Noncommunicable Diseases

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A nurse checks a premature baby at a maternity hospital, in Idlib, Syria, on February 27, 2020.

Syrian Doctors Fight Infant Blindness After War

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Syrian American ophthalmologists are banding together to improve pediatric tests for retinopathy of prematurity

Breakfast cereals are displayed for sale at a grocery store, in Medford, Massachusetts, on April 22, 2025.

Ultra-Processed Foods Take Pointers From Big Tobacco

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Like commercial tobacco, ultra-processed foods are engineered to drive consumption and could be regulated accordingly

Where the Iran War Could Disrupt Pharmaceutical Supply Chains

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Pharmaceutical company executives are responding to the immediate supply-chain threats by targeting unconventional routes

Worldwide Flight Services personnel prepare humanitarian aid packages for the first French humanitarian flight to Beirut, carrying 60 tons of relief supplies and pharmaceutical products, at Paris‑Charles de Gaulle Airport, in Roissy‑en‑France near Paris, France, on March 12, 2026.

Childhood Nutrition Challenges in India

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Ultra-processed food consumption and rising sedentary behavior mean India's children will enter the workforce already managing chronic illness

School boys carry their tiffin boxes as they wait to receive their free mid-day meal, distributed by a government-run primary school, in New Delhi, India, on July 19, 2013.

Reversing Ukraine's Population Loss After Four Years of War

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Ukraine is facing demographic erosion and devising plans to encourage refugee returns and the birth rate

Bohdana Zhupanyna, a 30-year-old mother-to-be, stands inside her apartment that was damaged by a Russian drone strike, amid Russia's attack, in Kyiv, Ukraine, on July 23, 2025.

Indonesia Delays Sugary Drink Taxes, Yet Again

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Conceived a decade ago, Indonesia's tax on sugar-sweetened beverages is now tied to an easy-to-miss economic target

A street vendor prepares drinks for sale at Jatinegara, a traditional market in Jakarta, Indonesia, on May 21, 2020.

Gold Prices Reach Record High, Poisoning Ghana's Land

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As gold demand grows, Ghana's rural families turn to riskier operations, worsened by lax regulations and porous supply chains

An artisanal miner climbs out of a gold mine with a bag of rocks broken off from inside a mining pit, at the unlicensed mining site of Nsuaem Top, in Ghana, on November 24, 2018.

Does Pandemic Preparedness Depend on Confronting the Chronic Disease Crisis?

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An analysis looks at whether strategies to reduce the global burden of noncommunicable disease could aid pandemic preparedness

A line chart titled “Health Risks in LMICs” shows how the leading risk factors for disease burden change in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 1990 to 2023. In 1990, malnutrition ranks highest, followed by unsafe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), household air pollution, high blood pressure, dietary risks, tobacco, and high body-mass index. Over time, noncommunicable disease risks rise. By 2023, high blood pressure and dietary risks are the top contributors, while malnutrition and household air pollution decline in rank. Tobacco and high body-mass index increase modestly, and unsafe WASH drops to the lowest rank. The chart highlights a shift from communicable and environmental risks toward chronic disease risks in LMICs.

Why 1 in 3 People Worldwide Suffer From Headaches

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Pain medication misuse can stem from inadequate awareness around the global burden of headaches

A horizontal bar chart titled “Headaches Cause More Harm in Women.” The chart shows age-standardized years lived with disability (YLDs) per 100,000 people in 2023, comparing women (dark blue) and men (yellow). For all headache disorders, women experience roughly twice the YLDs of men. The gap is larger for migraine, with women showing substantially higher disability than men. For tension-type headache, disability levels are much lower overall but remain higher in women than men. Source: IHME; chart by CFR/Allison Krugman for Think Global Health.

A New Era for Alzheimer's Disease Diagnosis

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Emerging biomarkers and digital tools are unlocking earlier and more accurate diagnosis

Teresa, 75, an Alzheimer's patient and former businesswoman, poses for a photograph inside the Alzheimer Foundation, in Mexico City, Mexico, on April 19, 2012.

The Economics of Lung Cancer and Drug Delays in Latin America

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A new analysis unpacks the extent of how slow regulatory approvals hamper cancer drug availability in Latin America

Norma del Carme Blandin, a cancer patient, sits in a wheelchair inside her bedroom, at the Casa-Albergue, in Managua, Nicaragua, on October 20, 2017.

The Mental Health Effects of Ozempic and GLP-1 Drugs

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As researchers decipher how GLP-1s affect mental health, experts worry access is outpacing the scientific investigation

Dawn Heidlebaugh, who experienced mental health concerns while using Ozempic, looks out of the window of her home, in Findlay, Ohio, on September 19, 2023.