Latest news with #ISGlobal
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Health
- Time of India
As wildfires rage across North America, new study says smoke is 14 times more lethal than earlier estimates
A recent study reveals the deadly impact of wildfire smoke, linking short-term exposure to significantly more deaths than previously estimated. Researchers found that wildfire-generated fine particulate matter is far more harmful than traffic-related pollutants, increasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. As climate change intensifies wildfires, understanding and tracking this threat becomes crucial for global health. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why wildfire smoke is so lethal Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads For every 1 µg/m³ rise in PM2.5, all-cause mortality increased by 0.7 per cent, respiratory mortality by 1 per cent, and cardiovascular mortality by 0.9 per cent. Researchers found wildfire-generated PM2.5 is more harmful than traffic-related pollutants, intensifying risks of respiratory and heart diseases. How the study was conducted They combined daily mortality records with fire-related and non-fire-related PM2.5 levels. By broadening the timeline to include deaths occurring within seven days of exposure, the study captured wildfire smoke's delayed but deadly effects. Previous estimates were dangerously low A climate-linked threat to global health Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads As North America battles one of its most destructive wildfire seasons, with more than 40,000 blazes scorching nearly 3 million acres in the US and over 5.5 million acres in Canada as of July 2025, a new study warns that the health toll of wildfire smoke is far deadlier than previously now say short-term exposure to smoke-related fine particles is linked to 14 times more deaths than past estimates to the study, the health risks of wildfire smoke were underestimated by nearly 93 percent. Published in The Lancet Planetary Health by researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), the findings suggest exposure to wildfire smoke is responsible for an average of 535 deaths California alone, 5,362 wildfires have resulted in 31 fatalities this year as per the CalFire study examined wildfire pollutants, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5), microscopic particles small enough to penetrate the lungs and bloodstream deeply.'These estimates were made using specific data on how wildfire smoke affects health, allowing for a more precise calculation compared to general air pollution data,' the authors team relied on data from the EARLY-ADAPT project, covering 654 regions across 32 European countries and a population of 541 million people between 2004 and study found that short-term exposure to wildfire smoke particles (PM2.5) caused an average of 535 deaths each year, including 31 from respiratory diseases and 184 from cardiovascular methods that treated wildfire smoke the same as other fine particles had suggested only 38 deaths per year, a massive applying risk data specific to wildfire smoke, researchers discovered that the actual toll is nearly 14 times higher, meaning previous estimates underestimated the danger by 93 the climate crisis fuels longer fire seasons and more intense blazes, exposure to wildfire smoke is expected to rise dramatically.'The rising frequency and intensity of wildfires makes improving estimates of PM2.5-related wildfire mortality imperative to better track this climate change-related threat,' said Anna Alari, ISGlobal researcher and study co-author.
Economic Times
6 hours ago
- Health
- Economic Times
As wildfires rage across North America, new study says smoke is 14 times more lethal than earlier estimates
A recent study reveals the deadly impact of wildfire smoke, linking short-term exposure to significantly more deaths than previously estimated. Researchers found that wildfire-generated fine particulate matter is far more harmful than traffic-related pollutants, increasing the risk of respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. As climate change intensifies wildfires, understanding and tracking this threat becomes crucial for global health. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why wildfire smoke is so lethal Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads For every 1 µg/m³ rise in PM2.5, all-cause mortality increased by 0.7 per cent, respiratory mortality by 1 per cent, and cardiovascular mortality by 0.9 per cent. Researchers found wildfire-generated PM2.5 is more harmful than traffic-related pollutants, intensifying risks of respiratory and heart diseases. How the study was conducted They combined daily mortality records with fire-related and non-fire-related PM2.5 levels. By broadening the timeline to include deaths occurring within seven days of exposure, the study captured wildfire smoke's delayed but deadly effects. Previous estimates were dangerously low A climate-linked threat to global health Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads As North America battles one of its most destructive wildfire seasons, with more than 40,000 blazes scorching nearly 3 million acres in the US and over 5.5 million acres in Canada as of July 2025, a new study warns that the health toll of wildfire smoke is far deadlier than previously now say short-term exposure to smoke-related fine particles is linked to 14 times more deaths than past estimates to the study, the health risks of wildfire smoke were underestimated by nearly 93 percent. Published in The Lancet Planetary Health by researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), the findings suggest exposure to wildfire smoke is responsible for an average of 535 deaths California alone, 5,362 wildfires have resulted in 31 fatalities this year as per the CalFire study examined wildfire pollutants, particularly fine particulate matter (PM2.5), microscopic particles small enough to penetrate the lungs and bloodstream deeply.'These estimates were made using specific data on how wildfire smoke affects health, allowing for a more precise calculation compared to general air pollution data,' the authors team relied on data from the EARLY-ADAPT project, covering 654 regions across 32 European countries and a population of 541 million people between 2004 and study found that short-term exposure to wildfire smoke particles (PM2.5) caused an average of 535 deaths each year, including 31 from respiratory diseases and 184 from cardiovascular methods that treated wildfire smoke the same as other fine particles had suggested only 38 deaths per year, a massive applying risk data specific to wildfire smoke, researchers discovered that the actual toll is nearly 14 times higher, meaning previous estimates underestimated the danger by 93 the climate crisis fuels longer fire seasons and more intense blazes, exposure to wildfire smoke is expected to rise dramatically.'The rising frequency and intensity of wildfires makes improving estimates of PM2.5-related wildfire mortality imperative to better track this climate change-related threat,' said Anna Alari, ISGlobal researcher and study co-author.
