gender

UK mulls impact of landmark gender ruling

BY HELEN ROWE

  • - The court ruled on Wednesday that the legal definition of a "woman" is based on a person's sex at birth.
  • From toilets and changing rooms to sports pitches and hospital wards, a ruling by Britain's Supreme Court on the legal definition of a "woman" is expected to have far-reaching consequences.
  • - The court ruled on Wednesday that the legal definition of a "woman" is based on a person's sex at birth.
From toilets and changing rooms to sports pitches and hospital wards, a ruling by Britain's Supreme Court on the legal definition of a "woman" is expected to have far-reaching consequences.

What did the Supreme Court say?

The court ruled on Wednesday that the legal definition of a "woman" is based on a person's sex at birth.
Five judges unanimously ruled that "the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman, and biological sex".
The court's pronouncement follows a legal battle between the Scottish government and campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS) involving clashing interpretations of the Equality Act.
While the Scottish government argued that the law gave trans women with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) the same protections as a biological female, the campaign group disagreed.

What impact on women-only spaces? 

Single-sex spaces and services including changing rooms "will function properly only if sex is interpreted as biological sex", the judgement said. 
Kishwer Falkner, chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act, told BBC radio the law was now clear.
"If a service provider says 'we're offering a women's toilet', then trans people should not be using that single-sex facility," she said.
But she highlighted that there was no law forcing organisations to provide single-sex spaces and no law preventing them providing unisex toilets or changing rooms.
She said trans rights organisations should push for more neutral third spaces to accommodate trans people.

Will trans women still have access to female-only hospital wards?

Current guidance from the body that runs the state-funded National Health Service in England states that trans people should be "accommodated according to their presentation: the way they dress, and the name and pronouns they currently use".
The advice has meant that trans women have been allowed to opt for treatment in women-only hospital wards even if they do not have a gender recognition certificate or have not legally changed their name.
The certificate is a UK legal document that recognises an individual's gender identity, allowing them to legally change their sex.
"The NHS is currently reviewing guidance on same sex accommodation," an NHS England spokesperson told AFP.
Falkner said the watchdog would pursue the NHS if it did not change the existing guidance on the treatment of trans women patients.

What future for trans women in sport? 

The court decision is a victory for prominent voices in the debate such as swimmer Sharron Davies, who won an Olympic silver medal at the Moscow Games in 1980.
It was time for sports bodies to "protect every female athlete", she said after the ruling.
Campaigners said there were now "no excuses" for allowing transgender women to compete in women's sporting events.
Fiona McAnena, director of campaigns at the charity Sex Matters, said the law had in fact always been "clear that everyone male can be excluded to provide fair, safe sport for women and girls, but some people claimed it was unkind or complicated to do so".
Falkner said the ruling made it "simple" that people assigned male at birth cannot take part in women's sport.
Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, told Sky News he welcomed the ruling "because it has produced clarity".
"It is really important that we continue to protect the integrity of women's competition," he added.  
Former Football Association (FA) chairman David Triesman told the Daily Telegraph that rulemakers who allowed trans women to compete alongside biological women should "stand down immediately".

Will gender recognition certificates be abolished?

The usefulness of the gender recognition certificate would be re-assessed in the light of the ruling, Falkner said.
Asked if she thought the documents were now "worthless", she said she believed they were "quite important" but that future litigation was likely to provide clarity on their "efficacy".
"It's going to be a space that we'll have to watch very carefully as we go on," she said.
"There will be other areas... the government is thinking of digital IDs, and if digital IDs come in, then what documentation will provide the identity of that person?"
bur-har/jkb/fg

Scotland

UK top court rules definition of 'woman' based on sex at birth

BY BY CLARA LALANNE AND AKSHATA KAPOOR

  • - Single-sex spaces - Scottish Greens activist and trans woman Ellie Gomersall, 25, told Sky News the ruling was "yet another attack on the rights of trans people to live our lives in peace".
  • Britain's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the legal definition of a "woman" is based on a person's sex at birth, a landmark decision with far-reaching implications for the bitter debate over trans rights.
  • - Single-sex spaces - Scottish Greens activist and trans woman Ellie Gomersall, 25, told Sky News the ruling was "yet another attack on the rights of trans people to live our lives in peace".
Britain's Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that the legal definition of a "woman" is based on a person's sex at birth, a landmark decision with far-reaching implications for the bitter debate over trans rights.
In a win for Scottish gender-critical campaigners who brought the case to the UK's highest court, five London judges unanimously ruled that "the terms 'woman' and 'sex' in the Equality Act 2010 refer to a biological woman, and biological sex".
However, the act also "gives transgender people protection" against discrimination in their acquired gender, Justice Patrick Hodge said in handing down the verdict.
The UK government welcomed the ruling for bringing "clarity" to the debate.
It is the culmination of a years-long battle between the Scottish government and the campaign group For Women Scotland (FWS) -- which launched an appeal to the Supreme Court after losing pleas in Scottish courts over an obscure legislation aimed at hiring more women in public-sector bodies.
Dozens of FWS and other gender-critical campaigners, who argue that biological sex cannot be changed, cheered the ruling, hugging and crying outside the court.
"This has been a really, really long ride," said Susan Smith, co-director of For Women Scotland.
"Today, the judges have said what we always believed to be the case: that women are protected by their biological sex," she said. "Women can now feel safe that services and spaces designated for women are for women".
The Scottish government said it accepts the verdict and would focus on "protecting the rights of all".
Trans rights activists had raised concerns that a ruling in favour of FWS could risk discrimination against trans people in their chosen gender.
"The court is well aware of the strength of feeling on all sides which lies behind this appeal," Hodge said.

Single-sex spaces

Scottish Greens activist and trans woman Ellie Gomersall, 25, told Sky News the ruling was "yet another attack on the rights of trans people to live our lives in peace".
But "Harry Potter" author JK Rowling, one of the most prominent supporters of gender-critical campaigns, praised the "three tenacious Scottish women with an army behind them" who refused to drop the case.
"In winning, they've protected the rights of women and girls across the UK," Rowling, who has been accused of transphobia and become a target of hate, posted on X.
At the heart of the legal battle were clashing interpretations of the Equality Act.
While the Scottish government argued that the Equality Act gave trans women with a Gender Recognition Certificate (GRC) the same protections as a biological female, FWS disagreed.
In its judgement, the Supreme Court ruled that the devolved Scottish government's "interpretation is not correct" and that the Equality Act was inconsistent with the 2004 Gender Recognition Act that introduced GRC certificates.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC), which is responsible for enforcing the Equality Act, said it was "pleased" the ruling addressed complicated issues of maintaining single-sex spaces.
Single-sex spaces and services including changing rooms, hostels and medical services "will function properly only if sex is interpreted as biological sex", the judgement said. 
The Labour government said the ruling brought "clarity and confidence for women and service providers such as hospitals, refuges, and sports clubs".
"We have always supported the protection of single-sex spaces based on biological sex," a government spokesperson said.
Opposition Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch hailed the "victory" for FWS.
"Saying 'trans women are women' was never true in fact, and now isn't true in law either," Badenoch said.

