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☆ Critically Ill Children Allowed to Leave Gaza for First Time Since May
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Aaron Boxerman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Israel and Egypt agreed to allow at least 19 sick children, most of them cancer patients, to leave Gaza for medical treatment on Thursday, Israeli and Palestinian officials said, in the first major evacuation of critically ill Gazans since the Rafah border crossing shut down in early May. The Israeli military said the operation had been carried out in coordination with the United States, Egypt and the international community. In total, 68 people — sick and injured patients and their escorts — were allowed to leave, the military said. They include those wounded in airstrikes, as well as cancer patients, children with life-threatening illnesses and older people who need open-heart surgery. Even before the war, many Gazans were forced to travel abroad for lifesaving treatments, like chemotherapy, which were almost nonexistent in the Gaza Strip.

Persons: —, Tania Hary, ” Organizations: World Health Organization Locations: Israel, Egypt, Gaza, Rafah, United States, “

☆ ‘Sugary food is a drug for me’: A growing number of children are addicted to ultraprocessed foods
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

“I really gravitated towards the sugary ultraprocessed foods — it was like a physical drive, I had to have it,” he said. While many people addicted to food will say that their symptoms began to worsen significantly in adolescence, some recall a childhood focused on ultraprocessed food. The Institute of Food Technologists, an association of food professionals and technologists, does not agree with the research on ultraprocessed food addiction. “Children who eat a lot of ultraprocessed foods could well be malnourished.”According to the International Food and Beverage Alliance, however, there is no clear, objective, reliable or scientifically validated definition for “ultraprocessed” food. “Each time I would pray, ‘Please be it, please make this the answer.’ But I would ultimately start binging on ultraprocessed foods,” Odwazny said.

Persons: Jeffrey Odwazny, “, ”, Ashley Gearhardt, Ann Arbor, Gearhardt, ” Gearhardt, David Wiss, Bryan Hitchcock, Rocco Renaldi, Odwazny, ” Odwazny, ‘, ’ ”, Jeffrey Odwazny “, “ I’ve, ” Wiss, Sugar, Alexandra DiFeliceantonio, DiFeliceantonio, salivates, Laura Oliverio, —, Kimberly Dennis, Dennis, ‘ That’s, Kimmy Organizations: CNN, Chicago, Yale, University of Michigan, National Survey, Los, The, Food Technologists, World Health, International Food and Beverage Alliance, Food and Agriculture Organization, United Nations, Virginia Tech, Center, Health, Nutrition, University of Illinois Chicago College of Medicine, “ Locations: United States, Ann, Los Angeles, Blacksburg, Chicago, ’

☆ Snapchill canned coffee recalled in the US over botulism fears
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-26 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —All Snapchill canned coffee products are being recalled across the United States because of fears they may contain a deadly toxin. The botulinum toxin can cause botulism, a rare but potentially fatal disease, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). “Snapchill is working on filing the appropriate notification with FDA,” the statement added. Snapchill distributed its products across the country through coffee roasters and retail outlets, as well as its own website. “Consumers should either destroy the products or return the product to Snapchill or the place of purchase for a refund,” the statement on the FDA’s website said.

Persons: ” “ Organizations: London CNN, Food and Drug Administration, FDA, World Health Organization, WHO, “ Locations: United States

☆ Adekunle Gold on sickle cell advocacy: ‘It’s time to learn my voice – people are dying’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Larry Madowo | Lauren Lee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

It affects children who inherit two copies of the sickle cell gene, one from each parent. Nigeria bears the highest burden, where as many as 150,000 babies are born with sickle cell disease annually – the most of any country. Adekunle Gold first wrote of his woes with sickle cell disease in 2022 in his song “5 Star.” Now, he is readying himself for a long-term commitment to advocacy, announcing the establishment of the Adekunle Gold Foundation, which will focus on addressing the needs of children battling sickle cell disease on the African continent. Larry Madowo: Why are you speaking up about sickle cell disease now and especially being very aggressive about this awareness? Nigerian singer Adekunle Gold is using his global platform to raise awareness of sickle cell disease, which disproportionally affects people in Africa.

