Sierra Leone launched a new campaign Thursday to try to contain the spread of the Ebola virus. Initial reports — describing the effort as a nationwide lockdown — were wrong. Instead, the campaign is officially called the House-to-House Ebola Talk. World Health Organization spokesperson in Sierra Leone Nyka Alexander spoke from the capital Freetown about […]readmore
U.S. researchers have successfully tested a blood test for depression. And it not only could help diagnose and treat patients, but it could also help remove the stigma of a common mental illness. Depression is one of the most common of all mental disorders, says the Northwestern University psychiatry professor who developed the test, Eva […]readmore
The United Nations on Tuesday reported significant declines in the rates of child mortality and hunger, but said those two scourges of the developing world stubbornly persist in parts of Africa and South Asia despite major health care advances and sharply higher global food production. The trends, detailed in two annual reports by United Nations […]readmore
Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) is working to keep local communities healthy by sponsoring free flu clinics for Rhode Islanders who do not have health insurance. Over the next three months, BCBSRI will partner with local community service agencies to sponsor clinics across the state. BCBSRI has administered a free flu […]readmore
DAKAR—The World Health Organization said Ebola treatment centers in and around Monrovia need to triple their capacity to 1,000 beds, because as more people become ill and they seek treatment, clinics are having to turn some patients away. Ebola treatment units in Monrovia are filled to overflowing. Each is only able to take in a […]readmore
The World Health Organization expressed worry on Wednesday about a second cluster of Ebola virus patients in Nigeria — in the center of its oil industry — because one of the three confirmed victims was a doctor who had treated patients and socialized after he became contagious. The doctor, in the southern city of Port […]readmore
WOONSOCKET, R.I., September 3, 2014 — CVS Caremark Corporation (NYSE: CVS) announced today that it is changing its corporate name to CVS Health to reflect its broader health care commitment and its expertise in driving the innovations needed to shape the future of health. “For our patients and customers, health is everything and CVS Health […]readmore
A new low-cost, rapid blood test for sickle cell anemia could someday save the lives of thousands children in developing countries. An estimated 300,000 children are born with the genetic blood disorder each year in Africa alone. It causes affected red cells to form into a sickle shape, clogging blood vessels. Researchers say more than […]readmore
Scientists are using mutations of the Ebola virus to track the deadly outbreak’s origins. In study published in the journal Science, researchers worked backwards, tracking Ebola’s 300 mutations to determine where the illness was first detected and where it has spread. The scientists identified the funeral of a traditional healer in Central Africa as the […]readmore
A series of experiments performed by scientists from UK and Japan suggests that coffee and naps taken together maximize the brain’s alertness much better than when taken alone. Scientists at Loughborough University in Britain found out that tired test takers who drank a cup of coffee and immediately took a 15-minute nap had fewer errors […]readmore