Bad food choices: clearer labels aim to help South Africans pick healthier options

South Africans have a hard time figuring out which foods are unhealthy when they go shopping. But this is about to change. South African supermarkets currently sell large amounts of unhealthy, ultra-processed foods. Packaged foods in particular have high levels of sugar, salt and saturated fat – all things that are bad for our health. Research shows that the consumption of these foods is linked to increasing rates of obesity […]

November 14, 2023 7

Health / Medical

What I Learned From the World’s Last Smallpox Patient

By Céline Gounder via kffhealthnews Rahima Banu, a toddler in rural Bangladesh, was the last person in the world known to contract variola major, the deadly form of smallpox, through natural infection. In October 1975, after World Health Organization epidemiologists learned of her infection, health workers vaccinated those around her, putting an end to variola major transmission around the world. The WHO officially declared smallpox eradicated in 1980, and it […]

November 9, 2023 14

Health / Medical

Eye Clinic gets generous boost from Capricorn Foundation

Many Namibians rely on the Government's healthcare services, which include optometry. The Ministry of Health and Social Services Eye Clinic at the Central Hospital in Windhoek was established for this purpose, to support patients with treatment and restore the vision of those who are visually impaired. The Capricorn Foundation recently donated essential equipment valued at N$250,000 to the Eye Clinic in Namibia, providing crucial support for individuals with visual impairments. […]

November 8, 2023 16

Health / Medical

Bird flu could be eradicated by editing the genes of chickens – our study shows how

By Alewo Idoko-Akoh, University of Bristol Recent advances in gene editing technology could potentially be used to create disease-resistant animals. This could curtail the spread of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu. In a recent gene editing study, my colleagues and I showcased the potential of gene editing to protect chickens from the threat of bird flu. This disease is caused by an ever-evolving virus that gets around numerous […]

November 3, 2023 11

Health / Medical

Liberty Life Namibia and Cancer Association of Namibia are collaborating during the month of November on the “Movember Men’s Health Clinic” campaign.

Liberty Life is celebrating 20 years of operations in Namibia this November, and, aligned with the organisation’s purpose of making a difference in people’s lives, Liberty Life Namibia wants to give back to the community by partnering with CAN, to offer men’s health screenings this month. The health screenings will take place at CAN and will be available to 20 men per week, by appointment only. Sr Aina Nghitongo – […]

November 3, 2023 13

Health / Medical

Namibian Women Help Prevent HIV and Cervical Cancer by Encouraging Their Male Partners to Get Circumcised

Christmas Shikongo is a 33-year-old father of three and a community mobilizer working to reduce HIV-related deaths in Omuhongo Village, northern Namibia. For months, Christmas has been educating and counseling adolescent boys, men, and their partners on the health benefits of voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) in preventing HIV. As he escorted some of his community members to undergo the procedure, he carried a secret: fear and uncertainty made him […]

November 3, 2023 25

Health / Medical

‘Bone smashing’: broken bones, tooth loss and blood vessel damage are just a few of the harms of this bizarre TikTok trend

Adam Taylor, Lancaster University The internet never ceases to amaze when it comes to the bizarre health crazes people are willing to try. One of the latest social media trends is “bone smashing” – and it’s every bit as insane as it sounds. This involves subjecting your face to blunt force trauma in the hopes of permanently improving the way you look. The suggestion is that by using a hammer, […]

October 24, 2023 8

Health / Medical