Sanaa, Yemen | AFP | Thousands of Yemenis suffering from kidney failure risk dying unless dialysis centres in the war-torn country receive more supplies and their staff are paid, the Red Cross said Tuesday. Yemen’s health sector has been devastated by three years of war between the Saudi-supported government and …
Read More »Nigeria lassa fever death toll now 31: health minister
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Thirty-one people have died from Lassa fever in Nigeria since the start of this year, the health minister said, with cases of the viral disease recorded across the country. Isaac Adewole told reporters in Abuja on Monday that the outbreak was currently “active in 15 …
Read More »‘Panty Condom’ hits Ugandan market
Experts say it is more pleasurable and puts power in the hands of women Kampala, Uganda | FLAVIA NASSAKA | A new condom said to be more pleasurable is undergoing tests to be used in Uganda. The ‘panty condom’, as it is called, has already been given a greenlight by the …
Read More »More than skin deep: cosmetic surgery industry booming
Paris, France | AFP | In the never-ending quest for youthful, magazine-cover looks, 8.6 billion euros ($10.7 billion) were spent last year on materials and chemicals used in cosmetic procedures worldwide, the IMCAS industry body said Thursday. This meant plastic surgeons and beauty practitioners spent about the equivalent of Costa Rica’s …
Read More »Top US health official resigns in conflict of interest
Washington, United States | AFP | The top US public health official resigned Wednesday due to financial conflicts of interest, a day after US media reported she bought tobacco stocks while heading the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A statement from the US Department of Health and Human …
Read More »Exercise tracking app reveals details of military sites
Washington, United States | AFP | A map showing paths taken by users of an exercise tracking app reveals potentially sensitive information about American and allied military personnel in places including Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria. While some bases are well known to groups that want to attack them, the map …
Read More »Why is it so difficult for scientists to discover new drugs?
Over-reliance on and misuse of antibiotics has led to warnings of a future without effective medicines. Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | It’s a tale of scientific discovery taught the world over: the serendipitous find of a mould that revolutionised modern medicine. Almost 90 years ago, Alexander Fleming returned from holiday to …
Read More »Onion could help fight TB antibiotic resistance
Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | A type of onion called the Persian Shallot could help the fight against antibiotic resistance in cases of tuberculosis, a study has suggested. Researchers believe the antibacterial properties extracted from the Persian shallot could increase the effects of existing antibiotic treatment. They said this could help …
Read More »Under age illicit alcohol consumption increasing, study finds
THIS WEEK: Under age illicit alcohol consumption increasing, study finds Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | 50.8% of the 600 respondents in a study conducted by a Health Communication Organisation – Straight Talk Foundation Uganda agreed to have consumed illicit alcohol, 17% of which were under the age of 18 years. …
Read More »THIS WEEK: Radiation treatment resumes after two years halt
THIS WEEK: Radiation treatment resumes after two years halt Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Patients requiring radiotherapy can now get treatment at the Uganda Cancer Institute after the machine that had broken down in 2016 was officially replaced on Jan.19. The new machine is set to handle 80 patients a …
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