Persons: CNN —, Adekunle, readying, CNN’s Larry Madowo, Larry Madowo, CNN Larry Madowo, bro, can’t, Nigeria Larry Madowo, Will, Larry Madowo’s Organizations: CNN, World Health Organization, Foundation, Adekunle Locations: Africa, Nigeria, Nigerian, West Africa, Lagos, Ilorin, Canada

It was a glimmer of familial normality in Gaza for a nine-year-old and her younger sibling that ended in tragedy. Hanan is one of thousands of critically ill patients waiting for medical evacuation from Gaza but unable to leave following the closure of the Rafah crossing to Egypt in early May. The only hope for many is to be evacuated through the Rafah crossing into Egypt and get treatment in neighboring countries. Since May 7, not one single case has been able to leave through Rafah, creating a backlog of desperation and severe cases. “The Rafah crossing should be reopened as quickly as possible,” Peeperkorn says, “or there should be an alternative crossing or mechanism actually applied because we cannot leave these critical patients.

Persons: CNN — Hanan Aqel, ” Hanan, Hanan, Mahmoud Mahane, Hanan Aqel, handout Hanan, Mohammad Al, ”, “, Rik Peeperkorn, Peeperkorn, ” Peeperkorn, European Union –, Kholoud, Malak Organizations: CNN, Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, Health, West Bank, European Union, Nasser Locations: Gaza, Al, Aqsa, Rafah, Egypt, Israel, Jerusalem, Qatar, Jordan, UAE, Turkey, COGAT, Palestinian Territories

☆ Japan reports record spike in potentially deadly bacterial infection
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-17 | by ( Helen Regan | Junko Ogura | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Cases of a dangerous and highly fatal bacterial infection have reached record levels in Japan, official figures show, with experts so far unable to pinpoint the reason for the rise. STSS is a rare but serious bacterial infection that can develop when bacteria spread into deep tissues and the bloodstream. In March, Japanese authorities warned of a jump in STSS cases. The reason for this year’s rise in cases of STSS in Japan remains unclear, according to Japanese public broadcaster NHK. “So, more people are now susceptible to infection, and that may be one reason for the sharp rise in cases.”

Persons: iGAS “, Ken Kikuchi, people’s, ” Kikuchi Organizations: CNN, Japan’s Health, Japan’s National, of Infectious, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, CDC, World Health, of Infectious Diseases, NHK, Tokyo Women’s Medical University Locations: Japan, STSS, Tokyo

☆ Why 4 new bird flu developments have experts worried about the virus
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Read previewBird flu is flying wild, and it has many infectious disease experts more worried now than ever. The H5N1 avian influenza virus has killed tens of millions of birds across the planet and more than 40,000 sea lions and seals. Most people seem to have very little chance, if any, of catching H5N1 avian influenza right now. Jim Vondruska/ReutersBut infectious disease experts are increasingly concerned that the H5N1 virus could make a sustained jump into humans and start spreading among us. This virus is a leading candidate for the next pandemic, and four developments in the past month have experts worried.

Persons: —, Jim Vondruska, That's, Dr, Monica Gandhi, Bird, WHO —, Christopher Dye, Dye, David L, Ryan, Gandhi, Tayfun, Rick Bright, Cynthia Goldsmith, Jackie Katz, Richard Webby, Jude, Talita, Lima Freitas, Amanda Perobelli, Marko Geber, Terry Chea, they've Organizations: Service, CDC, Business, Global Medicine, University of California, Health Organization, WHO, University of Oxford, Boston Globe, Getty, US Department of Agriculture, Anadolu Agency, The Telegraph, Biomedical, Research, Development Authority, AP, Centre, Studies, Reference Laboratory, World Organization for Animal Health, Vaccines, University of Pennsylvania Locations: Luz, Monee , Illinois, San Francisco, Australia, Kolkata, India, New Mexico, New York, St, Michigan, Campinas, Brazil

☆ Examining Workforce Changes in AI, C-Suites, HR, and DEI
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-12 | by ( Tim Paradis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

Business Insider's "Workforce Innovation" series will explore how our jobs are changing by digging into four themes: AI, the changing C-suite, worker well-being, and DEI. The board will be composed of C-suite leaders from HR, strategy, technology, and DEI. The C-suite is getting more crowded, and jobs like chief growth officer and chief AI officer are becoming more common. Increasing amounts of data and the emergence of AI, Wiggins told BI, require companies to have roles beyond chief information officer or chief technology officer. "The future of DEI," Lawless said, "does need to be more diffuse."

