Why old Saudi camel tradition may hinder spread of new MERS virus

It is known as the ‘ship of the desert’, and in scientific terms ‘an even-toed ungulate with the genus Camelus’, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as ‘humps’ on its back. The camel  produces milk called  a ‘nearly perfect animal product for humans’. Its health properties have helped to boost the fledgling camel milk industry’s marketing efforts. Proponents  say … Read more

Cracking the cancer code: just like Everest, cancer can be conquered

They don’t always make the headlines, and among the great champions are not just those who have conquered Everest or won Olympic gold, but also the many who have beaten cancer. It takes guts, perseverance and determination to face a life-threatening disease head on. Most of all, it takes a new ‘collaborative’ approach to conquering disease … Read more

Regrow’s Dr Satyen Sangvhi on the power and promise of stem cells

Stem cell therapy is not new – nor is the ethical, religious and philosophical controversy surrounding it. Routine therapeutic  use has so far been limited to blood-forming stem cells that derive from the body’s  bone marrow, peripheral blood, or umbilical cord blood. The most well-known  of this type of therapy, and the only one in common use worldwide, is bone … Read more

Ebola – race against time for health workers to contain the virus

Virologists are said to be ‘deeply worried’ by the ‘unprecedented Ebola epidemic’ in West Africa – not surprising, since it has been called ‘one of the most virulent viral diseases known to humankind‘. As the death toll continues to rise, some experts believe the virus has potential to spread even further, which certainly is a … Read more

What’s love got to do with workplace culture? Lots!

Most managers would recoil at the very idea of making workplaces more loving environments. Yet for those willing to see it, there’s more than enough evidence to show that  fostering a culture of fear or uncertainty, and constantly putting the productivity screws on your staff, are not the best ways to boost profit margins. When organisations … Read more

‘Stem cell tourism’ – how to lose the hype, not the hope

 Medical tourism – travel to another country for medical treatment – is popular for financial reasons: cheaper treatment, even after flight, accommodation and living costs are considered. These days, a motivating factor is availability: experimental therapies  not offered, or proven safe, in one country, are often available, untested, elsewhere in the world. Stem cell therapy … Read more

Air pollution kills 7 million people globally – new WHO report

Air pollution is now  the single biggest environmental health risk, according to a new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO), and kills about 7 million people worldwide every year,. “We all have to breathe, which makes pollution very hard to avoid,” says  Frank Kelly, director of the environmental research group at King’s College London, who was … Read more

Capetonians live longer than Tshwane residents – stats

Cape Town residents have a longer life span than Tshwane residents, Statistics SA (StatsSA) says. Men in Cape Town lived on average to 54, while their Tshwane counterparts lived to 52. Capetonian women lived up to 64, while in Tshwane the age for women was 56. The figures for the two metropolitan areas were based on StatsSA’s … Read more

TB is leading cause of death in South Africa: stats

Mortality is dropping in South Africa, Statistics SA (StatsSA) says. A total of 505,803 deaths were registered in the country in 2011, Statistician General Pali Lehohla said. Around 45,990 of those fatalities were from unnatural causes, including accidents, assaults, complications in medical and surgical operations, and suicides. “The number of deaths between 2010 and 2011 decreased by … Read more

Binge drinking in pregnancy could be a crime in Australia

Proposed legislation that would allow police in Australia’s Northern Territory to charge women drinking excessive amounts of alcohol during pregnancy has been criticised by an academic expert  as “scapegoating” indigenous people. Aboriginal health expert Janet Hammill says a better plan to tackle high levels of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) in the territory would be … Read more