Health and medicine

The World Health Organization (WHO) is ramping up efforts to provide medical assistance to Rwanda in its fight against the Marburg virus disease (MVD), a lethal hemorrhagic fever that has tragically resulted in nine fatalities to date. According to the Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, authorities have pinpointed around 300 individuals who were in close contact with confirmed cases and are currently under vigilant observation. MVD, a severe virus primarily spread through direct contact with bodily fluids of…

Dr. Patrick Kuma Aboagye, the Director General of the Ghana Health Service, recently unveiled a staggering statistic: in 2022, hepatitis, a severe liver infection, claimed the lives of 15,000 individuals in Ghana. This grim figure breaks down to approximately 42 lives lost each day, with young adults bearing the brunt of this health crisis. “Many cases remain hidden,” Dr. Aboagye emphasized, pointing out that a considerable segment of the population doesn’t even realize their infection status, which complicates efforts to…

The 25th International AIDS Conference highlighted an essential approach for eradicating HIV as a public health dilemma by the year 2030: prioritizing community involvement. Globally, the fight against HIV has always relied on collective action, making significant strides along the way. However, Dr. Joram Sunguti—a Senior Technical Advisor specializing in HIV/AIDS and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) at Pathfinder International—stresses that intensifying community engagement is crucial for tackling enduring…

Mpox, a virus that has caused a considerable stir, has seen a worrying uptick in cases across the African continent. The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) finds itself at the heart of this growing crisis. As of January 2024, a staggering 3,800 confirmed cases have been reported, cutting across 15 nations, with DR Congo bearing the brunt— over 90% of these infections are within its borders. This alarming situation has prompted the World Health Organization (WHO) to ring the alarm bells. They've labeled this…

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation reports that fortifying bouillon cubes in Nigeria with iron, folic acid, zinc, and vitamin B12 could prevent up to 16,6 million cases of anemia and save 11,000 children from neural tube defect-related deaths by 2050. The foundation calls on world leaders to increase investments in global health, focusing on child nutrition and well-being amid the growing climate crisis. The World Health Organization estimates that 148 million children are stunted, while 45 million are affected by…

Gilles Yabi, last week you launched a petition calling for the improvement of health systems in West Africa and you also organized on Wednesday 15 March a virtual roundtable discussion on how health structures work. Why this focus on health right now?…

In Senegal, the Kimpavita Ecofeminist Festival hosted, on Saturday, March 12, a film screening, a music scene, performances, the recording of a feminist podcast and various roundtable discussions, one of which was about gynecological violence and obstetrics, a…

In Madagascar, a dozen civil society organizations concerned within the well being sector are calling for extra funding within the battle in opposition to AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, a battle "hampered and overshadowed by the Covid-19 pandemic," they…

Former Congolese Minister of Health Eteni Longondo, accused almost unanimously by the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) of embezzling funds set aside for the response to Covid-19 when he was in office in 2020, was placed under a temporary arrest warrant, Friday, August 27, 2021, in the end of a hearing at the prosecutor's office near the Court of Cassation in Kinshasa. He spent the night in Makala…

Traffic accidents, conflict-related injuries ... The NGO Humanity and Inclusion (formerly Handicap International) estimates that 80% of those injured who develop a permanent disability could have been avoided. Humanité et Inclusion regrets the fact that almost 80% of victims develop a permanent disability that could have been…