Persons: we're, it's, Daron Acemoglu, Cody O'Loughlin Acemoglu, Acemoglu, Ty Wiggins, Russell Reynolds, Wiggins, Georgie Clarke, It's, Carly Holm, Leah Smith, Holm, George Floyd's, Regina Lawless, Charles Schoenberger, Lawless, Gen Z Organizations: Innovation Board, DEI, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Russell Reynolds Associates, World Health Organization, Business, Employers, Companies Locations: —

☆ Bird flu is rampant in animals. Humans ignore it at our own peril
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-11 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Then, three healthy ferrets were placed in the same enclosures with three of the sick animals. These animals could touch, nose and lick the sick animals, and all of them became ill.Next, the CDC tested airborne transmission by putting three healthy ferrets into an enclosure where they could breathe the same air as sick animals but couldn’t touch them. In her lab, ferrets with previous exposures to seasonal flu strains didn’t get as sick when exposed to new flu viruses compared to those with no prior exposure to seasonal strains. How much help we might get from past exposures to flu viruses is difficult to predict, however, which is why vaccination would still be important to tune up our immunity. They never spread the virus to any of the other animals in the facility — including themselves.

Persons: Mark Naniot, Naniot, “, ”, It’s, Jeremy Farrar, Jesse Bloom, Fred Hutch, ” Naniot, Naniot hadn’t, Scott Weese, Weese, there’s, Covid, Rick Bright, Sanjay Gupta, Bright, Erin Sorrell, Zahl, Seema Lakdawala, hasn’t, ” Bright, Dr, Richard Webby, Jude Children’s, “ It’s, Ducks, Michael Osterholm, “ I’ve, he’s Organizations: CNN, Swiss Army, World Health Organization, Fred Hutch Cancer Center, University of Guelph, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC, Research, Development Authority, CNN Chief, Bright Global Health, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, Getty, Emory University, STAT, Administration, Strategic Preparedness, USDA, Jude Children’s Research, Infectious Disease, University of Minnesota, CNN Health Locations: Wisconsin’s, United States, Seattle, Canada, Texas, Vadso, Finnmark, Norway, AFP, Finland, St, Wisconsin

☆ Low-calorie sweetener xylitol linked to heart attack and stroke, study says
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-06 | by ( Sandee Lamotte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Additional lab and animal research presented in both papers revealed erythritol and xylitol may cause blood platelets to clot more readily. Clots can break off and travel to the heart, triggering a heart attack, or to the brain, triggering a stroke. “It’s sold as a so-called natural sweetener, and because xylitol doesn’t spike blood sugar levels, it’s also marketed as low carb and keto friendly,” Hazen said. The February 2023 erythritol in study found the risk of heart attack and stroke nearly doubled within three years when people had the highest levels of erythritol in their blood. For the new study on xylitol, the results were basically the same — people with the highest levels of xylitol compared to those with the lowest levels had nearly twice the risk of heart attack, stroke and death, Hazen said.

Persons: “, ”, Stanley Hazen, Hazen, erythritol, Matthew Tomey, Tomey, Andrew Freeman, Freeman, xylitol, It’s, ” Hazen, you’re, Erythritol, Sinai’s Tomey Organizations: CNN, Center for Cardiovascular Diagnostics, Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic’s Center, Human, Icahn School of Medicine, American Heart Association, Jewish Health, Getty, Food and Drug Administration, Heart Journal, World Health Organization Locations: stevia, Mount, New York City, Mount Sinai, Denver

☆ Male birth control gel: A long-awaited hormonal contraceptive option for men may be closer to reality
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-05 | by ( Brenda Goodman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —After decades of false starts, researchers say they are finally making progress on a long-acting and reversible birth control option for men. The gel was developed by the National Institutes of Health and the nonprofit Population Council, and it takes much the same approach as birth control pills for women. “I would say our expectation was that it would be similar to hormonal birth control pills. The gel also seems to have other advantages over female birth control. To him, it doesn’t feel fair that his partner has to shoulder the burden of birth control.

