public health

Around 840 million women worldwide — nearly one in three — have been victims of physical, psychological or sexual violence by their partner or have suffered sexual violence outside of their relationship, a figure that has barely changed since 2000. This is one of the conclusions of a report led by the World Health Organisation (WHO) that analyses data from 168 countries between 2000 and 2023. For the first time, the study includes estimates of sexual violence outside of intimate relationships: 263 million women have suffered this type of assault since the age of 15, a figure that, according to experts, is well below the actual number.

Three articles with Spanish participation, published in The Lancet, review the evidence that ultra-processed foods are worsening diet quality and displacing the consumption of fresh and minimally processed foods. Furthermore, they warn that their consumption is linked to a higher risk of multiple chronic diseases. According to the authors, who also review the associated policies and commercial factors, only a coordinated global response can combat the strategy of the companies that market these products.

Around 5,800 deaths per year in Spain between 2012 and 2021 can be attributed to heat—twice as many as during the 1990s—according to a report published in The Lancet. In addition, of the deaths that occurred during 2022, around 22,000 can be attributed to air pollution, the publication adds. The Countdown report describes the impact of climate change on global health with more than 50 indicators reviewed by scientists. In the period 2020-2024, 61% of Spanish territory experienced at least one month of extreme drought per year; this figure is six times higher than the average for the period 1951-1960.

According to the Global Burden of Disease study, and despite deep inequalities between countries, global life expectancy in 2023 was more than 20 years higher than in 1950. However, deaths among young people increased in some regions such as North America, Latin America—due mainly to suicide and drug use—and sub-Saharan Africa—mainly due to infectious diseases and injuries. Researchers also estimate that almost half of all deaths and disabilities could be prevented by modifying some of the main risk factors. The results are published in The Lancet and will be presented at the World Health Summit, being held in Berlin, Germany, from October 12 to 14.

More than 54,600 children under the age of five in Gaza are in need of medical care for acute malnutrition, according to estimates from a study published in The Lancet, which shows that the prevalence of malnutrition decreases during a ceasefire and increases during Israeli blockades of access to food, water, or medicine. For example, after four months of severe aid restrictions—between September 2024 and January 2025—malnutrition increased from 8.8% to 14.3%, with a higher incidence in Rafah and among children between 24 and 59 months of age. The study, conducted by UNRWA, is based on data from more than 219,000 children between the ages of six and 59 months from various locations in the Gaza Strip, collected between January 2024 and August 2025.

An article published in Nature Medicine outlines the new framework for pharmacologically treating obesity and its complications established by the European Association for the Study of Obesity (EASO). The new guidelines establish semaglutide and tirzepatide as first-line treatment for this disease and most associated conditions. The team of authors, with Spanish participation, reviewed the scientific evidence on the effects of drugs on total weight loss and its complications and designed an algorithm to help medical personnel guide treatment, taking into account each patient's medical history and the action profiles of available medications.

Through surveys of 78 healthcare workers in Gaza between August 2024 and February 2025, an international team has documented patterns of injuries among the civilian population during Israel's ongoing invasion. The most common traumatic injuries were burns, followed by injuries to the lower and upper limbs. Explosion damage accounted for most of the weapon-related trauma, which particularly affected the head, while gunshot wounds were mainly located in the lower limbs. The study is published in The BMJ.

A study has estimated that there were more than 62,700 heat-related deaths in Europe between 1 June and 30 September 2024. This figure was 24% higher than that recorded in the summer of 2023, when more than 50,700 people died from heat, although 8.1% lower than in 2022, when more than 67,800 people died from this cause. By country, Spain had the second highest estimated mortality in the summer of 2024, with more than 6,700 deaths. The study, published in Nature Medicine and led by ISGlobal, proposes a new early warning system that can predict heat-related health emergencies at least one week in advance.

A new school year has begun, and pollution, which exceeds recommended limits in many urban centres, will once again affect children and their families. What consequences could this have on health? How does climate change affect it? What solutions can be implemented? SMC Spain organised an informative session with Julio Díaz and Cristina Linares to answer these questions.

Premature deaths due to smoke pollution from wildfires will multiply to reach nearly 1.5 million deaths per year by the end of the century, according to a study published in Nature. The authors estimate that the increase will be much greater in Africa (11 times more deaths in 2095-2099 than in 2010-2014) than in Europe and the US (up to twice as many). Another study published in the same journal estimates that, under a high CO₂ emissions scenario, there will be more than 70,000 additional deaths per year from fires in the United States by 2050.