Health – Winnipeg Free Press

A 10-year-old girl reacts after receiving a free dose of the HPV vaccine at Budiriro Polyclinic in Harare, Zimbabwe, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Ufumeli)

Health officials team with a soccer tournament for cervical cancer vaccination for African girls

Farai Mutsaka, The Associated Press 5 minute read Updated: 1:14 AM CST

NORTON, Zimbabwe (AP) — Lesotho’s Lishoeshoe soccer club was losing by four goals at halftime against South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns in the final of a regional Under-17 girls’ tournament in Zimbabwe aimed at promoting cervical cancer vaccination. By fulltime, the gap had stretched to 5-0.

Yet for Lishoeshoe winger Nteboheleng Leticia Sooane, the result felt beside the point.

For the 16-year-old, the tournament’s most important outcome had little to do with goalmouth scrambles or final-whistle disappointment. Instead, it was about building confidence among girls to trust the HPV vaccine and prevent a disease that kills a woman every two minutes globally — with the burden most acute in Africa, according to GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, one of the tournament’s organizers.

“Participating in the tournament was very good because we had to learn and spread (the message) even though we did not win the finals. So it was a good experience,” Sooane said as she waited to collect her finalist’s medal in a rain-soaked stadium in Norton, on the outskirts of Zimbabwe’s capital, Harare.

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Ethiopia declares the end of its first Marburg virus outbreak

The Associated Press 1 minute read 9:06 AM CST

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Ethiopia on Monday declared the end of its first outbreak of Marburg virus after completing the mandatory 42 days with no new confirmed cases.

A total of 14 cases, including nine deaths and five who recovered, were confirmed in the southern region bordering South Sudan since Nov. 14, 2025. An additional five deaths were classified as possible cases, the World Health Organization said.

Three health workers were infected, two of whom had died and one recovered, the WHO said.

The WHO said it provided Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health with technical support in surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, case management, infection prevention and control, coordination and logistics.

What to know about breast self-awareness and how it fits into cancer prevention

Adithi Ramakrishnan, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

What to know about breast self-awareness and how it fits into cancer prevention

Adithi Ramakrishnan, The Associated Press 4 minute read 7:01 AM CST

NEW YORK (AP) — What does it mean to have breast self-awareness?

It's a more general, flexible approach to breast cancer prevention that involves staying familiar with how your breasts look and feel. It goes along with other early detection measures like getting regular mammograms.

Doctors suggest breast self-awareness as an alternative to self-exams — those monthly, methodical checks for any changes while applying pressure or lying down.

Two decades ago, the American Cancer Society stopped recommending self-exams for people with average breast cancer risk because there wasn't strong evidence they helped if people were taking other preventative measures like regular mammograms. And the monthly checks made some patients anxious about every change, especially those with dense or naturally bumpy breast tissue.

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7:01 AM CST

FILE - The AREA Services building in Shamokin, Pa. is decorated in pink ribbons and bras for Breast Cancer Awareness month, Thursday, Oct. 4, 2012. (Mike Staugaitis/The News-Item via AP)

Dr. William Foege, leader in smallpox eradication, dies

Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Dr. William Foege, leader in smallpox eradication, dies

Mike Stobbe, The Associated Press 3 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 10:54 AM CST

ATLANTA (AP) — Dr. William Foege, a leader of one of humanity's greatest public health victories — the global eradication of smallpox — has died.

Foege died Saturday in Atlanta at the age of 89, according to the Task Force for Global Health, which he co-founded.

The 6-foot-7 inch Foege literally stood out in the field of public health. A whip-smart medical doctor with a calm demeanor, he had a canny knack for beating back infectious diseases.

He was director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and later held other key leadership roles in campaigns against international health problems.

