In The News

11 Billion People by 2100 Will Greatly Impact Global Health

Brian Krans August 27, 2015
The planet’s population will grow by more 50 percent to 11 billion by 2100. The population division of the United Nations points to the decline in child mortality and increased life expectancy for driving population growth. Of the more than 7 billion people, just a billion use most resources, and humans could do more to live sustainably. If not, “The population growth could have wide-ranging...

Indian Rapper “Overwhelmed” by Success of Protest Song Against Unilever

August 11, 2015
Indian rapper Sofia Ashraf performed a protest song alleging corporate mercury pollution, posted on YouTube, and quickly attracted near 2 million views. Hindustan Unilever operated a thermometer factory in the town of Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu until 2001. “More than 1,000 former workers are alleged to have been affected by mercury poisoning, which can cause skin problems, sensory impairment and a...

Climate Changes May Eradicate Health Progress

Sandy Dechert June 24, 2015
A warming climate is not good for health. More than 700 died during a heat wave in Pakistan and hundreds more died in India during a previous heat wave. Rising temperatures also heighten risks of bacterial, viral and insect-borne disease; asthma; and respiratory and cardio failure. A commission convened by the medical journal Lancet identified climate change as the biggest global health threat of...

Price of Good Health

Amy Nordrum June 22, 2015
Five of the United Nations’ eight millennium goals – eradicate extreme poverty and hunger; reduce child mortality; improve maternal health; combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases; ensure environmental sustainability – are directly tied to health. The other three – achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and partnering on development – also boost health standards....

The World’s Drinking Problem

May 19, 2015
Widespread alcohol abuse is disruptive for economies, suggests a report from the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development. Alcohol consumption and related health issues rise with increased wealth, and China and emerging economies are wrestling with growing alcohol consumption: “While more than half of the Chinese population aged 15 years and older do not drink at all, 42 percent of...

Now We Can Edit the Human Genome, The Question Is: Should We?

Michael Brooks May 12, 2015
Researchers in Guangzhou wrote a scientific paper about editing the DNA of a non-viable human embryo for the journal Protein and Cell. The news was met with trepidation. Researchers are eager for tools to cure genetic diseases, but others label the methods as unethical. The researchers, examining embryos with a gene that causes a hereditary blood disorder, applied a “gene editor, a co-operative...

To Eradicate Measles, Destroy Vaccine Myths

Paula Kavathas February 17, 2015
In a globalized world, contagious diseases like measles quickly hop borders. A measles outbreak started in December at California’s Disneyland, and the disease quickly spread to 17 states in the US. “While people do not shudder upon hearing the word ‘measles’ as they do with ‘smallpox’ or ‘Ebola,’ this does little to lessen the heartache of the thousands of parents who lose their children to...