Global health briefs - October 2019

September / October 2019 | Volume 18, Number 5

NIH Director publishes innovation forecast

Ten promising areas for biomedical innovation are highlighted in a book chapter authored by NIH Director Dr. Francis S. Collins. Part of the Global Innovation Index 2019 report, Collins describes the most exciting areas of science that might yield “striking progress” in the next decade.

• See Chapter 4, "Ten Opportunities for Biomedical Innovation over the Next Ten Years" by NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins, a part of the full report, Global Innovation Index 2019: Creating Healthy Lives - The Future of Medical Innovation, published July 2019

Child Health launches strategic plan

Global health was one of five cross-cutting topics identified in the NIH’s National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s new strategic plan. Priorities include research to improve health of at-risk mothers and children, interventions to benefit pregnancy outcomes and child development, and exploration of new technologies.

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) Strategic Plan

Mental Health unveils research toolbox

The NIH’s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) recently developed a Clinical Research Toolbox designed to assist clinical investigators with the development of clinical research studies. It includes NIH and NIMH policy and guidance documents, templates, sample forms, links to additional resources and other materials.

• NIMH Clinical Research Toolbox

WHO reports on HIV drug resistance

The rise in antimicrobial resistance - including the threat posed by drug-resistant HIV - is one of the greatest challenges in global health, according to the WHO. Its latest report shows that in 12 of the countries reporting data, pretreatment HIV drug resistance exceeded 10%, with the levels of resistance nearly twice as high for women.

• HIV drug resistance report 2019
  WHO, July 2019

Report says better nutrition saves lives

A stronger focus on improving global nutrition could save 3.7 million lives globally by 2025, according to a new WHO report. While childhood stunting has declined, the prevalence of obesity is on the rise in nearly every region and country. The Essential Nutrition Actions publication provides a tool for countries to improve their health policies.

• Essential Nutrition Actions: mainstreaming nutrition throughout the life-course
  WHO, September 2019

Global pandemic preparedness lacking

Despite the increasingly dire risk of widespread epidemics, many countries are not ready to respond in a health crisis, according to the inaugural report from the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board. About 59 countries have developed a National Action Plan for Health Security but none has been fully funded.

• A World at Risk
  Global Preparedness Monitoring Board, September 2019

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