Global Health Briefs - April 2014

March / April 2014 | Volume 13, Issue 2

NIH gene database opens to researchers

Researchers can now access genetic data on 78,000 individuals of various ethnicities through NIH's Genotypes and Phenotypes database. The content can be used to identify genetic risks and influences on many health conditions, including those related to aging.

NIH, WHO join on environmental health

To promote cooperation among environmental health research institutes around the world and raise awareness about emerging issues in the field, NIH's National Institute of Environmental Sciences has launched the NIEHS WHO Collaborating Center.

• Read the full February 2014 article NIEHS Launches New Collaboration with the World Health Organization from the NIEHS Global Environmental Health newsletter.

CDC forms global public health division

The CDC recently established a new office to promote global public health capacity and ensure health security. The CDC Division of Global Health Protection will work with countries to build core capacities to prevent disease, disability and death.

Report assesses drug and vaccine safety

A new strategy to improve the post-market safety of pharmaceutical products in low-resource countries is described in "Drug and Vaccine Safety in Global Health." The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation sponsored the research.

• Read the full February 18, 2014 article Drug and Vaccine Safety in Global Health from the Council on Foreign Relations.

Researchers can access ethics training

A new, free online ethics training program for researchers has been launched by the Global Health Network. The comprehensive course, adapted from a WHO program, has 14 modules and includes access to a substantial resource library.

• Access the full Research Ethics online training course from the Global Health Network.

Arab countries see more chronic disease

Although longevity in Arab countries has risen over the past two decades, so has chronic disease, according to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME). This finding is reported in "The State of Health in the Arab World, 1990-2010," published in The Lancet.

• Access GBD in the Arab world from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

Reporting on early-career researchers

Eighty percent of early-career scientists worldwide pursued a career in their chosen field for love of the work. This and other survey findings about research careers are reported in "Global State of Young Scientists (GloSYS)," from the Global Young Academy.

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