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Have you ever considered that your regular commute to and fro work could potentially shave off some years from your life? And no, we’re not talking about road traffic accidents but the slow poison we’re inhaling unbeknownst to us: air pollutants. A new study published in <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(24)00114-1/fulltext">The Lancet Planetary Health</a> by an international team of researchers reveals a terrifying truth: over 7% of daily deaths in 10 major <keyword id="20026638" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-cities" source="keywords">Indian cities</keyword> are attributed to <keyword id="19900550" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-pollution" source="keywords">air pollution</keyword> caused by <keyword id="22110704" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="PM2-5-pollutants" source="keywords">PM2.5 pollutants</keyword> exceeding the World Health Organization's (WHO) safe limits. These PM2.5 pollutants are microscopic particles, 2.5 micrometres or less in diameter, that come from <keyword id="2839914" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vehicle-emissions" source="Orion">vehicle emissions</keyword> and industrial activities. Imagine tiny daggers — that's what these PM2.5 particles are like, infiltrating deep into lungs and even the bloodstream, wreaking havoc on our health. The study found that PM2.5 levels breach WHO guidelines a staggering 99.8% of the time in these cities. The analysis covered major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Pune, Shimla and Varanasi. A staggering 7.2% of deaths in these cities, translating to roughly 33,000 annually, were associated with short-term PM2.5 levels exceeding the WHO's recommended limit (15 micrograms per cubic metre) between 2008 and 2019. Delhi, unfortunately, takes the crown for the most polluted. A shocking 11.5% of its annual deaths are attributed to air pollution, translating to a devastating 12,000 lives lost each year. The link between PM2.5 and mortality is undeniable. Researchers found that a mere 10 microgram per cubic metre increase in these pollutants correlates with a 1.4% rise in daily deaths. This risk factor doubles when considering only levels below India's air quality standards, which are, worryingly, less strict than the WHO's recommendations. But here's a surprising twist: the association between PM2.5 and death is even stronger in cities with generally cleaner air, like Bengaluru and Chennai. This suggests that locally produced pollutants, from sources like construction dust or waste burning, might be significant contributors. There is a glimmer of hope, however. The study emphasises that implementing stricter air quality standards and utilising proven pollution control methods from other parts of the world can be game changers. Lowering and enforcing stricter air quality limits will save tens of thousands of lives per year, emphasises Joel Schwartz, a co-author from Harvard University. This study serves as a stark wake-up call. The air we breathe in many Indian cities is a gamble, with every breath potentially harmful. Taking decisive action to curb pollution is not just about a cleaner environment, it's about saving the lives of millions of Indians.

Air pollution kills thousands in Indian cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata every year: Lancet study

