Disease

Breakthrough: A drug slows Alzheimer’s by 5 months, but will it make a big difference?

On Tuesday, Japanese drugmaker Eisai and its US partner Biogen reported that an experimental Alzheimer's drug had modestly slowed the brain disease's inevitable worsening. However, it is unclear how much of a difference this would make in people's lives

World Alzheimer's Day: From causes to cures, five things to know about the illness

Alzheimer's disease affects more than 30 million people worldwide and remains an illness for which there is no cure. It has also afflicted personalities such as late US president Ronald Reagan and British fantasy author Terry Pratchett

Disease outbreaks from animals to humans in Africa surge by more than 60% in last decade

There was a particular spike from 2019 to 2020, when diseases originating in animals that later infected humans, made up half of all significant public health events in Africa, said WHO

Increased infectious disease risk likely from climate change, says new study

Researchers said not all viruses will spread to humans or become pandemics the scale of the coronavirus but the number of cross-species viruses increases the risk of spread to humans

World Leprosy Day 2022: All you need to know about the theme, history and significance 

United for Dignity, the theme for this year, has been picked to make everyone realise that people affected by leprosy are entitled to lead a dignified life free from stigma

Past pandemics have shown us that COVID-19 will be an era, not a crisis that just fades away

The crisis may not be over even when the physical disease has greatly subsided and may continue as the economy recovers and life returns to a semblance of normality.

Doctor who helped discover Ebola warns of new fatal infection called 'Disease X'

According to WHO, a Disease X is the possibility of an international epidemic that can spread from a pathogen unknown to humankind.

Genome analysis of Africans shed light on ancient migrations, modern susceptibility, disease resistance

This new research is an attempt to address an imbalance in the genetic data available worldwide, most of which comes from people of European ancestry.

New Zealand stamps out coronavirus for a second time, lifts restrictions after no new cases in Auckland

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who is facing re-election next week, called the reopening a validation of the country’s “go hard, go early” response. However, experts warned that an elimination strategy may not be viable in the absence of a vaccine

Satellite imagery shows illegal gold mining in Brazil has increased, threatens the Yanomami tribe in the heart of the Amazons

The lust for gold has attracted wildcat prospectors, who have destroyed forests, poisoned rivers and brought fatal diseases to the tribe.