health news

US convicts Rwandan man who hid genocide role for decades

Nshimiye was accused of lying to a jury to protect himself and a fellow perpetrator of the genocide.

Africa CDC urges coordinated action as Ebola outbreak exceeds 10,000 cases

The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has urged African countries to strengthen cross-border cooperation and coordinate their responses as an Ebola outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo virus continues to spread beyond the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The outbreak, which began in the DRC in May 2026, has also been reported in Kenya and Nigeria, while Uganda and France have recorded cases associated with the wider outbreak.

EAGLE SP calls for constant vigil on drug peddlers to dismantle supply networks

Financial protection for patients cannot be achieved through a single intervention: former National Health Authority CEO

Former NHA CEO Indu Bhushan says the government needs to address how services are purchased, how providers are paid, how patients access treatment, and how the system assures quality

Retro Vibes Day Club donates GH¢20,000 to support breast cancer care in Greater Accra

Organisers of the Retro Vibes Day Club have donated GH¢20,000 to the Greater Accra Regional Health Directorate to support breast cancer diagnosis, treatment and awareness activities in the region. Dr Louisa Mantey, Metro Director of Health Services, said the contribution would bolster efforts to improve breast cancer education and interventions under the region’s breast cancer campaign.

Ceiling collapses again at Kottayam medical college block

The collapse occurred in a basement staff toilet as an employee opened the door, with no injuries reported.

Ghana records nearly 14,000 new HIV infections in 2025 as condom use declines

Greater Accra recorded the highest number of new infections, with 3,141 cases, according to figures presented by the Ghana AIDS Commission. Director of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Ghana AIDS Commission, Isaiah Doe Kwao, said there was an urgent need to strengthen prevention, testing and treatment efforts to reverse the trend.

NHIA finances emergency childbirth care for 90,000 women in 18 months — Official

Mr Ohiri said the programme was designed to prevent women experiencing complications during childbirth from being denied or delayed treatment because they could not afford hospital bills.

US Health Secretary RFK Jr to expand access to unapproved peptides

US Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. has released plans to loosen restrictions on controversial peptides. The plans, which were announced in the US Federal Register on Wednesday, say Kennedy would allow compounding pharmacies to prepare six popular peptides, which not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Ebola: A’Ibom Health Commissioner Tasks DSNOs On Heightened Surveillance

A’Ibom Health Commissioner Tasks DSNOs On Heightened Surveillance. Akwa Ibom State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John, has called on Disease Surveillance and Notification Officers (DSNOs) across the state’s 31 local government areas to intensify surveillance and promptly report suspected Ebola cases.

Fire destroys restaurant, make-up shop and boutique at Goaso

A fire outbreak has completely destroyed a restaurant, a make-up shop and a boutique housed in a wooden structure at Goaso in the Ahafo Region. The Ahafo Regional Fire Commander, Assistant Chief Fire Officer Grade II (ACFO II) Samuel Ferdie Tetteh, accompanied by the Operations Commander, Assistant Divisional Officer Grade I (ADO I) Samuel Afram, subsequently visited the scene to assess the extent of the damage.

Expired drugs possibly given to Nipah patients, says Keralam Health Minister

K. Muraleedharan says medical board will probe whether use of expired Remdesivir led to deaths of Nipah patients

JOOTRH Cancer Centre targets December completion as MPs seek more funds

KISUMU, Kenya, Oct 29 — The National Assembly Health Committee has pledged to push for additional funding to complete and equip the cancer centre at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) in Kisumu, as Parliament considers supplementary budget allocations. Kisumu Central MP Joshua Oron, a member of the committee, said the inspection sought to establish whether public resources were being used prudently and whether the hospital had the capacity to meet the demands of its Level Six status.

Nobody should attend funerals of farmers who take their own lives: MLA Sanjay Gaikwad

Activists write open letter to Telangana CM, point at issues in govt hospitals

The signatories called for a broader effort to strengthen the public health and medical system so that ordinary citizens would not be compelled to abandon government hospitals because of inadequate facilities

Nurses’ Union Demands Payment of July Stipends for Interns

NAIROBI, Kenya Oct 29 – Nursing officer interns are facing financial difficulties following delays in the payment of their July 2026 stipends, the Kenya National Union of Nurses and Midwives has said. In a letter signed by General Secretary Seth Panyako on October 21, the union said the delayed stipends had caused financial hardship to the affected interns.

Sada ‘Master’, ace guitarist who enriched Ilaiyaraaja’s compositions, dies at 80

“I am saddened by Sadanandam’s death. He was with me from the early days,” Ilaiyaraaja said in a message

Hundreds benefit from Annoh-Dompreh’s free breast cancer screening in Nsawam-Adoagyiri

Hundreds of residents of Nsawam-Adoagyiri have benefited from a free breast cancer screening exercise organised by their MP, Frank Annoh-Dompreh, in collaboration with Partners for Patients NGO. The three-day exercise took place at Cocoa Park in Adoagyiri from October 26 to 28.

Why India rejected a patent application for shorter drug-resistant TB treatment | Explained

The decision could open the door to greater generic competition, but its impact on treatment costs will depend on drug availability, pricing, and access to care

Hundreds of ACT nurses and prison guards go on strike

ACT public sector workers walk off the job in Canberra, calling for the government to give them a better pay offer in the largest coordinated strike since self-government began in 1989.

Adult and youth inmates in NT struggle to access health care, doctors say

Doctors working in Northern Territory prisons say difficulty accessing patients in custody is causing "moral injury" to health workers.

Study in Keralam sheds light on link between gut bacteria, Parkinson’s disease

Researchers from CUSAT and SCTIMST, Thiruvananthapuram, find significant differences between gut bacteria of Parkinson’s patients and those of healthy individuals

Fake film deals and emails from top agents: who is behind the explosion in literary scams?

For the scamming industry, aspiring authors can be a soft touch • This piece first appeared in the Dial ‘Hello Professor Snigdha Poonam,” the email began. The email was from Timothy Firth, organiser of a Seattle-based life-drawing community with 1,943 members that regularly has “thoughtful discussions inspired by creative works”.

Gender advocate urges year-round breast cancer education

A Ghanaian gender and disability advocate, Ms Josephine Oppong-Yeboah, has urged the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to intensify breast cancer education and outreach programmes, particularly in rural communities, to promote early detection and reduce preventable deaths. Ms Oppong-Yeboah, a Ghanaian media personality and US-based healthcare professional, said sustained public education was needed to correct these misconceptions and encourage women and girls to seek medical advice when they noticed unusual changes in their breasts.