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2023 Newsletters - 2023-06-05
Lactose intolerance
Lactose is a sugar primarily found in milk. Our bodies possess an enzyme called lactase, which is responsible for breaking down this sugar. However, individuals with lactose intolerance experience a reduced activity or absence of this enzyme. As a result, lactose is not properly digested, leading to varying degrees of digestive issues such as bloating, flatulence, intestinal cramps, and diarrhea.
Read more2023 Newsletters - 2023-05-18
World Hypertension Day 2023
The heart is the body’s most vital organ. When it beats, it pumps blood into the vessels which send the blood around the body. The force of pushing blood against the walls of the blood vessels is called the blood pressure. When the blood pressure is high, the heart has to pump harder to circulate blood around the body.
Read more2023 Newsletters - 2023-05-15
Allergies
Allergies are a common health issue affecting millions of people worldwide. In this newsletter, we'll discuss the types of allergies, testing, management, and prevention.
Read more2023 Newsletters - 2023-04-03
Cholera Update
During the first week of February this year, the South African health authorities reported two cases of cholera in people returning from Malawi. Since then, four more infections have been notified to the NICD.
Read more2023 Newsletters - 2023-03-24
World TB Day
Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by the bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and mostly affects the lungs but may affect the central nervous system (brain) and gastrointestinal tract. A total of 1.6 million people died from TB in 2021 (including 187 000 people with HIV). Worldwide, TB is the 13th leading cause of death and the second leading infectious killer after COVID-19 (above HIV/AIDS).
Read more2023 Newsletters - 2023-03-14
The Salty Truth
Salt is closely related to many aspects of human history. Its uses are vast ranging from being used to preserve and flavor food to being used to promote fertility in animals (1,2).
Read more2023 Newsletters - 2023-03-09
Kidney Health
Preparing for the unexpected, supporting the vulnerable!
In the spirit of this year’s theme let’s explain a short summary of what we need to know about the kidney.
2023 Newsletters - 2023-02-17
Sexually Transmitted Infections
Any sexually active person may be exposed to an STI and request to be screened. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the following:
Read more2023 Newsletters - 2023-01-09
Cervical Cancer Screening
Cervical cancer is caused by chronic infection with one of 14 high-risk human papillomaviruses
(HR-HPV). Most infected women will clear HR-HPV through natural immunity (usually between
1 - 2 years of acquisition), but a proportion (± 10%) will have infection that persists, resulting in
cellular changes that may progress from pre-malignant dysplasia to high grade dysplasia
(CIN2, CIN3), and eventually to invasive cervical carcinoma.
2023 Newsletters - 2022-03-09
Achieving Excellence
The development of ISO 15189:2012 was motivated by the recognition of the crucial role that medical laboratories play in the diagnosis, treatment, and monitoring of disease.
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