Health

South Africa preparing health facilities to cope with Omicron variant: Minister

South Africa’s government is doing everything possible to prepare its health facilities to cope with the newly identified Omicron variant, Health Minister Joe Phaahla told a news conference on Monday.

For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

Phaahla added that officials were engaging with countries that imposed travel restrictions on southern African countries to try to get them to reverse them.

Oman suspends entry from seven countries including South Africa over COVID-19

UAE bans travelers from southern African states over COVID-19 concerns

Health

‘Just in case’ use of antibiotics was rife during COVID-19, says UN health agency

Antibiotics saw “extensive overuse” globally among hospitalized COVID-19 patients during the pandemic without improving clinical outcomes, while also potentially exacerbating the already serious and growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

Health

Teen alcohol and nicotine use in Europe is up, WHO urges preventive measures

Substance use is on the rise among teenagers in Europe, Central Asia and Canada and girls now match or even exceed boys when it comes to smoking and drinking, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report on Thursday.

Health

Gender therapy review reveals devastating impacts on teens

A top Human Rights Council-appointed expert has welcomed the decision by all health authorities in the United Kingdom to halt the routine use of puberty-blockers offered to children as part of gender transition services, amid a sharp increase more widely in the number of teenage girls seeking such treatment and concerns that it might disrupt brain development.