The 2014 annual report provides a snapshot of a very busy year including:
Innovation: Our innovative faculty, students, and staff are solving global health problems with immense curiosity, creativity and effectiveness. Most of the research developments are made possible by strong partnerships with local experts and organizations, some of whom we have worked with for over 20 years.
By Johnny Harris
Where you were born can dramatically affect how and at what age you die. That's the conclusion the 2013 edition of a Global Burden of Disease study. Watch how and why people are dying early in every country:
Adjunct Professor Lisa Manhart has devoted much of the last five years of her life to launching a new model of student learning and engagement at the University, mentoring students in strategic analysis, and building a top-notch research and training organization.
By Brady Dennis
One of the biggest hurdles to halting foodborne illness outbreaks is spotting the source of the problem – and spotting it quickly. More often than not, by the time authorities recognize an outbreak of salmonella, listeria or any of the other pathogens that sicken an estimated 48 million Americans each year, it already has had time to spread.
By Rueters
An experimental vaginal gel containing a drug used to treat the AIDS virus could prevent half of cases of genital herpes, according to a study done in South Africa.
Among women who used tenofovir gel, the annual rate of infection with the genital herpes virus, known as herpes simplex virus type 2 or HSV-2, was 10.2 percent versus a rate of 21 percent for women who used a placebo gel.
By Will Greene / Techonomy
In many emerging markets, reliable data on healthcare systems is limited or nonexistent. This makes it difficult to address urgent healthcare challenges in many countries. But a growing number of tech entrepreneurs and public health activists are finding ways to fill the data gaps.
By Amy Vanderzanden
Cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death for women in 40 of the 48 countries of sub-Saharan Africa, according to the most reliable health statistics.
The Department of Global Health is pleased to announce that two of the three Washington Global Health Alliance (WGHA) 2015 Pioneers of Global Health Award winners are associated with the Department: Christopher Fox and the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.
By Bjørn Lomborg
In rich countries, the biggest causes of death are strokes, heart attacks and cancer, accounting for more than two-thirds of all deaths. But for the poorer world, people often assume that infectious diseases like diarrhea, tuberculosis, AIDS, malaria, measles and tetanus are the biggest killers. That is no longer true. While they are still substantial threats, broader availability of medication and vaccines along with higher living standards has caused such communicable diseases to drop dramatically to below 9 million deaths each year.
After rising for decades, calorie consumption has declined in recent years as public attitudes have shifted.
By Margot Sanger-Katz
After decades of worsening diets and sharp increases in obesity, Americans’ eating habits have begun changing for the better.