• Friday, March 29, 2024

Results for "ukhsa"

New drive to boost childhood vaccination rates

BRITAIN on Thursday (29) launched a drive to boost childhood vaccination rates, health authorities said, seeking an "urgent reversal" to a fall in uptake as the country faces a worsening measles outbreak. Routine childhood immunisations in Britain for diseases including measles, mumps and rubella, diphtheria and polio, have been falling…

Vaccination urged as measles cases soar in West Midlands

HEALTH experts have urged West Midlands residents to get the measles vaccine as cases in the region are spreading in “disproportionately high rates”. Figures published earlier this month showed 329 of 465 (71 per cent) cases across England from October to February were in the region. The sharp rise over…

England witnessing surge in tuberculosis cases, says UKHSA report

The most recent TB annual report from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), published on Thursday (15), indicates a rise in tuberculosis (TB) cases in England. While the figures for 2022 were stable, with 4,380 reported incidents nearly mirroring the 2021 count of 4,411, provisional data for 2023 paints a…

Measles outbreak concern after falling vaccine rates

THE UK’s public health protection agency last Friday (19) sounded a “national call to action” for more measles jabs for children because of falling vaccination rates and fears that a current outbreak could spread. Jenny Harries, head of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), warned that measles was spreading among…

Risk of death from Covid-19 decreases post-vaccination but wanes after…

A new study has found the risk of death from Covid-19 decreases significantly after vaccination but this protection diminishes after six months, highlighting the need for ongoing booster doses. The recent study was conducted by researchers at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) and delved into over 10 million Covid-19…

Sadiq Khan activates emergency measures as snowfall threat looms

MAYOR Sadiq Khan has declared the 'severe weather emergency protocol' for London as the possibility of snowfall looms over the city later this week. He is also implementing measures aimed at protecting rough sleepers amidst freezing temperatures. Khan explained that the procedure involves activating emergency shelters throughout the city to…

First human case of swine flu strain detected in UK

A new strain of swine flu has been detected in a person in the UK for the first time and close contacts are being monitored to determine its potential to spread among humans, health authorities reported on Monday (27). The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said the virus strain found…

Health officials urge vulnerable groups to take flu & Covid-19…

In anticipation of the winter season, individuals are being encouraged to receive flu vaccinations to alleviate the strain on the NHS. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a stark warning, emphasising the serious effects of the flu. According to data, during the 2022/23 winter, deaths from flu surpassed…

England sees rise in tuberculosis cases in 2023

In the first half of 2023, cases of tuberculosis (TB) in England saw a 7% rise compared to the same period in 2022, according to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). There were 2,408 notifications in the first two quarters of 2023, up from 2,251 in 2022. While…

Higher TB prevalence linked to urban deprivation in England, data…

CASES of TB in England increased by seven per cent in the first half of 2023 compared to the same period last year, with 2,408 notifications compared to 2,251, data from the UK health security agency (UKHSA) has revealed. TB notification rates are primarily elevated among individuals from regions with…

Bacteria in water prompts removal of migrants from barge

BRITAIN is taking a group of asylum seekers off a barge just days after moving them onto the vessel because Legionella bacteria was found in the water supply. The government began moving the asylum seekers onto the Bibby Stockholm, a barge anchored off Dorset on the south coast, earlier this…

Measles cases rising in England, NHS urges parents to ensure…

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reported a rise in measles cases across London, with two-thirds of cases in England occurring in the capital in the last six months. In England, one out of every ten children lack full protection from both doses of the MMR vaccine, and in…

Lawmakers say new health agency had weak financial controls

THE UK Health Security Agency was set up with financial controls that were so weak parliament cannot establish whether it used funds in the way intended, a critical report by lawmakers said on Wednesday (5). The UKHSA, which was established in 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic to take over responsibility…

Gonorrhoea, syphilis on rise in England: Health agency

England saw a record number of gonorrhoea cases and the highest level of syphilis in decades last year as sexually transmitted infections (STIs) spiked, the UK Health Security Agency said on Tuesday. There were 82,592 gonorrhoea diagnoses in 2022, a yearly increase of 50 percent and the largest annual number…

