Health & Science

Wednesday, June 24th 2015 - 07:48 UTC
World Medical Association welcomes report on climate change and health

The World Medical Association welcomed the Lancet Commission's latest report on climate change, which it says reiterates the serious concerns of physicians that climate change poses an unacceptably high threat to health.
Sunday, June 21st 2015 - 14:27 UTC
US gives food manufacturers until 2018 to remove artificial 'trans' fats

Based on a thorough review of the scientific evidence, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration finalized its determination that partially hydrogenated oils (PHOs), the primary dietary source of artificial 'trans' fat in processed foods, are not “generally recognized as safe” or GRAS for use in human food. Food manufacturers will have three years to remove PHOs from products, said FDA.
Thursday, June 18th 2015 - 05:10 UTC
Nestle will destroy more than 50m dollars of Maggi noodles in India

Nestle says it will destroy more than $50m worth of its hugely popular Maggi noodles, following a ban imposed by India's food safety regulator following tests have found the instant noodles “unsafe and hazardous” and has accused Nestle of failing to comply with food safety laws.
Monday, June 15th 2015 - 05:44 UTC
Immunotherapy could replace chemotherapy in a few years

Immunotherapy, a new cancer treatment that trains the immune system to attack cancerous cells, is being hailed by experts as the biggest step forward since chemotherapy, which some claim it could replace within five years.
Monday, June 15th 2015 - 05:19 UTC
Health spending pushing low and middle income countries further into poverty

A World Health Organization and World Bank Group report shows that 400 million people do not have access to essential health services and 6% of people in low- and middle-income countries are tipped into or pushed further into extreme poverty because of health spending.
Friday, June 12th 2015 - 04:55 UTC
“Isolated” mad cow case in Ireland; OIE had recently returned the “controlled risk status”

Irish authorities have identified a suspected case of Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), or “mad cow disease”, on a dairy farm in County Louth, the first such case to be discovered in the country since 2013. The Irish Department of Agriculture said on Thursday the five-year-old diseased cow was discovered as part of ongoing inspections of animals that die on farms.
Friday, June 5th 2015 - 09:51 UTC
Nestle withdraws Maggi noodles from sale in India following 'lead content scare'

Food group Nestle has withdrawn Maggi noodles from sale in India due to “an environment of confusion for consumers”, following a food scare sparked by reports of excess lead in some packets of the popular instant snack.
Friday, June 5th 2015 - 06:12 UTC
Flibanserin or “Viagra for women” closer to FDA approval: concern about side effects

A tiny pink pill touted as “Viagra for women” got a reluctant nod from the United States Food and Drug Administration panel, bringing the first medical treatment for female sexual dysfunction one step nearer to coming on the market.
Tuesday, June 2nd 2015 - 06:01 UTC
Canadian tobacco companies ordered to pay 12bn dollars for failing to warn health risks

A Canadian court has ordered three tobacco companies to pay 15.5bn Canadian dollars ($12bn), the largest award for damages in the country's history. The plaintiffs were Quebec smokers who said the firms failed to warn them of health risks associated with smoking.
Friday, May 29th 2015 - 09:22 UTC
WHO calls for action against illicit tobacco trade on World No Tobacco Day

Eliminating the illicit trade in tobacco would generate an annual tax windfall of 31 billion dollars for governments, improve public health, help cut crime and curb an important revenue source for the tobacco industry. Those are the key themes of World No Tobacco Day on May 31 when the World Health Organization will urge Member States to sign the Protocol to Eliminate the Illicit Trade in Tobacco Products.