Sarah Fox diaper drive

[Issued by Sarah Fox Children's Hospital] Sarah Fox Children's Hospital wishes to thank all its donors without whose help and generosity they would not be able to render such a high level of service to serve the most vulnerable of our citizens - the children. Read more >>  visit press office >>

UN backs cassava as future global crop

ROME, ITALY: Cassava has huge potential and could turn from "a poor people's food into a 21st century crop" if grown according to a new environmentally-friendly farming model, the UN food agency said on Tuesday, 28 May 2013. Read more >>

Combined immunotherapy shows promising results against advanced melanoma

Combining two cancer immunotherapy drugs in patients with advanced melanoma produced rates of tumor regression that appeared greater than in prior trials with either drug alone. Data from this Phase 1 clinical trial are being formally presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. The abstract was made public by ASCO in advance of the meeting. Read more >>

No link seen for hyperactivity meds, drug abuse

WASHINGTON, USA: Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder who take stimulant medications are not at greater risk of substance abuse later in life than untreated peers, said a study Wednesday, 29 May 2013. Read more >>

Fish oil can undo damage to the brain

Fish oil can undo damage to the brain caused by bad eating. A study by Liverpool University scientists found diets rich in Omega 3 could restore the disruption of neurogenesis (the generation of new cells) caused by years of bad eating patterns. Read more >>

Global study measures learning gap of children stunted through malnutrition

Analysis from Oxford University has measured the learning gap experienced by five-year-old children who are stunted through malnourishment in order to track the long term effects this has on their schooling and later prospects in the jobs market. Read more >>

New technology increases pregnancy chances by 20%

Vitalab, a leading fertility clinic in South Africa, has launched the embryoscope, which internationally has been proven to increase the chances of having an in vitro baby by more than 20%. An advanced incubator, it allows for minute-by-minute observation of an embryo from the moment it is fertilised to the point when it is transferred to a hopeful mom's uterus. Read more >>

Promising drug prevents cancer cells from shutting down immune system

An investigational drug that targets the immune system's ability to fight cancer is showing promising results in Yale Cancer Center (YCC) patients with a variety of advanced or metastatic forms of the disease. Updated data from this Phase 1 clinical trial are being formally presented at the 2013 annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) in Chicago. Yale Cancer Center is one of the lead trial sites. The abstract was made public by ASCO in advance of the meeting. Read more >>

Small cancer risk following CT scans in childhood, adolescence

New research has found a small increase in cancer risk following exposure to CT scans in children and young people. Researchers used anonymised medical records for 11 million young Australians, including 680,000 who were exposed to CT scans between 1985 and 2005. Read more >>

New technology in limb lengthening reaches Africa

The first intramedullary nail implant surgery in Africa, to lengthen a leg, was performed by orthopaedic surgeons Drs Franz Birkholtz and Phillip de Lange at the Walk-A-Mile Centre based at Netcare Unitas Hospital in Centurion. Read more >>

Gauteng appoints audit firm to clean up health

The Gauteng Provincial Government has appointed audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers as the new administrator tasked with turning around the province's health department. Read more >>