There's a simple cheap superfood that can banish menopause woe. Women in other countries benefit - now we must too: DR FREDERICA AMANTI
This is hardly surprising since the mid-life hormonal changes are associated with a host of uncomfortable - and often debilitating - symptoms, ranging from hot flushes to difficulty sleeping, anxiety, mood swings and reduced sex drive.
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The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Foreign aid cuts could lead to millions more dying from superbug infections by 2050, study warns
The growing global health crisis of superbug infections could undo decades of progress in medicine, according to a new report, which warns that foreign aid cuts could lead to millions more dying worldwide by 2050. Without collective global action, growing cases of infections caused by such antimicrobial-resistant (AMR) microbes could cost the global economy nearly $2trillion, the UK government-funded research says. The research forecasts the future impact of AMR on global economies under different scenarios of interventions across regions, income groups, and countries. Bacteria have been evolving resistance to the antibiotics used by doctors to kill them in recent years, causing even what used to be the simplest-to-treat infections to become potentially life-threatening. With scientists locked in a race to create and improve access to a 'new generation' of drugs capable of defeating even the most resistant of such superbugs, global research funding cuts risk stalling progress. If the superbug spread continued at the same trend as seen since 1990 in a 'business-as-usual' scenario, it could lead to nearly 39 million deaths between 2025 and 2050, a growing body of studies suggests. However, if there is improved access to antibiotics against such bacterial infections, it could avert 90 million deaths over this period, the latest report estimates. Better access to antibiotics could lead to a $19bn annual reduction in healthcare costs by 2050, they say. 'This scenario would increase global GDP by $269bn over the business-as-usual scenario. The health benefits from this intervention would be worth half a billion dollars if disability-adjusted life years are valued at the GDP per capita of a given country,' scientists noted. In comparison, the worst-case scenario of an accelerated rise in AMR at the rate of the bottom 15 per cent of countries could lead to an additional 6.7 million people dying from infections, they warn. The report comes following the UK government's Thursday announcement that it was axing the Fleming Fund – a major £265m British programme combating AMR in developing countries. 'Without effective interventions, health care costs could increase by $176bn per year by 2050, and global output could be $1.7trillion lower than in the business-as-usual scenario,' the report noted. Previous research suggests that combating superbugs would require 6 to 15 new drugs developed for treatment per decade. Scientists estimate this could require an annual additional research and development cost of $2.2bn. 'If all high-income countries funded this research and development in proportion to their GDP, it would cost them 0.0036 per cent of GDP in 2025,' they wrote. 'For these new drugs to provide the promised health benefits, people across the world must have access to them. We estimate that it would cost $59bn to ensure that all countries have outcomes for bacterial infections that match the quality of treatment currently available in the 85th percentile of countries,' researchers noted. Considering these economic and health benefits, scientists say there would be 'excellent value for money' offered by these global interventions.
The Independent
22 minutes ago
- The Independent
Bluetongue has been detected in England. Here's what you should know
A tiny midge, no bigger than a pinhead, is bringing UK farming to its knees. The culprit? A strain of the bluetongue virus that's never been seen before. As of July 1, the whole of England has been classed as an 'infected area' due to bluetongue virus serotype 3 (BTV-3). There are movement restrictions and testing in place in Scotland, Wales and the island of Ireland. No animals from England – or that have passed through England – are allowed to attend this year's Royal Welsh Show on July 21-24, for example. The virus, which causes illness and death in sheep, cattle, goats and other ruminants, is spread by biting midges. Although it poses no risk to humans and can't be transmitted from one animal to another, the latest outbreak is more severe than previous ones. And it could cause lasting damage to UK farming. Bluetongue isn't new to the UK, however. A different strain, BTV-8 was detected in 2007 and contained. But BTV-3 is a different story. First detected in the Netherlands in late 2023, it was quickly spotted in the UK, where an early containment effort initially appeared successful. But the virus made a comeback in autumn 2024 – and this time it spread. On its second attempt, the virus was able to circulate and caused an outbreak. With little existing immunity, BTV-3 has now established itself, prompting concerns about animal welfare, food production and farming livelihoods. What does the disease do? Sheep tend to be the most severely affected, though all ruminants are at risk. Clinical signs are