In the majority of its work, the World Health Organization focuses on physical health care: chronic disease, childhood disability, communicable illness and so on. However, in the past few years, WHO has put more and more focus upon mental health issues. In 2008, WHO created the Mental Health Global Action Programme, and just this August,…

Autism is a well known disorder without any known cure. Affecting neural development, autism is usually diagnosed in early childhood, when toddlers with the disorder display impaired skills in social and verbal interaction. The good news is that although there is no cure, many people with autism are able to cope thanks to therapy and sometimes medication. The bad news, however, is that…

Medical care in the United States is expensive. The International Federation of Health Plans reports that in 2010, the United States' health spending as percent of GDP was a whopping 17.6 percent - this compared to 11.4 percent in Canada, 10.1 percent in New Zealand and 9.6 percent in the United Kingdom. And health expenditures are only expected to grow; this thanks to expensive technology…

Most news stories which address private healthcare in England only serve to accentuate the difference between the private and public health systems - and more often than not, celebrate the quality of services available at privately- run facilities. But a story last week painted a less than perfect picture of one privately- run hospital. The Lister Surgicentre, a private…

When the novel coronavirus first came about in 2012, doctors and medical researchers feared that the SARS-like virus might turn into a pandemic. Now, one year later, the disease is in many senses under control - there has been…

After the long awaited arrival of Prince William and Kate Middleton's royal baby, the first few days of baby George's life were rather slow and somewhat unsensational time for the British media. There were no statements, no photographs and few updates which meant there was very little to comment on in news columns and live reports. One story about the royal birth which…

Late last month, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force released new recommendations regarding lung cancer screening. At the moment, most lung cancer detection programs rely on chest C-rays and mucus tests; however,…

Data published recently by Cancer Research UK has revealed that survival rates for testicular cancer  have improved dramatically in the last few decades. Earlier detection allied to new therapies mean that the typical five year survival rate is increasing.

This statistic was around 70% in the nineteen seventies and had improved to around 90% twenty years ago. This improvement…

From August 1st to August 7th every year, the World Health Organization spearheads celebrations of World Breastfeeding Week. During this year's World Breastfeeding Week, going on now, WHO has chosen to put special emphasis one health issue in particular: the marketing of infant formula and other breast milk substitutes.

WHO is…

Recent research has highlighted some positive news regarding both the control and the consequences of diabetes  - but experts are cautious about the full implications and continue to  emphasise that simple lifestyle choices are still the best method to moderate the risks of contracting Type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is a condition whereby the body's natural process for managing…