Top health news from around the web on 17 June 2013
International health news
- Best healthcare systems around the world – A look at some of the most efficient, cost-effective, and equal health systems, from Switzerland to Taiwan.
- MERS-Coronavirus death toll rises – The virus originated in the Middle East, and has now killed 58 people, as WHO fails to isolate the source of infection.
- Fake drugs, India and China worst offenders? – The exact scale of global counterfeit drug production is unknown, but the majority of fake medicines originate in China and India.
Health advice
- Food safety week exposes risky food habits – 1 in 3 people don’t check use by dates and a third would eat food dropped on the floor.
Country health alerts
- Ireland: First leprosy case in modern times – A Brazilian man living in Ireland was treated for leprosy earlier this year, he picked it up 10 years ago.
- Colombia: Zombie drug threat – A legitimate medicine to treat motion sickness is being used for darker reasons by Colombia’s criminals.
- Thailand: Breastfeeding law enacted – New law protects mothers from aggressive baby formula advertising and encourages breastfeeding.