insert_link Health / Medical WHO calls for urgent regulation of e-cigarettes The World Health Organisation has issued a call against the alarming rise in e-cigarette use, especially in young children and teenagers. The WHO warns against the tobacco industry’s interest in promoting e-cigarettes as harm-reduction tools while profiting from the sale of both traditional and electronic cigarettes. todayJanuary 17, 2024 11
insert_link Health / Medical Kush: what is this dangerous new west African drug that supposedly contains human bones? DeanP/Shutterstock Michael Cole, Anglia Ruskin University A new drug called kush is wreaking havoc in west Africa, particularly in Sierra Leone where it is estimated to kill around a dozen people each week and hospitalise thousands. The drug, taken mostly by men aged 18 to 25, causes people to fall asleep while walking, to fall over, to bang their heads against hard surfaces and to walk into moving traffic. Kush […] todayJanuary 17, 2024 18
insert_link Health / Medical Artificial wombs could someday be a reality – here’s how they may change our notions of parenthood Artificial womb technology could eventually make it possible to grow a foetus from conception to “birth” wholly outside the human body. Marko Aliaksandr/ Shutterstock Stephen Wilkinson, Lancaster University; Nicola J. Williams, Lancaster University, and Sara Fovargue, University of Sheffield Our reproductive lives are considerably different from those of our ancestors, thanks in part to health innovations that have taken place over the past few decades. Practices such as IVF, donor […] todayJanuary 17, 2024 9
insert_link Africa Cabo Verde’s malaria victory is a blueprint for Africa By Bonface Orucho, via bird story agency Cabo Verde has achieved a significant milestone in the battle against malaria, securing malaria-free certification from the World Health Organization (WHO). In news released on Friday, January 12, WHO explained that indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes across the archipelago of 10 islands has been halted nationwide for the past three consecutive years. The country's certification is the fourth on the continent, […] todayJanuary 17, 2024 34
insert_link Health / Medical Dangerous chemicals found in recycled plastics, making them unsafe for use – experts explain the hazards By Bethanie Carney Almroth, University of Gothenburg and Eric Carmona Martinez, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ Plastic pollution is a menace worldwide. Plastics are now found in every environment on the planet, from the deepest seas to the atmosphere and human bodies. Scientific evidence describing harm to the environment and humans is growing. Hence, the United Nations has resolved to negotiate a legally binding instrument to end plastic pollution. […] todayJanuary 17, 2024 11
insert_link Africa Zambia records worst cholera outbreak The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has requested emergency funds worth 4.6 million dollars to address Zambia’s worst cholera outbreak in recent years. 351 People have died and nearly 9,000 active cases have been registered. todayJanuary 16, 2024 24
insert_link Health / Medical Global health risk from Coronavirus remains high The World Health Organisation warned on Friday that the global public health risks from COVID-19 remain high. While the virus continues to circulate worldwide, only a few countries are closely monitoring infections, according to the WHO’s Dr. Maria Van Kerkhove. todayJanuary 15, 2024 16
insert_link Health / Medical January marks cervical cancer awareness month January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. It's the fourth most common cancer in women globally and the second most common in Namibia. Cervical cancer affects women between 15 and 45, but it can be prevented. About 604,000 women worldwide got diagnosed with cervical cancer, and around 342,000 lost their lives to the disease in 2020. Here is the CEO of the Cancer Society of Namibia Rolf Hansen. todayJanuary 15, 2024 64
insert_link Africa Cape Verde becomes third African country to eliminate malaria Cape Verde has become the third African nation to be declared malaria free, even as the disease continues to kill hundreds of thousands of people on the continent, the World Health Organization said Friday. The Atlantic archipelago of about 500,000 inhabitants follows Mauritius in 1973 and Algeria in 2019. Worldwide some 43 countries have been certified as malaria-free by the WHO, which requires showing that the domestic chain of transmission […] todayJanuary 12, 2024 17