Under threat

LGBTQ charity Stonewall said however that the ruling was "incredibly worrying for the trans community".
"Stonewall shares the deep concern at the widespread implications for today's ruling," its chief executive Simon Blake said.
The ruling also comes at a time when transgender rights are under threat in the United States under President Donald Trump.
Since retaking office, Trump has declared the federal government will recognise only two sexes, male and female; sought to bar trans athletes from women's sports; and curbed treatments for trans children.
The latest UK ruling could pile pressure on Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has remained largely silent on trans issues since coming into power last July, to further clarify legislation.
cla-aks/jkb/jm

lifestyle

'Put it on': Dutch drive for bike helmets

BY STéPHANIE HAMEL

  • If nothing is done, the number of seriously injured cyclists is expected to double by 2040, the infrastructure ministry estimates.
  • It's a world-famous scene: a steady and slightly chaotic stream of cyclists pedalling out of Amsterdam's Centraal Station, heading for the canals and cafes of the Dutch capital.
  • If nothing is done, the number of seriously injured cyclists is expected to double by 2040, the infrastructure ministry estimates.
It's a world-famous scene: a steady and slightly chaotic stream of cyclists pedalling out of Amsterdam's Centraal Station, heading for the canals and cafes of the Dutch capital. Almost no one is wearing a helmet.
Now the government is trying to persuade the reluctant Dutch to strap on headgear when riding their beloved bikes, with an awareness campaign kicking off on Wednesday.
The campaign "Zet 'em op" literally means "Put it on", but the phrase is also slang for "Good Luck", which authorities will need to change attitudes in a country where only one cyclist in 25 wears a helmet.
Infrastructure Minister Barry Madlener hopes to push up the rate from four percent to 25 percent within 10 years, he said in a letter to parliament.
Research shows that 25 percent is a "social tipping point" when peer pressure kicks in and the rate of helmet wearing increases significantly, Madlener said.
The stakes are high: government statistics estimate around 50 road deaths a year could be prevented if half the Dutch biking population wore a helmet.
Last year, 74,300 cyclists were rushed to emergency hospital departments, nearly 50,000 of them with serious injuries, according to the Veiligheid safety organisation.
If nothing is done, the number of seriously injured cyclists is expected to double by 2040, the infrastructure ministry estimates.
On the streets of Amsterdam, the message did not appear to be getting through to everyone.
"I'd rather stop biking and go walking than wear a helmet," Roos Stamet, a 48-year-old writer, told AFP.
"It will ruin my hair. I will look like a 70-something," she added. "It's nonsense. Do you go into the supermarket wearing a helmet? It's just not an option."

'Fatbikes'

Alongside subsidised helmets and an ad campaign, Dutch transport apps have sought to raise awareness, and that persuaded Marijn Visser to don one for the first time.
In the countryside where she lives, she never wears a helmet, because "it's nice to feel the wind through your hair. And it's not necessary, I think," she said.
"But it's very crowded in Amsterdam," said the 45-year-old librarian, which persuaded her to wear the helmet.
One of the main topics of conversation -- and annoyance -- in the Netherlands is the rise of the "fatbike", high-speed electric bikes whose drivers often terrorise traditional bikers on the paths.
It certainly takes nerves of steel to navigate bike travel in Amsterdam, with mopeds, scooters, fatbikes and pedestrians all jostling for space.
"Bike traffic has become gradually more dangerous in the past five to 10 years... with the electric bikes, with the fatbikes," said Kenji Stamet, a part-time barista and Roos's husband.
An additional hazard, especially in Amsterdam, is tourists wandering around oblivious to high-speed bike traffic, Stamet said.
All things considered, the 50-year-old said he might consider buying a helmet one day.
"I thought about it once or twice last year for the first time in my life," he told AFP.
"Maybe when I'm older, maybe in five years or ten years, and if I'm still in Amsterdam, then maybe it won't be such a bad idea."
sh-ric/js

treaty

WHO countries strike landmark agreement on tackling future pandemics

BY AGNèS PEDRERO

  • During the Covid-19 pandemic, poorer states accused rich nations of hoarding vaccines and tests.
  • Years of negotiations culminated early Wednesday with countries agreeing the text of a landmark accord on how to tackle future pandemics, aimed at avoiding the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis.
  • During the Covid-19 pandemic, poorer states accused rich nations of hoarding vaccines and tests.
Years of negotiations culminated early Wednesday with countries agreeing the text of a landmark accord on how to tackle future pandemics, aimed at avoiding the mistakes made during the Covid-19 crisis.
After more than three years of talks and one last marathon session, weary delegates at the World Health Organization's headquarters finally sealed the deal at around 2:00 am (0000 GMT) Wednesday.
"Tonight marks a significant milestone in our shared journey towards a safer world," said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Five years after the emergence of Covid-19, which killed millions of people, devastated economies and upturned health systems, a sense of urgency hung over the talks, with new threats lurking -- including H5N1 bird flu, measles, mpox and Ebola.
The final stretch of the talks also took place under the shadow of cuts to US foreign aid spending and threatened tariffs on pharmaceuticals.

'It's adopted'

Right until the last minute, disagreement lingered over a few thorny issues.
Negotiators stumbled over the agreement's Article 11, which deals with transferring technology for pandemic health products towards developing nations.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, poorer states accused rich nations of hoarding vaccines and tests.
Countries with large pharmaceutical industries have strenuously opposed the idea of mandatory tech transfers, insisting they must be voluntary.
But it appeared the obstacle could be overcome by adding that any transfer needed to be "mutually agreed".
The core of the agreement is a proposed Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS), aimed at allowing the swift sharing of pathogen data with pharmaceutical companies, enabling them to quickly start working on pandemic-fighting products.
In the end, the 32-page agreement was entirely highlighted in green, indicating all of it had been fully approved by WHO member states.
"It's adopted," negotiations co-chair Anne-Claire Amprou announced, to thunderous applause.
"In drafting this historic agreement, the countries of the world have demonstrated their shared commitment to preventing and protecting everyone, everywhere, from future pandemic threats."
The finalised text will now be presented for sign-off at the WHO's annual assembly next month.

