Archives
The beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic raised significant political tension around immigration in the US. On the one hand, despite imposing restrictions on international travel in response to COVID-19, the US continued to issue visas for immigrant travel (albeit in…
UCLA scientists are embarking on a comprehensive, five-year study to understand the health consequences of what is, to this day, the nation’s largest natural gas blowout. From 2015-16, an estimated 109,000 metric tons of methane was released into the air from the…
A team of UCLA researchers has been awarded $20,993,333 by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to conduct the Aliso Canyon Disaster Health Research Study.
A multidisciplinary team of renowned UCLA scientists and health care practitioners will…
The marijuana business is booming in the U.S. medicinal marijuana is legal in 30 states and the District of Columbia. Eight states have legalized recreational marijuana. Sales figures are up wherever it is legally sold. In Colorado, for example, marijuana…
Looking back at the news of 2018, a story broke every few days on foodborne illness. A recent outbreak, tied to E-coli-tainted romaine lettuce, sickened 59 people in 15 states. This followed several outbreaks tied to romaine and recalls of salmonella-tainted ground beef…
In November, the American Medical Association, representing the nation’s physicians, called on the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to take action against the “urgent public health epidemic” of skyrocketing e-cigarette use.
In early…
Two Medi-Cal care programs designed to help seniors and disabled adults avoid being placed in nursing homes serve only a fraction of those presumed to be eligible, according to a study published today by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, led by Dr. Ninez Ponce…
In the year 2000, the United States essentially claimed victory against childhood diseases, eliminating measles and making the prevalence of other childhood diseases, such as mumps, extremely rare. Today, we are losing.
…
Why is measles making a comeback, especially in the U.S. almost 20 years after it was officially declared eradicated? Much media attention has focused on the erosion of herd immunity due to pockets of unimmunized children and deservedly so. But another…
There’s a serious public health threat that most Americans are exposed to every day. According to the World Health Organization, the health effects of even short-term exposure include sleep disturbance, stress and anxiety, while long-term impacts include…
Is sunscreen safe? Dozens of news reports posed this question when a JAMA study was released last month. Prompted by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) questions, the study found that with continuing use, the active ingredients (avobenzone,…
Imagine you are on a bike descending a long, steep hill when your brakes fail. As you gather more speed, you face a life-extinguishing event at the bottom unless the brakes start working again. This is an apt analogy for the greatest challenge to human…
Everyone understands how the flu, diabetes and heart disease drastically impact our health, but social determinants like income inequality, poor public transportation and housing instability can have an even greater effect on well-being. For example, …
A UCLA Fielding School of Public Health program that aims to strengthen the public health workforce by introducing a diverse pool of undergraduates to the field through an eight-week residential summer program has received more than $3 million in funding over the next…
The numbers confirm what we already know: We’re facing an increasing epidemic of gun deaths in America. 2017 was the most dangerous year yet: U.S. firearm deaths reached 39,773, their highest level in 40 years, increasing 16 percent from 2014. The overall…
All over America and around the world, municipal officials are considering transportation alternatives that move large numbers of people while cutting pollution — especially greenhouse gases — and easing traffic congestion.
Over the last decade, bike sharing…
In June 2018, Dr. Jonathan Fielding, distinguished professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management, authored an opinion article for The Hill titled, Fighting pandemics abroad is in our own best interest.
Dr. Fielding wrote, “We need to…
Amid increasing interest and understanding of public health’s central role in addressing society’s most pressing challenges — including the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters driven by climate change, and health inequities fueled by factors that include structural…
A professor emeritus at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health has been honored with one of the National Academy of Medicine’s highest awards for his work as a leader in environmental health.
Dr. Richard Jackson, professor emeritus of environmental health…
For people living with HIV, sticking to a prescribed medication regimen is a critical part of staying healthy. However, having to deal with the side effects caused by those medications —nausea and dizziness among them — can lead people to skip doses.
Now, a UCLA-…