This Week in Global Health

Friday, December 16, 2011

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


Scott Fraser, vice president of SBT (holdings) Co Ltd., demonstrates an 'e-cigarette', which activates light and vapour. (Bobby Yip/ Reuters)
Big Tobacco settles with the US Justice Department, paying $6.25 million to create the States’ largest online database of internal tobacco documents. The settlement was reached over accusations of tobacco companies marketing to underage smokers and suppressing the truth about smoking’s health effects. (BusinessWeek)

An advisory committee warns the FDA about the unknown health effects of so-called ‘modified risk’ tobacco products—including snus, electronic cigarettes, tobacco lozenges and smokeless tobacco—cautioning that these products may ultimately be just as harmful as cigarettes. (The Wall Street Journal)

Smoking is identified as a preventable cause of stillbirths, reports USAToday.

A new study finds that quitting smoking ultimately results in more feelings of happiness and satisfaction with life. (The Montreal Gazette)

An article in Science Now explores why tuberculosis is uniquely difficult to cure.

Childhood obesity rates dramatically drop in New York City, in the wake of a citywide health push. (The Washington Post)

The WHO releases new guidelines to prevent maternal mortality. (Toronto Sun)

Forbes explores ‘The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly’ of heart and stroke statistics.

Global health funding continues to grow during the international economic recession—albeit slowly. (The Washington Post)

ABC News explores the experiences of Bangladeshi women within a birthing hut.

A leading pro-tobacco scientist—the so-called ‘Killer Academician’—is heavily criticized by activists in China. (ChinaDaily)

Russians weigh outlawing philanthropic donations by tobacco companies. (The Moscow Times)

BMJ calls for including gender considerations in tobacco control research.

International Affairs Review calls for action on clean cookstoves.

Starving orangutans may explain why people are prone to obesity. (io9)


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