New treatment helps alopecia patients regrow their hair
A new Yale study shows that one in three patients with a severe skin disease were able to regrow hair after being treated with a common arthritis drug.
Public health & disease
From disease eradication efforts to advances in vaccination and maternal health, this archive tracks real progress in public health. Stories here focus on what’s working — policies, interventions, and research that are improving and extending lives around the world.
Psilocybin therapy changes brain wiring in depressed people, new study finds
The new study led by researchers from Imperial College London found that people also reported a reduction in their depression symptoms alongside these brain changes.
Brain implant allows completely “locked-in” patient to communicate
Locked-in syndrome is a rare condition that makes it impossible for the patient to move or speak, but are still conscious and can see, hear, and smell.
Nigerian mom designs solar-powered cribs that put an end to baby jaundice disease
The Crib A’Glow can now be found in 500 hospitals across Nigeria and neighboring Ghana. It has already been used on 300,000 babies.
Honduras bans open-pit mining, citing environmental and public health concerns
The government is no longer granting environmental permits for open-pit mining projects, the Ministry of Energy, Natural Resources, Environment and Mines. It also plans to shut down open-pit mines already in operation.
New method allows vaccines to be stored for months without refrigeration
The World Health Organization has estimated that more than 50 percent of vaccines go to waste every year, often due to the challenge in keeping vaccines at stable cold temperatures.
India’s National Medical Commission forbids conversion therapy throughout the country
Any doctor in India found engaged in LGBTQ conversion therapy is now liable to be prosecuted for professional misconduct.
“Revolutionary” pacemaker tackles heart failure by listening to the lungs
The University of Auckland team has spent more than a decade developing what they describe as a “bionic” pacemaker, a device designed to respond to the body’s signals in real-time.
New study shows telemedicine eliminates historical racial gap in aftercare follow-ups
Research from the University of Pennsylvania shows that attendance at follow-up appointments climbed among Black patients from 52% to 70% when telemedicine became a main mode for care visits.
New artificial pancreas proves “life-changing” for young diabetics
The new study from the University of Cambridge involved 74 children with type 1 diabetes, aged one to seven, with subjects using the CamAPS FX artificial pancreas system for 16 weeks and showing promising results.