Starches form the foundation of most people’s diets, rich and poor alike; at least a third and often far more. Yet they have become the new whipping boy in both the popular and scientific press; they make us fat and cause type-2 diabetes. Or do they? First it was animal fat, after researcher Radley Keys cooked the books, causing the world to eschew eggs, dairy products and … [Read more...]
Illuminating the role of light in disease risk
Light dictates life. It was this idea that Dr Bernard Coetzee pondered over cups of tea with fellow ecologists when the possible connection between light and infectious disease clicked. “Artificial light is really interesting and it’s really scary – it’s doing things to the environment that we just don’t think about,” says Coetzee. Coetzee is a global change scientist. In … [Read more...]
The bare bones of tissue donation
There’s a hero inside all of us. And that’s not just a platitude about unrealised potential but a reality as far as tissue donation is concerned. Tissue donation refers to the generous donation of human tissue, which includes bone and other products created from human tissue, bestowed after death. According to Bone SA, a registered non-profit organisation concerned with … [Read more...]
Plans for logging in Ebo Forest denounced by civil society
Greenpeace Africa and local communities denounce a decision by the Government of Cameroon to open up 68,385 hectares of pristine rainforest to logging. The fate of a 65,007 ha zone of Ebo, also threatened with logging, remains unclear and must also be spared from chainsaws. The 14 July decree to log a zone about half the size of London blatantly ignores requests by local … [Read more...]
EU must tackle forest destruction to reduce the risk of pandemics
While the world continues to grapple with the devastating consequences of Covid-19, WWF is calling for urgent action to address the key drivers it has identified which will cause future zoonotic disease outbreaks. In a new report Covid-19: Urgent Call to Protect People and Nature, WWF identifies a number of environmental factors which drive the emergence of zoonotic … [Read more...]
Safeguarding biodiversity essential to prevent next pandemic
While the world’s attention is focused on controlling COVID-19, evidence points at the biodiversity crisis as a leading factor in its emergence. At first glance, the two issues might seem unrelated, but disease outbreaks and degraded ecosystems are deeply connected. Frédéric Baudron, systems agronomist at the International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT) and … [Read more...]
Protect your lungs this World Tuberculosis Day
Today is World Tuberculosis Day, and the National Council against Smoking (NCAS) is placing the spotlight on the impact of smoking on tuberculosis (TB). TB is the country’s leading cause of death at 8.8% of all deaths, according to Stats SA. TB is passed on from one person to another through the air, usually through coughing or sneezing. It is fully treatable although the … [Read more...]
GOTG partners with government for covid-19 intervention
Gift of the Givers (GOTG) is a partner to the government's Covid-19 initiative, augmenting public health services by supporting medical professionals with protective wear, supplying relevant essential medical equipment and providing medical consumables to the institutions in urgent need. The National Health Minister is fully appraised of their intervention through the Deputy … [Read more...]
Your right to choose natural health products is under threat
Be warned …your favourite herbal, homeopathic and nutritional products will soon either be banned or become unaffordable, unless you say ‘NO!‘ This will later expand to include natural skincare products and African Traditional Medicines. The current regulatory regime imposed on traditional & natural health products stems from controversial ‘Complementary Medicine … [Read more...]
Pushing the edges to a new frontier of medicine
The medical world and patients alike are searching for new solutions to chronic diseases that will not only mask symptoms but lead to full recovery. The place to find these answers is at the second SA Congress of Integrative Medicine from 17 – 18 November at the Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West. “At this stage of Integrative medicine (IM), each one of us is still a … [Read more...]
Environmental toxins that cause kidney disease and failure
Toxins present in the environment are a common but under-appreciated cause of kidney disease and kidney failure. Environmental causes typically include chemical agents (eg. heavy metals), physical agents (eg. high temperature/heat, dehydration), and biological/infectious agents (eg. malaria, HIV etc). Here is an overview of some exposures that you should be aware of, as well … [Read more...]
Using theatre to teach SA’s youth the importance of recycling
What was the world like when the astronauts went to the moon in ’69? If they went again today would they see loads of litter on the little blue dot we call home? Are we being devoured by the diabolical Waste Monster we have created and grown to a disproportionate degree? Lunchbox Theatre’s ‘What a Waste Show’ teaches children about responsible waste management, recycling and … [Read more...]
Response to climate change is critical as risk of disease outbreaks grows
Climate change threatens to significantly increase the health risk of people living in the East African Highlands. In addition, droughts have intensified. These have have both short-term and long term effects on human health. Yet there are no guidelines to inform health related decisions under climate change conditions. Nor has any mapping been carried out to indicate the … [Read more...]
