Health

Paris, France | AFP | Since the world’s first successful organ transplant in 1954 — a kidney — the discipline has advanced to the point where a wounded soldier could have his penis and scrotum replaced in a groundbreaking operation last month. A Frenchman recently became the first person to …

Harare, Zimbabwe | AFP | Zimbabwe has legalised production of cannabis for medicinal or scientific use, according to new regulations seen by AFP Saturday. A statutory instrument entitled Production of Cannabis for Medicinal and Scientific Use Regulations, said prospective producers can apply to the health ministry for a licence to …

New Delhi, India | AFP | Indian police are hunting two men posing as doctors who killed a newborn by severing his genitals in a bid to convince the mother she had given birth to a girl, officials said Friday. The pair said the eight-month pregnant woman would have a …

Washington, United States | AFP | US President Donald Trump’s doctor Ronny Jackson withdrew his nomination to head the Department of Veterans Affairs on Thursday following allegations he improperly handed out drugs and was drunk at work. The withdrawal — just the latest staffing upset in an administration rocked by …

Kampla, Uganda |THE INDEPENDENT | The Health Ministry plans to reign in on all health facilities accused of selling vaccines that are distributed for free immunisation. The Primary Health Care Minister, Dr. Joyce Moriku Kaducu announced this on Wednesday during the 8th health sector barometer meeting organized by Uganda Medical …

Showing government how national health insurance scheme should run? Kampala, Uganda | FLAVIA NASSAKA | Hillary Ssempa has nothing good to say about government healthcare facilities. For him, their promise of free, quality medical care is hollow. He no longer goes to government health facilities but recalls that whenever he …

Washington, United States | AFP | A cheap, portable device can warn of a person’s vulnerability to infectious diseases like measles, which kills tens of thousands of people each year, mainly in developing countries, researchers said Wednesday. The test, called the Measles-Rubella Box (MR Box), uses a finger-prick volume of …

Lira, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Health Minister, Dr. Jane Aceng has directed the eight districts in Lango region to immediately pass laws banning the sale of sachet waragi. The district are Dokolo, Oyam, Apac, Lira, Kole, Alebtong, Amolatar and Otuke. In September 2-17, government banned the sale of sachet …

`Systematic drug repositioning’ seeks to make drugs developed for one illness capable of treating another COMMENT | ARIS PERSIDIS & ANDREAS PERSIDIS | Producing effective medicines requires huge investments of time and money. The average drug on the market today spent a decade in the lab and in clinical trials, and cost …

Washington, United States | AFP | Doctors at Johns Hopkins University said Monday they have performed the world’s first total penis and scrotum transplant on a US military serviceman who was wounded in Afghanistan. The 14-hour operation took place on March 26, and was performed by a team of nine …