This serves as the inaugural edition of HealthCetera’s global health policy and media action news update curated by the Center’s Katherine (Kayte) Green. This bi-weekly round-up intends to keep our community appraised of up-to-date news, policies, and ideas important to policy and social issues facing national and international health. This selection gathers information from a wide range of sources including, but not limited to: health associations and organizations, news sources, government agencies, academic publications, policy centers, and other national and international experts.
NATIONAL NEWS
U.S. Gun Control Reform
Gun control is a serious health risk problem affecting the United States. Gun violence and the increase in school mass shootings has become a part of the American landscape. The latest mass school shooting in Santa Fe, Texas, illustrates the grave consequences of a lenient gun legislative system and unjust penal system. The Santa Fe, Texas, shooting has become another tragic example of the laissez-faire regulations surrounding gun control in America. More than ever, there is a heightened need for evidence-based and cross-sectional solutions to this systemic problem. The following contemporaneous readings and call-to-actions give a brief glimpse on how American academics, policy makers, journalists, and healthcare providers and researchers are weighing in on gun violence.
Responses:
- NAM President Responds to Recent Gun Violence With Calls for Research
- American Hospital Association: Hospitals Stand Together to End Violence
- JAMA: Death by Gun: A public Health Crisis
- Kaiser Health News: Different Takes: Enough Of Thoughts and Prayers On Gun Violence; Mental Health Care Curriculum Desperately Needed
- Modern HealthCare: Tide May be Turning to Free up Funding to Study Gun Violence
- Dimensions of Critical Nurses: Gun Violence – Make it Stop
- American Academy of Nursing Calls for National Commission on Mass Shooting
Trump-Pence Administration Gag Rule on Title X
The Trump-Pence Administration has placed a domestic “gag” rule on Title X – also known as one of the nation’s primary birth control and reproductive health care programs. Revising a “Regan like-era rule” will defund family planning organizations such as Planned Parenthood, and other lesser known family planning organizations, because they will not meet the qualifications for federal funds since they offer family planning options that include services such as abortion or abortion referrals. This mandate has far reaching national and international health implications that are yet to be determined, but could have devastating repercussions.
Responses:
- American Academy of Nursing Statement on Trump-Pence Administration’s Gag Rule on Title X
- Time Magazine: The Impact of President Trump’s ‘Global Gag Rule’ on Women’s Health is Becoming Clear
- Human Rights Campaign: HRC Responds to Trump-Pence Administration’s Attack on Women’s Health Care Through a Gag Rule
- The Lancet Global Health: Trump’s “global gag rule”: implications for human rights and global health
- The Washington Post: Is it a gag rule after all? A closer look at changes to Title X funding regarding abortion.
- CNN Health News: Trump’s ban on global abortion funding has led to more abortions
- WBUR: CommonWealth- Why The Abortion Fight Is Becoming A Battle Over Health Information
- The Hill: Title X: Making reproductive health care available to all
- Health Affairs: Four Big Threats To The Title X Family Planning Program: Examining The Administration’s New Funding Opportunity Announcement
Related Reports:
The National Academy of Medicine: The Safety and Quality of Abortion Care in the United States
GLOBAL NEWS
World Health Organization 71st Assembly
Health Ministers and representatives from many organizations working to improve health gathered in Geneva last week, May 21st – 25th for the 71st World Health Assembly. On May 23rd, delegates agreed on WHO’s new strategic plan of work for the next five years that sets three targets to ensure that by 2023, “ 1 billion more people benefit from universal health coverage; 1 billion more people are better protected from health emergencies; and 1 billion more people enjoy better health and wellbeing. WHO estimates that achieving this “triple billion” target could save 29 million lives.” – World Health Organization
The closing remarks and summary of the 71st WHO Assembly are documented here.
Other issues for discussion include influenza, cholera, tuberculosis, snakebite, physical activity, polio and access to essential medicines.
Responses:
- The Hill: HHS secretary to head U.S. delegation at World Health Assembly
- Kaiser Family Foundation: Media Outlets Cover Sessions, Side Events At World Health Assembly
- DEVEX: What you need to know about the 71st WHA
- VOA News: WHO Chief Looks Forward to Ambitious Reform Program
- Xinhua News: World Health Assembly closes with new course for WHO
- For seven decades WHO has been working with partners to improve global public health. This video presents key statistics highlighting the progress that has been made and the challenges that lie ahead to improve health and serve the vulnerable.
Ebola Outbreak 2018
The global health community braces itself for the resurgence of Ebola, with an outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) last month. Ebola is endemic to Congo, and this is its ninth outbreak of Ebola virus disease since the discovery of the virus near the country’s Ebola River. As reported by the World Health Organization on May 30th, 2018, there has been 54 Ebola virus disease cases including 25 deaths in the DRC to date. The Ebola outbreak between 2014 and 2016 in West African (Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Liberia) was the largest, deadliest, and most complex on record since the virus was discovered in 1976. It is too early to determine the breadth and outcomes of this outbreak, but there is an alignment with global health experts that the world needs to prepare to act quickly to fight this outbreak.
Responses:
- GW Milken Institute School of Public Health: Global vigilance, and funds, needed to prevent pandemics
- New York Times: Ebola Erupts Again in Africa, Only Now There’s a Vaccine
- UN News: DR Congo Ebola outbreak not yet a global ‘health emergency’, but strong response to disease vital – UN health experts
- The Washington Post: New Ebola vaccine faces enormous obstacles in crucial test for Congo outbreak
- STAT New: Ebola outbreak opens way to chaotic jockeying to test experimental drugs
- Global Health Council: Global health security roundtable welcomes additional U.S. funding for Ebola response
Global Health News Resources:
WEEKLY OP-ED
(Unsponsored and unsolicited)
The New York Times: Trying To Put A Value On The Doctor-patient Relationship
Katherine Green works for the George Washington School of Nursing’s Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement. She holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations and Service Development. The focus of her research is gender equity and empowerment. She is passionate about working on unresolved social issues that deal with health, gender rights, LGBTQ, risk reduction, the arts, and justice. She has a background in social sciences and fine arts. Prior to joining GW, Katherine has worked in global and national health advocacy, development, and policy.
To subscribe and submit content to HealthCetera News Action Update email: nursingpolicy@gwu.edu