New study lauds digital apps’ potential to tackle health inequalities

A new analysis of National Health Service (NHS) data has revealed a lack of coordination which is limiting insight into how online healthcare services and apps are used by ethnicity and to tackle health inequalities. A new report published on Friday (6) by the NHS Race and Health Observatory reviews…

UK brings in negative COVID test requirement for travellers from…

The UK has joined a growing list of countries, including India, to introduce curbs on travellers from China amid a surge in coronavirus cases in the country after Chinese authorities relaxed the strict "zero-COVID" rules. Passengers arriving from China to England from January 5, 2023, will need to show a…

Rishi Sunak considers Covid travel curbs for China

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is said to be considering imposing some travel restrictions on China amid soaring Covid-19 infections in the country and a clampdown by other countries such as India and the US, according to UK media reports on Friday (30). Officially ministers have said that adopting tighter…

UK to stop publishing infections data in new year for…

The UK health authorities said on Monday that they will stop publishing their regular COVID-19 infections modelling data in the new year because it is seen as “no longer necessary” as the country moves to a phase of living with the virus with the help of vaccines and medicines. The…

England reports 94 deaths due to scarlet fever so far…

England reported 94 deaths, including those of 21 children, from scarlet fever and invasive strep A infections so far this season the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Thursday. The British government last week said it was enacting protocols to ease shortages of penicillin medicines used to treat strep…

Over 250 fall sick in UK due to E. coli…

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has just revealed that more than 250 people in the UK have been struck down by a virulent form of food poisoning that is possibly linked to lettuce grown in the country. Though the food poisoning cases apparently occurred through the months of August to…

Buckinghamshire school pays tribute to “constantly smiling’ four-year-old boy who…

A Buckinghamshire school has paid tribute to its four-year-old pupil who died of Strep A last month as the bacterial infection has resulted in six fatalities in the UK this season.Muhammad Ibrahim Ali, who was studying at Oakridge School and Nursery, died at his home in High Wycombe on November…

Buckinghamshire child dies from Strep A infection as toll in…

A primary school child in Buckinghamshire died of Strep A as the total number of fatalities from the bacterial infection in the UK has gone up to four.Muhammad Ibrahim Ali, 4, died on November 14, following a cardiac arrest, his family confirmed, saying “nothing will replace” the loss.Ali’s grieving mother…

EXCLUSIVE: “My thoughts are, ‘Oh my God, I’ve got to…

A new Asian author, and her first work of fiction of roller-coaster emotions I don’t like fictional books which use a first-person singular voice. You know, that’s when someone writes a work of fiction through the eyes of one person. “I did this…I did that…For me, it was…” Yuck. Where’s…

Mistakes at the UK COVID testing lab may have led…

England's government agency responsible for responding to public health emergencies said mistakes at a testing laboratory led to misreporting of tens of thousands of positive COVID-19 cases as negative and may have resulted in the deaths of about 20 people. Britain has one of the highest coronavirus death tolls in…

Diphtheria infections rise in Britain: All you need to know…

According to health officials, compared to a single case of diphtheria in 2020, there have now been 50 confirmed cases of the disease discovered in migrants in the UK since the start of 2022. The 50 cases of this disease this year is a significant increase from last year, as…

Five Victorian diseases that are making a comeback

According to data obtained from the NHS, Victorian-era diseases are making a comeback, reports the Mirror. The ‘Victorian’ or ‘Dickensian’ diseases that are remarkedly on the rise include scarlet fever and malnutrition. Over the past few months, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has reportedly revealed that scarlet fever and…

Docs slammed cold weather plan after Brits advised to consult…

NHS England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), and the Met Office’s joint cold weather plan for England which was updated this week have advised Britons to 'speak to your GP before starting any exercise this winter'. A section in the plan entitled ‘main public health messages’ states that individuals…

British health officials warn of difficult winter with flu and…

British health officials on Wednesday warned that increased circulation of flu and a resurgence in COVID-19 could lead to a difficult winter that increases pressure on the already stretched National Health Service (NHS). Warnings over a possible "twindemic" of COVID-19 and flu have been issued each winter since the start…

