Using comparative genomics, several studies provided circumstantial evidence that the infectious cholera strains originated in Nepal. However, multiple strains appear to have been involved, some of which may have been of local origin, which reflects the need to develop methodology for accurate strain identification in order to track sources of infection.
Air pollution is a global problem and causes more than 8 million early deaths per year. The majority of these deaths occur in the developing world, which also happens to be the location where we know the least about air quality.
The Pathways to Equitable Healthy Cities project is an international consortium of researchers working in partnership with local policy makers to advance sustainable urban development that supports healthier lives for all.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the “humanitarian crisis in Yemen remains the worst in the world.” Cholera and malnutrition are devastating Yemen’s people, in a country that has been torn apart by civil war and whose basic infrastructure is almost completely destroyed.
Recent Publications
Feasibility, Acceptability, and Preliminary Effects of a Video-Based Intervention for Smoking Cessation Among People with HIV in Kathmandu, Nepal: A Single-Armed Pilot Study (2023, April)
IGH Authors: Krishna Poudel and Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar
Abstract: Despite the evidence of the disproportionate burden of tobacco use among people with HIV (PWH), little effort has been made to design and test smoking cessation interventions for PWH in resource-limited countries. We assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a video-based smoking cessation intervention consisting of eleven 3-8-minute sessions among PWH in Nepal, a lower-middle-income country.
High-resolution patterns and inequalities in ambient fine particle mass (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) in the Greater Accra Metropolis, Ghana (2023, March)
IGH Author: Raphael Arku
Abstract: Growing cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) experience high levels of ambient air pollution. However, sparse long-term city-wide air pollution exposure data limits policy mitigation efforts and assessment of the health and climate effects. In the first study of its kind in West Africa, we developed high resolution spatiotemporal land use regression (LUR) models to map fine particulate matter (PM2.5) and black carbon (BC) concentrations in the Greater Accra Metropolitan Area (GAMA), one of the fastest sprawling metropolises in SSA.
Prehistoric human migration between Sundaland and South Asia was driven by sea-level rise (2023, February)
IGH Author: Richard Peltier
Abstract: Rapid sea-level rise between the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) and the mid-Holocene transformed the Southeast Asian coastal landscape, but the impact on human demography remains unclear. Here, we create a paleogeographic map, focusing on sea-level changes during the period spanning the LGM to the present-day and infer the human population history in Southeast and South Asia using 763 high-coverage whole-genome sequencing datasets from 59 ethnic groups.
Mental health disorders among Middle Eastern immigrant women living in the United States: A scoping review (2022, October)
IGH Author: Kalpana Poudel-Tandukar
Abstract: This review aims to describe the up-to-date knowledge of the prevalence of mental health disorders among Middle Eastern immigrant women living in the United States (U.S.) and the factors affecting mental health status.
Adiposity and pathogen exposure: An investigation of response to iron supplementation and hypothesized predictors in anemic pre-school-aged children living in a dual burden environment (2021, April)
IGH Author: Achsah Dorsey
Abstract: Peruvians are experiencing rapid dietary and lifestyle changes, resulting in a phenomenon known as the "dual burden of disease." A common manifestation of the dual burden in individuals is the co-occurrence of overweight and anemia. Despite recent initiatives introduced to address these concerns, rates continue to be public health concerns. This study investigates the relationship between immune activation and lack of response to iron supplementation after 1 month of treatment and explores variation in body fat stores as a potential moderator between immune function and response to treatment.