From Los Angeles to Mumbai, a traffic-related air pollutant drives nearly 2 million new cases of <keyword id="6296274" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="paediatric-asthma" source="Orion">paediatric asthma</keyword> every year, according to a new study. <keyword id="6465125" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="asthma" source="Orion">Asthma</keyword> is a chronic illness that causes inflammation of the lung's airways. Researchers from <keyword id="162467" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="George-Washington-University" source="Orion">George Washington University</keyword> studied ground concentrations of nitrogen dioxide, or NO2 - a pollutant that comes from tailpipe vehicle emissions, power plants, and industrial sites. They tracked new cases of asthma that developed in children from 2000 until 2019 in more than 13,000 cities. "Our study found that nitrogen dioxide puts children at risk of developing asthma and the problem is especially acute in urban areas," said Susan Anenberg, a co-lead author of the article and a professor of environmental and occupational health at the varsity. "The findings suggest that clean air must be a critical part of strategies aimed at keeping children healthy," she added. The findings, published in the journal <keyword id="4392473" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lancet-Planetary-Health" source="Orion">Lancet Planetary Health</keyword>, showed out of the estimated 1.85 million new paediatric asthma cases attributed to NO2 globally in 2019, two-thirds occurred in urban areas. Despite the improvements in air quality in Europe and the US, dirty air, and particularly NO2 pollution, has been rising in South Asia, Sub-Saharan African and the Middle East. Paediatric asthma cases linked to NO2 pollution represent a large public health burden for South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. In a second study, published in the same journal, researchers from the varsity showed that 1.8 million excess deaths can be linked to urban air pollution in 2019 alone. The team found that 86 per cent of adults and children living in cities around the world are exposed to a level of fine particulate matter that exceeds the guidelines set by the World Health Organisation. "Reducing fossil fuel-powered transportation can help children and adults breathe easier and may pay big health dividends, such as fewer cases of pediatric asthma and excess deaths," Anenberg said. "At the same time, it would also reduce greenhouse gas emissions, leading to a healthier climate." SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/spicejet-is-finding-difficult-to-survive-with-rising-costs-low-cash-and-new-players-with-deep-pockets/articleshow/88742146.cms">It’s not just COVID-19 ⁠— SpiceJet’s survival is getting challenged by rising costs, low cash, and new players with deep pockets</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/reliance-industries-titan-ujjivan-sfb-hcl-tech-and-other-hot-stocks-on-january-7/slidelist/88746177.cms">Reliance Industries, Titan, Ujjivan SFB, HCL Tech and other hot stocks on January 7</a>

Traffic-related pollution causes asthma in two million kids every year worldwide, reveals Lancet Study

(Photo Source: wikimedia.org) <ul><li><keyword id="2411223" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="air-pollution-in-India">Air pollution in India</keyword> has led to more diseases than smoking or tobacco use, reveals a recent study on Global Burden of Disease Study 2017 published in the <keyword id="7101191" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lancet-Planetary-Health-journal">Lancet Planetary Health journal</keyword>. </li><li>India covers 18% of the global population, which accounts to significantly higher (26%) global premature deaths caused by air pollution, in contrast. </li><li>One in every eight deaths in India is a result of air pollution. In fact, if India had not been under serious threat of worsening air pollution levels, the average life expectancy of its citizens would have been 1.7 years more. </li></ul>Amid the alarming air pollution levels in India, a recent study on <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2542519618302614?via%3Dihub">Global Burden of Disease Study 2017</a> in the Lancet Planetary Health journal reveals that air pollution has caused more diseases than the ones caused due to tobacco use or smoking, accounting for over 1.24 million deaths in India in 2017. The study said, on Thursday, Delhi witnessed the highest exposure to PM 2.5, tiny particles that are most harmful, followed by Uttar Pradesh and Haryana. Major sources of ambient particulate matter pollution in India include burning in thermal power plants, industry emissions, stubble burning and diesel generators. The annual exposure to these tiny particles PM2.5 in India, was 89·9 μg/m3, which was recorded to be the highest in the world. One in every eight deaths in India resulted from air pollution. In fact, if India had not been under serious threat of worsening air pollution levels, the average life expectancy would have been 1.7 years more for its residents, added the study India covers 18% of the global population, which accounts to significantly higher (26%) global premature deaths caused by air pollution, in contrast, it pointed out. Notably, 14 out of 15 most air polluted cities in the world are in India, says a World Health Organisation (WHO) database. It also said that Mexico and Beijing could instruct New Delhi and other Indian cities with ways to combat air pollution as they are aggressively making efforts to counter the situation with cleaner energy options, improved technologies, and promoting the use of public transport. Despite the current situation of increasing air pollution, 77% of India's population spends time outdoors, which is above the National Ambient Air Quality (NAAQ) safe limit. Not just this, 56% of population still used solid fuels in households, in 2017. The study also argued that the reduction in pollution levels has a broader impact than just the well-being of humans, including animal and plant health. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/indias-top-environmental-tribunal-has-ordered-the-delhi-government-to-pay-250-million-to-the-national-pollution-control-agency-so-it-can-tackle-the-citys-air-problem/articleshow/66936048.cms">India’s top environmental tribunal has ordered the Delhi government to pay ₹250 million to the national pollution control agency so it can tackle the city’s air problem</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/fed-up-of-pollution-more-than-35-of-residents-in-indias-capital-say-they-want-to-move-out-permanently-survey/articleshow/66630699.cms">Fed up of pollution, more than 35% of residents in India’s capital say they want to move out permanently: Survey</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-clean-air-week-crackdown-resulted-in-the-collection-8-3-million-in-fines/articleshow/66525293.cms">India’s ‘Clean Air Week’ crackdown resulted in the collection ₹8.3 million in fines</a>

