Seven genuinely incredible things that happened in 2022 you may have missed

With stories of death, war, violence, and crime some people find it too overwhelming to read through the daily news.

Avoiding negative news may be good for mental well-being but it also means people miss out on the good news too.

Looking back at 2022 we decided to highlight seven amazing news stories from this year that you may have missed.

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1. Cancer death rates continue to fall in the US, Europe, Canada, and Japan

Thanks to advancements in medical technology, early detection, and treatments, people are surviving diagnoses. Rwanda is also on track to become the first country to eliminate cervical cancer by developing a successful HPV vaccination and cervical cancer testing programme.

2. A new Alzheimer’s drug is showing signs of hope for patients

Lecanemab is a new experimental drug that has shown to significantly improve memory decline in patients diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Of the 1,800 people with early stages of Alzheimer's, those on lecanemab had a 27 per cent less decline in memory or thinking.

Getty Images

3. Some animals made strides in population growth

Several animal populations continued to grow in 2022, giving hope to scientists. Survey data from across Africa shows the giraffe population is 20 per cent higher than it was thought to be in 2015. Wild tiger numbers also turned out to be 40 per cent higher worldwide than previously thought. Cheetahs were reintroduced to India after more than 60 years and rhinos returned to Mozambique after 40 years. Several countries

4. Abortion rights strengthened in countries

Colombia and San Marino decriminalised abortion in 2022. India’s Supreme Court upheld the right for unmarried women to choose. France’s National Assembly passed a bill preserving the right to choose. Finland is expected to make abortions legal and free by 2023 as well.

Abortion rights activists celebrate decriminalisation in ColombiaGetty Images

5. Equal pay for men’s and women’s football teams

The U.S. Soccer Federation announced they were “100% committed” to equal pay for both the men’s and women’s national football teams. The decision came after US women’s football players called on the US Soccer Federation to make pay equal.

6. Parts of the universe are seen for the first time

The James Webb telescope captured images of unseen galaxies and corners of the universe previously hidden from astronomers. The first full-color images captivated people’s attention earlier this year with incredible detail.

NASA revealed highly detailed photos of the universe from the James Webb Space Telescope NASA / James Webb Space Telescope

7. Global deforestation recovery improved

Nepal, India, and Scotland reported notable recoveries in the fight against deforestation. The election of president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva in Brazil also may be a turnaround for the Amazon rainforest.

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