Theresa May's first test was obesity strategy and she has failed, health experts say Strategy has become national scandal given PM’s pledge to look after poor and socially deprived, campaigners argue  Health experts said Britain’s obesity crisis would ‘bankrupt the NHS’. Photograph: Dominic Lipinski/PA Leading health experts have accused Theresa May   of failing the first test of her premiership over the government’s response to the obesity crisis. The delayed obesity strategy  had already attracted strong criticism  over its failure to restrict junk-food marketing and advertising and its reliance on voluntary action by the food and drink industry. And now one campaigner has labelled it a “national scandal” that augurs ill for the future given that, on entering No 10,  May pledged to reduce inequalities  and that obesity disproportionately affects those in socially deprived areas. “She [May] came in saying ‘We are going ...

WHO recommends new tuberculosis test Robust, rapid DNA-based test can serve as an alternative to sputum smear microscopy Geneva, 11 August 2016 – The World Health Organization has issued a recommendation for a rapid and robust test to diagnose pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) in peripheral health centres. The test, known as TB-LAMP (loop-mediated isothermal amplification), requires minimal laboratory infrastructure and has been evaluated as an alternative to sputum smear microscopy, still the most widespread test in use in resource-limited settings. The LAMP methodology has already been used successfully for the detection of malaria and several neglected tropical diseases. TB-LAMP is a unique temperature-independent way of amplifying DNA from TB organisms. It is a manual assay that takes less than one hour and results can be read with the naked eye under ultraviolet light. The robust TB-LAMP instrument can be used at the peripheral health centre level where microscopy is often per...

Drink up: Cockroach milk is the protein drink you didn't know you've been missing (CNN) A little cockroach milk with those cookies? Chock full of protein, the insect milk may someday be transformed into a food supplement worthy of human consumption, new research indicates. Scientists  have found  that the Pacific Beetle Cockroach feeds its bug babies a formula which is remarkably rich in protein, fat and sugar. Don't expect to find it next to the regular milk in the dairy section, however, at least not for now. "Any liquid harvested from a cockroach is not true milk. At least not as we think of it," said Becky Facer, director of school and educator programs at  Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta . Most people would agree. After all, the insect liquid takes the form of protein crystals in the guts of baby cockroaches. "The protein crystals are milk for the cockroach infant. I...

The Plant That Kills Cancer stop Diabetes Mellitus and Blood Pressure  And now, we’re going to answer the million-dollar question – what’s the name of this plant? Well, that’s easy to answer – we’re talking about the amazing Goya, or also known as bitter melon! So, just take a look at the article below and find out more about this amazing plant! Goya – Health Benefits: Here’s what you need to know – Goya, also known as Bitter Melon, is a vegetable commonly consumed in tropical countries. With a firm and bumpy outer surface, its flesh tastes like a cross between cucumber and under-ripened melon. While mainly consumed in tropical countries, Goya is a popular vegetable in Japan as well. While this unique vegetable tastes rather bitter at first, once you control this distinct taste, you are sure to become addicted. You should also know that Goya grows well in humid and hot climates and can be mostly found in South America and Asia. It is a common traditional medicine in C...

Stop Throwing Away Banana Peels: Here Are 10 Ways You Can Use Them! Bananas are one of the most popular fruits on the plant, and despite their delicious taste, these fruits offer numerous health benefits. Bananas are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. Yet, all of us usually throw away their peels, even though they are extremely useful. This is how to use them: Headache Bananas are high in potassium, so you should place the peel across the forehead, and the back of the neck to relieve a headache. Warts Banana peels effectively eliminate warts, Just rub their inner side on the affected area, or place a small piece on the wart, and secure it with a bandage. Psoriasis Banana peels moisturize the skin, relieves itchiness, and cures psoriasis. Apply the peel on the affected area 1-2 times daily, and the effects will be visible in a few days. Itches and Rashes Apply banana peels on the affected area, and it will soothe itchiness and rashes...

Little-used malaria drug combo gets another look plasmodium_falciparum-penn_state.jpg Penn State / Flickr cc Plasmodium falciparum parasites, stained blue. Health officials might need to reconsider malaria treatment priorities in Africa after a new study showed that an overlooked drug combination is effective and well-tolerated in young African children. The findings were published today in The   Lancet  and provide encouraging news in the continuing fight against malaria. The researchers compared the commonly administered artemether-lumefantrine with the little-used artesunate-mefloquine option. Both are artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) formulations, which have gained popularity in the last 10 years as they offer a one-two punch against  Plasmodium falciparum infection and fight off artemisinin resistance. Though mefloquine is an established anti-malarial drug, it has a bad reputation for being hard t...

A New Way to Prevent Muscle Cramps Nobel Prize winner Rod MacKinnon found that pungent and spicy tastes can hinder neurological misfires that cause cramps Could there finally be a way to prevent muscle cramps? As long as people have played sports, unexpected muscle cramps have been an Achilles' heel for everyone from aspiring Olympians to weekend warriors. For decades physicians and other experts in sports medicine have theorized that a cramp was the result of a muscle that was dehydrated, or starved of electrolytes, or suffering tears in its micro-fibers and cell membranes. These caused pain and spasms that could only be alleviated with water and electrolytes, conventional wisdom held. Now, more experts are beginning to believe we may have been thinking wrongly about cramps all along. A shot of spicy liquid—think wasabi or hot chilies—may be a far more effective treatment than an energy drink or a banana. All it took was a Nobel Prize winner experiencing some ...

          A SHORT NOTE ON ASEPTIC TECHNIQUES.  Compiled by OMOLOLA ADAMS. RPHN BNSc  INTRODUCTION : Surgical Asepsis,  Sterile technique or Aseptic technique refers to those practices that keep an area or object free of all microorganisms;  it includes practices that destroy all microorganisms and spores ( microscopic dormant structures formed by some pathogens that are very hardy and often survive common cleaning techniques ). Surgical Asepsis is used for all procedures involving the sterile areas of the body.  sepsis is the state of infection and can take many forms,  including septic shock.   Aseptic technique is carried out in a clean environment using sterile equipment. The procedure is carried out in such a way as to minimize the likelihood of infection being introduced to the site. it's used for wound dressings,  urinary catheterization, manipulation of intravenous infusion and other situations where the skin is...

  New HIV vaccine to be trialled in South Africa 2014: Doctor treating Ebola with HIV drug Cambodia orders probe into 'HIV village' Making a family while living with HIV Virus detected in baby 'cured' of HIV Ryan Lewis on his mother's battle with HIV Magic: I've done a lot in AIDS community Magic Johnson on his battle  cured' of HIV Rym A vaccine against HIV will be trialed in South Africa later this year after meeting the criteria needed to prove it could help fight the epidemic in Africa. In 2015, 2.1 million new infections were reported -- two-thirds of which occurred in  sub-Saharan Africa . A small trial,   known as HVTN100 , took place in South Africa in 2015 to test the safety and strength of immunity the vaccine could provide, ahead of any larger-scale testing in affected populations...