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An international study led by MELIS-UPF researchers from the Infection Biology and Molecular Virology laboratories has identified and characterized Schlafen 12 (SLFN 12) as a novel HIV restriction factor. SLFN 12 shuts down viral protein production and helps virus-infected cells to escape from anti-HIV therapy and immune responses. These findings pave the way for improving therapeutic strategies that aim to cure HIV infections.

ACCUSATIONS by Sylvia Masebo that the perennial shortage of essential medicines and other medical supplies in hospitals is because health workers including medical doctors stealing drugs is an emotional, unprofessional, vindictive and dangerous accusation, Dr Canisius Banda has said.

Dr Banda says Ms Masebo was wrong to accuse health workers of being thieves and should therefore apoliogise because her attitude was utterly disdainful and disrespectful of doctors and other medical personnel.

“Medical doctors heal…they do NOT steal. Sylvia Masebo’s accusation is offensive and divisive. Sylvia Masebo is wrong. And she must apologise. Her attitude is utterly disdainful, rude and disrespectful,” Dr Banda says.

Dr Banda, a public health specialist stated that Ms Masebo, the Minister of Health should have learnt to build on what the governments that came before the UPND administration did because development was cumulative and an incremental process.

Dr Banda said the Patriotic Front (PF), when in power had attained significant milestones in Zambia’s health sector and that records and indicators were there for all, including Ms Masebo to see and refer to.

He said all the UPND government needed to do in resolving the crisis of the persistent shortage of medicines in hospitals was to built on the achievements of the PF instead of tearing them down under the false pretense of cleaning up the supply chain system.

“The current attitude of the UPND government on healthcare in Zambia, as exhibited by its leaders in health, is emotional, unprofessional, confrontational, vindictive and dangerous. Without evidence, merely ranting, calling medical doctors thieves is unwise and takes away the confidence which citizens have in this vital national human resource,” Dr Banda said.

He said calling medical doctors and other health workers thieves was not only demotivating but also angered the healthcare workers whose focus should not be to defend and cleanse their reputation but to provide quality healthcare and save lives.

“Ms. Masebo should carefully study and understand the diagnosis made by her supervisor the Republican President, Hakainde Hichilema when he informed the nation at the recently held Pharmaceuticals Symposium that the cause to the crisis in the health sector in Zambia today is corruption,” Dr Banda said.

He stated that President Hichiema was specific and clear and that the head of State was aware that the perennial shortages of medicines that had bedevilled Zambia’s health facilities and severely compromised quality of care were not caused by medical doctors.

Dr Banda, the Patriotic Front (PF) chairman for health said medical doctor were not criminals and wondered how many medical doctors Ms Masebo prosecuted and convicted for her to have branded the doctors thieves who were stealing medicines and stocking private pharmacies.

“Medical doctors cost Zambia a fortune to produce. These highly skilled professionals should be celebrated and respected by all citizens of Zambia and not repeatedly insulted by the very person who should be protecting them,” he said.

FORMER Defense Minister Geoffrey Bwalya Mwamba (GBM) has asked the Economic and Financial Crimes Court to refer his matter to the High Court for a constitutional reference.

This was after the court denied him to admit into evidence a letter he wrote to the Ministry of Defence requesting for the documents and the response from the ministry indicating to him that the letter in question cannot be traced. 

Forty years after the discovery of HIV, AFP looks at how far we have come in fighting a deadly virus that was once shrouded in fear and shame but is now treated as a manageable chronic condition.

Although some people might expect very dangerous jobs to be associated with the highest incidence of workplace accidents, a new study finds that accidents are actually most likely to occur within moderately dangerous work environments.

Immigrant adults with liver cancer in the United States have higher survival rates than people with the disease who were born in the U.S., according to new research from the USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center.

A new paper in the European Journal of Endocrinology, indicates that overweight boys tend to have lower testicular volume, putting them at risk for infertility in adulthood.

The Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) has proposed the construction of a multi-million-dollar specialized hospital in Lusaka West.

ZEMA acting director general Maxwell Nkoya says the specialized hospital would be constructed through the Zambia Medical Association Cooperative at a total project cost of USUS$ 40,000,000

Mr Nkoya said according to Act No. 12 of 2011 (the EMA) and the Environmental Protection and Pollution Control (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, Statutory Instrument No. 28 of 1997, ZEMA had approved the construction of the hospital in Lusaka West.

Mr Nkoya said during the second sitting for the month of April, the Environmental Assessment Committee (EAC) approved a total of 75 projects from the total 87 considered projects. This is part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process which assists to predict and mitigate possible negative environmental, health and social impacts that can result from implemented projects.

He said the total investment value for all considered projects in April was over US$ 144,511,631 which was equivalent to over K2, 178,239,054.14. 

Mr Nkoya said projects in Infrastructure represented the highest investment value whilst tourism projects represented the lowest investment value.

The Agency remained committed to ensuring efficiency and effective service delivery by processing submitted project reports within the stipulated time frame as enshrined in the law and contribute to sustainable national development.

Most antidepressants used for chronic pain are being prescribed with “insufficient” evidence of their effectiveness, scientists have warned.

Breast cancer is one of the most common and deadly types of cancer, and the best outcomes stem from early detection. But some screening techniques may be less effective for people with darker skin.