News : France24

Wednesday, october 30, 2024

Shift toward more plant-based foods will drastically reduce emissions: expert

A new report from medical and health experts is warning that climate change – driven by fossil fuel emissions – is raising heat levels to dangerous new heights, while also worsening drought and food security. About a third of all human-caused greenhouse

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Wednesday, october 23, 2024

Easing the burden of sickle cell disease in Africa: more campaigners push for improved care

Sickle cell anemia is an inherited blood disorder that can leave sufferers struggling with serious, sometimes excruciatingly painful health complications. Most of the eight million people worldwide who have the disease are of African descent. With the ri

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Monday, october 21, 2024

Cuba never recovered from Covid, Trump sanctions, expert says

Electricity has been restored to almost 90 percent of Havana residents, four days after a nationwide blackout hit Cuba in the wake of Hurricane Oscar. Several Cuban provinces were still without power, after the collapse of the nation's largest power plan

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Saturday, october 19, 2024

Alarming rise in addictions can be attributed to 'misuse' of prescriptions, 'lack of due diligence'

Addiction to prescription medication continues to its steep rise and fatalities linked to overdoses of illicit or prescription drugs are hitting record highs. In the US alone close to 108,000 Americans died from drug-involved overdose in 2022. Dr Adam R

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Wednesday, october 16, 2024

Poppins, the French app designed to help kids with dyslexia

The 2024 Ivy Tech Prize for France's young entrepreneur of the year was awarded on Tuesday to François Vonthron, CEO and co-founder of Poppins. The app was designed to help children with dyslexia by using a video game format, with one independent study s

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Monday, october 14, 2024

Hands off the Doliprane: French outcry over plan to sell popular painkiller to US

Politicians from across the political spectrum are up in arms over healthcare giant Sanofi's plans to sell France's best-known medical drug Doliprane to US investors, a move critics say would lead to a "loss of sovereignty" for the country in a sensitive

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Breast Cancer Awareness Month: Over 360 thousand people diagnosed yearly

This year alone more than 360 thousand people will be diagnosed with breast cancer ... while many will die of it without being diagnosed at all. And yet if it is detected early, the 5-year relative survival rate of breast cancer stands at an incredible 9

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Sunday, october 13, 2024

Harris challenges Trump by issuing medical report showing she is in ‘excellent health’

US Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris on Saturday issued a medical report showing she is in “excellent health” and fit to serve as the country’s leader. The move is seen as a challenge to Donald Trump, whom Harris has accu

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Friday, october 11, 2024

'My life got turned upside down': One woman's experience of battling breast cancer

This October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. Every year, 2.3 million women are diagnosed with breast cancer across the world, meaning that every 14 seconds, somewhere on the planet, a woman is diagnosed with the disease. Among them is FRANCE 24 journal

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Promising findings emerge from latest cancer trials

We take a look at some of the findings that emerged from this year's European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Barcelona. Some 30,000 people attended the forum to hear what advances doctors and researchers have made in the fight against cancer.

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As snake season nears, fears in South Africa over lack of antivenom

Experts in South Africa are warning of a shortage of snakebite antivenom that could leave thousands without access to the crucial treatment. Production stopped four years ago and with South Africa the only antivenom producer on the continent, it means ot

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Thursday, october 10, 2024

'Relentless, deliberate' attacks by Israel destroying Gaza's healthcare, say UN experts

A UN report said that Israel's targeted and "wanton destruction" in Gaza was destroying the healthcare system in the Palestinian enclave. The report found evidence that both Palestinian prisoners and Israeli hostages have been tortured and sexually abuse

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Wednesday, october 9, 2024

Victims of toxic waste dump in Ivory Coast still seeking justice

It's an environmental tragedy with ongoing consequences in Ivory Coast. Back in 2006, the company Trafigura wanted to get rid of 500 cubic metres of toxic waste from the refining of petroleum products stored on its cargo ship Probo Koala. After three cou

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Tuesday, october 8, 2024

Weight-loss drugs could help those who have moderate amount to lose, expert says

Novo Nordisk's weight-loss drug Wegovy will be available in France from this Tuesday. The drug will require a prescription and will not be reimbursed by French social security. FRANCE 24's Sharon Gaffney speaks to Adam Collins, Associate Professor of Nut

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Novo Nordisk's weight loss drug Wegovy available in France from Tuesday

