Month: October 2017

Disaster-prone countries that keep rebuilding homes, roads and utilities are in danger of becoming uninsurable unless their new infrastructure is built to survive further catastrophe, experts said Friday at a World Bank conference. New construction must be low in carbon emissions and built on safe land at less risk of destruction as extreme weather intensifies under global warming, they said. More infrastructure is about to be built in the next 20 years than was built in the past 2,000 years, said experts at the World Bank conference on infrastructure and resilience held in Washington. The total cost of that infrastructure is seen at some $5 trillion a year. “The expense of a constant construct, reconstruct, reconstruct, frankly, no country can afford,” said Christiana Figueres, former United Nations’ climate chief. “Because we know we will be getting more of these effects, we cannot let ourselves get to a scenario where we are systemically uninsurable,” said Figueres. Among recent disaster losses, no more than half were covered by insurance, she said. Extreme weather such as flooding, severe storms and drought is increasing with global warming, experts say. Mapping risky areas and determining the cost of making infrastructure resilient must be done before rebuilding, said Figueres. She estimated the cost of making low-carbon infrastructure that can withstand shocks might be an additional 10 percent. Although governments are increasingly aware of the need for resilient infrastructure, residents need incentive and encouragement to rebuild wisely, said Kamal Kishore, member of India’s National Disaster Management Authority. …

California Declares Emergency to Fight Hepatitis A Outbreak

California Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday declared a state of emergency to combat a hepatitis A outbreak that has claimed 18 lives in San Diego. Brown said the federally funded supply of vaccines is inadequate. His proclamation allows the state to buy vaccines directly from manufacturers and distribute them. The declaration “allows us to move very swiftly,” Dr. Gil Chavez, epidemiologist at the California Department of Public Health, told reporters. He said the state would place an order Monday or Tuesday and supplies would reach the state soon after. California has distributed 81,000 federally funded vaccine doses since the outbreak began and local jurisdictions have acquired more, but the supply is insufficient, Chavez said. Largest outbreak since 1996 California is experiencing the largest hepatitis A outbreak in the United States transmitted from person to person, instead of by contaminated food, since the vaccine became available in 1996. The state says most of those affected are homeless, using drugs or both. There have been 576 cases throughout California, including 490 in San Diego County, 71 in Santa Cruz County and eight in Los Angeles County. Out of those, 386 people have been hospitalized, including 342 in San Diego, 33 in Santa Cruz and six in Los Angeles. No deaths have been reported outside San Diego County. U.S. Rep. Darrell Issa on Friday called on the federal government to provide emergency funding to halt the spread of hepatitis A. He said the outbreak has brought statewide totals to three times the number …

US States Plan Suit to Block Trump Obamacare Subsidies Cut

Eighteen U.S. states vowed Friday to sue President Donald Trump’s administration to try to stop him from scrapping a key component of Obamacare — subsidies to insurers that help millions of low-income people pay medical expenses — even as Trump invited Democratic leaders to negotiate a deal. One day after his administration announced plans to end the payments next week, Trump said he would dismantle Obamacare “step by step.” His latest action raised concerns about chaos in insurance markets. The subsidies cost $7 billion this year and were estimated at $10 billion for 2018, according to congressional analysts. “As far as the subsidies are concerned, I don’t want to make the insurance companies rich,” Trump told reporters at the White House. “They’re making a fortune by getting that kind of money.” Trump’s action took aim at a critical element of the 2010 law, his Democratic predecessor Barack Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement. Frustrated by the failure of his fellow Republicans who control both houses of Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare, Trump has taken several steps to chip away at it. Democrats accused Trump of sabotaging the law. Democratic attorneys general from the 18 states as well as the District of Columbia planned to sue in federal court in California late in the day. The states — California, Connecticut, Delaware, Kentucky, Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington — will ask the court to force Trump to make …

