public health

The latest reports from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) indicate a rise in bacterial sexually transmitted infections (STIs) across Europe. In 2024, notifications of gonorrhoea and syphilis, along with congenital syphilis, reached their highest levels in more than a decade, reflecting sustained transmission across multiple countries. Gonorrhoea has increased by more than 300 % over the past 10 years, with Spain among the countries with the highest rates, while syphilis has risen by around 100 %, with Spain also ranking second highest. Men who have sex with men are the most affected population group for both infections. Congenital syphilis increased by almost 250 %, described as “one of the most concerning findings” by two ECDC experts during the briefing presenting the results. Possible contributing factors include reduced condom use, an increase in sexual partners, as well as higher levels of testing.

A global analysis of data from more than 232 million people shows that the rise in obesity has slowed or stabilised in some high-income countries since the 1990s among children and adolescents, and, a decade later, among adults. In Spain, this stabilisation or even a slight decline is also observed. In most low- and middle-income regions, the prevalence of obesity continues to increase and, in some cases, has already surpassed that of more developed economies. The study, published in Nature, included 4,050 studies covering the period from 1980 to 2024 across 200 countries.

A study conducted by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), in collaboration with the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC-CNS), has analyzed short-term mortality associated with the combined effects of multiple air pollutants in 31 European countries. According to their estimates, this exposure is associated with 146,500 premature deaths per year and affects people differently depending on age, sex, and cause of death: young men are more vulnerable than young women, but the pattern reverses with age. The authors, who published the study in Nature Health, propose creating a new generation of impact-based early warning systems specifically targeting vulnerable groups.

Amid an unprecedented international security and coordination operation, the MV Hondius has arrived at the port of Granadilla, in Tenerife, where epidemiologists and members of the Foreign Health Service will examine the passengers and crew, who have not shown any symptoms of hantavirus so far. Once assessed, they will leave the ship, which is moored in a dock, in small boats to the port, grouped by nationality – they come from 23 different countries. From there, they will board military vehicles to reach Tenerife South Airport, from where they will be repatriated on various flights. The 14 Spaniards and a member of the WHO from Africa are bound for Gómez Ulla Hospital (Madrid) to undergo quarantine. Once the process is complete, the cruise ship will refuel and sail to the Netherlands with part of the crew on board and the body of one of the three fatalities.

European regions with the greatest economic inequalities face a higher risk of mortality from both cold and heat, while wealthier regions face a higher risk during heat waves and a lower risk from cold. These findings come from a study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) and published in Nature Health. According to the authors, the greater vulnerability to heat in regions with higher GDP could be due to a greater presence of heat islands and urbanization in those areas, while the lower risk from cold could be explained by better-insulated homes and lower energy poverty. The results are based on an analysis of a mortality database covering the years 2000 to 2019 and including the urban and rural populations of 32 European countries.

The Ministry of Health has announced on social media that, depending on the epidemiological data gathered from the ship regarding a possible hantavirus outbreak during its stopover in Cape Verde, “a decision will be made as to which port of call is most appropriate”. Various reports suggest that the World Health Organisation (WHO) would have preferred the cruise ship to stop in the Canary Islands. “Until then, the Ministry of Health will not take any decision, as we have made clear to the World Health Organisation,” it stated. Furthermore, the Ministry of Health has indicated that, following a meeting with the WHO, a team of epidemiologists will inspect the vessel this afternoon to assess the condition of those on board, determine whether there are any further cases with symptoms, and identify high-risk and low-risk contacts. “This will aid decisions regarding repatriation procedures and the ship’s route.”

The accelerated extraction of critical minerals such as lithium and cobalt is causing water insecurity and health risks, according to a report by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (UNU-INWEH), which refers to them as the “oil of the 21st century.” The high water consumption of mining operations limits access to water for other purposes such as agriculture, fishing, and human consumption. Furthermore, data from various regions in South Africa, Bolivia, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo reveal “widespread heavy metal contamination and exposure to toxic waste,” the report states. This leads to health problems including fetal malformations and chronic diseases, which disproportionately affect women and children.

A team from the United States has analysed the performance of 21 large artificial intelligence (AI)-based language models—including ChatGPT, Gemini and Grok—for clinical diagnosis. Their conclusions are that, despite advances in these models, their reasoning capabilities remain limited for initial diagnosis and that they should not be relied upon without the supervision of a medical professional. According to the authors, who published their findings in JAMA Network Open and aimed to “help distinguish reality from hype in the use of these tools”, the results “reinforce the idea that language models in healthcare still require human intervention and very rigorous supervision”.

A study led by ISGlobal shows that European regions with higher levels of poverty and lower use of renewable energy face a greater risk of mortality from air pollution. The research, published in Nature Medicine, analysed 88.8 million deaths that occurred between 2003 and 2019 across 653 regions in 31 European countries, covering a population of 521 million people. Areas with higher GDP per capita, lower poverty rates, and longer life expectancy—mainly in northern and western Europe—showed lower mortality risks, while other regions, particularly in southern Europe, experienced up to double the associated risk.

According to the Ministry for Ecological Transition and Demographic Challenge, masses of African air with varying concentrations of surface dust are expected to reach the Canary Islands and the Iberian Peninsula on Wednesday. Health authorities in different provinces have recommended avoiding outdoor physical exercise or activities that require effort, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, pregnant women, the elderly and the sick.