Novo Nordisk's weight loss drug Wegovy will be available in France from Tuesday. The drug will require a prescription and will not be covered by social security. The main molecule in the medication is also found in the diabetes drug Ozempic which many ce

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French end-of-life bill debated by MPs

Debate is beginning at the National Assembly on French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposed end-of-life bill. It would create a legal framework for the terminally ill to get help to die; a highly contentious issue. FRANCE 24's Solange Mougin tells us wha

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Saturday, october 5, 2024

DR Congo begins mpox vaccination campaign in bid to curb outbreak

The first vaccines against mpox were given to hospital staff on Saturday and more will be made available to members of the public who are most at risk on Monday, the health minister said. As Democratic Republic of Congo attempts to curb a deadly mpox epi

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Wednesday, october 2, 2024

Breast cancer awareness month: Targeted therapies offer hope

This October marks the 30th edition of Pink October, an entire month in France dedicated to raising awareness and promoting breast cancer screening. Each year, some 61,000 new cases are diagnosed, and 12,600 women die from the disease in France. Breast c

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Monday, september 30, 2024

Rwanda reports eight deaths linked to Ebola-like Marburg virus

In tonight's edition: Rwanda raises the alarm as eight people die after getting the Marburg disease, a highly contagious virus with Ebola-like symptoms. Also, the UAE is to file an official complaint with the African Union over what it calls a "heinous a

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Friday, september 27, 2024

We need to talk about menopause: An estimated one billion women will be impacted by 2030

In a special edition, we focus on menopause since general knowledge of what it means for those who experience it and how to best treat it, is minimal to say the least. Although menopause is still considered taboo in many parts of the world, we report on

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With nearly 700 killed in a week, Lebanon fears Gaza-level violence

Nearly 700 people have been killed in Lebanon this week, according to Lebanon’s health ministry. Israel has dramatically escalated strikes, saying it is targeting Hezbollah’s military capacities and senior Hezbollah commanders. More information with FRAN

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Wednesday, september 25, 2024

Medication shortages in France: Firms handed record fine for not respecting safety stocks

The French Medicines Agency has decided to sanction 11 pharmaceutical companies that did not respect the minimum four-month stocks for drugs "of major therapeutic interest", handing them a record fine amounting to €8 million. This is 16 times the amount

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Tuesday, september 24, 2024

French maternity care: A postcode lottery?

For several decades now, France has been struggling with doctors leaving rural areas and people there not being able to access medical care. Maternity wards are also part of this trend, with 30 percent of them shutting down over the past 20 years. The he

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Wednesday, september 18, 2024

Promising findings emerge from latest cancer trials

We take a look at some of the findings that emerged from this year's European Society for Medical Oncology conference in Barcelona. Some 30,000 people attended the forum to hear what advances doctors and researchers have made in the fight against cancer.

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Drug-resistant superbugs projected to kill 39 million by 2050

Infections of drug-resistant superbugs are projected to kill nearly 40 million people over the next 25 years, a global analysis predicted on Monday, with the researchers urging action to avoid this grim scenario.

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Tuesday, september 17, 2024

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria projected to kill 39 million people by 2050, report says

Bacterial infections resistant to available antibiotic medicines will cause more than 39 million deaths worldwide over the next 25 years and indirectly contribute to an additional 169 million deaths, according to a forecast published on Monday. FRANCE 24

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Antibiotic-resistant bacteria projected to kill 39 million by 2050, report says

Bacterial illnesses resistant to available antibiotic medicines will cause more than 39 million deaths worldwide over the next 25 years and indirectly contribute to an additional 169 million deaths, according to a forecast published on Monday. FRANCE24's

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Tuesday, september 10, 2024

Frenchman on trial for mass rape of wife to testify Wednesday

A Frenchman being tried for recruiting strangers to rape his drugged wife will be back in court to testify on Wednesday after being admitted to hospital, the presiding judge at his trial said. The hospital admission on Tuesday of Dominique Pelicot, a 71-

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Tuesday, september 3, 2024

Menopause: Supporting women through hormonal changes

More than 20 years ago, a study significantly changed the perception of hormonal treatment for menopause, pointing to increased risks of breast cancer or cardiovascular diseases. But today, new data has transformed the dominant view on how to treat the m

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Wednesday, august 21, 2024

DRC centre of Mpox epidemic: WHO declares global public health emergency

A massive vaccination campaign to fight the spread of the newest strain of M-pox could be rolled out within the coming days across a number of African countries. The epicentre of the latest deadly outbreak is the DRC, but screening and border controls ar

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African countries seek to contain spread of Mpox

The United Nation's International Organisation for Migration (IOM) appealed on Wednesday for $18.5 million in assistance to provide health care services to people impacted by the mpox outbreak in East and Southern Africa, according to a statement. Story

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DR Congo says mpox vaccines arrive next week

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and other African countries could start vaccinating against mpox within days, Africa's top public health agency said on Tuesday. Details with FRANCE 24 correspondent in Kinshasa, Emmet Livingstone.

