Montreal, Canada | AFP | An international donor conference in Montreal reached its goal of raising $13 billion for the fight to eradicate AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria by 2030, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Saturday. “Ladies and gentlemen, it is my great Honour to announce that for the fifth …
Read More »At Canada conference, $13 billion sought for AIDS, malaria fight
Montreal, Canada | AFP | International donors gather in Montreal this weekend with a goal of raising another $13 billion for the fight to eradicate AIDS and two other major deadly diseases — tuberculosis and malaria — by 2030. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is chairing the conference, held every …
Read More »Prostate cancer options show little difference in survival
Miami, United States | AFP | Men with localized prostate cancer were unlikely to die in the 10 years after diagnosis regardless of whether they chose surgery, radiation or no intervention at all, researchers said Wednesday. The findings in the New England Journal of Medicine included more than 1,600 men …
Read More »Bayer buys controversial Monsanto for $66 bn
Frankfurt, Germany | AFP | German chemicals giant Bayer said Wednesday it had agreed to buy the controversial US seeds and pesticides firm Monsanto for $66 billion, in a deal that triggered immediate criticism from environmentalists. After a months-long pursuit, Bayer said its US peer had accepted an improved offer …
Read More »Who says you need an egg to create an embryo?
Paris, France | AFP | We all grow up to accept certain unassailable facts: water is wet, the Earth is round, and to produce a baby you need an egg and sperm. As it turns out, the last of these may turn out not to be true. On Tuesday, scientists …
Read More »Drug tests get boost after scientists find Zika-infected monkey
Paris, France | AFP | Scientists said Monday they had found a suitable animal model for testing new Zika drugs — a monkey whose offspring suffers brain damage similar to human foetuses exposed to the virus. One monkey, a pregnant pigtail macaque, was infected with Zika on day 119 of …
Read More »Pneumonia: Five things to know
Washington, United States | AFP | US presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has cancelled campaign engagements after being diagnosed with pneumonia. The 68-year-old fell ill at a ceremony to mark the 15th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and appeared to lose her footing as she was helped into her vehicle. …
Read More »Nigerian Ebola movie extols moment of heroism
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Hollywood plague movies are usually about a fictional viral outbreak, unleashing chaos and anarchy that can only be stopped by heroes who transcend the panic. That’s not true for “93 Days”, a Nollywood film premiering on Tuesday, which dramatises the story of Nigeria’s …
Read More »Ministry of Health, MPs in row over pre-internship exams
VIDEO: A proposal by the Ministry of Health to have the Health Council introduce a pre-internship medical exam across the country has created a big debate. The move is, according to the Ministers of Health, aimed at improving the quality of medical graduates following concerns that some universities and institutions were producing substandard medics. …
Read More »Health ministers explain introduction of Uganda internship entry exams
Minister Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng has told Uganda Parliament’s Health Committee that all measures taken recently in regard to interns allowances and eligibility to practice, were aimed at improving standards in the sector. Health minister Aceng stated that due to the increasing numbers of newly qualified medical personnel, lack of proper guidelines for training …
Read More »