India’s toxic smog lead to over 1.24 million deaths in 2017, says study

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="http://www.urthecast.com/">Urthecast</a>Our health depends on the planet.</div></div></div>Traditionally, we've thought of health as living longer - fighting diseases that cut our lives short and reducing infant mortality rates.Focusing on these things has helped humanity accomplish tremendous things. Life expectancy in developed countries <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/tech-billionaires-life-extension-projects-2015-4">has almost doubled</a> since 1840.But thinking of health just in terms of human lifespan is incomplete, according to a <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)60901-1/fulltext">new report published</a> by a commission organized by the <a href="http://www.rockefellerfoundation.org/blog/planetary-health-a-new-discipline-in-global-health/">Rockefeller Foundation</a> and <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/commissions/planetary-health">The Lancet</a>. When we talk about health, we also need to take into account the environment surrounding us.They call this concept "planetary health."We need to redefine health and talk about people and the planet together because, according to the Rockefeller Foundation-Lancet commission, we've been operating as if we can keep on improving health forever and living longer without simultaneously considering the changes occurring in our surrounding environment. That's short-sighted and probably wrong.And if we look at those environmental changes, we might currently be headed towards a crisis.<h3>Why we need to redefine health</h3>The improvements we've made to human health and lifespan around the world are impressive, but they have come at a cost."We may have mortgaged the future in order to sustain our current level of health and development," explained Sir Andy Haines of the <a href="http://www.lshtm.ac.uk/" title="London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine" class="mw-redirect">London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine</a>, the chair of the commission that wrote the report.Haines, speaking at a discussion releasing the report on July 16, said that "most concepts of health ... just assume any benefit to health is good and it can be sustained indefinitely." Planetary health, meanwhile, says "we need to pay attention to these natural systems on which our human health and development is founded."As we've improved our lives up to this point, we've simultaneously changed the world, taxing its resources. Population and life expectancy have boomed and poverty has fallen, especially in the past 50 years, the report shows.Yet at the same time, energy use has skyrocketed, along with tropical forest loss, water use, fertilizer use, fishing capture, ocean acidification, and carbon dioxide emissions. This has led to extreme water shortages, higher temperatures, and biodiversity loss.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Ethan Miller/Getty ImagesAn image from the California drought.</div></div></div>The world is still growing, and as economic situations improve, each person on the planet consumes more of its resources. We don't want poverty rates to rise or life expectancy to fall, but at some point, this strain on resources will become unmanageable unless we take steps to address it. By 2040, the world <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/15-scientific-fields-ready-for-world-transforming-breakthroughs-2015-7">will need to produce 50% more food</a> than it does now.Urbanization and globalization have also exposed humanity to new disease threats. Polluted air can lead to respiratory ailments and airborne diseases spread more easily in densely populated areas. As wild environments are destroyed, people are exposed to more and more animal diseases that could potentially jump species - like Ebola and HIV both did.These changes threaten to reverse some of our greatest achievements in health over the past century and could mean that future generations don't just have to deal with a changing climate - we could also be headed for food and water shortages and new infectious diseases, along with extreme weather events.<h3>Solutions</h3>Without doing anything, we'd essentially be "betting that the inherent ingenuity of the human species will be enough to transcend the problems," said Richard Horton, the editor-in-chief of The Lancet.But that's a bet with disastrous consequences if we're wrong.As part of creating this new interdisciplinary health concept, the report outlines some of the potential ways to address the environmental challenges we face.Up to 30% of agricultural land right now produces food that's wasted, so cutting food waste could significantly help ensure we don't deforest more land - while still providing enough to feed the world. Technological innovations like genetic modification could help improve plant productivity.Economic incentives to produce more sustainable energy (instead of subsidizing fossil fuels, as we do now) could make a significant difference.But perhaps most importantly, governments and businesses need to better value the environmental and planetary resources that we have.As Dr. Judith Rodin, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, explained: "We are in a symbiotic relationship with our planet, and we must start to value that in very real ways." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/devastating-effects-california-drought-photos-2015-6">A devastating look at the California drought</a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Vmb25wdTpiuYb5Ddwaz9J2ZjyLs8wyyw" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

