(2024-02-24). World Report] Canada's pharmacare showdown. thelancet.com The lack of progress on the Government's promise to create a national programme for universal access to drugs risks a political crisis. Paul Webster reports.
(2024-02-24). Italy reports some 50 dengue cases during first two months of year. plenglish.com Rome, Feb 24 (Prensa Latina) Italy reported 48 dengue cases between January 1 and February 21, all of which were imported, leading to an increase in measures to fight the disease, it was learned recently. According to a press release on the specialized news website Quotidiano Sanitá, during a Senate hearing on Thursday, Italian Minister of Health Orazio Schillaci pointed out, 'We are attentive and doing everything necessary' to prevent an increase in the number of contagions, which totaled 362, with one death, in 2023.
(2024-02-24). World Report] German public health reforms draw ire. thelancet.com Removing responsibility for non-communicable diseases from the Robert Koch Institute has been criticised by public health experts. Ferry Biedermann reports.
(2024-02-24). Correspondence] The INSPIRE study: RSV infection during infancy. thelancet.com The effect of respiratory viral infections (eg, respiratory syncytial virus [RSV] infection, influenza, and COVID-19) in early life on the onset of childhood diseases (eg, asthma, mental health disorders, and childhood cancer) is of great concern globally. However, the challenges facing researchers, paediatricians, and policy makers are a short supply of evidence from well designed observational studies and inconsistent results in randomised controlled trials (RCTs). We were pleased to see that Christian Rosas-Salazar and colleagues1 used a combination of passive and active surveillance to better detect exposure…
(2024-02-24). Mayo Clinic Minute: What high triglycerides mean and why it matters to your heart. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org You may be familiar with high-density, or good cholesterol; low-density lipoproteins (LDL), or bad cholesterol; and their connections to heart health. But what about triglycerides? Often that word gets skimmed over when talking about cholesterol levels. Dr. Regis Fernandes, a Mayo Clinic cardiologist, says triglycerides provide the body with energy from food. High levels can indicate signs of other conditions, like diabetes or prediabetes, that can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. Watch: The Mayo…
(2024-02-24). Types of encephalitis: A Mayo Clinic expert explains. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Editor's note: February 22 is World Encephalitis Day. Encephalitis is a disease referring to the inflammation or swelling of the brain. Broadly, it can happen because of infections, including viral infections, or the immune system acting up. That's why Dr. Sarosh Irani, a Mayo Clinic neurologist and researcher, says it's essential to recognize World Encephalitis Day. "A number of physicians, and certainly the public, are not aware of encephalitis as an entity. Yet, it is a medical emergency,…
(2024-02-24). Mayo Clinic Minute: Health disparities in gynecologic cancers. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Each year, thousands of women are diagnosed with gynecologic cancers in the U.S. While cervical, ovarian and uterine cancer affects all races, Black women are often diagnosed at later stages and are more likely to die from these diseases. Dr. Kristina Butler, a Mayo Clinic gynecologic oncologist, discusses health disparities and prevention. Watch: The Mayo Clinic Minute youtu.be/qnJg1eEtcN0 Journalists: Broadcast-quality video (1: 05) is in the downloads at the end of this post. Please courtesy: "Mayo…
(2024-02-24). Dengue fever: A Mayo Clinic expert explains the mosquito-borne infection. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Recent outbreaks of dengue fever in Brazil have prompted public health officials to launch an immunization campaign targeting children ages 10 to 11. Dengue fever is a potentially life-threatening viral infection transmitted through the bite of infected mosquitoes. "Four different subtypes of the virus can cause infections in humans," says Dr. Stacey Rizza, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist. "Wherever you have a significant number of mosquitoes and warm hot environments is where you see dengue transmission." Watch: Dr. Stacey…
(2024-02-24). Newborns diagnosed with syphilis at alarming rates. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org A recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that looks at sexually transmitted infections (STIs) has some concerning news, especially when it comes to syphilis. While cases of other STIs, like chlamydia and gonorrhea, have decreased or seen modest increases, syphilis has jumped 80% in the four years from 2018 to 2022. Dr. Stacey Rizza, a Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist, says syphilis is a bacterial infection that is primarily transmitted through sexual contact. But she says…
(2024-02-24). How specialized blood cells could transform treatments for inflammatory disease. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Mayo Clinic researchers are studying whether specialized T cells taken from blood could harness the body's immune system to treat or someday cure complex inflammatory diseases. Researchers are probing whether a subset of T cells known as regulatory T cells, or Tregs, have the power to suppress out-of-control immune responses. If so, they want to know if this could offer a new therapeutic option for chronic inflammation that does not respond to standard treatment. William…
