Measles highest in 25 years in European region, WHO says
Measles is a highly contagious disease which is spread by coughs and sneezes.Common symptoms include: high feversore, red and watery eyescoughingsneezingThe measles virus can lead to pneumonia, brain swelling and death. The WHO/Unicef joint analysis covering 53 countries said there had been 127,350 measles cases reported in the European region in 2024 - the highest since 1997.A total of 38 deaths had been reported up to 6 March 2025.Measles cases, they added, had been declining since 1997, but the trend reversed in 2018-19 and cases rose significantly in 2023-24 "following a backsliding in immunisation coverage during the Covid-19 pandemic"."Vaccination rates in many countries are yet to return to pre-pandemic levels, increasing the risk of outbreaks," they warned.The European region accounted for a third of all measles cases globally in 2024, the joint analysis said. Within that area, Romania had the highest number of cases - 30,692 - followed by Kazakhstan with 28,147.The WHO/Unicef statement concluded that measles remained "a significant global threat" and urged governments where cases were occurring to take quick action - and those where the virus had not arrived to be prepared to act.
There have been two deaths in the US recently as the disease - which was considered "eliminated" in the US in 2000 - spreads there and across Canada, too.Falling vaccination rates have been blamed for the recent flare-up. In Europe, for instance, eight out of 10 people who were diagnosed with measles in the last year were not vaccinated, according to data from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).Estimates from 2023 show that only four countries - Hungary, Malta, Portugal and Slovakia - had met the 95% threshold for vaccination to prevent an outbreak, the ECDC said on Tuesday.Concern has been expressed in the UK, too, over the spread of the disease, as vaccination rates for two doses have fallen below 90%. Dr Ben Kasstan-Dabush of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine warned people against trusting unverified information on their social media."We also learnt from the Covid-19 vaccination programme that misinformation can travel rapidly and can influence people's decisions. It's important to be mindful that the vaccine information on social media may not be based on scientific evidence," Dr Kasstan-Dabush said.
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Scotsman
32 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Charities quit SNP Government's Long Covid network over 'broken promises' as £4.5m fund not spent
Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Two charities have quit a strategic network set up by the Scottish Government to tackle long Covid, citing frustration at delays to using funding in what has been described as a 'damning' decision. Long Covid Scotland and Long Covid Kids have penned a formal resignation letter citing the reasons for leaving the National Strategic Network for Long-Term Effects of Covid-19. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Two long Covid charities have quit a key Scottish Government network. Picture: Michael Gillen The Government body had been set up with the aim of improving the health and wellbeing of those living with long-term Covid effects. But the bosses of the respective charities have accused SNP ministers of 'inaction and broken promises', with the Government accused of failing to spend £4.5 million in funding allocated in the Scottish Budget in December last year. Opposition parties said those who had shared 'painful' experiences of suffering from long Covid had been 'shamefully ignored and sidelined' by the Government. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The charities, which were founding contributors to the long Covid network set up in 2022, listed systemic failure, lack of leadership and a breakdown in trust as reasons for quitting the body. Jane Ormerod, chair of Long Covid Scotland, said: 'In December 2024, the Scottish Government announced a £4.5m non-recurring fund. Yet by July 2025, not a penny has been allocated. 'What was framed as a hopeful investment now stands as a symbol of inaction and broken promises.' Helen Goss, chief operating officer and Scottish lead at Long Covid Kids, added: 'We entered 2025 with cautious optimism. Instead, six months on, we are forced to resign from a system that continues to fail the very people it was created to support.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The £4.5m fund was originally announced by Finance Secretary Shona Robison and was intended to deliver new specialist support for long Covid, ME [Myalgic Encephalomyelitis], chronic fatigue and other similar conditions. SNP finance secretary Shona Robison About 82 per cent of people with long Covid struggle to access care, reports commissioned by the strategic network last year claimed. A statement issued on behalf of both charities said: 'The Scottish Government remains functionally absent from the network, offering no leadership, no oversight, and no enforcement of its own policies. 'Workstreams have stalled, strategic oversight commitments [are] unmet. Internal discussions now reference 'wind down' and 'rollback', rather than delivery. Some services have now closed, despite funding and a mandate to operate until March 2026.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'They warn that without urgent action, remaining sparse services will disappear entirely, worsening what they describe as 'a public health emergency being quietly ignored.' Jackie Baillie, Dr Sandesh Gulhane and Alex Cole-Hamilton, co-conveners of the Scottish Parliament's long Covid cross-party group, said in a joint statement: 'It is a damning indictment of the SNP's lack of leadership that Long Covid Scotland and Long Covid Kids have had to resign from the Strategic Long Covid Network because of the Scottish Government's failures. 'Those who have shared their painful and personal experiences of long Covid in good faith have been shamefully ignored and sidelined, leaving people feeling unseen and unheard. The Scottish Government has lost the confidence of the long Covid and ME community. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad "The Scottish Government must urgently distribute the £4.5m to health boards and provide clear direction and vision so that new specialist staff are recruited fast and new services are up and running.'
