Latest news with #healthcampaign
The National
a day ago
- Health
- The National
Thousands of outdoor workers offered support to deal with soaring temperatures
After two months of record temperatures in the UAE, authorities in Sharjah are offering advice on how to stay safe in extreme heat. Summer has arrived early as the UAE experienced its hottest May on record, with peak daily temperatures averaging higher than 40°C, with the mercury rising to 51.6°C in the Sweihan area. It followed the hottest April since records began in the early 2000s. The Ministry of Health and Prevention has now stepped in with targeted health campaigns to protect those most at risk. Outdoor workers, the elderly and infirm are most likely to suffer from the effects of exposure to heat, and the ministry is working alongside the Sharjah Supreme Council for Family Affairs to launch the 14th Heat Exhaustion and Disease Prevention Campaign. It aims to coincide with the midday work ban period that comes into force throughout July and August, to reduce exposure of construction workers during the hottest time of day. 'Let me be clear, protecting workers from heat-related illnesses isn't just a health issue,' said Mohammed Al Zarooni, director of the ministry's Representative Office in Sharjah. 'It's a national duty, a moral responsibility and a shared commitment that calls for all of us to work together. Through this campaign, we're emphasising the importance of early preparation and timely action. "It shows how prevention is not just a policy goal; it's a shared national responsibility. And more importantly, it sends a clear message of support and solidarity to our labour communities, who are a vital part of our society.' Support on site Education will be delivered on site for workers, to focus on risks and symptoms of heat exhaustion. It will also offer advice on first-aid practices and prevention methods to avoid heat-related illness that range from a rash or cramps to exhaustion and heat stroke in extreme cases. Medically, hyperthermia is classified when someone's temperature rises above their baseline average, usually 37°C. The government campaign will target 10,000 workers with free medical check-ups, including blood pressure and glucose testing, eye exams and blood donation drives. Meanwhile, inspection campaigns by the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation will be stepped up across work sites in Sharjah to ensure compliance with the midday work ban. Workers will also be offered protective equipment, food and drinking water. "This campaign reaffirms Sharjah's deep and ongoing commitment to public health, especially during the summer months, when high temperatures pose serious challenges to one of the most important segments of our society: our field workers,' said Mona Al Hawai, of the ministry's Health Promotion Department. 'Protecting the health of our community, especially those who may not always have direct access to services, is at the core of what we do. Through this campaign, we're going to deliver health lectures directly at work sites, offer basic medical check-ups and distribute protective supplies in multiple languages so that health information is not only available but accessible to everyone who needs it.' Data from the World Health Organisation showed that of about 489,000 heat-related deaths each year, most are in Asia and Europe. Last year, there were 269 deaths in India thought to be related to high temperatures. A further 161 recorded deaths were directly linked to heatstroke, as reported by India's National Centre for Disease Control. In Europe, the WHO estimates the current annual death toll of 175,000 related to extreme heat will climb in the years ahead. Vulnerable workers Delivery riders in the UAE are often exposed to extreme summer heat. Employers are stepping up support by increasing the number of shaded rest areas and introducing other packages to protect riders from heatstroke. Through its corporate responsibility programme, Careem is offering delivery captains flexible shifts to avoid peak heat hours and has introduced air-conditioned mobile rest areas, hydration kits and free health check-ups for those choosing to work during the hottest hours. "Summer in the UAE presents significant challenges for delivery work,' said Mudassir Sheikha, chief executive and co-founder of Careem. 'To ensure our captains feel supported during the hottest months of the year, we regularly host workshops to understand their needs and how we can help. This year we've extended these services to more than 60,000 delivery captains across the UAE – not just those working with Careem." Food delivery firm Deliveroo provides riders with cooling vests to help reduce body temperature and also has rest areas located in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The company also has what it calls a Roo Bus, which acts as a pitstop area. The firm says "cooled buses are accessible to riders throughout the week, allowing riders to take a break from the weather" in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Ajman, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah. "Rider safety and wellbeing is a top priority for Deliveroo and we have been working and continue to work with the authorities, our rider agencies and partners on ways to support riders, especially over the summer season," said a Deliveroo spokesperson.
