Category: Health

Nigeria, like many other countries, is facing an escalating opioid crisis that is rapidly becoming a major public health challenge. Opioid misuse, particularly of drugs like tramadol, codeine, and pentazocine, has been increasing at an alarming rate, particularly among youth and vulnerable communities. The rising epidemic of opioid abuse poses significant threats not only to […]

“Allowing hate speech and harmful content online has real world consequences. Regulating this content is not censorship,” Volker Türk wrote on X. In a longer LinkedIn post on the same theme, Mr. Türk maintained that labelling efforts to create safe online spaces as “censorship…ignore[s] the fact that unregulated space means some people are silenced – […]

WHO spokesperson Dr. Margaret Harris told reporters in Geneva that the H5N1 virus causing the disease is “not circulating in humans but jumping into humans” who are exposed to poultry or dairy cattle. “We’re not seeing sustained circulation,” she insisted. Underlying conditions The man who died of the disease in Louisiana was over 65 and […]

Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory virus first identified in 2001, is currently spreading in China, contributing to the wave of respiratory illnesses this winter. While HMPV is not new, its rise in cases has prompted concerns about its potential impact, particularly as it emerges alongside other respiratory viruses like influenza and COVID-19. What Is HMPV? […]

A group of international experts has undertaken a critique of the clinical trials conducted to date on the value of hallucinogens in treating psychiatric disorders. Milad Fakurian/Unsplash Once sidelined in the 1970s, psychedelic substances – ranging from esketamine (a ketamine derivative) and psilocybin (the active ingredient in hallucinogenic mushrooms) to MDMA – are being reintroduced […]

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been diagnosed with severe pneumonia and will be unable to fulfill her official duties for the first two weeks of January, her office confirmed on Friday. In a brief statement, a spokesperson stated that von der Leyen is currently managing the illness, but did not disclose further […]

Recent reports indicate that China is grappling with an unidentified viral outbreak, causing a sharp rise in hospital admissions and placing significant strain on healthcare facilities. Hospital footage circulating on social media has revealed crowded emergency rooms, with patients donning face masks and long queues outside pediatric units. Meanwhile, unverified accounts suggest that local funeral […]

The cholera outbreak was detected in the camp in early October and subsequently confirmed by laboratory tests. Because Al Hol does not have a specialist treatment centre for acute watery diarrhoea, it is crucial that as many people are vaccinated as quickly as possible, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, insists.  “For the first time we […]

WHO has repeatedly raised the alarm that patients in Gaza need urgent medical evacuation for life-saving treatment, yet the pace of evacuations remains excruciatingly slow. Only 5383 patients have been evacuated with support from WHO since October 2023, of which only 436 since the Rafah crossing was closed. Over 12,000 people still need medical evacuation. […]

The digital health sector witnessed a significant surge in venture capital (VC) funding in the third quarter of 2024, totaling $2.2 billion. This marks the highest funding level since early 2022, according to Emerging Tech Research. This surge has been largely driven by the emergence of seven substantial investment deals, each worth over $100 million, […]