N’Djamena, Chad | AFP | The Chadian government said Thursday that more than 50 people have died of cholera in Chad where authorities have since declared an outbreak. “We count 312 cases, including 52 deaths,” said health ministry secretary-general Hamid Djabar. Authorities declared a cholera outbreak on Monday, which put in …
Read More »UN seeks $10 million as Nigeria cholera outbreak worsens
Maiduguri, Nigeria | AFP | At least 44 people have now died in a cholera outbreak in northeast Nigeria, the United Nations said Monday, calling for nearly $10 million to keep the disease from spreading. “To date, the outbreak has claimed at least 44 lives, out of close to 2,300 …
Read More »Measles outbreak confirmed in Kampala and Wakiso
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s Ministry of Health has confirmed there is an active outbreak of Measles in Kampala and Wakiso Districts. All the five divisions of Kampala, as well as several suburbs in Wakiso District are affected. According to a statement released Tuesday, the Ministry of Health surveillance …
Read More »One step closer to a gonorrhoea vaccine?
One step closer to a gonorrhoea vaccine? Paris, France | AFP | A discontinued vaccine against a bacteria that causes brain inflammation also shielded people against gonorrhoea, the first drug ever to offer such protection against the sexually transmitted disease, researchers said Tuesday. Using a condom or abstaining from sex …
Read More »Warmer climate threatens malaria spread in Ethiopia
Paris, France | AFP | Cool, high-lying areas of Ethiopia hitherto shielded from heat-loving malaria mosquitoes are increasingly exposed to the disease as the climate warms, researchers said Thursday. Most Ethiopians live in the country’s highlands, and have long enjoyed natural protection against mosquitoes carrying the malaria-causing parasites Plasmodium falciparum …
Read More »More die as mysterious illness spreads to Liberia capital
Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | More people have died following the outbreak of a mysterious illness that began in southeastern Liberia but has spread to the capital, with 12 unexplained deaths so far, health authorities told AFP Tuesday. Liberia’s health ministry and the World Health Organization (WHO) both confirmed the …
Read More »Ebola ruled out as 11 die mysteriously in Liberia
Liberia tests mystery illness after 11 unexplained deaths Monrovia, Liberia | AFP | Liberia said Friday that samples from people struck down by a mystery illness are being tested abroad after 11 unexplained deaths, though Ebola has been ruled out. The unidentified illness has affected 19 people in Greenville, southeastern …
Read More »WHO hails major gains against once ‘neglected’ tropical diseases
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | The World Health Organization on Wednesday hailed “unprecedented progress” in the fight against 18 neglected tropical diseases — including dengue fever and sleeping sickness — which kill 170,000 people and disable millions each year. The UN’s health agency, pharmaceutical companies and civil society groups led …
Read More »Two billion people drinking faecal-contaminated water: WHO
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | Dramatic improvements are needed in ensuring access to clean water and sanitation worldwide, the World Health Organization said Thursday, warning that nearly two billion people currently use faecal-contaminated water. Hundreds of thousands of people die each year because they are forced to drink contaminated water, …
Read More »Depression tops list of causes of ill health and disability worldwide
“Depression: let’s talk” says WHO, as depression tops list of causes of ill health WHO | GENEVA – Depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability worldwide. According to the latest estimates from the World Health Organisation (WHO), more than 300 million people are now living with depression, …
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