Shaking hands with robotic arm could help stroke patients learn to use arms again

Shaking hands with a robotic arm could be a new way to help stroke patients learn to use their arms again. Researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation report a pilot trial of the 'Braccio di Ferro' (Iron arm) robot in 10 patients. Read more >>

DRC: Bicycles needed to fight "tied legs" syndrome

Authorities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are appealing for funds to combat a tropical disease associated with the consumption of insufficiently processed cassava in western Bandundu province, officials said. Read more >>

Mortality in CAD patients: Key predictor identified

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) hospitalises more than 160 000 Canadians every year, and almost one quarter of those patients die from this common form of heart disease. Now a team of Vancouver-based researchers has identified a key predictor of mortality in CAD patients, which means that specialists can better determine how to treat and improve outcomes for patients with CAD. Read more >>

Zinto dances their anti-drugs message into schools

Zinto Marketing Group in conjunction with the Westsiders against addiction organisation is launching a new dance initiative, Dance Against Drugs, using dance as a communication platform in high schools. Read more >>

Talk Radio 702 facilitates meetings to discuss paramedic security

Talk Radio 702 has successfully facilitated discussions to ensure the safety of paramedics in Gauteng. Read more >>

Simple common sense behaviours can help limit the spread of H1N1 in household: Study

Simple, common sense behaviours, including having a discussion at home about how to prevent influenza, can help limit the spread of H1N1 in a household, according to a study of the initial outbreak in New York City in 2009. Published in the April 1 issue of The Journal of Infectious Diseases, the study is available online (www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/651145). Read more >>

Research suggests anti-cancer drugs can help treat infectious diseases

Drugs increasingly used to treat cancer could have a major impact on a wide range of infectious diseases, according to new research. Read more >>

How do social conditions contribute to poor mental health in South Africa?

Moreover, how do we promote mental health in South Africa in order to ensure optimal human development and functioning for all South Africans? Read more >>

Trying to make food cheaper

The price of maize, sorghum, wheat and other staple grains is likely to climb again in many food-importing east African countries, agricultural economists warn. Read more >>

Drug abuse endemic in schools

Experts say that drug abuse in schools has become endemic and that it is growing far more rapidly than most parents and educators realise. Read more >>

Uganda: Sanitary pad project 'changes refugees' lives'

A project using papyrus and waste paper to make sanitary pads has changed the life of Evelyne Banyamisa, who fled rebel violence in Bunia, north-eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 2003 when she was only 13. Read more >>