P for Prevention

Malaria claimed nearly 600,000 lives in 2023 — that’s 1 life every minute. 💔 95% of deaths were in Africa, where many still lack access to life-saving prevention, detection, and treatment.

But hope is rising in the fight against malaria!
Over the past 2 years, Africa has seen more deliveries of new-generation nets and malaria vaccines for children—key tools to drive down the disease.

-WHO

𝐏𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭: Protecting Youth from Social Media Risks. 📱

The American Medical Association (AMA) has recently adopted new policies to address the rising concerns about the impact of social media on children and adolescents. While platforms like Instagram, Tiktok, and Snapchat offer opportunities for connection and creativity, their excessive use poses risks to mental health, privacy, and overall well-being.

𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬: The AMA advocates for stronger data privacy protections for youth, requiring social media platforms to align their designs with child development principles.
𝐃𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐄𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Schools are encouraged to implement evidence-based programs to teach students about the responsible use of digital platforms.
𝐒𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬: The policies emphasize tailored protections for youth and those with disabilities.
𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐬 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬: Healthcare, technology, education, and government sectors are urged to work together to create safer digital environments.

𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬:
Social media use has been linked to issues such as anxiety, depression, and poor sleep quality in adolescents. By taking proactive measures, these policies aim to create a balance between the benefits and risks of technology during critical developmental years.

𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐞: 𝐴𝑀𝐴 𝑁𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑜𝑛 𝑃𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑐 𝐻𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑡ℎ 𝑃𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