Latest news with #healthissues
Fox News
20 hours ago
- Health
- Fox News
News agency says its Gaza journalists suffering health woes as union warns they will die without intervention
The Agence France-Presse news agency said its freelance journalists in Gaza are suffering constant health issues while a union is warning they will die "without immediate intervention." The news agency works with one freelance reporter, three photographers and six freelance video journalists in the Gaza Strip since its own staff fled the war-torn territory in 2024, according to The Society of Journalists at AFP union. "They're spending so much time and energy trying to source food and also just they just feel so weak," Phil Chetwynd, AFP's global news director, told NPR. "They talk about constant headaches, constant dizziness. So just the ability physically to, you know, get to a story is diminished." "Without immediate intervention, the last reporters in Gaza will die," the union said in its own statement. "With a few others, they are now the only ones reporting what is happening in Gaza. The international press has been banned from entering this territory for nearly two years." "Since AFP was founded in August 1944, we have lost journalists in conflicts, we have had wounded and prisoners in our ranks, but none of us can recall seeing a colleague die of hunger. We refuse to see them die," it added in a post on X. The union said its lead photographer in Gaza, which it identified as Bashar, wrote on Facebook Saturday that "I no longer have the strength to work for the media. My body is thin and I can no longer work." "Bashar, 30, works and lives under the same conditions as all Gazans, moving from one refugee camp to another amid Israeli bombings. For over a year, he has lived in absolute poverty and takes enormous risks to do his job. Hygiene is a major issue for him, with recurring bouts of severe intestinal illness," The Society of Journalists at AFP said. "Since February, Bashar has been living in the ruins of his house in Gaza City with his mother, four brothers and sisters, and the family of one of his brothers. Their house is completely without amenities or comfort, shared with a few cousins. On Sunday morning, he reported that one of his brothers had 'fallen, due to hunger,'" it added. The union said each of its freelance journalists in Gaza are receiving a monthly salary from the AFP, however, "there's almost nothing to buy — or what is available is prohibitively expensive." Representatives for the AP and Reuters also expressed concern for their teams there, but would not say how many people are working for them. "We are deeply concerned about our staff in Gaza and are doing everything in our power to support them," said Lauren Easton, a spokeswoman for The Associated Press. "We are very proud of the work our team continues to do under dire circumstances to keep the world informed about what is happening on the ground." Reuters said that it is in daily contact with its freelance journalists, and that "the extreme difficulty sourcing food is leading to their and all Gaza residents experiencing greater levels of hunger and illness." The agency said it is providing extra money to help them.
The Guardian
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Cory Booker pitches bill to allow lawsuits against pesticide makers over ‘toxic products'
Cory Booker on Thursday introduced legislation that would create a federal 'right of action', allowing people to sue pesticide makers such as Bayer and Syngenta, and others, for allegedly causing health issues such as cancer and Parkinson's disease. The Pesticide Injury Accountability Act would 'ensure that pesticide manufacturers can be held responsible for the harm caused by their toxic products', according to a summary of the bill. The legislation would be amended to the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act of 1972 (FIFRA). If passed, the law would turn the tables on efforts by Bayer and a coalition of agricultural organizations as they push for state-by-state legislation blocking individuals from being able to file lawsuits accusing the companies of failing to warn of the risks of their products. The industry has also been pushing for federal preemptive protections against litigation. So far, two states – Georgia and North Dakota – have passed what critics call 'liability shield' laws. The laws essentially declare that the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has oversight of pesticide labeling and state laws cannot permit companies to be held liable for failing to go beyond what the EPA requires in warning customers of potential risks. Booker's proposed law would not invalidate the state laws, but would give individuals an alternative - the right to bring their injury claims in federal courts if they can't bring them in state courts. 