Entertainment news
US$600m cervical cancer fund to benefit Zim – The Herald
Rumbidzayi Zinyuke Senior Health Reporter
Zimbabwe is set to benefit from a US$600 million World Health Organisation (WHO) cervical cancer funding programme targeting developing countries disproportionately affected by the disease.
The country is ranked fourth among the states heavily burdened with cervical cancer globally, with an estimated 3 000 new cases diagnosed each year.
The funding, if granted, will empower the Government to bolster its cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment services.
A WHO team from Geneva led by director for non-communicable diseases Dr Bente Mikkelsen was in the country this week as part of the cervical cancer elimination Initiative mission meant to assess the impact of the disease in three countries.
Besides Zimbabwe, the team also visited Zambia and Sierra Leone.
Speaking before touring various health facilities that offer cervical cancer services in Harare and Mashonaland Central on Sunday, Dr Mikkelsen said the country had to lobby for the release of the funds.
“For the first time ever since we introduced the director general Tedros’ flagship programme on cervical cancer elimination, we have seen partners coming together so there was a pledge of US$600 million.
“This is not money they send to us unfortunately, this is money that we try to trigger from our partners. If we are able to get a succinct list of asks, this is the way we can bring partners together.”
She said the main purpose of the mission was to assess what the country had done towards elimination of cervical cancer as well as take note of the challenges being faced.
According to statistics, more than 70 percent of all women diagnosed with cervical cancer do not survive, making the disease a leading cause of mortality among women in the country. Cervical cancer is however the most preventable and treatable cancer.
Dr Mikkelsen said the country was on the right path in implementing strategies to eliminate the disease.
She, however, stressed the need to increase screening to curb the rise of severe cases of cervical cancer.
“Because if we screen, we can treat it before it develops to a heavy cancer. And to achieve that, we need to integrate it in the HIV services, but not only that, as you do here with the schools for advocacy and awareness, but also into other non-communicable disease programmes,” she added.
Health and Child Care Minister Dr Douglas Mombeshora said the Government remains committed to eliminating cervical cancer by 2030.
“Zimbabwe’s stance against this preventable disease is bold and multifaceted, ensuring equitable access to primary prevention, screening and early detection, as well as treatment and care.
“Over 200 healthcare facilities across Zimbabwe now offer VIAC screenings, and 60 locations provide HPV tests. These expanded services are empowering women with the tools for early detection,” he said.
However, reaching women in rural Zimbabwe with screening services remains a challenge.
Minister Mombeshora said the Government was also ramping up efforts to increase HPV vaccination rates. Efforts are currently underway to develop an HPV vaccination revitalisation action plan which will ensure that no eligible girl is left behind.
For those diagnosed with cervical cancer, he said the Government was investing in more radiotherapy equipment to offer the most effective treatments.
Entertainment news
Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome, and the Gates Foundation Join Forces to Accelerate Global Health Equity and Impact – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Joint partnership will support science to tackle a series of global health challenges and build healthier futures, especially for the world’s most vulnerable populations
HELSINGØR, DENMARK (May 6, 2024) – The Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a new partnership to support critical scientific research and development (R&D) for global health. The partnership is focused on supporting science and innovation to advance solutions that are accessible and affordable to people in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).
The three-year initiative was announced at the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s Global Science Summit in Denmark, where each organization committed US$100 million, for a total of US$300 million. Initial funding will support solutions to address the health impacts of climate change; infectious disease and antimicrobial resistance (AMR); and greater understanding of the interplay between nutrition, immunity, disease, and developmental outcomes.
“By pooling the vast experience and unique expertise of each organization—across research, technology, innovation, and enterprise—we can make advances that wouldn’t otherwise be possible,” said Mads Krogsgaard Thomsen, CEO, Novo Nordisk Foundation. “I am particularly excited about the chance to break down barriers between often isolated areas of work—between cardiometabolic and infectious diseases, or between scientific discovery and delivery of solutions, for example—and support the development of truly innovative solutions that can improve, and save, lives.”
The initial three areas of this collaboration include:
- Climate/sustainability: Advancing climate data, sustainable agriculture, and food systems. To better protect people globally from the devastating effects of climate change on health, solutions that draw across climate, health, and agricultural science will be needed. This initiative will help drive deeper understanding of the impacts of climate change, develop novel solutions, and strengthen available data to support environmental sustainability, build food system resilience, and protect the health of vulnerable populations around the world.
