[PBS NewsHour] Hans Rosling Brings Life, Humor, Sword-Swallowing to Global Health Statistics

Hans Rosling Brings Life, Humor, Sword-Swallowing to Global Health Statistics:

Watch Video | Listen to the Audio

GWEN IFILL: Now, the man who turned global health and population numbers into an Internet sensation.

Ray Suarez has that story.

RAY SUAREZ: Amid the glitter of a black-tie fund-raiser in New York City, a downright un-glittery guest made his way into the room.

Dr. Hans Rosling, a Swedish global health professor, was given a humanitarian award at the annual Action Against Hunger gala and was the night's star attraction.

WOMAN: Tonight, you are going to hear from one of the world's most inspired thinkers.

So, ladies and gentlemen, will you join me in giving Hans Rosling a very warm welcome.

(APPLAUSE)

RAY SUAREZ: Over the last five years, this unassuming professor has collected millions of fans around the world with a usually un-glitzy topic: statistics.

DR. HANS ROSLING, Professor of International Health: $1,000, $10,000, $100,000, the difference in income per person in the world is two zeros.

RAY SUAREZ: Dr. Rosling's goal for the evening and the focus of his life's work was to wow his audience and teach it something.

He brings to life global health and development statistics, often dense and inaccessible, using a sophisticated visualization software he and his team created.

DR. HANS ROSLING: Because what do we have on the axis? Here, we have the number of children per woman, one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, large families, small families. And here we have the child mortality, this most tragic marker of the quality of life in a society.

The size of the bubble is the population. This is China. This is India. Look here, low child mortality, small families. High child mortality, large families. What has happened? Here we come. China is very successful there, India coming there, Indonesia. Look here. This is Brazil. This is Mexico coming here. This is Indonesia. This is Bangladesh. Bangladesh is catching up with India. They're overtaking India.

Africa is falling down. And now we see some are delayed here, but almost the entire world is here. It's a completely new world.

RAY SUAREZ: The presentation is one he's been giving audiences at conferences and meetings around the world since he became an Internet phenom in 2006.

That's when a lecture he gave at the annual TED conference, a who's-who gathering of high-tech, design and entertainment leaders, was posted online and quickly went viral.

DR. HANS ROSLING: My students, what they said when they looked upon the world, and I asked them what do you really think about the world, and they said the world is still we and them. And we is Western world and them is Third World.

And, what do you mean with the Western world, I said. Well, that's long life and small family. And Third World is short life and large family. So, this is what I could display here. I put fertility rate here, number of children per woman, one, two, three, four, up to about eight children per woman. Here, I put life expectancy at birth, from 30 years in some countries up to about 70 years.

Are the students right? It's still two types of country? Here we go. Can you see there? It's China. They're moving against better health. They're improving there. Or the green, that's in American countries. They are moving towards smaller families. The yellow ones here are the Arabic countries. And they get larger families.

RAY SUAREZ: Over three million people have now watched this talk online.

DR. HANS ROSLING: And all the rest of the world moves up into the corner, where we have long lives and small family, and we have a completely new world.

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

RAY SUAREZ: Rosling's subsequent online TED talks have also been watched by millions.

I sat down with Hans Rosling during his recent visit to New York to talk about his method and maybe learn a little in the process myself.

Did it occur to you at some point that these lessons you're teaching had to be taught in a better way for people to understand them better?

DR. HANS ROSLING: Yeah, because obviously people do not understand some basic facts.

You see, I find holes, deep black holes of ignorance. And now I try to fill them. That means there are things which are facts, which we know, which still doesn't enter their head -- there are actually less children per woman in Brazil, Thailand and Iran than in Sweden. But it doesn't -- they still have a view of the world that is 25 years old.

RAY SUAREZ: Rosling got his start in global health practicing medicine in rural Mozambique in the 1970s.

While there, he discovered and treated patients with a new paralytic disease he called konzo. He's now chairman of the Gapminder Institute, which is dedicated to building a fact-based world view that everyone understands.