'Rather than providing a liability shield so that foreign corporations are allowed to poison the American people, Congress should instead … ensure that these chemical companies can be held accountable in federal court for the harm caused by their toxic products,' Booker said in a statement accompanying the announcement of the bill. So far, 17 environmental, public health and consumer groups have endorsed the measure, including leaders in the Make America Health Again (Maha) movement. Zen Honeycutt, founder of Moms Across America and a supporter of Booker's legislation, said it is 'unconscionable that corporations are pushing our elected officials to manipulate laws that protect their profits over the health and safety of Americans'. She noted that many pesticides used widely in the US are banned in other countries because of their health risks. The summary of the bill names both Germany-based Bayer and the Chinese-owned Syngenta as key targets and says they and others are seeking 'liability shields because they know the harm their products have already caused'. Bayer bought Monsanto in 2018 and inherited a mass of lawsuits involving close to 200,000 plaintiffs in the United States alone, all alleging that the company should have warned users that its glyphosate-based weed killing products, such as the popular Roundup brand, could cause cancer. The company has already paid out billions of dollars in settlements and jury awards, but still faces roughly 67,000 lawsuits. Likewise, Syngenta is facing several thousand lawsuits from people alleging that its paraquat weed killing products cause Parkinson's disease and that Syngenta should have warned users of evidence that chronic exposure could cause the incurable brain disease. The company has so far paid out well over $100m to settle cases before they go to trial, and is attempting to solidify a broad settlement of the majority of the cases. Bayer and its allies argue that their pesticide products, which are widely used in farming, are not only safe but are necessary for food production. Costly lawsuits jeopardize the availability of pesticides for agriculture, they say. Bayer did not respond to a request for comment on Booker's proposed legislation. Syngenta said Booker's bill 'targets American food security' and that farmers do not deserve an 'attack on the products they rely on'. The company said American agriculture is 'highly regulated, productive and safe', and that its paraquat products specifically, have not been shown to cause Parkinson's disease. This story is co-published with the New Lede, a journalism project of the Environmental Working Group
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Dad so big he couldn't go to bed for 3 years loses 8st after trip to dentist
A dad who weighed 25 stone and spent more than £5,000 a year on takeaways has revealed the mortifying moment that changed his life. Simon Furness says his food addiction became so bad he couldn't even walk to his bed and slept upright on his living room chair for three years. But his wake-up call finally came when a chair he was sitting on at the dentist snapped beneath him, leaving him feeling 'embarrassed and disgusted'. 'I got into a rut where I just gave up and I never went out the house or anything,' said Simon, 57. 'I didn't go to bed for three years - I was sleeping in my chair. I was depressed. All the money I had was all going on food, on takeaways. It was at least £20 a night, £100 a week. I would get them five times a week. They were so easy. READ MORE: New Marks and Spencer Outlet store opens with 50% off original prices READ MORE: Go in to this house and you'll be arrested 'Because I wasn't going out anywhere, I would sit in the chair and order off my phone to get them delivered. I was addicted to Chinese takeaways – I'd always have a special curry with special fried rice plus a big portion of chips. I'd probably have a starter too. Whenever I see old videos and pictures of myself, it repulses me.' At his heaviest, Simon tipped the scales at 25 stone and could fit into 5XL T-shirts. But it wasn't just his mental health that suffered. The 57 year old's unhealthy habits led to serious health issues, including type 2 diabetes and severe sleep apnea where he stopped breathing 104 times an hour. Alongside his five takeaways a week, his typical daily diet included half a loaf of bread alongside two large tins of soup, kebab meat, a 12in pizza and three packs of Haribo. But his much-needed reality check came during a routine visit to the dentist. Simon, from Marston, Northwich, said: 'I was sat in the waiting room and the chair I was sitting on collapsed. I trapped my finger – that was so embarrassing. It made me feel terrible. I was disgusted; I just felt so low. The doctor even put me on antidepressants. 'Doctors even said I had one of the worst sleep apnea cases they had ever seen. It all affected me that badly with my kids and grandkids – I was no good to them at all.' Simon says his unhealthy lifestyle finally changed when his wife joined a local slimming group, Beeweighed, and encouraged him to try it too. The former Morrison's truck loader said: 'I tried Slimming World, Weight Watchers, tried everything but just couldn't get on with it. 'With this one, for some reason, it just sunk in. Lynda, the owner, was so encouraging. The talks she gives are amazing and it really got through to me and opened my eyes. She's made me think about what I eat, before I eat it. 'It's just been a total diet change. I signed up in October 2024 and the rest is history.' Simon has gone on to lose eight stone – and reversed his sleep apnoea. Now weighing 17st 1lb, he hopes to reach his target weight of 16 stone soon. Simon said: 'Before, I couldn't move out of my chair. Now I go on days out with my seven grandkids – proper things like a grandad should do. I'm loving it. 'I know everyone needs a little treat every now and again – I do myself on a Friday. But in the past, I just ate whatever I wanted and I paid for it. It's brilliant. I've given away all my old clothes to the charity shop. I feel like a new person.'