Western Telegraph
37 minutes ago
- Western Telegraph
A third of GP appointments in June were over the phone or online, data shows
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Daily Mirror
9 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Cereal bars might seem healthy - but they contain additives linked to weight gain
A groundbreaking clinical trial has revealed how ultra processed foods (UPFs) can harm the body even when not high in salt, sugar or fat - suggesting the way food is made might affect our health Martin is responsible for the health and science beat at the Mirror. He has experience reporting over a decade including medical advances in everything from cancer to dementia and obesity around the world, as well as breakthroughs in the UK. Martin covered the Covid-19 pandemic and continues to scrutinise the state of the NHS. Martin runs a number of Mirror campaigns including; Dentists for All, Give a Pint Save a Life, Fair Care for All and Change the Law for Life. UPFs have been the subject of some debate in Britain ever since TV doctor Chris van Tulleken's blockbuster book Ultra-Processed People. Many suspect the additives packed into everything from cereal bars to pastries, pies, wraps and ready meals - to make them taste nice and last longer - could actually be harming us. But this is very difficult to prove because until now, observational studies have just shown that people who eat more UPFs are more likely to be ill and overweight. This is complicated by the fact that UPFs are also more likely to be high in calories, fat, sugar and salt. And people who eat a lot of UPFs are also more likely to smoke and do less exercise. So Professor van Tulleken and his colleagues at University College London have run a clinical trial to to tease out the impact of these multiple industrial processes and the addition of ingredients not typically found in home cooking. The trial involved 55 people each given eight weeks trying two diets matched exactly for levels of fat, saturated fat, protein, carbohydrates, salt and fibre. The only difference was that one diet was made up of only UPFs, and the second a diet included only minimally processed foods such as porridge oats and home cooked spaghetti bolognese. Participants lost twice as much weight on the non-UPF diet - proving for the first time there is something going on in the processing. Professor van Tulleken, of University College London, said: "The global food system at the moment drives diet-related poor health and obesity, particularly because of the wide availability of cheap, unhealthy food. This study highlights the importance of ultra-processing in driving health outcomes in addition to the role of nutrients like fat, salt and sugar." Tracy Parker, nutrition lead at the British Heart Foundation, said: 'These findings support what we have long suspected – that the way food is made might affect our health, not just the nutrients it contains.' Chris van Tulleken's book Ultra-Processed People was adapted into a BBC Two documentary called Irresistible: Why We Can't Stop Eating. They explore the addictive nature of UPFs and their impact on our health and society. UPFs typically contain preservatives, emulsifiers, artificial colours and flavours which are used to enhance taste, texture and prolong shelf life. They are hard to avoid. Most supermarket sliced bread is a UPF as well as shop-bought sandwiches, wraps, pastries, instant noodles, crisps, some breakfast cereals and ice cream. The new trial ensured both UPF and non-UPF diet options met criteria using the NHS-backed Eatwell Guide, which outlines recommendations on how to eat a healthy, balanced diet. Despite this, after eight weeks on the non-UPF diet participants lost 2% of their body weight, compared to 1% after eight weeks on the only-UPFs diet. Scaled up over a year it suggests a 13% weight reduction in men and a 9% reduction in women on the minimally processed diet, but only a 4% weight reduction in men and 5% in women after the ultra-processed diet. Those on the trial were also asked to complete questionnaires on food cravings before and after starting the diets. Those eating minimally processed foods had less cravings and were able to resist them better. The UPF diet also did not result in significant fat loss. Tracy Parker, nutrition lead at the British Heart Foundation, added: 'Completely cutting UPFs out of our diets isn't realistic for most of us. But including more minimally processed foods – like fresh or home cooked meals – alongside a balanced diet could offer added benefits too. Mediterranean-style diets, which include plenty of minimally or unprocessed foods such as fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts and seeds, beans, lentils and whole grains, have consistently been shown to reduce our risk of heart attacks and strokes.' The Eatwell Guide recommends the average woman should consume around 2,000 calories a day, while an average man should consume 2,500. Participants were generally consuming more than this before they started the trial. Senior author Professor Rachel Batterham said: "The best advice to people would be to stick as closely to nutritional guidelines as they can by moderating overall energy intake, limiting intake of salt, sugar and saturated fat, and prioritising high-fibre foods such as fruits, vegetables, pulses and nuts. "Choosing less processed options such as whole foods and cooking from scratch, rather than ultra-processed, packaged foods or ready meals, is likely to offer additional benefits in terms of body weight, body composition and overall health." UPFs have artificial additives to boost flavour and shelf life including emulsifiers, sweeteners, stabilising gums, flavour compounds and colouring agents. These are typically not used in home cooking but can be cheaper in mass produced food than natural ingredients. The findings are published in Nature Medicine.
