Health

The International Rescue Committee on Friday, November 30, 2018 said an outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo has become the second-worst in history. “As of today, the outbreak has seen 426 cases of infection, 245 deaths, with a case fatality rate of 57 per cent,’’ the U.S. humanitarian organisation said in a statement. The ...

A university don has urged nations to resort to the use of information, communication and technology (ICT) in biological diversity conservation efforts. Prof. Moussa Moustafa, vice president and dean, Faculty of Information Systems and Computer Science, October 6 University in Egypt, told a side event at the UN Biodiversity Conference in Sharm El Sheik that ICT offers hope in eradicating ...

At the first Galien Forum Africa held from November 27 to 28, 2018, the policy and advocacy action tank, “Speak Up Africa”, launched a multisectoral platform designed to accelerate the elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) in Africa. NTDs are a group of communicable diseases that affect 1.58 billion people globally, 39% of whom live in Africa. Even though these ...

Malaria infections rose for the second year in a row in 2017, following half a decade of decreases, the World Health Organisation (WHO) reported on Monday, November 19, 2018. In its annual malaria report, the UN health agency estimated 219 million cases in 2017, 2 million more than in 2016. “As progress stagnates, we are at risk of squandering years ...

During the World Summit for Innovation in Health Care (WISH), the Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) signed an agreement with the World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Office for Africa to support the Expanded Special Project for Elimination of Neglected Tropical Diseases (ESPEN). Within the United Nations, the WHO directs international health and leads partners in global health response. The WHO ...

A high percentage of skin lighteners sold worldwide contain dangerous levels of mercury, according to test results contained in a new report by the Zero Mercury Working Group. In 2017 and 2018, 338 skin-lightening creams from 22 countries were collected and tested for mercury. Ten per cent of the creams (34 creams) had mercury concentrations vary many times higher than ...

As countries strive to comply with the 1ppm mercury content cutoff provision pertaining to cosmetics in the Minamata Convention on Mercury, a new study has listed a range of measures by which to reduce exposure to mercury from skin lighteners. It also explores renewed opportunities for collaboration with all levels of government and civil society. Scheduled for release at the ...

As the world observes the “World Antibiotic Awareness Week” from November 12 to 18, 2018 that is aimed at increasing global awareness of antibiotic resistance (AMR), the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) in unveiling an assessment of India’s National Action Plan on Antimicrobial Resistance (2017-21). The assessment, says the group, finds limited progress on only a few critical activities to contain ...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is collating empty viles of polio vaccines used in Dange Shuni Local Government Area of Sokoto State for accountability, reports the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN). Malaw Zayyanu Muazu, WHO Accountability Officer, disclosed this in an interview with NAN on Sunday, November 11, 2018 hinting that the measure is to ensure proper accountability of vaccines. ...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the UN Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) say the Ebola outbreak in DRC remains dangerous and unpredictable. The Director General of WHO, Tedros Ghebreyesus, and UN Peacekeeping chief, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, sated this after a joint mission to the epicentre of the epidemic, around the city of Beni close to ...