Latest news with #healthcrisis
RNZ News
5 hours ago
- Health
- RNZ News
Another child dies from dengue in Samoa - more than 2200 cases since January
Map of lab-confirmed dengue cases by village, January 2025 to last Ministry of Health update covering July 21-27. Photo: Samoa Ministry of Health A third child has reportedly died from dengue fever in Samoa. Samoa has recorded more than 2270 dengue cases since the start of the year. In its lastest update, for the week of 21-27 July, the Ministry of Health reported there were 1350 dengue-like illness cases reported, 521 of which were laboratory-confirmed to be dengue fever. Local media are reporting a third dengue death from the country - a five-year-old who died at Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital. The child's mother told the Samoa Observer: "She had a fever, was vomiting, and she kept saying her head and tummy hurt. We took her to the hospital on Sunday, and by Tuesday at 8am, she passed away. I miss her every moment." There is also an unconfirmed report of a fourth death - another child. The Health Ministry said that, of lab-confirmed cases, 71 percent of those affected are under 15 years old. It is reiterating its messages for people to clean up and remove stagnant water sources which are potential breeding sites for mosquitoes; and to wear suitable clothing and use mosquito nets and repellents. The Oceania Football Confederation said it is monitoring the outbreak with the under-16 women's championship scheduled to begin on Friday . Last week, the World Health Organisation's Pacific technical support director Dr Mark Jacobs told Pacific Waves that July regional data showed the number of suspected dengue cases at 18,766 - the highest since 2016 . A breakdown of the WHO July data showed spread of the disease had been highest in Fiji, which had 13,702 suspected cases, followed by Tonga (2087) and French Polynesia or Mā'ohi Nui (1079).
Asharq Al-Awsat
8 hours ago
- Health
- Asharq Al-Awsat
WHO Chief Says Continuous Medical Aid into Gaza ‘Critical'
The World Health Organization's chief said getting a continuous flow of medical supplies into Gaza was "critical", as WHO trucks carrying aid headed for the border on Wednesday. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency had moved 10 trucks from El-Arish in Egypt to Israel's Kerem Shalom border crossing into the Gaza Strip. The trucks are carrying "essential medicines, laboratory and water testing supplies", he said, with two additional trucks with medical supplies, along with 12 pallets of blood products, expected to join them on Thursday. "All WHO supplies will then be moved into Gaza, along with three trucks with medical supplies from health partners," Tedros said on X. "The health needs in Gaza are immense. A continuous flow of medical supplies is critical. "We continue to call for sustained, safe, and unhindered access for medical aid into and across Gaza and for a ceasefire. Peace is the best medicine." Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2 after ceasefire talks broke down. In late May, it began allowing a small trickle of aid to resume, amid warnings of a wave of starvation. This week, Israel launched daily pauses in its military operations in some parts of Gaza and opened secure routes to enable UN agencies and other aid groups to distribute food in the densely populated territory of more than two million. The WHO says that in Gaza, airstrikes and a lack of medical supplies, food, water and fuel have "virtually depleted" the under-resourced health system, with many hospitals out of operation and others barely functioning. The provision of essential health services -- from maternal and newborn care to treatment for chronic conditions -- has been "severely compromised", the UN health agency it says. A WHO spokesman told AFP that nine of the agency's trucks had gone into Gaza on June 25; four on June 28; 11 on July 8; and six more on July 20. "None of the trucks were looted since we resumed supplies," he added.
CNA
12 hours ago
- Health
- CNA
WHO chief says continuous medical aid into Gaza 'critical'
GENEVA: The World Health Organization's chief said getting a continuous flow of medical supplies into Gaza was "critical", as WHO trucks carrying aid headed for the border on Wednesday (Jul 30). Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency had moved 10 trucks from El-Arish in Egypt to Israel's Kerem Shalom border crossing into the Gaza Strip. The trucks are carrying "essential medicines, laboratory and water testing supplies", he said, with two additional trucks with medical supplies, along with 12 pallets of blood products, expected to join them on Thursday. "All WHO supplies will then be moved into Gaza, along with three trucks with medical supplies from health partners," Tedros said on X. "The health needs in Gaza are immense. A continuous flow of medical supplies is critical. "We continue to call for sustained, safe, and unhindered access for medical aid into and across Gaza and for a ceasefire. Peace is the best medicine." Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on Mar 2 after ceasefire talks broke down. In late May, it began allowing a small trickle of aid to resume, amid warnings of a wave of starvation. This week, Israel launched daily pauses in its military operations in some parts of Gaza and opened secure routes to enable UN agencies and other aid groups to distribute food in the densely populated territory of more than two million. The WHO says that in Gaza, air strikes and a lack of medical supplies, food, water, and fuel have "virtually depleted" the under-resourced health system, with many hospitals out of operation and others barely functioning. The provision of essential health services - from maternal and newborn care to treatment for chronic conditions - has been "severely compromised", the UN health agency says. A WHO spokesman told AFP that nine of the agency's trucks had gone into Gaza on Jun 25; four on Jun 28; 11 on Jul 8; and six more on Jul 20.