Gay and bisexual men drastically cut down number of sex…

In the UK, the United Kingdom Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned 'men who are gay and bisexual' to be aware of unusual rashes or lesions. They have also been warned to contact a doctor straight away in such a case, media reports state. The Daily Mail informs that monkeypox…

UK braced for another heatwave amid water crisis

The UK's Meteorological (Met) Office on Wednesday issued a four-day amber extreme heat warning as the country braces for another heatwave this week following the record high temperatures of last month and a looming water crisis The Met Office warning covers much of the southern half of England as well…

UK faces the danger of running out of monkeypox vaccine…

Britain will run out of monkeypox vaccines in about two to three weeks as the country has little more than 8,300 doses of vaccine left, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday. Shipments of a new order of 100,000 doses will not resume until late September, the report added citing an…

LGBT groups seek urgent government action on monkeypox spread in…

LGBT+ groups of various political parties have urged the government to take urgent action to stop the monkeypox virus from becoming endemic in the UK. In a letter to health secretary Steve Barclay, the LGBT+ groups of major political parties called for more doses of vaccine to support the targeted…

Britain on course for hottest day on record

Britain was on course for its hottest day on record on Monday with temperatures forecast to hit 40C for the first time, forcing train companies to cancel services and heath authorities to put more ambulances on standby. Much of Europe is baking in a heat-wave that has pushed temperatures into…

Deeply concerned that reported monkeypox cases have doubled in London…

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged the government to act “rapidly” to check the spread of monkeypox in the British capital.He said he had written to health secretary Steve Barclay, calling for “early and coordinated” actions to protect London which accounted for 71 per cent of the recent monkeypox cases…

Monkeypox cases in Britain pass 1,000

The latest data released Tuesday by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed the number of confirmed monkeypox cases in Britain has reached 1,076. According to UKHSA, up to June 26, 2022, there were 1,076 laboratory-confirmed cases in Britain. Of these, 27 were in Scotland, five in Northern Ireland, nine…

‘Be vigilant with new or multiple sexual partners’, urges UK…

A high-level UK health official asked British citizens to remain vigilant against the symptoms of Monkeypox when getting involved with new or multiple sexual partners amid the rising number of cases. On Friday, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) published another technical briefing on the Monkeypox as it stated that…

Explainer: What is polio, how does it spread and are…

A type of poliovirus derived from vaccines has been detected in London sewage samples, the WHO and British health officials said Wednesday (22), adding that more analysis was underway. No human cases of polio have been found in Britain, where the crippling disease was fully eradicated two decades ago. The…

How to stay safe during heatwave as Britons swelters on…

UK authorities issued a health alert after temperatures were forecast to top 30C on Friday (17). Thursday (16) was the hottest day of the year so far, with 29.5C recorded at Northolt in west London. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has issued a level 3 heat-health alert for London…

UK designates monkeypox as a notifiable disease: What does it…

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said monkeypox would be designated as a notifiable infectious disease from Wednesday, meaning doctors in England will have to notify local authorities when they suspect a patient has the virus. "Rapid diagnosis and reporting is the key to interrupting transmission and containing any further…

Health agency confirms community spread of monkeypox in England

MONKEYPOX appears to be spreading from person to person in England, the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has said.  The usually mild viral disease, which is endemic in west and central Africa, is understood to spread through close contact. Until early May, cases rarely cropped up outside Africa and were…

Monkeypox: People with symptoms should abstain from sex, the risk…

PEOPLE infected with monkeypox can isolate themselves at home if they remain well enough, whilst following measures to limit close contact with others, the UK's health security agency (UKHSA) said on Monday (30), part of guidance designed to curb the country's rise in cases of the viral illness. More than…

‘Do I have rashes from Monkeypox?’: NHS 111 is being…

The UK’s non-emergency medical helpline NHS 111 is flooded with phone calls from anxious people who have rashes, as the number of confirmed monkeypox cases in England has crossed 100.Mateo Prochazka of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said people could get local sexual health services instead of resorting to…