- Infectious diseases: Addressing AMR, advancing disease surveillance, and developing vaccines for respiratory infections. As new pathogens emerge, persistent threats like tuberculosis remain, and the prevalence of AMR increases, infectious diseases continue to pose a significant threat to countries and regions around the world. New advances in detection and the development of vaccines and other tools can help reduce the burden of disease in LMICs and prevent outbreaks from turning into global crises.
- Interactions: Understanding the interplay between nutrition, immunity, infectious diseases, cardiometabolic and other noncommunicable diseases, and developmental outcomes. Advances in nutritional science and our understanding of the microbiome and immunology create an opportunity to solve for the effects that over- and under-nutrition have on all aspects of health and development, including the risk and severity of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases.
The new funding will also include direct support for researchers and institutions based in low- and middle- income settings, including resources to advance locally relevant research agendas, strengthen R&D capacities, and scale equitable access to existing tools and technologies.
“The most effective solutions to pressing challenges often emerge from the very communities they affect,” said Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi, executive director of the African Population and Health Research Center, a leading scientific research institution. “I’m encouraged that this new partnership seeks to unlock novel ideas and support the scientists working directly with the communities that stand to benefit the most.”
In recent years, new technologies, scientific breakthroughs, and a global pandemic have helped accelerate the pace of innovation. Health workers, governments, and global alliances have shown how collective action can transform progress to eliminate diseases, extend life expectancies, and lift generations out of poverty. But funding and attention for global health and development is faltering, putting progress at risk. Debt crises are forcing governments to cut funding for essential health programs; climate change and conflict are shattering communities; and progress to protect lives from diseases known and unknown is under threat. Across all of these challenges, it is the world’s poorest who are most affected.
“We face huge challenges to protecting and improving physical and mental health, compounded by vast inequities globally,” said John-Arne Røttingen, CEO of Wellcome. “Solutions will start in science. We’ve seen this throughout history, and we’ve lived first-hand through incredible advances to save and improve lives. In today’s complex world, health challenges increasingly overlap. We need global collaboration and cooperation more than ever to build healthier futures, and for society to thrive. I look forward to seeing the exciting, innovative research that will come as a result of this partnership. By partnering with the Novo Nordisk Foundation and the Gates Foundation, we can raise ambition, and combine resources and networks to find new ways to advance global health research—especially for those with greatest need.”
Recognizing that philanthropy has an important role to play but can’t do it alone, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome, and the Gates Foundation will explore opportunities to expand this effort to include both public and private partners, as well as engaging other philanthropic partners.
“We’re on the cusp of so many scientific breakthroughs in agriculture, health, and nutrition, and with the right support these innovations will save and improve lives around the world,” said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “Every sector has a critical role to play, and we hope this collaboration opens the door for other funders and partners to contribute to scaling up existing innovations and developing the tools of tomorrow.”
About the Novo Nordisk Foundation
The Novo Nordisk Foundation is an enterprise foundation with philanthropic objectives established in Denmark in 1924. The vision of the Foundation is to improve people’s health and the sustainability of the planet. The Foundation’s mission is to progress research and innovation in the prevention and treatment of cardiometabolic and infectious diseases, as well as to advance knowledge and solutions to support a green transformation of society. www.novonordiskfonden.dk/en
Media contact: [email protected]
About Wellcome
Wellcome is a global charitable foundation, based in the UK. Wellcome supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. We support discovery research into life, health, and wellbeing, and we’re taking on three worldwide health challenges: mental health, infectious disease, and climate and health.
Media contact: [email protected]
About the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Guided by the belief that every life has equal value, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation works to help all people lead healthy, productive lives. In developing countries, it focuses on improving people’s health and giving them the chance to lift themselves out of hunger and extreme poverty. In the United States, it seeks to ensure that all people—especially those with the fewest resources—have access to the opportunities they need to succeed in school and life. Based in Seattle, Washington, the foundation is led by CEO Mark Suzman, under the direction of Co-chairs Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates and the board of trustees.
Media contact: [email protected]
Entertainment news
People’s Pharmacy: Is aspirin OK to prevent colon cancer even with stroke risk? – OregonLive
DEAR PEOPLE’S PHARMACY: My father had colon cancer, and I have had polyps myself, including a precancerous one. Consequently, I might be an ideal candidate for daily aspirin to prevent colon cancer.