2 Nigerian States Eliminate Elephantiasis, Carter Center Says

The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization run by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, said Friday that it had helped eliminate elephantiasis, a disfiguring tropical disease, from two states in Nigeria where the problem was at its worst. Dr. Yisa Saka of Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Health said in the Carter Center’s announcement, “This is a great day for the people of Plateau and Nasarawa states, and all of Nigeria.” He called the disease, also known as lymphatic filariasis, “a terrible disease that has plagued good people for far too long.” The World Health Association classified elephantiasis as a “neglected tropical disease.” In areas threatened by the disease, people must take annual doses of preventive drugs to keep the parasitic infection from spreading. Damages lymphatic system Elephantiasis, transmitted by mosquitoes, causes damage to the lymphatic system, often in childhood, where it can remain hidden for years. Years later, the resulting swelling, which can be significant, can cause physical disability as well as social stigma. Asymptomatic infection can remain invisible but cause damage to the lymphatic system and kidneys, affecting the body’s immune system. Experts say more than 120 million people in Nigeria live in at-risk areas. Only India has more people at risk of catching the disease, which often causes its victims social isolation and poverty. “Eliminating lymphatic filariasis as a public health problem in Plateau and Nasarawa states is a significant achievement that challenges everyone to broaden their appreciation of what is possible,” said Dr. Frank Richards of the Carter …

Global Economy: Growth Gathering Momentum, but Where’s the Inflation?

The euro zone economy may be building up an impressive head of steam that shows no signs of cooling, but what policymakers at the European Central Bank really want – higher inflation – is still largely absent. Industrial output in the bloc rose faster than anyone polled by Reuters expected in August, according to data on Thursday which followed a slew of forecast-beating releases and after the International Monetary Fund upgraded its outlook for global growth. “Although the industrial sector only accounts for a quarter of GDP it has been the euro zone’s most cyclical sector historically, and so is an important indicator of the economy’s wider health,” said Christian Jaccarini at CEBR. “With the economy gathering momentum, the European Central Bank should feel confident about starting to taper its asset purchase program at the beginning of next year.” The economy is performing stronger than at any time since the global financial crisis so speculation the ECB will soon begin scaling back its massive stimulus program has been rife. Policymakers at the Bank will announce on Oct. 26 a six-month extension to its asset purchase program but will cut how much it buys each month to 40 billion euros from January, a September Reuters poll predicted. Five people with direct knowledge of discussions told Reuters the ECB is homing in on extending its stimulus for nine months at the next meeting while scaling it back. Yet the ECB’s key focus is inflation and numbers due on Tuesday will probably …

US Obesity Problem Is Not Budging, New Data Shows

America’s weight problem isn’t getting any better, according to new government research. Overall, obesity figures stayed about the same: About 40 percent of adults are obese and 18.5 percent of children. Those numbers are a slight increase from the last report but the difference is so small that it could have occurred by chance. Worrisome to experts is the rate for children and teenagers, which had hovered around 17 percent for a decade. The 2-to-5 age group had the biggest rise. The years ahead will show if that’s a statistical blip or marks the start of a real trend, said the report’s lead author, Dr. Craig Hales of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The bad news is that the numbers didn’t go down, experts say. In recent years, state and national health officials have focused on obesity in kids, who were the target of the national Let’s Move campaign launched by former first lady Michelle Obama in 2010. The report released Friday covers 2015 and 2016. “This is quite disappointing. If we were expecting the trends to budge, this is when they would be budging,” said Andrew Stokes, a Boston University expert on tracking obesity. The new figures are from an annual government survey with about 5,000 participants. The survey is considered the gold standard for measuring the nation’s waistline, because participants are put on a scale to verify their weight. Obesity means not merely overweight, but seriously overweight, as determined by a calculation called body mass …

Water Gets Washed Before it Gets Anywhere Near Your Lips

It covers almost three-fourths of the planet, but it’s probably not a good idea to fill your cup from a river. Drinkable water flows to most of our taps only after it gets a good scrubbing. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports from a drinking water treatment plant in the Washington metropolitan area. …