As more Monkeypox cases get detected in UK, here’s all…

THE UK's health security agency (UKHSA) has procured more than 20,000 doses of a smallpox vaccine made by Bavarian Nordic as cases of monkeypox rise in Europe and beyond, it said. There are now 90 recorded cases in the UK, and eight additional cases have been detected in England, bringing…

‘BBC is not able to move the dial on diversity’

In 1999, a court found a brother and mother guilty of murdering a 19-year-old Muslim woman. While he strangled her, their mother sat on her legs. Her crime was to be carrying the baby of her childhood sweetheart while her husband, by forced marriage, was in Pakistan. The story of…

New Covid Variant in UK: Here’s what Health Security Agency…

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is studying XE, a mutation of the BA.1 and BA.2 Omicron strains, and 637 XE cases were detected in England as of March 22, according to official figures. A NEW Covid-19 variant called XE has been found in the UK and early indications suggest…

Hinduja Global wins UK Health Security Agency contract

HINDUJA GLOBAL SOLUTIONS (HGS) said its UK arm has bagged a contract worth Rs 21 billion (£210 million) to provide critical customer support to British citizens for two years.HGS UK Ltd bagged the contract from UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which is responsible for NHS Test and Trace.The contract will…

One death from Lassa fever in Britain

ONE person has died in Britain from Lassa fever, health authorities said, as they announced the first three cases of the disease in the country since 2009. The patient died on Friday (11) at a hospital in Bedfordshire, north of London. All three people infected were from the same family…

Omicron hospitalisation risk around one third of Delta, UK analysis…

THE risk of hospitalisation with the Omicron variant of coronavirus is about one-third that of the Delta variant, according to British analysis of more than a million cases of both types in recent weeks. Britain is experiencing a surge in Covid-19 cases driven by the highly-transmissible Omicron variant, with record…

UK says Omicron cases at much lower risk of hospital…

THERE is a lower risk of hospitalisation for people with the Omicron coronavirus variant compared to Delta, but the higher transmissibility of Omicron could still lead to significant numbers needing hospital treatment, the UK government said. Analysis of preliminary data by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) showed an individual…

UK reduces Covid self-isolation to 7 days for most in…

THE BRITISH government said that from Wednesday (22), it was reducing the Covid-19 self-isolation period to seven days from 10 days for people in England who get a negative result on a lateral flow test two days in a row. With the Omicron variant spreading rapidly in Britain and record…

Virtual sessions line up to encourage Londoners to get jabbed

LONDON mayor Sadiq Khan has taken a lead in getting more people to vaccination centres as Omicron cases rise rapidly in the capital and the rest of the UK. As part of the city administration’s drive to tackle vaccine hesitancy, the mayor unveiled a series of virtual events to encourage…

UK virus cases highest since January

BRITAIN on Friday (10) saw the highest number of Covid infections since January as the government seeks to slow the spread of the new variant. Communities secretary Michael Gove said the country faces a "deeply concerning situation" as the Omicron variant spreads rapidly, with case numbers doubling every two to three days in England.…

Unvaccinated mothers urge pregnant women to get Covid vaccine

AS PART OF a new campaign, unvaccinated women who suffered from Covid-19 during their pregnancies are encouraging expectant mothers to get the vaccine. They narrate their harrowing stories of battling the virus, from being hospitalised to having emergency c-sections as part of the initiative, a statement has said. The video features…

Britain says new Covid variant is the most significant yet…

BRITAIN said on Friday (26) that a newly identified coronavirus variant spreading in South Africa was considered by scientists to be the most significant one yet found and so it needed to ascertain whether or not it made vaccines ineffective. Defending a ban on flights from South Africa, Namibia, Botswana,…

Britain starts cheaper lateral flow test for passengers from non-red…

THE UK on Sunday (24) started a cheaper lateral flow test instead of a PCR for fully vaccinated passengers arriving from countries not on the red list. Passengers and most under 18s can use the test on or before day 2 of their arrival in England, a statement said.  Bookings…

