PRB Topic Feed: Health/Nutrition

The Demographic and Health Surveys at 25 Years and Beyond

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

For 25 years, the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) program has provided population and health information to plan, monitor, and evaluate population, health, and nutrition programs. But the largest sample survey program in history is facing a transition. Populations in the developing countries that these surveys describe are changing and policy priorities continue to evolve, calling for different data. What do these changes mean for those who conduct, analyze, and use the DHS? What are the tradeoffs and decisions facing those who collect or use population and health data in developing countries? A panel of three experts examined these issues in a discussion to kick off the 2009-2010 PRB Policy Seminar Series. (October 2009)

Intregrating Population, Health, and Environment in Uganda

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

After decades of instability and civil conflict, Uganda has enjoyed relative stability, sustained economic growth, and great improvements in health over the last 20 years. During the same period, Uganda's population has grown rapidly, and in 2009 surpassed 30 million people. This rapid population growth is contributing to the degradation of Uganda's natural resources, the backbone of the country's economy and household livelihoods. Continued reductions in poverty depend in large part on finding innovative and integrated solutions to the complex population, health, and environment problems affecting Uganda's poorest people. (June 2009)

Gender Differences in Health Among the Elderly in China

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

Men and women face distinct challenges in late life. Paradoxically, men tend to have shorter lives but women have more health problems at any given age. Addressing why women live longer but have more health problems and why men die earlier can help reduce health care and long-term care costs for the elderly and narrow the gender health gap. Toshiko Kaneda, Population Reference Bureau; Zachary Zimmer, University of Utah; and Xianghua Fang and Zhe Tang, Capital Medical University, examined a sample of older adults in Beijing to determine gender differences in health and mortality after a five-year period. (June 2009)

Urban Poverty and Health in Developing Countries

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

This Population Bulletin provides a sketch of urban health in developing countries, documenting the intraurban differences in health for a number of countries and showing how the risks facing the urban poor compare with those facing rural villagers. The Bulletin begins with an overview of the multiple dimensions of urban poverty and a summary of internationally comparable evidence on the urban health differentials associated with poverty. (BUL64.2; June 2009)

Economic Recession Presents Further Challenges to Uninsured Children in the United States

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

One in every 10 children in the United States had no health insurance in 2007, and the cost of insurance to families and employers is rising, according to a new report by the Institute of Medicine. America’s Uninsured Crisis: Consequences for Health and Health Care documents an increasing burden on families with children. The economic recession further strains families' resources to provide care for their children. As costs and unemployment rise, employer-sponsored health care is becoming less of a guarantee for families. (April 2009)

The Art of Coalition Building: A Population, Health, and Environment Consortium in Ethiopia

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

For more than a decade, PRB has nurtured national and international coalitions that address population, maternal and child health, global health priorities, and the environment. Sharing the successes and challenges of coalitions in similar contexts can motivate and instigate new coalitions. This article captures the experiences from a newly formed but rapidly advancing coalition focused on population, health, and environment issues in Ethiopia, with the hope that their experience will be valuable to similar groups. (April 2009)

PRB Discuss Online: A Call to Action: World Malaria Day 2009

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

Malaria threatens close to one-half of the world's population, and more than 1 million children die each year of malaria-related complications. In sub-Saharan Africa, nearly 250,000 pregnant women die annually: Up to 30 percent of these deaths are due to hemorrhage, with malaria often an important contributing factor. Eliminating malaria has proved elusive given the inadequate infrastructure and health systems in many of the countries where the disease is most prevalent. But there are effective ways to combat malaria even in low-income countries. Malaria expert and epidemiologist Joel Breman of the Fogarty International Center, U.S. National Institutes of Health, answered questions during a PRB Discuss Online about the challenge of eradicating malaria: What countries are most at risk? What are cost-effective ways to reduce exposure? What breakthrough research is needed to break the back of malaria? Read a transcript of the questions and answers. (April 2009)

Birth Spacing and Childhood Undernutrition

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

One factor often overlooked when considering strategies to reduce undernutrition is birth spacing, the time interval between births. According to a recent study published in Maternal and Child Nutrition, birth spacing plays an important role in nutritional status among children under five years of age, with shorter birth intervals increasing the risk of both stunting and underweight. (March 2009)

Integrating Population, Health, and Environment in Rwanda

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

The last decade in Rwanda's history has been one of transition and rebirth. Ten years ago, the country was emerging from several years of strife and civil conflict; in 2009, urban and rural areas are energized with the promise of steadily improving economic, social, and health conditions. Despite this impressive transformation, Rwanda faces various challenges, many related to the complex relationships between population trends, poverty, and environmental conditions. Continued improvement in the quality of life of Rwanda's citizens depends in large part on finding innovative and integrated solutions to complex population, health, and environment problems. (February 2009)

Commemorating International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

An estimated 100 million to 140 million girls and women have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and more than 3 million girls are at risk for cutting each year on the African continent alone. FGM/C poses serious physical and mental health risks for women and young girls and since the early 1990s, FGM/C has gained recognition as a health and human rights issue. February 6 was adopted by the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights as the International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM and ceremonies marking this day have taken place around the world. PRB marks Zero Tolerance to FGM Day by highlighting our work to bring attention to and present accurate data on this practice that affects millions of women and young girls worldwide. (February 2009)

PRB Discuss Online: Birth Defects: A Hidden Toll for Developing Countries

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

Each year, an estimated 9 million infants are born with a serious birth defect that may kill them or result in a lifelong disability. Such birth defects have an especially severe effect on children in developing countries. What are the causes of birth defects? Which defects can be treated or prevented? How can we fight the common misconceptions about them? Arnold Christianson, director of the Division of Human Genetics at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa, answered participants questions on this topic. Read a transcript of the questions and answers. (January 2009)

