When the water breaks in the Amazon, call the midwife
Midwives in rural Brazil are more vital than ever in places where depleted rivers – a hazard of climate change – put hospitals out of reach
Photography by Pilar Olivares
Reporting by Pilar Olivares and Manuela Andreoni
Reuters
Tabita dos Santos Moraes, with Priscilla the dog, rests on a journey down Brazil's Tefé River in a boat steered by her husband, Nonato Lima de Moraes. Tabita, 51, has been practising midwifery since her teens.
to view this content.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
a day ago
- CBC
As Canada's thickest glaciers melt, Yukon First Nations wonder what will happen if they disappear
Ron Chambers understands the power of the St. Elias glaciers, because he's experienced it first-hand. He felt it when he camped next to Logan glacier during one of his trips into the vast St. Elias mountain range that extends from the southwestern coast of Alaska inland to the border of Kluane National Park in the Yukon. "We heard huge booming sounds travelling down through the glacier. We also heard sounds like motors, we thought airplanes were coming and nothing showed up. And it was the sounds that the glacier was making." Chambers is a Champagne and Aishihik First Nations citizen and served as the park warden for Kluane National Park for 22 years. He was also the first Yukoner and First Nations man to summit Mount Logan, Canada's highest peak, deep in the St. Elias range in 1975. Now, he says he wants to raise awareness about what's happening to the glaciers that lie just beyond his home. "Even looking out my window in Haines Junction there's a small glacier on the mountains just in front of me — and some of those are disappearing pretty directly," he said. For generations, glaciers in the St. Elias mountain range have shaped the lives of the First Nations people that lived next to them, but human activity is also changing the glaciers. Today, those glaciers are melting at rapid rates due to climate change and local First Nations have been left wondering what their future could look like if the glaciers disappear. For two weeks this July, researchers stayed at the Kluane Lake Research Station on the outskirts of Kluane National Park to study how the glaciers are changing as they melt. Luke Copland, a professor at the University of Ottawa, has been studying these glaciers for almost 20 years. He says he's watched some of them get smaller and smaller each year. "The big ones will be around for a long time — many, many centuries into the future. But these really small ones, those ones are melting away really quickly," Copland said. "And you project that another century there won't be any [glaciers] left of that kind of size." Climate change affecting glacier movement The St. Elias mountain range is home to the largest non-polar icefields in the world. Those icefields are made up of multiple glaciers, which wind through the mountain range like arteries, supplying water to rivers and lakes. The glaciers are dynamic, they can surge forward and retreat, altering the landscape as they move and creating a lasting impact on local ecosystems and communities. Copland wants to understand how glacier motion is being affected by climate change, because that could have an impact on nearby communities in the short term. Glaciers could advance or retreat more rapidly, or more slowly, as they continue to melt, he says. Local communities are already seeing the effects of rapid climate-induced melting. In 2016, warm weather caused the Kaskawulsh glacier to melt even more quickly, creating a gorge. The gorge diverted the water away from the Ä'äy Chù, or Slims River, which feeds Kluane Lake. Since then, water levels in the lake have dropped by a metre. Alyce Johnson, a Kluane First Nation elder and teacher, says she's worried about how chum salmon in Kluane Lake are being affected by lower water levels. "Chum come from the ocean and they come all the way here to the end of this lake. That's where they spawn," she said. "And so with the decrease of water flowing through, that impacts the fish." Glaciers intertwined with Yukon First Nations culture Johnson says her people's stories "live in the glacial system." "The glacial system is a resource. It's a body of water, of frozen lands that are still there that were used as transportation routes," she said. "In our oral histories, our grandmothers talk about going to potlatches or going to a funeral … they would come across the glaciers." Johnson wonders what will happen if in another century some of the glaciers her ancestors once travelled across no longer