WASHINGTON, June 4, 2023 (AFP) – A pill has been shown to halve the risk of death from a certain type of lung cancer when taken daily after surgery to remove the tumor, according to clinical trial results presented on Sunday. The results were unveiled in Chicago at the largest annual conference of cancer specialists, hosted by the American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO). Lung cancer is the form of the disease that causes the […]
Health
WHO members approve nearly $7 bn budget
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization on Monday won basic approval for a $6.83-billion budget over the next two years, including a 20-percent hike in mandatory membership fees. As the UN health agency kicked off its annual decision-making assembly, member states in a key committee approved the budget without objection. WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hailed the move as “historic and a big milestone”. The budget still needs to be approved by all […]
Covid returns to strike peloton ahead of Giro
By Jacques KLOPP Agence France-Presse PARIS, France (AFP) — Two days before the start of the Giro d’Italia, Covid-19 has returned to haunt the peloton, causing several riders to withdraw after testing positive, including three from the Jumbo-Visma team of Primoz Roglic. On Thursday, Jumbo-Visma announced a third positive case with Jos van Emden being forced to step down. The Dutchman was one of the two riders, along with Rohan Dennis, who had been called […]
US becomes first country to approve RSV vaccine
WASHINGTON, May 3, 2023 (AFP) – The United States on Wednesday approved the world’s first vaccine for the Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), the culmination of a decades-long hunt to protect vulnerable people from the common illness. Drugmaker GSK’s Arexvy was green-lighted for adults aged 60 and older, with similar shots from other makers including Pfizer and Moderna expected to follow soon. “Today’s approval of the first RSV vaccine is an important public health achievement to […]
Covid vaccines do not cause major menstrual issues: study
Paris, France (AFP) Getting vaccinated against Covid-19 does not make women more likely to seek medical attention for menstrual problems, the largest study conducted on the subject said on Thursday. Since Covid vaccination campaigns began nearly two and a half years ago, some women have reported changes in their menstrual cycle after getting the mRNA shots from Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna. This led to the European Union’s drug watchdog recommending that heavy periods be listed as […]
Costa Rican sloth antibiotics offer hope for human medicine
by Alberto PEÑA Agence France-Press CAHUITA, Costa Rica (AFP) — The fur of Costa Rican sloths appears to harbor antibiotic-producing bacteria that scientists hope may hold a solution to the growing problem of “superbugs” resistant to humanity’s dwindling arsenal of drugs. Sloth fur, research has found, hosts bustling communities of insects, algae, fungi and bacteria, among other microbes, some of which could pose disease risk. Yet, experts say, the famously slow-moving mammals appear to be […]
Thailand air pollution leads millions to seek medical help
BANGKOK, Thailand (AFP) — About 2.4 million people in Thailand have sought hospital treatment for medical problems linked to air pollution since the start of the year, health officials said, as toxic smog chokes parts of the country. Bangkok and the northern city of Chiang Mai were among the most polluted cities in the world on Thursday morning, according to air quality monitoring firm IQAir. The poor air quality has seen 2.4 million people seek […]
67 million children missed out on vaccines because of Covid: UNICEF
United Nations, United States (AFP) by Amélie BOTTOLLIER-DEPOIS Some 67 million children partially or fully missed routine vaccines globally between 2019 and 2021 because of lockdowns and health care disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the United Nations said Wednesday. “More than a decade of hard-earned gains in routine childhood immunization have been eroded,” read a new report from the UN’s children’s agency, UNICEF, adding that getting back on track “will be challenging.” Of the […]
Toxic alcohol kills at least 27 in ‘dry’ Indian state
PATNA, India (AFP) — Toxic hooch has killed at least 27 people in the eastern Indian state of Bihar where alcohol is banned, officials said Tuesday, with unconfirmed reports putting the death toll at 40. Selling and consuming liquor is prohibited in several parts of India, driving a thriving black market for potent and sometimes lethal backstreet moonshine that kills hundreds every year. Initial investigations into the latest tragedy showed that poisonous methyl alcohol was […]
US labels ‘tranq’ drug linked to fatal overdoses as ’emerging threat’
Washington, United States (AFP) — The US government on Wednesday designated xylazine, commonly known as “tranq,” as an “emerging threat” and asked Congress for funding to fight the drug that has been increasingly linked to a surge in overdose deaths. “This is the first time in our nation’s history that a substance is being designated as an emerging threat by any administration,” said Rahul Gupta, director of the White House Office of National Drug Control […]
US cases of sexually transmitted infections surpassed 2.5 million in 2021: CDC
Eagle News) — In the U.S., an alarming new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reveals that cases of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) increased between 2020 to 2021. “The U.S. STI epidemic shows no signs of slowing,” said Leandro Mena, MD, MPH, Director of CDC’s Division of STD Prevention. “The reasons for the ongoing increases are multifaceted – and so are the solutions.” According to the health agency, cases of chlamydia, gonorrhea, […]
Johnson & Johnson proposes $8.9 bn settlement of talc cancer claims
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — US pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson on Tuesday proposed an $8.9 billion settlement to resolve years-old lawsuits claiming that its talcum powder products caused cancer. The New Jersey-based company said the proposed settlement, which needs the approval of a bankruptcy court, “will equitably and efficiently resolve all claims arising from cosmetic talc litigation.” J&J has been facing thousands of lawsuits over talcum powder containing traces of asbestos blamed for […]
