Health

Current Picks

US Colorectal Screening Rates Drop as Colonoscopy Access Favors Private Insurance

By Min Park / Jun 10, 2026

Colorectal cancer screening rates in the US are declining, driven by reduced access for uninsured and Medicaid patients. Colonoscopy remains the gold standard but is increasingly out of reach for many.

Kenya Public Insurance Denies Schizophrenia Injections While Private Clinics Stock Them

By Min Park / Jun 11, 2026

In Kenya, public insurer NHIF denies coverage for long-acting injectable antipsychotics, while private insurers cover them. This gap drives relapses and deepens inequity.

Rwandan Rural Nurses Diagnose Malaria Hours After Rapid Test Strips Expire

By Esther Okello / Jun 11, 2026

In rural Rwanda, nurses continue using expired malaria rapid tests, leading to false negatives and delayed treatment. A look at the biology, supply chain gaps, and simple fixes.

US Private Insurers Deny Knee Replacements While Medicare Patients Wait for Prior Authorization

By Esther Okello / Jun 11, 2026

An investigation into how prior authorization delays and denies knee replacements for both privately insured and Medicare patients, examining the clinical consequences, disparities, and reform efforts.

Mexico Rural Clinics Diagnose Cervical Cancer Months After HPV Testing Machines Arrive

By Min Park / Jun 11, 2026

In rural Oaxaca, HPV testing machines sit idle for months as samples travel to distant labs. Clinics resort to visual inspection while women wait. A pilot program in Chiapas shows same-day results are possible.

UK Newborn Pulse Oximetry Screening Misses Critical Congenital Heart Defects

By Elena Vargas / Jun 11, 2026

UK newborn pulse oximetry screening detects only about 75% of critical congenital heart defects. Missed cases include coarctation of aorta and TAPVR, leading to delayed diagnosis and collapse.

Pakistan Public Insurance Caps Diabetes Care to One Test Strip Daily

By Elena Vargas / Jun 10, 2026

Pakistan's Sehat Sahulat Program caps glucose test strips at 30 per month, forcing insulin-dependent patients to ration or skip tests. This policy design, driven by cost control, undermines clinical guidelines and may increase long-term healthcare costs.

UK General Practice Atrial Fibrillation Detections Drop When ECG Machines Sit Unused

By Elena Vargas / Jun 11, 2026

Detection rates for atrial fibrillation in UK general practice are falling, even as ECG machines go unused. The gap between guidelines and practice is costing lives.

South African TB Clinics Prescribe Shorter Regimens Months After Guidelines Change

By Elena Vargas / Jun 10, 2026

Months after WHO endorsed a 4-month TB regimen, many South African clinics still prescribe the standard 6-month course. Evidence, barriers, and the cost of delay.

Philippines Public Formularies Restrict Insulin Access While Private Clinics Stock Analogues

By Min Park / Jun 11, 2026

In the Philippines, public hospitals dispense only human insulin, while private clinics offer analogues. This two-tier system affects glycemic control and equity for millions with type 2 diabetes.

Kenya Public Clinics Refill Antidepressants but Offer No Follow-Up Psychotherapy

By Min Park / Jun 11, 2026

Kenya's public clinics dispense antidepressants reliably, but without follow-up psychotherapy, patients face high relapse rates. This feature examines the gap between medication access and psychosocial care, and low-cost talk options that could bridge it.

India Public Cervical Screening Offers VIA Tests But Delays HPV PCR Results

By Min Park / Jun 11, 2026

India's public cervical screening program offers same-day VIA tests, but HPV PCR results can take weeks. This gap creates a clinical dilemma and undermines the screen-and-treat strategy, with experts divided on the best approach.

South African Mining Towns Diagnose Heart Failure After Ejection Fraction Drops Below 35

By Min Park / Jun 10, 2026

In South African mining towns, heart failure is often diagnosed only after ejection fraction falls below 35%, revealing deep disparities in cardiac care access and outcomes.

UK Asthma Attack Rate Halved by Immune-Targeting Biologic in Real-World Data

By Min Park / Jun 10, 2026

A real-world UK study shows tezepelumab halves asthma attack rates across patient subgroups, offering hope for severe asthma management.

Bangladesh Garment Workers Diagnose Hypertension Only After Migraine Prescriptions Fail

By Raphael Andriamanjato / Jun 10, 2026

In Bangladesh's garment factories, hypertension is often missed until headaches persist. Workers endure months of migraine treatments before a simple BP cuff reveals the real cause.

UK GP Asthma Reviews Miss Spirometry Confirmation in Half of Diagnoses

By Min Park / Jun 10, 2026

Half of UK asthma diagnoses lack spirometry confirmation despite NICE guidelines. Gaps in primary care lead to overdiagnosis and missed alternative conditions. Explore barriers, alternatives, and low-cost fixes.

UK Type 2 Diabetes Patients Skip Annual Foot Checks While Private Clinics Offer Retinal Scans

By Raphael Andriamanjato / Jun 11, 2026

Many UK type 2 diabetes patients miss annual foot checks, increasing ulcer risk, while private retinal scans grow in popularity. This article explores the gap, the metabolic link between feet and eyes, and potential solutions.

Bangladesh Dhaka TB Clinics Detect Multidrug Resistance Months After GeneXpert Arrives

By Esther Okello / Jun 11, 2026

In Dhaka, Bangladesh, GeneXpert machines arrived at TB clinics months ago, now revealing hidden multidrug-resistant TB. Patients like Amina Begum face delayed treatment amid supply and cost hurdles.

Rural Ghana Clinics Prescribe Antibiotics for Diarrhea While Stool Cultures Gather Dust

By Elena Vargas / Jun 11, 2026

In rural Ghana, clinicians routinely prescribe antibiotics for childhood diarrhea despite guidelines recommending against it for most cases. Stool cultures, though ordered, often go unread, while resistance rises.

Malawi Rural Midwives Deliver Breech Births Alone as Hospital Referral Roads Wash Out

By Raphael Andriamanjato / Jun 10, 2026

In rural Malawi, midwives manage breech deliveries alone when rainy seasons wash out roads to distant hospitals. A case drawn from national surveys illustrates the cost of isolation.