There's a real risk that many of our advancements to human health could be lost

<ul class="summary-list"><li> Reducing processed meat intake by 30% could lower diabetes, heart disease, and cancer rates, data shows.</li><li>Eating less processed meat could prevent about 500,000 disease cases in the US over the next decade.</li></ul>Cutting back on processed meat in your diet may reduce the risk of serious diseases, including some cancers, a new research analysis predicts.By eating 30% less processed meat alone, the US could reduce the rate of diabetes, heart disease, and colon cancer by as many as hundreds of thousands of cases, according to the study published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(24)00118-9/fulltext#%20">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.Researchers from the University of Edinburgh and the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, developed a simulation tool based on CDC health data to estimate how a simple dietary change might affect disease rates in the US.Processed meat has long been thought to be a culprit in chronic illnesses like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-meat-and-poultry-linked-to-heart-disease-risk-2020-1">heart disease</a>. Bacon, sausage, and ham contain <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/processed-meat-increases-cancer-risk-what-to-know-2018-12">preservatives called nitrates</a>, which previous evidence has linked to higher odds of developing certain cancers. Red meat and processed meats have also been linked to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-meat-intake-type-2-diabetes-risk-linked-harvard-study-2023-10">higher risk of diabetes</a>.The recent study could help researchers understand the potential benefits of cutting back on processed meat and how much it would take to make a difference.The researchers calculated that if Americans reduced their processed meat consumption by about a third (the equivalent of about 10 slices of bacon a week), there would be significantly fewer cases of some of the leading causes of death over the next decade. Specifically, there would be about 352,900 fewer cases of diabetes, 92,500 fewer cases of heart disease, and 53,300 fewer cases of colorectal cancer, according to the estimate.The study also found that eating less red meat could reduce rates of illness even more. However, more research is needed on <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/red-meat-diet-unhealthy-as-processed-meat-study-2021-3">unprocessed red meat</a> like steak, as some studies have suggested that, in moderation, it may be less harmful than processed meat.One important caveat to the study is that the potential health benefits of cutting out processed meat also depend on what you replace it with. Some evidence suggests <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/plant-based-upf-processed-linked-heart-disease-death-study-2024-6">plant-based processed foods</a>, including meat substitutes, are also linked to a higher risk of illness and early death.In contrast, diets high in unprocessed whole foods such as grains, vegetables, legumes, fruits, nuts, and seeds have been linked to a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/longevity-diet-food-list-cheap-easy-2023-11">longer, healthier life</a>.Our food choices also matter for the environment, according to Lindsay Jaacks, coauthor of the study and a professor at the University of Edinburgh.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/switch-from-meat-to-meatless-diet-environmental-benefits-2019-8">Meat production is a notorious contributor to greenhouse gases</a> and uses a huge amount of natural resources, such as land and water.The findings of the latest study add to a growing body of evidence that eating more sustainably is also good for our human health."This is a clear win-win for people and planet," Jaacks said in a press release.