However, my family also has a huge history of stroke. In a previous column, you addressed aspirin therapy as a rather significant risk factor for stroke. I don’t know how to weigh the risk/benefit ratio of aspirin therapy, considering these two factors. Can you help?
A. Before your physician can make any recommendations, it is essential to know what kind of strokes your family has experienced. If they were primarily ischemic strokes caused by a clot in a blood vessel of the brain, then aspirin might be protective.
If, on the other hand, they were hemorrhagic strokes caused by bleeding into the brain, aspirin might pose an unacceptable risk.
A recent study in the journal Cancer (April 22, 2024) explains how aspirin helps the immune system track down colorectal cancer cells and reduce the risk for metastases. A comprehensive review of prior research concluded that people taking aspirin were significantly less likely to develop cancer in their digestive tracts (Annals of Oncology, April 1, 2020).
Only your physician can determine if the benefits of regular aspirin use outweigh the risk. This is not a do-it-yourself project.
Q. I have prediabetes and need to lose some weight to qualify for back surgery. That’s why my doctor prescribed Ozempic.
The first month, I was on a low dose and had minor nausea. After it was increased to 0.5 milligrams a week, I suffered persistent nausea and constipation. I could barely stand to look at food.
This drug limited my social interactions for fear of throwing up. I felt like I was in my first trimester of pregnancy, so I could not continue. What other options will help me control my blood sugar levels?
A. Some people find the nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or constipation associated with semaglutide (Ozempic) intolerable. There are many other ways to manage blood sugar, though, including older medications such as metformin.
You can learn about the pros and cons of diabetes drugs and non-drug approaches in our “eGuide to Preventing and Treating Diabetes.” This online resource can be found under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
Q. I read that SLS could cause canker sores. I have found a toothpaste without SLS called Squigle. I tried it and love it. Since I began using it, I’ve not had a single canker sore.
Like toothpaste, shampoo often contains SLS. I used to have a lot of what my mother would call “creeping crud” on my scalp. Nothing helped much; anti-dandruff shampoos worked but only if I used them very frequently. Using no-SLS shampoos has gotten rid of the crud for years.
A. We checked the ingredients of Squigle. It is indeed free of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). In fact, it contains 36% xylitol, a natural sugar from birch trees that combats bacteria that form plaque on teeth.
SLS is a surfactant. That means that it is a foaming agent, commonly found in body care products like shampoos. The detergent action may be irritating to the skin. That’s probably why some people report canker sores after using SLS-containing toothpaste (Dermatitis, September-October 2021). Other people may experience scalp irritation upon exposure to SLS in shampoos.
* * *
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, FL 32803, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”
(c) 2024 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
Entertainment news
MIT astronomers observe elusive stellar light surrounding ancient quasars – MIT News
MIT astronomers have observed the elusive starlight surrounding some of the earliest quasars in the universe. The distant signals, which trace back more than 13 billion years to the universe’s infancy, are revealing clues to how the very first black holes and galaxies evolved.
Quasars are the blazing centers of active galaxies, which host an insatiable supermassive black hole at their core. Most galaxies host a central black hole that may occasionally feast on gas and stellar debris, generating a brief burst of light in the form of a glowing ring as material swirls in toward the black hole.
Quasars, by contrast, can consume enormous amounts of matter over much longer stretches of time, generating an extremely bright and long-lasting ring — so bright, in fact, that quasars are among the most luminous objects in the universe.
Because they are so bright, quasars outshine the rest of the galaxy in which they reside. But the MIT team was able for the first time to observe the much fainter light from stars in the host galaxies of three ancient quasars.
Based on this elusive stellar light, the researchers estimated the mass of each host galaxy, compared to the mass of its central supermassive black hole. They found that for these quasars, the central black holes were much more massive relative to their host galaxies, compared to their modern counterparts.
The findings, published today in the Astrophysical Journal, may shed light on how the earliest supermassive black holes became so massive despite having a relatively short amount of cosmic time in which to grow. In particular, those earliest monster black holes may have sprouted from more massive “seeds” than more modern black holes did.
“After the universe came into existence, there were seed black holes that then consumed material and grew in a very short time,” says study author Minghao Yue, a postdoc in MIT’s Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. “One of the big questions is to understand how those monster black holes could grow so big, so fast.”
