Two University of Washington faculty were awarded top prizes at the inaugural Global Health Impact Awards held virtually on October 14.

Dr. Patricia Pavlinac, UW assistant professor of global health and co-director of the Gut Health and Child Survival scientific priority area of Global WACh, won the Rising Star Award, which recognizes an individual 40 or under who is making an exceptional impact in a global health organization or initiative.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) are one of the world’s most serious and widespread public health challenges. More than 1 million STIs are acquired every day, according to the World Health Organization. In 2020 alone, an estimated 37.6 million people worldwide were living with HIV and 1.5 million individuals became newly infected.            

After 18 months of almost completely remote learning, the UW Department of Global Health (DGH) welcomed 62 new graduate students to campus from around the world.

By: Todd Faubion, faculty director for undergraduate programs, Department of Global Health and Noura Youssoufa, academic advisor, MPH and undergraduate programs, Department of Global Health

This summer, North American beaches were the top destination for US travelers. And it’s easy to understand why. Not only does the ocean offer a fun respite from the summer heat (and pandemic lockdown), research shows that spending time at the coast can positively impact physical and mental health.

To better identify and prevent future pandemics, the University of Washington has become a partner in a five-year global, collaborative agreement with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Image Credit: USAID/Flickr

“We have a real challenge in front of us in how to get people to understand,” said Kristie Ebi, a professor in the Center for Health and the Global Environment at the University of Washington. “Yes, you’ve been through heat waves before. But these heat waves are hotter, they’re more intense, they last longer, they’re more deadly.”

Image Credit: Genaro Molina / Los Angeles Times

WASHINGTON — As it drafts its next decadal strategic plan, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) should shift its focus to providing insights that help society prepare for and avoid the worst potential consequences of climate change, while protecting the most vulnerable, says a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

By Matthew L. Tobey, Jason Beste, Phuoc Le, Sriram Shamasunder, and Jeff Robison

Originally published on Health Affairs

Severe COVID-19 is associated with critical illness and immune dysregulation, both of which have been previously associated with increased risk of nosocomial infection. The care of COVID-19 patients has required dramatic changes to usual hospital practices and heightened concern for infection control practices. This is a brief summary of published evidence related to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on non-COVID infections.