Maternity services in Devon are being reduced, leaving pregnant women with difficult decisions about where to give birth. The cuts mean some women face long travel distances, raising fears that babies may be born before reaching a hospital. This highlights the wider strain on rural healthcare access in England.

New data show abortions are increasing in the U.S. even as many states adopt stricter restrictions. Experts attribute the trend to wider use of medication abortion, telehealth services, and travel across state lines. This underscores that tighter laws alone may not reduce the number of procedures.

A new analysis finds that obesity rates in England have doubled over the past three decades, now affecting a significantly larger share of the population. Experts attribute the rise to changes in diet, declining physical activity, and the wider food environment. The trend highlights growing public health challenges and increasing pressure on healthcare services.

Researchers have developed a vaccine targeting a major cause of deadly diarrheal disease, a leading killer of children in low-income regions. If successful, it could dramatically reduce child mortality and improve public health outcomes worldwide.

Scientists have created the first viruses designed entirely using artificial intelligence, raising new safety and biosecurity questions. The breakthrough shows AI's power to accelerate biological research, but experts warn it could also lower the barrier for creating dangerous pathogens. This marks a turning point in how viruses are engineered, with implications for both medicine and global security.

Health officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo say the Ebola virus behind the current massive outbreak may be mutating. The potential changes could affect how the virus spreads and how existing treatments and vaccines perform. This raises concerns about controlling the epidemic and protecting affected communities.

Cambodia has become the first country in Asia to achieve the UNAIDS 95-95-95 HIV targets, meaning 95% of people living with HIV know their status, receive treatment, and have suppressed viral loads. The milestone demonstrates that reaching epidemic control is feasible in low- and middle-income settings, offering a blueprint for neighboring countries.

The article examines how deeply ingrained prejudice in healthcare causes fatal harm to people with addiction. Patients face dismissive treatment, undertreated pain, and substandard care, leading to preventable deaths. It highlights systemic failures in addiction medicine and the urgent need to address stigma in medical training.

The Guardian reports a growing number of children are vaping spice, a synthetic cannabinoid known as the "prison drug," due to its cheap availability and misleading packaging. Health experts warn the drug can trigger severe psychotic episodes, cardiac arrest, and other life-threatening effects. This trend highlights a widening gap in drug prevention and mental health support for young people.