species-specific but can include swelling of the face, congestion, nasal discharge, ulcers in the mouth and nose, difficulty breathing and abortion or birth deformities. Bluetongue can cause the animal's tongue to swell. It can also turn blue from a lack of blood flow – although this is somewhat rare. Bluetongue disease causes suffering in animals, and while there is a vaccine, there is no treatment for the disease once it's contracted. BTV-3 appears to be more lethal than earlier strains. In the Netherlands, vets report that BTV-3 is causing more severe symptoms than BTV-8 did. Vets in England reported that in some herds 25-40% of cows failed to get pregnant, and there was a high rate of birth defects and stillborn calves. One farm in Suffolk started the calving season with 25% of their cows not pregnant and ended with just 48 calves from 97 cows. Belgium has seen a fall in calf births, reduced milk deliveries and higher mortality in small ruminants compared to the previous three years. How is it spread? Bluetongue virus is transmitted by midges from the Culicoides genus. These are tiny, biting insects that thrive in mild, wet conditions. Multiple midges can bite the same animal, and it only takes one of them to carry BTV before that animal becomes a host for further transmission. When animals are transported long distances, infected individuals can be bitten again and introduce the virus to previously uninfected midge populations. Climate change is making outbreaks like this more likely. Milder winters and cooler, wetter summers are ideal for midges, increasing both their numbers and their biting activity. While there's no danger to human health, the consequences of BTV-3 are far-reaching. Limitations on movement, exports and imports are being imposed to help prevent the spread of the disease, but this could also hamper farming practices and trade. The disease and its associated restrictions pose another source of stress for farmers, 95% of whom have ranked mental health as the biggest hidden problem in farming. Genetic pick and mix One of the reasons bluetongue is so tricky to manage is its ability to evolve. It has a segmented genome, meaning its genetic material, in this case RNA, is split into ten segments. This characteristic is exclusive to 'reassortment viruses' and means that they can easily exchange segments of RNA. It's like a genetic pick and mix with ten different types of sweets that come in an unlimited number of flavours. This allows BTV to create new, genetically distinct 'serotypes', which may have a selective advantage or a disadvantage. Those with an advantage will emerge and spread successfully, while those with a disadvantage will not emerge at all. This process, known as 'reassortment', is partly responsible for the numerous influenza pandemics throughout history and has even allowed diseases to jump the species barrier. Although bluetongue doesn't affect humans directly, its spread poses a growing threat to the UK's livestock sector and food supply. It's important to learn from other countries that are further along in the BTV-3 outbreak so that the likely effects can be anticipated in the UK.
Reuters
23 minutes ago
- Reuters
Fitness classes help elderly Ugandan women fight rising rates of obesity and diabetes
JINJA, Uganda, July 21 (Reuters) - Wearing floor-length dresses and wrap-around skirts, the group of elderly women giggle and tease each other as they jog in pairs, hand in hand, across a playing field in Kivubuka, a village in eastern Uganda. The exercise class is part of a project aimed at reducing increasing rates of noncommunicable diseases such as hypertension, diabetes and heart disease and has attracted more than 1,000 people since it began five years ago. While famine and malnutrition remain major concerns in several African countries, obesity is increasingly on the march, especially among Ugandan women. Jane Anonyaalaba, a grandmother, is one of those looking to buck the trend. She used to struggle with high blood pressure, persistent aches and occasional paralysis in her limbs. "I would breathe with difficulty. Climbing a hill was almost impossible," the 70-year-old said. Now, she bends over double to whack three tennis balls with a cricket bat before running between a set of blue plastic wickets. A quarter of a century ago, just 4% of Ugandan women were obese, but that figure had more than doubled to 10.4% by 2019, according to the latest available dataset provided by the Global Nutrition Report, which tracks global nutrition. By comparison, male obesity had risen to just 2.3%. Weekly fitness clubs like Kivubuka may be a model for a local, low-cost approach to supporting aging communities across Africa, where 17% of adult women and 6.8% of men are obese. As people lead more urban, sedentary lifestyles, and eat cheaper ultra-processed foods, the continent is becoming more obese, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Obesity has brought a corollary rise in deaths: around one-third of Ugandans died from NCDs in 2016, almost double the number in 2000. "I want to think and believe that there (has been) a change in their lives," said Isaac Imaka, who organises the club on behalf of the Gabula Royal Foundation, a charity established by a Ugandan traditional leader. "This... is a place where you can come and find a new friend, and just have something to talk about."