(2024-02-24). Spotlight on early detection of 3 heart diseases using ECG-AI. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org ROCHESTER, Minn. — Too often, the first sign of cardiovascular disease may be a major event like a heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest. Now, researchers and clinicians at Mayo Clinic are using artificial intelligence (AI) technology to flag heart problems earlier, boosting the abilities of a diagnostic test that has been around for over a century — the electrocardiogram (ECG). Early detection of heart disease can make a significant difference in a patient's…
(2024-02-23). Gaza Strip: Warn of Desperate Situation, Food Shortage. telesurenglish.net On Friday, Save the Children said that families in Gaza are forced to scavenge for scraps of food left by rats and eat leaves to try to survive after nearly five months of war. | RELATED: | The 1.1 million children living in the territory now face death from starvation and disease because it is impossible to deliver aid safely, the non-governmental organization said in a statement. | The group quoted a humanitarian wor…
(2024-02-23). S. Sudan: World Charity Warns of Humanitarian Crisis, Transit Sites. telesurenglish.net On Friday, the international medical charity, Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF), called for urgent response in two of the busiest transit sites in South Sudan to prevent deadly disease outbreaks. | RELATED: | The MSF warned that a humanitarian crisis is mounting in Bulukat and Renk sites in Upper Nile State as thousands of people who escaped the conflict in Sudan are desperately short of essentials including clean wa…
(2024-02-24). Celebrating the gift of life: Cousins raise awareness for organ donation on National Donor Day. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Lisa Brown, 53, of Jacksonville, suffered from severe pelvis and back pain for years. She later learned that her bladder wasn't working due to follicular cystitis, a rare and non-specific inflammatory disease of the bladder, and inflammatory pseudotumor of the bladder. In 2017, her bladder was removed using robotic-assisted surgery and replaced with a "neobladder" that was attached to her ureters, which are the tubes that carry urine produced by the kidneys. Unfortunately, ongoing challenges…
(2024-02-24). Unraveling Bill Gates' Global Web of Influence, With Tim Schwab. orinocotribune.com 
By Alan MacLeod — Feb 21, 2024 | There are few people on Earth richer or more influential than Bill Gates. For many years, the former Microsoft CEO was the planet's most wealthy individual and used his power to corner and monopolize as much of the tech industry as he could. From there, Gates has moved to become perhaps the most powerful man in global health, agriculture and education. | And yet, for all of his power and prestige, Gates is rarely scrutinized in our media. The Seattle native has been careful to cultivate an image of a well-meaning nerd who uses his wealth for good. Our guest today on the "Mint…
(2024-02-24). UN agency calls to reduce heavy vehicle pollution. plenglish.com Their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions have increased by 30 percent since 2000, according to a report published on Thursday. | In the document, the head of UNEP's Sustainable Mobility Unit, Rob de Jong, emphasized the need to implement ambitious regulations to curb emissions that are harmful to the environment and human health. | According to the study, heavy-duty vehicles are responsible for more than 40 percent of nitrogen oxide emissions on the roads, as well as 60 percent of PM2.5 particulate matter and 20 percent of black carbon, both of which are associated with heart and lung problems. | The situation is ag…
(2024-02-24). Correspondence] The Italian health-care crisis—only a matter of funding? — Authors' reply. thelancet.com We are grateful to Livio Garattini and colleagues for their insightful comments on our Correspondence.1 They added a crucial focus on the importance of primary care within the Italian National Health Service (NHS), which augmented the discussion, and clarified the definition of the Italian NHS, which we referred to as the Italian National Health System in our Correspondence. We employed the term system to underscore the systemic nature of the NHS, which extends beyond the formal NHS to include a complex, integrated network of health-care services, professionals, and facilities crucial to health-care delivery in I…
(2024-02-24). Correspondence] Calabria's partnership with Cuban doctors: challenges and solutions. thelancet.com Analogous to health-care systems in high-income countries, the Italian National Health System (Sistema Sanitario Nazionale) is grappling with its most severe crisis since its inception in 1978.1 A gradual increase in costs and the subsequent containment measures, combined with the decentralisation of the health-care system in the 2000s which essentially resulted in the creation of 20 distinct health-care systems (one for each region), has led to fragmentation and heterogeneous health-care provision— a problem that became starkly evident in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic.