Eating less bacon and other processed meat may reduce the risk of diabetes, heart disease, and certain cancers, study shows

<a href="https://www.insider.com/category/better-me"></a><div type="image" title="Three people smiling at an outdoor table passing plates of salad and grilled food" height="1414" width="1885" msid="94103293" hostid="261" sizebytes="210670"></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Changing your diet can help improve both your health and the planet, an environmental scientist says. </li><li>A healthy, sustainable diet can be flexible and doesn't need to cut out any foods entirely. </li></ul>If you're concerned about the environment, but overwhelmed thinking about how to combat <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-scientist-says-total-climate-breakdown-is-now-inevitable-2022-7">climate change</a>, you may want to start in your own kitchen.Changing your eating habits is one of the easiest ways to make a difference for planetary and personal health, according to <a href="https://eatforum.org/person/dr-fabrice-declerck/">Fabrice DeClerck</a>, director of science at the <a href="https://eatforum.org/about/">food system sustainability non-profit EAT</a>. "We're really at a critical turning point where if we don't begin to react to the climate challenge, we're really going to find ourselves stuck in what are catastrophic conditions for too many people," DeClerck said. "The value of food is that it provides an opportunity for anyone, anywhere, to contribute to improving climate impact."The <a href="https://eatforum.org/learn-and-discover/the-planetary-health-diet/">planetary health diet</a> recommends making fruits and veggies half your plate, with whole grains and small portions of animal products. Doing so could benefit both your health and the environment, according an expert report published in <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)31788-4/fulltext">The Lancet</a>. Small, everyday changes add up to a big difference for greenhouse gas emissions, as well as reducing risk of illnesses like heart disease, according to DeClerck."There is no tradeoff between healthy diet and environment, but a transition toward a healthy diet is a win-win for public health, individual health, and environmental health." he said. <h2>Consider meat as a side dish</h2><div type="image" title="Tablescape with salads, steak, mushrooms, and bread" height="3465" width="5350" msid="94103294" hostid="261" sizebytes="1685834"></div>Red meat can have a significant effect on both the <a href="https://www.insider.com/ap-less-beef-more-beans-experts-say-world-needs-a-new-diet-2019-1">environment</a> and <a href="https://www.insider.com/heart-disease-risk-switching-meat-for-eggs-dairy-grains-2020-12">human health</a>,but you don't have to cut it out completely, according to DeClerck. "Vegan or vegetarian diets can be healthy options, but there is a healthy omnivore option as well," he said. Current sustainability guidelines recommend no more than 200 grams (1-2 servings) of red meat per week.Enjoy red meat once a week, swapping in more seafood or poultry. Or, make meat a smaller part of each meal, using it as a source of flavor and protein instead of the main dish. For example, add meat into pasta sauce, stir fry, or curry, combined with plenty of veggies and whole grains. <h2>Eat more fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains </h2><div type="image" title="Whole grain salad with vegetables." height="3744" width="5616" msid="94103295" hostid="261" sizebytes="1041560"></div>Adding more plants to your diet not only reduces your environmental footprint, but also adds nutrients like <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/fiber-benefits">fiber</a>, vitamins, and minerals, according to DeClerck.While the <a href="https://www.insider.com/mediterranean-diet-ranks-healthiest-way-to-eat-for-5th-year-2021-12">Mediterranean diet</a> is often touted as an ideal example of a plant-rich diet, there are many ways to incorporate different foods and cuisines."We've been trying to walk back from that, saying no, there's a Mexican variant, there's a Ghanaian variant, there's a New York variant," DeClerck said. "The diet actually affords a huge range of flexibility."Start by adding one more serving of veggies to your routine, such as a daily salad. <h2>Choose healthier convenience foods like frozen veggies and canned beans</h2><div type="image" title="A bowl of stewed cranberry beans in tomato sauce with herbs, placed on a towel mat on a wooden table" height="3840" width="5760" msid="94103296" hostid="261" sizebytes="1619068"></div>However, not everyone has access to fresh foods or time to prepare them, a major obstacle to healthy, sustainable diet.Foods like <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/are-frozen-vegetables-healthy">frozen veggies and canned beans can be just as nutritious and more convenient</a> — just look for options without added sugar, fat, or salt. "Typically as a rule of thumb, the shorter and more understandable the ingredient list, the better," DeClerck said. <h2>Create a weekly meal plan</h2><div type="image" title="Overhead view of a bowl of red cabbage, carrot, green pepper, and boiled egg salad and notepad with a meal plan list" height="3006" width="4000" msid="94103298" hostid="261" sizebytes="1153614"></div>To help stay on track with your eating habits, it can be helpful to strategies ahead of time, DeClerck said. Thinking of a <a href="https://www.insider.com/guides/health/diet-nutrition/plant-based-diet-meal-plan">weekly meal plan</a>, instead of each day, can take the pressure off healthy eating and emphasize the big picture."It allows people to enter into healthy diets with less trepidation so if you want to have that hamburger on Friday night, or roast beef dinner, that's completely fine. The environmental or health impact happens if you're having that every day," he said.

