Global health news briefs - April 2020

Global health news briefs - April 2020

National Academies study malaria drugs

Concerns regarding the long-term health effects of antimalarial drugs on veterans prompted the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to review evidence related to drugs used over the past 25 years. Particular attention was paid to research on mefloquine and tafenoquine.

Scientists measure impact of mothers’ grief

In some African countries more than half of all women have lost at least one child but this burden of bereavement receives little attention. A team of researchers has attempted to measure the physical and mental impact of the trauma of child loss, and estimate the public health threat it poses.

WHO aids study of health care barriers

The WHO has published a handbook for conducting adolescent health services barriers assessments, with a focus on disadvantaged populations. The goals are to build in-country capacity to identify obstacles to health services, trigger action to address these barriers, and improve integration of adolescents into monitoring and evaluation.

Gender gaps remain for women scientists

While women are gaining in terms of overall participation in research globally, there are still gender gaps in research funding and career longevity, according to a report released by Elsevier.

Knowledge sharing aids reproducibility

For research discoveries to be broadly accepted, the results must be shared and verified by other researchers. A panel of experts recently examined the current state of reporting of research findings and explored opportunities for harmonizing guidelines. Their analysis has been published by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

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