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Tuesday, august 20, 2024

Cholera outbreak in Sudan as humanitarian routes cut off

Sudan has been stricken by a cholera outbreak that has killed nearly two dozen people and sickened hundreds more in recent weeks, health authorities said Sunday. The African nation has been roiled by a 16-month conflict and devastating floods.

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Saturday, august 17, 2024

Indian medics stage nationwide strike over doctor's rape and murder

India's medical workers began a countrywide strike Saturday to protest the rape and killing of a trainee doctor at a state-run hospital in the eastern West Bengal state. Saturday’s strike was called by the country’s largest group of doctors, the Indian M

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Friday, august 16, 2024

Europe must prepare for more mpox cases, EU health agency warns

The European Union health agency on Friday (August 16) urged its member states to get ready for more cases of a deadly strain of mpox, a day after Sweden announced the first case outside Africa.

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Thursday, august 15, 2024

Sweden reports first case of new monkeypox strain outside Africa

The World Health Organization on Thursday said a first case of mpox linked to an outbreak in Africa has been identified outside the continent after an infection was confirmed in Sweden. The news comes a day after the WHO declared mpox, also known as monk

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World Health Organization declares mpox a global health emergency

The World Health Organization on Wednesday (August 14) declared the mpox surge in Africa a global public health emergency, sounding its highest possible alarm over the worsening situation.

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Wednesday, august 14, 2024

Africa's top health body sounds alarm over mpox outbreak

The Africa CDC or centres for Disease Control has declared its first ever public health emergency over the most recent mpox outbreak that began in DR Congo last September but has since spread to other countries. Over 38,000 cases and more than 1,400 deat

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Friday, august 9, 2024

Attritional fight akin to WWI: Russia making 'steady incremental advance' in Ukraine's north, south

A fire broke out at a Russian military airfield hundreds of kilometres from the Ukrainian border, state media reported early Friday, with authorities ordering evacuations in the area due to a "massive" drone attack. The attack in the Lipetsk region came

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Tuesday, july 9, 2024

Pakistan's Ratodero scandal: HIV-positive children treated like outcasts

In 2019, the Ratodero scandal broke out in Pakistan. The town in the country's southern Sindh province was suddenly in the spotlight after a doctor revealed that thousands of children had been infected with HIV. An investigation showed that dangerous and

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Wednesday, july 3, 2024

Japan's Supreme Court rules that forced sterilisation law was unconstitutional

Thousands of Japanese people who were forcibly sterilised between 1948 and 1996 will be able to request government compensation after the country's Supreme Court ruled that its now-defunct eugenics law was unconstitutional.

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Tuesday, july 2, 2024

French legislative elections: What are the main alliances proposing on health?

France is heading into a second and final round of voting on July 7 after the far right came out ahead in the first round of legislative elections on Sunday. The result has sent centrist and leftist parties scrambling to keep the far right from securing

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Friday, june 28, 2024

Health at heart of UK general election: Conservatives, Labour vow to fix NHS

In the run-up to the UK's general election on July 4, the state of the country's National Health Service (NHS) is a key campaign theme. Satisfaction with the NHS is at its lowest in 40 years and the same is true of social care. Both the ruling Conservati

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Wednesday, june 26, 2024

'Constant pain': Victims of Haiti's gangs face health system in crisis

Suffering from gunshot wounds to the leg and buttocks, 31-year-old Olivier Vilminio sought treatment in a hospital in Haiti's capital, Port-au-Prince. But even there, he was not safe from a surge of gang violence that has upended life in the impoverished

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Tuesday, june 25, 2024

A step towards a universal antivenom: Curbing the toll of snakebites

For years, scientists have been trying to reverse the terrible toll that snakebites take on societies in tropical regions in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. In some cases, snakebites can lead to amputations and even death. The race is now on to dev

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Wednesday, june 19, 2024

AI-enhanced blood tests could detect Parkinson's disease seven years before onset

PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, June 19: Ahead of next week's legislative elections in France, President Emmanuel Macron finds himself short on allies, while there is still uncertainty over what will happen if no party wins an absolute majority in parliament.

