The world is facing unprecedented global food and nutrition crises because of soaring food prices, regional conflicts, more frequent and intense climate-related disasters, and the lasting economic and societal effects of COVID-19. The near- and long-term adverse impacts of these compounding challenges threaten the health and future of vulnerable communities and are taking a particularly heavy toll on mothers and young children. The Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition, the Micronutrient Forum, Wageningen University & Research and Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) will be present at the Micronutrient Forum's Sixth Global Conference.

The Micronutrient Forum's Sixth Global Conference, Nutrition for Resilience, is a watershed moment for the global nutrition community. It will bring together an estimated 3,000 experts, leaders, and advocates from diverse fields to have the vital discussions needed to align priorities and action plans, as well as prioritize investments in nutrition.

Saskia Osendarp, Executive Director of the Micronutrient Forum, said, "This conference will be the catalyst we need for robust scientific discussions and policy dialogues. We have no more time. We must foster a renewed sense of urgency to facilitate alignment between nutrition and resilience agendas across sectors and make tangible progress towards global development goals."

In a complex global landscape, the conference will explore the intricate link between micronutrient status and resilience, aiming to identify specific, concrete, actions that can support the most vulnerable, particularly women and children.

Lawrence Haddad, Executive Director of the Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition (GAIN), said, "We are convening at a critical time in history when people across the world are increasingly experiencing economic, conflict and environmental shocks. We urgently need to create food systems that are more diverse in what foods are grown, where they are grown, how they are grown, and in the foods consumed. Diversity is the antidote to risk and is key to ensuring the nutrition status of vulnerable families is more resilient to the increased frequency and intensity of shocks we are witnessing today -- and which we will continue to see in the next 10 years."

Sjoukje Heimovaara, President of Wageningen University & Research, said, "Fresh insights from scientists, policymakers, and practitioners are very much needed to increase resilience through healthier diets. The Micronutrient Forum helps to shape and sharpen these insights, so all involved can accelerate action."

Afshan Khan, Coordinator of Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN), said, "This is an invaluable opportunity for the SUN Movement and the governments implementing national nutrition plans to engage with academia, practitioners, civil society and business at the global level and share initiatives for improved nutrition outcomes. The micronutrient forum can propel further action and lead to financing for nutrition that supports both people and planet."

In keeping with the Micronutrient Forum's commitment to global knowledge equity, this conference promises to be the most accessible yet. It will provide a robust and interactive online experience alongside the in-person programme. All plenary, sponsored and concurrent sessions will be live-streamed, ensuring people can participate from anywhere in the world.

Today’s lifestyle is heavily dominated by technology, with the average American spending roughly 12 hours per day on digital devices for both work and leisure. Prolonged use has been associated with adverse symptoms in both children and adults, such as stress, anxiety, dry eyes, vision loss, fatigue, digestive problems, and more.

Due to the relatively recent introduction of technologies such as the smartphone, it will be years before scientific studies can assess the true impact to overall health that digital devices and electromagnetic field (EMF) signals are causing. Younger people are particularly at risk, considering that Generations Z and Alpha have spent their whole lives exposed to technology, going back to when they were still in the womb.

The detrimental effects of digital devices were what led Kylen Ribeiro and Michelle Klein to found Lightbody, a woman-owned company that creates nutritional supplements for our modern digital lifestyles. Lightbody is pioneering the concept of Digital Wellness to help people improve their resilience to the daily assault of digital toxins through diet, supplementation, and making lifestyle changes such as managing their tech use.

“We want to make Digital Wellness a mainstream concept and pillar of health, adding to the already-established knowledge of having to eat, sleep, and exercise well. Digital Wellness includes being mindful of your radiation and blue light exposure, as well as the mental health effects of technology and its stimulating and addictive content. This is especially important for our children and the younger members of the family,” Ribeiro says.

Both Ribeiro and Klein are executives of DefenderShield, an e-commerce wellness company specializing in equipment that shields people from the harmful effects of EMF and 5G radiation. They surveyed the market and found that existing supplements were not addressing Digital Wellness and our modern, toxin-filled lifestyles. They found that existing options were unable to address these in a holistic way and on a cellular level.