'Excellent news'

Congratulations quickly poured in.
"Excellent news from Geneva," European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said on X.
"We have learnt the lessons of COVID. To beat a pandemic, you need tests, treatments and vaccines. And you equally need solidarity and global cooperation."
The EU had led the charge arguing for flexibility and voluntary measures in the text.
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA), which participated in the talks, had also taken that stance.
Looking ahead towards implementation, the leading pharma lobby said intellectual property and legal certainty would be essential for encouraging investment in high-risk research and development in the next crisis.
"The pandemic agreement is a starting point," insisted IFPMA chief David Reddy.
Developing countries and NGOs also hailed the agreement, while acknowledging that not all of their ambitions were met.
"While the process may not have yielded all the outcomes we aspired for, it has opened an important avenue for future collaboration," Tanzania's representative told the gathering, speaking on behalf of dozens of African countries.

'More equity'

As intense talks in corridors and closed rooms drew towards an end late Tuesday, Tedros told reporters he thought a deal would bring "more equity".
While taking measures against pandemics could be costly, "the cost of inaction is much bigger", he insisted.
"Virus is the worst enemy. (It) could be worse than a war."
The United States, which has thrown the global health system into crisis by slashing foreign aid spending, was absent.
US President Donald Trump ordered a withdrawal from the United Nations' health agency and from the pandemic agreement talks after taking office in January.
The US absence, and Trump's threat to slap steep tariffs on pharmaceutical products, still hung over the talks, making manufacturers and governments more jittery.
But in the end, countries reached consensus.

'Real work begins now'

Many saw the approval of the text as a victory for global cooperation.
"At a time when multilateralism is under threat, WHO member states have joined together to say that we will defeat the next pandemic threat in the only way possible: by working together," said New Zealand's former prime minister Helen Clark, co-chair of the Independent Panel for Pandemic Preparedness and Response.
As the congratulatory speeches continued on towards daybreak, Eswatini's representative cautioned that "whilst we celebrate this moment, we need not rest on our laurels".
"The real work begins now."
apo-nl/rlp

cryotherapy

Employee dead, client critical after Paris cryotherapy session goes wrong

  • A client of the establishment, who is in her 30s, was hospitalised in critical condition.
  • A cryotherapy session in Paris has turned deadly with one woman dying and another hospitalised in critical condition due to a nitrogen leak from a cold chamber, according to French investigators.
  • A client of the establishment, who is in her 30s, was hospitalised in critical condition.
A cryotherapy session in Paris has turned deadly with one woman dying and another hospitalised in critical condition due to a nitrogen leak from a cold chamber, according to French investigators.
The tragedy occurred on Monday evening at a small sports centre located in the 11th district of the French capital, according to a police source.
According to initial findings, a nitrogen leak from the cryochamber is thought to have caused the poisoning, a source close to the investigation saod. An employee of the gym, who was in her late 20s, died.
A client of the establishment, who is in her 30s, was hospitalised in critical condition.
"An investigation into the cause of death has been launched," the Paris public prosecutor's office said.
Three people who were in contact with the victims and provided first aid also received treatment, the police source said. 
The gym, where 150 people were present when the tragedy struck, was evacuated shortly afterwards.
AFP journalists present at the scene on Monday evening saw a body covered with a white sheet being carried out of the sports centre.
Screens were set up to conceal what was happening in front of the door to the gym and along the pavement. 
Nitrogen is a colourless, odourless gas that is commonly used in cryotherapy.
During a session in a walk-in chamber a person is exposed to temperatures below −100° Celsius for a recommended time of no more than three minutes.
Advocates say whole body cryotherapy is effective in reducing muscle soreness, stress, rheumatism and various skin conditions.
Star athletes and celebrities have used whole body cryotherapy as an alternative to ice packs and cold water baths.
But many experts warn that the treatment has not been proven to be medically sound and are urging further research to determine the short- and long-term effects.
Diego Brisset, 26, said he planned to work out at the gym but was told it was closed on Monday evening.
He said he did not practice cryotherapy.
"I was always told it was dangerous", he said.
Cryotherapy came under scrutiny in the United States in 2015 after a woman froze to death at a Las Vegas spa. 
The 24-year-old woman was believed to have entered one of the spa's cold chambers after business hours to relieve some aches, and was discovered the next day by a co-worker.
sm-mk-cka/jh/ach 

conflict

Rehab centre for Russian veterans from Ukraine fills up

  • "Most often, they are amputations of the tibia, from the leg to the hip, a double amputation of the legs, and more rarely of the arms," he told AFP. Rehabilitation centres like the one in Ruza provide a second stage of care for amputees.
  • "Ded", a Russian veteran of Moscow's offensive against Ukraine, still limps on his new prosthetic leg after the amputation.
  • "Most often, they are amputations of the tibia, from the leg to the hip, a double amputation of the legs, and more rarely of the arms," he told AFP. Rehabilitation centres like the one in Ruza provide a second stage of care for amputees.
"Ded", a Russian veteran of Moscow's offensive against Ukraine, still limps on his new prosthetic leg after the amputation.
But thanks to the care he is receiving at a rehabilitation centre near Moscow, the 53-year-old is starting to walk again.
The man, who goes by his military nickname meaning "Grandfather", said his leg was blown off when he stepped on a mine -- his fourth injury in the conflict.
"I've lost count of all the concussions. It's like having a runny nose," he told AFP at the Ruza restorative therapy centre 80 kilometres (50 miles) west of Moscow.
"After a week of treatment here, I started to walk again," said the man, who fought in a Russian private paramilitary unit, praising the "fast and effective help".
Like him, around 30 people wounded in Ukraine are receiving physical and mental therapy at the state-funded centre.
Russia's offensive on Ukraine, which started in February 2022, has killed thousands of people on both sides, according to observers.
The centre, which treats paramilitary veterans, dates back to the Soviet era when it was used for the Communist Party elite.
It was then transformed into a rehabilitation centre for veterans of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan (1979-1989).
Since the 1990s, veterans of the two wars in Chechnya have also been treated there.
The centre offers physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, massages and psychologists.
There are also prayer rooms and, in the evenings, the veterans living at the centre can choose between dancing, singing karaoke or watching patriotic films.
The centre is a showpiece that has been visited by other foreign media.

