This Week in Global Health

Friday, December 2, 2011

A weekly round- up of selected health news from around the world. Posted each Friday.

Japan Tobacco’s ties to professional volleyball teams and the ongoing World Cup tournament for women have prompted local and international opposition and a call to stop the association. (Christopher Johnson/Special to The Washington Times)
Japan risks losing its bid to host the 2020 Olympics because of its national tobacco corporation’s sponsorship of World Cup volleyball, reports the Washington Times.

WLF is cited in a Times of India report on ‘smoking hubs’ ; within 100 yards of educational institutions; the Indian Anti-Tobacco Act, which prohibits such sales, is rarely enforced but often violated.

Boston health officials have voted to treat e-cigarettes like cigarettes, banning their use in the workplace and limiting their sales only to adults—effective immediately. (The Boston Globe)

WLF is also quoted in an article about the new bans on public smoking in Bali. (CNNGo.com)

Many smokers with early-stage COPD attempt to ignore their symptoms, reports Health.com. An estimated 50% of COPD sufferers have never been diagnosed.

States have cut funding for tobacco control programs by 12% this year—reaching the lowest level of funding since 1999. (NYTimes)

Maternal, infant, and child mortality is dropping in Afghanistan, reports the BBC.

Eating more fruits and vegetables does not ease the symptoms of COPD, reports Reuters. The Times of India)

US News and Health Report investigates lung cancer’s ‘hidden victims’—non-smokers.

Maternal mortality is a human rights issue, says Women’s News Network.

TIME asks if other countries will follow Australia’s lead and implement plain packaging.

Sales of smuggled tobacco are on the rise in Pakistan, reports the Daily Times.

As expected, the Obama administration is appealing a judge’s ruling that enabled tobacco companies to avoid using graphic warnings. The case may reach the Supreme Court. (Reuters)

Disappointing investments in tough economic times: some companies are advising investors to sink money into tobacco stocks, claiming that tobacco’s addictive nature makes these companies ‘recession-proof’.

Secondhand smoke is linked to bad outcomes for heart failure patients, reports Reuters.


Have a news item that you think should be included in ‘This Week in Global Health’?
E-mail shamill@worldlungfoundation.org.


Stephen Hamill
Associate Director, Communications and Advocacy
World Lung Foundation