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Updated: Yesterday at 10:54 AM CST

FILE - President Barack Obama awards the Medal of Freedom to Dr. William Foege, former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, who helped lead the effort to eradicate smallpox, during a ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Tuesday, May 29, 2012. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File)

Sleep-tracking devices have limits. Experts want users to know what they are

R.j. Rico And Emilie Megnien, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Sleep-tracking devices have limits. Experts want users to know what they are

R.j. Rico And Emilie Megnien, The Associated Press 6 minute read Updated: Yesterday at 7:59 AM CST

ATLANTA (AP) — Your watch says you had three hours of deep sleep. Should you believe it?

Millions of people rely on phone apps and wearable devices like rings, smartwatches and sensors to monitor how well they're sleeping, but these trackers don’t necessarily measure sleep directly. Instead, they infer states of slumber from signals like heart rate and movement, raising questions about how reliable the information is and how seriously it should be taken.

The U.S. sleep-tracking devices market generated about $5 billion in 2023 and is expected to double in revenue by 2030, according to market research firm Grand View Research. As the devices continue to gain popularity, experts say it is important to understand what they can and cannot tell you, and how their data should be used.

Here's a look at the technology — and why one expert thinks its full potential has yet to be realized.

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Updated: Yesterday at 7:59 AM CST

Middle school teacher Kate Stoye checks her sleep score on her phone, Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2026, in Hiram, Ga. (AP Photo/Emilie Megnien)

You’re at risk of frostbite in this bitterly cold weather. Here’s what to know

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

You’re at risk of frostbite in this bitterly cold weather. Here’s what to know

Nicole Ireland, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026

TORONTO - As bitterly cold temperatures plunge much of the country into a deep freeze, emergency doctors and public health experts are warning people to protect themselves from frostbite.

In some parts of Canada where winters aren't always this frigid, people may not realize that frostbite is "a real risk that can happen to anybody" when the temperature drops, said Dr. Sahil Gupta, an emergency physician at St. Michael's Hospital in Toronto.

"I trained in Edmonton. We saw frostbite a lot more than I do here," he said.

"But with the cold spells that we have had, especially going into this weekend, I think we need to be prepared."

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Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026

People bundle up as they take a walk during a cold weather day at Lake Michigan in Chicago, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. Bitterly cold temperatures are plunging parts of Canada into a deep freeze. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Combining exercise with volunteering works out for members of a UK alternative to gyms

Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press 6 minute read Preview

Combining exercise with volunteering works out for members of a UK alternative to gyms

Sylvia Hui, The Associated Press 6 minute read Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

LONDON (AP) — Shoveling piles of compost and clearing weeds on a cold, damp evening in London might not be most people’s idea of fun.

But it’s smiles and chatter all around as a group of people in running gear put on headlamps and get to work in a community garden located on a derelict parking lot rooftop. The volunteers warmed up by jogging a mile to get to the site, and the digging, squatting and lifting they are doing is part of a weekly workout session.

Combining exercise with community service is the mission of GoodGym, an organization that encourages U.K. residents to “get fit by doing good.” There’s no expensive gym membership, treadmills or weights. All participants need is a desire to walk, run or bike and a willingness to sort cans at a food bank, pick up trash, visit an older adult or do other kinds of local volunteer work.

“I go to the normal gym usually and I do other sorts of exercise, but this is my mandatory once-a-week run with the GoodGym group,” said Jason Kurtis, 42, who was among the regulars toiling in the south London garden. “It’s really fun and it forces me to get out, especially on a Monday night when it’s cold and in the middle of winter.”

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Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

Participants in the Goodgym group collect litter from the riverbank to keep the River Thames free of plastic and other waste in London, Wednesday, Jan. 14, 2026. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

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Powdered whole milk could be a culprit in the ByHeart botulism outbreak, tests show

Jonel Aleccia, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Powdered whole milk could be a culprit in the ByHeart botulism outbreak, tests show

Jonel Aleccia, The Associated Press 4 minute read Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

Powdered whole milk used to make ByHeart infant formula could be a source of contamination that led to an outbreak of botulism that has sickened dozens of babies, U.S. health officials indicated Friday.

Testing by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration found the type of bacteria that can cause the illness in two samples linked to the formula, officials said.

The agency found that bacteria in an unopened can of formula matched a sample from a sick baby — and it also matched contamination detected in samples of organic whole milk powder used to make ByHeart formula and collected and tested by the company.

