Utility or happiness? A case study from Detroit
Is a cataract operation on a dying man worth the candle? Here’s an interesting case which illustrated the difference between health care in the US...
Michigan mother jailed for refusing to vaccinate child
A 40-year-old Michigan anti-vaxxer has been sentenced to seven days jail. A 40-year-old Michigan woman has been sentenced to seven days jail after disobeying a...
Psychiatry becomes political weapon in US
Congressional Democrats have approached outspoken Yale University psychiatrist Dr Bandy Lee about forming an expert panel to offer advice on President Donald Trump’s mental health....
Searing report on Hungarian home for disabled forces closure
Government to opt for de-institutionalisation Entrance to Topház Special Home A 220-bed facility in Hungary is to be closed after a report by a human...
Syria’s sarin attack part of the ‘weaponisation’ of healthcare
Rebel hospitals and clinics targeted by air strikes The deaths of possibly 100 Syrian civilians, including children, after a gas attack, is just a ghastlier...
Taiwan grapples with the public health ethics of discouraging betel nut
A bad habit with a huge health cost Betel nut, a mild stimulant often used by truck drivers, fishermen, and construction workers, stains the teeth...
Why newspapers publish ‘fake news’ about science
Articles reporting that old headlines are not true tend not to end up on the front page Rage over fake news is the fashionable complaint...
Trump under fire from scientists
But some fire back in support of the new President This week hundreds of scientists rallied in Boston’s Copley Square to protest against the anti-science...
Nearly 100 psychiatric patients die of neglect in South African scandal
Scandal rocks nation Cost cutting in mental health is both difficult and dangerous, South African politicians have learned. The country’s health ombudsman has released a...
Using patents to restrict harmful applications of CRISPR
As a complement to government policies The new CRISPR gene-editing technology is an incredible tool, but it could be used for ethically-troubling procedures like human...
Zika virus: dangerous but still puzzling
Two studies with different results Nearly half of women infected with the mosquito-borne Zika virus experience some complications with their pregnancy, according to a preliminary...
Predicting adult crimes from observing toddlers
New Zealand data shows that 80% of social costs are incurred by 20% of the population Big data makes it possible to predict which children...