Protecting Children From Obesity; Social Media in the Spotlight

The IMSS deployed several measures in Sinaloa to protect the local population in the wake of Ovidio Guzmán’s arrest.  

In international news, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wrote recommendations to treat obesity in children and adolescents. Meanwhile, public schools in Seattle, the US, sued social media platforms, claiming that their educational mission has been hampered by them. 

This is The Week in Health!

IMSS Deploys Preventive Measures in Sinaloa After Guzmán’s Arrest

IMSS implemented preventive measures to protect affiliates and health professionals in Sinaloa after the turmoil generated following the arrest of Ovidio Guzmán. The institute aims to guarantee care to critical patients, keep offering medical emergency and surgical services and ensure the availability of medical supplies for medical emergencies. “In light of Culiacan’s scenario, the IMSS has taken preventive measures to protect personnel and affiliates. The attention to critical and surgical patients and that of medical emergencies is being guaranteed. Thanks to all the personnel that stayed to safeguard lives,” tweeted Zoé Robledo, Director General, IMSS. Read the complete story on MBN.

Biden Administration Extends Title 42 Policy

The US administration announced that it will extend the Title 42 policy, originally implemented in 2020 to reduce unlawful immigration to the US through the Mexican border due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Title 42 has been heavily criticized by health organizations, human right groups and immigrant advocates and it has even been referred to as a public health, border management and human rights fiasco. “CBP and Border Patrol officers continue to use Title 42 to expel migrants and asylum seekers in ways that increase their vulnerability to danger and violent crime in Mexico. Some Border Patrol agents have failed to provide medical attention to people with injuries, carried out Title 42 expulsions in the middle of the night, and expelled migrants and asylum seekers without their personal belongings,” said Humans Rights First. Learn more about this issue on MBN.

Health Experts Endorse Use of Weight-Loss Drugs in Children

In its “Clinical Practice Guideline for the Evaluation and Treatment of Children and Adolescents With Obesity,” the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) endorsed the use of weight-loss drugs to treat children and adolescents with overweight and obesity. These documents are the first guidelines published in over a decade covering the treatment of obesity, focusing on the genetic, physiologic, socioeconomic and environmental parts that play a critical role in the development of the disease. 

Obesity is a global public health issue. Mexico ranked fifth in obesity in 2022 and the country is expected to have 35 million more obese adults by the next decade. Learn more about this problem on MBN. 

Seattle Public Schools Sue Tech Giants for Youth Mental Health Crisis

Seattle’s public school district filed a lawsuit against Alphabet, Meta Platforms, Snap Inc and TikTok-owner ByteDance with the US District Court, claiming that the tech companies were responsible for a worsening mental health crisis among students, which affected the schools’ ability to carry out their educational mission. 

In Mexico, the highest incidence of social media use is observed among those between 16 and 24 years of age, according to the Federal Telecommunications Institute (IFT). These ages are crucial for emotional and psychosocial development. Read the complete article on MBN. 

New COVID-19 Restrictions Are “Extremely Disappointing:” IATA

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said it is “extremely disappointed” with the individual countries that introduced COVID-19 tests for passengers arriving from China, after the Asian country dropped its zero-COVID-19 policy. “Several countries are introducing COVID-19 testing and other measures for travelers from China, even though the virus is already circulating widely within their borders. It is extremely disappointing to see this knee-jerk reinstatement of measures that have proven ineffective over the last three years,” said Willie Walsh, Director General, IATA. Read the complete article on MBN.