Browsing: Health

The New Zealand Parliament passed a historic anti-smoking bill on Tuesday, banning the sale of tobacco to anyone born after January 1, 2009. As part of a government initiative to make the country “smoke-free” by 2025, the ban aims to prevent future generations from taking up smoking. By 2023, the number of retailers licensed to sell tobacco will be reduced from 6,000 to 600. A violation of the newly enacted law may result in a fine of up to NZ$150,000 (approximately $96,000). “Thousands of people will live longer, healthier lives and the health system will be better off by saving…

After authorities announced measures last week aimed at easing the impact of the country’s heavy Coronavirus curbs, COVID cases in China rose further, including in Beijing. As the latest in a string of dismal economic reports shows retail sales fell in October and factory output grew more slowly than expected, China is scrambling to limit the damage of its zero-COVID policy. Residents have expressed cautious optimism after Friday’s announcement that some of the stringent COVID policies would be loosened. However, worsening outbreaks are causing concerns, and some cities have halted or adjusted regular testing. In Guangzhou, a southern city of…

An outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N2 bird flu has been reported on a farm in the eastern part of South Africa, the Paris-based World Organization for Animal Health (WOAH) said on Monday, citing local authorities. The report did not specify what kind of birds were found dead from the highly contagious virus, but 58 “domestic birds” were among 200 found dead. There have been several outbreaks of highly infectious avian influenza (H5N1) on poultry farms in South Africa. As a country already dealing with the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, this came as a shock. As a result of the outbreak of…

Beijing closed city parks and imposed other restrictions Friday amid a new wave of COVID-19 cases, even as millions of people in the west and south were under lockdown. According to AP, 10,729 newly reported cases were reported in the country on Friday, almost all of which showed no symptoms. Guangzhou, a manufacturing hub in the south, and Chongqing, a megacity in the west, were under lockdown on Friday. In the sprawling city, another 118 cases were reported despite the majority of Beijing’s 21 million residents being tested nearly every day. Schools switched to online classes, hospitals restricted services, and…

Guangzhou saw its most severe flare-up ever as COVID-19 cases escalated, official data show, as the global manufacturing hub tested its ability to avoid a Shanghai-style citywide lockdown. On Nov. 7, 7,475 locally transmitted infections were reported nationwide, the highest number since May 1, according to China’s health authority. Compared to global standards, the increase is modest, but significant for China, where outbreaks are quickly contained. A number of economically vital cities, including Beijing, are demanding more PCR tests and locking down neighborhoods and even districts. Despite the sharp rebound, China’s COVID measures will be put to the test, challenging…

The number of new COVID-19 infections in China has reached its highest level in six months a day after health officials announced that they would not be easing curbs on Coronavirus, likely disappointing recent investor hopes for easing. Reports from the National Health Commission in China said on Saturday that 4,420 new local cases of COVID-19 were reported on Saturday, the most since May 6, compared to 3,659 reported local cases the day before, Reuters reported. Despite the fact that the number of cases of COVID is extremely low by global standards, China has stayed true to its zero-COVID approach…

According to a report released Thursday by the World Health Organization, the global number of tuberculosis cases has risen for the first time in years. In 2021, the United Nations health agency reported that more than 10 million people worldwide were infected with tuberculosis, an increase of 4.5% from the previous year. According to the report, 1.6 million people died. According to AP, about 450,000 cases involved people infected with drug-resistant TB, which is 3% more than in 2020. Many health programs were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, including TB services. A WHO report said that many people with TB…

Health ministry figures show that the estimated costs of medical services in Japan in fiscal year 2021 rose 4.6 percent from the previous year to a record high of 44.2 trillion yen, due to a surge in Coronavirus-related expenses, as well as an aging population and the use of expensive cutting-edge technologies. Due to fears of contracting a novel virus, many people refrained from visiting the doctor in fiscal year 2020, resulting in a steep decline in growth. Payments from the public health insurance system, taxpayers’ money, and patient out-of-pocket costs are included, excluding those fully paid by patients and…

The World Health Organization (WHO) has announced it will launch a $1.5 billion campaign to eliminate outbreaks of bacterial meningitis across Africa by 2030. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 50 million children in Africa have not yet received their meningitis vaccinations, raising fears of a resurgence of the deadly disease. A “next generation” vaccine against meningitis will be rolled out in 26 African countries most affected by the disease in a “race against time,” WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti said. The WHO hopes to authorize the vaccine by the first quarter of 2023, so…

Globally, there were about 12 percent fewer cases of COVID-19 last week, according to the latest report from the World Health Organization on its weekly review. United Nations said there were 4.2 million cases of infections last week, while there were 13,700 deaths, down 5%, reported AP. “These trends are encouraging, but there is no guarantee they will persist,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “The most dangerous thing is to assume (that) they will,” he said. He added that even though the number of weekly reported deaths have plummeted more than 80% since February, one person still dies with…