France 24
14 hours ago
- Health
- France 24
WHO chief says continuous medical aid into Gaza 'critical'
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the UN health agency had moved 10 trucks from El-Arish in Egypt to Israel's Kerem Shalom border crossing into the Gaza Strip. The trucks are carrying "essential medicines, laboratory and water testing supplies", he said, with two additional trucks with medical supplies, along with 12 pallets of blood products, expected to join them on Thursday. "All WHO supplies will then be moved into Gaza, along with three trucks with medical supplies from health partners," Tedros said on X. "The health needs in Gaza are immense. A continuous flow of medical supplies is critical. "We continue to call for sustained, safe, and unhindered access for medical aid into and across Gaza and for a ceasefire. Peace is the best medicine." Israel imposed a total blockade on Gaza on March 2 after ceasefire talks broke down. In late May, it began allowing a small trickle of aid to resume, amid warnings of a wave of starvation. This week, Israel launched daily pauses in its military operations in some parts of Gaza and opened secure routes to enable UN agencies and other aid groups to distribute food in the densely populated territory of more than two million. The WHO says that in Gaza, airstrikes and a lack of medical supplies, food, water and fuel have "virtually depleted" the under-resourced health system, with many hospitals out of operation and others barely functioning. The provision of essential health services -- from maternal and newborn care to treatment for chronic conditions -- has been "severely compromised", the UN health agency it says. A WHO spokesman told AFP that nine of the agency's trucks had gone into Gaza on June 25; four on June 28; 11 on July 8; and six more on July 20. "None of the trucks were looted since we resumed supplies," he added.
Daily Mail
19 hours ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
Mother issues urgent warning after she was left paralysed following routine Botox top-up
A mother-of-three who was left paralysed after her routine Botox top-up has revealed that she spent £22,000 to get a diagnosis. Amanda Wolaver, 33, from Goodhope, Georgia, thought she was 'slowly dying' when her 'severe' headaches left her unable to move and made her housebound for months. The sales director had gone for her routine anti-wrinkle injection in her face to smooth out her crow's feet, eleven lines and forehead, and went to sleep early because she had developed a migraine. But the next morning, she had to go to the hospital as she 'couldn't function or string sentences together'. A CT scan in 2023 showed her symptoms had 'nothing to do with the injections' even though she would eventually find that not to be the case. Amanda went on to have spinal tap surgeries and had a heart monitor implanted to find the cause, with doctors suspecting MS or an autoimmune disease. She could not cook her children's meals or leave the house, becoming wholly dependent on her husband, Josh, 39, as strong smells or loud noises would trigger her dizziness. 'It was the worst decision I've ever made. I couldn't be the mother I wanted for my three children,' she admitted. The mother of Landen, 16, Braxton, 11, and Havyn, five, said she was unable to walk, move or drive. In the end, she had to fork out more than £22,000 in March 2025 on tests for an MRI to confirm she had experienced TIA strokes - temporary disruptions of blood flow to the brain - and was suffering from iatrogenic botulism, a rare condition where toxins attack the nervous system and cause paralysis, according to the NHS. This was caused by botulinum neurotoxins, which are the active ingredient in the neurotoxins Botox and Dysport, which the mother had been injected with for the first time. Dysport is an anti-ageing compound with the same ingredients as Botox, but is said to have longer-lasting effects. 'That knocked me back,' the mother said, 'to be told I had suffered from multiple small strokes in my brain made me think that this would eventually kill me.' Two years on, she still is not fully recovered and is waiting for time to detoxify her body, as there is no specific treatment. Ms Wolaver changed her diet completely to manage her symptoms, cutting out caffeine and soda, as well as having her breast implants removed to let her body detoxify fully. She hopes that by sharing her story, she highlights the risks so that the same thing will not happen to others. It was, after all, her sleuthing in the Botox forum that led her to stumble on botulinum neurotoxins and directed her to ask her doctor for the test. 'I learned the cost of beauty the hard way,' she said, and admitted she had finally embraced her wrinkles. It comes after a woman revealed insight into the process of having lip filler dissolved - and admitted that she was left looking 'botched'. Georgia Goldstein travelled to Hart Medical in Westminster, London, a few months ago to undergo the procedure. While she said that it was 'the best thing I've ever done', the process wasn't pain-free and left her lips looking swollen. Taking to TikTok, she said, 'A few months ago, I got all my lip filler dissolved, and it was the best thing I've ever done. She went on to share images from throughout the process, adding, 'Trigger warning, my face looked butters [ugly].' Georgia explained that, when the aesthetician put the dissolver in her lips, they swelled drastically. 'Like, imagine, I have to go into work right now and they [her lips] look botched,' she said while showing her bloated lips to the camera. She continued to show photographs from throughout the process, saying, 'This was pretty much just after going into work and this was the next day, my lips were black, like you can see in this video, they were so, so bruised.' Georgia added, 'I even tried covering them up with makeup, and it was just all black above my lips.' The content creator said her lips then 'shrunk', making her feel 'really young', she said, adding, 'And they also went really wrinkly.' One week later, the bruising had gone, she said. At the end of the process, Georgia went for an ultrasound to check if there was any filler left in her lips, before concluding that getting her fillers dissolved was the 'best thing ever.' Viewers took to the comment section to share their thoughts on the end result, and one wrote, 'Great more natural result, love.' A second added, 'Trust the process hun.' While a third user said, 'Look so much better. Love them!' A fourth commented on Georgia going into work immediately after getting them dissolved, saying 'Honestly the bravery going into work.' What is a botulism? Botulism is a rare but serious condition, which caused by a toxin that attacks the body's nerves. Botulism can cause life-threatening symptoms. Symptoms can include: Facial weakness Drooping eyelids Blurred or double vision Paralysis Trouble breathing Source - Mayo Clinic