exist. "How does that impact the language? How does it impact our culture?" she said. "It's going to change, you know, because we rely on that water, we rely on having that relationship to the land." John Fingland, a Champagne and Aishihik First Nations citizen and historian says his nation also has stories and lessons related to the glaciers. This summer, he's been sharing those stories with youth in his community. Despite his understanding of glaciers' importance to Champagne and Aishihik First Nations culture, Fingland says he's not afraid of what could happen if the glaciers disappear. "When you study history, you realize that everything is change…. Our culture is adaptation to change," Fingland said. "When you stand on the glacier that's right beside Mount Logan, you're more than 1,000 meters above the bottom of the valley. And so I'm like, this won't happen in my lifetime, but at some point, if that all melts out, there's a whole other world." Local melting has global ramifications Local communities may be most directly affected by melting glaciers in the St. Elias mountain range, but as these massive icefields melt, researchers say the impacts could be felt around the world. "Globally, about one quarter of all melt coming from glaciers and ice caps – so this excludes ice sheets – is coming from the mountains in this area," said Copland. For Copland and other researchers, a priority now is to take long-term measurements and document what's happening locally, and then apply that to understanding the bigger picture. "The message is that the glaciers are important to everything, locally and globally," Copland said. For Johnson, Chambers and Fingland, it's also about telling others why the glaciers matter. "It's important for glaciologists to come in, understand the stories, understand the landscape, and build that relationship with the Southern Tutchone people and those of us that reside here," Johnson said.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
Concordia team develops solar-powered Minecraft-style game with eco heart
A trio of Concordia University designers in Montreal developed a solar-powered, Minecraft-style video game with an environmental message. Some Concordia University researchers in Montreal have come up with a video game about fighting climate change - and it's solar-powered. It's a modification of 'Minecraft' where players can build a better world. 'The Enigma of Gaia' is a multiplayer survival game that uses the Minecraft platform. Rosie McDonald is on the team that's been working on this for more than a year. 'We made mods to the game that include pollution,' she said. 'We've added temperature and thirst, we've added devastating storms that destroy the landscape, and so that's not in regular Minecraft. It's a lot harder to play this way, but it gets players to think very differently.' Developers of new game Muhammad Shahrom Ali, Quinn Saggio and Rosie McDonald are developers of the Minecraft-style game "enigma of Gaia," a solar-powered adventure. (Christine Long/CTV News) Challenges include rebuilding after a climate catastrophe in a Minecraft world. 'A tornado passes and then it just eviscerates the land,' said building team member Quinn Saggio. 'It takes away the dirt, the grass, the trees, the leaves, everything. It makes splotches. You have to jump to where you want to go. It makes traversal extremely hard.' Enigma of Gaia Enigma of Gaia is a new game developed from the Minecraft world. (Christine Long/ CTV News) This game is named after Mother Earth, so it's powered in an environmentally friendly way. 'This experiment is what does the world look like where solar power is ubiquitous?' said creative partner Muhammad Sharhrom Ali. 'More specifically, what does gaming look like in that world? And to experiment with that, we need to build the infrastructure.' Three solar panels on the roof of the Concordia EV Building are connected directly to a solar controller and a battery that is then powering a mini PC that is used as a server. Solar panles The game Enigma of Gaia is powered by solar panels. (Christine Long / CTV News) 'If one person is playing in a power-expensive manner, then everybody suffers,' said Ali. 'So when you create these conditions, people have to play in a more mindful way.' 'It's not something you can play whenever you want; it's dictated by the sun and the clouds,' said Saggio. The solar power levels fluctuate and are shown onscreen during gameplay in real time, encouraging more collaborative play. 'There's a lot of consideration and thought put into play that would otherwise be mindless,' said McDonald.