An environmental scientist shares how to eat sustainably if you don't want to go vegan or vegetarian

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Extreme weather events increase <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/call-for-data-on-gender-based-violence-to-be-key-to-state-strategy-10932938">gender-based violence</a> during and after disasters, a new analysis found.</li><li>Scientists say <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/climate-change-alter-human-life-un-ipcc-report-2022-2">climate change</a> is causing more severe weather events.</li></ul>Across the world, the climate crisis has fueled more severe and frequent storms, heatwaves, droughts, and other dangers. A new study shines a light on how a warming world amplifies <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gender-parity-requires-prioritizing-political-and-economic-empowerment-2022-5">existing gender inequalities.</a>The visible toll of weather disasters, such as torn-down buildings and buckled roads, "can overshadow more veiled consequences, including <keyword id="12021081" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gender" source="Orion">gender</keyword>-based violence experienced by women, girls, and sexual and gender minorities," Kim Van Daalen, a global public health expert at the University of Cambridge and lead author of a new analysis, told Insider. In the analysis, published Monday in <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00088-2/fulltext">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>, researchers looked at 41 existing peer-reviewed studies and found that gender-based violence — such as sexual assault, intimate partner violence, or trafficking, both during and after disasters — appears to be a recurring theme. A growing body of research has found that climate change is causing <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/photo-video-europe-china-flooding-oregon-siberia-canada-wildfires-2021-7">extreme weather events</a>, including tropical storms, droughts, wildfires, and floods, to become severe and more likely to occur. In the past two decades, the frequency of floods has increased by 134%, storms by 40%, and droughts by 29%, according to the research team."When we explore the overall impacts of climate change, we see that all genders experience climate change differently," Van Daalen told Insider. "As a result of gendered social roles and responsibilities, we tend to see that globally women and girls disproportionately suffer from increased climate change risks compared to men and boys." For instance, Van Daalen said the literature suggested women were less likely to be able to adapt after a natural disaster due to financial insecurity and little institutional support.While researchers were not entirely surprised by the uptick in gender-based violence during and after extreme weather events, something they found interesting was that gender-based violence seemed to be a shared experience across the contexts they studied — from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/hurricane-katrina-10-years-later-2015-8">Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans</a> to <a href="https://www.businessinsiderbd.com/national/news/22905/floods-in-5-districts-batter-over-4-lakh-people-report">floods in Bangladesh</a> to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/droughts-bad-for-us-catastrophic-for-india-2012-8">droughts in India.</a><div type="image" title="A woman hangs clothes to dry in front of her house in a flooded area due to recent monsoon rainfalls in Dhamrai on August 11, 2020." height="3279" width="4373" msid="92191684" hostid="261"></div>Extreme events may influence particular gender-based violence risks for individuals with diverse sexual and gender identities, according to researchers. "Due to their frequent marginalization, sexual and gender minorities are often more severely impacted by disasters," Van Daalen said, pointing to media reports at the time of Hurricane Katrina of a handful of religious figures blaming the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/nov/19/northernireland.hurricanes2005">New Orleans gay community</a> for the storm. Van Daalen added that the team's research found a lack of documented evidence specific to sexual and gender minorities: "Future research should consider how this vulnerable population is disproportionately impacted as well."Researchers hope the results from their analysis can be used to devise proper interventions before, during, and after disasters; some examples include providing post-disaster shelters and relief services — with their own toilets and bath areas — designed to be exclusively accessed by women, girls, and sexual or <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/words-on-race-gender-and-diversity-you-should-know-2020-7">gender minorities</a> or providing emergency response teams with training to prevent gender-based violence."By understanding the mechanisms through which extreme events may influence or affect gender-based violence, we can better inform the design and implementation of climate-resilient, context-specific, and sexual- and gender-responsive interventions that serve the needs of women, girls, and sexual and gender minorities globally," Van Daalen said. "Importantly, these interventions should be informed and, where possible, co-created by the affected communities."

