Yuflyma becomes fourth Humira biosimilar to receive interchangeability status
The FDA has accepted Yuflyma as an interchangeable biosimilar to adalimumab for the treatment of multiple chronic inflammatory diseases, Celltrion USA announced in a press release.A high-concentration (100mg/mL), citrate-free formulation of Humira (adalimumab, AbbVie), Yuflyma (adalimumab-aaty, Celltrion USA) is the ninth biosimilar to adalimumab approved by the FDA and the fourth to be accepte
d for all indications of the reference product: adult Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile idiopathic arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, plaque
1 month 4 weeks ago
PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization
Strengthening public health capacities essential to ensure resilience and equity in the Americas says new PAHO report
Strengthening public health capacities essential to ensure resilience and equity in the Americas says new PAHO report
Cristina Mitchell
15 Apr 2025
Strengthening public health capacities essential to ensure resilience and equity in the Americas says new PAHO report
Cristina Mitchell
15 Apr 2025
1 month 4 weeks ago
Do disasters delay early cancer diagnoses?
Rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses dropped during and shortly after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, according to a recent analysis. However, late-stage diagnoses eventually exceeded expectations, suggesting that limited access to cancer screening services due to these disasters likely hindered timely CRC diagnoses.
The findings are published by Wiley online in CANCER, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society.
1 month 4 weeks ago
Medical News, Health News Latest, Medical News Today - Medical Dialogues |
Medical Bulletin 15/ April/ 2025
Here are the top medical news for the day:
Case of a 17-Year-Old with Popcorn Lung Reveals Hidden Dangers of VapingA 17-year-old girl from Nevada has been diagnosed with a rare and irreversible lung disease known as popcorn lung, after secretly vaping for three years to cope with anxiety during the COVID-19 lockdown.Brianne, who began using disposable vapes at the age of 14, was hospitalized after she suddenly struggled to breathe and suffered panic attacks. Her mother, Christie Martin, rushed her to the emergency room—only to receive a shocking diagnosis: bronchiolitis obliterans, commonly known as popcorn lung.“She called me and said she couldn’t catch her breath,” said Christie. “It was terrifying. I never imagined it would be something this serious—or permanent.”What is Popcorn Lung?Popcorn lung is a serious and irreversible condition that leads to inflammation and scarring of the lung’s smallest airways, known as bronchioles. This damage restricts airflow and makes breathing increasingly difficult.The disease earned its nickname after cases emerged among workers in a microwave popcorn factory who were exposed to diacetyl, a buttery-flavored chemical used in popcorn flavoring. Diacetyl has since been detected in many vaping products, along with other harmful substances like ammonia, chlorine, formaldehyde, and metal fumes—all of which can contribute to lung damage.Symptoms and Long-Term ImpactThough rare, bronchiolitis obliterans can develop without obvious symptoms early on. When present, symptoms often include:• Chronic coughing• Shortness of breath, especially after physical activity• Wheezing• Fatigue• Fever or night sweats• Skin rashesDoctors warn the condition is not reversible, but early detection can help manage symptoms. In Brianne’s case, her diagnosis came early enough that doctors are optimistic about her recovery—but caution that long-term effects, including cancer, could still arise.“They told me it’s permanent,” Christie said. “She may recover, but the damage is done. It’s something she’ll have to live with for the rest of her life.”Treatment options focus on symptom relief and preventing further lung damage. These may include: Corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, Inhalers (e.g., albuterol) to aid breathing, Oxygen therapy, In severe cases, lung transplantationPatients are also advised to avoid air pollution, cigarette smoke, and exposure to infections.Christie is now speaking out, urging parents to pay close attention to their children’s mental health and habits. “We had no idea she was vaping—it was her way of coping with anxiety. Now she has a lifelong condition because of it.” She continued, “If this can happen to my daughter, it can happen to anyone’s. Parents need to ask questions, talk to their kids, and know what’s really going on.”Brown Rice versus White Rice: Study Shows Brown Rice Found to Contain Higher Arsenic Than White RiceA new study from Michigan State University has sparked important conversations around food safety and nutrition, revealing that brown rice—often praised for its health benefits—contains higher levels of arsenic than white rice, raising potential health concerns, particularly for young children. Findings are published in the journal Risk Analysis. The study compared arsenic exposure from brown and white rice among American populations. It found that brown rice contains more total and inorganic arsenic, a toxic substance linked to long-term health risks when consumed in high quantities over time.Brown rice is widely seen as a healthier alternative to white rice due to its higher fiber, protein, and nutrient content. However, it also retains the outer layers of the grain, where arsenic accumulates most. Researchers found that brown rice had 48% inorganic arsenic, compared to 33% in white rice for U.S.-grown rice. Globally, the figures rose to 65% for brown rice and 53% for white rice.The study highlights that rice absorbs up to 10 times more arsenic than other cereal grains because it is often cultivated in flooded paddies, which increase arsenic uptake from the soil.While the general American population is not at major risk, the study found that infants and children under 5 could face health risks from brown rice consumption due to their smaller body weights and higher relative food intake. Other vulnerable groups include Asian immigrant populations and those experiencing food insecurity who may rely more heavily on rice-based diets.“This research is important because it acknowledges the importance of considering food safety along with nutrition when consumers make choices about food,” said senior investigator Dr. Felicia Wu, a professor at MSU’s College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.Wu and lead author Dr. Christian Scott emphasized that while brown rice carries higher arsenic levels, it still provides key nutrients that white rice lacks. They call for more research to evaluate whether the nutritional benefits of brown rice may offset the arsenic exposure.