'Re-discover the joy of living'

Another veteran, who goes by the nickname "Scorpaena" -- a fish with poisonous spines -- said he sleeps better at the centre.
Before, he said, "I used to wake up every hour to check that everything was OK" -- as he did during his mission in Ukraine.
"I couldn't sleep for six hours at a time," said the combatant, who is suffering the consequences of a traumatic shock.
Yury Pogorelov, head of the centre's prosthetic workshop, said most amputations occurred as a result of mine blast injuries.
"Most often, they are amputations of the tibia, from the leg to the hip, a double amputation of the legs, and more rarely of the arms," he told AFP.
Rehabilitation centres like the one in Ruza provide a second stage of care for amputees.
Doctors say they are expecting an influx of patients once the conflict is over.
Alexander Pogorelov, a physiotherapist, said patients meet older veterans of the wars in Afghanistan and Chechnya "and they see that life goes on, even without legs or arms".
"They re-discover the joy of living," he said.
"Everyone has their pain and their memories. But between us we don't talk about the war. If someone asks me questions, I say: 'If you're interested, go and see for yourself what's going on over there,'" said "Ded".
"We're here for treatment and rest," he said.

'Life in peacetime'

Chief doctor Tsyren Tsyrenov said centres like Ruza "are needed in every region".
He said several hundred veterans had been treated there since the offensive began.
Many of the patients worry about how to find a job when they return to civilian life.
Unlike regular soldiers, Russians who fought in Ukraine as part of private paramilitary groups at the start of the offensive in 2022 and 2023 complain that they receive no financial assistance.
"For health reasons, I can't find a permanent job. I do odd jobs," said "Scorpaena".
"I have no choice. The war will end sooner or later. You have to get used to life in peacetime," he said.
"Our lads will soon be starting to come home and the numbers of those needing rehabilitation will increase. We'll probably have to open new centres like this one."
bur/fg-jj

agriculture

Dutch flower industry grasps thorny pesticide issue

BY CHARLOTTE VAN OUWERKERK

  • At Aalsmeer, near the Dutch capital, dozens of staff on electric scooters weave through the world's biggest flower market.
  • As Margriet Mantingh gazes at flowers stretching as far as the eye can see at the world's biggest flower market near Amsterdam, all she sees is a huge bouquet of pesticides.
  • At Aalsmeer, near the Dutch capital, dozens of staff on electric scooters weave through the world's biggest flower market.
As Margriet Mantingh gazes at flowers stretching as far as the eye can see at the world's biggest flower market near Amsterdam, all she sees is a huge bouquet of pesticides.
Known globally for tulips, the Dutch are world leaders in the international flower sector, which is coming under increasing scrutiny for pesticides sprayed on the fields.
This global leadership role makes it all the more important for the Dutch to show the way in the face of mounting criticism of the industry, said Mantingh, president of the PAN-NL anti-pesticide group.
Her organisation recently published a study showing most bouquets bought at a florist, supermarket, or online, are stuffed full of pesticides.
She said the flowers were sprayed with a toxic cocktail that can cause cancer, affect hormones, and decrease fertility.
"We examined 13 bouquets and found 71 different pesticides, one third of which were banned substances" in the European Union, the 78-year-old retiree told AFP.
The flowers examined contained traces of insecticides and fungicides, some of which are banned "because they are very toxic for humans," she said.

'Different diseases'

The issue of pesticides on flowers hit the headlines in France after a young girl died of a leukaemia linked to her mother's exposure to the chemicals, as she worked as a florist during her pregnancy.
French consumer group UFC Que Choisir has also raised concerns about pesticide contamination of cut flowers, warning of dangers for those handling the flowers.
At Aalsmeer, near the Dutch capital, dozens of staff on electric scooters weave through the world's biggest flower market.
The Royal FloraHolland group based there sells some nine billion flowers per year for an annual turnover of around 5.2 billion euros ($5.8 billion). 
Most of their produce is exported, mainly to Germany, Britain and France. 
Dutch companies also import some three billion stems annually from Africa, notably Ethiopia and Kenya, said Michel van Schie, spokesman for Royal FloraHolland.
And the rules on pesticides are determined by the country cultivating the flowers -- often applying different standards, he added.
"In Africa, there are different diseases than in Europe. That means that other products are needed to fight against these diseases," he said.
The problem is that these flowers then make their way into the European market, say groups like UFC Que Choisir and PAN-NL.
There are no EU laws limiting pesticides on cut flowers, 80 percent of which are imported from countries still permitting the use of highly toxic substances, said PAN-NL's Mantingh.
While the EU has laws restricting pesticides on fruits and vegetables, no such legislation exists for flowers, she said.

'Perfect flowers'

The death of the young girl in France had a knock-on effect in the Netherlands.
Together with the agriculture ministry, the Dutch VBW florists' association urged its members to use gloves and always wash their hands after cleaning the flowers delivered to their shops.
And from next year, Royal FloraHolland will require its producers to show a durability certificate, a label that will enable authorities to check the amount of pesticides used.
"This case in France is horrible and even if we don't know exactly what happened, we have to ensure that everything is as safe as possible at all times," said Marco Maasse, head of the VBW.
He said that no bouquet sold in the Netherlands presents a danger to the public "because it would not be permitted to be sold."
The two men and Margriet Mantingh agree on one point: as world leader, the Netherlands has a duty to set the example.
"We need to have a better understanding of the (pesticide) residue that is actually on the product when it comes from the producer or enters the Netherlands," said Maasse.
"The whole chain could be improved further in that respect," he added.
But at the end of the day, said Van Schie, "the consumer wants perfect flowers and plants," even in winter.
cvo/ric/cw-jj

malnutrition

Malnourished children in Afghanistan at 'high risk of dying' without US aid

BY CLAIRE GOUNON

  • "When malnourished patients come to our clinic, it's a big challenge for our staff to explain the situation to them and to tell them that they need to go elsewhere for proper treatment," said chief doctor Farid Ahmad Barakzai. 
  • At a malnutrition treatment centre in Afghanistan's capital, the cries of children have given way to a heavy silence, as patients are turned away and medical staff laid off due to US aid cuts. 
  • "When malnourished patients come to our clinic, it's a big challenge for our staff to explain the situation to them and to tell them that they need to go elsewhere for proper treatment," said chief doctor Farid Ahmad Barakzai. 
At a malnutrition treatment centre in Afghanistan's capital, the cries of children have given way to a heavy silence, as patients are turned away and medical staff laid off due to US aid cuts. 
Entirely funded by Washington, the project had to shut down when the United States -- until recently the largest aid donor in Afghanistan -- froze all foreign assistance.
The many children who would have come to the centre won't be treated now, said Cobi Rietveld, country director for the non-governmental organisation Action Against Hunger (ACF), which manages the clinic in the west of Kabul.
"If they don't get treatment, there's an extreme high risk of dying," she told AFP. 
Without new funding, the stuffed animals, toys and baby bottles were put away and the pharmacy locked when the last patient left in March. 
"When malnourished patients come to our clinic, it's a big challenge for our staff to explain the situation to them and to tell them that they need to go elsewhere for proper treatment," said chief doctor Farid Ahmad Barakzai. 
After four decades of war and crises, Afghanistan faces the second-largest humanitarian crisis in the world, behind war-torn Sudan, according to the UN. 

