International health news

Stricter rules on cigarette packaging are being introduced in the UK. They must be sold in green standardised packaging with warnings to discourage people to start smoking. As of this week, all packs also need to have 20 cigarettes. Packets of hand-rolled tobacco will have to weigh 30 grams.

According to a report published by the WHO, a quarter of European teens eat sweets or chocolate daily, which is increasing the obesity among the youth. Nearly 20% of adolescents across Europe are obese or overweight. Researches have linked this problem with a lack of daily fruit and vegetable consumption along with the increase in sugar.

According to figures released by the WHO, air pollution is more likely to kill people in the UK than in Mexico, USA and Sweden. Britain has a high mortality rate for air pollution, which is twice as high as in the US. 25,7 for every 10,000 people die because of this issue. Worldwide, around 3 million deaths are caused by outdoor air pollution.

Country update

The number of suspected Ebola cases has quickly increased to 29 in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The WHO has reported that the risk of an outbreak at an international level is high, and has advised a high surveillance on this outbreak.  Since April 22nd, at least three deaths have been announced.

The number of Candida auris cases have risen to 122 across the US in the past nine months.  This multidrug-resistant superbug causes a severe illness with high mortality, affecting mostly the elderly. These concerning outbreaks have occurred in seven states and have been reported as a very concerning issue by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Health advice

Scientists are advising people to sleep more, since poor sleeping habits have been linked to weight gain. Sleeping helps people control their weight as disrupted sleeping patterns can change your metabolism and your appetite. By improving your sleeping habits, you can regulate your hormones that make you feel hungry.

Changing your lifestyle in your fifties and sixties can help cut dementia risks. By cutting down unhealthy habits, staying active and doing exercises that work your brain, you are not as likely to develop Alzheimer’s or a memory loss disease.