Zimbabwe’s Nurses Struggle to Survive as Wages Fall Below Poverty Line

Zimbabwe’s nurses are facing economic despair as plummeting wages, currency instability, and deteriorating working conditions continue to erode their livelihoods, with many unable to meet even the most basic needs. “Nurses are living in abject poverty, unable to afford food, transportation, school fees, or rent,” said Enock Dongo, president of the Zimbabwe Nurses Association (ZINA), […]

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‘She cries in her sleep’: Deeper crisis looms beneath devastation from Myanmar quake

“I hate earthquakes. Earthquakes took my mother and my aunt away,” five-year-old Khin Yadanar told the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF), after both her mother and aunt were killed when a brick wall collapsed on them. Around 6.5 million children were already in need of humanitarian assistance before the earthquake, which compounded existing vulnerabilities resulting from the […]

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WHO Report Warns Health Inequities Are Cutting Lives Short by Decades

A new global report from the World Health Organization (WHO) highlights how social determinants of health—such as housing, education, and job opportunities—are drastically reducing life expectancy worldwide. The 2025 World Report on Social Determinants of Health Equity reveals that people in the lowest-ranked country for life expectancy live, on average, 33 years shorter than those […]

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New Summer 2025 Scheme to Boost Locum Access for GPs in Rural Ireland

The Department of Health has announced a new locum support programme set to begin in Summer 2025, aimed at assisting 239 General Practitioners (GPs) working in rural and remote areas across Ireland. The initiative was unveiled by Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill as part of the 2023 GP Agreement, designed to strengthen access to […]

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Lives of pregnant women and newborns at risk as funding cuts impact midwifery support

But despite their critical role, UN support for midwifery is under serious threat due to severe funding cuts. Each year, three-quarters of all maternal deaths occur in just 25 countries, the majority of them located in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, according to the UN reproductive health agency, UNFPA.  Midwives are often the first and […]

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Neurodiversity, ADHD and the Business Eco System: Unlocking Innovation Through Inclusion

Neurodivergent individuals—those with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other cognitive differences—represent a skills-based marginalized group whose unique abilities can drive creativity, innovation, and business success. Yet, traditional business processes and hiring practices often fail to accommodate their strengths, leading to missed opportunities for both employers, employees and the business sector as a whole. The Power of […]

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Hospital bombing deepens bleak situation for war-weary South Sudanese

“Every time this happens, people lose access to health services – and sometimes, to hope,” said Dr Humphrey Karamagi, the UN World Health Organization (WHO)’s Representative in South Sudan. “Health is the last safety net. If it fails, everything else will also fall.” The apparent airstrike on the hospital run by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) […]

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More than 30-year difference in life expectancy highlights health inequities

The study by the World Health Organization (WHO) reveals that they can be responsible for a dramatic reduction in life expectancy in both rich and poor countries alike. For example, people living in the country with the highest life expectancy will on average live 33 years longer than those born in the country with the […]

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FAO calls for action amid foot-and-mouth disease outbreaks

FMD is a highly contagious viral disease affecting cloven-hoofed animals, including cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and various wild species.  Europe is currently facing its worst outbreak so far this century at the same time as an exotic viral strain has been introduced in Iraq and other countries in the Near East. Concern for potential spread […]

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Why sitting down – and getting back up – might be the most important health test you do today

If you or someone you love finds it difficult to stand up from the toilet without using your hands, it might seem like a small issue. But in health and ageing, this movement – known as the “sit-to-stand” – can be a red flag. It’s one of the strongest indicators of frailty, a condition that […]

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