FDA testing also found contamination in a sample of whole milk powder supplied to ByHeart — and it matched the germ in a finished sample of the company's formula.

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Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

FILE - A container of ByHeart baby formula, which was recently recalled by ByHeart, in Flagstaff, Ariz., on Wednesday, Nov. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Cheyanne Mumphrey, File)

A timeline of events involving New Brunswick’s alleged mysterious brain disease cases

Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

A timeline of events involving New Brunswick’s alleged mysterious brain disease cases

Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

New Brunswick’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Yves Léger, has delivered a new report on a cluster of almost 400 patients who had reported symptoms allegedly connected to a mystery brain disease over the past five years.

Just like a 2022 provincial government report and a scientific study published in the journal JAMA last year, the latest findings say there’s no evidence to support the existence of such a disease and that some patients have other illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease or Lewy Body Dementia.

Nearly 400 New Brunswick residents — mostly in the Acadian Peninsula and Moncton areas — have reported symptoms of what the province's Health Department has previously called a "neurological syndrome of unknown cause." The matter has baffled experts for years and made national and international headlines.

Below are some key dates in the development of the cluster of cases that has captured the world’s attention:

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Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

New Brunswick's provincial flag flies on a flagpole in Ottawa, Monday, July 6, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

Vance touts the Trump administration’s record against abortion at a Washington rally

Meg Kinnard, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Vance touts the Trump administration’s record against abortion at a Washington rally

Meg Kinnard, The Associated Press 4 minute read Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

Vice President JD Vance on Friday encouraged anti-abortion activists to “take heart in how far we’ve come” on the quest to limit the practice, listing the Trump administration's accomplishments including an expansion of a ban on U.S. foreign aid for groups supporting abortion services.

“There is still much road ahead to travel together,” Vance told attendees at the annual March for Life demonstration, which draws tens of thousands of people annually to Washington. Attendees rallied on the National Mall before heading to the Supreme Court.

Vance, a Republican, has spent years passionately advocating for Americans to have more children. He repeatedly expressed alarm about declining birth rates as he launched his political career in 2021 with a successful bid for the U.S. Senate in Ohio, and as vice president he has continued on that mission.

“I want more babies in the United States of America," Vance said in addressing last year's March for Life.

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Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

Manitoba recruits U.S. doctors, one points to political climate as a factor

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

Manitoba recruits U.S. doctors, one points to political climate as a factor

Steve Lambert, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

WINNIPEG - Thirteen U.S.-trained doctors have come to Manitoba since May as part of a provincial government effort to recruit health professionals and reduce wait times, Health Minister Uzoma Asagwara said Friday.

The increase followed the establishment last spring of a dedicated recruitment and retention office and is well above the three or fewer American doctors recruited in each of the last six years, tabulated by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Manitoba.

"Doctors are telling us very clearly why they're choosing our province," Asagwara said.

"They want to practise medicine without insurance barriers getting in the way. They want less administrative overhead and more time with their patients."

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Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

Floods push crocodiles into Mozambican towns as health concerns rise

Farai Mutsaka, The Associated Press 3 minute read Preview

Floods push crocodiles into Mozambican towns as health concerns rise

Farai Mutsaka, The Associated Press 3 minute read Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

HARARE, Zimbabwe (AP) — As floods ravage Mozambique, crocodiles are appearing in submerged towns and responsible for at least three deaths.

In the town of Xai-Xai, the provincial capital of Gaza province and one of the worst-affected areas in the country’s south, authorities have warned residents of heightened crocodile risks as floodwaters spread and evacuations to higher ground continue.

Torrential rains and severe flooding across parts of southern Africa over the past month have killed more than 100 people in Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe, destroying thousands of homes and damaging infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and health facilities.

Of the 13 people reported dead from the floods in Mozambique, three were killed by crocodiles, authorities said.