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Children's online posts reveal trauma of living with health issues
The social media activity of children with multiple long-term health issues have revealed they also undergo severe emotional distress. Children with conditions such as cancer, asthma, chronic pain and mental health conditions showed particularly high levels of trauma, highlighting the emotional burden of managing multiple long-term health issues. Research led by the University of Plymouth used AI language models to analyse sentiments and emotions expressed by almost 400 paediatric patients and their caregivers on social media. In particular, they wanted to assess young people's opinions regarding their care and experiences during the Covid -19 pandemic, and the impact that had on their emotional and psychological wellbeing. Using anonymous data sourced from the Care Opinion platform, they found that of the narratives analysed, almost 94% of the comments posted were classed as negative and less than 6% were positive. More than six out of 10 negative comments were classed as being associated with sadness, with feelings of fear – at almost one in every six comments – also being prevalent. The Covid-19 pandemic was also shown to exacerbate the negative sentiments, particularly sadness and disgust, with patients expressing frustration with the healthcare system while isolation and disrupted care routines triggered intense emotional responses. While just 6% of the comments were classed as positive, the study found that most of them related to effective communication, compassionate care, and successful treatment outcomes. The researchers say the study highlights the importance of supporting vulnerable young patients managing complex medical conditions, and the need for integrated care approaches to both physical and emotional well-being. Professor of e-Health Shang-Ming Zhou led the research, and its data analysis was carried out by MSc data science and business analytics student Israel Oluwalade. Prof Zhou, a recognised expert in the use of AI to analyse health data, said: 'To our knowledge, this is the first study of its kind to analyse the sentiments and emotions of paediatric patients using social media data. 'Our findings bring to light the deeply emotional journey patients with multiple long-term health issues go through and fills a critical gap in knowledge for healthcare professionals and agencies. 'It also highlights the disproportionate emotional burden faced by paediatric patients with multiple health issues and their caregivers during the pandemic, showing the need for targeted interventions to address emotional responses during public health emergencies.' Mr Oluwalade added: 'As I worked through the dataset, I was particularly struck by how clearly children's emotional responses aligned with specific comorbidity patterns. 'For example, fear and sadness were especially dominant among those discussing multiple hospital visits or long-term medication. 'What also surprised me most was the unexpectedly high frequency of 'satisfaction' and 'amazement' in posts referencing kind staff or successful treatment episodes. 'It reminded me how digital expressions can reflect not only distress but also resilience and hope, even among young patients with complex conditions.'
BBC News
10-07-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Chronically ill children face emotional distress, study finds
Children with multiple long-term health issues undergo severe emotional stress at the same time as they are trying to cope with the physical challenges of their conditions, a study has University of Plymouth has led research using AI language models to analyse sentiments and emotions expressed by about 400 paediatric patients and their caregivers on social aimed to assess young people's opinions regarding their care and experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic and the impact it had on their emotional and psychological data from the Care Opinion platform found about 94% of comments posted were classed as negative and less than 6% were positive. More than six out of 10 negative comments were classed as being associated with sadness and with feelings of with conditions such as cancer, asthma, chronic pain and mental health conditions showed particularly high emotional distress.A total of 6% of the comments were classed as positive, with most of them related to effective communication, compassionate care and successful treatment said the study highlighted the importance of supporting vulnerable young patients managing complex medical conditions and the need for integrated care approaches to both physical and emotional well-being. 'Disproportionate emotional burden' Research leader Prof Shang-Ming Zhou said, to their knowledge, it was "the first study of its kind to analyse the sentiments and emotions of paediatric patients using social media data".He said: "Our findings bring to light the deeply emotional journey patients with multiple long-term health issues go through and fills a critical gap in knowledge for healthcare professionals and agencies."It also highlights the disproportionate emotional burden faced by paediatric patients with multiple health issues and their caregivers during the pandemic, showing the need for targeted interventions to address emotional responses during public health emergencies."Student Israel Oluwalade, who carried out the data analysis, said the research revealed stark correlations between children's emotional responses who had two or more medical said: "For example, fear and sadness were especially dominant among those discussing multiple hospital visits or long-term medication."What also surprised me most was the unexpectedly high frequency of 'satisfaction' and 'amazement' in posts referencing kind staff or successful treatment episodes."It reminded me how digital expressions can reflect not only distress but also resilience and hope, even among young patients with complex conditions."
