Science Media Centre

Exactly a year ago, on 23 March 2014, the World Health Organisation (WHO) confirmed that there was a rapidly evolving outbreak of Ebola in Guinea. Today, although the majority of cases are being brought under control, the disease is still affecting West African communities. Other countries are also continuing to take extra precautions in diagnosing and […]

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a report looking at electronic cigarettes and how they should be globally regulated. The report recommended restrictions should be placed on the marketing of the devices, their sale to minors and indoor use. In addition, it points out that there is evidence showing that e-cigarette aerosol is not merely “water […]

A comprehensive review of research examining the link between sugar intake and weight has confirmed that the sweet stuff plays a role in weight gain and loss. University of Otago researchers, commissioned by the World Health Organisation, under took an analysis of data from human studies looking specifically at the effects of sugar on body […]

This week the World Health Organisation (WHO) released a global survey of urban air quality, but the figures for New Zealand have caused more than a bit of confusion. The survey collected PM10 values from official sources in over 1000 cities from around the globe. PM10 values are a measure of air pollution, standing for […]

Writer Kate Fraser investigates the health effects of salt and what we are doing to mitigate them. An excerpt (from the Press, read in full here): How much salt is too much? The anti-smoking lobby has a pointer or two when it comes to cutting down on salt, writes Kate Fraser . Every other day […]