insert_link Health / Medical New Zealand to repeal smoking ban for tax cuts New Zealand’s new government has announced it will scrap the nation’s world-leading smoking ban to help fund tax cuts. According to the BBC, the change has shocked health experts. The legislation, introduced under the previous Jacinda-Ardern-led government, planned to ban cigarette sales next year to anyone born after 2008. todayNovember 27, 2023 7
insert_link Health / Medical WHO says China health info shows no new or unusual germs The World Health Organization says there are no signs of unusual or new germs in China suggested in information supplied by Beijing. The W-H-O requested data after reports emerged of clusters of pneumonia in children, and a general rise in respiratory illnesses in China. Here's Andrew Wood in Hong Kong. todayNovember 24, 2023 8
insert_link Africa WHO says the arrival of malaria vaccines in Africa are a ‘breakthrough moment’ More than 330,000 doses of the World Health Organisation-recommended RTS,S malaria vaccine have arrived in Cameroon – a historic step towards broader vaccination against one of the deadliest diseases for African children. Dominika Mortimer reports on the development. todayNovember 23, 2023 10
insert_link Africa Patients’ beliefs about illness matter: the case of elephantiasis in rural Ghana Kristi Heather Kenyon, University of Winnipeg; Alexander Kwarteng, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST); Colleen McMillan, University of Waterloo; Mary Asirifi, MacEwan University, and Regiane Garcia, Simon Fraser University Would you take medication for an illness you didn’t believe you had? Or if you disagreed with healthcare workers about the cause of your condition? This is the dilemma of many people who live in areas of Ghana where […] todayNovember 23, 2023 6
insert_link Africa Malaria: two groundbreaking vaccines have been developed, but access and rollout are still big stumbling blocks By Rose Leke, Université de Yaounde 1 The approval of two malaria vaccines – the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine in 2021 and the R21/Matrix-MTM vaccine in 2023 – will help control, and eventually help eradicate, a disease that causes more than 600,000 deaths annually. Nearly 2 million children in Ghana, Kenya and Malawi have been vaccinated with the RTS,S/AS01 vaccine. It will be rolled out to more African countries from early next year. […] todayNovember 23, 2023 6
insert_link Health / Medical WHO asks China for info on rise in respiratory illnesses The World Health Organization is asking China for more information on a rise in respiratory illnesses, including reports of clusters of pneumonia in children. Here's Andrew Wood in Hong Kong. todayNovember 23, 2023 15
insert_link Environment Online search queries related to “climate anxiety” have increased Online search queries related to "climate anxiety" have risen, according to data gathered by Google. Studies also suggest that women are more affected by climate anxiety than men. The rise of wildfires, floods, and droughts around the world are just some of the highly visible signs of climate change. According to the BBC, what is reported less is the impact of climate change on human minds. Climate anxiety - defined […] todayNovember 22, 2023 8
insert_link Africa Uganda investigates unidentified illness Ugandan health authorities are investigating an unidentified disease outbreak that has killed at least 12 people in a span of two weeks in Kyotera district in the central region. The BBC reports that affected patients had rashes on the skin which kept widening, before dying in a matter of days while some had swollen limbs. The country’s Ministry of Health has collected fresh samples but the findings are yet to […] todayNovember 22, 2023 8
insert_link Africa Ugandan entrepreneur wins 2023 Leadership Impact Award for solar-recycled smart bag A Ugandan entrepreneur has won a prestigious award for her solar-recycled smart bag. Jamilah Mayanja beat twelve other global competitors to win the 2023 Leadership Impact Award which rewards individuals who have made an impact in their communities. The Mandela Washington Fellowship describes Jamilah as a social entrepreneur and educator who empowers women and girls to transform their lives and communities. In 2012, she founded Smart Girls Uganda, a nonprofit […] todayNovember 21, 2023 63