(2024-02-10). Correspondence] Health implications of GSK's departure from Nigeria. thelancet.com GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced plans to cease operations in Nigeria in the face of worsening economic conditions and declining revenues.1 GSK's departure as a crucial pharmaceutical provider in Nigeria holds substantial implications for the country's health-care sector, including disruptions in disease management, treatment access, and immunisation efforts, and potentially puts patients at risk due to supply chain disruptions for medicines and vaccines.2 The absence of GSK-manufactured medications such as Amoxil (amoxicillin), Cervarix (a human papillomavirus vaccine), and Bexsero (a meningitis vaccine) could le…
(2024-02-10). Correspondence] Intramuscular vaccination needle length: a call to arms. thelancet.com When compared with intramuscular administration, subcutaneous administration of vaccines can be associated with a higher frequency and severity of injection site reactions.1 These reactions are of public health significance because adverse events following immunisation contribute to vaccine hesitancy or refusal, which at a population level can contribute to reduced vaccine uptake and an associated increased prevalence of vaccine-preventable disease.1,2 Immunogenicity of some vaccines, such as hepatitis B and influenza vaccines, is reduced if given via a subcutaneous injection rather than an intramuscular injectio…
(2024-02-09). Mayo Clinic Minute: Syphilis surge is cause for concern. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show that cases of syphilis continue to rise in the U.S. This is while rates of other forms of sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and gonorrhea are flat or declining. Learn more about what syphilis is, what the symptoms are and how it can be prevented in this Mayo Clinic Minute. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/hFJIE8UnNjA Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (0: 58) is in the downloads…
(2024-02-09). Treating stomach cancer. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org More than 26,000 people in the U.S. will be diagnosed with stomach cancer this year, and nearly 11,000 people will die of the disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Stomach cancer accounts for about 1.5% of all new cancers diagnosed in the U.S. each year. Stomach cancer, also known as gastric cancer, can affect any part of the stomach. In most of the world, stomach cancers form in the main part of the stomach. In the…
(2024-02-09). Mayo Clinic Minute: What to do for a healthier heart. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart disease refers to a range of conditions, of which many can be prevented or treated by making healthy lifestyle choices. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/wXk1Nj28Hm4 Journalists: Broadcast-quality video pkg (1: 07) is in the downloads at the end of…
(2024-02-09). Mayo Clinic Minute: How a coronary calcium scan assesses heart attack risk. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Do you know your risk of coronary artery disease, the most common form of heart disease? Dr. Regis Fernandes, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, says an easy and efficient test called a coronary calcium scan can help determine your risk before you show symptoms. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/r1Q45bi8nhM Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1: 04) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo Clinic News Network." Read the script. What a coronary calcium scan measures…
(2024-02-09). New 4D imaging may detect poor pumping in deadly heart disease. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Researchers at Mayo Clinic in Florida have found that a newer imaging technique may find subtle changes in heart dysfunction during acute stages of myocarditis and also heart functional differences by sex.
(2024-02-09). Save the date! RegenBio Summit: Transforming Next-Gen Biotherapeutics. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The need for lifesaving options for diseases with no treatment or cure is great, and Mayo Clinic is addressing that challenge in part with a new conference focused on advancing first-of-their kind regenerative biotherapies. RegenBio Summit: Transforming Next-Gen Biotherapeutics will be held Dec. 9 to 11 at the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida. Save the date for an event that will bring together the best minds in medicine, biotechnology and…
(2024-02-09). Growing mini-organs to find new treatments for complex disease. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Microscopic view of an intestinal organoid Mayo Clinic investigators are growing three-dimensional human intestines in a dish to track disease and find new cures for complex conditions such as inflammatory bowel disease. These mini organs function like human intestines with the ability to process metabolites that convert food into energy on a cellular level and secrete mucus that protects against bacteria. These 3D mini intestines in a dish, known as "organoids," provide a unique platform…
(2024-02-09). Understanding whooping cough with a Mayo Clinic expert. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Whooping cough (pertussis) is caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria. Some areas of the U.S. —and abroad — are seeing an uptick in whooping cough (pertussis) cases — including in parts of Wisconsin. Whooping cough is an infectious respiratory illness caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria. It spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. "This is an infection that causes quite a significant cough," says Dr. Nipunie Rajapakse, a pediatric infectious diseases expert with the Mayo…
(2024-02-08). World: Proven Vector Control Interventions Needed to Stem Malaria Infections in Africa. reliefweb.int Country: World | Source: Inter Press Service | KIGALI, Feb 8 2024 (IPS) – Experts recommend that the current prevention of malaria in highly endemic countries in Africa should integrate "locally appropriate" control measures to cope with the highest burden of mosquito-borne disease on the continent. | The latest 2023 World Malaria Report shows that the life-threatening disease remains a significant public health challenge, with both malaria incidence and mortality higher now than they were before the start of the COVID-19 pandemic on the African continent. | According to a World Health Organization (WHO) repor…
(2024-02-08). USAID/BHA Kenya Assistance Overview, February 2024. reliefweb.int 
Countries: Kenya, United States of America | Source: US Agency for International Development | Please refer to the attached file. | OVERVIEW | Kenya continues to face the effects of recurrent climate shocks and disease outbreaks, which generate widespread displacement and humanitarian needs. Notably, above-average October-to-December 2023 short rains—induced by the El Niño and Indian Ocean Dipole conditions, both associated with above-average rainfall in the Horn of Africa—and associated floods across Kenya resulted in at least 174 deaths and the displacement of approximately 546,000 people betw…
(2024-02-08). UK teacher speaks to WSWS about ongoing COVID surge in schools. wsws.org "It's terrifying that we're allowing this to happen. Every piece of research I see about COVID underlines the fact that this is not a cold, it's a multi-system vascular disease and is causing all kinds of damage to our brains and bodies."
