Skin cancer is a non-communicable disease that has been underexplored in Africa, including Southern Africa. Exposure to solar ultraviolet radiation (UVR) is an important, potentially modifiable risk factor for skin cancer. The countries which comprise Southern Africa are Botswana, Lesotho, Namibia, South Africa, and Swaziland. They differ in population size and composition and experience different levels of solar UVR. Here, the epidemiology and prevalence of skin cancer in Southern African countries are outlined. Information is provided on skin cancer prevention campaigns in these countries, and evidence sought to support recommendations for skin cancer prevention, especially for people with fair skin, or oculocutaneous albinism or HIV-AIDS who are at the greatest risk. Consideration is given to the possible impacts of climate change on skin cancer in Southern Africa and the need for adaptation and human behavioural change is emphasized.
Introduction Safe housing is a basic human need that contributes to a sense of belonging, ownership, identity, citizenship, and self-sufficiency [1]. Globally, 1.6 billion people live in inadequate housing, of which one billion reside in slums and informal settlements [2]. These settlements may be situated in environmentally unsafe or unhealthy areas, for example, in river flood zones and near industry. Many of the inhabitants who live there, live with little or no tenure for land or dwellings (e.g. rent informally) and typically have no or infrequent supply of basic services. In addition, an important element of safe housing is thermal comfort. Cold and heat extreme temperatures impact human health. In general, people at increased risk of temperature-related illnesses are those with (1) pre-existing health conditions, such as cardiovascular
Zoonoses account for about 25% of the infectious disease burden in low-income countries. 1 Poverty might increase the risk for zoonotic disease where the active human-livestock and human-wildlife interfaces can increase the likelihood of disease transmission. 1 A combined disease burden exists for people in areas such as tropical and subtropical Africa, where there is likelihood of co-infection with zoonotic diseases and other pathogenic or infectious diseases, such as malaria, tuberculosis and HIV. 1 Many endemic zoonoses remain widely neglected in such settings, undetected and underreported, because their impacts are borne largely by impoverished and marginalised communities. 2 Due to these unique contexts, the prevention and management of emerging and endemic zoonotic diseases in many African countries is a complex undertaking needing evidence-based guidance. 1,3 In early 2020, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI) took on the urgent task to provide an up-to-date, rapid scientific assessment on zoonotic diseases as part of the UNEP's Frontiers Report Series. 4-6 The goal of the report is to provide relevant information for policymakers on how to 'prevent the next pandemic' by interrogating what is known about zoonotic diseases and how best one can break the chain of transmission. As the world presently faces the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, this timely report helps decisionmakers with evidence-based actions, not only to flatten the curve of COVID-19 incidence, but to answer questions about zoonoses in general and plan for the future. In this Commentary, we give a brief overview of UNEP's latest report 7 and then relate some of the key messages and recommendations for policymakers to a South African context.
Satellite estimates of surface ultraviolet A (UVA) (315–400 nm) from the Global Ozone Monitoring Experiment (GOME)‐2 were compared to ground‐based measurements at four stations in South Africa for 2015. The comparison of daily exposure and daily maximum irradiance was completed for all‐sky and clear‐sky conditions. There is a strong linear correlation between the satellite and ground‐based data with a correlation coefficient (r) between 0.86 and 0.97 for all‐sky conditions. However, at three of the stations the satellite data are underestimated compared to ground‐based data with a mean bias error (MBE) between −8.7% and −20.6%. A seasonal analysis indicated that there is a link between the bias in ground‐based and GOME‐2 UVA and cloud fraction. Factors such as aerosols, surface albedo, altitude and data resolution may contribute to the underestimations found at the three sites. These results indicate that satellite estimates of surface UVA over South Africa do not exhibit the same behavior as other stations around the world and therefore require further validation.
Rooibos (Aspalathus linearis) has various health benefits. Two case studies have associated chronic Rooibos consumption with conventional prescription medications, including atorvastatin (ATV), with hepatotoxicity. Statins act by inhibiting hydroxymethylglutaryl‐coenzyme A reductase, a rate‐limiting enzyme in cholesterol synthesis. Although rare, statins are potentially hepatotoxic. The aim was to investigate interactions between aspalathin‐rich Rooibos extract GRT™ and ATV‐induced hepatotoxicity in C3A liver cells cultured with and without palmitate. Effects of co‐treatment of GRT + ATV on cell viability, oxidative stress, apoptosis, mitochondrial integrity, and cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) production were assessed. Significantly increased ROS production was observed in cells exposed to ATV and palmitate. Combination therapy of GRT + ATV also showed significant increases in ROS production. Under palmitate‐treated conditions, ATV‐induced significant apoptosis which was not ameliorated by GRT + ATV co‐treatment. Despite studies purporting hepatoprotection from Rooibos, our study showed that GRT was unable to modulate ATV‐induced hepatotoxic effects in this model.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.