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Monday, june 17, 2024

Transient global amnesia: Taylor Swift fans report post-concert forgetfulness

Imagine paying hundreds – even thousands – of euros to see your favourite artist in concert, only to forget their performance. It might sound crazy, but since the start of Taylor Swift's Eras Tour, several fans have reported not remembering parts of her

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Saturday, june 15, 2024

All eyes on Kate Middleton as she returns to public view for the first time after cancer diagnosis

Britain put on a display of birthday pageantry Saturday for King Charles III, a military parade that marked the Princess of Wales ’ first public appearance since her cancer diagnosis early this year. More information with FRANCE 24 journalist Benedicte P

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Thursday, june 13, 2024

Support and sniping for South African universal healthcare law

This week, a new law paving the way for the introduction of universal healthcare in South Africa both excites and divides. Also, ed tech has the potential to close education gaps in DR Congo. One digital learning portal is going down well with kids, but

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Monday, june 3, 2024

Why is France facing shortages of medication?

On Thursday of last week, pharmacists closed their doors in France in a rare strike – the first of its kind in over a decade. They were protesting against government plans to relax online sales regulations, which they fear could lead to some pharmacies c

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Saturday, june 1, 2024

Putin's war on Ukraine: West 'no longer worried' when Russia's rhetoric, talking points go 'nuclear'

As Biden takes US deeper into Russia's war on Ukraine and Blinken vows NATO response to rising Russian hybrid attacks, FRANCE 24 is joined by Dr. Alexandra Filippenko, Political Analyst and Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for US and Canadian Stud

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Thursday, may 30, 2024

French pharmacists strike over drug shortages and pay, closing shops nationwide

French pharmacists launched their first walkout in 10 years on Thursday, closing up shop over drug shortages, pharmacy closures and fears medications could be sold online, as well as higher pay.

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Monday, may 27, 2024

French lawmakers open tense two-week debate on assisted dying

Until now, people in France suffering from incurable illnesses, and who wish to end their lives, have had to travel abroad. But one of President Macron's pledges for his second term in office was a debate on the right to die. That debate got started toda

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Sunday, may 26, 2024

Roadblocks delay access to medical care in riot-hit New Caledonia

Roadblocks in riot-hit New Caledonia are delaying patients' access to medical care as vehicles and ambulances traveling to hospitals and clinics are forced to slow down. Since two weeks ago when protests and riots started, some nurses have taken to sleep

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Tuesday, may 21, 2024

US FDA approves Neuralink's brain chip implant for second patient

The US startup Neuralink, which recently implanted one of its chips into the brain of a young quadriplegic man for the first time, has been forced to halt the trial. The company, co-founded by Elon Musk, encountered issues just a few weeks after the oper

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British inquiry shows past govts deliberately infected citizens with contaminated blood

PRESS REVIEW – Thursday, May 21: There are calls for justice after a damning report shows that the British government intentionally contaminated the blood of tens of thousands of patients between the 1970s and 1990s and attempted to cover it up. Also: re

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New device helps paraplegics regain partial control of arms and hands

More than 40 people suffering from paralysis from the neck down regained partial control of their arms and hands thanks to a relatively simple to use device, a large study said Monday.

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Monday, may 20, 2024

'Day of shame': UK inquiry finds cover-up of NHS infected blood scandal

An infected blood scandal in Britain was no accident but the fault of doctors and a succession of governments that led to 3,000 deaths and thousands more contracting hepatitis or HIV, a public inquiry reported on Monday.

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Wednesday, may 15, 2024

The Car-T cell revolution: reprogramming lymphocytes against cancer

There's been a significant advancement in the fight against cancers, called CAR-T cell therapy. It is a rapidly developing cellular immunotherapy strategy that holds great promise. More information with FRANCE 24 Science Editor Julia Sieger.

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Global Citizen Prize winner on helping rural Africans access healthcare

A 2024 Global Citizen Prize winner – Andrew Ddebme – spoke to FRANCE 24 about the joys of having his work recognised by the international organisation. Ddebme is the founder of MobiKlinic, a digital solution that has helped rural communities in Africa ac

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