Global health briefs - December 2015

November / December 2015 | Volume 14, Issue 6

WHO issues new report on global aging

By 2050, nearly 1.5 billion people will be 65 or older, with the proportion of older people growing fastest in developing countries, according the WHO's World Report on Aging and Health. The study discusses steps to enhance integrated care and maximize seniors' quality of life.

• Access the full report, World report on ageing and health.

CDC cites lessons from Ebola outbreak

The Ebola outbreak response has provided useful lessons on how to better detect, respond to and prevent the spread of future health threats, according to a CDC report. In its largest mobilization ever, the agency sent 3,000 personnel to help combat the Ebola epidemic in West Africa.

• Access the full article Ebola in West Africa - CDC's Role in Epidemic Detection, Control, and Prevention from the November 2015 issue of Emerging Infectious Diseases.

Traffic kills 1.25M yearly, most in LMICs

About 1.25 million people are killed by traffic accidents each year, 90 percent of them in low- and middle-income countries. The WHO's new Global status report on road safety 2015 gives a snapshot of road safety around the world and discusses measures that could save lives.

• Access the Global status report on road safety 2015 from the WHO.

NIH launches portal for undiagnosed diseases

The NIH has produced a new online portal for patients worldwide who suffer from undiagnosed diseases and would like to apply for help. Researchers in NIH's Undiagnosed Disease Network have assessed 800 patients since 2008, producing a diagnosis for about a quarter of them.

• Read the September 2015 announcement Undiagnosed Diseases Network launches online application portal from the National Human Genome Research Institute at NIH.

LMICs are adding mental health policies

Low- and middle-income countries are adopting more mental health policies, with scientific evidence pointing to cost-effective interventions, according to a policy paper by the nonprofit Center for Global Development, which aims to reduce poverty and inequality.

• Access the full paper, Missed Opportunities in Global Health: Identifying New Strategies to Improve Mental Health in LMICs, published October 7, 2015 by the Center for Global Development.

NIH-supported diabetes database opens

A new online database allows researchers to view data on over 100,000 human genetic samples with information on Type 2 diabetes, obtained from clinical consortia supported by the NIH and the Foundation for the NIH. By facilitating access to the data, NIH's Accelerating Medicines Partnership hopes to speed research and development of new treatments.

• Access the Type 2 Diabetes Genetics online portal.

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