Researchers Alarmed at ‘Pain Gap’ Between Rich and Poor Countries

A new study that even shocked the researchers shows that most people in poor- and middle-income countries suffer unimaginable pain without any help. The results of a study on pain management motivated the research group to find a way to help the millions of people who suffer needlessly. VOA’s Carol Pearson has more. …

China’s Imports From North Korea Fall Nearly 38 Percent in September

China’s imports from North Korea fell 37.9 percent in September from a year earlier, marking the seventh consecutive month of decline, the customs office said Friday. China-U.S. ties have been strained by President Donald Trump’s criticism of China’s trade practices and by demands that Beijing do more to pressure North Korea over Pyongyan’s nuclear and missile programmes. China’s exports to North Korea in September dropped 6.7 percent from a year ago, a spokesman for the General Administration of Customs told a briefing, adding no seafood imports from North Korea were recorded last month. China’s imports from North Korea fell 16.7 percent on-year to $1.48 billion in Jannuary-September, while exports to North Korea rose 20.9 percent to $2.55 billion in the same period. That created a trade surplus with North Korea at $1.07 billion in the first nine months of this year. …

California Wildfires Threaten Wine Country’s Lifeblood: Tourism

The wildfires burning through Northern California are sending visitors packing, threatening the $2 billion-plus spent annually by tourists on wine tours, fine food, limousine rides and much more, business leaders said. At the Inn on First bed and breakfast in the famous wine town of Napa, co-owner Jamie Cherry was encouraging callers to postpone rather than cancel visits, as wildfires burned largely unchecked across the region. “People are canceling as far as November already,” Cherry said. “It’s going to be devastating in terms of financial loss for everybody.” The fast-moving fires have killed at least 26 people and left hundreds missing in an area less than an hour’s drive from San Francisco. With hundreds of wineries, expensive restaurants and bucolic rolling scenery, the wine country of Sonoma and Napa counties is a major draw for visitors. Limousines and buses clog parking lots at weekends as visitors sip Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignons in towns known for their mix of rural and cosmopolitan vibes. Now, with at least 13 burned wineries, shuttered tasting rooms and thick smoke in the air from nearly two dozen fires that have charred more than 190,000 acres across the state, it is unclear how quickly the region can lure back tourists. ‘We’d go back’ Napa Valley welcomed 3.5 million visitors last year, with overnight guests spending on average $402 per day, according to Visit Napa Valley, the region’s tourism marketing group. “There is a good amount of infrastructure that has burned down, homes have burned down, wineries …

Researchers Alarmed at ‘Pain Gap’ Between Rich, Poor Countries

Felicia Knaul woke up from a mastectomy several years ago. She still remembers the horror of the pain, pain so severe she felt she couldn’t breathe. Yet because she lives in the U.S., she, like many other Americans, had access almost immediately to pain relief that allowed her to push through her recovery much more easily. Knaul is a professor at the University of Miami school of medicine. She also chaired The Lancet Commission on Global Access to Palliative Care and Pain Relief. The results of the study shocked even the researchers. Among the findings: Nearly 26 million people around the world suffer intense pain without painkillers. Eighty-three percent of these people live in low- and middle-income countries where access to low-cost morphine is rare or unavailable. Only 3.6 percent of the world’s morphine supply goes to low- and middle-income countries, and these countries pay far more for it than rich countries do. In the U.S., a pain-relieving dose costs 3 cents. In low-income nations, it costs 16 cents, if it is available. Knaul said it would cost $145 million to make the pricing the same for all countries, a fraction of the cost of running a medium-sized U.S. hospital for a year. ‘Massive’ emergency “The pain gap is a massive global health emergency, which has been ignored, except in rich countries,” said Knaul. “This global pain crisis can be remedied quickly and effectively. We have the right tools and knowledge, and the cost of the solution is minimal. Denying …

