of the Joint Learning Network, and colleagues discuss lessons from the…
Public Investment To Help Private Companies Work In Poor Countries Will Help Promote Development Goals December 12, 2016 News Summary Financial Times: Shifting aid to support business is the right decision Paul Collier, professor of economics and public policy at Oxford University “The decision last month by Britain’s Department for International Development to allow more of the U.K.’s aid budget to flow via the CDC (formerly the Commonwealth Development Corporation),…
African Nations Must Strengthen Steps To Implement Universal Health Coverage December 12, 2016 News Summary Project Syndicate: Achieving Universal Health Coverage in Africa Matshidiso Moeti, regional director for Africa at the WHO “…[S]trong health care systems are critical not only in times of crisis. They are also needed to provide children with life-saving immunizations; to provide women with reproductive care, including contraception; and to provide…
UHC Is ‘Ultimate Expression Of Fairness,’ Critical To Achieving Health-Related SDGs December 12, 2016 News Summary Thomson Reuters Foundation: Universal Health Coverage: an affordable goal for all Margaret Chan, director general of WHO, and Gro Harlem Brundtland, deputy chair of The Elders “…Achieving [Universal Health Coverage (UHC)] and the other health-related [Sustainable Development Goal (SDG)] targets isn’t just about spending more money. Governments need to ensure…
‘Precision’ Approach To Global Health Moves Beyond Prevention, Control Of Diseases, Could Accelerate Progress Toward SDG Targets December 12, 2016 News Summary The Lancet: Precision global health: beyond prevention and control Editorial Board “…A tailored approach [to health] will … help in reaching broader global health targets. … In some areas progress could be accelerated with more refined targeting of causes of death. Knowing where to target interventions to reduce mortality, by…