“This exposure assessment is only one side of the equation,” said Wu. “We’re not saying brown rice is unhealthy—just that consumers should be informed.”Reference: Scott, C. K., & Wu, F. (2025). Arsenic content and exposure in brown rice compared to white rice in the United States. Risk Analysis, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/risa.70008Stronger Bones in Older Women Linked to Mediterranean Diet and Exercise: Study FindsA new study has found that older women who followed a reduced-calorie Mediterranean diet combined with regular physical activity for three years significantly improved their bone density, particularly in the lower back. The research, published in JAMA Network Open, highlights a promising approach to preventing age-related bone deterioration—especially during weight loss.Researchers focused on 924 adults aged 55 to 75 with metabolic syndrome and overweight or obesity. It was part of the larger PREDIMED-Plus trial, a major lifestyle intervention project conducted across 23 medical centers in Spain.Half of the participants followed a traditional Mediterranean diet with no calorie restriction or exercise requirements. The other half followed a modified plan:• 30% reduced-calorie Mediterranean diet• Daily walking for 45 minutes (6 days/week)• Strength, flexibility, and balance exercises (3 days/week)“This is the first study to show that combining a calorie-restricted Mediterranean diet with exercise can actually prevent bone loss in older women—even while they’re losing weight,” said coauthor Jesús Francisco García-Gavilán, senior biostatistician at Rovira i Virgili University.This new research shows that the quality of the diet matters just as much as calories burned or consumed.The Mediterranean diet is widely celebrated for its heart and brain benefits, and this study now connects it to bone health.Key components include:• Plant-based foods: fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, seeds• Healthy fats: especially extra-virgin olive oil• Low intake of red meat, butter, sugar, and refined foods• Moderate portions of dairy, poultry, and eggs• Frequent oily fish, rich in omega-3sThese foods are high in calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory fats, all essential for maintaining strong bones.“Together, these nutrients can lower the risk of bone loss and support bone maintenance, especially as we age,” García-Gavilán said.This research suggests that for older women, losing weight doesn’t have to come at the cost of bone health. With the right combination of a nutrient-rich Mediterranean diet and consistent physical activity, stronger bones and sustainable weight loss can go hand-in-hand.Reference: Vázquez-Lorente H, García-Gavilán JF, Shyam S, et al. Mediterranean Diet, Physical Activity, and Bone Health in Older Adults: A Secondary Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Netw Open. 2025;8(4):e253710. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.3710
1 month 4 weeks ago
MDTV,Channels - Medical Dialogues,Medical News Today MDTV,Medical News Today
El temor a la deportación agrava los problemas de salud mental que enfrentan los trabajadores de los centros turísticos de Colorado
SILVERTHORNE, Colorado. — Cuando Adolfo Román García-Ramírez camina a casa por la noche después de su turno en un mercado en este pueblo montañoso del centro de Colorado, a veces se acuerda de su infancia en Nicaragua. Los adultos, recuerda, asustaban a los niños con cuentos de la “Mona Bruja”.
Si te adentras demasiado en la oscuridad, le decían, un gigantesco y monstruoso mono que vive en las sombras podría atraparte.
Ahora, cuando García-Ramírez mira por encima del hombro, no son los monos monstruosos a los que teme. Son los agentes del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de Estados Unidos (ICE).
“Hay un miedo constante de que vayas caminando por la calle y se te cruce un vehículo”, dijo García-Ramírez, de 57 años. “Te dicen: ‘Somos de ICE; estás arrestado’, o ‘Muéstrame tus papeles’”.
Silverthorne, una pequeña ciudad entre las mecas del esquí de Breckenridge y Vail, ha sido el hogar de García-Ramírez durante los últimos dos años. Trabaja como cajero en un supermercado y comparte un apartamento de dos habitaciones con cuatro compañeros.
La ciudad de casi 5.000 habitantes ha sido un refugio acogedor para el exiliado político, quien fue liberado de prisión en 2023 después que el gobierno autoritario de Nicaragua negociara un acuerdo con el gobierno estadounidense para transferir a más de 200 presos políticos a Estados Unidos.
A los exiliados se les ofreció residencia temporal en Estados Unidos bajo un programa de libertad condicional humanitaria (conocido como parole humanitario) de la administración Biden.
Este permiso humanitario de dos años de García-Ramírez expiró en febrero, apenas unas semanas después que el presidente Donald Trump emitiera una orden ejecutiva para poner fin al programa que había permitido la residencia legal temporal en Estados Unidos a cientos de miles de cubanos, haitianos, nicaragüenses y venezolanos. Esto lo que lo ponía en riesgo de deportación.
A García-Ramírez se le retiró la ciudadanía nicaragüense al llegar a Estados Unidos. Hace poco más de un año, solicitó asilo político. Sigue esperando una entrevista.
“No puedo decir con seguridad que estoy tranquilo o que estoy bien en este momento”, dijo García-Ramírez. “Uno se siente inseguro, pero también incapaz de hacer algo para mejorar la situación”.
Vail y Breckenridge son mundialmente famosos por sus pistas de esquí, que atraen a millones de personas cada año. Pero la vida para la fuerza laboral del sector turístico que atiende a los centros turísticos de montaña de Colorado es menos glamorosa.
Los residentes de los pueblos montañosos de Colorado experimentan altas tasas de suicidio y adicciones, impulsadas en parte por las fluctuaciones estacionales de los ingresos, que pueden causar estrés a muchos trabajadores locales.
Las comunidades latinas, que constituyen una proporción significativa de la población residente permanente en estos pueblos de montaña, son particularmente vulnerables.
Una encuesta reciente reveló que más de 4 de cada 5 latinos encuestados en la región de la Ladera Occidental, donde se encuentran muchas de las comunidades rurales de estaciones de esquí del estado, expresaron una preocupación “extrema o muy grave” por el consumo de sustancias.
Esta cifra es significativamente mayor que en el condado rural de Morgan, en el este de Colorado, que también cuenta con una considerable población latina, y en Denver y Colorado Springs.
A nivel estatal, la preocupación por la salud mental ha resurgido entre los latinos en los últimos años, pasando de menos de la mitad que la consideraba un problema extremada o muy grave en 2020 a más de tres cuartas partes en 2023.
Tanto profesionales de salud como investigadores y miembros de la comunidad afirman que factores como las diferencias lingüísticas, el estigma cultural y las barreras socioeconómicas pueden exacerbar los problemas de salud mental y limitar el acceso a la atención médica.
“No recibes atención médica regular. Trabajas muchas horas, lo que probablemente significa que no puedes cuidar de tu propia salud”, dijo Asad L. Asad, profesor adjunto de sociología de la Universidad de Stanford. “Todos estos factores agravan el estrés que todos podríamos experimentar en la vida diaria”.
Si a esto le sumamos los altísimos costos de vida y la escasez de centros de salud mental en los destinos turísticos rurales de Colorado, el problema se agrava.
Ahora, las amenazas de la administración Trump de redadas migratorias y la inminente deportación de cualquier persona sin residencia legal en el país han disparado los niveles de estrés.
Según estiman defensores, en las comunidades cercanas a Vail, la gran mayoría de los residentes latinos no tienen papeles. Las comunidades cercanas a Vail y Breckenridge no han sufrido redadas migratorias, pero en el vecino condado de Routt, donde se encuentra Steamboat Springs, al menos tres personas con antecedentes penales han sido detenidas por el ICE, según informes de prensa.
