Writing and Content Creation Posts
Writing for the Web in Ethiopia
Over the past two years, we have had the honor of working with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health’s Public Relations and Communication Directorate (PRCD). One project we worked on together, after redesigning their website—was a workshop on writing effectively for the web.
A Wake-Up Call to Invest in Global Health R&D
The sudden outbreak of Ebola in West Africa last summer was widely and rightly perceived as awakening the rest of the world to a reality many health experts have long understood: infectious diseases that prey disproportionately on the poor are not just a problem for low-income countries. They are a threat to us all. And the world needs to be much better prepared for future challenges, which could involve Ebola or any of a number of other diseases.
A Blueprint for Using Data to Improve Health
An explosion of self-monitoring devices and apps that passively track every move and breath we take has brought about an unparalleled opportunity to harness data to improve health. But according to a new report, the public’s concerns about privacy and other barriers to data sharing could halt progress.
Where You Live Matters to Your Health
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin’s Population Health Institute released the 2015 County Health Rankings, which shows that where you live influences how well and how long you live. It compares 30 factors that communities have the ability to do something about – including education, jobs, violent crime, housing, diet and exercise.
New Discovery Saves Seven-Layer Bean Dip from Extinction
The future was looking bleak for common beans, a nutrition-packed protein source that includes everything from navies to pink speckled kidneys. Climate models project that the heat-sensitive crop—enjoyed by billions, but depended on by 400 million in Latin America and Africa for their daily protein—will falter if global temperatures rise.
Developing New TB Drugs Shouldn’t Be a Moonshot
Tuberculosis kills 1.5 million people every year. It is such a lethal disease that it requires patients to take a combination of four strong antibiotics for six months—18 months or more if the infection comes from a drug-resistant strain. The drugs involved in TB treatment are old, developed when Kennedy was president of the U.S.
Seed Index Sprouts New Hope for Farmers
What does seed mean for farmers? It represents the chance to feed a family and have a surplus to send children to school, buy uniforms, and buy medicine when they’re sick. And yet, farmers in many parts of Africa do not have access to the kinds of seeds that could thrive on the land.
Expanding Farmlands Create Perfect Storm for Plague in East Africa
A new study published in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene found the push to boost food production that is accelerating the conversion of natural lands into croplands in Tanzania may be significantly increasing the risk of plague. Researchers discovered that where maize production has been introduced, the number of rodents infested with plague-carrying fleas that can cause human infections nearly doubled compared to numbers in neighboring forest areas.
Consumers Save by Shopping for Health Care
The Health Care Cost Institute is launching, Guroo.com, a website that provides national, state, and local information free to consumers to help them shop and make more informed choices about how they spend their health care dollars.
Improving Oral Health for Kids and Communities
Dental Health Aide Therapist (DHAT) Bonnie Johnson, from Emmonak, Alaska, travels around her community providing dental care to children and families in rural Alaska. Tribal leaders, dentists and community members explain how dental therapists like Bonnie have helped radically improve oral health in their villages while inspiring their community, once known for rampant tooth decay and poor oral health, to strive for a different, healthier future.
