Society catergory

THIS WEEK: Committee to investigate Mengo deaths set up Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Uganda Medical and Dental Practitioners council revealed on Jan.10 that they had set up a committee to investigate heart surgery deaths at Mengo hospital. This was after government ordered the council to conduct an inquiry …

Paris, France | AFP | A man whose body rejected a face transplant he received seven years ago has been given a second donor face after living nearly two months without one, French medical agencies said Friday. It is the first time in transplant history that doctors have replaced one …

Kampala, Uganda | AFP | Uganda’s only radiotherapy machine was officially replaced Friday, nearly two years after the previous one broke down, giving hope to cancer patients who had been denied a crucial tool against the disease. The failure of the old machine in March 2016 caused a public outcry …

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 …

Kampala, Uganda | AGENCIES | From high-end sports cars to your everyday minivan, plastics have revolutionised the automotive industry. Some of the newest, most cutting-edge vehicles can give a glimpse at how plastics will continue to “drive” future automotive innovation. These vehicles represent significant advances in manufacturing, safety, design, performance, and …

Frankfurt am Main, Germany | AFP | Germany’s Volkswagen said Wednesday it sold a record number of vehicles in 2017, putting it on track to hold on to the title of world’s largest carmaker two years after its “dieselgate” emissions scandal. Some 10.74 million vehicles from VW or its subsidiaries …

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 …