rich-poor gap widens: Life expectancy between the world's richest and poorest countries varies by more than 40 years, a who report showed. The report found striking inequalities in health outcomes, access to care and the cost of treatment. The differences are starker today than 30 years ago; shortcomings have left the health status of different populations dangerously out of balance, the report said. It called for bolstering primary care.
hunger alarm: Twelve Indian states have "alarming" levels of hunger. The situation is "extremely alarming" in Madhya Pradesh, says a report released as part of the 2008 Global Hunger Index. The index compares the problem in Madhya Pradesh with that of Ethiopia, and ranks India at 66 among 88 countries.
Lung damage: Newborn babies who are exposed to air pollution in the womb have to breathe faster to get more oxygen into their lungs, said a research by University of Berne, Switzerland. The study, which observed 241 infants, showed that the more polluted air a pregnant woman breathes in, the more her baby struggles for breath. The report confirms that environmental fumes can damage a child's lungs before birth.
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