Public health

Public health

Men's heavy drinking is fueling a hidden crisis affecting millions of women and children worldwide. The harms, from violence to financial instability, are especially severe where gender inequality is high. Experts warn that alcohol policies must include gender-responsive strategies to protect vulnerable families. They call for reforms combining regulation, prevention, and community action. A sweeping global review has revealed that men's alcohol consumption is causing widespread harm to women and children, from violence and neglect to lost educational and life opportunities. Credit: Shutterstock

But that same morning, a $900 charge for her GLP-1 prescription landed on her credit card. Whatever she was saving at the supermarket felt dwarfed by the cost of her medication. Drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound are being hailed as medical breakthroughs. They're not just changing waistlines-they're changing household budgets. And as these shifts ripple through everyday spending, the financial industry has an important role to play in helping people rethink, rebalance, and plan for this new reality.

"Federal law says children with developmental delays, including newborns with significant likelihood of a delay, can get early intervention from birth to age 3. States design their own programs and set their own funding levels, however. They also set some of the criteria for which newborns are automatically eligible, typically relying on qualifying conditions like Down syndrome or cerebral palsy, extreme prematurity or low birthweight. Nationally, far fewer infants and toddlers receive the therapies than should. The stats are particularly bleak for babies under the age of 1: Just 1 percent of these infants get help. Yet an estimated 13 percent of infants and toddlers likely qualify."

The assessment found that PFNA interferes with human development by causing lower birth weights and, based on animal evidence, likely causes damage to the liver and to male reproductive systems, including reductions in testosterone levels, sperm production and the size of reproductive organs. The report also calculated the amount of PFNA that people could be exposed to without being harmed - a critical measurement that can be used to set limits for cleaning up PFNA contamination in Superfund sites and for removing the chemical from drinking water.

While Walter provides history and plenty of politics and policy detail, she does it through individual stories: a doctor who bends the rules as he tries to fight the system, a White middle-class young man who gets treatment in lieu of jail time but then learns that the facility which forces him into hard labor may be even worse, and a Black woman who gets no such option and is sent to jail.

While Walter provides history and plenty of politics and policy detail, she does it through individual stories: a doctor who bends the rules as he tries to fight the system, a White middle-class young man who gets treatment in lieu of jail time but then learns that the facility - which forces him into hard labor - may be even worse, and a Black woman who gets no such option and is sent to jail.

The year was 1987. Phill Wilson was 31, a recent transplant to L.A. from his hometown of Chicago. A mysterious infection that weakened its hosts' immune systems was killing people at a terrifying rate, while the Reagan administration downplayed and openly joked about the disease. Some major news outlets initially wrote off the emerging epidemic as a "gay plague," insinuating that other Americans didn't need to worry about it.

Hours after Princess Diana gave birth, she walked out onto the steps of the Lindo Wing, the private maternity ward of St. Mary's Hospital in London, where she was met with photographers from around the world. As she introduced Prince William, then a couple years later, Prince Harry, she looked radiant, with flawless makeup and flowing gowns. It was a portrait of maternal serenity.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) hit back at an op-ed written by the most recent six surgeons general, who said they wanted to warn the U.S. about the dangers of Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. The op-ed, published in The Washington Post on Tuesday, called the health secretary's policies and positions an "immediate and unprecedented" threat to the nation's health. In a statement to ABC News, HHS spokesperson Andrew Nixon said the doctors are the same officials "who presided over the decline in America's public health."

Hundreds of NHS hospital workers have voted for strike action after claims that they have lost more than 36m in pay and pension contributions over the last four years. More than 330 low-paid workers, mainly cleaners, caterers and porters, known as facilities staff, at St George's, Epsom and St Helier hospital group (GESH) are preparing to go on strike.

When she did not return, friends raised the alarm. A search team found her the next day, less than 100 yards (91 metres) from the parking lot. According to the infrared thermometer used by the death investigator at the scene, Hannah's body registered 142F (61C) after a day in the desert sun. Inside her backpack were three empty water bottles, packets of fruit snacks, sunscreen and a fully charged portable phone battery. Her phone, however, had no power. Heat exposure killed Moody a week before her 32nd birthday.

Northern Ireland's health trusts spent almost 22m in a single year on restricted procedures which should only be carried out in very specific circumstances, according to the auditor general. Dorinnia Carville said about 12,000 operations, which include tummy tucks and tonsillectomies, were carried out in 2023-24 without any assurance they complied with government policy. Ms Carville described the lack of oversight by the Department of Health and the trusts as "very disappointing".

Nate's Fine Foods of Roseville, California, recalled thousands of cases of linguine, fettucine, penne and other pastas sold to large producers of heat-and-eat meals and pasta salads on Sept. 25, according to a U.S. Food and Drug Administration notice posted Thursday. The move came after tests showed that pasta made by Nate's Fine Foods contained the same strain of listeria found in chicken fettucine Alfredo and meatball linguine products linked to an outbreak that has killed four people and sickened 20 since August 2024.

"I feel very proud," said Raymond James, as he prepared to walk on to the pitch at Wembley as a footballer's mascot. Mr James, from Fulham, is one of 22 people living with dementia who will walk out with the England and Wales team. Mr James said he was looking forward to the occasion, adding: "I've never done anything like that. I know what it's like. I've seen the children (mascots) go, so I know what to do."

When it rolls off the assembly line at GM's factory in Fairfax, Kansas, early next year, the Bolt will start at $29,990, including destination fees. A few months later, a base LT trim will arrive starting at $29,990, followed by the RS trim for about $32,000, both including destination fees.

We often think of alcohol harm as a public health issue, but this research shows it's a national economic problem,

Contrary to overall cancer trends, there's been an increase in certain cancer diagnoses in people under 50. From 2010 through 2019, the incidence of 14 cancer types increased among people in this demographic. The big question is, why? Does it have to do with lifestyle choices? Are there environmental factors at play? What can be done to mitigate risk? Welcome to "Harvard Thinking," a podcast where the life of the mind meets everyday life.

Blocked drains in workplaces aren't just an inconvenience, as they can quickly spiral into major disruptions. When water doesn't flow as it should, it can harm hygiene standards, safety, and even your reputation. The impact can be immediate in places like restaurants, schools, offices, or warehouses where daily operations depend on smooth facilities. Keep reading to discover the signs that show you need urgent help before a small issue becomes a costly emergency.

Its beneficiaries are expected to feel the impact within one to two weeks. The program in question is the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, better known by its acronym WIC, which has a yearly budget of $8 billion. It provides vouchers for infant formula, as well as fresh fruits and vegetables, skim milk, and other healthy staples

The law, which Gov. Newsom signed on Wednesday, provides a first-ever statutory definition of ultra-processed foods in the U.S. and will ban some that are "of concern" in California schools starting in 2035. Under the legislation, which is expected to touch off a major overhaul of school cafeteria meals, the state's Department of Public Health will identify ultra-processed foods "of concern" and "restricted school foods" - another prohibited category - by 2028. A year later, schools are required to begin phasing them out.