Yahoo
09-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
First anti-malaria drug for newborns approved
Switzerland's medical products authority has granted the first approval for a malaria medicine designed for small infants, touted as an advance against a disease that takes hundreds of thousands of lives — nearly all in Africa — each year. Swissmedic gave a green light Tuesday for the medicine from Basel-based pharmaceutical company Novartis for the treatment of babies with body weights between 2 and 5kg, which could pave the way for hard-hit African nations to follow suit in the coming months. The agency said that the decision is significant in part because it's only the third time it has approved a treatment under a fast-track authorization process, in coordination with the World Health Organization, to help developing countries access needed treatment. The newly approved medication is a lower-dose version of a tablet previously approved for other age groups, including older children. Dr. Quique Bassat, a malaria expert not affiliated with the Swiss review, said the burden of malaria in very young children is 'relatively low' compared to older kids. But access to such medicines is important to all, he said. 'There is no doubt that any child of whichever age — and particularly very, very young ones or very light-weighted ones — require a treatment,' said Bassat, the director general of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, known as ISGlobal. Up to now, antimalarial drugs designed for older children have been administered to small infants in careful ways to avoid overdose or toxicity, in what Bassat called a 'suboptimal solution' that the newly designed medicine could help rectify. 'This is a drug which we know is safe, we know works well, and therefore it will just be available as a new version for a specific age group,' he said. Ruairidh Villar, a Novartis spokesperson, said that eight African countries took part in the assessment and are expected to approve the medicine within 90 days. The company said that it's planning on a rollout on a 'largely not-for-profit basis' in countries where malaria is endemic. Dr Bhargavi Rao, co-director of the Malaria Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, noted that malaria cases continue to rise — especially in crisis-hit countries — despite new vaccines and programs targeting the mosquitoes that spread the parasite. She said access strategies for the new medicine must include a look at where needs are greatest, and urged clarity on pricing. 'We need transparency around what Novartis' 'largely not for profit' statement means including publicly available pricing, which countries will benefit and how long for,' she wrote in an email. Still, she said it was 'significant to finally have a suitable and safe treatment for very young children — more than 20 years since WHO first pre-qualified CoArtem for older age groups. She noted the announcement comes as resistance to antimalarials has been growing and many traditional donor countries have been sharply cutting outlays for global health — including for malaria programming and research. The mosquito-borne illness is the deadliest disease in Africa, whose 1.5 billion people accounted for 95 per cent of an estimated 597,000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023, according to WHO. More than three-quarters of those deaths were among children.
