International health news

Alzheimer’s disease may finally have a cure, with research on mice having shown a drug commonly used for period pain to have “completely reversed the inflammation of the brain and lost memory in the specimen”.

Eight patients whose lower bodies had been completely paralysed for at least three years have regained a degree of movement. The surprising outcome is a result of brain training, which includes ‘virtual reality walking simulations’.

Behavioural problems in children has been linked to taking acetaminophen, a pain reliever, during pregnancy. Also used to treat fevers, it has not been suggested that expectant mothers stop taking the treatment, as this could also result in negative side-effects.

Country updates

The US government has declared a public health emergency in Puerto Rico, as the toll of those affected by the Zika virus has risen to over 10,000. The status means the island can apply for extra funding to help combat the disease.

The Zika virus has also become the latest concern related to people’s’ sex lives, with it being labeled the “latest STD”.

In the UK, cancer has overtaken heart disease as the leading cause of death. As well as cancer mortality rates increasing, the change is largely due to better prevention and treatment of cardiac diseases.

Health services

Three new ‘expat hospitals’ will open their doors in Doha by the start of the coming year. Part of a plan to open seven new public hospitals, it is said that they will “ease the burden on existing hospitals and better services to citizens and residents”.