A new study on Monday showed increased HIV infection rates among pregnant women living in areas with high migrant labour in South Africa, the country with one of the world’s highest caseloads. Infections in the…
Posts tagged health
Warning: Food viruses can be spread by kitchen knives
People preparing food are advised to wash their hands to prevent the spread of disease, yet an unseen threat may well lie on their kitchen knife, a new study says. Researchers at the Center for…
Dogs can sniff out lung cancer, pilot study shows
Dogs are surprisingly adept at sniffing out lung cancer, results from a pilot project in Austria published on Wednesday suggested, potentially offering hope for earlier, life-saving diagnosis. “Dogs have no problem identifying tumour patients,” said…
S.Africa marks AIDS day with record ribbon
South Africa, home to the world’s largest HIV caseload, on Saturday unveiled a 1.5 kilometre AIDS ribbon in Johannesburg, with activists and officials pledging to curb the epidemic. Created from over 6,000 red T-shirts pinned…
Dangers of mixing grapefruit with drugs rises
The number of drugs when mixed with grapefruit that can lead to serious health problems, including sudden death, has skyrocketed, warns a Canadian researcher who first discovered the toxic link. In an article in the…
In depth: Epilepsy Awareness Month
By Olive Burrows A Nigerian movie plays on the 14” television set above the reception desk. A June 2011 copy of International Epilepsy News lies on the seat next to me. Its cover reads ‘Celebrating…
New SARS virus linked to bats
A novel strain of the deadly SARS virus that sparked a health scare this year is closely related to a virus found in Asian bats, according to a study published on Tuesday. Scientists in the…
Global pact adopted to curb illicit tobacco trade
More than 170 countries Monday adopted what World Health Organisation (WHO) chief Margaret Chan called a “game-changing” global pact to combat the illegal tobacco trade. The treaty envisages an international tracking system which aims to…
Regular exercise raises life expectancy: study
Regular moderate exercise can raise life expectancy — even among people who are overweight, a study said. The analysis, published in PLOS Medicine, pooled self-reported data on physical activities and body mass indexes (BMIs) —…