(2024-02-24). Correspondence] The Italian health-care crisis—only a matter of funding? thelancet.com Having noted that Arianna Magon and Rosario Caruso erroneously refer to the Italian National Health System (INHS) in the title of their Correspondence,1 we would like to note that in Italy we also have a public National Health Service (NHS) mostly funded by taxpayers,2 which was initiated in 1978 in the wake of the English NHS and should provide universal coverage. A widespread weakness of the INHS throughout the country that is not underlined in the Correspondence is primary care. Although general practitioners (GPs) should be front-line service providers, Italian citizens still only register with one GP—a…
(2024-02-24). Why does Donald Trump have so many followers? Part II. plenglish.com We have analyzed the psychological traits of more than three million US citizens, and matched them with other factors such as demographics and economic situation. The analysis incorporates 18 distinct measures including birthweight, obesity, health, income and education, as well as the presence of traditional industries in their regions. The outcome showed a unique cocktail of factors contributed to Trump's support. | From a psychological perspective, people living in regions that voted for Trump in both elections have higher levels of neuroticism, a personality trait characterized by negative emotions such as an…
(2024-02-24). Two paramedics killed in Israeli strike on south Lebanon. newarab.com 
Two paramedics were killed in an The paramedics worked for the Islamic Health Association, a Hezbollah also announced the death of one of its fighters from Blida on Thursday, but it did not specify whethe…
(2024-02-24). Correspondence] A call for reform in Nigerian medical doctors' work hours. thelancet.com Nigeria's health-care system urgently requires reforms in the work hours of medical doctors. In September, 2023, the death of a house officer at Lagos University Teaching Hospital following a 72-h shift underscored the pressing need for these changes.1 Unlike many countries, Nigeria has no regulations safeguarding doctors from prolonged work hours. Nigerian resident doctors routinely endure a mean of 106 ∑5 h (SD 50 ∑4) weekly, with surgical residents clocking an average of 122 ∑7 h (SD 34 ∑2) weekly.
(2024-02-24). The Largest Vaccine Study Ever Finds Huge Increased Risk of Serious Health Conditions, but Concludes Risks are "Small" and "Rare." expose-news.com
(2024-02-24). Perspectives] The clinical potential of counterfactual AI models. thelancet.com Clinicians frequently use conditional reasoning for treatment decisions by envisioning potential outcomes for patients. This is counterfactual thinking, exploring "what if" scenarios. Developments in generative artificial intelligence (AI) enable us to simulate this patient-level reasoning at the data level, opening new opportunities for science and health care. We term this approach counterfactual AI.