'So many shocks'

On average, 65 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition with complications were treated at the clinic every month. 
They stay there for several days with their mothers not only to be fed but to prevent them from spiralling into illness. 
"Every infection a child can get, a malnourished child will get as well, with an increased risk of dying," said Rietveld. 
It's "painful" for the staff, finishing their last days of work, Rietveld added, because "they have to send them somewhere else where they don't have the same specialized treatment". 
Child malnutrition in Afghanistan, where 45 percent of the population is under 14 years old, is one of the most significant challenges because it affects entire generations in the long term.
Some 3.5 million children under the age of five suffer from acute malnutrition and the country has one of the highest rates of stunting in the world, according to the UN.
Adults are also affected: 15 million Afghans are currently food insecure, including 3.1 million who are already on the brink of famine. 
Last week, the World Food Programme said the United States had ended funding for its work in Afghanistan, having gone back on cuts to other countries. 
"This is a country that's been through so many shocks," the World Health Organization representative in Afghanistan, Edwin Ceniza Salvador, told AFP.
"So with a fragile system, even basic care of screening, those are even not there," he said, underscoring that "of course the most vulnerable are the most affected".

'Only place we could work'

The funding crisis has also led to numerous layoffs in the humanitarian sector, in a country where the unemployment rate reached 12.2 percent in 2024, according to the World Bank. 
Since the US cuts, ACF has had to lay off around 150 of its 900 staff. 
"I have crying people in my office," said Rietveld. "We listen, we offer support, but we can't get them a job." 
Hit hardest by the layoffs were women, who made up the majority of the 40 staff at ACF's child nutrition centre and who face severe restrictions imposed by the Taliban authorities since their return to power in 2021.
They can no longer work in many sectors and are not allowed to study beyond primary school, unless they enrol in a religious school, leading the UN to label the system as "gender apartheid".
"For many of us, the only place we could work was in this health centre," said 27-year-old nurse Wazhma Noorzai. "Now, we are losing even that." 
To recover after the loss of US funding, which made up 30 percent of the ACF's local budget, the organisation is "in the process of writing proposals" and "discussing with donors", Rietveld said.
"But I don't think other donors can cover the gap." 
cgo/sw/ecl/dhc

treaty

Pandemic agreement: key points

BY AGNèS PEDRERO

  • - Objective - The objective of the WHO Pandemic Agreement is "strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness and response".
  • After more than three years of thorny negotiations, World Health Organization member states finalised early Wednesday a major agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
  • - Objective - The objective of the WHO Pandemic Agreement is "strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness and response".
After more than three years of thorny negotiations, World Health Organization member states finalised early Wednesday a major agreement on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
Here are the main points in the accord, which will be submitted for final approval at the WHO's annual assembly next month. 

Objective

The objective of the WHO Pandemic Agreement is "strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness and response".
Following the glaring inequity and deficiencies exposed in the world's handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, the agreement is guided by the principles of equity, solidarity and transparency. 
Respect for the sovereign rights of states -- an issue widely questioned by conspiracy theories that have surrounded the negotiations -- is also a key foundation, according to the text.

Pathogen access, benefit sharing

The heart of the agreement is the proposed Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing System (PABS) -- a new platform allowing the swift sharing of pathogen data with pharmaceutical companies, enabling them to start work quickly on pandemic-fighting products.
This was one of the trickiest parts to negotiate.
Developing countries had expressed concerns about handing over pathogens and data if they risked being cut off from accessing the resultant vaccines, tests and treatments, as happened at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Under PABS, countries will commit to sharing data rapidly on emerging problematic pathogens, while vaccines and other health products derived from accessing that information would be shared on a more equitable footing.
The text calls for participating manufacturers to make available to the WHO at speed "20 percent of their real-time production" of pandemic-related health products, including "a minimum threshold of 10 percent" in the form of donations, and the rest "reserved at affordable prices" for the UN health agency.
Manufacturers, even those based in non-WHO countries, can choose freely to participate in the voluntary programme, for which the practical modalities still remain to be negotiated.

Technology transfer

Another main sticking point has been the modalities around the transfer of technology and know-how needed to produce pandemic-related health products, in particular to developing countries.
Some wealthier countries, notably ones where such products are currently produced, rejected the idea that such transfers should be mandatory.
The agreed-upon text instead calls for transfers to be undertaken on "mutually agreed" terms.
And it calls for the use of measures and incentives including licensing agreements and favourable conditions linked to things like financing and regulations to promote technology transfer.

Prevention and surveillance

Under this section, countries will take progressive steps to strengthen their pandemic prevention and surveillance capacities.
Subject to resources, countries are called on to develop, reinforce and implement comprehensive national pandemic prevention plans. 
This would include things like routine immunisation, managing biological risks in laboratories, preventing antimicrobial resistance, and stopping the transmission of diseases from animals to humans.

Sustainable local production

The text calls for countries to take measures to ensure "more equitable geographical distribution and rapid scale-up of the global production of pandemic-related health products" like vaccines.
It also calls for more "sustainable, timely and equitable access to such products", and for countries to "reduce the potential gap between supply and demand during pandemic emergencies".

Supply chain and logistics

In an attempt to smooth out the flaws exposed by Covid-19, a Global Supply Chain and Logistics Network will be set up for equitable, timely and affordable access to pandemic-related health products.
During pandemic emergencies, countries should prioritise sharing pandemic-related health products through the network to ensure equitable distribution based on public health risk and need.
The structure and operational modalities of the network, which is to be coordinated by the WHO, will be defined at its first meeting, according to the text. 
apo-nl/rjm