To help people become more resilient, not only to digital toxins, but to all environmental toxins that have massively increased in recent years, Lightbody created a line of supplements that addresses various aspects of modern overall wellness. The supplements include:

- Total Eye Health + Blue Light Filter Supplement – a visual health and performance antioxidant formula that contains Lutein, Zeaxanthin, Maqui berry, and Lycopene. Their unique and concentrated blend supports macular and retinal resilience, filters UV and blue light, and helps the body minimize the effects of occasional dry eye, redness, and strain.

- Cellular Resiliency Multivitamin – contains a daily blend of 23 essential micronutrients and super effective antioxidants for optimal immune support, cellular energy, and whole body health.

- Ultra DHA / EPA Omega-3 Fish Oil Softgels – contain extremely concentrated and pure essential fatty acids with the highest DHA & EPA bioavailability, and are IFOS-certified to have minimal contaminants or oxidation. They help maintain a healthy inflammatory system, support cognitive function and healthy aging, support the immune system, and support the integrity and resiliency of the cell membrane.

- Total Gut Health Prebiotic + Probiotic – stimulates the growth of healthy gut bacteria with Preforpro®, a novel bacteriophage blend that optimizes digestion and nutrient uptake. Organic turkey tail adds antioxidants and immune support, while DE111, a clinically-tested lactic acid-supporting probiotic spore survives the entire intestinal tract to promote balanced microbial populations.

- Total Stress Support – contains a unique form of organic ashwagandha extract that promotes a relaxed mindset, enhances feelings of well-being and supports healthy cortisol and stress levels, while promoting brain health and clarity.

Lightbody worked together with expert formulators, clinicians, and biologists to create supplements that contain the highest amount of antioxidants and other ingredients to support a healthy inflammatory response, as well as the lowest possible level of contaminants and impurities.

“We created a range of supplements that targets different parts of the body to help our cells become more resilient because the human body hasn't evolved yet to handle the modern stressors that we encounter in today's environment,” Ribeiro says.

To help parents and children, the most vulnerable population, understand the importance of Digital Wellness, Ribeiro and Klein have authored a soon-to-be-published children’s book titled Henry’s Tech-Free Trip: A Family Adventure. The book addresses the importance of using digital devices mindfully to protect overall health, and is based on Ribeiro's own conversations with her two young sons.

Lightbody seeks to expand its product lineup, eventually looking to introduce products that are specifically targeted at women, as well as increasing the sustainability of its formulations, packaging, and business operations.

“One of the core principles of Lightbody is holistic health – that the entire body is interconnected on a cellular level. In the same way, all people are interconnected with each other and that of our planet, our energies, and our health, which are all dependent on each other. We don't want a product that's toxic to the body, similar to how we don't want a product that's toxic to the environment. It all comes full circle,” Klein says.

PMB, a leading healthcare real estate developer, officially recognized the opening of the new UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital, a 52-bed, 58,600-square-foot inpatient rehabilitation facility (IRF) in Sacramento.

The new IRF is located at 4875 Broadway Ave. on the UC Davis Sacramento campus adjacent to Aggie Square, UC Davis' newly announced technology and innovation hub. PMB entered into a ground lease with UC Davis to construct the new rehabilitation hospital.

"We are very excited to have developed a new IRF for UC Davis Health that will serve residents in the Sacramento area for many years," says Mark Toothacre, PMB's Managing Partner and CEO. "The new UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital will provide area residents with greater accessibility to top-notch rehabilitation services."

The new facility was announced as part of a joint venture agreement between UC Davis Health and Lifepoint Rehabilitation, a business unit of Lifepoint Health. Lifepoint Rehabilitation will manage the day-to-day operations of the inpatient rehabilitation facility, bringing its evidence-driven framework for providing inpatient rehabilitation care to the Sacramento community.

"At Lifepoint Rehabilitation, we are committed to expanding access to safe, high-quality rehabilitation care in more communities across the country," said Cleve Haralson, Senior Vice President, Joint Ventures and Strategic Services for Lifepoint Health. "We're thrilled to welcome patients to UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital."

The UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital offers a wide range of rehabilitation services, including physiatry, physical and occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, rehabilitation nursing, internal medicine, and medical and surgical subspecialty consultation and nutritional services for patients suffering from neuro disorders, stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury and amputation.

The UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital also includes private rooms, an acquired brain injury unit with private dining and therapy gym, large interdisciplinary gyms, a therapeutic courtyard with golf and varied surfaces, and a transitional living apartment to prepare patients for daily living tasks before they are discharged home.

