Today the Spanish Parliament rejected the creation of the State Public Health Agency, a proposal that had been envisaged since the Public Health Act of 2011 and whose idea of implementation had resurfaced after the pandemic.
A team in the US has tested the efficacy of baloxavir, an antiviral already on the market for treating common flu, against avian influenza in mice. The results, published in the journal Nature Microbiology, show that it is more effective than the currently recommended oseltamivir (Tamiflu) except when the infection is via the mouth, in which case it is equally effective. According to the authors, baloxavir ‘could be considered for the potential treatment of serious H5N1 virus infections in humans’.
Without urgent action and policy reforms, more than half of the world's adult population (3.8 billion) and a third of all children and adolescents (746 million) are expected to be overweight or obese by 2050. The figures are published today in The Lancet.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the prevalence of obesity worldwide has increased by more than 100 % between 1990 and 2022. This reality has been and is constantly reflected in the media, but not always narrated or illustrated in the right way. Here are some tips on how to report on this disease from experts, international guidelines and specialised image banks.
An international team has analysed temperature and mortality data from 854 urban areas in Europe, and estimated that temperature-related deaths could increase by 50 % by the end of the century - which would mean up to 2.3 million more deaths - if no climate change mitigation measures are taken. This percentage is even higher in southern parts of the continent, such as Spain. The results are published in the journal Nature Medicine.
The new US president, Donald Trump, announced on his first day that the country will leave the World Health Organisation (WHO) within the next twelve months. The reasons behind the decision, according to him, are the ‘mismanagement of the covid-19 pandemic and other global health crises’, as well as ‘disproportionate payments compared to other countries’ dues’.
The work of a global commission, published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology and endorsed by more than 75 medical organisations worldwide, presents a new approach to diagnosing obesity. This is based on other measures of excess body fat, in addition to body mass index (BMI), and on objective signs and symptoms of poor health at the individual level.
In the context of World AIDS Day, which is celebrated on 1 December, it is essential to reflect on one of the most urgent challenges in the fight against this disease: HIV in the paediatric population. A project led by the Complutense University of Madrid seeks to reduce paediatric mortality by training research leaders in sub-Saharan Africa and applying technology and innovation.
A new epidemiological forecasting model could provide a better system for early temperature-related health warnings, according to a paper published in Science Advances. The model, called Forcaster.health, could provide mortality predictions at least 10.5 days before cold episodes and 8.3 days before hot episodes. The Universitat Pompeu Fabra and ISGlobal took part in its design.
According to a Lancet Public Health commission on commercial gambling, stricter regulations are needed on a global scale to reduce its impact on health and wellbeing worldwide. The authors argue that the harms caused by gambling are a threat to public health, exacerbated by the rapid expansion and digital transformation of the industry. These harms include physical and mental health problems, increased risk of suicide, gender-based violence and financial problems.