Good Day BIO: India’s heatwave highlights need for GMO wheat

India’s heatwave is “scorching” wheat crops—highlighting the need for genetically modified wheat. And it’s National Women’s Health Week—a good time to look at the dismal state of maternal mortality in the U.S. and what patient advocacy groups are doing about it. (618 words, 3 minutes, 5 seconds)

India’s heatwave highlights need for GMO wheat

A severe heatwave is “scorching” India’s wheat crops—a “snapshot” of what’s to come if we don’t address climate change and advance biotech solutions.

The news: “Temperatures soared in March to the highest ever for the month on record going back to 1901, shriveling India’s wheat crop during a crucial growth period,” reports Bloomberg.

India’s wheat yields are expected to shrink 10-50%—intensifying the squeeze on global wheat supply already underway as a result of the war in Ukraine. India is the world’s second-largest wheat grower.

What they’re saying: “This is just a snapshot of what we will see in the next 20 to 30 years,” climate scientist Vimal Mishra told CBS News. “There is no doubt that in future the heat waves will occur more often, last longer and cover larger parts of the subcontinent…affecting water availability, agriculture, businesses and energy demand.”

Read: NASA research foresees climate impact on corn and wheat productivity

But there’s biotech for that:HB4 Wheat developed by Bioceres in Argentina, which is genetically modified to withstand drought, Bio.News explained. Brazil became the first nation to authorize its importation in November.

The big picture: India certainly won’t be the last nation to see in real time how the rapidly changing climate affects its food supply and livelihoods. With temperatures rising—and a global food crisis looming—it’s time to advance biotech solutions like gene edited crops that can withstand these threats.

The dismal state of maternal mortality – and what patient groups are doing about it

Every two minutes, a woman dies of pregnancy or childbirth complications—and many are in the United States. During National Women’s Health Week, which starts annually on Mother’s Day, Bio.News takes a look at the dismal state of maternal mortality in the U.S. and what patient groups are doing about it.

“Maternal mortality is a significant and foreboding public health crisis in the United States,”said Rebecca Cypher, MSN, PNNP, 2020 President of the Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN). “Nationwide, 700 women die each year due to pregnancy-related complications, many being preventable.”

As with many health issues, disparities are prevalent: “A Black woman is three to four times more likely to die than a white woman,” Dr. Mary-Ann Etiebet, Executive Director of Merck for Mothers, previously told us.

“There’s a long history in this country of women in general, Black women in particular, not having autonomy over their own bodies,” Teonna Woolford, Co-Founder and CEO of Sickle Cell Reproductive Education Directive (SC RED) previously told us. SC RED advocates for sexual and reproductive care for individuals living with sickle cell disease—who have a 7-11 times greater risk of maternal mortality.

Patient groups like SC RED are taking action—including groups like the Black Mamas Matter Alliance, Black Women’s Health Imperative, and Hear Her, which has been accessed by 400 million people since it was launched in 2020 by the CDC.

Merck for Mothers continues to maintain steam, reaching over 18.2 million women through programs promoting safe, high-quality, respectful care. The program has invested in over 120 initiatives both in the U.S. and internationally.   

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More Health Care News:

Nature: China expands control over genetic data used in scientific research
“Guidelines released this year are the latest regulations to protect China’s genetic resources, but some scientists say they are making collaborations harder.” (Read BIO’s take on Bio.News.)

President Biden’s Tuesday: At 11:30 AM ET, he’ll deliver remarks on his plan to fight inflation, which he’s expected to contrast with Congressional Republicans’ plan, per CNN. At 2 PM ET, he’ll meet with Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi. 

What’s Happening on Capitol Hill: Budget hearings continue, with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack appearing before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, FDA, and Related Agencies.