Health - AFP

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  • Abortion pill cleared for sale in Italy: official journal

    AFP – Wed Dec 9, 5:15 pm ET  
    A nurse shows RU486 pills. The sale of the RU486 abortion pill... AFP/File

    ROME (AFP) - The sale of the RU486 abortion pill in Italy was given a final green light on Wednesday, despite protests from the Vatican and members of Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi's government. Full Story »

  • Germ-free kids may risk more adult illnesses: study

    AFP – Wed Dec 9, 9:11 pm ET  
    Children train for a soccer game on a field. Parents who let... AFP/File

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Parents who let their kids romp in the mud and eat food that has fallen on the floor could be helping to protect them against maladies like heart disease later in life, a US study showed Wednesday. Full Story »

  • New giant virus discovered

    AFP – Wed Dec 9, 10:49 am ET  
    A scientist looks through a microscope. Scientists in France... AFP/File

    PARIS (AFP) - Scientists in France have isolated a new giant virus that lurks inside amoeba and whose gene pool includes genetic material from other species. Full Story »

  • Obama gives 600-million-dollar boost to US health centers

    AFP – Wed Dec 9, 12:34 pm ET  
    Families attend a newborn care class at a community health center... AFP/Getty Images/file

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - President Barack Obama injected almost 600 million dollars on Wednesday into US health centers, saying the move would create jobs as well as provide care for an extra 500,000 low-income patients. Full Story »

  • Intense reading program 'rewires' kids' brains: study

    AFP – Wed Dec 9, 7:20 pm ET  
    Two girls pick books from the children's section at a book... AFP/File

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Children who undergo intensive remedial reading programs not only become better readers but can also end up with rewired brains that are better at communicating, a study published Wednesday said. Full Story »

  • Insecticide resistance deepens malaria crisis in Nigeria

    AFP – Wed Dec 9, 12:04 pm ET  
    A mosquito is bloated with blood as it inserts its stinger into... AFP/USDA-HO/File

    ABUJA (AFP) - A rise in insecticide resistant mosquitoes has become the latest threat to combating malaria in Nigeria, where roughly up to 300,000 people die each year from the killer disease, experts have warned. Full Story »

  • WHO warns of slow take up in public smoking bans

    AFP – Wed Dec 9, 12:11 pm ET  
    A client smokes a cigarette at a bar, in Lille in 2006. The World... AFP/File

    GENEVA (AFP) - The World Health Organisation on Wednesday called for more protection for non-smokers, after new data showed that just five percent of the world's population benefited from public smoking bans. Full Story »

  • US study exposes big drinking of older alcoholics

    AFP – Wed Dec 9, 1:18 pm ET  
    A man sips a vodka cocktail from a glass made of ice. Older alcoholics... AFP

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - Older alcoholics knock back far more than younger ones, and for those over 60 that means an average of 42.5 drinks every week, a US study released Wednesday found. Full Story »

  • Los Angeles restricts medical marijuana outlets

    AFP – Tue Dec 8, 10:30 pm ET  
    P.O.T., a non-profit co-operative medical marijuana dispensary,... AFP/Getty Images/File

    LOS ANGELES (AFP) - Los Angeles city authorities passed an ordinance restricting the number of medical marijuana dispensaries, which have grown to almost 1,000 since the drug was authorized for sale for medicinal purposes in 1996. Full Story »

  • US cancer rate declines: study

    AFP – Tue Dec 8, 5:01 pm ET  
    Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) logo. The incidence... AFP/File

    WASHINGTON (AFP) - The incidence and death rate from most types of cancer continued a downward trend in the United States thanks to widespread screening, better treatment and lower risk factors, a report said Tuesday. Full Story »

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