Peru’s Cabinet Seeks New Legislative Powers on Economy From Congress

The government of Peru’s President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski said Thursday that it will request special powers to legislate economic policies from the opposition-ruled Congress, after growth slowed sharply during his first year in office. During a presentation in Congress, Prime Minister Mercedes Araoz said her cabinet wants to legislate policies aimed at consolidating an incipient economic recovery and making Peru a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), a wealthy-country think tank. In Peru, Congress traditionally grants legislative powers to the executive branch at the start of a president’s term, and it is rare for a prime minister to seek them so far into an administration – underscoring ongoing worries about the economy. Growth in Peru, one of the region’s most robust economies, faltered early this year after a corruption scandal halted public work projects and severe flooding destroyed billions of dollars in infrastructure. The government and central bank now expect the economy to grow by about 2.8 percent this year thanks to better prices for Peru’s key copper exports, down from 3.9 percent last year. Araoz said the economy should expand by at least 4 percent in coming years. It was unclear whether the opposition would grant the government its request for new legislative powers following a political crisis in September that ended with Congress ousting Kuczynski’s former cabinet. Kuczynski appointed a more socially conservative cabinet led by Araoz that won initial praise from the right-wing populist party Popular Force, which has an absolute majority in …

Report: Rise in Natural Disasters Fueling Global Homelessness

New research finds nearly 14 million people a year are losing their homes because of sudden onset disasters such as floods and cyclones. The Internal Displacement Monitoring Center, which analyzed the impact of sudden onset disasters in 204 countries and territories, warns that homelessness will continue to rise unless significant progress is made in managing disaster risk. According to the research — officially released on Friday, marking International Day for Disaster Reduction — eight of the 10 disaster-prone countries with the highest levels of displacement are in East, South or Southeast Asia. India and China top this list. The two countries outside this region are Russia, ranked ninth, and the United States, ranked 10th. The head of data and analysis at the center, Justin Ginnetti, said the 13.9 million people displaced by sudden onset disasters excluded those told to evacuate an area before a disaster struck. He called this a conservative figure, since homelessness due to drought was not included in the data. Floods chiefly repsonsible “Most of this displacement is being driven by floods, which is on the increase in a globally warming world and where population growth is increasing in flood-prone areas,” Ginnetti said. “Population exposure is indeed a key component of displacement risk. More people are likely to be displaced by disasters in countries with large populations.” The data show displacement associated with disasters will mainly affect developing countries. However, the chief spokesman for the U.N. International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, Dennis McClean, said economic losses would …

UN Chief: Worldwide Famine Averted, but Numbers of Hungry Growing

The United Nations secretary-general says early action by the international community has helped avert widespread famine, but the number of people in need is continuing to grow. In February, António Guterres warned that 20 million people were facing starvation in South Sudan, Somalia, North East Nigeria and Yemen, and he appealed for more than $5.6 billion for 2017. “While we have succeeded in keeping famine at bay, we have not kept suffering at bay,” Guterres told a U.N. Security Council meeting Thursday on the issue. He said while the international community responded quickly, and nearly 70 percent of the required funds have been received, lack of access has hampered distribution. “In the past nine months, the need for humanitarian aid has increased in these four areas,” the U.N. chief said. Guterres said conflict is the major force driving these food crises. “Until these conflicts are resolved and development takes root, communities and entire regions will continue to be ravaged by hunger and suffering,” he added. The U.N. says in South Sudan alone, the number of people deemed severely food insecure has risen by a million this year to 6 million. In Boko Haram-affected areas of northeast Nigeria, there are 8.5 million people who require humanitarian assistance. In Somalia, where drought and insecurity are obstacles, more than 6 million people depend on aid for their survival. And in conflict-wracked Yemen, a staggering 17 million people are food insecure. Hunger also is fueling outbreaks of cholera, malaria and measles, and adding to …

