Ghana has become the first country to approve a new malaria vaccine described as a “world changer” by scientists who developed it at the University of Oxford. The mosquito-spread parasitic disease kills more than 600,000 people every year. The majority are children in sub-Saharan Africa. A statement issued Wednesday by Oxford University says its new … continue reading -> “Ghana First to Approve Oxford’s ‘World Changer’ Malaria Vaccine”
A plan to legalize irrigation around the Donana wildlife reserve in southern Spain, one of Europe’s largest wetlands and a wintering location for migratory birds, has sparked an outcry during a prolonged drought. Andalusia’s conservative regional government wants to allow agricultural irrigation in five municipalities around Donana, saying the move poses no risk to the … continue reading -> “Plan to Allow Irrigation at Spanish Wildlife Sanctuary Sparks Outcry”
Electronic cigarette-maker Juul Labs will pay $462 million to six states and the District of Columbia, marking the largest settlement the company has reached so far for its role in the youth vaping surge, New York Attorney General Letitia James said Wednesday. The agreement with New York, California, Colorado, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Mexico and Washington, … continue reading -> “Juul Agrees to Pay $462 Million Settlement to 6 US States, DC”
Hospitals in Cameroon are reporting an increase in cases of river blindness, a parasitic disease caused by bites from infected blackflies. Hundreds of aid workers have been dispatched to remote, riverside villages to encourage those infected to seek treatment. In Sa’a district, 74 kilometers north of Cameroon’s capital of Yaounde, 45-year-old Jean Christophe Onana says … continue reading -> “Cameroon Says River Blindness Still a Major Health Issue”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on Wednesday proposed sweeping emissions cuts for new cars and trucks through 2032, a move it says could mean two out of every three new vehicles automakers sell will be electric within a decade. The proposal, if finalized, represents the most aggressive U.S. vehicle emissions reduction plan to date, … continue reading -> “US Proposes 56% Vehicle Emissions Cut by 2032, Requiring Big EV Jump”
U.S. health officials released data Tuesday showing how chlamydia, gonorrhea and syphilis cases have been accelerating, but doctors are hoping an old drug will help fight the sexually transmitted infections. Experts believe STDs have been rising because of declining condom use, inadequate sex education, and reduced testing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions of Americans are … continue reading -> “Morning-After-Style Pill May Help Stem Sexually Transmitted Infections”
Even before he has dipped his toes into the murky waters of Paris ‘ famous but forbidden River Seine, French triathlete Thibaut Rigaudeau is already fielding questions from disbelieving friends. “Are you scared of swimming in the Seine?” he says they ask him. “It looks disgusting.’” For decades, it was. Though immortalized in art, literature … continue reading -> “Paris’ Toxic River Seine Gets Olympic Reboot”
The U.S. national emergency to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic ended Monday as President Joe Biden signed a bipartisan congressional resolution to bring it to a close after three years — weeks before it was set to expire alongside a separate public health emergency. The national emergency allowed the government to take sweeping steps to … continue reading -> “Biden Ends COVID-19 National Emergency After Congress Acts”
An international team of scientists is rushing to save West Africa’s Atlantic humpback dolphin, which environmental groups say has been pushed to the brink of extinction. In 1987, Senegal banned nylon monofilament fishing nets that threaten dolphins and other marine life, but critics say the government has failed to enforce the law. Annika Hammerschlag reports … continue reading -> “Senegal: Critically Endangered Dolphin Threatened by Illegal Fishing Nets”
The Iowa Attorney General’s Office has paused its practice of paying for emergency contraception — and in rare cases, abortions — for victims of sexual assault, a move that drew criticism from some victim advocates. Federal regulations and state law require Iowa to pay many of the expenses for sexual assault victims who seek medical … continue reading -> “Iowa Won’t Pay for Rape Victims’ Abortions or Contraceptives”
Climate change, deforestation, and urbanization are some of the major risk factors behind the increasing number of outbreaks of viruses such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya around the world, warns a study by the World Health Organization. The study says the incidence of infections caused by these mosquito-borne illnesses, which thrive in tropical and subtropical … continue reading -> “WHO Warns Climate Change Causing Surge in Mosquito-Borne Diseases”
A 17-meter-long said Sunday, making it the third whale that beached itself on the Indonesian island in just a little over a week. The male sperm whale was found stranded on Yeh Leh beach in west Bali’s Jembrana district Saturday afternoon. “We are currently trying to pull the carcass to the shore to make it … continue reading -> “Third Whale in a Month Beaches Itself, Dies in Bali”
