What is alexithymia? Understanding emotional detachment

The word “alexithymia” comes from the Greek, meaning “no” (a), “word” (lex), “feeling” (thymus). Alexithymia is a condition that affects between 10% to 25% (!) of the population, and between 50% to 70% of those with autism. Strangely, despite being so pervasive and causing so many relationship difficulties, few people have ever heard the term. […]

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WHO EMRO | Regional Director opening remarks at EMRO press briefing | News

22 February 2024 Dear colleagues, ladies, and gentlemen, Good afternoon from WHO’s Regional Office in Cairo, Egypt. I am honored to address you today as the newly appointed Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean. As I begin my tenure, I’m deeply aware of the profound challenges our Region is facing. In Gaza, an entire population […]

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Slouching isn’t as bad for you as you might think

Often a posture assigned to teenagers and disaffected youth, slouching is traditionally considered to be a “bad” posture – with some claiming it will damage your spine and cause pain. The term itself hails from medieval Norse meaning “lazy fellow” – and later the middle English word meaning “walking, sitting or standing with a loose […]

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Gender inequality in the workplace

As a small country where people like to have protektzia – connections especially through serving together in the IDF – helps Israelis find a place in crowded restaurants and even to find jobs.  Women working in organizations are frequently encouraged to cultivate connections to high-status individuals based on a prominent social network theory. But […]

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WHO EMRO | WHO and Dubai’s International Humanitarian City to send life-saving health supplies to Gaza Strip | News

21 February, Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Amid a worsening health emergency, the World Health Organization (WHO) logistics hub in Dubai, in partnership with Dubai’s International Humanitarian City, will be delivering critical health supplies worth over US$ 1.7 million to the Gaza Strip. In total, 80 metric tonnes of life-saving medicines, including insulin, are being delivered […]

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Whether inserted, ingested or implanted, batteries are a matter of life and death

If you’ve heard about the case of the Australian man who needed emergency removal of the three “button” batteries he’d inserted into his urethra, then it’s likely your eyes will still be watering. According to the case report, ten days later, he required follow-up surgery for penile tissue necrosis caused by the battery burns. The […]

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‘Act on the lessons of COVID-19’, Guterres says on Epidemic Preparedness Day 

The COVID-19 pandemic affected hundreds of millions of lives, caused millions of deaths and inflicted devastating impacts on humanity.  After three years of unprecedented global efforts, on 5 May the World Health Organization (WHO)  declared an end to COVID-19 as a public health emergency, stressing however, that it does not mean the disease is no longer […]

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More than half the world faces high measles risk, WHO says

More than half the world’s countries will be at high or very high risk of measles outbreaks by the end of the year unless urgent preventative measures are taken, the World Health Organization warned on Tuesday. Measles cases have been increasing across most regions mainly due to missed vaccinations during the COVID-19 years when […]

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Suicide risk is higher in certain phases of the menstrual cycle – here’s what we know about this link

Women are twice as likely to attempt suicide than men. This difference appears at puberty, suggesting the menstrual cycle may play a key role. Although this link has been known for a long time, it remains a disappointingly under-researched area. But a 2023 study provided new insight into this link – finding that women may […]

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Sun radiation has positive effect on women 30-40 wanting to get pregnant

Considerable exposure to the sun is generally regarded as harmful – increasing the aging of the skin and skin cancer. But it can be beneficial for some people – for example, women aged 30 to 40 who have difficulty getting pregnant. In a pioneering study at Tel Aviv University (TAU) and Sheba Medical Center […]

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