World Health Day 2019

NPR's recommended reading list on the state of global health.

April 7 is World Health Day, which provides us an opportunity to highlight issues related to human health and wellness. Here are a few recent NPR stories you may have missed. CURRENT CRISES  Daniel Mihailescu/AFP/Getty Images The world has two kinds of measles problems. In low-income countries, the disease takes a toll because vaccines are not available or accessible or affordable. The rise in measles in other countries, often wealthier ones, is due to vaccine hesitancy. The World Health Organization recently declared vaccine hesitancy one of the top 10 threats to global health — in the company of such looming problems as the Ebola virus and antibiotic resistant bacteria. What makes some families reluctant to vaccinate their children? A medical anthropologist theorizes it may be driven by the desire to conform in communities where people are skeptical of vaccines.  Disease-carrying mosquitoes are on the move. As temperatures rise in certain parts of the world, warmth-seeking mosquitoes will inevitably make making themselves at home in previously inhospitable patches of the globe. Now researchers are trying to figure out exactly how far north they will migrate. RECENT REPORTS  stockstudioX/Getty Images There are shocking new statistics about water and hygiene in hospitals around the world. A new report by UNICEF and the WHO found that many health-care facilities in poor countries lack any sort of water supply. More than 1.5 billion people are getting their care at health facilities without toilets. There’s a racial gap between who causes air pollution and who breathes it. A recent study published in the journal PNAS found that air pollution is disproportionately caused by white Americans' consumption of goods and services, but disproportionately inhaled by black and Hispanic Americans. Smoking isn't the biggest global health threat. Bad diets are. A new study published in the Lancet reviewed the diets of people living in 195 countries and found that some 800 million people around the world can't get enough to eat while 1.9 billion people weigh too much. LESSONS LEARNED Mads Claus Rasmussen/AFP/Getty Images Can a greener childhood lead to a happier adulthood? Researchers in Denmark found that growing up near green space was associated with a lower risk of developing psychiatric illness as an adult.   These scientists are trying to make childbirth safer. Their research is still in early stages, but Kristin Myers, a mechanical engineer, and Dr. Joy Vink, an OB-GYN, have already learned that cervical tissue is a more complicated mix of material than doctors ever realized. RAISING AWARENESS Arun Nevader/Getty Images Meet the cancer survivors who walked the runway during New York Fashion Week. The women helped raise money for research to improve treatment for metastatic — or stage 4 — breast cancer. Period activists are excited about the new "drop of blood" emoji. The red symbol was designated to symbolize menstruation as well as "blood donations" and "medicine." It should be available on many smartphones later this year. Last month, the father of a girl who was killed in the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting died by apparent suicide, as did two students who survived the Parkland shooting. Their heartbreaking deaths have sparked conversation about how to support people after unthinkable tragedies. - By Jill Hudson, NPR Newsletters Editor What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: bestofnpr@npr.org Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can sign up here. Looking for more great content? Check out all of our newsletter offerings — including Daily News, Politics, Health and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to our Best of NPR emails. |  Unsubscribe  |  Privacy Policy | NPR 1111 N. CAPITOL ST. NE WASHINGTON DC 20002