AI tool selfies predict biological age, cancer survival
FaceAge, a deep learning algorithm described Thursday in The  Lancet Digital Health, converts a simple headshot into a number that...
Science
WHO countries strike landmark agreement on tackling future pandemics
Geneva, Switzerland -- Years of negotiations culminated early Wednesday with countries agreeing the text of a landmark accord on how...
Geostrategy
Economy
World Bank cuts China growth forecasts on Covid woes, property crisis
In a statement, the World Bank slashed its forecast to 2.7 percent from 4.3 percent predicted in June. It also...
- After years of sudden lockdowns, mass testing, long quarantines and travel restrictions, China this month abruptly abandoned its zero-Covid policy
- Beijing has sought to mitigate low growth with a series of easing measures to provide support, slashing key interest rates and pumping cash into the banking system
Science
Climate change fuelling cholera surge, says WHO
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - Climate change is fueling a global cholera upsurge, the WHO said Friday, warning the situation was compounded by...
- Fatality rates are extremely high for most of the countries for which the UN health agency has data.
- Cholera outbreaks can be prevented by ensuring access to clean water and improving surveillance.
$858 bn US defense bill scraps military vaccine mandate
The mandate -- under which the Pentagon says more than 8,000 military personnel have been discharged for refusal to comply...
- The White House supported Austin's opposition to repealing the mandate, but that was not enough to carry the day in Congress
- Republican Representative Kevin McCarthy, who is seeking to become speaker of the House, has argued that the mandate has affected recruiting
Geostrategy
WHO urges malaria funding boost as deaths stay stubbornly high
The World Health Organization called for more funds to help overcome towering challenges in the battle against malaria, which continues...
- A report highlighted significant remaining challenges, including limited donor funding.
- The COVID-19 pandemic has compounded several challenges facing efforts to battle malaria.
Geostrategy
WHO member states agree to develop draft of pandemic accord in early 2023
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - Member states of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Thursday agreed to develop the first draft of a...
- This zero draft of the pandemic accord, rooted in the WHO Constitution, will be discussed by member states in February 2023.
- The agreement by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body, comprising WHO’s 194 member states, was a milestone in the global process to learn from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Geostrategy
EU gives US$131 million to WHO Universal Health Coverage Partnership
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND - The World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Commission agreed on reinforcing a decade-long collaboration to accelerate...
- EU contribution will focus on strengthening health systems to make them more resilient and responsive to natural, climate or human-made disasters.
- The partnership with WHO is a key deliverable of the new EU Global Health Strategy adopted by the European Commission.
Science
UAE’s health and prevention ministry launches National Nutrition Strategy 2022-2030
DUBAI, UAE - UAE's Ministry of Health and Prevention (MoHAP) has launched the National Nutrition Strategy 2022-2030 to establish sustainable...
- National Nutrition Strategy comes as part of MoHAP’s ongoing efforts to support the UAE’s visions aimed at improving the health of younger generations.
- The strategy was launched during an event hosted by the ministry at the Etihad Museum.
Economy
Saudi Minister inaugurates Aquatic Animal Diseases Network
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - Saudi Minister of Environment, Water and Agriculture, Engineer Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Mohsen Al-Fadhli inaugurated Sunday...
- The launch aims to strengthen the aquaculture industry, prevent aquatic diseases, support the production of aquatic organisms.
- It also aims to meet the growing demand for aquaculture and its products, reduce the spread of diseases, train veterinarians and specialists in aquatic health.
Business
China’s ‘iPhone city’ tightens Covid rules after violent protests
The curbs in Zhengzhou are part of China's national zero-tolerance approach to Covid, which involves grueling lockdowns, travel restrictions and...
- Hundreds of workers took to the streets around the vast iPhone factory in Zhengzhou, confronting hazmat-clad personnel wielding batons in a rare display of public anger in China
- In the wake of the unrest, Zhengzhou authorities ordered mass testing and an effective lockdown for several districts in the central Chinese city starting Friday
Economy
Air pollution killed 238,000 Europeans prematurely in 2020: EEA
Across the 27-nation bloc that year, "exposure to concentrations of fine particulate matter above the 2021 World Health Organization guideline...
- Fine particulate matter, or PM2.5 travel deep into the respiratory tract, worsening the risk of bronchitis, asthma and lung disease
- The EU wants to slash premature deaths related to fine particulate matter pollution by 55 percent in 2030 compared to 2005 levels
AI tool selfies predict biological age, cancer survival
FaceAge, a deep learning algorithm described Thursday in The  Lancet Digital Health, converts a simple headshot into a number that...
Science
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Wounded Gazans get medical care on French hospital ship
Israel responded with a military offensive that has killed at least 25,105Â people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to...
Healthcare industry globally faces data hacking threat
DUBAI, UAE - In an age where data is a cornerstone of modern healthcare, the industry faces an escalating threat...
Business
WHO weighs up AI risks and benefits for healthcare
Geneva, Switzerland - Generative artificial intelligence could transform healthcare through things like drug development and more rapid diagnoses, but the World...
Geostrategy
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Business
PureHealth buys Circle Health
The deal signifies PureHealth’s operational capabilities.
- The completion of this transaction further strengthens PureHealth’s commitment to becoming a leading global player in healthcare.
- The company’s expansion into the UK healthcare market reflects its focus on advancing the science of longevity and unlocking time for humanity.
Science
Saudi team discovers genetic disorder, names it Alfadhel syndrome
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA - A team of Saudi researchers from King Abdullah Children's Specialist Hospital (KACSH) and King Abdullah International...
- This disorder has been named Alfadhel Syndrome, after Professor Majid Alfadhel, the leader of the research team.
- The syndrome has gained official recognition and listing in the OMIM database, operated by Johns Hopkins University.
Geostrategy
WHO urges pandemic plans as ‘painful’ Covid ends
Geneva, Switzerland - The head of the WHO said on Tuesday the world needs to properly prepare for future pandemics after...
- WHO head urged nations to seal a "monumental" pandemic accord to plug preparedness gaps that were exposed during the pandemic.
- Tedros said that in terms of emergency preparedness and response, gaps remain in the world's readiness to prevent the next pandemic.