Public Health in the News – July 5, 2015

Global

• The WHO has named Cuba as the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of HIV and syphilis.
• The Democratic Republic of Congo is reporting a possible Ebola outbreak.
• Global increases in the availability of calories, often due to highly processed food, is leading to global increases in obesity rates.
• Lack of access to clean water remains a large barrier to improvements in global health.

National

• Although many teens and young adults are prescribed antipsychotics for ADHD and depression, the drugs aren’t actually approved for this use.
• The FDA is reconsidering whether kids should be taking codeine for colds and coughs.
• A new study shows that sleep deprivation negatively affects self-control.
• Combat veterans with PTSD can be especially stressed out by fireworks, as a new health campaign is trying to point out.
• A Michigan doctor will soon face sentencing for misdiagnosing patients with deadly diseases such as cancer that they didn’t actually have.
• All-day kindergarten may provide children with better health and higher achievement rates.
• Colorado has achieved success in lowering teen pregnancies by offering women long-lasting intrauterine devices.
• A new study shows that mass shootings can be considered “contagious” behavior: one incident can increase the chances that another will occur.

Illinois/Chicago

• Some restaurants which will be present at next week’s Taste of Chicago have recently failed health inspections.
• Thresholds, a Chicago-based mental health services agency, will soon be rolling out a new mobile app to help veterans.

Northwestern

• Northwestern scientists have discovered a gene important in the evolutionary history of the pathogen that causes the plague.
• Northwestern MD/MPH student Supriya Rastogi has received a Schweitzer Fellowship to study reproductive health disparities between different races on the South side of Chicago.