More than a billion people worldwide are obese, WHO study finds
London, UK Reuters More than a billion people globally are now considered obese, a condition linked to an increased risk of numerous serious health problems, according to updated estimates from the World Health Organization and an international group of researchers. Obesity is so prevalent it has become more common than being underweight in most nations, […]
Toxic air in India linked to large number of miscarriages
London, UKThomson Reuters Foundation Toxic air in India and other South Asian countries could be causing large numbers of miscarriages and stillbirths, scientists said on Thursday. A study in The Lancet medical journal estimated nearly 350,000 pregnancy losses a year in South Asia were linked to high pollution levels, accounting for seven per cent of […]
Feeling the heat? Scientists warn of climate shocks to global health
Barcelona, SpainThomson Reuters Foundation Heat-related deaths are surging around the world, particularly among older people, scientists said this week, warning of growing pressure on health systems hit hard by COVID-19. Extreme heat led to the deaths of almost 300,000 people over 65 years old in 2018 – a 54 per cent rise in two decades, […]
Ethnic minorities disproportionately affected by coronavirus – The Lancet
Reuters Ethnic minority groups are disproportionately affected by the novel coronavirus, with Blacks and Asians at increased risk of COVID-19 infection compared to white individuals, according to an analysis published in The Lancet medical journal. About 18.7 million patients from 50 studies were included to establish the findings, the analysis said. Forty-two of the studies […]
World caught in “syndemic” of chronic diseases and COVID-19, global study says
London, UKReuters The world is caught in a perfect storm of rising rates of chronic disease, persistent infectious diseases and public health failures that have fuelled deaths in the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a major global study of human health. The emergence and overlap of the coronavirus pandemic with a continued global rise in chronic […]
Wave of promising study results raise hopes for coronavirus vaccines
Chicago, USReuters Early data from trials of three potential COVID-19 vaccines released on Monday, including a closely-watched candidate from Oxford University, increased confidence that a vaccine can train the immune system to recognise and fight the novel coronavirus without serious side effects. Whether any of these efforts will result in a vaccine capable of protecting […]
Distancing and masks cut COVID-19 risk, says largest review of evidence
London, UKReuters Keeping at least one metre apart and wearing face masks and eye protection are the best ways to cut the risk of COVID-19 infection, according to the largest review to date of studies on coronavirus disease transmission. In a review that pooled evidence from 172 studies in 16 countries, researchers found frequent handwashing […]
Children prey to online ads of harmful products, regulation needed – UN study
Geneva, SwitzerlandReuters Children and adolescents are being bombarded with ads on social media promoting harmful products from fast food to tobacco and alcohol, according to a United Nations-backed report on Wednesday that called for regulation. Advertisers also sell data on children obtained from electronic games to global tech giants, said the report’s lead author, Anthony […]
Cancer overtakes heart disease as biggest rich-world killer
LondonReuters Cancer has overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death in wealthy countries and could become the world’s biggest killer within just a few decades if current trends persist, researchers said on Tuesday. Publishing the findings of two large studies in The Lancet medical journal, the scientists said they showed evidence of a […]
African wars killed five million sick children in 20 years – study
Thomson Reuters Foundation Five million children in Africa have died from preventable diseases over the last 20 years because armed conflict deprived them of access to basic healthcare or clean water, scientists said on Thursday. A study published in The Lancet medical journal showed conflict in countries such as Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo had contributed […]