Category: Health

People anywhere, at any age can be infected with meningitis, which is transmitted through respiratory secretions or droplets in close human contact. Low and middle-income nations are worst-affected.   The so-called “meningitis belt” in sub-Saharan Africa sees most cases and outbreaks. It stretches from Senegal and The Gambia in the west of the continent all […]

The Trends in maternal mortality report was published by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA, in observance of World Health Day on 7 April. It shows that maternal deaths declined by 40 per cent between 2000 and 2023, largely due to improved access […]

Austria has taken decisive action to prevent the spread of a highly contagious foot-and-mouth disease outbreak in neighboring Slovakia and Hungary. Effective immediately, 24 border crossings have been shut down, with the closures set to remain in place until May 20. This measure aims to safeguard Austria’s livestock industry, which faces significant risks from the […]

The Trump administration’s recent mass layoffs of thousands of U.S. health workers, including top scientists and regulators from key health agencies, has raised alarm over the potential risks to Americans’ health and safety. Termination notices were issued to employees of various health agencies, such as the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Centers […]

Close to 300,000 women continue to die during pregnancy or childbirth each year. More than two million babies die in their first month of life and around two million more are stillborn, says the World Health Organization (WHO) which is kicking off a year-long campaign on maternal and newborn health. The data adds up to one […]

Isomorphic Labs, a subsidiary of Google led by Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind and Nobel Laureate, has successfully raised $600 million in funding from various investors, including Thrive Capital, a prominent backer of OpenAI. Focused on utilizing artificial intelligence for drug discovery, Isomorphic Labs leverages cutting-edge technology such as AlphaFold, a tool developed by […]

The UN health agency registered almost 810,000 cases and 5,900 deaths from the preventable disease in 2024; that’s about 50 per cent higher than the previous year, according to Dr Philippe Barboza, who leads WHO’s cholera team. He said the latest reported cases are almost certainly underestimates and that the disease continues to affect countries […]

A groundbreaking 3D telemedicine trial in Ghana is set to revolutionize healthcare in some of Africa’s most remote regions, where access to specialized medical care is limited. In late February, 46-year-old Charles Owusu Aseku, who has struggled for years with a keloid on his neck, participated in the first trial of the new technology. After […]

It is nearly two years since the brutal war between the forces of the military government in Khartoum and the Rapid Support Forces militia erupted, sparking one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. Human rights abuses have been committed on both sides and more than 30.4 million Sudanese require urgent assistance, with millions displaced, and […]

UN Secretary-General António Guterres is calling for renewed commitment to create a more equal and inclusive world in his message marking World Autism Awareness Day on Tuesday. This year’s theme – Advancing Neurodiversity and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – highlights the intersection between neurodiversity and global sustainability efforts. The goal is to showcase […]