Can apps help us live healthier lives? – In Good Shape – DW – 05/16/2025
How can we lead a healthy life? What is good for our body and soul? What kind of exercise can make us - or keep us fit? Find out more on In Good Shape, the health show on DW.
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12 hours ago
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Frantz Fanon: Algeria's independence hero 100 years on – DW – 07/20/2025
Frantz Fanon was one of the major anti-colonial thinkers of the 20th century and a hero of the Algerian liberation movement. He died just before Algeria's independence from France. Fanon would have turned 100 on July 20. Fanon is regarded as a crucial figure of early anti-colonial and anti-racist theory. For Algerians, he is one of the heroes of the country's struggle for independence. Yet his role during the war against France and his writings remain largely unknown to a wider public. July 20, 2025, marks the 100th anniversary of his birth. Fanon was not granted a long life: At just 36, he died of leukemia in 1961 without ever witnessing Algerianindependence, a goal he devoted his life to. His work is "a reflection on the concept of solidarity, understanding what solidarity means in a moment of war, of resistance," Mireille Fanon Mendès France told DW. She is Fanon's eldest daughter and co-chair of the international Frantz Fanon Foundation. She says she barely knew her father and retains few childhood memories of him, but as a teenager, she immersed herself in her father's literary work. Fanon's writings made it clear that the struggle for Algerian independence not only benefited Algeria, but was also about African unity. "And this African unity is still not there," his daughter explains. In her Paris apartment, Alice Cherki goes through old documents from her youth during Algeria's war of independence against France: "I knew then that it was colonialism," she recalls. Now 89, she knew Frantz Fanon well. She worked alongside him in the 1950s as an intern at the psychiatric clinic in Blida, Algeria. Frantz Fanon was the head of the psychiatric department and not only cared for the sick but also helped Algerian nationalists. "We took in the wounded, the fighters who came here," Cherki said. Fanon set up a supposed day clinic within the hospital, only for show. In reality, he secretly took in the wounded and those who needed to recover, Cherki told DW. Born in the French colony of Martinique, Fanon grew up in a French colonial society and was deeply influenced by his experiences: He volunteered for World War Two for France at the age of 17. As a Black man though, he experienced daily racism in the French army. After the war, he studied medicine and philosophy in France and later moved with his wife Josie to Blida in French-Algeria, where he became chief physician of the psychiatric clinic. From the beginning of the war in 1954, Frantz Fanon was helping Algerian nationalists while continuing to work as a psychiatrist. He established contacts with several officers of the National Liberation Army as well as with the political leadership of the National Liberation Front (FLN), especially its influential members Abane Ramdane and Benyoucef Benkhedda. From 1956 on, he was fully committed to the "Algerian cause." Amzat Boukari Yabara is a historian and author of the 2014 book "Africa Unite," which traces the history of Pan-Africanism. He emphasizes the significance of Fanon's resignation from his position as a doctor in the fall of 1956. "By this time, he had already made contact with several FLN members and would later go to Tunis, where an FLN branch was established," explains Yabara. "From Tunis, he participated in the struggle by writing for the FLN newspaper El Moudjahid under a pseudonym. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, he became ambassador of the provisional government of the Algerian Republic – the government-in-exile of the FLN – in Accra, a traveling ambassador for sub-Saharan Africa." Frantz Fanon wrote some of the most influential texts of the anti-colonial movement, like his early work "Black skin, white masks" about the psychological effects of racismand colonialism on Black people. His most important book though was "The Wretched of the Earth" where he focuses on revolutionary action and national liberation. The book was published with a foreword by Jean-Paul Sartre shortly before his death in 1961. On July 5, 1962, Algeria gained independence after an eight-year armed struggle against the then-colonial power, France. Historians estimate the number of Algerian deaths at 500,000; according to the French Ministry of the Armed Forces, approximately 25,000 soldiers lost their lives. Anissa Boumediene is a writer, lawyer, and former First Lady of Algeria. She was the wife of President Houari Boumediene, who ruled the country from 1965 to 1978. "Frantz Fanon is part of Algerian history. He defended independence. He was truly an infinitely respectable person," she told DW. But even in Algeria, 64 years after his death, his memory should not be taken for granted, says journalist Lazhari Labter, who translated Fanon's writings into Algerian Arabic. "Today's generations have become increasingly ignorant of the history of their country, and especially of this subject," he explains. "And of course, apart from very small circles, apart from universities and intellectuals, the name Fanon doesn't mean much to younger generations. This may be because his works are not taught in schools, high schools, or universities." Two new films – "Fanon" by Jean-Claude Barny, released in April 2025, and "Frantz Fanon" by Algerian director Abdenour Zahzah, released in 2024 – are intended to keep his memory and his anti-colonial theories alive.
