Category: Global Health

We also look at whats happneing across the world

HIV infections could jump over 6 times if US support is dropped and not replaced, UNAIDS chief says

Healthtimes

The head of the U.N. AIDS agency said Monday the number of new HIV infections could jump more than six times by 2029 if American support of the biggest AIDS program is dropped, warning that millions of people could die and more resistant strains of the disease could emerge. In an interview with The Associated Press, UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said HIV infections have been falling in recent years, with just 1.3 million new cases recorded in 2023, a 60% decline since the virus peaked in 1995. But since…

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Antibiotic Resistance is Here. Millions of People are Dying

Healthtimes

Reporters:  Aline Suárez del Real,  Edna Namara, Evidence Chenjerai,  Gabriela Meléndez-Rivera,  Lucila Pellettieri,  Odonchimeg Batsukh,  Sunita Neupane For years, Radha Lama bought antibiotics in bulk at a clinic near her home in Kathmandu, Nepal. She took the pills whenever she had a stomachache or headache, without talking to a doctor or nurse, says her daughter Pratikchya Lama. Now, at 57 years old, Radha Lama is on a ventilator in the intensive care unit of Nepal’s Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital. She hasn’t been able to breathe on her own since August…

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FDA Authorizes Marketing of 20 ZYN Nicotine Pouch Products after Extensive Scientific Review

Michael Gwarisa

By HealthTimes Reporter The U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized the marketing of 20 ZYN nicotine pouch products through the premarket tobacco product application (PMTA) pathway following an extensive scientific review. This is the first time the agency has authorized products commonly referred to as nicotine pouches, which are small synthetic fiber pouches containing nicotine designed to be placed between a person’s gum and lip. The FDA determined that the specific products receiving marketing authorization met the public health standard legally required by the 2009 Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. This standard…

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WHO Urges United States to Reconsider Withdrawal

Michael Gwarisa

By Michael Gwarisa Following United States President Donald Trump’s recent signing of an executive order to withdraw the US from the World Health Organization (WHO), the global health body has appealed to the US to rethink this decision. In a statement posted on its official Twitter (X) account, WHO expressed regret over the announcement, stating, “We hope the United States will reconsider, and we look forward to engaging in constructive dialogue to maintain the partnership between the USA and WHO, for the benefit of the health and well-being of millions…

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CDC Pilots Tool That Can Predict Diseases Outbreak Ahead Of Time

Healthtimes

Can we predict the ebb and flow of infectious disease the way meteorologists predict the weather? The federal government has bet big on the concept with a new nationwide network called Insight Net, which links academic disease modelers with public health practitioners. The network comprises 13 research consortia with participants in 24 states and is funded with up to $262 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Insight Net members are piloting analytical techniques that combine novel data sources to guide surveillance and inform decision-making during outbreaks. The…

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Second Woman May Be Cured of HIV After Stem Cell Transplant

Healthtimes

By Liz Highleyman An eighth person appears to be cured of HIV after receiving a stem cell transplant for cancer treatment, according to a case report presented at the HIV Drug Therapy meeting in Glasgow. The woman, who was treated in France, received a stem cell transplant for leukemia in July 2020 from a donor with a rare mutation that prevents the virus from entering cells. Although she stopped antiretroviral treatment a year ago, she has not yet experienced viral rebound. The risky transplant procedure is only appropriate for HIV-positive…

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Don’t sit on the toilet for more than 10 minutes, doctors warn

Healthtimes

  CNN  —  Let’s be honest — people have a habit of bringing their phones to the bathroom. I’ve been guilty of it myself, and chances are that someone is on the toilet reading this article right now. A three-minute trip to the loo can easily turn into 15 minutes of reading, scrolling and posting. It might seem a harmless way to pass the time when you’re going number two. However, experts warn that what they call prolonged sitting on the toilet can harm your health. It’s even been connected…

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Iraq Propose Bill To Reduce Age Of Consent For Girls To 9 Years

Michael Gwarisa

In Iraq, a proposed bill seeks to amend the Personal Status Law and Amendments 1959, which could lower the age of marriage to as young as 9 years old for girls. The bill passed its first reading on 11 August 2024, one of three stages proposed legislation must pass before it is put to vote. Current legislation (the Personal Status Law and Amendments 1959, also known as Law 188) sets the minimum legal age for marriage at 18, though individuals can marry at age 15 with judicial approval. The new…

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3-Month Dapivirine Vaginal Ring for HIV Prevention Demonstrates Superior Drug Release Compared to 1-Month Ring

Michael Gwarisa

By Staff Reporter Lima, Peru – The Population Council, an international nonprofit research organization, announced today at HIVR4P 2024, the 5th HIV Research for Prevention Conference, the results of a phase I open-label randomized crossover relative bioavailability trial (IPM 054). The trial found that a 3-month dapivirine vaginal ring delivers the active antiretroviral drug, dapivirine, at higher levels than the 1-month dapivirine vaginal ring. The trial, conducted among   124 women in South Africa, suggests that the longer-acting ring will be as effective as the 1-month ring, offering a more cost…

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Viagra drug improves brain blood flow and could help to prevent dementia

Healthtimes

A University of Oxford trial has shown that sildenafil, commonly known as Viagra, enhances blood flow to the brain and improves the function of brain blood vessels in patients at a heightened risk of vascular dementia.   This new study, published in Circulation Research and supported by the NIHR Oxford   Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), marks a potentially pivotal step in the fight against this debilitating condition. Dr Alastair Webb, Associate Professor at the Wolfson Centre for Prevention of Stroke and Dementia at Oxford University, said: “This is the first trial to…

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