Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Extreme Heat Is Taking A Toll On Health; 9/11 Still Causing Illness In Those Who Were There
Scientific American: Heat Waves May Be Slow, But They Are Just As Destructive As Faster Disasters
Heat and drought are slow disasters, ones we don’t jump to respond to, like we do for a hurricane or a tornado. The destruction is piecemeal—a buckled road here, a broken water main there, water tables and aquifers that aren’t filling as fast as we drain them. In this kind of disaster, bodies are damaged and lives are lost each day, day after day. (Megha Satyanarayana, 9/8)
MSNBC: 9/11-Related Illnesses Are Still Causing Deaths 22 Years Later
Even now, 22 years later, the death toll from the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, continues to climb. Even this long after the last embers were extinguished and the acrid smoke of three crash sites settled on now-sacred soil, the dying goes on. First responders continue to succumb to certain cancers and respiratory ailments connected to their heroism on that day and connected to their work in the weeks and months after the horror. Every one of these fresh victims, many falling after years of fierce battles with illness, leaves friends and family who also become victims of that deadly day, the day that hasn’t stopped killing. (Frank Figliuzzi, 9/11)
The New York Times: Global Regulation Of Essential Medicines Is A Dangerous Mess
Over the past two decades, India emerged as the “pharmacy of the developing world,” the leading manufacturer of generic drugs and medicines, producing more than 20 percent of the world’s supply. This has helped to make a range of medicines available to poor patients around the world who previously had to do without. (Vidya Krishnan, 9/11)
Newsweek: Assisted Suicide Laws Violate The Americans With Disabilities Act
This summer, disability rights advocates sued California over its so-called End of Life Options Act. Under this 2016 law, assisted suicide is available to persons deemed terminally ill with less than six months to live. But, as argued in the lawsuit, the act violates the legal rights of disabled Californians and worsens the dehumanization they already face. (Lisa Blumberg, 9/11)
The New York Times: What Obesity Drugs And Antidepressants Have In Common
We like to think we understand the drugs we take, especially after rigorous trials have proved their efficacy and safety. But sometimes, we know only that medications work; we just don’t know why. (Aaron E. Carroll, 9/9)
Stat: What American Doctors Can Learn From Their Israeli Counterparts
Israeli doctors are bracing for a fight. On Sept. 12, the Israeli Supreme Court is set to hear challenges to a core component of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul — and he has refused to commit to abide by the ruling. Thousands of Israeli doctors have announced they will go on strike if Netanyahu chooses to ignore an adverse ruling. (Mical Raz and Naftali Kaminski, 9/11)