Across the world, extreme weather events are fueling gender-based violence during and after disasters

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A report on the Trump administration's policies suggested 40% of US <keyword id="8770319" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19-deaths">COVID-19 deaths</keyword> were avoidable.</li><li>Compared with six similarly wealthy countries, the US failed to protect citizens' health in the pandemic.</li><li>Trump publicly downplayed <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> and often undermined health guidelines.</li></ul>About 40% of US COVID-19 deaths "could have been averted," a <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32545-9/fulltext">new analysis</a> of President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword>'s public-health policies found.The report, published by the Lancet Commission, excoriated Trump's handling of the pandemic and general approach to public health. "He expedited the spread of COVID-19 in the US," the authors wrote."Many of the cases and deaths were avoidable," they said, adding that "instead of galvanizing the US populace to fight the pandemic, President Trump publicly dismissed its threat (despite privately acknowledging it), discouraged action as infection spread, and eschewed international cooperation."The US has recorded about 27 million COVID-19 cases and at least <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">471,000 deaths</a>, though public-health experts have said those official tallies are <a href="https://www.bu.edu/sph/news/articles/2020/us-covid-deaths-may-be-undercounted-by-36-percent/">likely undercounted</a>.The Lancet report did not place all the blame on Trump's policies, however; it also pointed to four decades of "long-standing flaws in US economic, health, and social policy" that compounded inefficiencies in the country's public-health systems before the pandemic.<h2>More than 400,000 Americans died of COVID-19 under Trump's watch</h2><div type="image" title="covid-19 coronavirus death" height="2670" width="4005" msid="80868402" hostid="261"></div>By the time Trump left office in January, there were <a href="https://www.axios.com/coronavirus-deaths-2029a1c8-1e2f-42f0-bf49-b6c0c5dd1ff8.html">more than 400,000 reported COVID-19 deaths</a> in the US. That's more Americans than <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/more-americans-dead-covid-19-us-battle-deaths-wwii-2020-12">the number of US troops killed during World War II</a>.The US leads the world <a href="https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">in total coronavirus deaths</a>, though it does not have the most COVID-19 <a href="https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/data/mortality">deaths per capita</a>.For their new analysis, the Lancet authors compared the US's COVID-19 death rate with the average death rate of six other economically advanced nations: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the UK. They weighted those death rates by each country's population, since their sizes vary widely.They concluded that 40% of the US's roughly 450,000 <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> deaths as of February 4 could have been avoided if the country had handled the pandemic similarly to its wealthy peers. That's 180,000 lives.The report added that other countries outperformed the US in other areas of public health. The average life expectancy in the US was 3.4 years lower than in the six countries in 2018. That year, the US had 461,000 excess deaths - more deaths than expected based on historical data. That figure has been rising since 1980.<h2>Trump 'repudiated <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="science">science</keyword>'</h2>Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-repeatedly-downplayed-covid-19-after-telling-woodward-very-deadly-2020-9">publicly downplayed the threat of COVID-19</a> and habitually dismissed policy recommendations from top experts, including some from his White House coronavirus task force. In June, his campaign hosted <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-rally-tulsa-indoor-arena-super-spreader-event-2020-6">a rally inside an arena</a> in Oklahoma that could seat 19,000 people.He "repudiated science, leaving the US unprepared and exposed to the COVID-19 pandemic," the Lancet authors wrote.Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, <a href="https://twitter.com/NewDay/status/1352583162132639746?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1352583162132639746%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailymail.co.uk%2Fnews%2Farticle-9176465%2FDr-Fauci-says-Donald-Trumps-administration-likely-cost-lives.htmlhtml">told CNN</a> last month that a lack of clear messaging from the federal government "likely did" cost lives last year."People were not trusting what health officials were saying," Fauci added.<div type="image" title="nancy messonnier" height="2680" width="4020" msid="80868406" hostid="261"></div>In February 2020, Nancy Messonnier, a senior official at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, warned that the virus was circulating in American communities and that people should <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cdc-official-warned-us-coronavirus-was-silenced-documentary-2020-10">prepare for "severe" disruptions in daily life</a>.But during the same press conference, Trump said the number of COVID-19 cases would be "close to zero" within a couple of days.Later, Trump <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-repeatedly-downplayed-covid-19-after-telling-woodward-very-deadly-2020-9">privately told the journalist Bob Woodward</a> that he had deliberately downplayed the threat of COVID-19 because he didn't want to cause a panic.<h2>'It's hard to imagine how they could've done it worse'</h2>Two of the Lancet report's authors published <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(18)32171-8/fulltext">a similar analysis</a> of Trump's health policies in 2018. That report said that Trump's tax cuts for the wealthy, challenges to the Affordable Care Act, and refusal to give adequate aid to Puerto Ricans following Hurricane Maria showed that the administration "favors industry and the wealthy and serves to endanger population and planetary health."In October, the Lancet also published <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)32260-1/fulltext">a commentary</a> describing the administration's handling of the pandemic as "disastrous," urging Americans "to embrace change for the better" in the 2020 election.Other public-health experts have highlighted the ways Trump's approach to the pandemic set a poor example for Americans and contributed to the US's huge case total."It's hard to imagine how they could've done it worse," Dr. Ashish Jha, the dean of Brown University's School of Public Health, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-experts-give-trump-abysmal-grades-on-pandemic-response-2020-3">previously told Insider</a>.<div type="image" title="The mostly maskless crowd waiting to get into BOK Center on June 20, 2020." height="2000" width="3000" msid="80868417" hostid="261"></div>Fauci <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fauci-macho-guy-trump-saw-masks-a-sign-of-weakness-2021-1">criticized Trump's frequent refusal</a> to wear a mask - in a recent interview with The Atlantic, he attributed that to Trump's "macho" attitude."To him, a mask was a sign of weakness," Fauci told The Atlantic, adding that "the unfortunate aspect of this is that a lot of people in the country took that on as a mantra."The Lancet report's authors said Trump's refusal to develop a consistent national pandemic strategy "worsened shortages of personal protective equipment and diagnostic tests."Once vaccines were authorized, each state was made responsible for its own distribution. The issue boiled down to the philosophy of Trump's White House and Department of Health and Human Services staff, Jha told Insider."They believe deeply that it's not the role of the federal government to help states in a health crisis, that it's the job of states to figure this all out on their own," he said.

You Searched For "lancet planetary health" and got 8 results

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Across the world, extreme weather events are fueling gender-based violence during and after disasters

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Damning analysis of Trump's pandemic response suggested 40% of US COVID-19 deaths could have been avoided

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