Disaster planning for older adults: What to know this hurricane and wildfire season When Hurricane Ian struck southwestern Florida in 2022, it led to the deaths of more than 150 people—the majority of whom were older adults who had heart-related problems, power outage-related accidents, ... Laura Williamson Medical Xpress

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The deaths drove home the importance of evacuating when natural hazards threaten homes and highlighted the complicated nature of doing so for the growing population of adults aging in place.

World Health Assembly hopes to reinforce pandemic preparedness after bold treaty project stalls The World Health Organization is beginning its annual meeting with government ministers and other top envoys hoping to reinforce global preparedness for the next pandemic in the devastating wake of COVID-19. AP News

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Is smallpox still a threat?

Smallpox, a disease that killed an estimated 500 million people in the 20th century alone, is the only human disease to be eradicated. However, a new report, "Future State of Smallpox Medical Countermeasures," from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) argues that the U.S. and the global community should prepare for smallpox to make a return.

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COP28: The climate crisis is also a health crisis Health has made it onto the agenda of a UN climate conference, and health advocates at COP28 in Dubai on Sunday said the topic was long overdue for discussion as climate inaction is costing lives and impacting health every single day. UN News

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Climate change is directly contributing to humanitarian emergencies spared by heatwaves, wildfires, floods, tropical storms and hurricanes. Those and similar climate shocks are only increasing in scale, frequency and intensity.

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