Globe and Mail
2 days ago
- Globe and Mail
Sarepta Therapeutics Provides Clarifying Statement on ELEVIDYS
Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc. (NASDAQ:SRPT), the leader in precision genetic medicine for rare diseases, today issued the following statement: Just before 6:00 p.m. ET today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release announcing an investigation into the death of an eight-year-old Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne) patient who had received ELEVIDYS (delandistrogene moxeparvovec) gene therapy. The death of this patient was deemed unrelated to treatment with ELEVIDYS. As reported yesterday by Naomi Kresge at Bloomberg News: Roche Holding AG says the recent death of a patient in Brazil who had been treated with gene therapy Elevidys for Duchenne muscular dystrophy is unrelated to the treatment. * The boy wasn't a clinical trial participant; reporting physician assessed his death as being unrelated to the gene therapy, Roche says in statement * Death was reported to health authorities * Roche, which markets Sarepta's Duchenne treatment Elevidys outside the US, declines to comment on the boy's age or details of the case Sarepta reported this event to FDA on June 18, 2025, via the FDA's postmarketing electronic database, FAERS. At Sarepta, patient safety and well-being are always our top priority. We are committed to upholding the highest safety standards for all of our therapies, and do so in accordance with applicable law and commitment to full regulatory transparency. ELEVIDYS is the only approved gene therapy for families and children devastated by Duchenne, a rare, progressive and ultimately fatal disease. We remain committed to working closely with the FDA to ensure that all decisions are grounded in science and the best interests of patients, considering the compelling need of these families to access disease-modifying therapy. About ELEVIDYS (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl) ELEVIDYS (delandistrogene moxeparvovec-rokl) is a single-dose, adeno-associated virus (AAV)-based gene transfer therapy for intravenous infusion designed to address the underlying genetic cause of Duchenne muscular dystrophy – mutations or changes in the DMD gene that result in the lack of dystrophin protein – through the delivery of a transgene that codes for the targeted production of ELEVIDYS micro-dystrophin in skeletal muscle. ELEVIDYS is indicated for the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) in individuals at least 4 years of age. For patients who are ambulatory and have a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene For patients who are non-ambulatory and have a confirmed mutation in the DMD gene. The DMD indication in non-ambulatory patients is approved under accelerated approval based on expression of ELEVIDYS micro-dystrophin in skeletal muscle. Continued approval for this indication may be contingent upon verification and description of clinical benefit in a confirmatory trial(s). IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION CONTRAINDICATION: ELEVIDYS is contraindicated in patients with any deletion in exon 8 and/or exon 9 in the DMD gene. WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS: Infusion-related Reactions: Infusion-related reactions, including hypersensitivity reactions and anaphylaxis, have occurred during or up to several hours following ELEVIDYS administration. Closely monitor patients during administration and for at least 3 hours after the end of infusion. If symptoms of infusion-related reactions occur, slow, or stop the infusion and give appropriate treatment. Once symptoms resolve, the infusion may be restarted at a lower rate. ELEVIDYS should be administered in a setting where treatment for infusion-related reactions is immediately available. Discontinue infusion for anaphylaxis. Acute Serious Liver Injury: Acute serious liver injury has been observed with ELEVIDYS, and administration may result in elevations of liver enzymes (such as GGT, GLDH, ALT, AST) or total bilirubin, typically seen within 8 weeks. Patients with preexisting liver impairment, chronic hepatic condition, or acute liver disease (e.g., acute hepatic viral infection) may be at higher risk of acute serious liver injury. Postpone ELEVIDYS administration in patients with acute liver disease until resolved or controlled. Prior to ELEVIDYS administration, perform liver enzyme test and monitor liver function (clinical exam, GGT, and total bilirubin) weekly for the first 3 months following ELEVIDYS infusion. Continue monitoring if clinically indicated, until results are unremarkable (normal clinical exam, GGT, and total bilirubin levels return to near baseline levels). Systemic corticosteroid treatment is recommended for patients before and after ELEVIDYS infusion. Adjust corticosteroid regimen when indicated. If acute serious liver injury is