Las publicaciones en redes sociales que afirman falsamente haber visto a oficiales del ICE merodeando cerca de sus hogares han alimentado aún más la preocupación.
Yirka Díaz Platt, trabajadora social bilingüe de Silverthorne, originaria de Perú, afirmó que el temor generalizado a la deportación ha llevado a muchos trabajadores y residentes latinos a refugiarse en las sombras.
Según trabajadores de salud y defensores locales, las personas han comenzado a cancelar reuniones presenciales y a evitar solicitar servicios gubernamentales que requieren el envío de datos personales. A principios de febrero, algunos residentes locales no se presentaron a trabajar como parte de una huelga nacional convocada por el “día sin inmigrantes”. Los empleadores se preguntan si perderán empleados valiosos por las deportaciones.
Algunos inmigrantes han dejado de conducir por temor a ser detenidos por la policía. Paige Baker-Braxton, directora de salud conductual ambulatoria del sistema de salud de Vail, comentó que ha observado una disminución en las visitas de pacientes hispanohablantes en los últimos meses.
“Intentan mantenerse en casa. No socializan mucho. Si vas al supermercado, ya no ves a mucha gente de nuestra comunidad”, dijo Platt. “Existe ese miedo de: ‘No, ahora mismo no confío en nadie'”.
Juana Amaya no es ajena a la resistencia para sobrevivir. Amaya emigró a la zona de Vail desde Honduras en 1983 como madre soltera de un niño de 3 años y otro de 6 meses. Lleva más de 40 años trabajando como limpiadora de casas en condominios y residencias de lujo en los alrededores de Vail, a veces trabajando hasta 16 horas al día. Con apenas tiempo para terminar el trabajo y cuidar de una familia en casa, comentó, a menudo les cuesta a los latinos de su comunidad admitir que el estrés ya es demasiado.
“No nos gusta hablar de cómo nos sentimos”, dijo, “así que no nos damos cuenta de que estamos lidiando con un problema de salud mental”.
El clima político actual solo ha empeorado las cosas.
“Ha tenido un gran impacto”, dijo. “Hay personas que tienen niños pequeños y se preguntan qué harán si están en la escuela y se los llevan a algún lugar, pero los niños se quedan. ¿Qué hacen?”.
Asad ha estudiado el impacto de la retórica de la deportación en la salud mental de las comunidades latinas. Fue coautor de un estudio, publicado el año pasado en la revista Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, que concluyó que el aumento de esta retórica puede causar mayores niveles de angustia psicológica en los no ciudadanos latinos e incluso en los ciudadanos latinos.
Asad descubrió que ambos grupos pueden experimentar mayores niveles de estrés, y las investigaciones han confirmado las consecuencias negativas de la falta de documentación de los padres en la salud y el rendimiento educativo de sus hijos.
“Las desigualdades o las dificultades que imponemos hoy a sus padres son las dificultades o desigualdades que sus hijos heredarán mañana”, afirmó Asad.
A pesar de los altos niveles de miedo y ansiedad, los latinos que viven y trabajan cerca de Vail aún encuentran maneras de apoyarse mutuamente y buscar ayuda.
Grupos de apoyo en el condado de Summit, donde se encuentra Breckenridge y a menos de una hora en coche de Vail, han ofrecido talleres de salud mental para nuevos inmigrantes y mujeres latinas. Building Hope, en el condado de Summit y Olivia’s Fund en el condado de Eagle, donde se encuentra Vail, ayudan a quienes no tienen seguro médico a pagar un número determinado de sesiones de terapia.
Vail Health planea abrir un centro psiquiátrico regional para pacientes hospitalizados en mayo, y la Alianza de Recursos Interculturales Móviles ofrece servicios integrales, incluyendo recursos de salud conductual, directamente a las comunidades cercanas a Vail.
De vuelta en Silverthorne, García-Ramírez, el exiliado nicaragüense, vive el día a día.
“Si me deportan de aquí, iría directamente a Nicaragua”, dijo García-Ramírez, quien contó haber recibido una amenaza de muerte verbal de las autoridades de su país natal. “Sinceramente, no creo que aguante ni un día”.
Mientras tanto, continúa su rutinario viaje a casa desde su trabajo de cajero, a veces sorteando nieve resbaladiza y calles oscuras después de las 9 pm. Cuando surgen pensamientos de pesadilla sobre su propio destino en Estados Unidos, García-Ramírez se concentra en el suelo bajo sus pies.
“Llueva, truene o nieve”, dijo, “yo camino”.
Este artículo se publicó con el apoyo de Journalism & Women Symposium (JAWS) Health Journalism Fellowship, asistida por subvenciones de The Commonwealth Fund.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
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1 month 4 weeks ago
Mental Health, Noticias En Español, Race and Health, States, Colorado, Immigrants, Latinos, Trump Administration
Deportation Fears Add to Mental Health Problems Confronting Colorado Resort Town Workers
SILVERTHORNE, Colo. — When Adolfo Román García-Ramírez walks home in the evening from his shift at a grocery store in this central Colorado mountain town, sometimes he thinks back on his childhood in Nicaragua.
Adults, he recollects, would scare the kids with tales of the “Mona Bruja,” or “Monkey Witch.” Step too far into the dark, they told him, and you might just get snatched up by the giant monstrous monkey who lives in the shadows.
Now, when García-Ramírez looks over his shoulder, it’s not monster monkeys he is afraid of. It’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.
“There’s this constant fear that you’ll be walking down the street and a vehicle rolls up,” García-Ramírez, 57, said in Spanish. “They tell you, ‘We’re from ICE; you’re arrested,’ or, ‘Show me your papers.’”
Silverthorne, a commuter town between the ski meccas of Breckenridge and Vail, has been García-Ramírez’s home for the past two years. He works as a cashier at the grocery and shares a two-bedroom apartment with four roommates.
The town of nearly 5,000 has proved a welcome haven for the political exile, who was released from prison in 2023 after Nicaragua’s authoritarian government brokered a deal with the U.S. government to transfer more than 200 political prisoners to the U.S. The exiles were offered temporary residency in the U.S. under a Biden administration humanitarian parole program.
García-Ramírez’s two-year humanitarian parole expired in February, just a few weeks after President Donald Trump issued an executive order to end the program that had permitted temporary legal residency in the U.S. for hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, putting him at risk of deportation. García-Ramírez was stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship when he came to the U.S. Just over a year ago, he applied for political asylum. He is still waiting for an interview.
