Too few black doctors graduating

A shortage of black graduates in medical careers indicates a deeper problem with affirmative action, AfriForum Youth said on Wednesday. Read more >>

The gift of giving back

Staff from Cape Town's Inn on the Square, visited the Emasithandane Children's Home in Nyanga East. In the visit, the staff spent the day assessing the property to make note of all maintenance required and to hand out toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, face clothes, pens and packaged to the children along with beanies which had been hand-knitted by one of the staff-members, Mrs Bloem. While some of the staff tended to the maintenance needs of the home, others served hotdogs, drinks and enjoyed an afternoon of singing and playing soccer. The boys soccer team have excelled in their league, proof being the number of trophies the children so proudly display at the home.

SA to host international medicine conference

South Africa is to host the first International Conference of the African Society for Laboratory Medicine, which will be held in Cape Town from 1 - 7 December 2012. Read more >>

A surprise mechanism uncovered in the development of lupus

In a study with a surprising outcome, scientists at Yale School of Medicine have discovered that an enzyme complex known for promoting natural resistance to bacteria and fungi unexpectedly inhibits the development of lupus. The finding could pave the way for development of therapeutic interventions in this debilitating disease. The study appears online in the 24 October 2012 issue of Science Translational Medicine. Read more >>

Using the eye as a 'window into the brain'

An inexpensive, five-minute eye scan can accurately assess the amount of brain damage in people with the debilitating autoimmune disorder multiple sclerosis (MS), and offer clues about how quickly the disease is progressing, according to results of two Johns Hopkins studies. Read more >>

SA just loves junk food: study

South Africans are not healthy, yet half of us feel too much of a fuss is made about nutrition. Read more >>

Antibody found in lupus may protect against certain cancers

Yale Cancer Center researchers report that an antibody associated with the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus may actually offer a treatment for certain cancers. The study appears online in the 24 October 2012 issue of Science Translational Medicine. Read more >>

Genetic switch shuts down lung cancer tumors in mice

Yale researchers manipulated a tiny genetic switch and halted growth of aggressive lung cancer tumors in mice and even prevented tumors from forming. Read more >>

Sickle cell anaemia: maps and newborn estimates

In 2010 around 300,000 babies were born with sickle cell anaemia, a serious blood disorder which can be fatal if untreated, and 5.5 million newborns inherited the sickle cell gene, a new study suggests. Read more >>

Aspen launches Enze-Lact for lactose intolerance

Aspen has launched Enze-Lact capsules and drops, aimed at those who have difficulty digesting lactose containing milk or food products. The symptoms of lactose intolerance include diarrhoea, bloating, flatulence and abdominal pain. Read more >>

Khayelitsha entrepreneur creates jobs in tough economic times

A 21-year-old Khayelitsha entrepreneur, Sizwe Nzima, is single-handedly on his way to unclog major overcrowding at local public health facilities without costing the state a cent. Nzima's Iyeza Express is a small business that picks up chronic medication from local clinics and delivers them by bicycle to the doorsteps of Khayelitsha residents. Read more >>

Alcohol advertising ban still a hot debate

The advertising industry, civil society, academia and government, earlier this week, deliberated on the issue of banning alcohol advertising in a heated debate held in Johannesburg. Read more >>

Engen commemorates Transport Month with Driver Wellness Campaign

Engen continues its Driver Wellness Campaign, in partnership with the Trucking Wellness, in October, a fitting month for such an exercise, as it is Transport Month. Cape Town will see the campaign pursue its objective of raising awareness around health issues that have a direct impact on road safety. Read more >>

The Global Awards announces 2012 finalists

NEW YORK, US / SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: The Global Awards, honouring creative and marketing excellence in worldwide healthcare communications, announced the Finalists for the 2012 competition. The Global Awards Grand Jury selected "The World's Best Healthcare Advertising," nominating 177 Finalists from 17 countries around the globe - including South Africa. Read more >>

The evolutionary origins of our pretty smile

It takes both teeth and jaws to make a pretty smile, but the evolutionary origins of these parts of our anatomy have only just been discovered, thanks to a particle accelerator and a long dead fish. Read more >>

Task team praises SA for progress in tackling HIV/Aids

Kenya's Minister of Gender, Children and Social Development Naomi Shaban has praised South Africa's success in tackling HIV and bringing down its mother-to-child infection rate. Read more >>