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China's stricter air quality standards can avert over 200,000 deaths

China introduced a 35 µg m⁻³ annual PM₂.₅ limit in 2012 and later cut population-weighted exposure from 62.8 to 29.7 µg m⁻³ between 2013 and 2024 through clean air actions.

6 Nov 2026

Southern Europe eats closest to the planetary diet, so why is diabetes so high?

Researchers comparing temperature trends, food supplies, and diabetes prevalence across Europe found that Southern Europe had the closest alignment with Planetary Health Diet recommendations, yet also recorded the highest and fastest-rising diabetes prevalence. The exploratory study found inconsistent relationships between warming, dietary composition, and diabetes across regions, suggesting that multiple environmental, lifestyle, and demographic factors warrant further investigation.

5 Nov 2026

Cold showers improve personal health while reducing carbon emissions

How can we encourage people to adopt more environmentally friendly habits? To explore this question, a psychologist at the University of Basel asked participants in a study to take cold showers. Those who stuck with the routine experienced several benefits.

30 Oct 2026

Review highlights indoor greenery’s benefits and evidence gaps

Indoor plants and green walls can reduce certain air pollutants by around 10-30 per cent, while some indoor greening systems could cut the energy needed to cool buildings in certain office zones by up to 27 per cent, according to an international review led by the University of Surrey.

29 Oct 2026

Amino acid restores power to last-resort antibiotics

Worldwide, antibiotic resistance is associated with millions of deaths every year, and the World Health Organization warns that the number of resistant infections is rising.

29 Oct 2026

Landmark studies map how genetic differences drive human diseases

In three landmark studies published in Nature today, Australian researchers have made major advances in our understanding of how genetic differences between people influence disease.

28 Oct 2026

Climate change intensifies global health risks, Lancet Countdown report warns

The 2026 Report of the Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change finds that many of the health risks and harms of climate change grew faster in the decade since the Paris Agreement was introduced (2016–2025) than in the decade before it (2006–2015).

27 Oct 2026

Wildfire prevention power shutoffs linked to increased risk of acute respiratory illness

The prevalence of wildfires and co-occurring power outages is increasing in the United States. A study published October 27th in PLOS Medicine by Lauren Blair Wilner, University of Washington, USA, and colleagues suggests public safety power shutoffs aimed at preventing wildfires are associated with an increased risk of acute respiratory illness.

27 Oct 2026

More Americans now know alcohol increases future cancer risks

Nearly 6 in 10 Americans (58%) know that regularly consuming alcohol increases the chances of later developing cancer, according to a nationally representative survey in October by the Annenberg Public Policy Center (APPC), a statistically significant increase of five percentage points since February 2026.

27 Oct 2026

Rising heat and humidity increase pregnancy termination risks in Nigeria

New research led by the University of Michigan contains valuable insights for public health officials and communities in Nigeria as they navigate pregnancies through increasing heat and humidity.

26 Oct 2026

Reddit discussions could help improve public health messaging on heat

Two years ago, Robbie M. Parks, an environmental health scientist at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, and Nathaniel Matthews-Trigg, director of climate and disaster resilience at Americares, founded an online community on Reddit, r/heat_prep, where members share information and advice about coping with extreme temperatures.

24 Oct 2026

LGBTQ+ college students facing discrimination report higher mental health risks

LGBTQ+ college students who experience discrimination are significantly more likely to experience depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and avoid needed health care, according to a new national study by Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, Boston University School of Public Health and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

23 Oct 2026

Researchers call for coordinated action to protect European sleep health

A new paper from the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee and the Early Career Network of the European Sleep Research Society warns that sleep health is becoming a growing public health challenge across Europe and is calling for coordinated action to protect it.

21 Oct 2026

Hospitals can lower surgical emissions through greener anesthesia choices

Hospitals can sharply reduce the climate impact and cost of surgery without compromising patient safety by changing routine anesthesia practices, including reducing the use of high-emission anesthetic gases, suggests a new study presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2026 annual meeting.

19 Oct 2026

Residential greenery linked to lower dementia risk in older adults

Urban residents with more greenery within 100 meters of their homes have a lower risk of developing dementia over time.

19 Oct 2026

Scientists expand global climate scenarios to include public health

About a decade ago, a group of climate scientists described five scenarios for the future. Called the Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs), these scenarios suggest how socioeconomic development could evolve in worlds with differing challenges to climate adaptation and mitigation.

15 Oct 2026

Improving healthcare sustainability through carbon data

Healthcare sustainability data can identify emissions hotspots and improve operational decision-making across healthcare and life sciences.

From Nocomed 14 Oct 2026

Extended Medicaid coverage increases postpartum care for high-risk women

Extending Medicaid coverage to 12 months after childbirth increased postpartum health care utilization among women with pregnancy complications such as diabetes and hypertension, according to a new study at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health.

13 Oct 2026

Extreme heat threatens maternal health and newborn wellbeing worldwide

Extreme heat has led to a marked increase in the risks faced by pregnant women and their babies, according to a survey of 1,000 healthcare professionals in countries including Brazil, India and Zimbabwe.

11 Oct 2026

Real time molecular movie unlocks secrets of penicillin biosynthesis

Researchers from the University of Oxford and international collaborators have revealed previously unseen rapid chemical stages in the formation of β-lactam antibiotics like penicillin, offering insights that can support future antibiotic development.

9 Oct 2026