Daily Mail
27-05-2025
- General
- Daily Mail
Experts' warning over 'silent' cancer most people have never heard of as cases soar in under 50s - the symptoms everyone MUST know
A kidney cancer campaigner has urgently warned people not ignore the early signs of the disease that most people either don't know about or don't take seriously. In the UK, around 13,000 people are diagnosed with kidney cancer—38 every day. The 'silent' cancer, which is among the fastest growing, is often symptomless in early stages so is often not diagnosed until later stages, when it has spread to other areas of the body and survival rates plummet. This warning has come over fears a lack of awareness of seemingly harmless symptoms is putting lives in danger. Despite being the sixth most common cancer, Malcolm Packer, CEO of Kidney Cancer UK, told the Huffington Post, it is 'dangerously under-recognised'. 'Kidney cancer is one of the fastest-growing cancers in the UK,' he said. He warned a lack of awareness and funding to tackle the condition which has no routine screening programme has 'real consequences'. 'Unlike some other cancers, there are no routine screening programmes and symptoms can be vague or easily dismissed. 'As a result, many people aren't diagnosed until stage two or three—at which point treatment becomes more complex,' he said. Mortality rates for kidney cancer have risen by 73 per cent in the UK since the 1970s, with cases soaring among those under 50. However, the CEO, highlighting the importance of knowing the early signs, said: 'Catching kidney cancer early can dramatically improve outcomes.' He shared the key symptoms to look out for, including those that 'seem mild or unrelated at first glance'. Blood in the urine—even once— is the most common and potentially most telling early sign. And the discolouration is not always obvious, according to Mr Packer. It may appear bright pink or red, but it can also feature a very slight tinge. Either way, it shouldn't be ignored. A dull or persistent discomfort in the lower back or either side of your spine below the ribs, known as the flank, can be caused by kidney cancer, he added. As can a mass or swelling in your side, which could be a tumour in or near the kidney area. If weight loss is sudden and unexplained, particularly if you are experiencing other symptoms, this is also a red flag. This warning comes not long after high profile former American basketball point guard Dwayne Wade revealed he had kidney cancer. NBA legend Dwayne Wade, 43, revealed subtle stomach pains and a routine check-up led to his kidney cancer diagnosis. He shared earlier this year that he had 40 per cent of one of his kidneys removed in December 2023, after finding a stage one cancerous tumour. He said: 'I talked about just having a slow stream, like sometimes when I would go to the bathroom, my urine would come out little slow. 'I had some cramps, some pain, a little bit at times in my stomach that I did not understand. 'But I didn't think nothing of it. And so, once I finally went in, I was like, 'OK, I just want to know everything''. Both Wade's father and grandfather had battled prostate cancer—a fact that had always kept him worried about his health. He told TODAY: '[The doctor] expressed to me that it was very early, but they thought they saw something on my kidneys. 'I didn't go in for my kidneys. I went in to check what was going on my stomach and my prostate'. A report by Kidney Cancer UK published earlier this year revealed that almost all cases of the disease are spotted by accident. That means patients are only being diagnosed when they have a scan for an unrelated condition or in an emergency department. Just one in five of the patients polled by the charity said their condition was spotted because they were sent for relevant tests by their GP. Risk factors for the cancer include smoking, obesity, high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease or family history. Treatment may include surgery, cryotherapy, radiofrequency ablation, targeted medicines, radiotherapy or chemotherapy. But, individual treatment plans depend on what type of cancer you have, where it is, how big it is, if it has spread, and your general health.
New York Times
21-05-2025
- Health
- New York Times
American Breakfast Cereals Are Becoming Less Healthy, Study Finds
Breakfast cereals, a heavily marketed, highly processed mainstay of the American diet, especially among children, are becoming less healthy, filled with increasing amounts of sugar, fat and sodium, according to a study published Wednesday in the journal JAMA Network Open. The study also found that cereals' protein and fiber content — nutrients essential for a healthy diet — have been in decline. The findings, based on an analysis of 1,200 new or reformulated cereal products introduced in the United States between 2010 and 2023, are likely to add fuel to the ongoing debate about the relationship between processed food, mounting childhood obesity and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases. The debate has gained greater prominence in the months since health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. began using the federal bully pulpit to excoriate ultra-processed foods as part of his 'Make America Healthy Again' campaign. Mr. Kennedy, who has declared that 'sugar is poison,' last month announced that the Department of Health and Human Services would work to remove some artificial dyes from the U.S. food supply, citing concerns about their impact on children's health. Shuoli Zhao, a professor of agricultural economics at the University of Kentucky and a co-author of the new study, said the findings were especially notable given evolving consumer awareness about the links between excess consumption of sugar, salt and saturated fat and chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension and cancer. 