Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Viewpoints: Steps We Can Take To Mitigate The Spread Of Bird Flu; Why Is Life Expectancy Lower In US?
The Baltimore Sun: How We Can Be Proactive In Face Of Bird Flu Threat
As a physician, I have been closely following our country’s bird flu crisis. I am especially concerned about the recent revelation that a second type of bird flu has been detected in dairy cows in Nevada and a new strain of the bird flu virus, H5N9, was found in California. These developments are precisely what many public health officials have been most concerned about as it means that bird flu is transforming in a way that could allow it to spread more easily in humans. (Asha Subramanian, 2/12)
Stat: U.S. Health Care Is Not The Biggest Reason For Its Reduced Life Expectancy
According to an analysis from the AAMC Research and Action Institute that we co-authored, if we could eliminate deaths from just three external causes of injury and death —alcohol, drugs, and firearms (including firearm suicides) — we would increase the average U.S. life expectancy at birth by about 1.6 years. That would nearly close the life expectancy gap between the United States and other developed countries. (Atul Grover and Megan L. Ranney, 2/13)
The Baltimore Sun: In Westminster, A Fear Of Behavioral Health Care.
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that about 6% of American adults have a serious mental illness. That amounts to more than 15.4 million people and includes such afflictions as mood disorders, anxiety orders such as posttraumatic stress and impulse control. If anything, experts suspect that’s an underestimate — individuals with no fixed address, for example, aren’t usually covered by government behavioral health surveys. But it’s safe to say the numbers are substantial and cover the gamut from men and women, white and minorities, young and old. And it’s not uncommon for co-occurring afflictions such as alcoholism or addiction to be part of the equation. (2/12)
The New York Times: The U.S.A.I.D. Chaos Already Has Dire Effects
U.S.A.I.D. employees, who mostly joined the agency in hopes of making the world a better place, are in agony. “We’re just paralyzed,” an agency employee in Africa told me. “No one is in charge.” (Nicholas Kristof, 2/12)
Stat: People With Schizophrenia Deserve More Access To A Life-Saving Drug
When Christen White’s brother had his first psychotic episode thinking Steven Spielberg was stalking him, it was a shocking and overwhelming experience for loved ones. “My brother lived with schizophrenia for 10 years,” White wrote to me in an email, “and our biggest battle was ensuring his safety and trying to keep him well. Unfortunately, the failures of the mental health care system compounded the challenges we faced.” This led her to becoming involved with The Angry Moms, a grassroots effort advocating for the safe use of clozapine, an antipsychotic medication. (Daniel X. Pham, 2/13)
Newsweek: I Ignored My Health For Years. Then Came The Wake-Up Call I Feared
In 2024, I was forced to take a hard look at my life. Sitting in my doctor's office, I gripped the arms of the chair as I heard the words no one ever wants to hear: "We need to rule out cancer." I had two kids, a demanding career, and a husband who counted on me. I had spent years pushing myself to be the best at work, the best dad, the best provider—but in the process, I had completely neglected my own health. For years, I ignored the warning signs: I was 100 pounds overweight with high blood pressure, sky-high cholesterol, chronic plantar fasciitis and irregular heart rhythms that put me at risk of stroke. (David Graham, 2/12)
