Global health briefs - May 2016

May / June 2016 | Volume 15, Issue 3

Researchers produce map showing Zika risk

Scientists have created a detailed global map of countries most at risk of Zika virus transmission. The modelers took into account both environmental and socioeconomic factors to predict Zika’s spread. More than 2.7 billion people live in at-risk areas.

• Access the full article, Mapping global environmental suitability for Zika virus, published April 19, 2016 by eLife.

Experts warn of disease resurgence

Diseases such as chikungunya, dengue and Zika are undergoing a global resurgence, in part because the number of scientists trained to study these vectorborne diseases is shrinking, experts warn in a report issued by the Forum on Microbial Threats.

• Download the report, Global health impacts of vector-borne diseases: Workshop summary, from the National Academies.

World’s aging population poses challenges

The portion of the world’s population aged 65 and older is expected to nearly double to around 17 percent - 1.6 billion people - by 2050, a recent NIH-funded report says. This demographic trend presents policymakers with challenges, including how to reconfigure social and health support systems to maximize well-being in an aging population.

• Download the full report, An Aging World: 2015, from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Study examines global research funding

An independent study of the world’s key health research funders, what they support and how they make decisions was recently published in the open access journal, Health Research Policy and Systems. Together, the 10 largest funders provide $37.1 billion annually for research.

• Access The 10 largest public and philanthropic funders of health research in the world: what they fund and how they distribute their funds, published February 18, 2016 by Health Research Policy and Systems.

Global bioethics forum issues report

Bioethics issues related to conducting research during the recent Ebola outbreak and other emerging epidemics were discussed by representatives from 35 countries during the 2015 Global Forum on Bioethics in Research (GFBR). The final meeting report and presentations are now online.

• Access the 2015 Global Forum on Bioethics in Research annual meeting report.

Evaluation training courses posted

Free online courses on monitoring and evaluation are available to help health care systems in low-income settings maximize the impact of their programs. The courses - developed by MEASURE Evaluation with funding from USAID - were produced in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Vietnamese.

• Access monitoring and evaluation course materials from MEASURE Evaluation.

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