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Revolutionizing lung cancer care and early screening in LMICs

Globally, lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer death, responsible for killing an estimated 1.8 million people in 2022 alone.While smoking remains the main cause of lung cancer, some reports indicate that the proportion of lung cancers occurring in individuals who have never smoked has increased.Yet the disease has been largely overlooked on the global health agenda. Despite lung cancer being “responsible for more deaths than breast, prostate, and colorectal [cancer] combined, it receives d...
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Sin taxes rise — but are they hitting health goals?

As countries around the world grapple with the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs — responsible for an estimated 41 million deaths every year — more governments are taxing tobacco, alcohol, and sugar-sweetened drinks. Since 2017, at least 133 countries have increased or introduced a new health tax: levies on products that have a negative public health impact.However, according to the World Health Organization and other global institutions that provide guidance on this subject...
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Bridging the cancer care gap: Funding solutions for LMICs

Despite being responsible for three-quarters of global deaths and placing a growing socioeconomic burden on governments worldwide, noncommunicable diseases, or NCDs, continue to receive only around 1%-2% of global financing investment for health.Progress in closing the NCD funding gap has been limited, despite numerous high-level United Nations meetings on the issue, with the economic impact of COVID-19 further hindering efforts, said Cary Adams, CEO of the Union for International Cancer Control...
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Global effort needed to tackle the double burden of diabetes and TB

As one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality globally, approximately 537 million adults are living with diabetes. Diabetes should, however, not limit quality of life, hence good glycemic control is important.Undetected or uncontrolled, diabetes can lead to a number of complications, including micro- and macrovascular as well as kidney disease. What might be less known, is that when diabetes is prevalent, there is also an increased risk of tuberculosis, or TB. In advance of World Diabe...
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How global health institutions and funders can empower local researchers

Local and community-based organizations are increasingly recognized as best placed to respond to emergencies and to provide practical and effective solutions to health problems. Localization of research plays an important role in strengthening future responses to humanitarian crises by having local expertise, based on sound data analyses at the local level, and systems in place to deal with crises. But donor practices, funding structures, and a lack of investment in capacity development continue...
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How the pandemic spurred innovations in mental health services

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic created a greater demand for mental health support, lockdowns and other restrictions meant that organizations around the world had to get creative with how they could deliver these services, particularly to low-resource communities.

Zoom calls weren’t always the answer, but technology did play a key role in connecting clients and partners, sharing information, and providing remote training.

Since the start of the pandemic, StrongMinds, a social enterprise that tre
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Marie Stopes International changes its name amid Black Lives Matter protests

BARCELONA — As of Nov. 17, the organization known as Marie Stopes International will go by a different name.

In an intentional move to break its connection with Marie Stopes — a woman who “held many opinions which are in stark contrast to MSI’s core values and principles” — the global provider of contraception and safe abortion will now be known as MSI Reproductive Choices, the organization said in a press release.

The change is something that’s been “under discussion for some time” and was ap
Devex •

The pandemic takes its toll on women and girls' mental health

Emma Smith is a Reporter at Devex. She covers all things related to careers and hiring in the global development community as well as mental health within the sector — from tips on supporting humanitarian staff to designing mental health programs for refugees. Emma has reported from key development hubs in Europe and co-produced Devex’s DevProWomen2030 podcast series. She holds a degree in journalism from Glasgow Caledonian University and a master's in media and international conflict. In additi
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Dramatic rise in Kenya early pregnancies amid school closures, IRC data suggests

BARCELONA — The number of teenage pregnancies has increased dramatically in regions of northern Kenya as a result of recent school closures and lockdowns, according to new data from the International Rescue Committee.

In Turkana County, 558 adolescent pregnancies were reported between March and June — almost a threefold increase from the same period last year, the organization said.

The data, sent to Devex but not yet publicly available, is some of the first hard evidence that measures to slow
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Maternal health and COVID-19: The race to avert a long-term crisis

GLASGOW, Scotland — Disruptions to maternal health services over the last few months could endanger the lives of expectant mothers long after the COVID-19 pandemic.

While there is still a lack of official data, anecdotal evidence suggests that the global health crisis is already having a devastating effect on pregnant women. Concerted efforts are needed now to ensure pregnancies are safe and wanted and to save lives, according to several sexual and reproductive health experts.

Anneka Knutsson,
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How COVID-19 is impacting vision work

GLASGOW, Scotland — Vision programs across the world have largely been put on hold as a result of lockdowns, restrictions on movement, and concerns for staff safety during the COVID-19 crisis. Outreach activities such as eye screenings and nonemergency surgeries have been suspended, and providers expect a greater demand for these services when normal programming resumes.

The current situation is likely to have a hugely negative impact on eye care and the quality of care in general, said Dr. Jam
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These countries have only a handful of ventilators

GLASGOW, Scotland — The Central African Republic has just three ventilators to serve the entire country, while South Sudan has only four.

That’s according to a report by the International Rescue Committee looking at preparedness among fragile and conflict-affected countries in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The humanitarian aid and relief organization says such countries are likely to face a “double emergency,” with the direct impact of COVID-19 playing havoc on humanitarian, economic, a
Devex •

Ebola vaccine given the go-ahead in 5 African countries

BARCELONA — Five African countries have become the first to license a highly effective Ebola vaccine, meaning it can now be administered without being subject to clinical trial or research protocols.

Regulatory bodies in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burundi, Ghana, Zambia, and Guinea all approved the vaccine in the past week. Several other countries are expected to do so in the coming weeks.

When the current Ebola outbreak began in DRC, a vaccine had been developed but not yet approve

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