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Climate change and HIV/AIDS represent two of the greatest threats to human health in the 21st century. However, limitations in understanding the complex relationship between these syndemics continue to constrain advancements in the prevention and management of HIV/AIDS in the context of a rapidly changing climate. Here, we present a conceptual framework that identifies four pathways linking climate change with HIV/AIDS transmission and health outcomes: increased food insecurity, increased prevalence of other infectious diseases, increased human migration, and erosion of public health infrastructure. This framework is based on an in-depth literature review in PubMed and Google Scholar from June 6 to June 27, 2019. The pathways linking climate change with HIV transmission and health outcomes are complex with multiple interacting factors. Food insecurity emerged as a particularly important mediator by driving sexual risk-taking behaviours and migration, as well as by increasing susceptibility to infections that are common among people living with HIV (PLWHIV). Future interventions should focus on decreasing carbon dioxide emissions globally and increasing education and investment in adaptation strategies, particularly in those areas of sub-Saharan Africa and southeast Asia heavily impacted by both HIV and climate change.Environmentally sustainable interventions such as urban gardening and investing in sustainable agriculture technologies also have significant health co-benefits that may help PLWHIV adapt to the environmental consequences of climate change.

BackgroundOn March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake occurred off of Japan’s Pacific coast, which was followed by huge tsunamis that destroyed many coastal cities in the area. Due to the earthquake and subsequent tsunami, malfunctions occurred at the Fukushima Daiichi (Fukushima I) nuclear power plant, resulting in the release of radioactive material in the region. While recent studies have investigated the effects of these events on the mental health of adults in the region, no studies have yet been performed investigating similar effects among children.Methods and FindingsThis study aims to fill that gap by: 1) assessing the mental health of elementary and middle school children living within the Fukushima prefecture of Japan, and 2) identifying risk and protective factors that are associated with the children’s mental health scores. These factors were quantified using an original demographics survey, the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ), and the Impact of Event Scale–Revised (IES-R), the latter two of which have been previously validated in a Japanese setting. The surveys were distributed to approximately 3,650 elementary and middle school students during the months of February and March, 2012. The data suggests that those children who had been relocated to the city of Koriyama had significantly higher SDQ scores than those children who were native to Koriyama (p < .05) as well as a control group that lived outside of the Fukushima prefecture (p < .01). Using a multivariate regression, we also found that younger age and parental trauma were significantly correlated with higher SDQ scores (p < .001), while gender, displacement from one’s home, and exposure to violence were not.ConclusionsThese results suggest that, among children affected by natural disasters, younger children and those with parents suffering from trauma-related distress are particularly vulnerable to the onset of pediatric mental disturbances.

The screen-and-treat model for the identification and treatment of precancerous cervical lesions is an effective public health intervention with the potential to impact women by providing the tools and education needed by local healthcare professionals. However, limitations common to resource-poor settings, such as continuity of funding, loss to follow-up and transportation costs, remain barriers to sustainability.

Problem The COVID-19 pandemic and the spread of related health misinformation, especially on social media, have highlighted the need for more health care professionals to produce and share accurate health information to improve health and health literacy. Yet, few programs address this problem by training health care professionals in the art of science writing and medical journalism. Approach Created in 2011, the Stanford Global Health Media Fellowship aims to train medical students and residents in public communication strategies. Each year, 1 physician-in-training is selected to complete the fellowship, which includes 3 rotations: (1) 1 academic quarter at Stanford’s Graduate Program in Journalism, (2) 3 to 5 months with a national news network (previously NBC and ABC, now CNN), and (3) a placement at an international site. During the year-long program, fellows also complete a capstone project tackling a global health equity issue. Outcomes Since 2011, 10 fellows have completed the program, and they have acquired skills in reporting, writing, multimedia, social media, and medical communications. During the news network rotation, they have completed more than 200 medical news pieces and improved the quality of the health information in a myriad of other pieces. Alumni have continued to write and report on medical stories throughout residency, other fellowships, and as practicing physicians. One alumnus is now a medical news producer at CNN. Next Steps Expanding high-quality training in medical journalism for physicians through partnerships with journalism schools; communications departments; and local, national, and international journalists can greatly improve physicians’ ability to communicate with the public. It also has the potential to greatly improve the health information the public receives. Educators should consider embedding mass health communications training in medical education curricula and increasing opportunities for physicians to engage with diverse public audiences.