'Making the Case for U.S. International Family Planning Assistance,' Steven Sinding, Guttmacher Institute

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

International public health assistance and policy has largely focused on challenges such as HIV/AIDS and malaria in recent years, and family planning programs have often been overlooked. Despite a common mistaken perception that global population growth has halted, governments recognize the need for family planning. Now is the time for increased investment, according to the report, Making the Case for U.S. International Family Planning Assistance. (January 2009)

'The World is Fat' – A PRB Policy Seminar With Professor Barry Popkin

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

The global confluence of changing diets, increased food marketing, access to technology, and lifestyle changes has led to an upsurge in global obesity, especially in developing countries. According to Barry M. Popkin, professor of nutrition at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and director of the UNC-CH's Interdisciplinary Center for Obesity, 1.3 billion people are overweight while 800 million are underweight. The burden of obesity-related diseases is shifting rapidly toward the poor. On Dec. 10, Popkin visited PRB to discuss rising obesity worldwide and his new book, The World is Fat as part of PRB's ongoing Policy Seminar series. (December 2008)

Empowering Women's Voices on Reproductive Health in the Media

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

On Nov. 10, women journalists from 12 countries representing four continents gathered at PRB to equip themselves with information to reach out to those who need reproductive health services. The weeklong seminar covered key topics in reproductive health as part of PRB's Women's Edition project. (December 2008)

What Explains the Disparities Between Men's and Women's Health?

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

Worldwide, men have higher mortality and greater disability than women. In nearly every country, they die at younger ages. Why, then, is the international health community so concerned about women's health disadvantages? A new fact sheet from the Disease Control Priorites Project explains that just because women live longer, they do not necessarily have better health. (November 2008)

Preventing Chronic Respiratory Diseases in Developing Countries

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

Millions of adults worldwide struggle with chronic respiratory diseases that sap their energy and can lead to their deaths. In 2007, an estimated 210 million people suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)— including emphysema and chronic bronchitis; 3 million died from COPD that year. The World Health Organization warns that COPDs and other chronic respiratory diseases, such as asthma, will increase 30 percent in the next 10 years if urgent actions are not taken. (November 2008)

Africa Faces Mixed Progress, Daunting Challenges, in Improving Population Well-Being

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

Fertility has declined in many African countries from highs of six or seven children per woman down to about five children on average. But although African women use family planning more and bear fewer children, the continent's youthful population will fuel the continent's growth for many decades to come. Africa's 2008 population of 967 million is projected to grow to 1.9 billion by 2050, according to the 2008 Africa Population Data Sheet, published by the Population Reference Bureau and the African Population and Health Research Center. (October 2008)

Population, Health, and Environment Issues in the Philippines: A Profile of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM)

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

This regional PHE profile highlights key population, health, and environment indicators and important development challenges for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The profile is designed to help educators, policymakers, and community leaders identify key threats to sustainable development and explore possible approaches to addressing them. This profile is part of a series covering select regions of the Philippines, and is intended as a companion publication to the Population Reference Bureau's 2006 data sheet, Making the Link in the Philippines: Population, Health, and the Environment. (October 2008)

New Report Reveals Growing Inequality and Economic Hardships for Children in North America

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

Globalization has contributed to rising incomes in Canada, the United States, and Mexico but has not improved economic security for vulnerable children across the three countries, according to a new report, Growing Up in North America: The Economic Well-Being of Children in Canada, the United States, and Mexico. (October 2008)

Population, Health, and Environment Issues in the Philippines: A Profile of Calabarzon Region

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

This regional PHE profile highlights key population, health, and environment indicators and important development challenges for the Calabarzon Region (Region 4-A). The profile is designed to help educators, policymakers, and community leaders identify key threats to sustainable development and explore possible approaches to addressing them. This profile is part of a series covering select regions of the Philippines, and is intended as a companion publication to the Population Reference Bureau's 2006 data sheet, Making the Link in the Philippines: Population, Health, and the Environment. (October 2008)

World Food Day Highlights Plight of Nearly 1 Billion Undernourished People

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

Oct. 16 is World Food Day, an occasion to highlight the plight of 923 million undernourished people in the world. Most of these people live in rural areas, their livelihoods dependent on the agricultural sector. The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that the deepening financial crisis, global warming, and even the boom in biofuels threaten to expand the populations at risk of chronic undernourishment in coming decades. (October 2008)

Use of Biomarkers in Predicting Health and Mortality

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

This e-newsletter is the 14th in a series funded by the University of Michigan Demography Center. This issue, "Use of Biomarkers in Predicting Health and Mortality," reviews research sponsored by the National Institute of Aging and other institutions that investigates the link between biological risk factors and health or mortality in the older populations. (September 2008)

Obesity, Economics, and Health

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

This e-newsletter is the 13th in a series funded by the University of Michigan Demography Center. This issue, "Obesity, Economics, and Health," reviews research sponsored by the National Institute of Aging, and other research, on the health consequences of obesity and the factors associated with becoming obese. (September 2008)

Reducing Child Malnutrition in Sub-Saharan Africa: Surveys Find Mixed Progress

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 15:08:16 EST

Chronic malnutrition has been a persistent problem for young children in sub-Saharan Africa. A high percentage of these children fail to reach the normal international standard height for their age; that is, they are "stunted." The region has now the world's highest rate of stunting among children—43 percent—and has shown little improvement over the past 15 years. This article looks at trends within sub-Saharan Africa and outlines the factors involved. (October 2008).