Persons: “ We’ve, ”, Diana Blithe, Blithe, “, that’s, Matthew Treviño, it’s, he’s, “ I’ve, Emily Fletcher, –, Roe, Wade, ’ “ Fletcher, Treviño, ” Treviño, That’s, Christina Wang, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Wang, they’ll, Brian Nguyen Organizations: CNN, National Institutes of Health, Population Council, NIH’s National Institute of Child Health, Human, Endocrine Society, World Health Organization, University of California, UC Davis, US Food and Drug Administration, Lundquist, Medical, Get CNN, CNN Health, University of Southern Locations: Boston, Sacramento , California, Davis, University of Southern California

☆ The 3rd human case of bird flu in the US has 2 new and troubling symptoms
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

The H5N1 virus has become a pandemic among animals, raging through worldwide bird populations and now through US cattle herds. There, the H5N1 virus can continue operating as an avian virus, grabbing avian receptors with no need to adapt to human receptors. Two previous one-off human cases of H5N1 — one in Chile and one in Ecuador — featured respiratory symptoms. Even with its current monitoring, the CDC would probably detect sustained human spread, he said. Correction — June 4, 2024: An earlier version of this story misstated the nature of genomic sequencing of the H5N1 virus.

Persons: —, Jude virologist Richard Webby, Diego Vara, Rick Bright, Amanda Perobelli, John Harper, Nirav Shah, farmworkers, Shah, Bright, Bill Powers, Nathan Howard, Department of Agriculture hadn't Organizations: Service, US Centers for Disease Control, Business, CDC, Reuters, World Health Organization, Studies, New York Times, Stock, Drug Administration, STAT, Webby, Department of Agriculture Locations: Texas, Michigan, Americas, Norte, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Campinas, Townsend , Delaware

☆ Israeli forces launch new ground and air assault on central Gaza, killing at least 15 Palestinians
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Mohammad Al Sawalhi | Kareem Khadder | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The Israeli military launched a new ground and air assault in central Gaza on Tuesday, as its forces ramp up attacks amid a deepening humanitarian crisis. Witnesses say civilians started to leave the Bureij area – heading towards the coast - after military activity there intensified. Palestinians mourn relatives killed in an Israeli bombardment in the Bureij area of central Gaza on June 4, 2024. Israel launched its military offensive in Gaza on October 7 after the militant group Hamas, which governs Gaza, killed at least 1,200 people and abducted more than 250 others. Israeli attacks in Gaza have since killed at least 36,550 Palestinians and injured another 82,959 people, according to the Ministry of Health there.

Persons: Al Bureij, Bashar Taleb Organizations: CNN, IDF, Health, Al Aqsa Martyrs Hospital, World Health Organization, Getty, Hamas, Ministry of Health Locations: Gaza, Al Aqsa, Al, Bureij, Israel

☆ US has the highest rate of maternal deaths among high-income nations. Norway has zero
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-04 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

And the rate of maternal deaths among Black women in the United States remains even higher, at nearly 50 deaths per 100,000 live births, the new report shows. Meanwhile, half of the high-income nations in the new report had fewer than 5 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, and one country recorded zero maternal deaths: Norway. The three nations with the lowest maternal death rate were Norway with zero, Switzerland with a rate of 1 death per 100,000 live births and Sweden with about 3 deaths per 100,000 live births. The US maternal mortality rate fell from 32.9 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021 to 22.3 per 100,000 in 2022, according to data from the CDC. “Maternal deaths are a preventable problem, and this problem can be solved.

