Surgeon General nominee Dr Casey Means, a confidante of HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy, was grilled in a tense Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday. She fielded questions on vaccines, her conflicts of interest, pesticides, and birth control, and reaffirmed her focus on America’s chronic disease epidemic, promising to use her platform to promote “whole healthy […] Continue reading ->
Kenyans’ access to a range of health products – including HIV treatment, maternal medicine, and contraceptives – plunged in three counties last year, largely as a result of the closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID). In contrast, Zambia showed “modest improvements” in certain areas, particularly maternal health – largely thanks to a […] Continue reading ->
The US Health and Human Services (HHS) has cancelled this week’s meeting of its Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) amid a court challenge to the committee’s composition and decisions, led by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Meanwhile, the long-delayed Senate panel confirmation hearing for US President Donald Trump’s nominee for Surgeon General, Casey […] Continue reading ->
Breathing in air with high levels of pollution worsens a range of serious mental health conditions, such as schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders, according to emerging research. A 2026 study, published in the journal Environmental Research, reviewed 25 existing studies on air pollution’s impact on anxiety disorders and found that while long-term exposure is the […] Continue reading ->
Over 60% of maternal deaths in 2023 took place in countries and territories experiencing conflict or institutional and social fragility, according to a World Health Organization (WHO) technical brief published on Tuesday. “In 2023, an estimated 260,000 women died from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. Around 160,000 of those deaths occurred in settings experiencing […] Continue reading ->