In addition to his popular animated software, which was acquired by Google, Rosling likes to use other visual aids to help him convey information about the world we live in -- Ikea boxes to explain population growth and a washing machine to illustrate how the lives and health of poor women and their families are drastically improved by the device.

DR. HANS ROSLING: So there must be one, two, three, four billion people more will live in between the poverty line and the air line. They have electricity. But the question is, how many have washing machines?

I've done the scrutiny of market data and I have found that indeed the washing machine has penetrated below the air line, and today there's an additional one billion people up there who live above the wash line.

(LAUGHTER)

DR. HANS ROSLING: And they consume for more than $40 per day. So two billion have access to washing machine and the remaining five billion, how do they wash? They wash like this, by hand. It's a hard, time-consuming labor. And they want the washing machine.

RAY SUAREZ: During our conversation, he used LEGO characters to represent all humankind.

DR. HANS ROSLING: Look here. This is one billion people. There's one billion people in Africa. There's one billion people in Europe, one billion people in America.

And, as you know, we are seven. So, all the rest, one, two, three and four, are in Asia. This is the world population. And we know, beyond doubt, that there will be two billion more before we level off around nine to 10. And those two billion, we also know that one will be in Africa and one will be in Asia.

And any CEO of a big company looking, like, they say, wow, that's where the market is.

Believe me, there's nothing boring about statistics.

RAY SUAREZ: In 2010, the BBC aired a documentary about Rosling's work called "The Joy of Stats." Using some high-tech special effects, the production team was able to show his animations in real space.

DR. HANS ROSLING: So, down here is poor and sick. And up here is rich and healthy, Europe brown, Asia red, Middle East green, and the size of the country bubble show the size of the population.

RAY SUAREZ: Can you almost feel when the lights are going on, when people are saying, aha?

DR. HANS ROSLING: Yes, we have.

But it's also -- you have to check after a year if it's still there. And the old concept of the Western world and developing world is very strong. And it's also because it's sort of frightening. People think it's frightening with this Asia and Africa here.

No, these are customers. These are partners. And prosperity in the rest of the world means more peace. The U.S. armed forces doesn't have to make so many interventions in the world if we have less conflict. So it's sort of a new vision about the world we must have.

DR. HANS ROSLING: The bubbles are the countries. Here, you have the fertility rate.

RAY SUAREZ: Rosling says he is going to continue talking about important global health statistics whenever and wherever he can.

Like many successful entertainers and plenty of great teachers, Rosling knows that, once he's got your attention, he can pull out something unexpected.

DR. HANS ROSLING: Bring me my sword.

RAY SUAREZ: In this case, another passion: sword-swallowing.

DR. HANS ROSLING: And I will now prove to you that the seemingly impossible is possible by taking this piece of steel, solid steel, and push it down through my body of blood and flesh, and prove to you that the seemingly impossible is possible.

Can I request a moment of absolute silence?

(DRUMROLL)

(CHEERING AND APPLAUSE)

Does AA Work?

It's very hard to say for sure whether Alcoholics Anonymous (A.A.) is helpful or not overall.  There is no doubt it is helpful to some, or, indeed, many.  But knowing whether it is more helpful than other approaches, or none at all, is something that's very hard to prove.  This article, in The Fix, attempts to shed some light on what evidence does exists supporting the efficacy of the intervention.

Link:  http://www.thefix.com/content/the-real-statistics-of-aa7301

Interventions to Address Street Violence

I don't know what the kids are calling it this days - street violence, gang banging, drug crime, etc. - but I do know that gun related homicides are destroying a generation or two of young men's opportunities and health outcomes.  Guns result in a leading number of deaths as well as injuries, in addition to sending thousands to prison.  An innovative approach is being tried in some cities.  Called 'Ceasefire' or 'The Interrupters,' programs are being rolled out that allow for nonviolent, peer-based problem-solving methods to resolve drug and gang related violence.  Check it out if you don't know about it already.

Links: http://ceasefirechicago.org/how-it-works; http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/01/29/philadelphia-murder-rate-spikes-how-to-stop-the-epidemic.html

Treatment Specialists Question Efficacy of the D.A.R.E. Program

The folks at www.interventionsupport.com have put together this infographic to show what they believe is the ineffectiveness of the D.A.R.E. program.  Their solution?  More targeted approaches, like the White House's Drug Free Communities (DFC) program.


