| | | | |  | | By Carmen Paun, Daniel Payne, Ruth Reader and Erin Schumaker | | Presented by |  | | | | | | | 
Gates sees big dividends from ending malnutrition. | AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite | If Bill Gates could wave a magic wand, he would use it to solve malnutrition. That’s because malnutrition is linked to many other health problems, Gates said in this year’s Goalkeepers report for his Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which tracks the world’s progress toward the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Vaccines are more effective in people who get adequate nutrients and diseases like malaria and pneumonia are less deadly in well nourished kids. Why it matters: The World Health Organization estimates that malnutrition caused stunted growth in 148 million children globally and endangered the lives of 45 million more in the past year. Climate change, which can lead to drought and failed crops, is projected to make malnutrition worse, the report says. By 2050, it could lead to 40 million additional children with stunted growth and 28 million more at risk of death, according to projections by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington in Seattle. The impact goes beyond health. “A child who has a severe brush with malnutrition before the age of 3 will complete five fewer years of schooling than well-nourished kids,” the Gates report says, adding that people who went hungry as kids earn 10 percent less over their lifetimes and are 33 percent less likely to escape poverty than their properly nourished peers. This impacts countries’ economic prospects, with losses ranging from 3 to 16 percent of gross domestic product, according to the report. What’s next? The world has the solutions to fight malnutrition, Gates, the top global health philanthropist, said: — Producing more and safer milk in countries where children are malnourished could prevent more than 100 million cases of malnutrition by 2050. — Adding nutrients, such as folic acid, in food staples could reduce birth defects and anemia. — Expanding access to 15 vitamins and minerals during pregnancy could save 500,000 lives annually.
| | | | A message from The American Association for Cancer Research®: Federal funding is crucial to accelerate progress against cancer. On Wednesday, September 18, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) will hold a congressional briefing to unveil the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2024. Register to attend virtually and hear the latest statistics on cancer incidence, mortality, and survivorship and how increased federal investments are critical to advancing lifesaving cancer research. Register now. | | | | | | | 
Balestrand, Norway | Shawn Zeller/POLITICO | This is where we explore the ideas and innovators shaping health care. Speaking of Bill Gates … Carmen looks forward to hearing his answer to a question from Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) about “the obscene situation” that allowed Gates to accumulate his billions in wealth. “In your judgment, is the system working?” Sanders asks Gates in the trailer of What’s Next? The Future with Bill Gates, which premieres Wednesday on Netflix. Share any thoughts, news, tips and feedback with Carmen Paun at cpaun@politico.com, Daniel Payne at dpayne@politico.com, Ruth Reader at rreader@politico.com, or Erin Schumaker at eschumaker@politico.com. Send tips securely through SecureDrop, Signal, Telegram or WhatsApp.
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LIVE EVENT ON WEDNESDAY: THE FUTURE OF PATIENT CARE AND ACCESS
Join us on Wednesday, Sept. 18, starting at 8:30 a.m. ET, as we dive into how health care delivery innovations fueled by AI and tech are empowering providers to focus more time and resources on patients.
Watch our keynote conversation with HHS’ Micky Tripathi, assistant secretary for technology policy and acting chief artificial intelligence officer. Stick around for a panel conversation with Nancy Howell Agee, CEO of Carilion Clinic; Andrea Downing, president and co-founder of The Light Collective; Kolaleh Eskandanian, VP and CIO of Children’s National Hospital; and Hafeezah Muhammad, founder and CEO of Backpack Healthcare.
RSVP to attend and watch here. | | | | | | A message from The American Association for Cancer Research:   | | | | | | |  Chronic kidney disease arises most often in elderly patients. | AFP via Getty Images | The health care payment system still offers greater rewards for treating illness than preventing it — and that’s holding back innovation, says Geoff Martin, CEO of at-home diagnostic test maker Healthy.io. Martin’s artificial intelligence test for kidney disease could help prevent a significant chunk of people with chronic kidney disease from having to undergo dialysis, he said. But he can’t get broad reimbursement for it. “The incentives are really aligned toward sick care in the United States,” he told POLITICO at the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s annual legislative conference last week. Why it matters: A third of Americans are at risk of developing kidney disease, and Black people are disproportionately affected. Both diabetes and high blood pressure are among the risk factors for the disease, but few with those conditions are tested, according to a large-scale 2021 study. If kidney disease is caught early, medication can help keep patients healthy. The problem, says Martin, is that the average age of chronic kidney disease onset is 66 years old, about the same time people become eligible for Medicare. As patients transition to Medicare, private insurers will no longer be required to cover the exorbitant costs of treatment, and as a result, have little incentive to invest in kidney disease prevention. What’s next? Dr. Jesse Roach, head of government relations at the National Kidney Foundation, is trying to persuade the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which sets nationwide treatment guidelines, to recommend that patients with diabetes and high blood pressure receive annual screening for kidney disease.
| | | | A message from The American Association for Cancer Research: The tremendous strides made against cancer over the past several decades, including the advances outlined in the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2024 releasing by the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) on September 18, have depended on strong federal investments in medical and public health research. This year’s comprehensive report will include a spotlight on childhood and adolescent and young adult (AYA) cancers, information about modifiable cancer risk factors such as alcohol use, and research on the economic impact of this disease. Register to attend the AACR Cancer Progress Report 2024 virtual congressional briefing on September 18 at 11:30 a.m. ET to hear highlights from the report, listen to survivors who have benefited from recently approved anticancer therapeutics, and join the discussion on how Congress must take action to ensure that the U.S. continues to make progress against cancer for the benefit of all patients. Register now. | | | | | | |  Primary care doctors feel overworked and underpaid. | Getty Images | Two priorities stand above the rest for America’s primary care providers: improving the practice environment and increasing the workforce. That’s how Shawn Martin, CEO of the American Academy of Family Physicians, described his priorities to Daniel as Congress enters its home stretch for the year. Payment rates haven’t kept pace with inflation, and providers are strained by having to do more with less, he said. Congress can help, the academy believes, if it: — Authorizes and increases government funding for the Teaching Health Center Graduate Medical Education program, which provides HHS grants to train doctors to work in community settings, especially rural and underserved areas. — Passes the bipartisan Improving Seniors’ Timely Access to Care Act, which would require insurers operating Medicare Advantage plans to speed approvals of medical treatments. — Establishes an annual inflation adjustment to increase doctors’ Medicare payments. With the House under GOP control and the Senate led by Democrats, Congress has struggled to overcome partisan divisions. But Martin said he’s optimistic that lawmakers are ready to do something about the forces changing the health care landscape as they witness the negative effects in their own states and districts. “There’s a difference between sensing a need to act, and they’re actually feeling something changing in their community,” he said. | | | | Follow us on Twitter | | | | Follow us | | | | |