“I can’t safely say I’m calm, or I’m OK, right now,” García-Ramírez said. “You feel unsafe, but you also feel incapable of doing anything to make it better.”
Vail and Breckenridge are world famous for their ski slopes, which attract millions of people a year. But life for the tourism labor force that serves Colorado’s mountain resorts is less glamorous. Residents of Colorado’s mountain towns experience high rates of suicide and substance use disorders, fueled in part by seasonal fluctuations in income that can cause stress for many in the local workforce.
The Latino communities who make up significant proportions of year-round populations in Colorado’s mountain towns are particularly vulnerable. A recent poll found more than 4 in 5 Latino respondents in the Western Slope region, home to many of the state’s rural ski resort communities, expressed “extremely or very serious” concern about substance use. That’s significantly higher than in rural eastern Colorado’s Morgan County, which also has a sizable Latino population, and in Denver and Colorado Springs.
Statewide, concerns about mental health have surged among Latinos in recent years, rising from fewer than half calling it an extremely or very serious problem in 2020 to more than three-quarters in 2023. Health care workers, researchers, and community members all say factors such as language differences, cultural stigma, and socioeconomic barriers may exacerbate mental health issues and limit the ability to access care.
“You’re not getting regular medical care. You’re working long hours, which probably means that you can’t take care of your own health,” said Asad Asad, a Stanford University assistant professor of sociology. “All of these factors compound the stresses that we all might experience in daily life.”
Add sky-high costs of living and an inadequate supply of mental health facilities across Colorado’s rural tourist destinations, and the problem becomes acute.
Now, the Trump administration’s threats of immigration raids and imminent deportation of anyone without legal U.S. residency have caused stress levels to soar. In communities around Vail, advocates estimate, a vast majority of Latino residents do not have legal status. Communities near Vail and Breckenridge have not experienced immigration raids, but in neighboring Routt County, home to Steamboat Springs, at least three people with criminal records have been detained by ICE, according to news reports. Social media posts falsely claiming local ICE sightings have further fueled concerns.
Yirka Díaz Platt, a bilingual social worker in Silverthorne originally from Peru, said a pervasive fear of deportation has caused many Latino workers and residents to retreat into the shadows. People have begun to cancel in-person meetings and avoid applying for government services that require submitting personal data, according to local health workers and advocates. In early February, some locals didn’t show up to work as part of a nationwide “day without immigrants” strike. Employers wonder whether they will lose valuable employees to deportation.
Some immigrants have stopped driving out of fear they will be pulled over by police. Paige Baker-Braxton, director of outpatient behavioral health at the Vail Health system, said she has seen a decline in visits from Spanish-speaking patients over the last few months.
“They’re really trying to keep to themselves. They are not really socializing much. If you go to the grocery stores, you don’t see much of our community out there anymore,” Platt said. “There’s that fear of, ‘No, I’m not trusting anyone right now.’”
Juana Amaya is no stranger to digging in her heels to survive. Amaya immigrated to the Vail area from Honduras in 1983 as a single mother of a 3-year-old and a 6-month-old. She has spent more than 40 years working as a house cleaner in luxury condos and homes around Vail, sometimes working up to 16 hours a day. With barely enough time to finish work and care for a family at home, she said, it is often hard for Latinos in her community to admit when the stress has become too much.
“We don’t like to talk about how we’re feeling,” she said in Spanish, “so we don’t realize that we’re dealing with a mental health problem.”
The current political climate has only made things worse.
“It’s had a big impact,” she said. “There are people who have small children and wonder what they’ll do if they’re in school and they are taken away somewhere, but the children stay. What do you do?”
Asad has studied the mental health impacts of deportation rhetoric on Latino communities. He co-authored a study, published last year in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, that found escalated deportation rhetoric may cause heightened levels of psychological distress in Latino noncitizens and even in Latino citizens.
Asad found that both groups may experience increased stress levels, and research has borne out the negative consequences of a parent’s lack of documentation on the health and educational attainment of their children.
“The inequalities or the hardships we impose on their parents today are the hardships or inequalities their children inherit tomorrow,” Asad said.
Despite heightened levels of fear and anxiety, Latinos living and working near Vail still find ways to support one another and seek help. Support groups in Summit County, home to Breckenridge and less than an hour’s drive from Vail, have offered mental health workshops for new immigrants and Latina women. Building Hope Summit County and Olivia’s Fund in Eagle County, home to Vail, help those without insurance pay for a set number of therapy sessions.
Vail Health plans to open a regional inpatient psychiatric facility in May, and the Mobile Intercultural Resource Alliance provides wraparound services, including behavioral health resources, directly to communities near Vail.
Back in Silverthorne, García-Ramírez, the Nicaraguan exile, takes things one day at a time.
“If they deport me from here, I’d go directly to Nicaragua,” said García-Ramírez, who said he had received a verbal death threat from authorities in his native country. “Honestly, I don’t think I would last even a day.”
In the meantime, he continues to make the routine trek home from his cashier job, sometimes navigating slick snow and dark streets past 9 p.m. When nightmarish thoughts about his own fate in America surface, García-Ramírez focuses on the ground beneath his feet.
“Come rain, shine, or snow,” he said, “I walk.”
This article was published with the support of the Journalism & Women Symposium (JAWS) Health Journalism Fellowship, assisted by grants from The Commonwealth Fund.
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
USE OUR CONTENT
This story can be republished for free (details).
1 month 4 weeks ago
Mental Health, Race and Health, States, Colorado, Immigrants, Trump Administration
Medical News, Health News Latest, Medical News Today - Medical Dialogues |
Private Institutes must desist from giving irregular admissions- warns HC, Slaps Rs 7.5 lakh fine per student
Jodhpur: Warning private institutes against granting irregular admissions to students, the Rajasthan High Court recently imposed a cost of Rs 7.5 lakhs per student on three dental colleges- Vyas Dental College, Eklavya Dental College, and Maharaja Ganga Singh Dental College.
Jodhpur: Warning private institutes against granting irregular admissions to students, the Rajasthan High Court recently imposed a cost of Rs 7.5 lakhs per student on three dental colleges- Vyas Dental College, Eklavya Dental College, and Maharaja Ganga Singh Dental College.
However, adopting the principle of equity, the HC bench regularized the admission of the medical students who had been admitted irregularly by these institutes in 2018-2019 and 2019-2020, subject to the condition that the students would pay Rs 1 lakh each.
