India has officially reported three cases of the mosquito-borne Zika virus. The World Health Organisation (WHO) announced that the cases, which included a 34-year-old new mother and a 22-year-old pregnant woman, had been detected in Ahmedabad in Gujarat. The cases have been confirmed by National Institute of Virology. Surprisingly, the first case was detected and confirmed […]
Allen Ross: Vaccination alone will not halt the next global pandemic
A combination of strategies are required to save lives […]
Jeffrey Aronson: When I use a word . . . Naming monoclonal antibodies
The term “monoclonal” is over 100 years old, having been first recorded, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, in a 1914 paper in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, by W E Agar, in which “polyclonal” was also first recorded. “Clone” and “clonal” are even older, dating from 1904. “Monoclonal” is derived from two […]
Dudzai Mureyi et al: Drug advertising rules and the patient safety paradox in Zimbabwe
Dudzai Mureyi, Claudia Pagliari and Raluca Bunduchi Laws and regulations restricting the advertising of medicines are essential for protecting the public from harms due to inappropriate, dangerous, or counterfeit products. However, such restrictions may themselves become a health hazard if they prevent consumers from efficiently accessing the medicines they need; an unintended consequence that is currently affecting […]
Kieran Walsh: Clinical decision support—being worried is nothing to worry about
Many years ago I worked with a doctor who would disappear for a few moments at important decision points in clinical care. Sometimes this was during ward rounds and sometimes on call. He was an excellent doctor—the momentary absences never made a difference to the care of patients. Still I used to wonder where he […]
George Gillett: Why does Theresa May want to “rip up” the Mental Health Act?
The prime minister has criticised current legislation without explaining what will take its place “I’m going to scrap the old Mental Health Act,” Theresa May said on Question Time last week. Her aim? To “introduce a new law which confronts the unnecessary detention that takes place too often.” The Mental Health Act allows doctors to detain, […]
Ian Hamilton: Healthcare professionals need more guidance to reduce the risk of cannabis related health problems
In 2005 7579 people in England entered drug treatment for problems related to cannabis; by 2014 this had risen to 11 821. It is likely that this rise has continued over the past two years, but a change to the method of reporting in this period (which saw presentations where cannabis wasn’t the primary drug […]
Gerd Gigerenzer: Can search engine data save lives from pancreatic cancer?
Gerd Gigerenzer discusses how search engines use big data analytics to “diagnose” your state of health […]
Richard Smith: Where general practice is flourishing
We hear a constant chorus that general practice is underfunded, understaffed, and on the point of collapse, so I couldn’t resist the temptation to visit a practice that is flourishing and has a bold vision for the future. Granta Medical Practices in Cambridgeshire currently serve 34 000 patients in four buildings. Soon they expect to […]
UK health alliance: The pathway to a healthy, low-carbon world is set
By Nick Watts, Nicola Wheeler, Pauline Castres The decision of the US President to quit the Paris Agreement will not trump that momentum. […]