International health news

The World Bank made a big announcement this week: they are planning to launch an insurance fund of 500 million USD to fight pandemics in underdeveloped countries. This would be the first ever attempt at setting up an ‘‘insurance market for pandemic risk’’.

Expat mothers have a tougher time battling the ‘Baby Blues’ than moms who stay in their home country. This is partly because of the loss of support system. MacKenzie Kassab wrote an article for the Wall Street Journal including her own story about battling postpartum anxiety.

A study among 178 terminally ill cancer patients showed that only 5% of them understand their prognosis, which is a shockingly low amount. Furthermore, only 23% of the patients recently had a conversation with their doctor about their life expectancy. As well as demonstrating the figures, researchers might also have found the solution to the problem.

Country updates

Important news for all expats from New Zealand and Australia currently residing in the United Kingdom: they will have to start paying the annual 200 pound health surcharge. A positive about this however is that the fee will give them the same rights to health care as UK citizens.

The United States House Republicans just approved a bill that will target 622 million USD to prevent the Zika virus. This almost half of the entire Senate’s funding package that was budgeted to last until September 2017. Naturally, not everyone agreed with the decision.

Health advice

Summer is around the corner, which means that more time will be spent outside, unfortunately also meaning that the chances of a tick bite increase significantly. Refresh your memory or find out seven ways to prevent being bitten.

The amount of diets that exist nowadays can be overwhelming. A lot of them advise you to cut down on your salt intake, since it can damage your heart and kidneys. A new study suggests that low-salt diets could hurt your body just as much.

During an 8 hour day in the office it is easy to forget posture and slouch behind y
our computer. Sitting like this for an extended period of time can have bad effects on your body. Here are some ways to improve your posture and to increase back strength.