"It is high time when the Court should warn the private colleges to desist from giving irregular admissions. The order instant has been passed being guided by the equity in light of peculiar facts and considering that the contentious admissions were given 5-6 years back," the HC bench comprising Justice Dinesh Mehta noted.
Asking the Dental Council of India (DCI) and RUHS to take stern action for such irregular admission in future, the Court further noted, "However, in future if any such irregular admission is given by the colleges involved in the present writ petitions or by any other college, the DCI and RUHS shall take stern action. They should not consider end of their duties by imposition of fine - they should withdraw or revoke the recognition granted to such colleges in accordance with law, obviously after following principles of natural justice."
These observations were made by the Court while considering a bunch of pleas filed by dental students who sought regularization of their admissions. There were mainly two sets of disputes.
Also Read: SC junks Singhania University's plea seeking recusal of Judge in MBBS Recognition case
In the first set of disputes, three petitioners had taken admission to Vyas Dental College. However, their names were not uploaded on the official website of the Dental Council of India (DCI) by the college. Subsequently, DCI asked the college to discharge the petitioners. However, despite such a communication, the petitioners were not informed about this.
The counsel for the petitioners argued that for such inadvertence on the part of the college, the petitioners could not be blamed, nor could their admissions be cancelled, especially when their qualification and eligibility was not in dispute.
Another set of disputes revolved around the other petitioners who did not get themselves registered with the Counselling Board and the colleges had granted them admission without such registration.
The petitioners had argued that possibly because of adolescence or lack of legal acumen the petitioners were admitted without following the procedure, being oblivious of the consequences. It was further submitted that there was no malafide intention on the part of the petitioners since their eligibility was not in doubt.
On the other hand, Rajasthan University of Health Sciences (RUHS) and DCI argued that the colleges had given incessant admissions to the students, violating the law and norms set by DCI. It was argued that even if the Court took a lenient view towards the students, the colleges should be penalised for the irregularities.
After taking note of the submissions, the HC bench opined that the request of the petitioners to regularize their admission required sympathetic consideration on the principle of equity.
Accordingly, the Court observed, "The petitioners are young people of 20-22 years of age and are yet to begin their life. If at this stage, the order passed by the DCI of discharging their admissions is allowed to be given effect to, the result would be irreconcilable – these young students will be back to square one. Not only 5-6 years of their prime youth would go in vain, but also their fee and money would be shredded into the drains. By now, they must have become age barred to get admissions in any other courses. Their 5 years of education and experience which they have obtained will be rendered nugatory."
"Such being the position, this Court feels that if their admissions are regularized, subject to payment of a token fine of Rs.1 lac each student for the lack of diligence they have exhibited, it would meet the ends of justice. Their example may operate as a scarecrow for the future students to remain cautious and careful, while getting admissions and thus, their career are not left in lurch," it opined.
"These writ petitions are, therefore, allowed in the manner that though on merit, the order dated 03.12.2019 qua each of the student is affirmed, but on equity and subject to payment of Rs.1 lac by each students, their admissions stand regularized...Each of the students shall furnish a demand draft of Rs.1 lac drawn in the name of Registrar, Rajasthan University of Health Sciences within a period of one month from today.... On receiving of the demand draft and a webcopy of the order instant, the respondent – RUHS shall issue them mark-sheets/degrees," ordered the Court.
"Needless to observe that after the degrees have been issued by the RUHS, the competent authority shall register the petitioners in accordance with law," it added.
However, addressing the colleges, the Court observed,
"It ought to have been more vigilant and law-abiding while giving admissions, particularly to those students who were not registered with the respective Counseling Board."
Adding that the colleges must be penalized, the Court added,
"Be that as it may. If this Court accedes to the request of the students, it cannot let the erring colleges go scot-free. They have to be penalized for the unlawful gain they have derived by defrauding the students and giving them admissions."
Referring to a Supreme Court order in the case of Rajendra Prasad Mathur Vs. Karnataka University & Ors., that dealt with a similar case of irregular admissions by the colleges and reached similar decision, the HC bench observed,
"Though in the above referred judgment, Hon’ble the Supreme Court has not imposed fine, but having regard to the fact that the respondent – college has given irregular admissions year after year, this Court is of the view that imposition of fine is necessary."
"So far as respondent – colleges, namely, Vyas Dental College; Eklavya Dental College and Maharaja Ganga Singh Dental College are concerned, they shall pay a fine of Rs.7 lac 50 thousand per student on or before 31.07.2025 to the Registrar, RUHS. In case, the respondent – college fails to deposit said amount of Rs. 7 lac 50 thousand per student by 31.07.2025 (subject of course to their right of appeal etc.), the Counseling Board shall not reflect name of such colleges in the list of eligible colleges," ordered the Court.
"The Registrar, RUHS shall keep the amount in separate account as and when deposited and shall ultimately transmit the same to the Principal and Controller, Government Dental College, Jodhpur, who shall utilize the same for purchase of dental chairs and some other equipments or for meeting out any capital expenditure (not of revenue nature). The amount aforesaid shall be utilized on or before 31.03.2026 and utilization certificate shall be sent to the Registrar, RUHS so also to the DCI," it specified.
However, in respect to three students, who were granted admission as Other Backward Class (OBC) category students even though they had appeared in the National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) examination as unreserved category students, the Court observed, "Their qualification as OBC candidates is not in doubt. This Court is conscious of this fact and the law that the change of category is impermissible and in normal circumstances, a candidate having appeared as a general category candidate cannot claim admission as an OBC candidate, but since the petitioners were given admissions in the year 2018-2019 and pursuant to the interim order they have not only pursued their course but have also cleared the examination, this Court is of the view that they are also entitled for equitable considerations, however, on payment of slightly higher fine."
"Each of these petitioners (Preya Sharma, Summera Reyaz and Supriya Jaswal) shall pay a fine of Rs. 2 Lac each in the same terms as has been observed in S.B. Civil Writ Petition No.1988/2021 and on payment of fine of Rs.2 lacs by these petitioners, their admission shall be treated regular," it ordered.
