International health news

Health ministers around the world need to look “upstream” to improve citizens’ health, as investing in a healthy environment may be more beneficial than in infrastructure and staff.

Thirty six percent of head and neck patients survived after taking an immunotherapy drug in a trial to test its efficacy, compared to only seventeen percent who only had chemotherapy. The treatment has been described as a “potential gamechanger” in treating cancer.

Country updates

The United States is seeing a rise in a polio-like disease that is causing paralysis to those who the disease, which targets the nervous system and spinal cord. Children are among the most affected by the outbreak.

Dubai has become the first in the Mena region to receive certifications from the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) for healthcare centres. The recognition shows that the centres are up to high international standards, which will certainly be a boost as the city aims to compete in the medical tourism market.