(2024-02-08). Uganda Key Message Update: Crisis (IPC Phase 3) outcomes persist for Refugees despite favorable second season harvest, January 2024. reliefweb.int 
Country: Uganda | Source: Famine Early Warning System Network | Please refer to the attached file. | Key Messages | In bimodal areas, second season harvesting, drying, and storing activities are wrapping up in January. Above-average second season staple food production has increased household and market food stocks and access to income from crop sales, supporting Minimal (IPC Phase 1) outcomes. In January, atypically dry conditions characterized by cumulative average to below-average off-season precipitation have negatively impacted vegetation and pasture conditions in the central, western, and northern reg…
(2024-02-10). Correspondence] Post-earthquake demolition in Türkiye: health implications. thelancet.com On Feb 6, 2023, a magnitude 7 ∑8 earthquake occurred in southeastern Türkiye and northern Syria. Approximately 9 h later a second earthquake of magnitude 7 ∑6 followed. The official death toll surpassed 40‚Äà000,1 but the number could be much higher due to the unofficial presence of Syrian refugees and complicated rescue conditions. Around 26 million people have been directly affected by the earthquakes.2 WHO defined it as the worst natural disaster of the past century in Europe.3…
(2024-02-10). Correspondence] Manufactured scarcity and the allocation of scarce resources. thelancet.com An ethical framework to allocate scarce resources by influential US-based ethicists Ezekiel J Emanuel and Govind Persad is riddled with shortcomings that have the potential to detract from global health ethics, rather than advance the moral utility of the field.1…
(2024-02-10). World Report] Health in Brazil: 1 year of Lula. thelancet.com 12 months after his return to the presidential palace, Brazil's Lula has focused on resurrecting and restrengthening health programmes. Lise Alves reports from Sao Paulo.
(2024-02-10). World Report] Health and aid organisations give UNRWA warning. thelancet.com Agencies say that no other organisation can do the work of UNRWA to provide humanitarian and health assistance in Gaza. Sharmila Devi reports.
(2024-02-10). Correspondence] Manufactured scarcity and the allocation of scarce resources. thelancet.com Ezekiel J Emanuel and Govind Persad have pinned the failures of the COVID-19 pandemic response on inadequate operationalisation of ethical principles in public health.1 The authors outline three procedural approaches they claim would have facilitated rapid development of priority groups and avoided mistakes in resource allocation.2 In doing so, the authors sidestep an important question: how useful or relevant are high-level guiding principles if we continually fail to implement them faithfully in different contexts?