Via: Intervention Support

Madison Addiction Specialist Weighs in on Relapse

Dr. Henry Steinberger, a licensed psychologist in Madison, Wisconsin, who is also specialist in the field of recovery and addiction, has written a new article on the subject of relapse and recovery.  Check it out here:  http://blog.smartrecovery.org/?p=2094

British Research Findings on Depression and Psilocybin

A study to be published soon in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal in England has found in a small study involving volunteers who were injected with psilocybin (from magic mushrooms) that brain activity seemed to be reduced in certain areas ultimately affecting the study participants' sense of self.  The feeling of 'cogs being loosened' may have implications for the treatment of depression, researchers said.

Source:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46105129/ns/health-mental_health/?ocid=twitter#.Tx9L7zldkux

New Study Shows Cannabis Use May Prolong PTSD

A study in California of 260 male veterans with PTSD has found evidence showing that cannabis use may prolong the condition.

Link:  http://www.goodtherapy.org/blog/cannabis-use-prolongs-ptsd-symptoms-0112122/

1 in 5 Americans Experienced a Mental Illness in 2010

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, approximately 20% of Americans experienced a mental illness in 2010, with 5% of cases severe enough to cause the person to experience interference in work, family, or school activities.  The number is slightly higher for women and slightly lower for men.  Mental illness is often unknown and untreated due to holes in health insurance coverage which do not consider mental health as important as 'physical' health, as well as stigma.  Mental illness may also go undiscovered among people who are misusing substances or who have a disability which can either mask their mental illness or get in the way of the person receiving assistance.  It is estimated that half of prison and jail inmates in the U.S. have a mental health problem.  One fourth of all homeless persons have a severe mental health illness.

Link: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/health/2012/01/19/1-in-5-americans-suffer-from-mental-illness/

Religious Organizations Mandated to Pay for Birth Control

A new rule set to take force next year has been put into place through the Obama administration and the Department of Health and Human Services which will require all employers, even ones that are opposed to the idea, to provide free birth control medication to their employees.  At issue is not so much the right of an employer to withhold health care benefits based on religious beliefs, but the rights of individuals to be afforded those benefits regardless of their employer.  Religious organizations will have one year to comply with the new rule.

Link: http://healthland.time.com/2012/01/21/obama-administration-religious-employers-must-pay-for-the-pill/

Major Study Shows Smoking Marijuana Not Harmful to Lungs, and May be Beneficial

A National Institutes of Health study published in the American Medical Journal looked at 5,000 smokers as well as non-smokers over twenty years.  The study concluded that lung function was not reduced even when smoked up to the amount of a joint per day for seven years.  The study also found that usage does not play a factor in chronic pulmonary obstruction disease (COPD), a major killer among smokers of cigarettes.  To the contrary, the study found that lung functioning may actually improve.  The study did not look at the link between smoking marijuana and cancer, and public health officials encouraged caution about the findings, noting that smoking marijuana use can contribute to short-term problems with attention, memory, motor skills, and motivation.

Source:  http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/11/marijuana-smoking-does-not-harm-lungs-study-finds/

New Study Shows Nicotine Replacement Doesn't Work

Despite the fact that clinical trials showed that nicotine gum and patches could help people quit smoking, a recently published study involving nearly 2,000 people over several years has shown that the therapy not only does not provide long-term help it may also backfire.  The findings of the study were published today in the journal, Tobacco Control.

Source:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/10/health/study-finds-nicotine-gum-and-patches-dont-help-smokers-quit.html?_r=1&hp

Lessons Learned About Substance Misuse

The following opinions and reflections are made after about 18 months of study and volunteer work in the field of substance misuse.  I hope that my views are taken with a huge grain of salt - they may change over time as I learn more and as society changes.  Feel free to comment in response to this post - feel free to set me straight if there's anything here that you don't particularly agree with.

