good health news from across the world

January 8, 2023 Vera

^{In 2022, Vanuatu eliminated trachoma, the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness. Above, a young student in Rangusuksuk, Pentecost Island. ©UNICEF/Bobby Shing}

This year, WHO worked with countries and other partners to fight outbreaks and eliminate diseases, while building toward the goal of health for all.

We have selected a few news items from countries as 2022 bright spots:

Milestones: Malawi and Vanuatu eliminate blinding eye infection

^{Trachoma infection mainly affects children in underserved, remote rural communities. Above: children in Malawi. ©WHO}

In 2022, Malawi became the first country in Southern Africa to eliminate trachoma, and Vanuatu became the first Pacific Island country to do so.

“This is a proud moment for Vanuatu,” said Minister of Health Bruno Leingkone. “This combined effort has already saved hundreds of people from lifelong blindness.”

Malawi’s success is the culmination of its multi-pronged Trachoma Action Plan, launched in 2014 and supported by donors, among them Sightsavers and the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust.

The two countries join 13 others in the achievement: Cambodia, China, Iran, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Gambia, Ghana, Mexico, Morocco, Myanmar, Nepal, Oman, Saudi Arabia and Togo.

^{Trachoma is the second neglected tropical disease to be eliminated in the archipelago nation of 83 islands, after lymphatic filariasis in 2016. Above: students on Pentecost Island. ©UNICEF/Bobby Shing}

See more about Malawi and
Vanuatu

Related news: WHO Director-General congratulates Togo on becoming the first West African country to eliminate four neglected tropical diseases

Orinoco expedition brings vital health services deep into the Amazon

^{A PAHO team treks to isolated communities in Venezuela to provide health services. ©PAHO}

The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) makes three boat excursions a year deep into Venezuela’s rainforest to bring vaccinations and other health services to 22 indigenous ethnic groups.

On its September trip, the PAHO team reached 126 communities and administered thousands of vaccinations for polio, measles/rubella and COVID-19.

“Most people don’t know that inside Venezuela there are communities that are eight days’ travel away (from health services),” said Vicente Baretta, who supported PAHO in the expedition. “Organizing a journey like this presents problems
that cannot be imagined from the outside, such as the need to buy new freezers for each trip, because fifteen days spent wobbling around in a boat usually renders them unfit for use again.”

Some successes in 2022 from WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean region

^{A boy displaced by floods in Pakistan visits}

Homeless health care crisis: Will street teams remedy?

January 6, 2023 Vera

In summary

Homeless people often have sporadic or no access to health care, resulting in costly, chronic conditions. A new statewide effort encourages Medi-Cal insurers to partner with street teams to improve care.

Lea este artículo en español.

Living on the streets of California is a deadly affair. The life expectancy of an unsheltered person is 50, according to national estimates, nearly 30 years less than that of the average Californian. As homelessness spirals out of control throughout the state, so too do deaths on the street, but it’s those whose lives are the most fragile who are least likely to get medical care.

Now, the state Medi-Cal agency is endeavoring to improve health care access for people experiencing homelessness. Through a series of incentives and regulatory changes, the Health Care Services Department is encouraging Medi-Cal insurers to fund and partner with organizations that bring primary care into encampments.

They’re known as street medicine teams. There are at least 25 in California.

“Oh crap. This is where she was, and they just swept that,” said Brett Feldman on a Friday morning in November, looking at a green tent, crumpled and abandoned on Skid Row in Los Angeles. Feldman, a physician assistant, is searching for a female patient in her 40s with severe and unmanaged asthma. She cycles predictably in and out of the hospital, and Feldman knows she’s due for another hospitalization soon.

Physician’s assistant Brett Feldman asks a man in his encampment if he has seen a patient along Skid Row on Nov. 18, 2022. The patient was likely pushed out of the area as the Los Angeles sanitation department cleared the unhoused to clean the street near Skid Row. Photo by Larry Valenzuela for CalMatters

The road is streaked with water from a cleaning truck, and sanitation workers in fluorescent vests sweep up debris. Parking enforcement and police cruisers line the section of road where a homeless encampment once stood. Nearly 5,000 people live in the half-mile block infamous for the hypervisibility it affords the state’s unrelenting homeless crisis.

