The third part of the National Plan for Surveillance and Control of Vector-borne Diseases is presented today, focusing on ticks, parasitic mites that cause serious diseases. Of these, the two of greatest concern in Spain are Lyme disease and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever. Cases are expected to increase, but so far there has been no surveillance. International health authorities have also warned of the risks of Lyme disease in connection with the European Football Championship being held in Germany in recent weeks. 

International health organisations are warning about the spread in Europe of mosquito species that transmit diseases such as dengue fever. In Spain, where they are already widespread across much of the country, the Centro de Coordinación de Alertas y Emergencias Sanitarias (CCAES) warns of the risk of West Nile virus, and says that the summer is expected to be complicated. In this guide, we bring together information to understand this public health issue. 

Starting June 17, the Ministry of Health will begin using a new, more rigorous alert system based on 182 meteosalud zones instead of 52 provinces. The aim is to make the plan more effective, inform the population when necessary, and ultimately save lives.

E-cigarettes, vapes, pods, mods... The popularity of these devices continues to grow, especially among young people. According to a Spanish survey, more than half of the adolescents aged 14 to 18 have used them at some point. Vaping control varies from country to country: in Spain, vaping products have been regulated since 2017 and the new anti-smoking plan aims to equate their legislation to that of tobacco, while the United States imposes fewer restrictions. In this brief guide, we explain what is known and not known on controversial issues such as the safety of electronic cigarettes, their risks or whether they are useful to quit tobacco.

This week, Spain’s Ministry of Health launched a process to develop a Royal Decree on the medical use of cannabis, assuring that it will be "a rigorous measure based on the best scientific evidence available.” The goverment is conducting a public consultation until 4 March to gather the opinions of citizens, civil society organisations, professional associations and scientific societies. In this explainer, we attempt to answer the main questions that arise regarding the medical use of cannabis. 

Según una encuesta llevada a cabo en España, respondida por 403 investigadores en biomedicina, cuatro de cada diez admiten haber cometido algún tipo de mala práctica en su trabajo. La prensa se hace eco regularmente de escándalos en ciencia. Entre los casos más recientes, El País informó de que el CSIC ha abierto un expediente disciplinario a cinco personas por sospechas de recibir dinero a cambio de afiliaciones falsas. Estas malas conductas pueden parecer aisladas, pero reflejan disfunciones más amplias del sistema de investigación. Ofrecemos claves para entender cómo nacen y evolucionan estos casos, y para cubrir sus matices. 

With just days to go before COP28 kicks off in Dubai -a major city in the oil-rich United Arab Emirates- climate experts are torn between mistrust and hope that world leaders will reach ambitious agreements to combat the climate crisis.

Biosimilars work in a similar way to biologics - which are made from living cells and are very complex and expensive - such as insulin, growth hormone, vaccines and monoclonal cancer antibodies. We explain what savings biosimilars bring to the healthcare system and what the process is to ensure that their quality, efficacy and safety are equivalent to those of the reference medicine.

When considering which type of timetable is best, one question is: best for what and for whom? Not only does the scientific evidence on student learning and well-being come into play, but also the employment interests of teachers, the reconciliation needs of families, and the effects of each type of timetable on socio-economic inequality and the gender gap in care are also involved. We bring together more elements of the discussion in this second article.

Every school year in Spain, the debate returns about what kind of timetable schools should adopt: is it better to concentrate all teaching hours or to have a lunch break and extend the time spent at school? In this first issue, we bring together research on the effect of each type of timetable on students' performance, rest and socio-affective well-being, as well as the available data on public and charter education.