This Week in Global Health

Friday, January 6, 2012

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


Tobacco kills close to a half million Americans each year, with one in every five U.S. deaths the result of smoking. SAJJAD HUSSAIN/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
The Washington Post opines that Philip Morris’ new so-called ‘grassroots movement for tobacco rights’ may be trying to tap into Tea Party sentiments.

A new study shows that electronic cigarettes may cause immediate inflammation and constriction of lung tissue, raising concerns about safety. (Medical Express)

The New York Daily News explores why Americans are still smoking after all these years.

Commonly used blood pressure drugs may prevent serious lung damage in some smokers, reports the Baltimore Sun.

Can increasing the speed limit raise obesity rates? The Telegraph reports.

Ontario launches a $50 billion lawsuit against major tobacco companies. (National Post)

Forbes reports that many tobacco companies are depending on the sale of less-regulated smokeless tobacco products to boost profits.

Maternal diabetes is linked to ADHD in children, reports Medscape.

Brazil passes a controversial ‘pregnancy registration’ law. (Slate)

Zambia’s life expectancy rises from 37 to 43 as strides are made against tuberculosis in the country. (Lusaka Times)

Worldwide illegal drug use is now estimated at 200 million people per year, reports WebMD.

Teenage obesity is linked to a poor mother-child bond. (NY Times)

A new study finds that cod liver oil, an old remedy, may help sufferers of tuberculosis. (Medical News Today)

More workplaces are refusing to hire smokers, reports USA Today.

Cancer death rates are on the decline, reports ABC News.

The Atlantic asks what we really know about obesity.

Researchers studying the origins of disease find traces of tuberculosis in bones dating back to the Middle Ages. (Futurity)

Quitting smoking cuts mortality rates even when the smoker is elderly, reports Channel News Asia.


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


Stephen Hamill
Associate Director, Communications and Advocacy
World Lung Foundation