JOHANNESBURG — South African scientists are scrambling to determine how quickly a newly discovered variant of the coronavirus can spread and if it is resistant to vaccines. The new strain has led Britain to reimpose flights bans on six southern African countries, which could deal another heavy blow to their economies. Omicron More Transmissible but…
Category: Health
Riots in South Africa have left people hungry — it’s the poorest who are worst hit
DURBAN, South Africa — South Africa was already beset by rampant poverty. The pandemic exacerbated the struggle for many of the country’s poorest. Now weeks of riots have left stores torched, shelves empty and many hungry. President Cyril Ramaphosa has reassured the country that “immediate food relief” was being distributed in the wake of deadly unrest that saw access to food disrupted after…
Cancer research another long-term casualty of the coronavirus pandemic, scientists say
As the death toll from the coronavirus climbs, Karen Hilton, of Dalkeith, Scotland, sees herself and others fighting cancer as “collateral damage.” Hilton, 48, was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer four years ago. After a double mastectomy, surgeries to remove her ovaries and fallopian tubes that were also at risk of cancer…
After the coronavirus, China moves to kick its exotic meat habit
Ou Yang is having a hard time finding snake to eat. “A very famous restaurant specialized in cooking snakes in my city already stopped providing such dishes,” Ou told NBC News from Foshan, in southern China, where snake has long been regarded as a delicacy. “They are all banned now.” As the world struggles to…
‘They’re so vulnerable’: Coronavirus hits tribes of isolated Andaman Islands
An indigenous tribe on India’s Andaman Islands, whose population hovers just over 50 people, is now threatened by the coronavirus and experts fear uncontacted people on nearby islands could be next. At least 10 people from the Great Andamanese tribe have tested positive for COVID-19 as of Friday and were being monitored in a hospital,…
Health workers fighting coronavirus around the world threatened by violence
As Dr. Trupti Katdare and her colleague, Dr, Zakia Sayyed, traced the contacts of a patient who had tested positive for the coronavirus, a mob set upon them, yelling and throwing stones. “It was very scary,” Katdare said of the incident, which took place April 1 in the Indian city of Indore. “We didn’t understand…
African countries that faced Ebola outbreaks use lessons to fight COVID-19, experts say
African countries previously hit by deadly Ebola outbreaks are using the lessons they learned to fight the coronavirus pandemic, experts say, because they know how to rapidly track down, screen and quarantine potential patients. “When a certain outbreak is over, you have a capacity left behind that you can build on or adapt. It could be…
Congo’s Ebola response threatened by conspiracy theories, rumors
People who have contracted Ebola are opting to die at home rather than seek treatment as conspiracy theories fuel distrust of the government and of health workers grappling with the crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to the workers and aid groups. Nearly 20 new cases of the deadly illness are being identified…
Ireland takes aim at prenatal alcohol exposure
DUBLIN — Doctors in Ireland were once known to recommend a pint of Guinness as a source of iron for pregnant or nursing women. While that advice has been discredited, drinking remains so ingrained in Irish culture that many women still feel that swapping a beer or cocktail for something nonalcoholic at a social gathering isn’t an…
Lack of friends, language barriers can lead to social isolation, but this group is changing that
VANCOUVER — Amie Peacock describes her mother as “a social butterfly,” but when she came to visit her in Vancouver from the Philippines a lack of friends and a language barrier left her miserable and lonely. “I couldn’t imagine there are more people like her in our city and, sure enough, when I started looking…
Fighting loneliness with a community of seniors
B.C. First Nations say fentanyl crisis disproportionately affecting their communities
VANCOUVER — First Nations leaders in British Columbia say they suspect fentanyl is having a disproportionate impact on their communities, but they can’t get the numbers to prove it. Grand Chief Edward John of the First Nations Summit said he’s been asking the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) and other provincial authorities for the data…
Adults with fetal alcohol syndrome appear prone to health conditions, survey says
Myles Himmelreich has struggled with significant joint pain since he was a teen, yet he didn’t get a proper diagnosis of arthritis until he was in his mid-30s. His young age and the fact he is diagnosed with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder may have prevented doctors from considering testing his joints sooner — a problem…
How drug potency and online ordering are fuelling Canada’s opioid crisis
VANCOUVER — Illicit drugs have always been a problem in port cities, but experts say the emergence of highly potent synthetic opioids that are fuelling British Columbia’s overdose crisis are slipping through borders in new ways, presenting challenges for law enforcement. International regulations, online ordering and the potency of the drug are among the factors…
Caregiving takes toll on finances, career, health
For three years, Heidi Hudson spent her days caring for her ailing father and her nights working on the few contracts she could pick up to support herself. Doctors would say her father, who suffered serious complications following a routine kidney operation, was dying. But as he enjoyed periods of recovery, her role as a…
Out of the shadows
In rural West Africa, this treatment takes its most violent form with those suffering from mental disorders often left outdoors in the elements, chained to trees for years on end and regularly whipped to force “evil spirits” to leave their bodies. — ALJAZEERA
Praying for a cure
In West Africa, hundreds of people with mental illness live in awful conditions. One organization is fighting for a new approach to treatment.
Rising to meet the demand for palliative care
ARUA, UGANDA — There were no health workers dedicated to palliative care in the West Nile region when Lucy Agaboru first learned of the treatment over 15 years ago — but that has since changed dramatically. Ms. Agaboru is now the head of a palliative care unit at Arua Regional Referral Hospital. It’s a role she…
Canada needs to invest in new hospitals, says health care association
Dr. Richard Johnston knew the health care system was in trouble when he walked down a hallway at University of Alberta Hospital and saw an older woman housed in a linen closet instead of a proper room.
Happy at home
Seventy-year-old Paul Morrison is among 700,000 Canadians living with Alzheimer’s disease or dementia. Despite the diagnosis, Morrison continues to live alone in his Vancouver home. This story is about the people and resources helping Morrison maintain his independence.