(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). Public pharma for Europe, a game-changer for access to medicines. peoplesdispatch.org "It's time to step up, promote health justice, and meet the real needs of people," says Alan Silva from the European chapter of the People's Health Movement (PHM), addressing the need for revolutionizing pharma policies in Europe. A long-time advocate for access to medicines, Silva understands how important it is for Europe to change the way it thinks about research and development, but also production and distribution of health technologies. | If the region were able to de-link itself from the interests of transnational pharmaceutical companies, it would be a true game changer, he says. "We need public pharma in…
(2024-02-10). Public pharma for Europe, a game-changer for access to medicines. peoplesdispatch.org "It's time to step up, promote health justice, and meet the real needs of people," says Alan Silva from the European chapter of the People's Health Movement (PHM), addressing the need for revolutionizing pharma policies in Europe. A long-time advocate for access to medicines, Silva understands how important it is for Europe to change the …
(2024-02-09). Pfizer's "Secret" Report on the Covid Vaccine. Beyond Manslaughter. The Evidence is Overwhelming. The Vaccine Should Be Immediately Withdrawn Worldwide. globalresearch.ca Pfizer was fully aware that the mRNA vaccine which it is marketing Worldwide would result in a wave of mortality and morbidity. This is tantamount to a crime against humanity on the part of Big Pharma.
(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…
(2024-02-10). Shocking CDC Report: Autoimmune Heart Disease Risk Skyrockets Post-COVID Vaccination. expose-news.com
(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…
(2024-02-09). Headlines for February 9, 2024. democracynow.org UNICEF Warns Israeli Escalation in Rafah Attack Will Cause Hunger and Disease to Skyrocket, Palestinian American Brothers Detained by Israel After Raid on Gaza Home, Senate Moves Ahead with $95 Billion Funding Bill for Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, Northwestern Drops Case Against Students Who Made Mock School Paper, AFL-CIO Joins Labor Union Call for Gaza Ceasefire, Special Counsel Hur Declines to Charge Joe Biden in Classified Docs Case, Attacks Biden's Memory, SCOTUS Appears Skeptical of Colorado's Ruling That Disqualified Trump from the Ballot, Allies of Jailed Ex-PM Imran Khan Hold Lead in Tight Pakist…
(2024-02-09). Not only vaccine hesitancy, but also vaccination campaign hesitancy drives measles epidemics in conflict-torn eastern DR Congo. reliefweb.int 
(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). What The US Can Learn From The Cuban Health Care System. popularresistance.org David Ramirez Alvarez is Second Secretary in the Cuban Embassy, representing Cuba's cultural and political forces sectors. He will be presenting an historical and current analysis of the Cuban health care system, how it differs from our profit-driven system, how Cuba provides comprehensive primary and quaternary health services in the face of a decades' long illegal and brutal U.S. blockade and still has better outcomes than ours. Ramirez Alvarez will also address how the training of health care providers and scientists in Cuba is intimately connected to the socialist culture derived from the Cuban Revolution. Is…
(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). Canada announces support for climate adaptation, disaster resilience and health services in Philippines during International Development Week. reliefweb.int Countries: Canada, Philippines | Source: Government of Canada | The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, announced today an investment of $28.15 million in development programming for the Philippines, emphasizing support for climate adaptation, for resilience against natural disasters, and for improved health care services. | Forest Foundation Philippines will implement an $8 million project to support vulnerable communities as they mitigate the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss. The project will assist with financing and capacity building to support gender-responsive, n…
(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). Infections on the rise in Gaza as Israel impedes delivery of water, food. peoplesdispatch.org Shortages of food and water in the Gaza Strip are leading to increasing numbers of infections, while healthcare continues to suffer Israeli assaults. The Nasser Hospital and the Al-Amal Hospital, both key facilities, are under constant attack…
(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 …
(2024-02-09). Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu to launch ChommY in Manenberg. sanews.gov.za Deputy Minister Bogopane-Zulu to launch ChommY in Manenberg | Following the State of the Nation Address on Thursday, Social Development Deputy Minister, Dr Hendrietta Bogopane-Zulu, in partnership with USAID, will on Saturday launch ChommY at the Silverstream Primary School in Manenberg, in the Western Cape. | ChommY is a social and behavioural change programme for boys and girls between the ages of 10 and 14 years. | Manenberg is largely a coloured community on the Cape Flats that has been characterised as an area plagued by gang-related violent crimes and drug abuse. | ChommY, a colloquial term for "friend", se…
(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). Prime Minister of Slovakia Links COVID-19 Vaccines to Cardiovascular Deaths. globalresearch.ca
(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…
(2024-02-10). 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…
(2024-02-09). State of the Nation Address in numbers. sanews.gov.za State of the Nation Address in numbers | President Cyril Ramaphosa delivered the State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Cape Town City Hall on Thursday. | Below is the SONA in numbers: | Social Assistance | | More than 26 million — South Africans who continue to receive social assistance every month provided by the democratic state. | Some 9 million — unemployed people receiving the Special Social Relief of Distress Grant every month. | | Unemployment and Job Creation | | Two million ≠— people who lost their jobs due to COVID-19. | 15 to 24 — the ages of millions of young peo…