(2024-02-10). Editorial] Malaria vaccines: a test for global health. thelancet.com Throughout recorded history, malaria has blighted populations across the globe. Today, by far, WHO's African region has the highest burden. In 2022, the region was home to 233 million (94%) malaria cases and 580‚Äà000 (95%) malaria deaths, about 80% of which were in children younger than 5 years. Despite ambitions to reduce this burden, efforts to control malaria have stagnated: global cases dropped by 29% between 2000 and 2019 but only by 2% between 2015 and 2019. Might this all be about to change? On Jan 22, 2024, Cameroon began the roll-out of RTS,S/AS01, the first malaria vaccine to be used…
(2024-02-10). Perspectives] Ashwin Vasan: committed to addressing NYC's health challenges. thelancet.com In 2019, an inhabitant of New York City (NYC) could expect to live into their early eighties, but in 2020 that age fell to late seventies. Tackling this "challenge of falling life expectancy" is a public health priority for Ashwin Vasan, the Commissioner of the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, NY, USA. "There are many direct and indirect drivers of this drop in lifespan", he says. "Certainly COVID-19 has caused significant excess deaths, but when you examine more closely there are other drivers like rising overdoses, increasing rates of interpersonal violence, widening birth inequities, and stubborn a…
(2024-02-09). EcoWaste Coalition Discovers 5 More Highly Leaded China-Made Paints Sold Online. pressenza.com 8 February 2024, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition today announced its discovery of five more imported spray paints containing high concentrations of lead that are illegally sold online. | As part of its continuing advocacy to promote strict adherence to the national lead paint ban to protect human health from the adverse effects of lead exposure, the group recently obtained five variants of Veslee Paint Aerosol from an online seller for P130 per 450 ml can. | "The continued importation, distribution, and sale of lead-containing paint products is an outright infraction of a government-iss…
(2024-02-09). New malaria vaccine has substantial public health benefit. imperial.ac.uk
(2024-02-09). Mayo Clinic Minute: 5 things your blood can tell you about your health. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Blood tests are commonly used to help not only monitor one's health but also to diagnose conditions. A blood sample can reveal a lot about a person's health. One of the most frequently ordered tests is a CBC, or complete blood cell count, which tells you the different cells that are in your blood, how many they are, and whether they're abnormal or normal. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/kpdBa9FKSu0 Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1: 10) is…
(2024-02-09). Symptoms that may require a consultation with a cardiologist. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org MANKATO, Minn. — As people age, many start to experience more aches and pains throughout their bodies. While many symptoms can be chalked up to the natural aging process, it's important to pay special attention to the cardiovascular system. "Heart Month is a great time of year to remind people that not all symptoms are created equal when it comes to our cardiovascular health," says Vinayak Nagaraja, M.B.B.S., interventional cardiologist at Mayo Clinic Health System….
(2024-02-09). Statement regarding Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org "Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Mayo Clinic's interest in Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City (SSMC). Following the completion of the transaction, SSMC will be wholly owned and operated by SEHA. Mayo Clinic and SEHA remain committed to serving patients from the UAE, the surrounding region and abroad." Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) and Mayo Clinic…
(2024-02-09). Mayo Clinic Minute: Closing the gaps in cancer care. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org 2024 could mark a grim milestone in the battle against cancer. In January, the American Cancer Society announced that, for the first time ever, new cancer cases could exceed the 2 million mark. Early detection and the right treatment are among the best weapons to fight cancer. However, today many people don't have equitable access to cancer care because of systemic barriers and health disparities. Mayo Clinic is working to change that with strategic initiatives aimed at health…
(2024-02-09). World Cancer Day: Making a commitment to close the cancer care gap. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org The Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) recognizes World Cancer Day annually on February 4. The UICC's 2024 theme for World Cancer Day is "Close the Care Gap." The care gap is the gap between people who can obtain healthcare related to the prevention, early detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer and those who cannot. The factors that create this gap include income, education and geographical location barriers. Discrimination based on ethnicity, race, gender, sexual orientation, age,…
(2024-02-09). Government tasked to regulate rehabilitative care devices. independent.co.ug 
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Players in the health sector have called for greater regulation of assistive technologies in the country. There are fears that some of the devices being donated in the country are wrongly prescribed or do not meet the standards. Assistive technologies can benefit a wide range of people, including those with …
(2024-02-08). Letter from India: Stop World Health Organization's 'Pandemic Preparedness' Tyranny. globalresearch.ca
(2024-02-08). Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza: Death toll of Israeli aggression passed 27,800. english.almanar.com.lb 
(2024-02-08). Somebody give me a pen! – President. sanews.gov.za Somebody give me a pen! – President | "The Bill has arrived at my desk. I'm going through the Bill. I'm looking for a pen!" – said President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday night, eliciting much laughter from a packed Joint Sitting of Parliament. | Delivering his State of the Nation Address (SONA) President Ramaphosa announced that government will gradually implement the long-awaited National Health Insurance (NHI). | President Ramaphosa was speaking during a televised speech at the Cape Town City Hall. | The NHI Bill, which was passed by both the National Assembly and the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) last…
(2024-02-08). oPt: Gaza Strip Health Cluster: Partner Presence (February 2024). reliefweb.int 
Country: occupied Palestinian territory | Sources: Health Cluster, World Health Organization | Please refer to the attached Infographic.
(2024-02-08). oPt Health Cluster: Partner Presence (February 2024). reliefweb.int 
Country: occupied Palestinian territory | Sources: Health Cluster, World Health Organization | Please refer to the attached Infographic.
(2024-02-08). oPt: West Bank Health Cluster: Partner Presence (February 2024). reliefweb.int 
Country: occupied Palestinian territory | Sources: Health Cluster, World Health Organization | Please refer to the attached Infographic.
