Tag Archives: health

New technologies continue to be introduced into the sector and we should welcome them Intelligent machines are increasingly operating complex manufacturing systems and replacing humans on factory floors, but they have so far not made significant inroads in health care. The sector’s most advanced machines, from ultra-high-resolution imaging instruments to …

Kampala, Uganda | AFP |  Uganda announced Sunday it had detected bird flu among migratory birds, without specifying whether it was the particularly virulent H5 strain detected this season in countries worldwide. The agriculture ministry said bird flu had been detected in two spots, one near Entebbe, on the banks …

Washington, United States | AFP |  The US House of Representatives on Friday joined the Senate in passing a critical measure that marks the first major step toward repealing outgoing President Barack Obama’s landmark but controversial health care reforms. The House’s party-line vote of 227 to 198 approved a budget …

By Alex Ezeh, Blessing Mberu and Tilahun Haregu Why we must distinguish between the two We live in an urban century. Already more than 50% of the global population lives in urban areas. The United Nations estimates that by 2030 five billion of the world’s population of eight billion will …

Nairobi, Kenya | AFP | When Rose Kariuki first felt a lump on her left breast, the spectre of cancer — a disease she had only heard of on television — was the last thing on her mind. “To me, cancer was nowhere near us. It was shocking, I feared …

Lagos, Nigeria | AFP |  Around 100 bags of “plastic rice” seized in Lagos have turned out to contain real but contaminated rice, authorities said Friday in Nigeria, where prices for the staple have rocketed. Tests on the rice have shown that the product is “not plastic but … contaminated …

Paris, France | AFP |  Pregnancy causes “long-lasting” physical changes to a woman’s brain, with significant, but seemingly beneficial, grey matter loss in parts of the crucial organ, a study said. Some alterations lasted at least two years, they reported, but did not appear to erode memory or other mental …

Beijing, China | AFP |  Thinking of competing in a marathon but put off by the distance? Easy. Pay someone to run it for you. The death of a runner in a half marathon in China’s southeastern city of Xiamen this month has highlighted an unexpected form of cheating. When …

COMMENT: By Matshidiso Moeti Ghana’s insurance scheme and Ethiopia’s a cadre of health-extension workers prove it is achievable Three years ago, a young boy in rural Guinea fell victim to the Ebola virus. An epidemic soon took hold of West Africa. By the time it was contained, it had killed …

With new vaccines coming at increasing prices, parents are facing tough choices The numbers of children receiving vaccinations in Uganda is up and the government’s recent move to pass a law criminalising anti-immunisation sentiments appears to be partly behind the surge. The increasing popularity of vaccination has experts like Dr. …