The Independent
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Swiss authority issues first approval for antimalaria drug for newborns
Switzerland's medical products authority has granted the first approval for a malaria medicine designed for small infants, touted as an advance against a disease that takes hundreds of thousands of lives — nearly all in Africa — each year. Swissmedic gave a green light Tuesday for the medicine from Basel-based pharmaceutical company Novartis for the treatment of babies with body weights between 2 and 5kg, which could pave the way for hard-hit African nations to follow suit in the coming months. The agency said that the decision is significant in part because it's only the third time it has approved a treatment under a fast-track authorization process, in coordination with the World Health Organization, to help developing countries access needed treatment. The newly approved medication is a lower-dose version of a tablet previously approved for other age groups, including older children. Dr. Quique Bassat, a malaria expert not affiliated with the Swiss review, said the burden of malaria in very young children is 'relatively low' compared to older kids. But access to such medicines is important to all, he said. 'There is no doubt that any child of whichever age — and particularly very, very young ones or very light-weighted ones — require a treatment,' said Bassat, the director general of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, known as ISGlobal. Up to now, antimalarial drugs designed for older children have been administered to small infants in careful ways to avoid overdose or toxicity, in what Bassat called a 'suboptimal solution' that the newly designed medicine could help rectify. 'This is a drug which we know is safe, we know works well, and therefore it will just be available as a new version for a specific age group,' he said. Ruairidh Villar, a Novartis spokesperson, said that eight African countries took part in the assessment and are expected to approve the medicine within 90 days. The company said that it's planning on a rollout on a 'largely not-for-profit basis' in countries where malaria is endemic. Dr Bhargavi Rao, co-director of the Malaria Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, noted that malaria cases continue to rise — especially in crisis-hit countries — despite new vaccines and programs targeting the mosquitoes that spread the parasite. She said access strategies for the new medicine must include a look at where needs are greatest, and urged clarity on pricing. 'We need transparency around what Novartis' 'largely not for profit' statement means including publicly available pricing, which countries will benefit and how long for,' she wrote in an email. Still, she said it was 'significant to finally have a suitable and safe treatment for very young children — more than 20 years since WHO first pre-qualified CoArtem for older age groups. She noted the announcement comes as resistance to antimalarials has been growing and many traditional donor countries have been sharply cutting outlays for global health — including for malaria programming and research. The mosquito-borne illness is the deadliest disease in Africa, whose 1.5 billion people accounted for 95 per cent of an estimated 597,000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023, according to WHO. More than three-quarters of those deaths were among children.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Swiss medicines authority issues first approval for antimalarial drug for treatment of infants
Switzerland's medical products authority has granted the first approval for a malaria medicine designed for small infants, touted as an advance against a disease that takes hundreds of thousands of lives — nearly all in Africa — each year. Swissmedic gave a green light Tuesday for the medicine from Basel-based pharmaceutical company Novartis for treatment of babies with body weights between 2 and 5 kilograms (nearly 4½ to 11 pounds), which could pave the way for hard-hit African nations to follow suit in coming months. The agency said that the decision is significant in part because it's only the third time it has approved a treatment under a fast-track authorization process, in coordination with the World Health Organization, to help developing countries access needed treatment. The newly approved medication is a lower dose version of a tablet previously approved for other age groups, including older children. Dr. Quique Bassat, a malaria expert not affiliated with the Swiss review, said the burden of malaria in very young children is 'relatively low' compared to older kids. But access to such medicines is important to all, he said. 'There is no doubt that any child of whichever age — and particularly very, very young ones or very light-weighted ones — require a treatment,' said Bassat, the director- general of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, known as ISGlobal. Up to now, antimalarial drugs designed for older children have been administered to small infants in careful ways to avoid overdose or toxicity, in what Bassat called a 'suboptimal solution' that the newly designed medicine could help rectify. 'This is a drug which we know is safe, we know works well, and therefore it will just be available as a new version for a specific age group,' he said. Ruairidh Villar, a Novartis spokesperson, said that eight African countries took part in the assessment and are expected to approve the medicine within 90 days. The company said that it's planning on a rollout on a 'largely not-for-profit basis' in countries where malaria is endemic. Dr. Bhargavi Rao, co-director of the Malaria Centre at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, noted that malaria cases continue to rise — especially in crisis-hit countries — despite new vaccines and programs targeting the mosquitoes that spread the parasite. She said access strategies for the new medicine must include a look at where needs are greatest, and urged clarity on pricing. 'We need transparency around what Novartis' 'largely not for profit' statement means including publicly available pricing, which countries will benefit and how long for,' she wrote in an email. Still, she said it was 'significant to finally have a suitable and safe treatment for very young children — more than 20 years since WHO first pre-qualified CoArtem for older age groups. She noted the announcement comes as resistance to antimalarials has been growing and many traditional donor countries have been sharply cutting outlays for global health — including for malaria programming and research. The mosquito-borne illness is the deadliest disease in Africa, whose 1.5 billion people accounted for 95% of an estimated 597,000 malaria deaths worldwide in 2023, according to WHO. More than three-quarters of those deaths were among children.