“These black holes are billions of times more massive than the sun, at a time when the universe is still in its infancy,” says study author Anna-Christina Eilers, assistant professor of physics at MIT. “Our results imply that in the early universe, supermassive black holes might have gained their mass before their host galaxies did, and the initial black hole seeds could have been more massive than today.”
Eilers’ and Yue’s co-authors include MIT Kavli Director Robert Simcoe, MIT Hubble Fellow and postdoc Rohan Naidu, and collaborators in Switzerland, Austria, Japan, and at North Carolina State University.
Dazzling cores
A quasar’s extreme luminosity has been obvious since astronomers first discovered the objects in the 1960s. They assumed then that the quasar’s light stemmed from a single, star-like “point source.” Scientists designated the objects “quasars,” as a portmanteau of a “quasi-stellar” object. Since those first observations, scientists have realized that quasars are in fact not stellar in origin but emanate from the accretion of intensely powerful and persistent supermassive black holes sitting at the center of galaxies that also host stars, which are much fainter in comparison to their dazzling cores.
It’s been extremely challenging to separate the light from a quasar’s central black hole from the light of the host galaxy’s stars. The task is a bit like discerning a field of fireflies around a central, massive searchlight. But in recent years, astronomers have had a much better chance of doing so with the launch of NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), which has been able to peer farther back in time, and with much higher sensitivity and resolution, than any existing observatory.
In their new study, Yue and Eilers used dedicated time on JWST to observe six known, ancient quasars, intermittently from the fall of 2022 through the following spring. In total, the team collected more than 120 hours of observations of the six distant objects.
“The quasar outshines its host galaxy by orders of magnitude. And previous images were not sharp enough to distinguish what the host galaxy with all its stars looks like,” Yue says. “Now for the first time, we are able to reveal the light from these stars by very carefully modeling JWST’s much sharper images of those quasars.”
A light balance
The team took stock of the imaging data collected by JWST of each of the six distant quasars, which they estimated to be about 13 billion years old. That data included measurements of each quasar’s light in different wavelengths. The researchers fed that data into a model of how much of that light likely comes from a compact “point source,” such as a central black hole’s accretion disk, versus a more diffuse source, such as light from the host galaxy’s surrounding, scattered stars.
Through this modeling, the team teased apart each quasar’s light into two components: light from the central black hole’s luminous disk and light from the host galaxy’s more diffuse stars. The amount of light from both sources is a reflection of their total mass. The researchers estimate that for these quasars, the ratio between the mass of the central black hole and the mass of the host galaxy was about 1:10. This, they realized, was in stark contrast to today’s mass balance of 1:1,000, in which more recently formed black holes are much less massive compared to their host galaxies.
“This tells us something about what grows first: Is it the black hole that grows first, and then the galaxy catches up? Or is the galaxy and its stars that first grow, and they dominate and regulate the black hole’s growth?” Eilers explains. “We see that black holes in the early universe seem to be growing faster than their host galaxies. That is tentative evidence that the initial black hole seeds could have been more massive back then.”
“There must have been some mechanism to make a black hole gain their mass earlier than their host galaxy in those first billion years,” Yue adds. “It’s kind of the first evidence we see for this, which is exciting.”
Novo Nordisk Foundation, Wellcome, and the Gates Foundation Join Forces to Accelerate Global Health Equity and Impact – Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
People’s Pharmacy: Is aspirin OK to prevent colon cancer even with stroke risk? – OregonLive
MIT astronomers observe elusive stellar light surrounding ancient quasars – MIT News
About Us
EmPawa Business Funding – Simplifying Business Financing | With Susan Sundai
Breaking news – Chronicle
-
About Us5 months ago
About Us
-
Business5 months agoEmPawa Business Funding – Simplifying Business Financing | With Susan Sundai
-
money markets3 weeks agoBreaking news – Chronicle
-
gospel3 weeks agoAmerican gospel artistes to grace Zim – NewsDay
-
gospel3 weeks ago
American gospel artistes to grace Zim – NewsDay
-
gospel3 weeks ago
American gospel artistes to grace Zim – NewsDay
-
travel3 weeks agoZimbabwe receive Emarati travel bloggers – Chronicle
-
soccer2 weeks agoEx-PSL stars link up at new Zim club – FarPost