Health

The model of Rwanda, which is a world leader in health-care access and outcomes, should be everywhere COMMENT | SAMUEL KARGBO | In late October, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) confirmed what many had long suspected: millions of dollars donated to fight the Ebola outbreaks …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Britain appointed a “minister for loneliness” on Wednesday to tackle what Prime Minister Theresa May described as “the sad reality of modern life” affecting millions of people. Tracey Crouch, a junior minister for sport and civil society, will take on the role as part …

Miami, United States | AFP | Women who breastfeed their babies for six months or more may be able to cut their risk of developing diabetes in the future by nearly half, according to a study Tuesday. The findings from a three-decade US study of more than 1,200 white and African-American …

Abidjan, Ivory Coast | AFP | There’s nothing covert about Roxy — a huge market in Abidjan selling counterfeit medicine, the scourge of Africa and the cause of around 100,000 deaths annually on the world’s poorest continent. Located in the bustling Adjame quarter of Ivory Coast’s main city and commercial hub, …

Paris, France | AFP | Stifling a sneeze can rupture your throat, burst an ear drum, or pop a blood vessel in your brain, researchers warned Tuesday. Many people — when they feel a sneeze coming on — block all the exits, essentially swallowing the sneeze’s explosive force. Just how dangerous …

Up to 100% of women  given a self-testing kit took the test Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | Until recently, there was virtually no evidence on the acceptability and feasibility of HIV self-testing, but results of new studies now suggest that self-testing has potential in improving the uptake of testing – at …

Kinshasa, DR Congo | AFP | The World Health Organization Monday said there was a high risk of a cholera epidemic after flooding in Kinshasa, the teeming and ramshackle capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo. “In a big city like Kinshasa, which has between 10 and 12 million inhabitants, …

Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | The use of giant rats to sniff out tuberculosis (TB) in Tanzania is set to nearly double by the end of the year due to successful detection rates, a charity who trains them is quoted in a Reuters Africa report as saying. African Giant Pouched Rats, …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | 1. It makes you sharper in the morning and puts your mental faculties at peak performance for four to 10 hours afterwards, due to the increased flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain. 2. It makes you more disciplined since force yourself to exercise early …

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Fruit farmers in Okayama, Japan, have managed to make peeling a banana optional by developing a special variety with edible skin. The peel of their “Mongee Banana” is not particularly tasty, but it is considerably thinner and far less bitter than that of regular …