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MercoPress, en Español

Montevideo, May 2nd 2026 - 06:30 UTC

Health & Science

  • Thursday, October 24th 2024 - 10:22 UTC

    World Bank endorses Brazil taxing health-harming products

    “Brazil has a valuable opportunity to improve public health and economic outcomes through strategic taxation,” the WB said

    According to a statement released Wednesday by he World Bank (WB), South America's largest country has “a unique opportunity” to improve public health by properly planning taxes on products such as tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks that are known to be potentially harming to humans, Agencia Brasil reported. The organization also listed a series of technical recommendations on how to structure and apply these taxes “in order to make significant progress in public health and tax revenue.”

  • Monday, October 21st 2024 - 08:28 UTC

    WHO: 2,2 billion people worldwide with vision impairment or blindness

    The report found that ageing populations, changing lifestyles and limited access to eye care, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, are among the main drivers.

    The World Health Organization in its latest report has said that at least 2.2 billion people worldwide have vision impairment or blindness, of which over 1 billion cases could have been prevented or have yet to be addressed. This is because they do not get the care they need for conditions like short and far-sightedness, glaucoma, and cataracts.

  • Friday, October 18th 2024 - 09:18 UTC

    Avian influenza in Falklands, access restrictions at Volunteer Point, Cow Bay and Lively Island

    As of Tuesday October 15 there were around 20 to 50 dead birds at each location

    The Director of the Falklands Natural Resources Department, Dr. Andrea Clausen has given an update on avian influenza cases registered at Volunteer Point, Cow Bay and Lively Island.

  • Thursday, October 17th 2024 - 10:04 UTC

    Federal Police in Rio launches probe into HIV-infected organ transplants

    Minister Trindade ruled that HIV-infected patients and their contacts should receive full support and specialized care

    Brazilian Federal Police in Rio de Janeiro launched an inquiry into the case of six patients receiving HIV-infected organs for transplants, Agência Brasil reported Wednesday. Other institutions already investigating the matter include Rio's Civil Police, the Health Ministry, and the Health Department.

  • Wednesday, October 16th 2024 - 21:49 UTC

    Oropouche virus detected in Brazil could belong to new variant

    Italian researchers do not rule out Oropouche transmission during sexual intercourse

    Brazilian scientists said this week that the samples of the Oropouche virus recently detected in South America's largest country could belong to a new variant. According to the latest study on the subject published in The Lancet, the recent increase in cases “could be linked to a new recombinant Oropouche virus, with an increased capacity to replicate.” These findings would be in line with a similar work published last month in Nature.

  • Wednesday, October 16th 2024 - 08:18 UTC

    Falklands Waters, UK Hydrographic starts seabed mapping surveys in November

    With the expected increase in expedition cruises within the waters around the Falklands, it is important that safe passage is achieved to the sites visited

    In November, the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) will conduct seabed mapping surveys of the Falkland Islands coastal waters to support safe maritime trade and the development of a sustainable blue economy.

  • Tuesday, October 15th 2024 - 23:10 UTC

    Falklands confirms case of avian influenza at Volunteer Green and Cow Bay

    Volunteer Point, one of the attractions of the Falklands with several kinds of penguins, including King, Magellan and Gentoo which mingle naturally with sheep

    The Government of the Falkland Islands confirmed that on Thursday 10 October 2024 swabs that were taken from dead penguins at Volunteer Point, which returned a positive result for HPAI.

  • Tuesday, October 15th 2024 - 20:37 UTC

    New coronavirus strain detected in southern Brazil

    Scientists believe that XEC might have emerged through genetic recombination between previously circulating strains

    The Rio de Janeiro-based Oswaldo Cruz Foundation (Fiocruz) confirmed the presence in the southern part of the continent's largest country of a sublineage of the Sars-CoV-2 Omicron strain known as XEC, which is rapidly spreading worldwide, Agencia Brasil reported. The variant has been found in the States of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Santa Catarina after Fiocruz made the first discovery in samples from two patients in Rio last month.

  • Saturday, October 12th 2024 - 11:20 UTC

    Premier of the discovery of the “Endurance” at the London Film Festival

    The 2022 expedition that made the discovery at the bottom of the Antarctic continent at a depth of almost 3,000 meters was supported by the Falkland Islands Heritage Fund

    This Saturday, October 12, a documentary film about the discovery of the ship “Endurance” by the great Antarctic explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton will be presented at the London Film Festival.

  • Thursday, October 10th 2024 - 07:54 UTC

    Falklands, Update on avian influenza

    Set of swabs pending on results

    Since Monday 1 July 2024, three suspect birds/animals have been reported, 2 sets of swabs have been taken. One set returned positive results and 1 set of negative results. There are 3 sets of swabs pending.