Category: Global Health

We also look at whats happneing across the world

DNA reveals the real killers that brought down Napoleon’s army

Healthtimes

By Linda Gedde Napoleon’s march on Moscow remains one of history’s most catastrophic military retreats. As his army withdrew, tens of thousands perished. But what killed them? There was hunger and cold, but also a mysterious illness that was long thought to be typhus. Now, more than two centuries later, DNA from the soldiers’ teeth is rewriting that history, suggesting the answer instead could be bacteria that cause enteric and relapsing fevers. “It’s very exciting to use a technology we have today, to detect and diagnose something that was buried for…

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Study Finds Significant Rates of Infidelity Among Doctors and Nurses

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  A new study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health has revealed that infidelity is not uncommon among medical professionals, with 21 percent of participating doctors and nurses admitting to having engaged in an unfaithful relationship. The study, titled “Incidence and Related Factors of Infidelity among Medical Doctors and Nurses,” was conducted by researchers Sara Guerrero, Gracia Castro-Luna, Rosa Zapata Boluda, Aida Freites, Rafael García, and Tesifón Parrón-Carreño. It sought to understand the prevalence of infidelity within the medical profession and the factors…

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Oncologists Should Lead the Tobacco Harm Reduction Discourse

Healthtimes
Nicotine Isn’t the Enemy: World Expert Corrects a Century of Misconception

By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma A leading French oncologist has called on cancer specialists worldwide to take an active role in Tobacco Harm Reduction and help correct misconceptions about nicotine and its link to cancer. Speaking on the sidelines of the 2025 Technovation Summit in Dubai, Professor David Khayat, an oncologist at Pierre et Marie University in Paris, said oncologists have a duty to promote science-based communication around smoking and nicotine use. We as oncologists have to trust science, and science says nicotine does not cause cancer, so let’s stick to…

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PMI Chief Calls for Urgent Embrace of Smoke-Free Alternatives to Save Lives

Healthtimes

By Munyaradzi Blessing Doma in Dubai Despite years of anti-smoking campaigns and strict tobacco control measures, the global number of smokers remains stubbornly high. According to peer-reviewed data, about 75 percent of those who attempt to quit relapse within six months. This persistent challenge, experts say, underscores the need for alternative solutions such as smoke-free products. Speaking at the Technovation Summit in Dubai, Philip Morris International (PMI) Chief Executive Officer Jacek Olczak urged governments and regulators to support the adoption of smoke-free alternatives for smokers who cannot or will not…

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Another Devastating Blow to HIV Funding as US Congress Advances $2 Billion in Cuts

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa The future of the United States’ HIV response hangs in the balance after the House Appropriations Committee advanced a spending bill that would slash nearly $2 billion from federal HIV programs. Advocates and public health leaders are warning that if enacted, the cuts could dismantle decades of progress in the fight against HIV and put millions of lives at risk. The proposed Fiscal Year 2026 Labor-HHS appropriations bill eliminates all Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) HIV prevention funding, amounting to roughly $1 billion. It also…

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Childhood Obesity Emerging as a Global Public Health Crisis

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  Childhood obesity is rapidly becoming one of the most pressing public health challenges worldwide, with millions of children now overweight or obese, according to a new global nutrition report. The report reveals that between 1990 and 2022, the number of children living with obesity soared from 31 million to 58 million, while the number of overweight children rose from 61 million to 104 million. Together, this means more than 160 million children globally are either overweight or obese, a staggering rise that health experts warn poses serious…

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Sperm Cells May Carry Traces of Childhood Stress, Study Finds

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  New research suggests that fathers who experienced high levels of stress during childhood may carry traces of that trauma in their sperm, potentially influencing their offspring — though scientists caution that more research is needed before drawing firm conclusions. The study, published on January 3, 2025, in the journal Molecular Psychiatry, examined the epigenetics of sperm cells from men exposed to significant childhood stress. Epigenetics refers to chemical or molecular modifications that affect how DNA is read, without altering the underlying genetic code. These changes can influence…

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UNAIDS Welcomes US Move to Expand HIV Prevention Access

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter  UNAIDS welcomes the announcement by the US State Department that the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) will be supporting an initiative by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria to provide lenacapavir to up to 2 million people in countries with high burdens of HIV. Lenacapavir, an American-based innovation, is one of the most promising new HIV prevention tools that has emerged in the HIV response, offering protection against HIV with just twice-yearly injections. The breakthrough medicine will save thousands of lives if…

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China Firm Plans World’s First Pregnancy Humanoid Robot Using Artificial Womb

Healthtimes
China firm plans world’s first pregnancy humanoid robot using artificial womb

A Chinese tech firm is racing to deliver what could be the world’s first “gestation robot.” Kaiwa Technology, based in Guangzhou, has unveiled plans for a humanoid robot designed with an artificial womb embedded in its abdomen, capable of carrying a fetus through ten months of gestation and delivering a baby, according to Chinese media reports. Slated for debut by 2026 and expected to cost under 100,000 yuan (around US$13,900), the robot is being positioned as a pregnancy alternative for individuals who wish to avoid the burdens of human gestation.…

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China Deploys Drones and Mosquito Nets Amid Chikungunya Outbreak

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa China has launched an aggressive response to a Chikungunya virus outbreak that has infected over 7,000 people, mainly in Foshan, Guangdong Province. The mosquito-borne virus, which causes fever and severe joint pain, has led to hospitalizations lasting up to a week. In a COVID-style response, authorities have deployed drones to locate mosquito breeding sites and workers are disinfecting streets and buildings. Citizens have been advised to use mosquito nets and insect repellents, particularly the elderly, young children, and those with pre-existing health conditions. While the situation remains…

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