Burdened by disproportionate rates of addiction, mental health disorders and chronic disease, people experiencing homelessness are some of the state’s neediest patients, but few receive anything more than emergency services. Barriers like lack of transportation and cumbersome insurance rules keep most from getting regular health care. Instead, they drift through the emergency room during a crisis,

Hailey Bieber Shared Her Experience With a Common Women’s Health Condition

January 4, 2023 Vera

Model and actress Hailey Bieber recently shared her experience with a common women’s health condition – ovarian cysts.

“I have a cyst on my ovary the size of an apple. I don’t have endometriosis or PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), but I have gotten ovarian cysts a few times and it’s never fun,” said Bieber on her Instagram story, along with a photo of her stomach with a small bulge.

She’s not alone – as much as 10 percent of women will have an ovarian cyst during their life. Janice Hartnett, MD, director of women’s ambulatory health services at Hartford HealthCare Medical Group, explains what ovarian cysts are and what to watch out for.

> Connect with a women’s health specialist

Ovarian cysts…what are they?

Ovarian cysts are fluid-filled sacs forming in or on an ovary. These sacs, which typically form during ovulation and disappear after the egg releases, are common and often harmless.

“These are functional cysts,” Dr. Hartnett says. “They typically resolve and the process begins again until the next ovulation. This is normal physiology.”

But when cysts twist or rupture, they can become dangerous – and extremely painful. Ovarian cysts range from less than two centimeters to well over 20 centimeters in diameter. As cysts increase in size, their chance of rupturing grows as well. A large enough cyst can even cause ovarian torsion, or twisting of the ovary.

Different types of cysts come with unique characteristics that dictate their behavior, Dr. Hartnett notes. These include:

Hemorrhagic cysts. These occur when the cyst bleeds. If it breaks, it can release blood and fluid into the lower abdomen and pelvis, causing pain and bloating.
Endometrioma. Endometriosis is a condition causing tissue similar to the uterine lining to grow outside of the uterus. Endometrioma occurs when this tissue attaches to the ovary and forms a cyst.

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Who is at risk?

Ovarian cysts typically affect pre-menopausal women. Pregnant women or those who suffer from endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) are more likely to suffer from cysts. Anyone who has had one ovarian cyst is likely to suffer from more in the future.

Signs and symptoms

Common symptoms that warrant a doctor’s visit include:

Abdominal pain and bloating
Stomach cramping
Onset nausea and vomiting
Changes in bowel and bladder movements
Weight loss or gain

Evaluation

A virtual health service for common conditions

January 2, 2023 Vera

At Amazon, we want to make it dramatically easier for people to get and stay healthy. We’ve begun that journey with Amazon Pharmacy—where customers can get their medication delivered to their door conveniently—in just two days for Prime Members. We’ve also entered into an agreement to acquire One Medical, a human-centered and technology-powered provider of primary care. One Medical members benefit from a dedicated relationship with their provider, a friendly and convenient in-office experience, and ongoing engagement via a dedicated app.

Amazon Pharmacy and One Medical (once the deal closes) are two key ways we’re working to make care more convenient and accessible. But we also know that sometimes you just need a quick interaction with a clinician for a common health concern that can be easily addressed virtually. We’ve thought hard about how to improve this part of the experience as well. That’s why today we’re also introducing Amazon Clinic, a message-based virtual care service that connects customers with affordable virtual care options when and how they need it—at home, after dinner, at the grocery store, or on the go—for more than 20 common health conditions, such as allergies, acne, and hair loss.

We believe that improving both the occasional and ongoing engagement experience is necessary to making care dramatically better. We also believe that customers should have the agency to choose what works best for them. Amazon Clinic is just one of the ways we’re working to empower people to take control of their health by providing access to convenient, affordable care in partnership with trusted providers. Our new health care store lets customers choose from a network of leading telehealth providers based on their preferences. Every telehealth provider on Amazon Clinic has gone through rigorous clinical quality and customer experience evaluations by Amazon’s clinical leadership team.

Amazon Clinic is simple and easy to use. To get started, customers select their condition, then choose their preferred provider from a list of licensed and qualified telehealth providers. Next, they complete a short intake questionnaire. Customers and clinicians then directly connect through a secure message-based portal, giving customers the flexibility to message their clinician when it’s most convenient for them—anytime, anywhere. After the message-based consultation, the clinician will send a personalized treatment plan via the portal, including any necessary prescriptions to the customer’s preferred pharmacy.

