Three members of the Dawoodi Bohra sect of Islam were recently indicted on charges of “female genital mutilation” (FGM) in the U.S. state of Michigan. In Norway, meanwhile, one of the major political parties has backed a measure to ban childhood male circumcision. By Rebecca Steinfeld & Brian D Earp …
Read More »All about the new Ebola outbreak
World Health Organisation confirms several dead in DR Congo The World Health Organization has confirmed an Ebola outbreak in a remote forested part of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the first in that country since 2014. By May 12, at least nine people were suspected of being infected, and three …
Read More »WHO eyes vaccine trial for Ebola-hit DR Congo
Geneva, Switzerland | AFP | An unlicensed Ebola vaccine could soon be tested in a remote region of the Democratic Republic of Congo hit by an outbreak of the virus, the World Health Organization said Thursday. There is no licensed vaccine for the Ebola virus, but a promising candidate vaccine …
Read More »Swallowable balloons work to curb obesity
Paris, France | AFP | Weight-loss balloons swallowed rather than surgically inserted in the stomach were shown to be safe and effective in preliminary trials, according to findings unveiled Thursday at a medical conference. So-called intragastric balloons have been used for decades to help obese patients shed unwanted kilos. Inflated …
Read More »Under police escort, S.African ambulances brave attacks
Cape Town, South Africa | AFP | When an emergency call comes in from one of South Africa’s most crime-ridden neighbourhoods, ambulances do not rush straight to the scene but to a police station first to request an armed escort. A surge in attacks on ambulance workers has led to …
Read More »HEALTH: C-section delivery
Risks remain whether it’s choice or forced Solomy Mukiibi never planned on delivering through C-section. In fact, she had two normal deliveries before her third baby brought the unexpected. It started when she stopped feeling the rolling sensation of her baby’s movements. “The midwives and obstetrics gynecologists quickly realised something …
Read More »Kamuli gets 391,000 mosquito nets
The Speaker of Parliament Rebecca Kadaga has launched a mass distribution of over 390,000 insecticide treated mosquito nets in Kamuli to curb incidents of malaria in the eastern region. The distribution is part of a countrywide effort by the Malaria Control Programme under the Ministry of Health, which commenced in …
Read More »Nigeria says vigilant after DR Congo Ebola deaths
Lagos, Nigeria | AFP | Nigeria on Monday said it had stepped up health surveillance and vigilance was high at entry ports after an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo killed at least three people. “The minister has directed the director of health services at the ports to …
Read More »When Museveni contracted chickenpox
President Museveni meets former teacher who saved him from chickenpox London, UK | PPU| Sometime in 1963, a student at Ntare School came down with a serious fever, with a temperature of over 104 degrees Fahrenheit. This was strange considering that the normal body temperature is said to be about 98.6 …
Read More »The many benefits of vitamin D
Before antibiotics were discovered, sunlight was part of the standard treatment for tuberculosis By Melvin Sanicas Vitamin D helps our bodies regulate levels of calcium and phosphate – nutrients that keep bones, teeth, and muscles healthy. Often, sunlight on our skin can be enough to enable us to produce all …
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