Persons: ”, Munira Gunja, ” Gunja, “, Dr, Laurie Zephyrin, Dimes, —, –, Tochi, Michelle Owens, ” Owens, “ ACOG, Christopher Zahn, ” Zahn, Sanjay Gupta, Roe, Wade Organizations: CNN, Commonwealth Fund, International Program, Health, ”, US Centers for Disease Control, Organisation for Economic Co, CDC, World Health Organization, “, Commonwealth, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College of Obstetricians, CNN Health Locations: United States, Norway, Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, Switzerland, Covid, U.S, United Kingdom, Long Island , New York, Jackson , Mississippi, States, Commonwealth

CNN —Dr. Anthony Fauci, the former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, testified on Monday at a House subcommittee hearing about the US response to the Covid-19 pandemic and the origins of the virus. The hearing was Fauci’s first public testimony on Capitol Hill since his retirement from government service. It turned contentious at times as Republicans grilled Fauci over a wide range of topics, including the basis for public health recommendations during the pandemic and email use by public health officials. Fauci said there was a “disconnect between the health-care system and the public health system” during Covid-19 in the US. That’s in large part why public health agencies emphasized the importance of people wearing masks to reduce the number of germs that could float in the air and make people sick.

Persons: Anthony Fauci, Fauci, ” Fauci, Morens, David Morens, ”, — Jeremy Farrar, Kristian Andersen, “, Debbie Dingell, “ They’re Organizations: CNN, National Institute of Allergy, Capitol, US Centers for Disease Control, National Institutes of Health, NIH, FOIA, Wellcome, Scripps Research, World Health Organization, Wuhan Institute of Virology, US Department of Energy, Democratic, CDC Locations: Covid, “, China

☆ Honduras declares health emergency as Central America starts peak dengue season
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-01 | by ( Michael Rios | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Honduras has declared a national health emergency after reporting a rise in hospitalizations and deaths from dengue, the health ministry announced on Friday. The Honduran health ministry has reported 23,037 suspected cases of dengue in the first 20 weeks of the year. That’s one of the highest totals in the Americas, according to data collected by the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). The entire region has already reported more than 8.65 million cases in the first five months of 2024 – almost twice as many as the more than 4.5 million cases reported in all of 2023, which was a record at the time. Get CNN Health's weekly newsletter Sign up here to get The Results Are In with Dr. Sanjay Gupta every Tuesday from the CNN Health team.

Persons: –, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Pan American Health Organization, Central, CNN Health, World Health Organization, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention Locations: Honduras, hospitalizations, Honduran, Americas, Brazil, Central America, Caribbean, “ Honduras, American Isthmus, Mexico

☆ ‘All Eyes on Rafah’: How a viral image of Gaza took over the internet
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-30 | by ( Leah Asmelash | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Eyes being on Rafah has not stopped the violence, wrote scientist Ayesha Khan on Instagram. The phrase “All Eyes on Rafah” has been appearing in various graphics and images associated with the war in Gaza for months and is not necessarily tied to this specific viral image. “Because you’re directing everyone’s gaze to an image that doesn’t really show the horror of what happens in conflict zones.”What does ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ mean? Others have pointed out that the image does not actually include the words “Palestine” or “Gaza” — names that have been widely politicized even before October 7. “Rafah does not have the immediate name recognition for people who haven’t been paying attention,” said writer Heben Nigatu on X.

Persons: Gaza —, It’s, Tim Dillon, it’s, Ayesha Khan, Khan, Rik Peeperkorn, “, Peeperkorn, shahv4012, Faiza Hirji, Hirji, there’s, ” Hirji, haven’t, ”, Heben Nigatu, George Floyd’s, — “ Organizations: CNN, NBC, Health, West Bank, Ontario’s McMaster University Locations: Rafah, Gazan, Gaza, Instagram, West, ’

☆ ‘All Eyes on Rafah’ Surges on Social Media After a Deadly Israeli Strike
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-29 | by ( Ali Watkins | More About Ali Watkins | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The slogan “All Eyes on Rafah” has ricocheted across social media this week following an Israeli strike in the Gazan city that killed dozens of civilians and provoked international outrage. It has periodically trended on social media, particularly as Israeli military attacks in the city — located in the southern Gaza Strip, along the Egyptian border — have escalated. Mr. Peeperkorn was speaking at a news conference as the Israeli military intensified its campaign in the southern Gaza strip. “All eyes are on Rafah,” Mr. Peeperkorn said at the time. The deadly strike in Rafah on Sunday was quickly denounced by world leaders.