(2024-02-08). Health Related News: Wearable devices, face masks, vaccines, ivermectin and gag orders. expose-news.com In Taiwan, an infant dies after being forced to wear a face mask at daycare; American colleges that still have covid injection mandates in place; assisted suicide is out of control in …
(2024-02-08). Pfizer's Pfrankenstein Proteins were injected into billions of people. expose-news.com Pfizer's mRNA covid-19 injections instruct cells to produce additional "off-target" proteins that could pose significant health risks. The finding was revealed by a team of UK researchers, who found a "glitch" occurred …
(2024-02-08). Gaza death toll from Israeli attacks surpasses 27,700. muslimmirror.com ANKARA : Gaza's Health Ministry confirmed Wednesday that at least 27,708 Palestinians have been killed and 67,174 others injured in Israeli attacks in the seaside enclave since Oct. 7. A ministry statement said Israeli attacks have left 123 people dead and 169 others injured in the last 24 hours. "Many people are still trapped under …
(2024-02-08). Health Ministry calls for collaboration to end challenges in Moroto hospital. independent.co.ug 
Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Health is calling on the leaders in Karamoja to collaborate with Moroto Regional Referral Hospital for solutions to address health challenges. Moroto hospital came into the spotlight after the death of two mothers within a space of one week who underwent cesarean births at the facility. The …
(2024-02-10). Correspondence] R21/Matrix-M vaccine: optimising supply, maximising impact. thelancet.com Following decades of extensive research and development, a second malaria vaccine, the R21/Matrix-M vaccine, has been recommended by WHO.1 The recommendation comes at a crucial time when progress has stalled over the past decade due to a host of factors, including parasite resistance and persisting suboptimal access to preventive interventions, diagnostics, and therapeutics, with service disruptions by the COVID-19 pandemic posing additional constraints.2 The addition of the new vaccine to the arsenal of malaria control and elimination tools offers a glimmer of hope and creates an impetus for expediting current e…
(2024-02-10). Correspondence] Vaccination and the defence of democracy — Authors' reply. thelancet.com Roger L Albin's Correspondence shows some of the many ways to conceptualise the potential mechanisms underlying the evolution and expansion of anti-vaccine activism in the USA. Two of Albin's points prompted us to elaborate here on ideas we discussed in our Viewpoint.1…
(2024-02-10). Correspondence] Vaccination and the defence of democracy. thelancet.com Richard M Carpiano and colleagues provide a useful summary of anti-vaccine activism in the USA.1 Their policy prescriptions are sensible but are likely to fall short because they fail to confront a fundamental feature of anti-vaccine activism. Anti-vaccine activism is one of numerous right-wing initiatives defending free market fundamentalism.2…
(2024-02-08). Henry Kissinger and Bill Gates: The "Secret Agenda" of the So-called Elite and the COVID mRNA Vaccine. "Reducing World Population"? globalresearch.ca Note to readers: please click the share buttons above or below. Forward this article to your email lists. Crosspost on your blog site, internet forums. etc. | *** | Important and timely article, first published on April 10, 2020. The late Henry …
(2024-02-10). Perspectives] Hospital dogs and Sigrid Nunez's The Friend. thelancet.com The start of the COVID-19 lockdown brought with it an unprecedented spike in animal adoptions. But as policies relaxed and societies moved on from the pandemic, countless pets suddenly found themselves once again abandoned. These unwanted pets were not the only animals that ended up shelters. As millions of people worldwide died or became chronically ill from COVID-19, many animals lost their owners, highlighting a question often overlooked in hospitals: what happens to pets when their owners are no longer able to take care of them?
(2024-02-10). Correspondence] Manufactured scarcity and the allocation of scarce resources. thelancet.com I appreciated the discussion by Ezekiel J Emanuel and Govind Persad,1 but would like to raise three considerations. First, although the authors claim, "A consensus exists on what ethical values are relevant to addressing the challenges of allocating scarce medical resources within and among countries",1 such arguably broad consensus did not always translate into clear and fair prioritisation criteria during the COVID-19 pandemic. For instance, at times during the COVID-19 pandemic, governments and various advisory commissions and panels developed criteria that neglected some individuals most at risk of developing…
(2024-02-08). Couples Who Take COVID mRNA Boosters Together Had Stroke and Cardiac Arrest. globalresearch.ca
(2024-02-08). There Never Was a "New Corona Virus", There Never Was a Pandemic. globalresearch.ca The official story is that a dangerous new coronavirus was detected in Wuhan, PRC. It had not been isolated, it's identity had not been confirmed. And then in February, the name of the "new virus" was changed to SARS-CoV-2, a virus first detected 20 years in 2003.