WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — Death rates from prostate cancer — the most commonly diagnosed cancer in men — have stabilized or declined in dozens of countries since the turn of the century, the American Cancer Society reported Tuesday. In 33 of 44 countries surveyed, the incidence of prostate cancer had stabilized in the last five years for which data was available — and in seven countries, it was down, the report found. Only four […]
Tag: health
Cholera kills two, infects 1,400 in cyclone-hit Mozambique
MAPUTO, Mozambique (AFP) — A cyclone-induced cholera outbreak in central Mozambique has killed two people and infected more than 1,400, the government announced Tuesday on the eve of the launch of a mass vaccination drive. Health authorities said 376 new cholera cases had been reported Tuesday, taking the total number of people infected to 1,428 since the first cases were reported last week. The bulk of the cases have been registered in the central city […]
Cholera cases mount to over 1,000 in cyclone-hit Mozambique
MAPUTO, Mozambique (AFP) — Cholera has infected at least 1,052 people in Mozambique’s cyclone-hit region, the health ministry said Monday in a new report, marking a massive increase from 139 cases reported four days ago. The mounting cases represent on average more than 200 cases of new infections each day. Although hundreds have been taken ill with cholera since last week, only one death has been reported so far, tallies compiled by the ministry showed. […]
Hundreds vaccinated after measles emergency in New York
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A New York county which declared a state of emergency over a measles outbreak is on the “right path” after administering hundreds of vaccinations in two days, the chief of the US district said on Friday. Under the emergency, Rockland County banned non-vaccinated minors from public places in a bid to prevent the once-eliminated disease from spreading. Planned for 30 days from midnight Wednesday, the emergency comes during […]
US performs first kidney transplant from living donor with HIV
by Ivan Couronne WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The kidney of a 35-year-old HIV-positive woman has been transplanted into another patient with the virus that causes AIDS, US surgeons announced Thursday, in a major medical breakthrough. The surgeons at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore performed the operation on Monday, calling it the first in the world of its kind. “I’m feeling good,” said the donor, Nina Martinez, at a news conference on Thursday following the […]
US county declares state of emergency amid measles outbreak
NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — A New York county hit by a measles outbreak declared a state of emergency Tuesday and banned non-vaccinated minors from public places in a bid to prevent the once-eliminated disease from spreading. The measure, which defines a public place as anywhere “more than 10 persons are intended to congregate” — including public transport — was announced by officials in Rockland County, 25 miles (40 kilometers) north of New York […]
Millions malnourished in Pakistan despite abundance of food
by Ashraf KHAN A frantic mother cradling her seven-month-old baby rushes towards the special paediatric ward in a desolate Pakistan town, his eyes are blank and he is smaller than most newborns. He is starving in a country that has no shortage of food, but which has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world and where malnutrition is rife. The infant weighs just 2.5 kilograms — the average for a healthy child […]
Glyphosate under fire from San Francisco to Sri Lanka
Glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide and the active ingredient in Monsanto’s weedkiller Roundup, is the subject of fierce controversy across the globe and is classified by the World Health Organization as “probably” being carcinogenic. After the second US cancer victim in a year won a surprise court victory against Monsanto over the weedkiller on Tuesday, here is the state of play regarding lawsuits and restrictions on the use of glyphosate around the world: […]
Short walk once-a-week can lower risk of death: study
PARIS, France (AFP) — A brisk stroll once or twice a week is enough to reduce the risk of dying from heart attack, stroke or cancer, according to a statistical study of nearly 90,000 people released Tuesday. People who walked or gardened 10 minutes to an hour each week had an 18-percent lower risk of death from any cause compared to full-on couch potatoes, researchers reported in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. Two-and-a-half to […]
New data in eternal debate over eggs, heart health
WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — The debate over whether eggs are good for you is age-old: while a good source of protein, they also contain potentially harmful cholesterol. Now, a new study — published Friday by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) — has weighed in. After analyzing 30,000 Americans from six separate studies, researchers concluded that eating an extra half-egg a day increased the risk of cardiovascular disease (six percent) and premature […]
WHO urges enforcement of tobacco ad bans at sporting events
GENEVA, Switzerland (AFP) — The World Health Organization called Thursday for better enforcement of bans on tobacco advertising at sporting events, after tobacco companies discretely reentered sponsorship deals with Formula 1 teams. “WHO is urging governments to enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship at sporting events, including when hosting or receiving broadcasts of Formula 1 and MotoGP events,” the UN health agency said in a statement. It also called on “all sporting bodies, […]
Over 100 Malaysian schools shut after toxic waste dump
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AFP) — Over 100 schools in Malaysia have been closed after the dumping of toxic waste into a river caused hundreds of people to fall ill, including many children, authorities said. A lorry is believed to have dumped the waste in southern Johor state last week, sending hazardous fumes across a wide area and causing those affected to display symptoms of poisoning such as nausea and vomiting. Over 500 people, many of […]