Virtual care isn’t right for every problem—and if we think that may be the case,

Mobile Health And Fitness Sensor Market

January 1, 2023 Vera

Global Mobile Health And Fitness Sensor Market

The global mobile health and fitness sensor market is expected to reach an estimated $7.7 billion by 2026 with a CAGR of 17.2% from 2020 to 2026.

Wireless sensor networks, eHealth, wearable technology, and WBAN technology are the four subtypes of mHealth sensors. Patients can use mHealth sensors from their devices at home and can get monitored with health and physiological data without going to the doctor.

There is substantial use of both primary and secondary data sources in this research work. The research process entails the examination of a range of industry-affecting factors, such as governmental regulations, the market environment, the competitive landscape, historical data, current market trends, technological innovation, upcoming technologies, technical advancement in related industries, as well as market risks, opportunities, barriers, and challenges. The process of collecting data entails gathering information from a variety of sources, followed by data analysis, data synthesis, and data validation. The phase of data storage include gathering and gathering data from multiple data sources as well as thorough investigation.

The study, Global Mobile Health and Fitness Sensor Market, gives a broad analysis of the Mobile Health and Fitness Sensor market’s present state and highlights key industry elements such as key drivers influencing the market’s growth, obstacles, and possibilities for growth. To make market analysis simple for new entrants, the study also includes all the market statistics, including market value, volume, share, size, etc. A political, economic, social, technological, legal, and environmental examination is given.

An extensive analysis of industry trends and the present market environment is provided in the market survey report that was just published on the market for mobile health and fitness sensors. The key trends that determine the market’s size and the range of available products are studied in the market analysis. The study analyses the market from a variety of angles, including global, regional, and industry, in an effort to reach a larger audience and offer as much information as possible. The analysis of the market as a whole has been performed to investigate the main market growth-influencing factors.

Get Free Sample: https://analyticsmarketresearch.com/sample-request/mobile-health-and-fitness-sensor-market/10377/

Global Mobile Health and Fitness Sensor Market: Major Players
Johnson & Johnson
Philips
Fujitsu
Medtronic
Adidas
Bosch
Qualcomm
OMRON
Honeywell
Analog Devices
GE Healthcare

Global Mobile Health and Fitness Sensor Market: Types
Temperature sensor
Pressure sensor
Speed sensor
Level/position sensor
Gas sensor
Others

Global Mobile Health and

Best Smartwatches for Health and Fitness Tracking to Buy in 2023

December 26, 2022 Vera

Having a smartwatch has become part of our everyday tech needs. You can do anything with a smartwatch on without neglecting urgent notifications from your phone and, most especially, your health. And, the best part, unlike phones, you don’t have to hold it; it’s wearable. It is basically a handy device to wear anywhere you go and whatever you do.

Well, you probably know all that; that is why you are here! The next challenge is knowing which brands to buy among the many designs and features in the market today.

Smart watch vs. smart band

But before the best smartwatch picks, let’s first identify the difference between a smart band and a smartwatch, as they may be confusing, especially for first-timers, when you browse through the fitness trackers section online.

Smartwatches and smart bands are both fitness trackers that are wearable on your wrist. They share very similar functions and features, but smartwatches are more advanced. Smartwatches generally offer wider feature selections for users with their big screen, compatibility with smartphones and more. However, smart bands are only fitness-specific when it comes to their features [1].

Some particular general feature differences:

Smartwatches	Smart bands
Have a full touchscreen.	Function through buttons.
Can function independently, where you can text, call and reply to emails.	Dependent on a smartphone and usually have no SIM card insertions.
Have speakers that allow you to play music.	The majority have no speakers or microphones.

Best smartwatch to buy in 2023

Choosing the best smartwatch for you is a must! You should look for a design that suits your lifestyle and needs. We have come up with four best smartwatch brands in 2023 that you can consider before buying.

Fitbit Versa 4 Review

Best watch for health features

Despite its smartwatch nature, the Fitbit Versa 4 can’t compete with the best fitness tracking accuracy, at least at launch. For those comfortable with a mixture of surface-level smartwatch elements and harder-core fitness watches, its battery life is sound.

Display and style: There are many similarities between the Fitbit Versa 4 and the Versa 3. A square-faced watch with curved glass covering the screen. A plastic rear and aluminum bezel make up the device.

Although it has a less high-end design than the Apple Watch SE 2, it is clearly more style-driven than the Garmin Venu 2 Sq. While there aren’t many novel features here,