Showing 11 - 20 of 109
Lush forests mean healthy people
Oped, Published on 21/03/2023
» Today, more than half of the world's population live in urban areas. By 2050, this is expected to increase to almost 70%. Yet even people living in cities have begun to realise how vital access to forests, urban parks, and green spaces is for our mental health and well-being.
Big steps for our 'expanding' nation
News, Editorial, Published on 12/03/2023
» Two years ago, the Public Health Ministry changed its guidelines to confirm that the average Thai child was, in fact, getting taller. To mark World Obesity Day on March 4, the Department of Health released a report saying that not only are they taller, but they are also much bigger -- with one in 10 children aged under 15 found to be clinically obese.
The varieties of climate-driven medical risk
Oped, Published on 04/08/2022
» When natural disasters force people to pack a bag and flee to safety, important items are often forgotten. Following California's 2007 wildfire season, estimates were that for every household at least one person left behind prescription medication during evacuation. Likewise, when Hurricane Harvey threatened to flood my own mother's Texas home in 2017, she forgot to grab her medication in her rush to escape the storm's path -- even though she was normally meticulous when packing for a trip.
Funding the fight against NCDs
Oped, Published on 08/07/2022
» Non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, lung disease, diabetes, obesity and mental disorders, are often chronic and develop over a long period. Collectively, NCDs account for about 70% of all deaths globally (and 60% of deaths in Sub-Saharan Africa, where they account for over 55% of hospital admissions in countries such as Kenya). Developing countries thus face a double burden of illness, with communicable diseases like malaria, HIV, and tuberculosis still presenting a huge challenge alongside the rising incidence of NCDs.
The for-profit pandemic, and how to stop it
Oped, Published on 15/12/2021
» It has been less than two years since phrases like "flatten the curve", "contact tracing", "social distancing", and many others related to the Covid-19 pandemic entered the lexicon and became part of everyday communication. People everywhere have learned more about epidemiology, virology, and immunology than they ever expected they would.
Corporate capture of UN summit
Oped, Published on 23/09/2021
» When I visited my parents in Bogota last month, I witnessed how people in their neighbourhood went up and down the streets begging for help to survive. Since the end of April, Colombia has experienced one of its biggest waves of social unrest in recent times -- and hunger is at the core of the protests. South Africa experienced similar turmoil in July.
Ramp up action against NCDs
Oped, Poonam Khetrapal, Published on 24/06/2021
» Amid the Covid-19 response, opportunities to prevent, detect, control and treat noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) must be fully harnessed.
How to plan for future pandemics
Oped, Published on 10/06/2021
» The World Health Organization's (WHO) governing body of health ministers has responded to a call from dozens of world leaders for a new international treaty for pandemic preparedness and response, and will hold a special session in November devoted to such a treaty. It is a positive step. But the global response to Covid-19, and adequate preparation for future pandemics, requires much more.
Good statistics are crucial amid the pandemic
Oped, Jeffrey Frankel, Published on 05/06/2021
» 'There are three kinds of lies," Mark Twain famously wrote. "Lies, damned lies, and statistics." Too often, the Covid-19 crisis has lent support to the suspicions Twain's bon mot expresses.
Covid boosts case for quitting
News, Published on 31/05/2021
» During the Covid-19 pandemic, strengthening tobacco control laws makes even more sense for Thailand.