https://feeds.thelocal.com/ Read the latest news and views from Switzerland in English en-us news@thelocal.com (TheLocal) webmaster@thelocal.com (TheLocal) TheLocal RSS Feed Two cases of the tropical virus Zika hitting Brazil and other South American countries have surfaced in Switzerland, federal health authorities say. https://www.thelocal.ch/20160126/two-zika-virus-cases-reported-in-switzerland Tue, 26 Jan 2016 23:00:10 +0100 two-zika-virus-cases-reported-in-switzerland The MERS outbreak in South Korea is a "wakeup call", the Geneva-based World Health Organization said on Wednesday as it urged all countries to be more vigilant. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150617/mers-deaths-in-south-korea-a-wakeup-call Wed, 17 Jun 2015 13:30:11 +0200 mers-deaths-in-south-korea-a-wakeup-call The World Health Organization on Wednesday urged a dramatic drop in the consumption of sugar, "hidden" in everything from sodas and ketchup, as it steps up the fight against obesity. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150304/who-catches-on-to-ketchup-and-hidden-sugar Wed, 04 Mar 2015 17:06:53 +0100 who-catches-on-to-ketchup-and-hidden-sugar A Swiss tourist died of swine flu on Thursday while visiting India, a local health official said, as the country grapples with an outbreak that has killed more than 400 people since the start of 2015. https://www.thelocal.ch/20150212/swiss-tourist-dies-of-swine-flu-in-india Thu, 12 Feb 2015 16:11:00 +0100 swiss-tourist-dies-of-swine-flu-in-india Diseases linked to lifestyle choices, including diabetes and some cancers, kill 16 million people prematurely each year, the World Health Organization said on Monday, urging action to stop the "slow-moving public health disaster". https://www.thelocal.ch/20150119/lifestyle-diseases-kill-16-million-a-year-who Mon, 19 Jan 2015 12:36:05 +0100 lifestyle-diseases-kill-16-million-a-year-who Conflict-torn Ukraine is facing a health emergency, with no stocks of any vaccines and dire shortages of many medicines, the Geneva-based World Health Organization warns. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140910/who-warns-of-ukraines-immense-health-needs Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:19:00 +0200 who-warns-of-ukraines-immense-health-needs A panel of medical experts has determined it is ethical to provide experimental treatments to patients infected with the deadly Ebola virus, the Geneva-based World Health Organization said Tuesday as the global death toll topped 1,000. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140812/ebola Tue, 12 Aug 2014 13:33:00 +0200 ebola The Geneva-based World Health Organization warned on Monday that polio has reemerged as a public health emergency, after new cases of the crippling disease began surfacing and spreading across borders from countries like Syria and Pakistan. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140505/who-sounds-warning-over-polio-outbreak Mon, 05 May 2014 19:31:00 +0200 who-sounds-warning-over-polio-outbreak The Geneva-based World Health Organization (WHO) hit back on Wednesday against vaccine deniers who claim that immunization is pointless, risky and that the body is better off fighting disease unaided. https://www.thelocal.ch/20140423/un-health-agency-hits-back-at-vaccine-opponents Wed, 23 Apr 2014 17:23:00 +0200 un-health-agency-hits-back-at-vaccine-opponents Swiss children are consuming too much fast food and soft drinks and getting too little exercise, says a parenting expert who notes that one in five kids in Switzerland are overweight. https://www.thelocal.ch/20131014/swiss-tackle-growing-child-obesity-problem Mon, 14 Oct 2013 13:16:00 +0200 swiss-tackle-growing-child-obesity-problem The Geneva-based World Health Organization and campaigners launched a drive on Friday to try to wipe out mercury in medical thermometers, a day after nations signed a UN treaty to control the toxic liquid metal. https://www.thelocal.ch/20131011/who-campaigns-against-mercury-thermometers Fri, 11 Oct 2013 13:44:00 +0200 who-campaigns-against-mercury-thermometers Alarmed at expanding waistlines around the world, the UN's Geneva-based health agency has urged countries to get serious about reining in a ballooning obesity crisis, proposing an action plan that includes taxing unhealthy snacks and rules against marketing junk food to children. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130529/who-calls-for-junk-food-taxes-to-beat-obesity Wed, 29 May 2013 13:36:16 +0200 who-calls-for-junk-food-taxes-to-beat-obesity The global number of measles deaths dropped by 71 percent between 2000 and 2011 largely thanks to a boost in vaccination efforts, the Geneva-based World Health Organisation says. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130117/vaccinations-slash-measles-rates-who-says Thu, 17 Jan 2013 20:38:19 +0100 vaccinations-slash-measles-rates-who-says The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that it had charted progress in the fight against tropical diseases but warned that dengue fever was spreading at an alarming rate. https://www.thelocal.ch/20130116/deadly-dengue-fever-spreading-fast-who-warns Wed, 16 Jan 2013 23:50:30 +0100 deadly-dengue-fever-spreading-fast-who-warns