Health

Highly effective, low-cost clinical prevention strategies rarely exist for the public’s health ills. That is what dental sealants are for the problem of tooth decay. A $53 sealant provided to a child at the right time can reduce decay in permanent molars by 80 percent in the first two years and continue to be effective for nearly five years. Read More

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue released a proclamation May 1 that praised the nation’s schools for serving nutritious meals and committed to “provide significant technical assistance to schools as they continue to develop menus that are healthy and appealing to students,” but the statement also announced plans to undermine key standards that support... Read More

Data recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) for 2016 demonstrate that the United States continues to make little progress driving down the rates of infection by bacteria commonly transmitted through food. FoodNet is the U.S. surveillance system for foodborne illness. It tracks confirmed outbreaks in a... Read More

As school districts nationwide serve more nutritious foods to students, cafeterias have become classrooms that help children to develop healthy eating habits for a lifetime. Lunchrooms also serve as gathering places for parent-teacher organizations and student groups. And schools across the country are making their kitchen facilities available to the public for activities that promote health and... Read More

Nontraditional products are unlikely to fully substitute or replace antibiotic use but could provide new treatment options for patients through combined use with antibiotics or as a means of preventing an infection from taking hold. Questions remain regarding how nontraditional products should be tested for safety and efficacy, and how they could be used appropriately in the clinical setting. Read More

Highly effective, low-cost clinical prevention strategies rarely exist for the public’s health ills. That is what dental sealants are for the problem of tooth decay. A $53 sealant provided to a child at the right time can reduce decay in permanent molars by 80 percent in the first two years and continue to be effective for nearly five years. Read More

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Sonny Perdue released a proclamation May 1 that praised the nation’s schools for serving nutritious meals and committed to “provide significant technical assistance to schools as they continue to develop menus that are healthy and appealing to students,” but the statement also announced plans to undermine key standards that support... Read More

Data recently released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) for 2016 demonstrate that the United States continues to make little progress driving down the rates of infection by bacteria commonly transmitted through food. FoodNet is the U.S. surveillance system for foodborne illness. It tracks confirmed outbreaks in a... Read More

As school districts nationwide serve more nutritious foods to students, cafeterias have become classrooms that help children to develop healthy eating habits for a lifetime. Lunchrooms also serve as gathering places for parent-teacher organizations and student groups. And schools across the country are making their kitchen facilities available to the public for activities that promote health and... Read More

Nontraditional products are unlikely to fully substitute or replace antibiotic use but could provide new treatment options for patients through combined use with antibiotics or as a means of preventing an infection from taking hold. Questions remain regarding how nontraditional products should be tested for safety and efficacy, and how they could be used appropriately in the clinical setting. Read More

The Pew Charitable Trusts announced today that it will provide $6.98 million over the next three years to 41 Philadelphia-area nonprofits that serve some of the region’s most vulnerable adults. More than 35,000 people, including those struggling with homelessness, mental health issues, and extended unemployment, will be assisted on an annual basis. Read More

With a new administration in place and Congress in session, our nation’s leaders must address many public health challenges, including the devastating effect of prescription and illicit opioid misuse on families and communities. Federal and state governments play a critical role in designing, funding, and implementing solutions to this crisis. Read More

WASHINGTON—The Pew Charitable Trusts today praised Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) for introducing legislation to provide transparency on gifts and payments to nurse practitioners and physician assistants from drug and device manufacturers. Read More

WASHINGTON—School food service directors are using a mix of strategies—three, on average—to encourage students to eat healthy meals and snacks, and many see few or no remaining challenges to implementing updated breakfast and lunch nutrition standards. The findings come from a new report from the Kids’ Safe and Healthful Foods Project, a collaboration between The Pew... Read More

After passing both the Senate and the House of Representatives, the 21st Century Cures Act, a wide-ranging, bipartisan health bill, now moves to President Obama for his signature. Read More

As of March 2017, an estimated 32 new products with the potential to treat or prevent serious bacterial infections are in clinical development. Below is a snapshot of the current nontraditional products pipeline, based on publicly available information and informed by external experts. It is updated periodically, as products advance or are known to drop out of development. Because this list is... Read More

Where superbugs come from and what can be done to combat them. Antibiotic-resistant bacteria pose anurgent and growing public health threat. Read More

Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan research organization and a subsidiary of The Pew Charitable Trusts, is surveying public views about science-related issues and public trust in scientists. One scientific finding sometimes in the news involves childhood immunization. Here, the center found that the vast majority of Americans—88 percent—believe that the benefits of vaccines for children outweigh... Read More

Health impact assessment can be a useful tool to address a range of health-related areas in the community development sector, including economic development, infrastructure, community organizing, and access to resources. This figure illustrates the connections among these factors and health. Read More

To improve safety for skaters in their neighborhood, a coalition of San Diego kids lobbied hard for a new skate park, but they were having a hard time getting city officials to take them seriously. To convince decision-makers and skeptical community members, the coalition used data from a health impact assessment (HIA) to make their case. Read More