On November 3, 2010, HH&S held the global health panel discussion: “5 Simple Ways to Save a Life,” featuring Dr. Rajeev Venkayya, director of Global Health Vaccine Delivery for The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Larry Kaplow, consulting producer for the hit FOX-TV series House, MD, and many others at Writers Guild of America, West. Dr. Venkayya oversees late-stage development of health technologies and interventions.
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Health experts discussed leading-edge technology and therapy and exposed the myths of organ donation, and organ recipients and donors shared personal stories about their roles in the second chance at life that donation offers at Writers Guild of America, West. The keynote speaker was Dr. Robert A. Montgomery, director of the Johns Hopkins Comprehensive Transplant Center.
Medical experts, policy specialists and TV writers who've turned stories about addiction into top-rated television shows offered compelling stories about addiction from substance abuse to treatment and recovery at Writers Guild of America, West. The keynote speaker was Dr. Timothy Condon, deputy director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is in touch with heroes on the front lines of health and medical crises worldwide, and our keynote speaker Tachi Yamada oversees the largest health portfolio in the world. This special event featured compelling global health stories from experts in the heart of the action overseas, and TV writers who have turned stories on global health topics into top-rated shows. It was held at Writers Guild of America, West.
Contaminants in the air and water are taking a toll on the health of Americans. But how bad is it really? On this panel, environmental health experts spoke about growing rates of asthma, cancer and other diseases that affect millions of Americans on a daily basis. Experts further exposed the burden environmental toxins place on the health care system, and the quality of life that we enjoy. People who have faced environmental exposures that have changed their lives shared their personal stories. Experts proposed measures that individuals, communities and private industry can take to prevent environmental disease. The moderator was Neal Baer, the executive producer of Law & Order: SVU.
Does your zip code or skin color make a difference in the cause of death on your death certificate? What other factors might play a role in your risk of death—by a gun, a virus or a cancer? Why certain groups in the United States are at much higher risk of death from suicide, homicide, cancer and AIDS, even when they know about their increased vulnerability.
As scientists learn more about the human genome, important and challenging questions continue to arise. If you carry a gene mutation linked to cancer, can you do anything to prevent or delay the onset of the disease? Could genetic information be used against you by insurers or employers? What are the latest options for couples who have a family history of a genetic disorder like Tay-Sachs and worry that they may pass it on to their children? Is new genetic knowledge also leading to new treatments? Difficult ethical issues are also surfacing. Why do babies in some states receive screening for certain genetic disorders while infants in other states don’t? Will genetic testing and treatment be available only to those who can afford it? Will human cloning and selective reproduction become commonplace?