technology

'Toxic beauty': Rise of 'looksmaxxing' influencers

BY ANUJ CHOPRA WITH RACHEL BLUNDY IN LONDON

  • Underneath the video are dozens of comments warning that "bone smashing," also known as the hammer technique, was "dangerous" while others hailed it as a legitimate way to achieve an angular jawline.
  • Hankering for a chiseled jawline, a male TikTok influencer strikes his cheekbones with a hammer -- highlighting the rise of "looksmaxxing," an online trend pushing unproven and sometimes dangerous techniques to boost sexual appeal.
  • Underneath the video are dozens of comments warning that "bone smashing," also known as the hammer technique, was "dangerous" while others hailed it as a legitimate way to achieve an angular jawline.
Hankering for a chiseled jawline, a male TikTok influencer strikes his cheekbones with a hammer -- highlighting the rise of "looksmaxxing," an online trend pushing unproven and sometimes dangerous techniques to boost sexual appeal.
Looksmaxxing influencers -- part of an online ecosystem dubbed the "manosphere" -- have surged in popularity across social media, capitalizing on the insecurities of young men eager to boost their physical attractiveness to women.
In posts across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, they promote pseudoscientific methods to achieve everything from pouty lips to chin extensions and almond-shaped "hunter eyes," often while monetizing their popularity by endorsing a range of consumer products.
In more extreme cases, these influencers advocate taking steroids, undergoing plastic surgery and even "leg-lengthening" procedures to become more attractive.
While women may pay regular visits to aestheticians or buy new beauty products, spurring a global beauty retail market worth hundreds of billions of dollars, the manosphere at times promotes a DIY approach that draws on the nearest toolbox. 
"Babe, what's taking you so long in the bathroom?" reads the caption flashing across a viral TikTok video of a man seen hitting his cheeks with the sharp edge of a hammer, in what he calls his "skincare routine."
Underneath the video are dozens of comments warning that "bone smashing," also known as the hammer technique, was "dangerous" while others hailed it as a legitimate way to achieve an angular jawline.
In other videos, British influencer Oscar Patel promoted "mewing," an unproven technique that involves pressing the tongue into the roof of the mouth for improving jaw and facial structure.
Without offering evidence, he told his nearly 188,000 TikTok followers that such tricks would turn them into a "PSL god," an internet slang for exceptionally attractive men, short for Perfectly Symmetrical Looks.

'Toxic combination'

In another video, US-based TikToker Dillon Latham misleadingly told his 1.7 million followers to whiten their teeth by applying hydrogen peroxide to their teeth with a Q tip.
Some dentists warn that regularly using store-bought peroxide could damage tooth enamel and gums.
The looksmaxxing trend is fueling "an industry of influencers who promote 'perfect bodies and perfect faces', often to feather their own nest," Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan, an analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, told AFP.
"Among men, this is mixed with the misogyny of the manosphere, which often blames women for male insecurities, creating a toxic combination," he added.
Many looksmaxxing influencers appear to have a financial incentive, frequently leveraging their popularity to promote products ranging from skin cleansers to pheromone perfumes, and even Chinese knock-off watches.
Looksmaxxing is rooted in "incel" -- or involuntarily celibate -- communities, an internet subculture rife with misogyny, with men tending to blame women and feminism for their romantic failings.
"The incel ideology is being rebranded to looksmaxxing on TikTok," Anda Solea, a researcher at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth, told AFP.
In a study, Solea found that incel-inspired accounts on TikTok were circumventing a ban on hateful language with a focus on looksmaxxing and more palatable words about self-improvement.
"There are a lot of pressures on men –- we want to protect women from gender-based violence but we should also be careful about young men and boys," Solea said.

'Deeply damaging'

Other related maxxing trends have also gained traction, including "gymmaxxing," which focuses on building muscle, and "moneymaxxing," which centers on improving financial status -- all with the ultimate goal of increasing sexual desirability.
Looksmaxxing influencers –- many of whom idolize male models such as Australian Jordan Barrett and American Sean O'Pry -- have amassed massive followings as algorithms propel their content to millions.
These algorithms can lead to real-world harm, experts warn. 
The danger was dramatized in the recent Netflix hit "Adolescence," which follows the case of a 13-year-old boy accused of killing a classmate after consuming misogynistic content online.
The fictional crime drama references the popular but unfounded "80/20" theory that claims 80 percent of women are attracted to 20 percent of men.
In a study last year, researchers at Dublin City University created fake accounts registered as teenage boys. They reported that their TikTok and YouTube feeds were "bombarded" with male supremacy and misogynistic content.
"More widely, this does feed into toxic beauty standards which affect men as well as women," said Venkataramakrishnan, from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue.
"The idea that if you don't look like a Hollywood star, you might as well give up trying for a relationship is deeply damaging."
rb-ac/sla/bjt

drugs

Trump signs order aimed at lowering drug prices

  • The order directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, to allow more states to import medicines directly from countries with lower prices.
  • US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aiming to lower crippling drug prices by giving states more leeway to bargain-hunt abroad and improving the process for price negotiations.
  • The order directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, to allow more states to import medicines directly from countries with lower prices.
US President Donald Trump signed an executive order Tuesday aiming to lower crippling drug prices by giving states more leeway to bargain-hunt abroad and improving the process for price negotiations.
Americans face the highest prescription drug prices in the world, leaving many people to pay partially out of their own pockets despite already exorbitant insurance premiums.
"This (order) will provide meaningful relief to seniors and low income individuals who depend on insulin and many, many more," a White House official told reporters.
"Furthermore, it will foster a more competitive prescription drug market to ensure the prices being charged to patients and the government are more aligned with the value they provide, rather than some quirk in the way that the government pays for them."
The order directs the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which regulates prescription and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, to allow more states to import medicines directly from countries with lower prices.
The administration of Trump's predecessor Joe Biden approved Florida's application to import from Canada last year but no other states were given the green light for their own deals. 
The order also tweaks the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed under Biden, which allowed the Medicare health insurance plan for seniors to negotiate the prices of certain drugs for the first time.
The aim of the changes is to eliminate the difference between price negotiation rules for pills and those for injectable drugs -- a disparity that critics argue could harm investment in the orally-administered products.
Under the IRA, Medicare could negotiate on prices for "small molecule" drugs that patients swallow, such as ibuprofen, nine years after FDA approval.
"Large molecule" biologics such as gene-based therapies and hormonal regulators could only be subject to negotiations after 13 years.
The order did not specify how the disparity would be addressed.
Officials said the edict also did not make use of a "most favored nation" status that would force pharmaceutical companies to offer their lowest prices in America.
Biden's IRA reforms led to the costs of 10 key medicines being cut in landmark negotiations with pharmaceutical firms.
Days before leaving office, the Democrat announced a further 15 drugs for which the government would negotiate lower prices with pharmaceutical companies, with the resulting prices taking effect in 2027.
ft/des