'What's most surprising to me is that the healthy claims made on the front of these products and the nutritional facts on the back are actually going in the opposite direction,' he said. The analysis, based on data gathered by the marketing consultancy Mintel, did not identify brand names, nor did it capture information on purchasing and consumption habits. The vast majority of the 1,200 products it analyzed were relaunches of existing cereals, including so-called reformulations that alter a product's taste or nutritional content, Professor Zhao said. The study found that the total fat content per serving of newly launched breakfast cereals increased nearly 34 percent between 2010 and 2023, and sodium content climbed by 32 percent. Sugar content in the newly introduced products rose by nearly 11 percent, according to the analysis. So-called ready-to-eat cereals are the most commonly consumed food product among children aged 5 to 12, according to Department of Agriculture data, and nearly a third of all American children eat cereal each morning. In contrast, only 15 percent of children have fruit with their breakfast, and just 10 percent consume eggs, according to the data. Kellogg Company, General Mills and Post Holdings, the three largest makers of breakfast cereals in the United States, did not respond to requests for comment. Peter Lurie, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a nutrition advocacy group that was not involved in the study, said he was surprised to learn that large food companies have not made a more concerted effort to reduce the sugar, salt and fat content of their breakfast cereals. 'It's extraordinary that, at a time when Americans are becoming more health conscious, a product often marketed as offering a healthy start to one's day is actually getting less healthy,' he said. Although the category is not inherently unhealthy, many nutritionists take a jaundiced view of American breakfast cereals given the sky-high sugar content of some products, like Lucky Charms and Cap'n Crunch. Dr. Josephine Connolly-Schoonen, executive director of the nutrition division at Stony Brook Medicine, said the findings of the study highlighted the dilemma many parents face when navigating supermarket aisles. 'It reinforces my belief that the food marketplace is very confusing, and that's not by accident,' said Dr. Connolly-Schoonen, who was not involved with the study. 'The food industry engineers the confusion.' Her breakfast recommendations to parents include overnight oats, fruit, eggs, peanut butter and whole grain breads. 'We need to continue to try to break through the noise and give very strong messages about what is healthy, and that includes whole foods; foods that look like they did when they were alive,' she said. Some of the cynicism voiced by nutrition experts stems from the fact that many food companies offer healthier versions of the same cereal brands in Canada and in Europe. More recently, the sugar and sodium content of breakfast cereals served in American schools has also been declining, a result of federal legislation passed in 2010 that set new nutrition standards for the meals, which sustain 14 million students each day. Stricter limits on sugar content go into effect this summer, and the standards tighten even further in 2027, according to the School Nutrition Association. Diane Pratt-Heavner, a spokeswoman for the association, said she hoped food companies would begin voluntarily offering those healthier school-based products to the general public. 'If we're encouraging kids to eat healthier at school,' she said, 'then we want them to be eating healthier at home too.'
CNA
12-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
CNA938 Rewind - Doing Financial Wellness, Well
CNA938 Rewind - Explore mental wellness and eye-catching art at Paragon Shopping Mall In 'Made in SG', Melanie Oliveiro speaks with the key people involved in shopping mall Paragon's 'Spring Soiree' campaign. The campaign transforms the mall into a sanctuary of art, nature, and wellness – in support of mental health causes. Koh Pei Li, a renowned Singaporean artist fronting her brand PeiPer, talks about 'Blooming Windmill', a 4.5-metre-tall windmill flower installation symbolising various mental health messages. Mosscape's creative director, Shannon Eng, will describe 'A Botanical Escape' an 18-metre landscape featuring greenery and intricate floral arrangements. Paragon's centre manager, Chan Shuk Ling, will highlight other installations and workshops available to visitors, beyond those led by PeiPer and Mosscape. 33 mins CNA938 Rewind - Bouncing to a healthier and better you The age of mundane fitness plans are out, and jumping on trampolines are now in. What kinds of health benefits come with this jumping activity and why shouldn't adults shy away from it? Hui Wong jumps on the details with Pang Zan, a long-time casual coach with BOUNCE Singapore Pte Ltd - located at Cineleisure. 16 mins CNA938 Rewind - An Omakase - but European-style How would you like some petite-sized bites from one of the best pastry chefs in Singapore? Chef Makoto Arumi shares with Hui Wong how he turned his fine pastry online shop to now, AMI Patisserie - where he blends French and Japanese nuances into one gastronomical experience. 18 mins
Washington Post
08-05-2025
- Health
- Washington Post
Federal purge guts infant death prevention campaign, alarming doctors
A decades-long campaign to prevent infants from dying in their sleep has become a casualty of the Trump administration's federal workforce cuts, and doctors fear it could contribute to more infant deaths at a time when mortalities have already been rising. The office within the National Institutes of Health that led the Safe to Sleep campaign, a public information effort to prevent sudden unexpected infant death, was shut down on April 1, according to two former NIH officials and two program partners who spoke with The Washington Post.