Qamar Ali Haji has been using skin-lightening products for four years. Initially she liked the change in her appearance but now the exposure to the chemicals in the products is taking a toll. She says she regrets it. “I can’t sit too long in the school, I cannot bear the heat, my cheeks turn red, … continue reading -> “Activist Puts Spotlight on Potential Dangers of Skin-Whitening Products”
During the coronavirus pandemic, telemedicine became a virtual phenomenon. As people remained in their homes during the pandemic, they began chatting with their doctors over the phone or video platforms on subjects such as chronic disease management, ongoing medical support, mental health issues and specialty care. To reach their patients, many health professionals had to … continue reading -> “Telemedicine Still Going Strong as US COVID Fears Fade”
With the whir of a mower under a clear blue sky, Senegalese researchers have begun harvesting a crop of experimental homegrown wheat, the latest step in a yearslong effort to reduce reliance on imports. The second-most consumed cereal after rice, wheat is an important staple in the bread-loving West African nation. But Senegal, like many … continue reading -> “Senegal Harvests Experimental Homegrown Wheat”
A growing number of state legislatures are considering bans on cosmetics and other consumer products that contain a group of synthetic, potentially harmful chemicals known as PFAS. In Vermont, the state Senate gave final approval this week to legislation that would prohibit manufacturers and suppliers from selling or distributing any cosmetics or menstrual products in … continue reading -> “US States Consider Ban on Cosmetics With ‘Forever Chemicals’”
Dust off your eclipse glasses: It’s only a year until a total solar eclipse sweeps across North America. On April 8, 2024, the moon will cast its shadow across a stretch of the U.S., Mexico and Canada, plunging millions of people into midday darkness. It’s been less than six years since a total solar eclipse … continue reading -> “Year From Now, Shadow From Total Solar Eclipse to Cut Across North America”
Changes in air patterns as the world warms will likely push more and nastier hurricanes up against the United States’ East and Gulf coasts, especially in Florida, a new study said. While other studies have projected how human-caused climate change will probably alter the frequency, strength and moisture of tropical storms, the study in Friday’s … continue reading -> “Study Says Warming Likely to Push More Hurricanes Toward US Coasts”
India’s federal government asked states to identify emergency hotspots and ramp up testing for COVID-19 after the country recorded its highest daily case count since September, a Reuters tally showed on Friday. There were 6,050 new cases of COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, the federal Health Ministry said on Friday, continuing a sharp upward … continue reading -> “India Asks States to Ramp Up Testing as COVID Cases Climb”
Health care workers in Zimbabwe have condemned the government’s plan to criminalize their recruitment to work in other countries as part of efforts to reduce a medical brain drain. Zimbabwe’s vice president and health minister, Constantino Chiwenga, said the country will introduce a law to make it illegal for foreign nations to hire their health care workers. … continue reading -> “Zimbabwe’s Health Care Workers Condemn Plan to Criminalize Foreign Recruiters ”
Celebrations marking World Health Day are taking place in the shadow of the coronavirus that has sickened more than 762 million people around the world and killed more than 6.8 million. “For the past three years, [the World Health Organization] has coordinated the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the most severe health crisis in … continue reading -> “COVID-19 Weighs Heavily on This Year’s World Health Day”
The World Health Organization said Thursday that it was sure China had far more data that could shed light on the origins of COVID-19, demanding that Beijing immediately share all relevant information. “Without full access to the information that China has … all hypotheses are on the table,” WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in … continue reading -> “‘We Need to Know’: WHO Says China Has More on COVID Origin”
Cyclone Freddy killed hundreds of people in February and March as it pummeled Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique. While the long-running storm’s victims were mostly in Malawi, floodwaters in Mozambique have created a fresh threat there from cholera. Cases have nearly doubled in one week to 19,000 amid a shortage of facilities, many of which were … continue reading -> “Mozambique Battles Cholera in Record Cyclone’s Aftermath “
Life on our planet faced a stern test during the Cryogenian Period that lasted from 720 million to 635 million years ago when Earth twice was frozen over with runaway glaciation and looked from space like a shimmering white snowball. Life somehow managed to survive during this time called “Snowball Earth,” and a new study … continue reading -> “Study Explains How Primordial Life Survived on ‘Snowball Earth’”
Farmers and Silicon Valley technologists are collaborating to make agriculture more efficient and productive. Michelle Quinn reports on the ag technology being developed and what is to come. …