DW
a day ago
- DW
Why are mentally ill soldiers being drafted in Ukraine? – DW – 07/19/2025
Reports, including from soldiers, suggest that psychologically and physically unfit men are being drafted into the Ukrainian army, where they may endanger themselves and others. How is this happening? Memory lapses, disorientation, confusion about numbers and colors: These are just some of the issues that Vasyl, a 28-year-old from central Ukraine, deals with on a daily basis. In fact, he's been receiving psychiatric care for a personality disorder since 2015. But none of that prevented the man — whose real name is being withheld for privacy reasons — being drafted into the Ukrainian military. According to his partner Olena, Vasyl never really acknowledges his problems and he may well have failed to do so during the physical examination he was given before joining the military. Vasyl was found to be fit for service and recently sent to southern Ukraine for basic training. Olena tried to explain all this to Vasyl's new commanding officer. After first being understanding, he dismissed the 2015 report from a psychiatric clinic that Olena brought him, saying that it was outdated. "But how can that not be grounds for discharge, if his condition is incurable?" Olena asks. DW has seen the report, which includes a list of Vasyl's problems. When he's stressed, the symptoms get worse, Olena notes. That would make him a danger not only to himself but others. There's a Ukrainian databank that military doctors refer to, in order to find out if potential recruits are sick in some way. It's called Helsi and on its website in English, it describes itself as "the most popular medical information system for healthcare institutions and medical portal for patients in Ukraine." But Vasyl's psychiatric diagnosis isn't in that system, says Ukrainian lawyer Yevhen Tsekhmister, because details about psychological illness can only be saved in there if the patient gives permission. If the diagnosis had been there, then according to the Ministry of Defense's Order No. 402, it would make Vasyl unfit for service. Order No. 402 determines what the military medical examination should look for and how to assess a soldier's fitness for duty. Tsekhmister explains that military doctors only trust official documentation because many men fake psychological disorders in order to avoid being drafted. "If legal counsel had been sought more quickly, and more up to date evidence had been provided, Vasyl would not have been drafted," the lawyer said. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video At the end of 2024, Ukrainian human rights activist Olha Reshetylova was appointed as a military ombudswoman by Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, so that soldiers and soldiers' families had a way to report violations of their rights. Reshetylova recommends that individuals take responsibility for updating their own medical history in the Helsi system and with the military, acknowledging that recruits' mental health can deteriorate during basic training. Senior officers don't want sick individuals serving in their units anyway, which is why they will often provide treatment if needed, she told DW. Since the beginning of this year, there have been more than 2,000 complaints about human rights violations committed during mobilization, Dmytro Lubinets, the Ukrainian parliament's commissioner for human rights, reports. In 2024, there were 3,500 such complaints in total. Although not all the complaints are justified, "we always react," he said. "There are cases where my local representatives will go to the draft board themselves to help citizens assert their rights," he told DW. "Thanks to our interventions, sick people have been discharged from the army." It's true that sick people have been drafted, Lubinets conceded, although here are no concrete numbers as to exactly how manty. "That can happen when staff ignore the medical documents or the condition of the person," Lubinets says. In general, he believes new recruits should be more carefully posted around the military. "Not every health problem automatically makes you unfit," he pointed out. "With back problems, you can't join the stormtroopers but you can work on a computer." A Ukrainian brigade commander told DW about his experiences with the recently drafted. He spoke on condition of anonymity. "I actually had the privilege of being able to choose my own men," he reported. "But some came with no teeth or they had tuberculosis — even at the training center!" Some of those men had already been offered to the brigades several times but nobody wanted them, not even to build trenches, he said. Kyrylo, whodidn't want to share his real name either, is another recent recruit who was drafted earlier this year. While at the draft board, he says he saw homeless people with swollen legs, drug addicts and alcoholics. The medical exam is often just a formality and in some places, it doesn't even happen, he says. It's not until you get to the training facility that a more thorough medical examination will be carried out. Another soldier, Oleksandr — who also didn't want to give his real name — says he even saw epileptics when he was drafted. This kind of recruitment actually led to a man with schizophrenia being assigned to a brigade of marines in 2024, after basic training, he recounts. Luckily the man's condition quickly became clear. "They didn't give him any weapons and sent him away after a few days," Oleksandr says. Tsekhmister doesn't think that sort of thing is all that uncommon. "A soldier, 1.75 meters tall, weighing 38 kilograms, with poor vision, a developmental disability and a malformed chest, can neither walk nor breathe in a bulletproof vest," the lawyer argues. "But he's been in the army since 2022. He's constantly transferred from one unit to another, or to hospitals, and he receives basic care." But since none of the various problems individually make him unfit for service, he can't be discharged on health grounds. The unit commanders can't give these kinds of soldiers "real" jobs, nor can they let them go. The situation is particularly bad among ground troops and logistics services because they've become a kind of "dumping ground" for unhealthy individuals, Tsekhmister explains. "They end up in brigades that are supposed to be building defense lines," he notes. "But they're useless there." Ukraine's Medical Forces Command, the service responsible for troops' medical support, insists things are being done the right way. "Military doctors' assessments are based on diagnoses made by specialists," Yuriy Podolyan, a colonel and the deputy commander of the Medical Forces, said in reply to DW's enquiries. "An assessment based on the combination of several illnesses is not provided for." Podolyan also said that the Ministry of Defense's Order No. 402 complies with local law and international standards. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Military ombudswoman Reshetylova sees it differently and believes that the lack of possibility for that kind of assessment means something has gone wrong and needs review. The Ministry of Defense is apparently already working on that. As for Vasyl, his basic training is almost at an end and soon he will be assigned to a unit. Lawyer Tsekhmister is trying to organize a second psychiatric evaluation by military doctors. According to Vasyl's partner Olena, he has access to weapons. "If he ends up at the front, then he's a danger to the whole unit," Tsekhmister warns. "There's no way of predicting when his mental health will fail, or who might then be targeted."