aid

More than 10% of Afghans could lose healthcare by year-end: WHO

BY CLAIRE GOUNON

  • The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) this month urged international donors to continue supporting the 22.9 million Afghans in need of aid this year. 
  • More than 10 percent of the Afghan population could be deprived of healthcare by the end of the year due to the termination of US aid, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday.
  • The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) this month urged international donors to continue supporting the 22.9 million Afghans in need of aid this year. 
More than 10 percent of the Afghan population could be deprived of healthcare by the end of the year due to the termination of US aid, the World Health Organization warned Tuesday.
Afghanistan, with a population of 45 million that has long been dependent on aid, faces the world's second-largest humanitarian crisis.
Since US funding cuts earlier this year, about three million people have lost access to health services because of the closure of more than 364 medical centres, with a further 220 centres at risk of closing by the third quarter of 2025, the UN's health agency said. 
That would mean more than half of the 1,068 centres across the country would be closed, Edwin Ceniza Salvador, the WHO representative in Afghanistan, told AFP in an interview. 
"That's maybe another two or three million people who have no access to healthcare services," Salvador said in Kabul.
"When the funding stopped, of course the existing donors tried to step up. But you're talking about a significant gap to US funding," he added.
Afghanistan's dilapidated healthcare system has been weakened by decades of war and records some of the world's highest infant and maternal mortality rates.
The global aid situation has grown dire since President Donald Trump ordered the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development early this year, and to begin Washington's withdrawal from the WHO.
His administration scrapped 83 percent of humanitarian programmes funded by USAID. The agency had an annual budget of $42.8 billion, representing 42 percent of total global humanitarian aid. 
"The system is already very fragile, and whatever system is remaining, is really coping the best that they can," Salvador said.
"It's only getting worse, and if we're not able to collectively address the gap, I fear that it will only get worse moving forward."
The risk of disease outbreaks such as dengue, malaria and tuberculosis will increase, while immunisations will fall, Salvador added.
The WHO is also trying to vaccinate enough children to eradicate polio, which is now endemic in only two countries: Afghanistan and neighbouring Pakistan.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) this month urged international donors to continue supporting the 22.9 million Afghans in need of aid this year. 
Eighty-five percent of Afghans live on less than a dollar a day, according to the UN's development agency (UNDP).
"I know there are a lot of priorities, different priorities in the world," Salvador said. 
"My request is let us also not forget about the needs of Afghanistan and the people of Afghanistan."
cgo/sw/rsc

USAID

USAID cuts rip through African health care systems

BY SAMAD UTHMAN AND NICHOLAS ROLL WITH AFP BUREAUS IN NAIROBI AND KINSHASA

  • As downpours progressively cascade across west Africa -- Nigeria's have just started, while Senegal's rains won't arrive until May -- countries that have made in some cases significant progress in stamping out malaria in recent decades will now be doing so without a major financial backer.
  • As clouds gather and humidity rises across west Africa, whose annual rains bring an uptick of deadly, malaria-carrying mosquitoes, Musa Adamu Ibrahim, a nurse, is sitting at home, unemployed.
  • As downpours progressively cascade across west Africa -- Nigeria's have just started, while Senegal's rains won't arrive until May -- countries that have made in some cases significant progress in stamping out malaria in recent decades will now be doing so without a major financial backer.
As clouds gather and humidity rises across west Africa, whose annual rains bring an uptick of deadly, malaria-carrying mosquitoes, Musa Adamu Ibrahim, a nurse, is sitting at home, unemployed.
In Nigeria -- home to 30 percent of the world's annual 600,000 malaria deaths -- clinics that once served 300 people a day in the conflict-hit Borno state have abruptly shut down, Ibrahim and other laid-off workers told AFP, following the withdrawal of American funding by President Donald Trump. 
"The clinics have been closed and (there are) no more free drugs or mosquito nets," said Ibrahim.
The sudden dismantling of USAID -- the country's main foreign development arm -- is unravelling health care systems across Africa that were built from a complicated web of national health ministries, the private sector, nonprofits and foreign aid.
As the effects of the cuts compound, the resulting damage -- and deaths -- are unlikely to end anytime soon: malaria cases will peak around the end of the rainy season, while threatened American cuts to global vaccine funding would likely be felt later in the year.
In the meantime, the ripple effects continue to spread: alongside laid-off workers, malnutrition clinics have shuttered doors in Nigeria. 
Rattled supply chains mean drugs are at risk of being stuck in warehouses in Mali. Children are walking miles to reach care in South Sudan for cholera care and dying along the way, and refugee camps in Kenya are facing medicine shortages.
"People with resources will be able to go and get drugs... but the poorest of the poor, out in remote areas of Nigeria and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa, they're the ones who will be cut off," said Lawrence Barat, a former senior technical advisor for the US President's Malaria Initiative (PMI).
"They're the ones whose children will die."
- Malaria forecasts upended - 
During malaria's seasonal peak, Ibrahim once saw clinics he worked at treat 300 patients a week. Fatima Kunduli, another laid-off aid worker in Borno, said her clinic was seeing 60 children per day for malnutrition and malaria care before it shut down.
As downpours progressively cascade across west Africa -- Nigeria's have just started, while Senegal's rains won't arrive until May -- countries that have made in some cases significant progress in stamping out malaria in recent decades will now be doing so without a major financial backer.
Forecasts developed by ministries of health across the continent to plan for the rainy season have deep holes blown in them, said Saschveen Singh, an infectious disease specialist with Doctors Without Borders in France.
The complex mix of funding sources in each nation -- from local governments to internationalnonprofits -- means US programmes worked differently in every country. 
In Mali, seasonal malaria chemoprevention drugs given to young children won't have an issue coming into the country -- but American funds were crucial for coordinating their distribution, Singh told AFP.
Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the USAID-supported PMI was the primary malaria drug and test provider to government health facilities in nine provinces.
"Suddenly, they'll just not have drugs, and it's going to be very difficult for other actors to step in," said Singh, adding her co-workers are "scrambling" to map out where gaps may arise.

Cholera treatment scaled back

In South Sudan, USAID-funded clinics have closed amid a cholera outbreak. Children are walking hours to the next closest treatment centre, with at least five dying along the way in the country's eastern Jonglei state, British charity Save the Children reported earlier this month.
In neighbouring Kenya's Kakuma refugee camp, which hosts more than 300,000 people, protests broke out in March when it was announced rations would be lowered, and doctors are running out of medicine.
"All the clinics around, you can get paracetamol. But all other drugs, no," one camp elder, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP during a recent visit.
At Kinkole General Hospital, in Kinshasa, doctors were recently treating 23 mpox patients isolated in tents free of charge thanks to American support. But workers have no idea if that funding will continue, despite an outbreak that has infected 16,000 and killed 1,600.
"We're thinking a disaster is coming," said Yvonne Walo, an epidemiologist at the centre.
- Potential vaccine funding gap - 
The hits to health care systems are set to keep coming.
Washington is reportedly considering pulling back its funding to Gavi, the organisation that procures vaccinations for the world's poorest countries.
Cuts would be almost guaranteed, with Gavi chief executive Sania Nishtar telling AFP that "this is too big a hole to be filled."
If confirmed, John Johnson, a vaccination and epidemic response advisor with Doctors Without Borders, expects programmes to start coming under strain later this year.
In Borno, whose governor recently warned of a resurgence of the Boko Haram jihadist group, Kunduli, the laid-off aid worker, said even with US funding the work was "overwhelming."
Now, "I could only imagine."
su-nro/sn/cw

