Second Annual Conference on PHE Develops Concrete Strategies for Sustainable Development
More than 350 international representatives from government, civil society, and the private sector gathered for three days in Cebu City, the Philippines, a country where natural resources and public health and well-being are compromised by factors such as population pressures and poverty. (April 2006)

In the News: The Philippines Mudslide
Is the mudslide in Guinsaugon just another disaster striking a poor village in the developing world? Or has Hurricane Katrina finally taught us that such “natural” disasters are often cautionary tales about our failure to address the mix of long-term environmental, economic, social, and political circumstances that accentuate our vulnerability to these events? (March 2006)

The Demographics of the South Asia Earthquake
The October 8, 2005 tremblor is one of approximately 450 major earthquakes that have struck Asia in the last 100 years--more than any other continent. And the hardest-hit areas--the Kashmir regions of both Pakistan and India as well as Pakistan's North-West Frontier Province--are among the poorest and have some of the youngest populations in the region. (October 2005)

The Plight of Internally Displaced Persons
More than 25 million people in some 40 countries have been forcibly displaced within their own countries by violent conflict or environmental disasters such as hurricanes or earthquakes. But these populations are often neglected by the international community and victimized by their own governments. (October 2005)

An Income Gap in Two Counties Hit by Hurricane Katrina
When Hurricane Katrina pounded her way through the Gulf Coast, Orleans Parish, La., and Harrison County, Miss., were among the areas hardest hit. In both places, black people or African Americans are about three times more likely than white people to live in poverty. (September 2005)

In Coastal Tanzania, A Vicious Spiral of HIV/AIDS, Poverty, Gender Inequity, and Natural Resource Degradation
Traditional gender roles and a lack of livelihood diversification are exacerbating the intergrated dynamics of these issues. (July 2005)

Environmental Information on the Web
Among the many websites on the environment, here are several that are particularly useful for statistical data, reports, and other information on the environment and its links to population and health. (June 2005)

Clean Water's Historic Effect on U.S. Mortality Rates Provides Hope for Developing Countries
The U.S. introduced water filtration and chlorination in major cities between 1900 and 1940, and death rates declined. This experience is relevant in the developing world today. (May 2005)

Tsunami Exposes Chennai Fisherfolk's Poor Social Conditions
The December 2004 tsunami devastated property, fishing craft, and the livelihood of fisherfolk in Chennai, India. Nearly 100,000 families live in the 44 villages on Chennai's coast, with approximately one-half of these families huddled densely in thatched huts build within 500 meters of the high-tide line. (February 2005)

The Indian Ocean Tsunami: Special Challenges for Women Survivors
As the death toll continues to mount from the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, women who survived the disaster face difficult and special challenges, such as getting access to maternal and reproductive health care. (January 2005)