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Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

This image made from video shows the scene after flooding in Tete Province, Mozambique, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. (AP Photo)

Malawi rolls out cholera vaccines as rains and floods raise the threat of deadly outbreaks

Gregory Gondwe, The Associated Press 4 minute read Preview

Malawi rolls out cholera vaccines as rains and floods raise the threat of deadly outbreaks

Gregory Gondwe, The Associated Press 4 minute read Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

BLANTYRE, Malawi (AP) — The southern African nation of Malawi began a cholera vaccination rollout this week in a bid to stem the threat of the disease that kills tens of thousands of people globally each year.

Cholera is avoidable when there is access to clean water and largely treatable with rehydration medication, and there are effective vaccines.

Malawi is one of several countries in Africa that face the perennial threat of cholera, and that's been exacerbated this year by unusually heavy rains and flooding in the southern African region, the kind of weather that often prompts cholera outbreaks.

Cholera is an acute diarrhea disease caused by a bacteria typically spread through contaminated food or water.

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Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

A health worker administers a cholera vaccine in Blantyre, southern Malawi, Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Thoko Chikondi)

‘No easy choices left’ for Ontario hospitals to save money: association

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Preview

‘No easy choices left’ for Ontario hospitals to save money: association

Allison Jones, The Canadian Press 3 minute read Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

TORONTO - Ontario hospitals have already started making some "lower risk" cuts in the face of rising deficits, but those alone won't alleviate hospitals' financial strain, the head of their association says, warning there are no easy choices left.

The Ontario Hospital Association has told the provincial government in its submission ahead of the spring budget that the sector faces a structural deficit of $1 billion and needs not just more money this year but a predictable, multi-year funding plan.

"Worryingly, our financial reserves — also called working capital — which are really intended to be for long-term, capital-related expenses like medical and diagnostic equipment or refurbishing and rebuilding hospitals ... those working capital dollars are being used to actually pay for operating expenses, and that is a sign of a sector under real, serious financial (pressure)," association president and CEO Anthony Dale said in an interview.

If the province were to actually meet the full operating needs of the hospital sector, it would need to add about $2.7 billion, Dale said, but the hospital association realizes that due to other budgetary constraints caused by the trade war with the United States, the province is not in a position to offer that amount.

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Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

Woodstock General Hospital is seen in Woodstock, Ont., Thursday, May 22, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nicole Osborne

No evidence of mystery brain disease in New Brunswick, says government report

Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

No evidence of mystery brain disease in New Brunswick, says government report

Devin Stevens, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

A new report from New Brunswick’s top doctor has found no evidence of a mysterious brain disease that has allegedly been impacting hundreds of patients across the province.

Dr. Yves Léger’s report, released Friday, says most patients did not have elevated levels of herbicides or metals like arsenic in their systems that could have made them sick. It says the nine autopsy reports his office studied do not suggest the existence of a new neurological condition and that many patients suffered from other illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s disease or Lewy body dementia.

“I can't imagine what it must be like to live with an illness, and especially not knowing what's causing that illness,” Léger said during a news conference in Fredericton on Friday.

”You've been reported to us as having an undiagnosed illness. However, the findings from this, and previous work, is suggesting that it's likely that you actually have an illness that can be diagnosed.”

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Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

The Moncton Hospital, part of the Horizon Health Network, is shown in Moncton, N.B., Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Ron Ward

Massive Edmonton care home battling mice infestation, droppings

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Preview

Massive Edmonton care home battling mice infestation, droppings

Lisa Johnson, The Canadian Press 5 minute read Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

EDMONTON - Alberta's Opposition is calling for action and more transparency in the wake of a prolonged mouse infestation at one of Edmonton's biggest long-term care homes.

Covenant Health, along with Assisted Living Minister Jason Nixon, declined requests from The Canadian Press to provide the most recent health inspection report for the Edmonton General Continuing Care Centre, with the ministry citing the need for complainants' privacy.

The centre, run by publicly funded Covenant Health, advertises that it accommodates almost 500 people in the city’s downtown, providing long-term, subacute and hospice care.

Covenant Health has confirmed it is currently at full capacity.

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Friday, Jan. 23, 2026

January 26, 2026

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