The Organic Food Myth

You’ll be hit by two big things: (1) Despite the nonstop stream of depressing news, the world is actually getting to be a better place—cleaner, more prosperous, less violent. (2) By pursuing commonsensical, cost-effective programs to battle the troubles still plaguing our planet, we can achieve a level of prosperity and quality of life for all that would have been deemed utterly unattainable only a few years ago. You’ll be heartened and inspired by much of what you hear in our absorbing conversation.

Over recent decades Bangladesh has seen amazing improvement across many health indicators. Maternal mortality has decreased 75 per cent, infant mortality has halved, and life expectancy has surpassed that of both India and Pakistan. The progress has been so impressive that in 2013 The Lancet, one of the oldest and most prestigious medical journals in the world, devoted a six-part series to Bangladesh, calling it "a remarkable success story for health."

In Ghana, health care policy interventions and research budgets have traditionally been directed towards combatting communicable diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. These are still a major public health concern, but as the country advances toward greater prosperity, the prevalence of non-communicable diseases is also rapidly increasing.

Cardiovascular diseases, cancers, and diabetes are particularly on the rise in Ghana, and one of the largest risk factors for complications such as stroke and coronary heart disease is high blood pressure.