suspected, consultation with a specialist is recommended. Immune-mediated Myositis: In clinical trials, immune-mediated myositis has been observed approximately 1 month following ELEVIDYS infusion in patients with deletion mutations involving exon 8 and/or exon 9 in the DMD gene. Symptoms of severe muscle weakness, including dysphagia, dyspnea, and hypophonia, were observed. Limited data are available for ELEVIDYS treatment in patients with mutations in the DMD gene in exons 1 to 17 and/or exons 59 to 71. Patients with deletions in these regions may be at risk for a severe immune-mediated myositis reaction. Advise patients to contact a physician immediately if they experience any unexplained increased muscle pain, tenderness, or weakness, including dysphagia, dyspnea, or hypophonia, as these may be symptoms of myositis. Consider additional immunomodulatory treatment (immunosuppressants [e.g., calcineurin-inhibitor] in addition to corticosteroids) based on patient's clinical presentation and medical history if these symptoms occur. Myocarditis: Acute serious myocarditis and troponin-I elevations have been observed following ELEVIDYS infusion in clinical trials. If a patient experiences myocarditis, those with pre-existing left ventricle ejection fraction (LVEF) impairment may be at higher risk of adverse outcomes. Monitor troponin-I before ELEVIDYS infusion and weekly for the first month following infusion and continue monitoring if clinically indicated. More frequent monitoring may be warranted in the presence of cardiac symptoms, such as chest pain or shortness of breath. Advise patients to contact a physician immediately if they experience cardiac symptoms. Preexisting Immunity against AAVrh74: In AAV-vector based gene therapies, preexisting anti-AAV antibodies may impede transgene expression at desired therapeutic levels. Following treatment with ELEVIDYS, all patients developed anti-AAVrh74 antibodies. Perform baseline testing for presence of anti-AAVrh74 total binding antibodies prior to ELEVIDYS administration. ELEVIDYS administration is not recommended in patients with elevated anti-AAVrh74 total binding antibody titers greater than or equal to 1:400. Adverse Reactions: The most common adverse reactions (incidence ≥5%) reported in clinical studies were vomiting, nausea, liver injury, pyrexia, and thrombocytopenia. Report negative side effects of prescription drugs to the FDA. Visit or call 1-800-FDA-1088. You may also report side effects to Sarepta Therapeutics at 1-888-SAREPTA (1-888-727-3782). For further information, please see the full Prescribing Information. About Sarepta Therapeutics Sarepta is on an urgent mission: engineer precision genetic medicine for rare diseases that devastate lives and cut futures short. We hold a leadership position in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (Duchenne) and are building a robust portfolio of programs across muscle, central nervous system, and cardiac diseases. For more information, please visit or follow us on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and Facebook. Forward-Looking Statements This statement contains 'forward-looking statements.' Any statements that are not statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Words such as 'believe,' 'anticipate,' 'plan,' 'expect,' 'will,' 'may,' 'intend,' 'prepare,' 'look,' 'potential,' 'possible' and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to our future operations, research and development programs, clinical trials and ELEVIDYS. Actual results could materially differ from those stated or implied by these forward-looking statements as a result of such risks and uncertainties. Known risk factors include the following: our products or product candidates may be perceived as insufficiently effective, unsafe or may result in unforeseen adverse events; our products or product candidates may cause undesirable side effects that result in significant negative consequences following any marketing approval; the possible impact of regulations and regulatory decisions by the FDA and other regulatory agencies on our business; and those risks identified under the heading 'Risk Factors' in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) as well as other SEC filings made by the Company, which you are encouraged to review. Any of the foregoing risks could materially and adversely affect the Company's business, results of operations and the trading price of Sarepta's common stock. For a detailed description of risks and uncertainties Sarepta faces, you are encouraged to review the SEC filings made by Sarepta. We caution investors not to place considerable reliance on the forward-looking statements contained herein. Sarepta does not undertake any obligation to publicly update its forward-looking statements based on events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by law. Source: Sarepta Therapeutics, Inc.
