By Vanessa Bates Ramirez

Compared to life 100 years ago, life these days is pretty good by many measures. You’ve probably heard the statistics: poverty and infant mortality are down, life expectancy is up, and infectious diseases are being controlled, if not cured. In short, more humans than ever before are having their basic needs met, and it’s undeniable that the world is getting better.

By Kieran Guilbert

West Africa is most at risk of fatal haemorrhagic fever epidemics, including Ebola, researchers said on Wednesday, calling for greater preparedness to save lives.

A study in The Lancet medical journal assessed the likelihood of four viruses - Ebola, Lassa, Marburg and Crimean-Congo - spreading on the continent, charting progress from a first human case through to a potential pandemic.

By Nurith Aizenman

Last weekend's massacre in Las Vegas is only the latest reminder of the persistent gun violence in the United States. And a new set of statistics on the rates of gun violence unrelated to conflict underscores just how outsize U.S. rates of gun deaths are compared with those in much of the rest of the world.

As a doctoral student at the University of Washington School of Public Health, Dr. Bradley Wagenaar laid the foundation for a career in global mental health research and implementation science.

A study published from his dissertation for the department of epidemiology described patterns of mental health care in central Mozambique’s Sofala province. Additional studies showed the high rate of suicide attempts and deaths and the lack of essential mental health medication.