In Brazil, only in the recent months, 3’500 cases of microcephaly have been linked with the Zyka virus.
International health news
- Zyka virus set to spread throughout Latin America – the World Health Organization has declared that the virus could represent one of the most worrying epidemics in 2016.
- The number of British mental health nurses is rapidly declining – Labour’s shadow minister for mental health has claimed that this is happening right when the demand for mental health care is skyrocketing.
- China experiencing a serious shortfall of pediatricians – Half of all registered pediatricians left their job in the last ten years due to poor pay, long working hours and scarce career prospects.
Health advice
- Having a healthy social life could decrease the risk of death by 50% – Social life has been linked to health factors such as body fat index and blood pressure.
- Drinking coffee could improve your quality of life – Coffee has been linked with a lower incidence of type-2 diabetes and longer survival.
Country health updates
- El Salvador government has advised against pregnancy – The Minister of Health has recommended that women avoid falling pregnant until 2018 over fears of a microcephaly epidemics caused by the mosquito-borne Zyka virus.
- Italian town shuts off Wifi for fear of brain damage caused by electromagnetic waves – Mayor Livio Tola has justified the move as a “precautionary measure”.
[Image by The New York Times]