Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
US Embassies Stopped Monitoring Air Quality, Then Worldwide Air Pollution Spiked: Study
NPR: Air Pollution Spiked After The Trump Administration Stopped Embassy Monitoring
Growing up in Shanghai in the early 1990s, Eric Zou remembers the air. "I lived a couple of miles next to a chemical plant and it was just really bad, really foggy," he says. "It's the middle of the day, but you can't see the sun." Intensive industrial activity blanketed many cities in China during the 1990s and 2000s with extremely hazardous air. But Zou, now an environmental economist at the University of Michigan, says that many people didn't really understand this smog as air pollution, or something that could harm them. (Lambert, 9/15)
Newsweek: Air Pollution Linked To Eye Condition Affecting Millions, Scientists Warn
Air pollution may be affecting more than just heart and lungs. A new analysis of existing research suggests that exposure to polluted air, particularly fine particulate matter known as PM₂.₅, is associated with a higher risk of serious eye diseases, including glaucoma and cataracts. Researchers carried out a systematic review and meta-analysis to examine whether air pollution could be linked to common eye conditions, an area that has received far less attention than the well-established effects of pollution on cardiovascular and respiratory health. (Azzurra Volpe, 9/16)
MedPage Today: Air Pollution May Influence Suicide Risk, Meta-Analysis Suggests
Exposure to air pollution showed positive associations with risks for death by suicide, attempted suicide, and suicidal ideation, according to a systematic review and meta-analysis. (Monaco, 9/16)
The Washington Post: Rivers Are Delivering A Staggering Amount Of Microplastics Into The Ocean, Study Finds
Up to a quarter of all plastic flowing from rivers into the ocean are microplastics — delivering more than 260,000 metric tons in 2022, according to a new study published last week in Science. The staggering amount suggested there was more plastic pollution carried by rivers than previously estimated, researchers said. Almost all — 96 percent — of the pollution was from rivers in developing countries, with more than half it coming from Southeast and East Asia, according to the study. (Goitia-Doran, 9/17)
The New York Times: Mexico City Has A Toxic ‘Sacrifice Zone’ Where Cancer Is Surging
For decades, the Mexican authorities have sacrificed a rural valley to flush away the capital’s waste and power the economy. Now, local communities are paying for that decision — often with peoples’ lives. (Mega, 9/17)
More health news from around the world —
The New York Times: Trump’s Economic Vise Leaves Cubans Desperate for Food and Medicine
The U.S. says its sanctions are not aimed at depriving Cuba of essential goods. Thousands of stranded shipping containers tell a different story. (Augustin and Robles, 9/17)
The New York Times: Fiji Declares A National Emergency As H.I.V. Cases Skyrocket
Fiji has declared a national crisis amid an extraordinary rise of H.I.V. cases, with health officials raising the alarm about an epidemic that has emerged alongside an increase in injectable drug use. ... UNAIDS, a United Nations program, said in a statement on Wednesday that it was “one of the sharpest increases in new H.I.V. infections globally.” Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of UNAIDS, added that Fiji’s epidemic was “a stark reminder to the world that AIDS is not over.” (Irwin, 9/16)
The New York Times: Age Limits For Social Media Outlined By European Union
The European Union outlined plans on Wednesday to restrict social media use for children under 15, an aggressive step to curtail access to apps like TikTok and Instagram across the 27-nation bloc. (Satariano and Smialek, 9/16)
Bloomberg: A Life-Extending Breast Cancer Drug Finally Comes To England
Women with an aggressive form of breast cancer in England will finally get access to a drug from AstraZeneca Plc and Daiichi Sankyo Co. on the National Health Service, after an agreement was reached with the regulator. About 1,000 women a year will be eligible for Enhertu, which is approved to be used on patients whose cancer cells have lower levels of a protein called HER2. Many patients have died since the medicine was first rejected by the drug price regulator in 2024, according to campaign group Breast Cancer Now. (Furlong, 9/17)
AP: The Number Of Japanese Centenarians Tops 100,000 For The First Time
The number of people aged 100 or older in Japan surpassed a record 100,000 this year, the latest government figures show, underscoring the country’s rapidly aging and declining population. The Health and Welfare Ministry statistics released Tuesday show Japan now has 107,677 centenarians, up 7,914 from the previous year and exceeding the 100,000 mark for the first time. Nearly 88% of them are women. (Yamaguchi, 9/16)
