insert_link Health / Medical Surge in Syphilis Cases Leads Some Providers to Ration Penicillin Vials of injectable penicillin in cold storage at the Metro Public Health Department in Nashville, Tennessee. Injectable penicillin is the go-to treatment for syphilis and the only treatment considered safe for pregnant people with the disease. In mid-2023, the health department began rationing the injectable to just pregnant women because of a nationwide antibiotic shortage. Patients who test positive for syphilis and are not pregnant are given an oral antibiotic […] today2 February, 2024
insert_link Health / Medical WHO awards countries for progress in eliminating industrially produced trans fats for first time WHO has awarded its first-ever certificates validating progress in eliminating industrially produced trans fatty-acids to five countries. Denmark, Lithuania, Poland, Saudi Arabia, and Thailand have each demonstrated they have a best practice policy for industrially produced trans-fatty acids (iTFA) elimination in effect, supported by adequate monitoring and enforcement systems. WHO also released results from the first five years of its REPLACE initiative to eliminate iTFA. While the ambitious target set by WHO […] today29 January, 2024
insert_link Lifestyle Geingob’s Transparency Helps to Break Stigma Regarding Men’s Health By Vitalio Angula When the Presidency issued a press release two weeks ago regarding President Geingob being diagnosed with “cancerous cells” it sent shock waves amongst citizens, the media and political commentators alike. In a country were machismo is still deeply rooted in the culture of what a man ought to be, certain sectors of society applauded Geingob for his transparency regarding his health and took it as a reassurance […] today29 January, 2024
insert_link World WHO and partners bring fuel to Al-Shifa, as remaining hospitals in Gaza face growing threats WHO and partners completed another high-risk mission on Monday to resupply fuel to the Al-Shifa Hospital in northern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of people remain cut off from aid. Across the Gaza Strip, the few remaining hospitals find themselves in ever more dire circumstances, with hostilities often preventing access for patients and supplies, and health workers managing on little rest and scarce supplies. The mission was carried out along […] today24 January, 2024
insert_link World Gaza Is Cleaning Up Its Piles of Garbage From the War, Including Human Waste A new Unicef cash-assistance program is helping Gazans remove piles of garbage accrued during the war, including human feces. The goal is to stop the spread of infectious diseases in the enclave as millions of civilians are forced into flimsy shelters or to live in the streets. By Dawn Clancy via PassBlue Bombs, bullets and the suffocating weight of bodies trapped under slabs of fallen concrete where houses once stood […] today24 January, 2024
insert_link World WHO says situation in Gaza is “catastrophic” The World Health Organisation says the health system in Gaza is on the brink of collapse. A WHO health emergency officer described the dire nature of the health system saying the organisation needs more aid and medical supplies desperately to assist with the unfolding "catastrophe". Jody Jacobs reports from the United Nations in New York. today18 January, 2024
insert_link World Four things to know as Taiwan goes to the polls Taiwan votes for a new president, and parliament, on Saturday in an election that will be closely watched around the world. The winner will lead the democracy of 23 million people as it manages bellicose threats from China, which claims the island as its own. Here are some key facts about self-ruled Taiwan, which has its own currency, flag, military and government but is not recognised as an independent state […] today12 January, 2024
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 […] today12 January, 2024