To view the HC order, click on the link below:
https://medicaldialogues.in/pdf_upload/rajamesthan-hc-dental-283035.pdf
1 month 4 weeks ago
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Case of a 17-Year-Old with Popcorn Lung Reveals Hidden Dangers of Vaping
A 17-year-old girl from Nevada has been diagnosed with a rare and irreversible lung disease known as popcorn lung, after secretly vaping for three years to cope with anxiety during the COVID-19 lockdown.Brianne, who began
A 17-year-old girl from Nevada has been diagnosed with a rare and irreversible lung disease known as popcorn lung, after secretly vaping for three years to cope with anxiety during the COVID-19 lockdown.Brianne, who began using disposable vapes at the age of 14, was hospitalized after she suddenly struggled to breathe and suffered panic attacks. Her mother, Christie Martin, rushed her to the emergency room—only to receive a shocking diagnosis: bronchiolitis obliterans, commonly known as popcorn lung.“She called me and said she couldn’t catch her breath,” said Christie. “It was terrifying. I never imagined it would be something this serious—or permanent.”What is Popcorn Lung?Popcorn lung is a serious and irreversible condition that leads to inflammation and scarring of the lung’s smallest airways, known as bronchioles. This damage restricts airflow and makes breathing increasingly difficult.The disease earned its nickname after cases emerged among workers in a microwave popcorn factory who were exposed to diacetyl, a buttery-flavored chemical used in popcorn flavoring. Diacetyl has since been detected in many vaping products, along with other harmful substances like ammonia, chlorine, formaldehyde, and metal fumes—all of which can contribute to lung damage.Symptoms and Long-Term ImpactThough rare, bronchiolitis obliterans can develop without obvious symptoms early on. When present, symptoms often include:• Chronic coughing• Shortness of breath, especially after physical activity• Wheezing• Fatigue• Fever or night sweats• Skin rashesDoctors warn the condition is not reversible, but early detection can help manage symptoms. In Brianne’s case, her diagnosis came early enough that doctors are optimistic about her recovery—but caution that long-term effects, including cancer, could still arise.“They told me it’s permanent,” Christie said. “She may recover, but the damage is done. It’s something she’ll have to live with for the rest of her life.”Treatment options focus on symptom relief and preventing further lung damage. These may include: Corticosteroids to reduce inflammation, Inhalers (e.g., albuterol) to aid breathing, Oxygen therapy, In severe cases, lung transplantationPatients are also advised to avoid air pollution, cigarette smoke, and exposure to infections.Christie is now speaking out, urging parents to pay close attention to their children’s mental health and habits. “We had no idea she was vaping—it was her way of coping with anxiety. Now she has a lifelong condition because of it.” She continued, “If this can happen to my daughter, it can happen to anyone’s. Parents need to ask questions, talk to their kids, and know what’s really going on.”
1 month 4 weeks ago
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Rotaract Club of Grenada hosts free health fair for World Health Day
In celebration of World Health Day, the Rotaract Club of Grenada successfully hosted its first Health Fair on Saturday, 12 April 2025, at ARIZA Car Park to improve access to vital health services across the community
View the full post Rotaract Club of Grenada hosts free health fair for World Health Day on NOW Grenada.
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PAHO/WHO | Pan American Health Organization
New PAHO program boosts digital literacy for health care workers
New PAHO program boosts digital literacy for health care workers
Cristina Mitchell
14 Apr 2025
New PAHO program boosts digital literacy for health care workers
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2 New Measles Cases Reported in Erie County; Vaccine Clinic Scheduled - Erie News Now
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Limited health care access during disasters may hinder timely colorectal cancer diagnoses
Rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses dropped during and shortly after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, according to a recent analysis.
Rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnoses dropped during and shortly after Hurricanes Irma and Maria and the COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico, according to a recent analysis.
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Woman with Alzheimer's begins 3,000-mile walk to raise awareness
Thirteen years after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, a California woman is more vibrant than ever — and she has just embarked on a walk across America to showcase the power of action in healthy aging.
Thirteen years after her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, a California woman is more vibrant than ever — and she has just embarked on a walk across America to showcase the power of action in healthy aging.
Judy Benjamin, PhD, now 80 years old, set off on Saturday, April 5, on a 3,000-mile journey across the country.
Over five months, she will walk from San Diego, California, to St. Augustine, Florida.
STROKE, DEMENTIA AND DEPRESSION SHARE THESE 17 PREVENTABLE RISK FACTORS
"People wonder why would I put myself through this," Benjamin said during an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital the evening before her walk began. "I really want to share with others not to be discouraged." (See the video at the top of this piece.)
"Life is here to enjoy, and age is a number, but you don't have to be identified and characterized by that number."
Benjamin was 67 when she first learned of her early-onset Alzheimer’s disease.
It wasn’t a surprise, as she comes from a long line of relatives who were affected by that form of dementia. Her mother, one of 13 children, was 63 when she was diagnosed, and nine of her uncles also got it.
"So obviously it was very scary for me," Benjamin said during an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital the evening before her walk began.
NEW BLOOD TEST DIAGNOSES ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND MEASURES HOW FAR IT'S PROGRESSED
After her mother passed away, Benjamin — who had a high-pressure job at the time — started getting symptoms.
"I was working overseas and started to get really worried because I couldn't remember things — even my own phone number or locker combination," she recalled. "I got lost driving, when I'm always really good about direction."
Benjamin also started to struggle to remember her grandchildren’s names, and even had trouble reading a newspaper article.
"I knew that it was going downhill really quickly, and I was extremely depressed and distressed about that," she recalled.
Brain scans showed that Benjamin had a lot of amyloid plaque, as well as some damage to the right and left parietal areas of her brain.
"I started to get really panicked," she said.
A close friend recommended a doctor in California, Dr. Dale Bredesen, who was doing some innovative research on treating Alzheimer's.
"He explained his theory that Alzheimer's is not caused by one thing — it’s a number of different assaults on the brain, which causes it to become inflamed," she said. "And he said it was different for everybody. Some people are more affected by some things than others."
ALCOHOL LINKED TO BRAIN DAMAGE FOR HEAVY DRINKERS, STUDY FINDS
Bredesen worked with Benjamin to help her reduce the inflammation through a number of steps.
"So I wrote down what he recommended, and I flew back home and I started implementing it to the letter — I changed my whole lifestyle," she shared.
Some of those lifestyle changes involved optimizing her sleep, ensuring healthy indoor air, incorporating meditation to reduce stress and starting an exercise routine.
"I also totally changed my diet," Benjamin shared. "I stopped drinking diet soda, stopped eating sugar, and started eating more whole foods and natural foods — like vegetables and fruit."
"It’s super important to follow all of the instructions to do what you need to do, and not be casual about it."
Gradually, she said, things started to change.