Persons: Rik Peeperkorn, Peeperkorn, Mr, Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Organizations: Hamas, Health, West Bank, Mr, International, Oxfam, Jewish, Peace Locations: Rafah, Gazan, Gaza

In addition to Wegovy and Ozempic, the GLP-1 class includes Eli Lilly's highly popular weight loss drug Zepbound and diabetes treatment Mounjaro. VanGilder signed up nearly four years ago and started taking the weekly diabetes injection Ozempic specifically for weight loss. The big difference between Calibrate and prior weight loss efforts, VanGilder said, is that she doesn't feel like she's dieting. Calibrate is one of the only companies to regularly release reports detailing the results of its weight loss program. The federal Medicare program by law can't cover weight loss drugs unless the prescription is for another approved health benefit, such as diabetes or cardiovascular health.

Persons: Michael Siluk, Gray Beard, She'd, that's, Beard, wouldn't, She's, Ro, Goldman Sachs, Eli Lilly's, it's, Andrew Dudum, There's, Zachariah Reitano, Reitano, Wegovy, WeightWatchers, Gary Foster, Foster, Oprah Winfrey's, Kim Gradwell, Lee Smith, Jennifer VanGilder, she'd, Jenny Craig, VanGilder, I've, Kristin Baier, Rob MacNaughton, Ro's Reitano, we'd, Eli Lilly, Craig Primack, Primack, Hims, Dudum, We're Organizations: — Novo, UCG, Novo Nordisk, CNBC, Teladoc Health, World Health Organization, Food, WeightWatchers Clinic, Ursinus College, Asset Management Locations: Charlotte , North Carolina, U.S, Dudley , North Tyneside, Britain, Collegeville , Pennsylvania, Hims

☆ Djibouti fights deadly malaria wave with GMO mosquitoes
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Nimi Princewill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Genetically engineered mosquitoes have been released in the tiny East African country of Djibouti to combat a surge in malaria infections caused by an invasive vector. Unlike most malaria-transmitting mosquitoes in Africa that breed in rural areas, Anopheles Stephensi thrives in urban environments, intensifying the public health challenge for predominantly urban Djibouti. “This mosquito poses a huge threat to our fight against malaria,” said Grey Frandsen, CEO of US-owned biotechnology firm Oxitec, which developed the gene-modified mosquitoes released in Djibouti. ‘Using mosquitoes to fight mosquitoes’Dubbed a method that “uses mosquitoes to fight mosquitoes”, Oxitec’s genetic technology targets female mosquitoes, which are predominantly responsible for malaria transmission. Although the rollout of genetically modified mosquitoes in Djibouti is only the second in Africa, the idea is drawing more interest on the continent.

Persons: Anopheles, Stephensi, ”, Grey Frandsen, “ Anopheles, Ahmed Robleh Abdilleh, Oxitec, ” Abdilleh, Frandsen, Melinda Gates, “, Yoweri Museveni Organizations: CNN, WHO, Melinda Gates Foundation, World Health Organization Locations: Djibouti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Horn of Africa, Africa, “, Brazil, Burkina Faso

☆ Countries Fail to Agree on Treaty to Prepare the World for the Next Pandemic
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Apoorva Mandavilli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Countries around the globe have failed to reach consensus on the terms of a treaty that would unify the world in a strategy against the inevitable next pandemic, trumping the nationalist ethos that emerged during Covid-19. The deliberations, which were scheduled to be a central item at the weeklong meeting of the World Health Assembly beginning Monday in Geneva, aimed to correct the inequities in access to vaccines and treatments between wealthier nations and poorer ones that became glaringly apparent during the Covid pandemic. Although much of the urgency around Covid has faded since the treaty negotiations began two years ago, public health experts are still acutely aware of the pandemic potential of emerging pathogens, familiar threats like bird flu and mpox, and once-vanquished diseases like smallpox. “Those of us in public health recognize that another pandemic really could be around the corner,” said Loyce Pace, an assistant secretary at the Department of Health and Human Services, who oversees the negotiations in her role as the United States liaison to the World Health Organization.

