A special project celebrating the fifth anniversary of “Our Views, Our Voices” | Learn more For many years, Betsy Rodriguez was terrified that she could lose her daughter Carmen to hypoglycemia at any moment. As a girl, Carmen was diagnosed as having type 1 diabetes. “I cannot count the hours I’ve spent dealing with insurance […] Continue reading ->
Africa Faces 1.1 Million Deaths Annually from Air Pollution – Second Largest Risk After Malnutrition
Africa faces some of the world’s most severe health impacts from air pollution – with five countries on the continent ranking among the ten most polluted countries in the world, according to a new report by the US-based research organization Health Effects Institute. Those countries include Niger, Nigeria, Egypt, Mauritania and Cameroon, where the report, […] Continue reading ->
A precedent-setting agreement to permit an expensive cancer drug to be produced more affordably by generic manufacturers has been signed between the Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) and pharmaceutical company Novartis, enabling much wider access to a medicine that treats a rare blood cancer. Nilotinib is a twice-daily oral medication used to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia […] Continue reading ->
Common cancers that can be treated successfully when they’re detected early – breast, cervical, colorectal and prostate – are causing high mortality in low and middle-income countries (LMICs) because of a lack of screening and treatment, Dr Cary Adams, CEO of the Union for International Cancer Control (UICC), told a press conference at the start […] Continue reading ->
A lack of expertise in geriatric oncology means that cancer in older adults is often confused with other signs of ageing and diagnosed too late. Dr Sonali Johnson sets out a blueprint for addressing this barrier – one of the many topics to be discussed at the World Cancer Congress, hosted by the Union for […] Continue reading ->
DIGYA, Ghana – Local farmer Precious Amewornu nearly died just before she could give birth to her second child and had to travel almost 500 kilometres for hospital care because her local clinic was not equipped to deal with her high blood pressure – one of the most common non-communicable diseases (NCDs). A nurse at […] Continue reading ->
Amber Huett-Garcia has struggled with obesity since she was in first grade. “Now in adulthood, despite reducing my BMI from 69 to 24 (245 lbs. lost), I still carry the expensive diagnosis of obesity,” she wrote in a recent blog for the Noncommunicable Disease Alliance (NCD Alliance). “I’ve used pharmacotherapy, surgical interventions, mental health care […] Continue reading ->
Ministers and government officials took on noncommunicable diseases, sickle cell disease, health system reforms in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and measures to fight tuberculosis among children in Africa during their meeting of the 72nd WHO Regional Committee for Africa this week. In an effort to curb Africa’s chronic disease crisis, African health ministers adopted […] Continue reading ->
MONTREAL – People with mental health conditions are more likely to get HIV, while people with HIV often struggle with depression and other mental health issues – but few countries offer psychosocial support as part of their HIV services. “As a result of systemic inequalities, mental health issues keep coming up and you have to […] Continue reading ->
French drugmaker Sanofi is the latest pharmaceuticals manufacturer to offer a package of essential medicines at cost to health systems in the world’s most impoverished countries – including much-needed cancer and diabetes treatments. Sanofi on Monday announced the launch of the new nonprofit Impact® brand for dozens of medicines, that is supposed to ease support […] Continue reading ->