ALZHEIMER’S-RELATED DEMENTIA COULD BE PREVENTED BY EXPERIMENTAL DRUG, RESEARCHERS SAY
"It wasn’t overnight; it’s not a magic bullet," she said. "But I realized one day that I could remember my grandchildren's names again."
After seeing firsthand the positive effects of her new lifestyle, Benjamin felt compelled to help others. She ultimately became a national board-certified health and wellness coach, specializing in brain health and neurology.
Benjamin said she has been doing longer walks to prepare for her 3,000-mile walk.
"I think there's really no way to train for a 3,000-mile walk, except walk as much as you can," she said. "I think walking is the most natural thing that a human being can do. I mean, we were born to walk."
"I just have to be careful to keep hydrated."
HIGHER DEMENTIA RISK SEEN IN WOMEN WITH COMMON HEALTH ISSUE
Benjamin will be joined on her cross-country walk by a "great support team" as well as a film crew who will gather footage for an upcoming documentary.
"I do have an RV with a very comfortable bed, shower and cooking facilities," she said. "Whenever possible, if there's a nice hotel or motel, we'll stop, but in the long, remote stretches, we'll be sleeping in the RV."
She is also supported by several wellness sponsors, including Apollo Health and CareScout, a provider of long-term care and aging solutions.
The goal is to shoot for 20 miles per day, depending on the weather and terrain.
"I will plan on stopping one day a week to rest my body, maybe take a sauna or just kick back," she said.
"It's pretty much me as an individual, but I am encouraging people to come and join me and walk with me."
Today, at 80, Benjamin said she feels younger than she did before her Alzheimer’s diagnosis.
"I'm very energetic and healthy — I have great flexibility and I do have confidence that I will continue to be healthy," she told Fox News Digital.
That said, she added, life is "kind of like a crapshoot."
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"Anything can happen — I'm very aware of that, but all my numbers are great. My blood work, my bone studies, everything is in such good shape that I'm not really worried. I don't spend much time on the negative."
Benjamin hopes that her walk will serve as motivation for others to embrace healthier, more active lifestyles for better brain function.
"When I received my diagnosis, I had a choice — I could let it define me, or I could take action," she said.
"I want people to see that, no matter your age or circumstances, there are steps you can take to live a healthier, more vibrant life. This walk is about proving that possibility."
For more Health articles, visit www.foxnews.com/health
People can follow Benjamin’s journey at Judywalks.com, @judywalksamerica on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and YouTube; and on CareScout’s Facebook or LinkedIn pages.
1 month 4 weeks ago
Health, healthy-living, alzheimers, brain-health, lifestyle, Fitness, fitness-and-wellbeing, nutrition-and-fitness
Families of Transgender Youth No Longer View Colorado as a Haven for Gender-Affirming Care
In recent years, states across the Mountain West have passed laws that limit doctors from providing transgender children with certain kinds of gender-affirming care, from prohibitions on surgery to bans on puberty blockers and hormones.
Colorado families say their state was a haven for those health services for a long time, but following executive orders from the Trump administration, even hospitals in Colorado limited the care they offer for trans patients under age 19. KFF Health News Colorado correspondent Rae Ellen Bichell spoke with youth and their families.
GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. — On a Friday after school, 6-year-old Esa Rodrigues had unraveled a ball of yarn, spooked the pet cat, polled family members about their favorite colors, and tattled on a sibling for calling her a “butt-face mole rat.”
Next, she was laser-focused on prying open cherry-crisp-flavored lip gloss with her teeth.
“Yes!” she cried, twisting open the cap. Esa applied the gloopy, shimmery stuff in her bedroom, where a large transgender pride flag hung on the wall.
Esa said the flag makes her feel “important” and “happy.” She’d like to take it down from the wall and wear it as a cape.
Her parents questioned her identity at first, but not anymore. Before, their anxious child dreaded going to school, bawled at the barbershop when she got a boy’s haircut, and curled into a fetal position on the bathroom floor when she learned she would never get a period.
Now, that child is happily bounding up a hill, humming to herself, wondering aloud if fairies live in the little ceramic house she found perched on a stone.
Her mom, Brittni Packard Rodrigues, wants this joy and acceptance to stay. Depending on a combination of Esa’s desire, her doctors’ recommendations, and when puberty sets in, that might require puberty blockers, followed by estrogen, so that Esa can grow into the body that matches her being.
“In the long run, blockers help prevent all of those surgeries and procedures that could potentially become her reality if we don’t get that care,” Packard Rodrigues said.
The medications known as puberty blockers are widely used for conditions that include prostate cancer, endometriosis, infertility, and puberty that sets in too early. Now, the Trump administration is seeking to limit their use specifically for transgender youth.
Esa’s home state of Colorado has long been known as a haven for gender-affirming care, which the state considers legally protected and an essential health insurance benefit. Medical exiles have moved to Colorado for such treatment in the past few years. As early as the 1970s, the town of Trinidad became known as “the sex-change capital of the world” when a cowboy-hat-wearing former Army surgeon, Stanley Biber, made his mark performing gender-affirming surgeries for adults.
On his first day in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order refuting the existence of transgender people by saying it is a “false claim that males can identify as and thus become women and vice versa.” The following week, he issued another order calling puberty blockers and hormones for anyone under age 19 a form of chemical “mutilation” and “a stain on our Nation’s history.” It directed agencies to take steps to ensure that recipients of federal research or education grants stop providing it.
Subsequently, health care organizations in Colorado; California; Washington, D.C.; and elsewhere announced they would preemptively comply. In Colorado, that included three major health care organizations: Children’s Hospital Colorado, Denver Health, and UCHealth. At the end of January and in early February, the three systems announced changes to the gender-affirming care they provide to patients under 19, effective immediately: no new hormone or puberty blocker prescriptions for patients who hadn’t had them before, limited or no prescription renewals for those who had, and no surgeries, though Children’s Hospital had never offered it, and such surgery is rare among teens: For every 100,000 trans minors, fewer than three undergo surgery.
Children’s Hospital and Denver Health resumed offering puberty blockers and hormones on Feb. 24 and Feb. 19, respectively, after Colorado joined a U.S. District Court lawsuit in Washington state. The court concluded that Trump’s orders relating to gender “discriminate on the basis of transgender status and sex.” It granted a preliminary injunction blocking them from taking effect in the four states involved in the lawsuit.
Surgeries, however, have not resumed. Denver Health said it will “continue its pause on gender-affirming surgeries for patients under 19 due to patient safety and given the uncertainty of the legal and regulatory landscape.”