Concern as food banks see ‘more users than ever’

FOOD BANKS have warned of supply shortages caused by the HGV driver crisis and a decline in public donations. Two charity workers also spoke about the increase in the numbers of people using the food banks, due to rising energy costs and benefit cuts. A survey of nearly 70 UK…

UK to offer Covid-19 antibody tests to Britons soon as…

BRITAIN is set to offer Covid-19 antibody testing to the general public in the coming week for the first time, state media reports today (22)  as a top expert has claimed that Covid anytime may "come roaring back" as long as it is not wiped completely from every part of…

All about acting, directing and a lockdown wedding

MULTI-TALENTED STAR USMAN MUKHTAR ON HIS CREATIVITY AND RECENT MARRIAGE ACTOR  and director Usman Mukhtar has had an interesting creative journey that has flourished in multiple mediums. The hardworking Pakistani talent has interesting projects on the way that includes a starring a role in hotly anticipated drama series Hum Kahan Kai…

UK, US join hands to combat global pandemics and emerging…

THE transatlantic solidarity is at its best again. At the time when US President Joe Biden is touring the UK to attend the G7 and Nato summits, the two old allies have agreed to script a new partnership to deal with future threats in the health sector. The UK Health…

New cutting-edge testing facility in UK to assess effectiveness of…

THE UK opened new state-of-the-art labs to test the effectiveness of vaccines against new Covid-19 variants on Wednesday (5). The government will invest £29.3 million in the new testing facilities at Porton Down through the Vaccines Taskforce in Public Health England, a statement said. The funding will increase the site’s capacity…

Exclusive: “I wanted to be an actor for as long…

By: Mohnish Singh Creating your own space in a world as competitive as Bollywood is not an easy task. Thousands of aspiring actors throng the city of Mumbai every day with dreams of making it big in films, but not everyone succeeds. The beginning in showbiz was not rosy for…

Exclusive: “I look forward to seeing what the future holds…

Jahnavi Dhanrajgir, daughter of filmmaker and yesteryear actor Tarun Dhanrajgir who played the role of Mr. Darcy in the Indian remake of Pride and Prejudice which aired on Doordarshan in 1985, has just made her acting debut with the recently released film Bolo Hau: A Mazedaar Love Story with Hyderabadi…

Pakistani girl, 8, beaten to death for ‘setting parrots free’

In a shocking incident of violence against domestic helps, a minor Pakistani girl died after she was brutally beaten by her employers for inadvertently setting their pet parrots free while cleaning the cages. The inhuman act has sparked an outrage across Pakistan with people, including politicians, on Wednesday demanding justice…

Newport brothers die of Covid-19 in adjoining beds on same…

A family which ran a newsagents in Newport is mourning the death of two brothers within hours of each other. Ghulam Abbas, 59, and Raza Ghulam, 53, died on 22 April, after contracting the coronavirus. Their father, Ghulam Mohammed, had passed away three weeks ago due to ill health. The…

Foodbanks ‘struggle to meet demand amid pandemic’

by LAUREN CODLING FOODBANKS have revealed the challenges they are facing during the coronavirus pandemic, with many admitting that they are struggling to keep up with demand. Charitable organisations are reliant upon food donations from supermarkets and community members to help support rough sleepers and vulnerable people in need. Many…

Life and times of a Lollywood legend

PAKISTANI GREAT MEERA ON HER AMAZING CAREER by ASJAD NAZIR LEGENDARY Pakistani actress Meera has had an amazing career spanning nearly 25 years. She has delivered diverse roles in various genres and is regarded as one of the all-time greats of Pakistani cinema. Meera plays a legend looking to recapture…

‘The migration debate never stopped hounding settlers’

RUKHSANA AHMAD’S NEW PLAY HOMING BIRDS RECONNECTS AUDIENCES TO THEIR ROOTS A STRONG year for British Asian theatre concludes with the powerful play Homing Birds, which recently had its world premiere at Tara Theatre in London and runs until December 7. Kali Theatre’s founder Rukhsana Ahmad returns to the company…