Persons: Covid, ”, Loyce Pace Organizations: World Health, Department of Health, Human Services, World Health Organization Locations: Geneva, United States

☆ Thomas Midgley Jr.: The man who almost destroyed the planet (twice)
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-24 | by ( Jacopo Prisco | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

CNN —Facing a crowd of journalists, inventor Thomas Midgley Jr. poured a lead additive over his hands and then proceeded to inhale its fumes for about a minute. Unfazed, he said, “I could do this every day without getting any health problems whatsoever.”Soon afterward, Midgley needed medical treatment. The task of addressing the issue of engine knocking fell to Midgley while he was working at General Motors in 1916. An estimated 1 million people a year still die from lead poisoning, according to the World Health Organization. The toxicity of lead was already well-known when Midgley added it to gas, but that didn’t stop Ethyl from becoming a commercial success.

Persons: Thomas Midgley Jr, “, ”, Midgley, —, Ford, Gerald Markowitz, Colin Creitz, Charles Kettering, ” Markowitz, ” Midgley, Bill Kovarik, Midgley —, Kettering —, Freon, Joe Sohm, CFCs, Perkin, Priestley, Kettering, Willard Gibbs, Carl E, ” Kovarik, Markowitz, I’m Organizations: CNN, General Motors, City University of New, GM, Standard Oil, DuPont, Network, UNICEF, World Health Organization, Radford University, America, Montreal Protocol, International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders, Society of Chemical Industry, American Chemical Society, National Academy of Sciences, TNT, Linde Locations: Beaver Falls , Pennsylvania, United States, City University of New York, Algeria, American, Dayton , Ohio, Virginia, Montreal, Chicago

☆ An 82-year-old who loves scuba diving, skiing, and kayaking shares 3 tips for staying fit regardless of age
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Serafina Kenny | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read previewWhen you think of an 82-year-old, you probably don't think of someone who cross-country skis, scuba dives, cycles, paddleboards, and kayaks. Related storiesIf you're one of these people, but would like to be as active as Wholey is at 82, she shared three tips with BI. Doing a variety of physical activities is great for fitness, especially in older age. Get out of the city as much as you can"I recommend going to the ocean, going to lakes, going to the mountains.

Persons: —, Louise Wholey, Wholey, She's, it'd Organizations: Service, Business, World Health Organization, National Institute, Aging, National Institute of Aging Locations: California

☆ Opinion | The End of Polio Is in Sight. What Have We Learned?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Richard Conniff | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

The fight to eradicate polio has been long and difficult. But polio continues to this day disabling or killing children in some harder to reach parts of the world. The good news is that we are now on the cusp of eradicating this terrible disease everywhere and forever. Having used this strategy to stop polio, people in developing nations are already looking to apply those same tools against other diseases, both familiar and emerging. Because the communities are poor, and because families can lose patience with repeated visits focused only on polio, the workers also bring nutritional supplements, health information and other resources.

Persons: It’s, Osama bin Laden Organizations: Initiative, Gates Foundation, World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control, Central Intelligence Agency Locations: United States, Afghanistan, Pakistan

☆ New Covid FLiRT variants spark concerns of a summer spike
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON — New strains of Covid-19 are spreading globally, raising concerns among health professionals about a possible summer spike in cases, four-and-a-half years since the onset of the pandemic. The FLiRT variants — whose label derives from the names of the mutations in the variants' genetic code — have been rising in the U.S. and Europe as the coronavirus continues to mutate from earlier strains. Cases of KP.1.1, another FLiRT variant, have also risen to account for 7.1% of current infections, the agency said. In Europe, too, cases have been rising, with the new variant now detected in 14 countries. The World Health Organization in its latest update earlier this month said that cases remain limited in all reporting countries.

Persons: John Organizations: omicron, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization Locations: U.S, Europe

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