January 2018 Standardmedia; The risk of dying from scheduled surgery in Africa is more than double the global average, researchers said in a study shedding light on one of the continent’s biggest but poorly investigated health care problems. Patients who go under the knife in Africa in theory have a lower …
Read More »Factbox-Obesity Medical Bill Could “Reach $1.2 Trillion” a Year By 2025
October 2017 Reuters; Obesity worldwide is escalating and without urgent action to prevent and treat it, the annual medical bill for dealing with its consequences could reach $1.2 trillion by 2025, the World Obesity Federation said ahead of World Obesity Day on Wednesday. Here are some facts about the rising …
Read More »KENYA: Kenya’s population hits 49.7 million amid slow jobs growth
August 2017 Businessdaily; Population of Kenya grew by 4.3 million within a year to reach 49.7 million at a time when the country is grappling with high unemployment, a new report says. According the 2017 World Population Data Sheet from the Population Reference Bureau (PRB), Kenya’s population will hit 67 …
Read More »WHO elects first ever African director-general after tense vote
May 2017 theguardian; The World Health Organisation has its first ever director-general from Africa, after the election of Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the former Ethiopian health minister. Dr Tedros, as he is known, beat the British candidate, Dr David Nabarro, after three tense rounds of voting on Tuesday. Third was …
Read More »Congo-Kinshasa: WHO Optimistic on Controlling DRC Ebola Outbreak
May 2017 VOA; The World Health Organization’s regional chief for Africa reports prospects for rapidly controlling the spread of the deadly Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo are good. While not underestimating the difficulties that lie ahead in bringing this latest outbreak of Ebola to an end, Matshidiso …
Read More »Africa’s Final Push for Election of Tedros as WHO Leader
May 2017 AllAfrica; The Chair of African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has urged the world to elect Dr. Tedros Adhanom of Ethiopia as the next Director-General of World Health Organization (WHO), saying he is the best-qualified candidate to lead the global health agency. “With Dr. Tedros, WHO will get …
Read More »14 social entrepreneurs to improve maternal & child health in Africa
February 2017 cnbcafrica; Today, in Nairobi, Kenya, the GE healthymagination Mother and Child Programme will graduate 14 social entrepreneurs who completed training and mentorship aimed at improving and accelerating maternal and/or child health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. GE and Santa Clara University’s Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship will graduate 14 …
Read More »How Changing Drug Patent Rules Will Affect Developing Nations
November 2016 TheConversation; After years of legal battles, a global agreement has been reached for developing countries to buy – and for drug manufacturers to produce or import – generic medicines without breaching patent rules. The Conversation Africa’s Health and Medicine Editor Candice Bailey asked Natalie Schellack to explain what …
Read More »Fake-News Alert – Male Circumcision Not Linked to Cancer of the Penis
November 2016 Africacheck; A news story saying that South Africa’s health minister urged men not to undergo voluntary circumcision as it can cause cancer of the penis is going viral. Not only is the claim false – the very opposite is true. In South Africa, a fake news story claiming …
Read More »New UN Health Agency Guidelines Aim to Stop Surgical Infections and Arrest Spread of ‘Superbugs’
November 2016 UNNewsCentre; Warning that millions of people die every year from preventable surgical infections, particularly in developing countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued new guidelines today on tackling hospital-acquired infections with the aim of saving lives, cutting costs and arresting the spread of ‘superbugs.’ “No one should get …
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