UCHealth has resumed neither medication nor surgery for those under 19. “Our providers are awaiting a more permanent decision from federal courts that may resolve the uncertainty around providing this care,” spokesperson Kelli Christensen wrote.
Trans youth and their families said the court ruling and the two Colorado health systems’ decisions to resume treatments haven’t resolved matters. It has bought them time to stockpile prescriptions, to try to find private practice physicians with the right training to monitor blood work and adjust prescriptions accordingly, and, for some, to work out the logistics of moving to another state or country.
The Trump administration has continued to press health providers beyond the initial executive orders by threatening to withhold or cancel federal money awarded to them. In early March, the Health Resources and Services Administration said it would review funding for graduate medical education at children’s hospitals.
KFF Health News requested comment from White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai but did not receive a response. HHS deputy press secretary Emily Hilliard responded with links to two prior press releases.
Medical interventions are just one type of gender-affirming care, and the process to get treatment is long and thorough. Researchers have found that, even among those with private insurance, transgender youth aren’t likely to receive puberty blockers and hormones. Interestingly, most gender-affirming breast reduction surgeries performed on men and boys are done on cisgender — not transgender — patients.
Kai, 14, wishes he could have gone on puberty blockers. He lives in Centennial, a Denver suburb. KFF Health News is not using his full name because his family is worried about him being harassed or targeted.
Kai got his period when he was 8 years old. By the time he realized he was transgender, in middle school, it was too late to start puberty blockers.
His doctors prescribed birth control to suppress his periods, so he wouldn’t be reminded each month of his gender dysphoria. Then, once he turned 14, he started taking testosterone.
Kai said if he didn’t have hormone therapy now, he would be a danger to himself.
“Being able to say that I’m happy in my body, and I get to be happy out in public without thinking everyone’s staring at me, looking at me weird, is such a huge difference,” he said.
His mom, Sherry, said she is happy to see Kai relax into the person he is.
Sherry, who asked to use her middle name to prevent her family from being identified, said she started stockpiling testosterone the moment Trump got elected but hadn’t thought about what impact there would be on the availability of birth control. Yet after the executive orders, that prescription, too, became tenuous. Sherry said Kai’s doctor at UCHealth had to set up a special meeting to confirm the doctor could keep prescribing it.
So, for now, Kai has what he needs. But to Sherry, that is cold comfort.
“I don’t think that we are very safe,” she said. “These are just extensions.”
The family is coming up with a plan to leave the country. If Sherry and her husband can get jobs in New Zealand, they’ll move there. Sherry said such mobility is a privilege that many others don’t have.
For example, David, an 18-year-old student at Western Colorado University in the Rocky Mountain town of Gunnison. He asked to be identified only by his middle name because he worries he could be targeted in this conservative, rural town.
David doesn’t have a passport, but even if he did, he doesn’t want to leave Gunnison, he said. He is studying geology, is learning to play the bass, and has a good group of friends. He has plans to become a paleontologist.
His dorm room shelves are scattered with his essentials: fossils, Old Spice deodorant, microwave macaroni and cheese. But there are no mirrors. David said he got in the habit of avoiding them.
“For the longest time, I just had so much body dysphoria and dysmorphia that it can be kind of hard to look in the mirror,” David said. “But when I do, most of the time, I see something that I really like.”
He’s been taking testosterone for three years, and the hormone helped him grow a beard. In January, his doctor at Denver Health was told to stop prescribing it. His mom drove hours from her home to Gunnison to deliver the news in person.
That prescription is back on track now, but the mastectomy he’d planned for this summer isn’t. He’d hoped to have adequate recovery time before sophomore year. But he doesn’t know anyone in Colorado who would perform it until he is 19. He could easily get surgery to enhance his breasts, but he must seek surgical options in other states to reduce or remove them.
“Colorado as a state was supposed to be a safe haven,” said his mother, Louise, who asked to be identified by her middle name. “We have a law that makes it a right for trans people to have health care, and yet our health care systems are taking that away.”
It has taken eight years and about 10 medical providers and therapists to get David this close to the finish line. That’s a big deal after living through so many years of dysphoria and dysmorphia.
“I’m still going, and I’m going to keep going, and there’s almost nothing they can do to stop me — because this is who I am,” David said. “There have always been trans people, and there always will be trans people.”
KFF Health News is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF—an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF.
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Diseases under surveillance show a decreasing trend
In its bulletin corresponding to Epidemiological Week Number 13, the Directorate of Epidemiology (DIEPI) shows that most diseases under special surveillance maintain a downward trend.
Among these health events are leptospirosis, cholera, COVID-19, human rabies, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, such as meningococcal disease, diphtheria, and polio.
In its bulletin corresponding to Epidemiological Week Number 13, the Directorate of Epidemiology (DIEPI) shows that most diseases under special surveillance maintain a downward trend.
Among these health events are leptospirosis, cholera, COVID-19, human rabies, and other vaccine-preventable diseases, such as meningococcal disease, diphtheria, and polio.
Likewise, this week, the number of dengue cases continued to be low, with six cases reported. Children between one and four years of age were the most affected. Up to the 13th epidemiological week, there were 58 cases of the disease.
Nine confirmed cases of malaria remain in the already identified hotspots (San Juan, Azua, and Santo Domingo). This year, there have been 135 cases, and the accumulated incidence stands at 5.02 per 100,000 inhabitants.
No cases of leptospirosis have been recorded for this week. The accumulated number of confirmed cases is 20 this year, and the incidence of suspected cases is 0.75 per 100,000 inhabitants.
The DIEPI bulletin highlights the circulation of several respiratory viruses, such as influenza A (H1N1) pdm09, Influenza A (h3n2), Adenovirus, and SARS COV-2, for which the Ministry of Public Health has reinforced monitoring and case-control strategies through sentinel surveillance and virological analysis.
It urges people to take preventive measures, such as frequent hand washing, mask use in people with flu-like symptoms, and going to the nearest health center in case of fever or general malaise.
Maternal and infant deaths
In epidemiological week 13, two maternal deaths were reported, corresponding to women of Haitian nationality. The accumulated number of cases is 42 deaths up to this epidemiological week; last year, there were 49 accumulated deaths on the same date.
Twenty-eight infant deaths were reported this week, compared to 36 deaths reported the previous year, reflecting a reduction in the indicator. The accumulated total is 448 deaths this year, and in 2024, 557 deaths were reported at the same date.
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TikToker shares 'terrifying' Vitamin B12 deficiency symptoms that left her unable to speak or walk - Times of India
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