Brad Simmons, Chief Administrator of UC Davis Medical Center and COO of UC Davis Health, notes, "The new rehabilitation hospital is the second hospital on the Sacramento campus, and it will help tremendously with our ongoing need for more beds for patients."

He adds, "The new hospital brings innovative and advanced physical rehabilitation treatments to the Sacramento region – treatments that weren't previously available. In addition to these new services, the hospital will provide more than 200 clinical and supporting services jobs to the community."

In addition, the UC Davis Rehabilitation Hospital was named the winner in Healthcare Real Estate Insights (HREI) magazine's annual, national awards program. Specifically, it won in the Hospitals and Other Inpatient Facilities Best New Ground-Up Development category.

The architect for the project is Taylor Design, which is headquartered in San Francisco, and the general contractor is St. Louis-based McCarthy Building Cos.

About PMB

PMB is a purpose-driven healthcare real estate developer with a mission to improve healthcare delivery, effect change, and positively impact communities. Our company is 100 percent focused on healthcare real estate across the continuum of care including behavioral health, life sciences, ambulatory care centers, medical office buildings, inpatient hospitals, post-acute hospitals, senior living facilities, and parking structures. PMB has developed over 130 facilities to date representing approximately 6 million square feet. The firm owns and manages 70 medical facilities comprising over 5.2 million square feet. For more information, please visit our website at www.pmbllc.com

Florida's summer rainy season is falling in full force. More rain leads to more mosquitoes that only require a bottle cap of standing water to breed and spread.

In Florida, mosquito-borne disease activity has already prompted mosquito-control and state health officials in five counties - Orange, Polk, Sarasota, Manatee, and Miami-Dade - to issue mosquito borne-illness health warnings. Local mosquito control officials are strongly urging residents and visitors to take basic precautions to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and to help limit exposure.

With Florida recording a record 37.9 million tourists in the first three months of 2023, it is imperative that everyone follows simple tips to keep their loved ones and themselves safe.

"Like humans, mosquitoes live around the world but love to come to Florida," said Sandra Fisher-Grainger, President of the Florida Mosquito Control Association and Director of Hernando County Mosquito Control. "Our highly trained scientists and experts are always working to reduce the risk of mosquito-borne illness, and every resident and visitor can help to limit the risk."

Florida is fortunate to have the best mosquito-control professionals in the country, already deploying high-tech measures and 24/7 attention to combat the world's deadliest animal.

According to the American Mosquito Control Association, "mosquitoes kill hundreds of thousands of people each year around the world, and with global travel, pathogens such as the Zika virus are transported to the United States each year. As our population grows and people inhabit new locations, interactions between humans, animals, and mosquitoes increase the risk of exotic disease transmission."

Earlier this year, a mosquito species discovered in Florida in 2018 – the Culex lactator – was found to be spreading to other parts of the state, raising fears that it could spread disease after migrating from Central America.

Already this year, Miami-Dade County has had two cases of dengue infection transmitted by mosquitoes.

Late last month, Sarasota and Manatee counties issued a warning after local transmission of malaria was found.

Earlier this month, Orange County issued a mosquito advisory after half of the chickens in a coop designed to monitor mosquito-spread diseases tested positive for Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and several horses have shown to be infected with Eastern Equine Encephalitis in Polk County.

"While there are only a few cases that have been reported, we must respond as forcefully and quickly as possible," said Keira Lucas, Deputy Executive Director at Collier Mosquito Control District in southwest Florida. "Mosquitoes don't care if they are in a neighborhood, the beach or a business district so we all have to take precautions."

"Following simple steps, can help you protect your home and your family, especially during the summer months when we are spending more time outdoors," added Lucas.

Mosquitoes transmit a multitude of diseases that can cause great harm – including Zika, West Nile virus, chikungunya, and dengue fever.

Successful mosquito control requires cutting-edge scientific knowledge from many fields, including entomology, biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, physics, genetics, and geology.

Highly trained public servants control mosquitoes through several tools including airplanes, helicopters, traps, drones and more.

Every sector of the state's economy depends on the health of workers, residents, and visitors. The state's two largest business sectors, tourism, and agriculture could not grow without control of mosquitoes and their health risk.

Each Floridian can help control mosquitoes with just a few steps. The University of Florida and the Florida Department of Health have comprehensive guidance for residents and visitors.

The Florida Mosquito Control Association is celebrating its 100th anniversary of protecting the state's residents, businesses, and visitors.