660 News: Health database that crosses provincial borders to launch with federal funding. “Health Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor says a new database will help researchers find solutions to health events like the opioid crisis and chronic illnesses that cross provincial boundaries. While meeting with researchers at the University of British Columbia, Petitpas Taylor announce $81 million in funding over seven years to support the Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research Canadian Data Platform.”
public health
TechCrunch: Want to know where epidemics are flaring up around the world? Metabiota has the tool for you
TechCrunch: Want to know where epidemics are flaring up around the world? Metabiota has the tool for you. “In an effort to inform the public of the health risks breaking out all over the world (or just to scare the bejeezus out of already paranoid people) the startup Metabiota has released a free-to-use epidemic tracker for all of the outbreaks monitored publicly around the world.”
BBC: Epilepsy charity calls for social media seizure warnings
BBC: Epilepsy charity calls for social media seizure warnings. “A growing number of people with epilepsy have said they are having seizures triggered by flashing images on social media, a charity has warned. The Epilepsy Society wants the government’s new plans to tackle ‘online harms’ to recommend warnings about flashing images on social media.”
Tracking a sensitive topic: Menstrual health in women (Washington Post)
Washington Post: Tracking a sensitive topic: Menstrual health in women. “Girls in low- and middle-income countries lack information about puberty and periods, and affordability, availability and disposal challenges mean that many people go without adequate hygiene during menstruation. It’s an issue in the United States, too, where ‘menstrual equity’ is a growing policy issue. The website gathers information on menstrual health education and products and innovations designed to address these challenges. Highlights include a database of research studies related to menstrual health management and a thoughtful roundup of settled issues and ongoing debates in the field.”
University of Wisconsin-Madison: Antibiotic resistance across Wisconsin revealed by new maps
University of Wisconsin-Madison: Antibiotic resistance across Wisconsin revealed by new maps. “… a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Pharmacy and the State Cartographer’s Office have developed a prototype system that maps out trends in antibiotic resistance across Wisconsin. They drew inspiration from easy-to-read weather maps and consulted with doctors to develop the tool, which provides guidance at a glance of the likelihood a pathogen will respond to a particular drug.”
Watchdog: EPA data on sewer plant pollution is inaccurate (Washington Post)
Washington Post: Watchdog: EPA data on sewer plant pollution is inaccurate. “The Environmental Protection Agency’s inspector general says data released to the public about municipal sewer discharges is not accurate. The agency watchdog sent a letter to the head of the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention on Monday, warning that some information about hazardous substances released from publicly owned sewer systems is missing from a public database.”
WUSF: USF Launches Measles Simulator For Florida
WUSF: USF Launches Measles Simulator For Florida. “A new online measles simulator shows how quickly the disease could spread in Florida. It models the state’s actual population, taken from census data, and considers how people move about the region and interact.”
