SA Health Department confirms ARV shortages

While South Africa is struggling with the supply of both injectable and pill contraceptives, clinics have added antiretrovirals (ARVs) to the list of shortages. City Press reports that the Health Department has been having trouble supplying clinics... August 15th, 2018

GEMS pays out 91m claims amounting to R29.1bn in 2017

The Government Employees Medical Scheme (GEMS) paid out 91m claims for its 1.8m-strong membership base during 2017, amounting to a total value of more than R29.1bn. According to Dr Guni Goolab, principal officer of GEMS, the claims included 5.6m... August 15th, 2018

Suspicions grow of other Japanese medical schools excluding women

Several years ago, Riko Miyauchi’s dream of becoming a doctor took her into the exam halls of one of Japan’s most prestigious medical schools. As a young woman, she knew her prospects were slim. Tokyo Medical University’s entrance exam was... August 15th, 2018

Managing the abuse of Tramadol as a recreational drug in Africa

Tramadol is increasingly being used as a recreational drug across Central Africa writes Agnes Ebo’o, regional co-ordinator Central Africa, ENACT project, Institute of Security Studies (ISS) in a report on the Polity site. Ebo’o writes:... August 15th, 2018

Merck's experimental Ebola vaccine used in Congo

Four new cases of Ebola virus have been confirmed in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the health ministry said, as authorities prepare to deploy an experimental treatment. Reuters Africa reports that the latest confirmed cases near the town of... August 15th, 2018

First British use of VEST technology in CAG patients

Vascular Graft Solutions has announced that John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford, is the first centre in the UK to use its VEST technology to externally support vein grafts in patients undergoing coronary bypass surgery. "After several decades in... August 15th, 2018

Denosa threatens 'pyjama strike' over unpaid nursing uniform allowances

Nurses uniforms may soon be replaced by less conventional outfits such as pyjamas and traditional regalia. City Press reports that this was the warning issued by the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) after six of the nine... August 15th, 2018

Only one SA province has developed a HIV and TB plan

Almost a year after South Africa tasked provinces with developing HIV and TB plans, a Bhekisisa report says only the Free State has a finalised strategy. Every five years, South Africa develops a new national HIV and TB plan. The latest national... August 15th, 2018

Durban fertility expert fathered at least 5 children he helped conceive

More than 40 years after his suicide, the shocking secret of pioneering Durban fertility expert Norman "Tony" Walker has emerged – he was himself the father of at least five of the hundreds of children he helped to conceive. According to a Sunday... August 15th, 2018

Nigeria legislates to ban codeine in cough syrup

Nigeria has recalled 2.4m bottles of cough syrup containing codeine after national outrage earlier this year over endemic use of opioids. Reuters Africa reports that Nigeria imposed a ban on the production and import of codeine cough syrup earlier... August 15th, 2018

WHO may promote bedaquiline after SA brokers deal with J&J

The World Health Organisation (WHO) could soon start promoting a new tuberculosis drug that is now more affordable after South Africa brokered a deal with a pharmaceutical company to slash the price by half. Devex reports that the WHO had previously... August 15th, 2018

Contentious study shows reduced salt consumption not necessary for cardiac health

Research, led by the Population Health Research Institute (PHRI) in Canada with research colleagues in 21 countries, shows that for the vast majority of individuals, sodium consumption does not increase health risks except for those who eat more... August 15th, 2018

Early type 1 diabetes shortens women's lives by 18 years

Women who developed type 1 diabetes before the age of 10 years die an average of nearly 18 years earlier than women who do not have diabetes. Men in the corresponding situation lose almost 14 years of life. The lives of patients diagnosed at age... August 15th, 2018

No clear association between high-frequency electromagnetic fields and brain tumours

No clear associations were found between occupational exposure to high frequency electromagnetic fields (EMF) and risk of glioma or meningioma, in one of the largest epidemiological studies performed to date and led by ISGlobal, an institution... August 15th, 2018

Dolutegravir monotherapy an unsafe switch option

Using dolutegravir alone, as maintenance treatment after achieving undetectable viral load on a three-drug regimen, results in an unacceptable rate of viral rebound and is unethical in the view of many experts, the 22nd International AIDS Conference... August 15th, 2018

Patients receiving methadone and HIV drugs spend less time with detectable viral load

People on methadone maintenance treatment spent less time with a detectable viral load above 1,500 copies/ml, potentially reducing the risk of HIV transmission, a study presented by researchers at the BC Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, Canada,... August 15th, 2018

Another 2-drug HIV antiretroviral regimen emerges

Not only is there a once-daily pill that can control HIV infection with just 2 drugs and fewer side effects than the customary 3- or 4-drug regimens, but there may also be a choice between those pills soon. In addition to the recently reported... August 15th, 2018

Resistance to H. pylori infection antibiotics increasing

The resistance of Helicobacter pylori to antibiotics is increasing worldwide, with primary and secondary resistance to clarithromycin, metronidazole, and levofloxacin reaching levels higher than 15%, according to a new meta-analysis by researchers... August 15th, 2018

TP-PA shows excellent sensitivity for adjudicating syphilis

Treponema pallidum particle agglutination assay (TP-PA) is a better test to adjudicate syphilis results given its high specificity and superior sensitivity, according to a study. Syphilis is increasing at epidemic rates in the US, especially... August 15th, 2018

Belly fat associated with reduced cognitive function

A large Irish study found that higher belly fat was associated with reduced cognitive function in older adults. The study by researchers at Trinity College Dublin, using data from over 5,000 individuals, has found that a measure of belly fat... August 15th, 2018

Induction at 39 weeks lessens likelihood of C-section

Healthy first-time mothers whose labour was induced in the 39th week of pregnancy were less likely to deliver by Caesarean section, compared to those who waited for labour to begin naturally, according to a study funded by the National Institutes of... August 15th, 2018

PCOS increases risk of having an autistic child

Women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely than other women to have an autistic child, according to an analysis of NHS data carried out by a team at Cambridge University's Autism Research Centre. PCOS affects about one in ten... August 15th, 2018

Over-sleeping linked with up to 30% higher mortality risk

A UK research review has found that people who sleep for more than eight hours a night have a greater mortality and cardiovascular risk than those who sleep for under seven hours. A sleep duration of ten hours is linked with 30% increased risk of... August 15th, 2018

Cardiac death rates in young footballers higher than previously thought

Young footballers are dying from heart problems at a higher rate than was previously thought, according to doctors who oversee the cardiac screening programme for the UK Football Association. The Guardian reports their evaluation of 20 years of... August 15th, 2018