Maldives: Comprehensive smoking ban passed
A ban on smoking in public places and workplaces was recently signed into law by President Mohamed Nasheed after being ratified by the parliament...
Australia: Risk of diabetes in indigenous populations
Throughout a lifetime, one in two Aboriginal Australian men and one in three Aboriginal Australian women will have developed diabetes...
Global: Women targeted by tobacco in developing countries
Women in developing countries are increasingly being targeted by the tobacco industry, and in a style reminiscent of the tobacco industry's approach towards developed nations...
Canada: Smokers monopolize hospital beds
Smokers take up one third of hospital beds in Quebec, according to the Quebec Coalition for Tobacco Control...
Australia: Chronic disease mortality decreasing in indigenous populations
Data has long shown indigenous Australians, often living in remote areas, to have higher mortality and chronic disease rates...
India: Socio-economic status linked to child nutrition
Poverty is strongly correlated with mal-nutrition among children in India, according to a recent study...
US: Over 70 million obese
Around 72 million people in the US are obese (26.7% of the total population), according to new research from the CDC, a 1.1% increase from 2007...
China: Redefining urban, rural areas
In an attempt to better classify regions of China for health purposes, researchers have abandoned the typical population-focused definition of an urban area for a more nuanced "urbanicity scale"...
Nepal: Kathmandu to do away with tobacco, alcohol billboards
Kathmandu plans to remove tobacco and alcohol billboards throughout more populated public and private areas...
Sub-Saharan Africa: Scientific output needed
Scientific advancement, as measured by patents and publications, is low among countries in sub-Saharan Africa, according to a new study...
Congo: Estimating diabetes prevalence is feasible
Estimating the prevalence of diabetes and intermediate hyperglycemia is possible using a large-scale population-based survey, according to new research...
Japan: McDonald's to ban smoking in restaurants
McDonald's, Japan's largest restaurant chain, will phase out smoking in its 3500 locations in the country...
Jamaica: CVD high in diabetic female hospital patients
Almost 60% of female patients with diabetes are more likely to have CVD problems in hospital admissions...
Iran: Smoking among dental school students
A study revealed 23% of Iranian dental school students are smokers...
India: Rising CVD epidemic
Cardiovascular disease is the number one cause of death in India, and is higher than the number of deaths attributed to infectious diseases...
Seychelles: Socioeconomic status influences perception of weight
A study in sub-Saharan Africa found that appropriately perceiving one's weight as too high is associated with different socioeconomic status indicators...
China: Conflict of interest in the fight against tobacco
The State Tobacco Monopoly Administration, which sets tobacco policy and enforces rules, is the same federal agency that controls the world's largest cigarette maker, China National Tobacco Corp...
Canada: Strategy to lower sodium intake by 2016
The Sodium Working Group recently published a report on sodium reduction strategy with 27 recommendations including reducing the Nutrition Facts table's 'daily value' for sodium from 2400mg to 1500mg sodium...
Eastern Europe: Increase knowledge to decrease smoking
A 2009 study found that specific knowledge about health dangers of smoking fosters support for indoor smoking bans...
India: Trends in residential tobacco use
The results of a 2002-2003 study indicate that tobacco use is significantly associated with the site of residence in northern communities...
