HIV “cured” baby, tropical disease thriving and maternal mortality in Mexico – all in this week’s best of international health news.
International health news
- HIV baby “cured” by early treatment – A baby in the U.S. given HIV medication 30 hours after birth now shows no signs of the infection.
- Sugar causes diabetes, not obesity – Sweetened soda consumption said to be behind global increase in diabetes rates.
- Tropical diseases thrive as biodiversity declines – Animals which prey on disease carriers such as mosquitoes are being killed, increasing risk.
Health advice
- Avoid diet soda mixers – Mixing alcohol with a diet soda may make you drunker than a normal soda mixer say researchers in the U.S.
Country updates
- UK: Women less likely to survive late-stage breast cancer – Survival rates lower in the UK than 5 other high income countries.
- Mexico: Tackling maternal mortality with midwives – Midwives being trained in traditional and modern techniques to combat mortality rates.
- DRC: Measles outbreak affects thousands – Tens of thousands of children struck down in a measles epidemic which began in 2010.
- Japan: Increased cancer risk around Fukushima – Residents around the stricken power plant have a slightly higher risk of cancer says WHO.