• Our most recent State of the Art Review looks at the evidence for the role of facemasks in the prevention of infection in both community and healthcare settings.

A stunning interactive infographic explains which facemask the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend for seasonal flu, pandemic influenza, coronavirus, tuberculosis, and Ebola.

• As the UK election campaign battles on, Gareth Iacobucci helps to myth bust the political point scoring with his new weekly column, Election Watch. This week, he explores the claims political parties have made about general practice services in the UK.

• Do you have a view on what should be the political priority for the UK NHS? We would like to hear from you. Rebecca Coombes explains how to get your point heard through the newly launched BMJ Voices campaign. Or have a listen to some podcasts already recorded, which aim to challenge our national policy makers.

• It is not just the UK facing tough decisions about healthcare, we are in a period of global austerity and Leena Menghaney, a lawyer working on public health law and policy in India, explains the effect of low government health spending levels (at just over 1% of gross domestic product (GDP), compared to the WHO recommendation of 5%) on India’s public health services for those with HIV.

Jayati Ghosh, professor of economics, also gives her personal view on the delay spending cuts will bring to universal access to healthcare in India.

Emma Parish, editorial registrar, The BMJ.

I have read and understood BMJ policy on declaration of interests and have no relevant interests to declare. I am a clinical fellow of the National Medical Director’s Clinical Fellow Scheme and paediatric trainee currently out of programme.