Handwashing 101: Dettol’s disease-busting claims under the microscope
Just how likely are you to avoid diarrhea or the flu by regularly washing your hands? And how big a toll does diarrhea take among the very young?
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Healthcheck Reports
unproven
Is SA ‘among the top six in the world’ for nuclear medicine ingredients?
South Africa’s third energy minister for 2017 has high praise for the country’s nuclear capabilities. Here’s what we know about South Africa’s contribution to nuclear medicine.
mostly-correct
SA billboard likely understates child ‘hunger’ deaths
In a publicity campaign, South Africa’s official opposition put a spotlight on the number of children dying due to a lack of food every day. But the figure is probably even higher.
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Does Nigeria have the most people with diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa?
A top drug firm executive said Nigeria registers the most new cases of diabetes in the region and that 5 million people in the country are living with the disease. Do the claims get a clean bill of health?
Blog post: ANALYSIS: The case for speed cameras on South Africa’s deadly roads
In theory, anything which reduces a motorist’s speed could reduce the possibility of a crash – or serious injury, if one occurs. But does research back up the case for traffic cameras to help enforce speed limits?
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#5facts: The sad extent of suicide in South Africa
A recent suicide of a university student in South Africa has put self-harm deaths back in the headlines. We look at 5 facts about suicide in South Africa.
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Do Nigeria’s Yoruba people have the world’s highest twin birth rate? (And are yams to blame?)
The idea that eating yams increases the chance of twins seems to be backed up by the high twinning rate in parts where the vegetable is popular. But it’s not grounded in solid evidence.
Factsheet: FACTSHEET Why do Nigeria’s doctors feel unloved?
Doctors in Nigeria have recently ended a strike. But what are the key issues that inform the regularity of work boycotts in the country’s public healthcare sector, causing many to leave?
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No, heart disease is not SA’s leading cause of death, as Health24 tweeted
September is Heart Awareness Month in South Africa, aiming to focus attention on cardiovascular disease. But could it be South Africa’s leading cause of death?
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Do mothers & newborns run a higher risk of dying in Nairobi, as governor Sonko said?
Kenya’s freshly elected representatives are full of plans and promises. Nairobi governor Mike Sonko pledged to improve health standards, saying mothers and newborns have a higher chance of dying in childbirth in his county than a far flung rural one.