Doctors in Kenya have threatened to join a strike by nurses that has entered a sixth week, citing an increased workload in hospitals as they cover for the impact of the industrial action

Tanzania's President Samia Suluhu Hassan's husband has died while undergoing treatment in Zanzibar

The burial of a young chorister in Bunia highlights the ongoing Ebola crisis in Congo

Carbon credit financing is helping to drive Africa’s clean cooking transition by making cleaner stoves affordable for millions of low-income households

Diagnosing endometriosis is often a challenge

The United States plans to phase out financial support for Namibia's HIV response programs

A deadlocked jury is scheduled to return for a seventh day of deliberations in the Lindsay Clancy murder trial

Jurors in the Lindsay Clancy murder case are trying to decide whether the former labor and delivery nurse is criminally responsible for killing her three children at her Massachusetts home in 2023

The Ebola outbreak in eastern Congo is spreading faster than efforts to track and contain it

Leading U.S. medical groups are urging people to get updated flu and COVID-19 vaccinations this fall

The latest government data shows Congo’s Ebola outbreak has killed more than 3,000 people out of over 6,100 confirmed cases

Congo’s authorities report that the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history has topped 6,000 cases with 2,911 deaths

When kitchen burnout hits, figuring out what to make for dinner every day can feel like an impossible task

Congo government figures show that the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak in history has spread to two new health zones in eastern Congo

Joan Rubinger overcame a catastrophic biking accident that left her paralyzed to become an influential pain-relief specialist helping top-tier athletes get back on the field after acute and chronic injuries

A beloved New Orleans hospital building where doctors and nurses heroically treated patients without electricity after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 is poised for redevelopment

U.S. officials have confirmed cases of a parasitic illness tied to lettuce in three more states

Congo has started vaccinating people against Ebola to combat the fastest-growing outbreak of the disease in history

Closing arguments are set to begin in the murder trial of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother accused of strangling her three young children in 2023

U.S. health officials have approved a groundbreaking pancreatic cancer drug that offers a new approach to treating the deadly form of cancer

The white sand beaches of one of Kenya's most popular tourist areas line a region with one of the country's highest rates of deaths around childbirth

This is a MedPage Today story. HAVANA, Fla. -- For a rural community, this town of 1,750 people has been more fortunate than most. A family doctor has practiced here for the last 30 years. But that ended in December when Mark Newberry, MD, retired. To attract a new doctor, Havana leaders took out want ads in local newspapers, posted notices on social media, and sweetened the pot with a rent-free medical office equipped with an x-ray, an ultrasound machine, and a bone density scanner -- all owned by the town. Local leaders hope the recruitment campaign will help attract candidates amid a nationwide shortage of doctors. "This is important for our community," said Kendrah Wilkerson, Havana's town manager, "in the same way that parks are important and good future planning is important." According to a Florida Department of Health report, doctor shortages affect all or part of nearly every county, but less populous counties, such as Gadsden, where Havana is located, have the...

This is a MedPage Today story. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s statements before the Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday revealed a concerning lack of knowledge about the major health programs he'd oversee, should he be confirmed as HHS secretary. On several occasions during the 3.5-hour hearing, Kennedy seemed to conflate Medicare, Medicaid, and Medicare Advantage, and appeared to mistakenly refer to the Affordable Care Act health exchanges. "Medicaid is not working for Americans, and it's specifically not working for the target population," he said in response to questions from Sen. Bill Cassidy, MD (R-La.), a physician, who asked him in what ways he would improve the healthcare delivery system. "I'm on Medicare Advantage and I'm very happy with it," Kennedy replied. "Most people who are on Medicaid are not happy. The premiums are too high, the deductibles are too high, the networks are narrow." In fact, Medicaid plans generally do not have premiums, or if they do, under federal law...

This is a MedPage Today story. Luigi Mangione, the person charged with murdering United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson, reportedly had spinal surgery for chronic back pain caused by spondylolisthesis. Spondylolisthesis occurs when a vertebra slips forward out of place onto the vertebra below, explained Jessica Stark, MD, spine surgeon at UTHealth Houston. This slippage, a sequela of arthritis, happens most often in the lumbar spine and can put pressure on the nerves around the spine. "Really arthritic backs can have varying degrees of spondylolisthesis throughout the spine, just because the joints have become overgrown and slipped at different spots," Stark told MedPage Today. Pain levels depend on the degree of slip and how the spondylolisthesis came to be. When patients come in with the condition, Stark begins by assessing the grade of severity and how much the condition is affecting the patient's life. Many report having back and leg pain or numbness. "I always tell patients...

This is a MedPage Today story. A western New York health insurance provider for seniors and the CEO of its medical analytics arm have agreed to pay a total of up to $100 million to settle Justice Department allegations of fraudulent billing for health conditions that were exaggerated or didn't exist. Independent Health Association of Buffalo, which operates two Medicare Advantage plans, will pay up to $98 million. Betsy Gaffney, CEO of medical records review company DxID, will pay $2 million, according to the settlement agreement. Neither admitted wrongdoing. "Today's result sends a clear message to the Medicare Advantage community that the United States will take appropriate action against those who knowingly submit inflated claims for reimbursement," Michael Granston, a Department of Justice (DOJ) deputy assistant attorney general, said in announcing the settlement on December 20. Frank Sava, a spokesperson for Independent Health, said in a statement: "The assertions by the DOJ...