Vaccines, Dementia & Food: The Week's Top Healthcare Stories

1. The Toxic, Food-Borne Chemicals Costing Healthcare Trillions

A report from Systemiq reveals that phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides and PFAs in food systems lead to up to US$2.2tn in public health costs every year

A report from Systemiq has revealed that four groups of toxic chemicals embedded deep in the global food system may be wreaking havoc on public health.

The study, titled "Invisible Ingredients", says that phthalates, bisphenols, pesticides and PFAs are contributing to epidemics of preventable disease, fertility loss and environmental damage the world over.

Systemiq finds that these four groups of chemicals are rife in food networks, with action too infrequently taken to prevent contamination.

All in all, the report estimates that these toxic substances put an unnecessary strain of between US$1.4tn and US$2.2tn on public health systems each year.

That is roughly 2-3% of global GDP in avoidable costs.

Sian Sutherland, Co-Founder of A Plastic Planet and the Plastic Health Council, argues that the findings expose some systemic problems with global governance in the public and private spheres.

"The findings reveal a global failure of governance," she says. "We are effectively living in a chemical Wild West, where substances are unleashed into our food system long before anyone proves they're safe."

2. Stanford: A Shingles Vaccine Could Cut Dementia Risk by 20%

Research from Stanford Medicine shows that shingles vaccines could reduce dementia diagnoses by 20% and may slow disease progression in existing patients

A shingles vaccine could reduce the risk of dementia by 20%, according to new research from Stanford Medicine.

The study, first published in April 2025 in Nature, analysed health records from more than 280,000 older adults in Wales and found that those who received the live-attenuated shingles vaccine were 20% less likely to develop dementia over the following seven years than those who did not receive it.

A follow-up study published in December 2025 in Cell suggests the vaccine may also slow disease progression in people already living with dementia, with vaccinated patients showing a significantly lower risk of dying from the disease.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The study shows some evidence of a link between viral infections and cognitive decline.

Beginning in September 2013, Wales made the shingles vaccine available only to people who were exactly 79 years old on that date, with eligibility lasting for one year.

By 2020, when participants were aged 86 and 87, one in eight had been diagnosed with dementia.

The study says that those who received the vaccine were 20% less likely to have developed the condition.

"It was a really striking finding," says Pascal. "This huge protective signal was there, any which way you looked at the data."

3. How Eli Lilly is Tackling Health Literacy and Sustainability

Pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company is working to improve global health literacy and patient affordability while pursuing ambitious green targets

Health literacy, defined as the ability to access and comprehend healthcare information, is fundamental to ensuring patients receive appropriate treatment.

However, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Research, nearly half of the population struggles to understand health information, highlighting a critical gap in the delivery of  healthcare around the world.

Pharmaceutical companies like Eli Lilly and Company are actively addressing this challenge, working to enhance global health literacy and make healthcare more accessible across all education levels and ethnic groups.

The company states its purpose centres on making life better, which extends to protecting and preserving the natural environment.

According to its latest sustainability report, Eli Lilly and Company has established measurable targets to monitor its sustainability strategy progress.

These objectives include achieving carbon neutrality in its own operations by 2030 and improving its full value chain emissions reporting.

It also aims to source 100% of purchased electricity from renewable sources by 2030.

4. Nestlé Joins Coalition to Address Women's Healthcare Gap

Nestlé joins a new UN coalition to advance reproductive rights and strengthen support for women & girls, aiming to improve health equality in the workplace

Women spend a greater proportion of their lives in poor health, with the World Economic Forum stating they live 25% more of their lives in ill health compared to men.

Addressing this disparity is a focus for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN's sexual and reproductive health agency, which works to improve women's health and related rights.

The UNFPA's work is guided by three primary objectives: achieving zero unmet need for family planning, zero preventable maternal deaths, and zero gender-based violence and harmful practices.

To extend this mission into the corporate world, the UNFPA and its partners have established The Coalition for Reproductive Justice in Business (CRJB).

The coalition's purpose is to integrate the reproductive-health agenda into corporate strategy, helping to ensure businesses provide adequate maternal-health support, access to family planning information, and a response to gender-based violence.

5. How Amgen Combines Life-Saving Biotech & Sustainability

Amgen is tackling its water use, emissions and waste through innovative design, development and manufacturing of medicines

The pharmaceutical industry faces mounting challenges from climate change, with rising temperatures threatening drug integrity during transportation, severe weather events disrupting critical infrastructure and supply chains experiencing unprecedented pressure.

Amgen, a global biotechnology leader, is working to address these sustainability challenges while continuing to deliver medicines to millions of patients worldwide.

In the company's 2024 Sustainability Report, Robert Bradway, Chairman and CEO, says: "At Amgen, our mission is to serve patients.

"Every day, our talented people around the world show their dedication to our mission by discovering, developing, manufacturing and delivering innovative medicines that can make a big difference against the world's most serious and prevalent diseases.

"Guided by our values, we seek to achieve responsible and sustainable growth that benefits patients, shareholders, customers, employees and suppliers."