US Proposes NAFTA Sunset Clause, Raising Tensions in Talks

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Washington has increased tensions in talks to renew the North American Free Trade Agreement by insisting that any new deal be allowed to expire after five years, two officials familiar with the negotiations said on Thursday. Canada and Mexico both strongly oppose the concept of a so-called sunset clause, a provision that had been floated earlier. But the officials, who asked not to be identified because the talks are confidential, said the U.S. side formally proposed it late on Wednesday during the fourth of seven scheduled rounds to update the rules governing one of the world’s biggest trade blocs. The Trump administration says the clause, causing NAFTA to expire every five years unless all three countries agree it should continue, is to ensure the pact stays up to date. But Mexico and Canada insist there is no point updating the pact with such a threat hanging over it, arguing the clause would stunt investment by sowing too much uncertainty about the future of the agreement. “It’s a source of total uncertainty,” said one of the NAFTA government officials familiar with details of the negotiations. U.S. President Donald Trump says NAFTA, originally signed in 1994, has been a disaster for the United States and has frequently threatened to scrap it unless major changes are made. Business and farm groups say abandoning the 23-year-old pact would wreak economic havoc, disrupting cross-border manufacturing supply chains and slapping high tariffs on agricultural products. Trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico has quadrupled under …

EPA Orders Cleanup at Texas Toxic Site Flooded by Harvey

The Trump administration handed a rare victory to environmentalists, ordering two big corporations this week to pay $115 million to clean up a Texas toxic waste site that may have spread dangerous levels of pollution during flooding from Hurricane Harvey. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt signed a directive Wednesday requiring International Paper and McGinnis Industrial Maintenance Corp., a subsidiary of Waste Management Inc., to excavate 212,000 cubic yards of contaminated sediments from the San Jacinto River Waste Pits site. Pruitt visited the Superfund site outside Houston last month following historic rains and flooding from the storm, meeting with local environmental activists who had campaigned for years for approval of a cleanup plan. Cleaning Superfund sites a top priority Pruitt has said cleaning Superfund sites is among his top priorities, even as he has worked to delay and rollback a wide array of environmental regulations that would reduce air and water pollution. Often Pruitt has done so directly at the behest of industries that petitioned him for relief from what they characterize as overly burdensome and costly regulations. At the San Jacinto Pits, both companies opposed the expensive cleanup, arguing that a fabric and stone cap covering the 16-acre site was sufficient. The former site of a demolished paper mill that operated in the 1960s, the island in the middle of the San Jacinto River is heavily contaminated with dioxins — chemicals linked to cancer and birth defects. “International Paper respectfully disagrees with the decision by the EPA,” said Tom …

For Algeria’s Struggling Herders, ‘Drought Stops Everything’

Squinting under a relentless sun, Houssin Ghodbane watches his son tend a flock of 120 of their sheep. Heads bowed, the sheep slowly search for sparse vegetation poking through the parched, crunchy soil. Fifty-year-old Ghodbane, his tanned face etched with deep lines, has been herding sheep for 20 years, having inherited the job and land from his father. But in this dry region, worsening cycles of drought are posing new challenges to an old profession. According to a report Algeria developed as part of its contribution to the 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change action, average annual rainfall in the country has fallen by more than 30 percent in recent decades. Higher temperatures The country is also facing higher temperatures. Summer heat has soared in Batna province, in northeast Algeria, climbing from a maximum temperature of about 100 degrees Fahrenheit in 1990 to more than 107 degrees Fahrenheit (41 degrees Celsius) in 2017. For Ghodbane, that means his land now lacks enough fodder for his flock in drier seasons so he must purchase extra feed, at added expense. In addition to selling his sheep for meat, he used to earn profits by selling animals to other herders expanding their flocks. Those sales have stopped, as worsening heat and drought make herding less viable — and Ghodbane has had to limit the size of his own flock due to the increasing costs of caring for them. “Drought stops everything,” he said. The solution to his falling income is simple. “Rain. That’s …

Latest Drug-resistant Malaria in Mekong Region May Skirt ‘Superbug’ Status