Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Deaths Of 3 Americans In Bahamas Came After Hospital Visits
USA Today: Bahamas Sandals Resort Deaths: Americans Had Sought Medical Treatment
The three Americans who fell ill and died while at a Sandals resort in the Bahamas had been treated for symptoms at a hospital the night before, Bahamas police said Monday. Paul Rolle, Commissioner of Police, on Monday identified the two couples who became sick last week at Emerald Bay Sandals Resort and said they were from Florida and Tennessee. "They were all treated at different times, and they ate at different places," Rolle said at a press conference. "We are checking all of that and hopefully we will be able to determine whether it was some food or something else that caused it." (Stanton, 5/9)
In other global developments —
Bloomberg: Almost 10 Million Britons Cut Back On Meals As Living Costs Soar
Almost 10 million Britons were forced to cut back on food or missed meals entirely last month, according to new research that highlights the devastating impact of the nation’s cost of living crisis. Data from The Food Foundation showed 7.3 million adults, and 2.6 million children, now live in households that had gone without food or could not physically get it in the past month. That compares with 4.7 million adults in January, a rise of nearly 60%. (Goodman, 5/9)
Bloomberg: South Africa Cuts Back Covid Vaccine Drive Amid Citizen Apathy
South Africa is scaling back its Covid-19 vaccination drive and may have to destroy doses because of a lack of demand from citizens even as the country heads into a fifth wave of infections. Take up has slowed to the point where keeping some sites running is unaffordable, said Nicholas Crisp, deputy director-general at the department of health and the person in charge of the program. Covid-19 vaccinations will need to be incorporated into South Africa’s standard medical programs, which means these specific shots will be less accessible, he said. (Sguazzin and Kew, 5/10)
Bloomberg: Childhood Cancer Rates To Surge In Africa By 2050, Study Says
Africa will account for half the world’s childhood cancers by 2050 unless significant measures are taken, according to a new report. Infections with cancer-linked viruses, exposure to environmental carcinogens, and genetic vulnerabilities are among factors driving cancer rates in Africa ever-higher, according the report released Monday from the Lancet Oncology Commission. Childhood cancer prevalence in sub-Saharan Africa is substantial, with the incidence in some parts of the region likely exceeding that of high-income countries, and survival of the disease across much of the continent is “dismal,” it said. (Kew, 5/9)
Also —
NPR: Doctors Without Borders Addresses Charges Of Racism Within Its Ranks
Doctors Without Borders is renowned for providing medical aid in some of the most challenging emergency zones around the world. But lately it has been grappling with another kind of challenge: racism within its ranks. On Feb. 7, the 50-year-old humanitarian giant, which also goes by its French acronym MSF, released to the public an internal report of the measures it's taking to address institutional discrimination and racism. This comes after current and former staffers reported hundreds of instances of abuse and discrimination to journalists and to a grassroots advocacy group that these MSF staffers had set up over the last two years. Their accusations included racial slurs aimed at local workers of color, segregation between local and international staffs, as well as unequal pay, benefits and opportunity for advancement for local staff and staff of color. (Lu, 5/9)
