Record number of cholera outbreaks, plus other health news you need to read this week

The highest ever number of cholera outbreaks have been recorded worldwide, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The disease threatens the health of millions and risks overwhelming fragile health systems, the New York Times reports.

Cholera is an extremely virulent disease, spread through dirty water, that can cause severe diarrhoea which often proves fatal in children. Flooding caused by climate change and displacement due to war have contributed to the surge in case numbers. Outbreaks have been reported in the Caribbean, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia, the New York Times adds.

Demand for vaccinations has rapidly increased, resulting in the WHO suspending the recommended two-dose vaccination regimen and switching to a single dose plan.

“The situation is very concerning, very worrying,” Dr Philippe Barboza, who leads the WHO’s cholera response, told the New York Times. “We have had to worry about war and poverty and population movements, and that has not changed. But now we have climate change on top of that.” He called the cholera outbreaks “a fire that is just going to keep getting bigger”.

New coronavirus cases surged in Guangzhou and other Chinese cities this week, official data showed, with the global manufacturing hub becoming China's latest COVID-19 epicentre and testing the city's ability to avoid a Shanghai-style lockdown, Reuters reports.

Nationwide, new locally transmitted infections climbed to 7,475 on 7 November, the highest since 1 May, according to China's health authority. Guangzhou accounted for nearly a third of the new infections.

The sharp rebound will test China's ability to keep its COVID measures surgical and targeted, and could dampen investors' hopes that the world's second-largest economy could ease curbs and restrictions soon, Reuters adds.

"We are seeing a game between rising voices for loosening controls and rapid spreading of COVID cases," Nie Wen, a Shanghai-based economist at Hwabao Trust, told Reuters.

Health must be placed front and centre in COP27 climate change negotiations, the WHO has warned. “Climate change is making millions of people sick or more vulnerable to disease all over the world and the increasing destructiveness of extreme weather events disproportionately affects poor and marginalized communities,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

Around 100 countries where monkeypox is not endemic have reported outbreaks of the viral disease, which the WHO has declared a global health emergency. Confirmed cases have now reached 78,627 and non-endemic countries reported their first related deaths, Reuters reports.

A panel of the US Food and Drug Administration’s Medical Devices Advisory Committee has met to review clinical data about the accuracy of pulse oximetry in patients with darker skin, according to CNN. The panel will discuss whether the devices should have labels, indicating that inaccurate readings may be associated with skin colour.

Swiss-based chocolate giant Barry Callebaut has launched a "second generation" chocolate that will use around 50% less sugar than traditional chocolate thanks to a new way of cultivating, fermenting and roasting cocoa beans that reduces their bitter taste. The product, which will also uses about 60-80% more cocoa, is likely to appeal to more health-conscious consumers and get ahead of laws expected to limit sugar consumption in the future, Reuters reports.

Everyday encounters with birds boosts the mood of people with depression, as well as the wider population, according to a new study led by academics from King’s College London. The researchers said the findings suggested that visits to places with a wealth of birdlife, such as parks and canals, could be prescribed by doctors to treat mental health conditions.

In China, the private and public sectors are collaborating to improve food production and efficiencies to ensure food security. Here's how China maintained domestic food stability amid global food crises.

A study has shown eating more fermented foods and fibre daily has a significant effect on lowering stress levels, which helps to improve mental health.

Rapid climate change has a direct impact on human health, but many healthcare systems have not yet committed to net zero. Here are 3 ways healthcare systems can reduce their carbon footprint.