(2024-02-24). Day 141: Palestinian Resistance Continues Heroically Confronting Zionist Aggression on Gaza. english.almanar.com.lb 
The Zionist massacres against the civilians in Gaza have continued to occur for the 141st consecutive day amid an international silence and complicity. During the past 24 hours, the health ministry in the Strip reported 104 martyrs and 160 injuries, raising the total aggression toll to more than 29500 martyrs and around 70,000 injuries. Israeli air …
(2024-02-24). Ruchama Marton: A voice from Israel against hatred and revenge. pressenza.com It is 20 years now that we accompanied the Mobile Clinic of Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHR‚ÄëI) on a mission in the West Bank and the Negev for our documentary film "1000 Women and a Dream".* Back then, we portrayed Israeli psychiatrist Ruchama Marton, who has been campaigning against Israel's claims to power and in favour of equal rights for all people living between Jordan and the Mediterranean since her military service in the 1950s. She founded PHR‚ÄëI in 1988 in response to the lack of healthcare in the occupied territories. | By Gabriela Neuhaus | Since then, mixed t…
(2024-02-24). YOU LOVE TO SEE IT: Mega-Merger (Potentially) Blocked On Aisle Five. levernews.com Good things are happening! A potential supermarket monopoly faces another hurdle, while some consumers could be protected from increasingly common health-insurer collapses. What's more, two water-rights rivals come to agreement over a vital river, while help is on the way for rural communities without clean water.Colorado Could Help Block Grocery Store Merger: Attorney General Phil Weiser of Colorado
(2024-02-24). Closing the clinical trials disparity gap. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Getting sufficient representation of racial and ethnic minority populations in clinical trials remains a pervasive challenge, despite concerted efforts by researchers and mandates set by funding sources and regulatory agencies. A lack of diversity in research results in continued disparities and poorer health outcomes in underrepresented communities. An article in the January edition of Mayo Clinic Proceedings proposes a wide range of strategies to help researchers improve community engagement with underrepresented racial and ethnic populations and…
(2024-02-24). Try a cholesterol-lowering diet for heart health. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org MANKATO, Minn. — With those New Year's resolutions six weeks behind us, some people may have reverted to less healthy ways of eating. Heart Month is a great time to remind yourself why a healthy diet is important for more than just your waistline. "What you eat and drink affects your cholesterol and triglyceride levels, and if you have high cholesterol or triglyceride levels, your healthcare team may recommend following a cholesterol-lowering diet," says Ripu…
(2024-02-24). Two KPJ Healthcare hospitals in Malaysia join Mayo Clinic Care Network. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, and ROCHESTER, Minn. — KPJ Healthcare Berhad (KPJ Healthcare or the "Group") and Mayo Clinic have announced that two KPJ specialist hospitals, KPJ Damansara Specialist Hospital (KPJ DSH) and Damansara Specialist Hospital 2 (DSH2), are the newest members of the Mayo Clinic Care Network. These hospitals are the first members from Malaysia to join the Mayo Clinic Care Network, a group of carefully vetted healthcare organizations with special access to Mayo Clinic's…
(2024-02-24). World's Largest COVID-19 Vaccine Study Confirms Links to Serious Health Problems. globalresearch.ca
(2024-02-23). Nigeria: 72 Killed in Lassa Fever Outbreak. telesurenglish.net Two health workers have been so far affected by the Lassa fever outbreak in the country, with the predominant age group of victims being 21 years and 30 years of age, the NCDC said in its report. | The "multimammate rat," very common in Nigeria in sub-Saharan Africa, is a carrier of the Lassa virus. Feb. 23, 2024.
(2024-02-24). Little by little: Small changes can lead to heart health, Mayo Clinic expert says. newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org Several countries observe Heart Month in February JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Switching from an unhealthy diet and sedentary lifestyle to healthy eating and exercise can be daunting. In this expert alert, Juan Cardenas Rosales, M.D., an internal medicine physician and medical director of the international medicine practice at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, shares small steps and one big one that can lead to a heart-healthy life. Taking the first step can be difficult, whether trying…
(2024-02-24). Health ministries of Belarus, Zimbabwe thrash out cooperation plans. eng.belta.by The delegation was led by Deputy Healthcare Minister Boris Androsyuk and included Belpharmprom Director General Oleg Sakhno, Deputy Director of the Center for Examinations and Tests in Healthcare Marina Zlotnikova, and other experts.
(2024-02-24). Millions of People Who Could Benefit from Obamacare Don't Because They Don't Know About It, and Neither Does the New York Times. cepr.net Most people don't keep up on the details of government policy. This is understandable because they have lives to live, and can't spend all their time following the structure of various government programs. However, it is unfortunate when their lack of knowledge prevents them from using a government program that could benefit them greatly. This …