AODA vs. Substance Abuse vs. Substance Misuse

I know that the standard terminology in the U.S. is moving away from the catch-all AODA acronym toward the newer 'Substance Abuse' name.  Personally, I like the name that they're using in Britain, which is 'Substance Misuse.'  Why?  The simple answer is that I don't like the history of the word abuse in relation to having an addiction, bad habit, or other health issue that leads to the use, misuse, or dependence on a drug (including alcohol).  It conjures up the same labels of an Alcoholic, Addict, or other pejorative term that people either call themselves or others who are dealing with a problem.  Many of the people I've listened to as a volunteer have repeatedly said that these labels are not as helpful as using person-centered, positive language to describe their situation.  For example, instead of referring to themselves or others as an alcoholic, they choose to say, "I/he/she have/has a problem with my drinking," or, "I am a person who is struggling with an addiction."  The American Psychiatric Association is due to publish an update to the DSM-IV-TR, which will rename its sections on substance abuse and dependence and rename them as 'addictions and related disorders.'  This is a massive improvement and I think it will be very helpful.  (Source)

Professionals vs. Peers


Professionals, i.e. those who are working or volunteering in the substance misuse field, should focus their attention on advocacy, brief interventions (motivational interviewing), assessment, referrals, and information sharing.  Peers should focus on community based support (peer groups), mentoring, and advocacy (probably many other things to include here, but for now I'll keep it short.  It's great when the peer is also a professional, and vice-versa, although I know that sometimes it means that the person will have a certain dogma related to their own success and possibly overlooking the myriad of ways that people 'overcome' their substance issues.

We Need to Get Real About Drug Policy and Health Insurance  


Let me not belabor this point...  People need health insurance for substance misuse as well as any kind of health problem.  Also, we need to stop criminalizing substance misuse.  It is a massive waste of time and resources.  These two macro-level interventions are really critical in order to find a long term solution for all members of our society to be able to address their addictions.

Science Based vs. Anecdotal Solutions


Substance abuse interventions, strategies, and tactics are an overwhelming failure. However, hard research and evaluation is not being done on the efficacy of some of our society's most popular programs.  Many interventions should be overhauled based on empirical, not anecdotal, evidence.

Secular vs. Spiritual Recovery


In addition to getting rid of poorly researched ideas about 'what works' in terms of recovery, there needs to be more effort and support available for secular based recovery programs.  Programs that require a spiritual renewal dominate the entire substance abuse field and the are not meeting the health needs of a very large segment of the population.  Spiritual programs are often simply psuedo-Christian alienating not only atheists and agnostics, but also people of other faiths.

Prohibition Is a Failure


I have alluded to this above, but need to say it again.  Drug policy in the U.S. is a massive failure, and it is largely due to the criminalization and prohibition of drug use.  If we have learned anything it is that people should not be punished for choosing to use drugs or alcohol.  This is not to say that we should not keep laws on the books which discourage crimes that are committed when someone is using drugs or alcohol, but simply criminalizing usage itself has been very counterproductive.

Stigmas Must Be Discarded


The last thing I'll say on this topic for now is that people need to start talking openly about their substance misuse problems or addictions.  I don't mean publicly.  I mean openly.  We need advocates and leaders who are willing to be honest and forthright about the issue of substance misuse.  It is something that, like cancer, none of us are immune from - whether we have struggled with an addiction ourselves or we know and love someone else who has.  That doesn't mean we always talk about it, or we 'out' people without their permission.  But it means that there is a time and a place to share stories of success, failure, and a mixture of both, and we should all try to find good times to do that.  Silence and stigmatization does not help anyone, despite what some people might think.

Researchers Interested in Whether Ecstasy Can Treat Autism

A number of anecdotal and unscientific reports have been collected by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) showing benefits to individuals with Autism from using MDMA (Ecstasy), including enhancing feelings of empathy and improving communication.  This is a very preliminary step in the direction of making a case to the Food and Drug Administration that MDMA should be allowed to be studied and potentially licensed as a therapeutic drug.  If you or someone you know has some anecdotal evidence to share - MAPS would like to hear from you.  Their website is http://www.maps.org.

Link: http://santacruz.patch.com/articles/can-ecstasy-help-to-treat-autism