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Utah becomes first US state to ban fluoride in drinking water

The western US state of Utah has become the first to prohibit fluoridation of its public drinking water, part of a growing movement reexamining the decades-old public health practice.

Gavi: vaccine alliance facing US funding cuts

The Gavi vaccine alliance, which proudly claims it vaccinates more than half the world's children against deadly and debilitating diseases, is now seemingly next in line for US funding cuts.

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Trump's health pick RFK Jr grilled over vaccines, abortion in Senate

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. came under withering attack from Democratic senators on Wednesday over his history of promoting vaccine misinformation and his sudden embrace of anti-abortion policies during a high-stakes confirmation hearing to become President Donald Trump's health secretary.

France to reimburse new implants for breast cancer patients

French lawmakers have voted unanimously to ensure breast cancer patients no longer have to pay out of pocket for the replacement of implants or medical tattoos after a mastectomy.

Blurred posts, banned accounts: Abortion groups decry Meta 'suppression'

Blurred posts, downranked searches and deleted accounts: Since President Donald Trump's election, groups sharing information about abortion pills say they have faced a surge in online censorship—hindering their ability to reach women urgently seeking the procedure.

Freed hostages' smiles deceptive, Israel's military says

Israel gave a grim account Monday of seven freed hostages' health, saying that despite a "show" by Hamas to present them as healthy and smiling, they faced a long recovery from their ordeal.

CIA says Covid 'more likely' to have leaked from lab

The Central Intelligence Agency has shifted its official stance on the origin of Covid-19, saying Saturday that the virus was "more likely" leaked from a Chinese lab than transmitted by animals.

Djokovic posts scan of Australian Open injury for 'experts out there'

Novak Djokovic blasted "all sports injury experts" on Saturday when he posted the results of a scan which demonstrated the extent of the leg injury which shattered his Australian Open dream.

Sacklers, Purdue to pay $7.4 bn over opioid crisis: NY state

Several US states have reached a $7.4 billion settlement with the Sackler family and their pharmaceutical company Purdue over the opioid crisis that has ravaged the lives of millions of Americans, officials said Thursday.

Africa malaria jab rollout delivers 10 million doses

Nearly 10 million malaria vaccine doses were delivered to Africa during the first year of routine immunisation being rolled out across the continent, the Gavi vaccine alliance said Wednesday.

Syria's military hospital where detainees were tortured, not treated

Former Syrian detainee Mohammed Najib has suffered for years from torture-induced back pain. Yet he dreaded being taken by his jailers to a military hospital, where he received beatings instead of treatment.

Bulgaria court ruling turns spotlight on gambling addiction

Lazar was overcome by a "deep sense of fear": his wife had just found out that he had racked up thousands of euros worth of debt after his attempts to control his gambling addiction had failed.

WHO regrets Trump move to pull US from organization

The World Health Organization said Tuesday it "regrets" US President Donald Trump's decision -- just hours after taking power -- to withdraw his country from the UN agency, saying it hoped he would reconsider.

Wuhan keen to shake off pandemic label five years on

Built in just days as Covid-19 cases spiked in Wuhan in early 2020, the Huoshenshan Hospital was once celebrated as a symbol of the Chinese city's fight against the virus that first emerged there.

'Generational problem': Youth still struggling in pandemic's shadow

Like many other young people, Amelie feels that the Covid-19 pandemic -- and its procession of lockdowns and restrictions -- marked a "turning point" for her mental health.

Covid's origins reviewed: Lab leak or natural spillover?

Whether Covid-19 was unleashed by a laboratory mishap or spilled over from animals remains an enduring, fiercely contested mystery.

Norway queen leaves hospital after pacemaker surgery: palace

Norway's 87-year-old Queen Sonja has left hospital after undergoing surgery to fit a pacemaker to correct an irregular heartbeat, the royal palace announced on Friday.

France's cinemas show the way in post-Covid recovery

Cinemas worldwide are still struggling with the after-effects of the Covid pandemic, but France's screens bucked a broad downturn in developed markets last year, providing lessons for other countries.

US announces new funds for mRNA vaccines, fast tracks bird flu tests

President Joe Biden's outgoing administration on Thursday announced $211 million in new funding to develop mRNA vaccines against emerging biothreats and said it was accelerating bird flu testing, as fears loom of another pandemic.

Pope Francis bruises arm in fall at Vatican

Pope Francis has suffered his second fall in as many months and bruised his forearm, the Vatican said Thursday, adding that he was wearing a sling.

Patients dying in corridors as UK hospital standards 'collapse': report

UK patients are "coming to harm" with hospitals so overwhelmed people are dying in corridors awaiting treatment amid a "collapse in care standards", a report said Thursday.

US bans controversial red food dye, decades after scientists raised alarm

Outgoing US President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced a ban on Red Dye No 3, a controversial food and drug coloring long known to cause cancer in animals.

US bans red food dye over possible cancer risk: health authorities

Outgoing US President Joe Biden's administration on Wednesday announced a ban on Red Dye No 3, a controversial food and drug coloring long known to cause cancer in animals.

Is obesity a disease? Sometimes but not always, experts decide

Do people with obesity have an illness? A panel of global health experts looking at this controversial question announced Wednesday that the definition of obesity should be split into two categories -- and diagnosed using more accurate measurements.

China 'discriminating' against European medical devices in tenders: EU

The EU accused China on Tuesday of discriminating against European medical device producers in public contracts and warned of "decisive action" unless the issue can be resolved through dialogue with Beijing.

China marks muted 5th anniversary of first Covid death

The fifth anniversary of the first known death from Covid-19 passed seemingly unnoticed in China Saturday, with no official remembrances in a country where the pandemic is a taboo subject.

Lancet study estimates Gaza death toll 40% higher than recorded

Research published in The Lancet medical journal on Friday estimates that the death toll in Gaza during the first nine months of the Israel-Hamas war was around 40 percent higher than recorded by the Palestinian territory's health ministry.

What you need to know about HMPV

Reports that cases of a flu-like virus called HMPV are rising in China have sparked concern, but experts have dismissed fears that the situation is comparable to the beginnings of Covid-19 five years ago.

Is the world ready for the next pandemic?

An awkward question remains five years after Covid-19 began its deadly rampage: is the world ready to handle the next pandemic?

Divisive study finds link between fluoride and childhood IQ loss

A controversial new study out Monday in a US medical journal could reignite debate over fluoride's safety in water, linking higher exposure levels to lower IQ in children.

Myanmar addicts battle their demons in the 'House of Love'

More than a hundred shaven-headed men pour out of their Yangon hostel around 6 am for a day of weightlifting, karate drills, dancing and Buddhist prayer -- drug rehabilitation, Myanmar style.

Downhiller Sarrazin repatriated to France, season over

French downhill specialist Cyprien Sarrazin has been repatriated after coming out of intensive care in an Italian hospital where he had undergone surgery for head injuries, the French Ski Federation (FFS) announced Saturday.

US announces $306 mn in new bird flu funding

President Joe Biden's outgoing administration announced on Friday that it will allocate $306 million to bolster the nation's bird flu response before President-elect Donald Trump takes office.

Alcohol should have cancer warning label: US surgeon general

The United States' top government doctor on Friday called for health warnings on alcoholic drinks to highlight that they cause cancer and urged a reassessment of daily consumption limits due to the risks.

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