DW
a day ago
- DW
Fact check: Does sunscreen increase skin cancer risk? – DW – 07/19/2025
Social media posts claiming sunscreen causes cancer are spreading fast—but experts and studies say otherwise. Can sunscreen protect from melanoma, or do they increase the risk of skin cancer? Posts on social media have popped up recently, claiming that applying sunscreen reportedly increases the risk of skin cancer. Even though ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main cause of melanomas, and sunscreen helps protect skin by filtering UV rays, these posts claim that sunscreen itself is doing damage. Claim: "It is an indisputable fact that the countries that use the most sunscreen, have the highest incidence of skin cancer," said this X userin a post with close to 60,000 followers. "And the more sunscreen they use, the greater the prevalence." There are also TikTok videoswarning about sunscreen. DW Fact check: False "There is no scientific evidence that supports the association of sunscreen use with a higher risk of cancer," Brittany Schaefer, Public Information Officer with the Connecticut State Department of Public Healthtold DW. The X post attributed the chart to the Connecticut Tumor Registry (CTR), but Schaefer says that was inaccurate. "The original cancer incidence data likely came from the CT Tumor Registry decades ago, but not the added text boxes regarding sunscreens. We do not know the source of the actual graphic, but it was not from CTR or the Connecticut Department of Public Health," she said. But why is the number of global skin cancer cases on the rise, even though more and more people are using sunscreen? A study across several countries from December 2023involving scientists from the US, Switzerland, Germany and Hungary looked at five hypotheses to get to the bottom of this. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video According to the study, possible reasons for misunderstandings and myths around linking skin cancer risk and sun protection include access to better diagnostics and treatment methods, outdated scientific studies, erratic use of sunscreen and climate change. Rising awareness about skin cancer risks among both patients and doctors has led to an increase in reporting and documenting cases. In contrast to higher skin cancer incidence worldwide, the mortality rate has dropped due to better treatment options, says the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer. According to the World Cancer Research Fund, Australia had the highest age-standardized incidence rate of new cases in 2022: 37 new skin cancer cases per 100,000 people per year, followed by Denmark (31.1), Norway (30.6), New Zealand (29.8) and Sweden (27.4). The US ranked first with 101,388 cases in terms of the total number of skin cancer cases in 2022, while Germany ranked second with 21,976 skin cancer cases, with an identical incidence rate of 16.5. In terms of the number of skin cancer deaths in 2022, the US again took the lead with 7,368 deaths, while Germany ranked fourth with 3,303 cases, behind China and Russia. The following graph also shows that a high incidence rate of skin cancer does not necessarily correspond to a higher mortality rate. Another reason for rising skin cancer rates could also be the fact that people spend more time outside in the sun. Even if they applied sunscreen, that was no guarantee that they used it as intended to protect their skin. The lack of current scientific studies further adds to the problem of reinforcing outdated narratives. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) only began regulating sunscreen in 2011. All prior studies examining sunscreen use and the development of melanoma were likely conducted with products that did not offer the same level of protection as those currently on the market. But are people in countries with the highest rates of skin cancer cases such as New Zealand, Australia, Sweden, Norway, Canada and the US really using more sunscreen, as users on social media have claimed? It is true that the global sale of sunscreen is on the rise. And according to the sunscreen industry, the revenue of global sun protection skin care is projected to reach about $13.553 million (€11.594 million) by 2028. The biggest markets are the US, followed by China and South Korea. And then there's the question of how people are using sunscreen. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 38% of people aged 15 years and over said they used SPF30 or higher on most days in the last month. However, 7% said they had experienced sunburn in the last week. Young people aged 15–24 years were more likely to experience sunburn in the last week (about 15%). A poll in the US by Talker Research, published in May of this year, found that less than half (41%) of the 2,000 adults polled said they wear sunscreen more than 60 days of the year. And 13% said they typically don't wear sunscreen at all. In Germany, about half of the people asked in an online poll from August 2024 said they would only use sunscreen in summer or when being directly in the sun. Sybille Kohlstädt, spokesperson for the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), warns against false conclusions due to a lack of valid data regarding sun protection. "In contrast to existing data on the growing global prevalence of skin cancer, there are no country-specific statistics that break down sunscreen use and relate it to skin cancer prevalence."
