Documentary exposes Pakistan gender biases A documentary film screened at the Sundance Film Festival chronicles the fallout in Pakistan after a 13-year-old girl, gang-raped by four men, took her attackers to court and was nearly put to death by village elders. The case of Kainat Soomro reveals gender biases in the country that make laws […]
For girls, Somali refugee camps are unsafe Violence against women and girls is rife in Somalia, especially in the refugee camps in and around the capital, Mogadishu, where many fear rape by armed bands. “The other night a bandit came into my house and raped my little girl. I tried to fight but I couldn’t, […]
This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published a new tool to address the growing health risks associated with climate change. The “Atlas of Human Health and Climate” explores the exacerbation of “diseases of poverty” (including those related to food and water insecurity), emergency medical situations related to extreme […]
Last week, a pharmaceutical company made a novel and potentially groundbreaking decision: GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), announced that it would release the data from all of its clinical trials to researchers, who could use the information from GSK’s successes and failures in drug development to independently make new medical and pharmaceutical discoveries. This is the first time a […]
For today, I’d like to share a few links to recent articles about global health. A New Whooping Cough Epidemic? : Slate examines the recent rise of whooping cough in the United States. Although parents’ failure to vaccinate their children is a major cause, Amanda Schaffer discusses the complexities behind the re-emergence of this disease. Remembering […]
Recently, researchers at the University of Cape Town (UCT) announced that they had developed a single-dose treatment for malaria. As National Geographic reports, the drug developed at UCT kills malaria parasites in animal test subjects “instantly,” including those that are drug-resistant—and with no adverse side effects. Clinical trials will begin in 2013. South Africa-based eNews has a little […]
Child marriages spike among Syrian refugees The young teenage daughters of Syrian refugees in Jordan are increasingly being married to older Syrian men — against the laws of both countries — as a form of financial and other security against a backdrop of conflict and instability. “We’re concerned about early marriages — using that as […]
In post one of two on global health news this week, a new study found that malaria prevention efforts over the last decade have saved the lives of almost one million children. The Global Fund’s new General Manager, Gabriel Jaramillo, discusses his plans for the organization going forward in an interview with Spanish newspaper El […]
This week, UNAIDS has launched a new project to work with young people for a youth-centered HIV strategy. Scientists are moving into the next stages of deploying genetically-modified mosquitoes to combat insect-borne diseases like dengue, and concerns about the risks of bioengineering have been raised. The G-20 Summit in Cannes could not get out […]
There are exciting new developments in the fight against malaria. More attention must be paid to mental illness around the world. Finally, a community-based program out of Senegal is stamping out female genital cutting, and the model should be developed to be scalable and replicable for areas where the practice endures. Malaria Developments: As fellow […]
Today, I’d like to share articles published this week that explore developments and discoveries in global health. Drug-resistant strains of bacteria are on the rise, and there is a need for conservation of antibiotics. Genetically-modified mosquitoes are the latest attempt to curb malaria. Scientists have used modified HIV-1 to kill leukemia (really). Medical […]
I went to an interesting talk last night by Dr. Anthony Fauci. He is the Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The Foreign Policy Association initiated a new series with his talk: the Dame Jillian Sackler Distinguished Lecture. (She was married to Arthur Sackler, the research psychiatrist and art patron.) Dr. […]
I’m planning to devote Wednesdays to simple solutions that have a big impact in Global Health. In anticipation of World Malaria Day (April 25th), I thought I’d highlight some of the latest research on insecticide-treated nets and some of the simple solutions that are being utilized to get them where they are needed most. […]