News

Professors and siblings Kristin Braa and Jørn Braa, of the University of Oslo, have been awarded the 2020 Roux Prize, a US$100,000 award for turning evidence into health impact. The siblings created and manage the District Health Information Software 2 (DHIS2), an open-source tool that is now the world’s largest health management information platform. 

More than a half million lives could be lost to COVID-19 by 28 February 2021 in the USA, suggests a modeling study published in Nature Medicine. The paper also estimates that universal mask use could prevent the worst effects of epidemic resurgences in many states and could save nearly 130,000 of those half million lives.

Modifiable health risks, such as obesity, high blood pressure, and smoking, were linked to over $730 billion in in health care spending in the US in 2016, according to a study published in The Lancet Public Health. 

New modeling of the COVID-19 pandemic in India shows that while the disease will continue to pose a major public health threat, it may be possible to prevent more than 200,000 deaths by December 1, 2020, with widespread mask use and data-driven social distancing measures in the most affected states. The modeling, produced by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, suggests that there is an opportunity to further limit the toll of COVID-19 in India and highlights the critical need for people to comply with face mask use, social distancing, and other COVID-19 prevention guidelines as advised by public health authorities.

In new COVID-19 projections for sub-Saharan Africa, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington forecasts that nearly universal adherence to mask-wearing and social distancing mandates in hard-hit countries could prevent up to 60,125 deaths in the region by December 1. 

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington is forecasting 7,872 people (with a range of 1,115 to 31,971) will die from COVID-19 in Ethiopia by November 1, if the country continues to ease social distancing policies.  

Improvements in access to modern contraception and the education of girls and women are generating widespread, sustained declines in fertility, and world population will likely peak in 2064 at around 9.7 billion, and then decline to about 8.8 billion by 2100—about 2 billion lower than some previous estimates, according to a new study published in The Lancet.

In its first projections of COVID-19 deaths out to November 1, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington is forecasting more than 200,000 deaths in the United States. 

The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington is forecasting nearly 388,300 people will die from COVID-19 in Latin American and Caribbean nations by October 1. 

In its first projections comparing different actions to control COVID-19 transmission, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington is forecasting 166,362 people in Brazil will die through October 1. 

In its first projections comparing different actions to control COVID-19 transmission, the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington is forecasting 47,924 people (range of 46,131 to 50,319) in the UK will die by October 1.