Abstract
Climate Change And Air Pollution Could Have Significant Impact On Infant Mortality
Research from Stanford University has found that a slight increase in airborne particles can have a substantial impact on infant mortality rates. The study, published in Nature Sustainability, looks at the amount of dust travelling from the Sahara Desert and subsequent air pollution.
Authors wanted to find out why infant mortality is still ‘stubbornly high’ in some developing countries, despite making ‘remarkable strides’ in the general improvement of children’s health. Children under the age of five are especially vulnerable to the tiny particles in air pollution, and among other negative health impacts, this can lead to lower birth weight and impaired growth in the first year of a child’s life.
The Bodélé Depression in Chad, the focus of the study, is the largest source of dust emissions in the world. The amount of rainfall in the Bodélé Depression ultimately determines the concentration of dust particulate matter across Sub-Saharan Africa.
Fifteen years of household surveys were analysed from 30 countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, covering nearly one million births. The results show that an approximate 25% increase in local annual mean particulate concentrations in West Africa leads to an 18% increase in infant mortality.
Due to the changing climate, it is hard to predict how much rainfall the Bodélé region will receive, creating an uncertainty as to the effect this will have on infant mortality. The researchers suggest those in Sub-Saharan Africa could see anywhere between a 13% decline in infant mortality to a 12% increase.
The researchers, taking inspiration from an approach that has been successful on a small scale in California, propose dampening the sand by using solar-powered irrigation systems in the Bodélé region to prevent it from becoming airborne. They estimate this could prevent 37,000 infant deaths per year in West Africa, costing only $24 per life.
‘Standard policy instruments can’t be counted on to reduce all forms of air pollution’, said study lead author Sam Heft-Neal. ‘While our calculation doesn’t consider logistical constraints to project deployment, it highlights the possibility of a solution that targets natural pollution sources and yields enormous benefits at a modest cost’.
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Air Pollution’s Connection to Infant Mortality. ScienceDaily, 29 June 2019. Available online at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/06/200629120215.htm (last accessed 1 July 2020).
Rising Levels of Burnout in Primary Care Physicians
The National Academy of Sciences report that 35%–54% of US primary care nurses and physicians experience burnout, making the phenomenon a considerable public health concern.
Leading a new study into the symptoms, Dr Debora Goldberg explains that ‘Burnout is a syndrome characterized by high emotional exhaustion, high depersonalization, and low sense of personal accomplishment from work’. Surveying over 1000 healthcare professionals from 154 primary care practices in Virginia, the research team used the Change Diagnostic Index© (CDI) to assess their feelings, emotions, and attitudes.
The results shows that burnout rates varied by profession in primary care practices; the highest rates were reported by physicians at 31.6%, compared to 17%–19% reported by advanced practice staff, clinical support staff, and administrative staff. Moreover, anxiety was high across all healthcare professionals, significantly contributing to the odds of burnout in this area.
Goldberg goes on to say
These findings tell us that we need to prioritize understanding and addressing clinician burnout at a system level and at a local level. The human cost as well as significant physician shortages expected in the future make this a critical public health concern.
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Primary Care Physicians Experience More Burnout and Anxiety Than Other Health Professions. ScienceDaily, 20 May 2020. Available online at: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/05/200520191407.htm (last accessed 1 July 2020).