
‘Stereotypes around the way we see black women can be very damaging': NI's first cultural liaison midwife
Improvements need to be made in the provision of safe, accessible maternity care for women from ethnic minority backgrounds, a leading Northern Irish midwife has said.
Debbie Garland, a cultural liaison midwife with the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, said while steps had been taken to ensure women from black and Asian communities felt secure, empowered and listened to during pregnancy and childbirth, there was still much to be learned.

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Wales Online
6 hours ago
- Wales Online
New Covid strain with 'unusual' symptoms identified as cases surge
New Covid strain with 'unusual' symptoms identified as cases surge The new Covid variant, labelled NB.1.8.1, is causing unusual gastrointestinal problems, health officials have warned The new strain of Covid is the result of two variants combining (Image: Getty Images/Westend61 ) Health authorities have issued an alert regarding a new strain of coronavirus after a surge in cases. Residents in Ireland are being advised to self-isolate for two days if they exhibit any Covid symptoms, as the new variant - which presents with unusual symptoms - is also linked to gastrointestinal issues. The variant, known as NB.1.8.1, has already been identified in the UK, US and Australia. Specialists emphasised that while previous strains have been associated with flu-like symptoms, NB. 1.8.1 can lead to gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and heartburn. Patients experiencing bloating, constipation and abdominal pain could also be suffering from Covid-19, reports the Mirror. The World Health Organization (WHO) has added the variant to its official watch list, suggesting it may be more transmissible than other strains. However, there's no evidence yet to suggest it leads to more severe illness. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here . According to WHO, the strain first emerged in January and by late April it accounted for approximately 10.7% of global infections, a significant increase from just 2.5% a month earlier. The variant has also been identified in renowned holiday destinations such as Thailand, Egypt, and the Maldives. It has rapidly become the prevailing strain in some Asian regions, including China and Hong Kong. Article continues below Dr Lara Herrero, an Associate Professor and Virology Research Leader at Griffith University, shared details about the symptoms: "Common symptoms [of NB.1.8.1] include sore throat, fatigue, fever, mild cough, muscle aches and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms may also occur in some cases."

South Wales Argus
5 days ago
- South Wales Argus
Major study into cancer inequalities across Wales released
The study, from Public Health Wales' Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit (WCISU), found that housing, occupation, and ethnicity all influence cancer risk. It's the first time all-Wales cancer registry data has been linked with census information, and the findings highlight significant disparities across the country. Professor Dyfed Wyn Huws, director of the Welsh Cancer Intelligence and Surveillance Unit, said: "This is the first time we've been able to look at unfair inequalities in cancer rates through this level of detail using individual data across the whole of the Welsh population. "It's a major step forward in understanding and reducing cancer inequalities in our society." The study found that people living in overcrowded housing had cancer rates seven times higher than those with two or more spare rooms, even after adjusting for age. Those in social housing faced cancer rates nearly three times higher than people who owned their homes outright. The report also revealed differences by ethnicity. While the white population had the highest overall cancer rates, partly due to being older on average, people from mixed ethnic backgrounds were more likely to receive a late-stage diagnosis. This can reduce the chances of survival. Black men were more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer, and Asian women with breast cancer. Occupational background also played a role. People in lower-paid and manual jobs, such as machine operatives, had the highest cancer rates and were more likely to be diagnosed at a later stage than those in professional roles. Professor Huws said: "It has enabled us to get a much greater level of detail of the socio-demographic factors at play, by looking at individual or household measures of inequality, rather than area-level analysis. "It's a strong baseline for future work and a clear call to action to focus on where cancer and other health inequalities start." He added that up to four in 10 cancer cases in Wales are potentially preventable, and stressed the importance of early diagnosis and prevention. The report used anonymised data from the 2011 Census and the WCISU national cancer registry, accessed through Swansea University's SAIL Databank.


Evening Standard
5 days ago
- Evening Standard
This Morning forced to apologise after guest uses 'offensive' term live on air
She went on to add: 'Particularly for Black men or coloured men, or Asian men… I know I have doctors who say when men of certain backgrounds come into hospital and you talk to them about how much pain they're in, they always undersell because they're brought up to not share their feelings and to try and be tough.'