International Health News

The National Institute of Health (NIH) is helping to fund a $30.5 million project that will determine whether reducing the indoor air pollution caused by cook-stoves will significantly decrease the number of premature deaths from respiratory illnesses in developing countries. The trial will be carried out in multiple locations across the globe and will substitute cookers which are run on solid fuels with ones that run on liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The air pollution caused by the old stoves can cause diseases such as pneumonia and lung cancer and is linked to the deaths of four million people each year.

The Academy of Medical Royal Colleges has drawn up a list of common medical treatments that bring little or no benefit to patients. The list advises against the use of many standard procedures that have been proven unnecessary and may in fact hinder the patient’s recovery. The list will be added to each year with the intention of improving hospital efficiency and helping to save on medical costs.

Country updates

Authorities in Uganda have intercepted travelers crossing the border with forged yellow fever cards. The police are still investigating the source of the forged cards, though many of those questioned have confessed to purchasing them in Kampala. The ministry of health, under international health regulations, issued strict orders that travelers be required to present the card when crossing the border, following severe outbreaks of the illness in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo and Angola. Uganda itself is also classified as a ‘high-risk’ yellow fever area.

Health Advice

Drinking caffeine and eating a Mediterranean diet may help to increase your eye health, claims a new study. People who consume diets rich in fruit, vegetables, healthy fats and coffee have been shown to be less likely to develop age-related macular degeneration (AMD) of the eyes. Although the study was unable to conclude that these diets caused the risk of AMD to drop, it was clear that the diet helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle, which in itself protects against macular degeneration.