Category Archives: 3. Good Health and Well-being

Benin’s groundbreaking new abortion law will save the lives of many women

Ramatou Ouedraogo, African Population and Health Research Center Benin’s parliament has voted to legalise abortion in most circumstances. This is a groundbreaking move by the west African country given that 92% of women of reproductive age on the continent live in countries which have restrictions – some moderate, some severe – on abortions. Moina Spooner,Continue reading “Benin’s groundbreaking new abortion law will save the lives of many women”

Microplastics: are plastic alternatives any safer for our health?

Xavier Coumoul, Université Paris Cité; Jean-Baptiste Fini, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle (MNHN); Nicolas Cabaton, Inrae, and Sylvie Bortoli, Université Paris Cité Plastic pollution is now pervasive in our environment, contaminating everywhere from our homes and workplaces to the planet’s deepest recesses. The problem regularly makes headlines, with the spotlight turned toward ocean pollution in particular.Continue reading “Microplastics: are plastic alternatives any safer for our health?”

The pollutants in our diet that could accelerate ageing

Amelia Marti del Moral, Universidad de Navarra and Lucía Alonso-Pedrero, Universidad de Navarra Pollutants are, by definition, harmful. But not all of them are equally harmful. Of the multitude of synthetic chemical compounds that pollute our environment, those that set off the loudest alarm bells are persistent organic pollutants (POPs). These are toxic compounds presentContinue reading “The pollutants in our diet that could accelerate ageing”

Taxes on sugary beverages are not enough on their own to halt march of obesity in Asia

Asit K. Biswas, National University of Singapore and Kris Hartley, Cornell University Facing declining markets in Western countries, multinational food companies are targeting Africa, Asia, and Latin America as new consumers of packaged foods, in a move that may worsen the global epidemic of chronic illness related to diabetes. Governments are striking back at obesityContinue reading “Taxes on sugary beverages are not enough on their own to halt march of obesity in Asia”

Climate change affects mosquito behaviour. This may make it harder to end malaria in South Africa

Shüné Oliver, National Institute for Communicable Diseases and Jaishree Raman, National Institute for Communicable Diseases Changes in climatic factors – such as higher temperatures and increased rainfall – affect the developmental, behavioural and distribution patterns of insects like mosquitoes. These changes have serious implications for the effective control of insect-borne diseases such as malaria. Worryingly,Continue reading “Climate change affects mosquito behaviour. This may make it harder to end malaria in South Africa”

Lockdowns had a huge impact in the mental health of the elderly

Ariadna Garcia-Prado, Universidad Pública de Navarra; Paula González, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, and Yolanda Rebollo Sanz, Universidad Pablo de Olavide In Spain we suffered one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in response to the COVID pandemic. For a time, we were only allowed to go to the supermarket, the bank and the pharmacy.Continue reading “Lockdowns had a huge impact in the mental health of the elderly”

Lockdown babies behind on communication milestones: to help toddlers’ language skills, just talk and listen

Katie Alcock, Lancaster University Research has found that babies born during lockdown have been later to meet some language and communication milestones. During this time, babies met fewer new people and had fewer chances to socialise with other adults and babies, whether in baby groups or in family and friends’ homes, and parents had workContinue reading “Lockdown babies behind on communication milestones: to help toddlers’ language skills, just talk and listen”

Has the pandemic changed our personalities? New research suggests we’re less open, agreeable and conscientious

Jolanta Burke, RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences For many of us, some personality traits stay the same throughout our lives while others change only gradually. However, evidence shows that significant events in our personal lives which induce severe stress or trauma can be associated with more rapid changes in our personalities. A newContinue reading “Has the pandemic changed our personalities? New research suggests we’re less open, agreeable and conscientious”