suicide

French hospital staff, relatives sue ministers over work-related suicides

  • Nineteen plaintiffs have now accused Health Minister Catherine Vautrin and Higher Education Minister Elisabeth Borne of allowing "totally illegal and deadly working conditions" for workers and staff in training at hospitals across France, according to the complaint seen by AFP. They charge in the complaint they filed on Thursday that the ministers hold overall responsibility for workplace harassment and involuntary manslaughter over the deaths by suicide.
  • French healthcare workers and relatives of colleagues who killed themselves have filed a legal complaint against two ministers over "deadly working conditions" in public hospitals that they say are causing suicides, their lawyer said Monday.
  • Nineteen plaintiffs have now accused Health Minister Catherine Vautrin and Higher Education Minister Elisabeth Borne of allowing "totally illegal and deadly working conditions" for workers and staff in training at hospitals across France, according to the complaint seen by AFP. They charge in the complaint they filed on Thursday that the ministers hold overall responsibility for workplace harassment and involuntary manslaughter over the deaths by suicide.
French healthcare workers and relatives of colleagues who killed themselves have filed a legal complaint against two ministers over "deadly working conditions" in public hospitals that they say are causing suicides, their lawyer said Monday.
France's public hospitals have been forced to drastically slash spending in recent decades, and doctors and nurses have long complained of insufficient staffing and low pay.
Nineteen plaintiffs have now accused Health Minister Catherine Vautrin and Higher Education Minister Elisabeth Borne of allowing "totally illegal and deadly working conditions" for workers and staff in training at hospitals across France, according to the complaint seen by AFP.
They charge in the complaint they filed on Thursday that the ministers hold overall responsibility for workplace harassment and involuntary manslaughter over the deaths by suicide.
A member of Vautrin's team told AFP she did not wish "to comment at this stage".
An official in Borne's ministry said it "supports the health workers and their loved ones who have had to live through such serious human dramas".
The official added that the ministry was committed to "fully cooperating" with the judiciary.
The complaint described a system of "coercion to illegally organise work overtime", "threats" and "forced labour outside any regulatory framework" as well as "totalitarian" management practices.
Case files had been "individually or systematically completely ignored", with "no political awareness or willingness to change" current public hospital policies, it read.
It said conditions were particularly dire in three hospitals in the northeastern region of Alsace, the Herault area in southern France and the Yvelines region west of Paris, which had "witnessed a particularly preoccupying wave of suicides".
An occupational health nurse hung himself in his office at a psychiatric hospital in Alsace in 2023 after signalling in several letters his impossible workload and "the harassing behaviour of human resources management", the complaint said.
Two women studying to be nurses at the same hospital also killed themselves, it added.
Lawyer Christelle Mazza argued that if the public healthcare sector was a private company, its bosses would have been held to account.
"Any boss implementing such mass and repeated restructuring policies like the ones in public hospitals, with such consequences on working conditions, would have been sentenced and the company shut down," she said.
The complaint, which also targets junior health minister Yannick Neuder, has been lodged with the Republic's Court of Justice, which deals with cases against members of government.
bur-mk/ah/jh/js

conflict

From deadly rave to recovery: Israeli study examines MDMA's effect on trauma

BY RUTH EGLASH

  • - 'Love drug' - At the Nova memorial, Klein-Weinstein said he is still struggling with trauma and has been undergoing therapy.
  • Artillery fire echoed from nearby Gaza as Shye Klein-Weinstein slowly walked around a memorial honouring the nearly 400 people killed at the Nova music festival in Reim, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023.
  • - 'Love drug' - At the Nova memorial, Klein-Weinstein said he is still struggling with trauma and has been undergoing therapy.
Artillery fire echoed from nearby Gaza as Shye Klein-Weinstein slowly walked around a memorial honouring the nearly 400 people killed at the Nova music festival in Reim, southern Israel, on October 7, 2023.
The 28-year-old photographer and survivor of Hamas's attack recalled names and events from that fateful day -- some of which he captured on film, documenting the final moments of his fellow revellers.
Klein-Weinstein, an immigrant from Canada who had arrived in Israel just four months prior to the attack, also recalled another detail from the festival: taking ecstasy.
While still visibly shaken by the horrific experience, early findings from a study by researchers at Israel's Haifa University suggest that the MDMA Klein-Weinstein and others at the festival took that night may have been helpful in cushioning the impact of the trauma they endured.
"I came to the Nova with my cousin and several friends... It was my first music festival ever," Klein-Weinstein told AFP. 
They "each took a half or a quarter pill of ecstasy", he said, going on to describe the unfolding chaos and his frantic escape.

New findings

The Haifa University study, which monitored 657 Nova survivors -- both those who took drugs and those who did not -- found in initial results that individuals under the influence of MDMA exhibited "significantly improved intermediate outcomes compared to those who were under the influence of other substances or no substances at all".
The study, which was recently accepted for publication in the World Psychiatry journal, noted that "the MDMA group reported increased feelings of social support, more social interactions and enhanced quality of sleep" after the event, "yielding reduced levels of mental distress and reduced PTSD symptom severity".
"That is a very unique finding -- it was never reported before, because it was never studied before, because it never happened before," said Roee Admon, one of the study's lead researchers.
Admon explained that while trauma research is well established, the attack on a gathering like the Nova festival has opened a new window into the effects of trauma under the influence of mind-altering substances.
"We don't know anything about the response to trauma when people, during the attack or traumatic event, are under the influence of specific substances like cannabis, alcohol, and psychedelics like LSD and MDMA," he said, adding that such a mass trauma event, where around 4,000 people were exposed to the same elements at the same time, is rare.
"I would feel like if something like that happened to me, I would want to be as much in control as possible, clean from any foreign influences or substances," said Admon. "But that's not what we found, and that's why it was very surprising."
Still, Admon was quick to caution that while MDMA may have offered a psychological buffer, the overall levels of PTSD among Nova survivors remained extremely high.
He also noted that the study was limited by "survivor bias", as researchers cannot learn from those killed in the attack.

'Love drug'

At the Nova memorial, Klein-Weinstein said he is still struggling with trauma and has been undergoing therapy. Still, he believes the MDMA he took that night may have eased his symptoms somewhat.
But, he added, he did not want people to think MDMA "saved us or protected us... I don't know anybody who didn't die because they were on MDMA. They were just as vulnerable as anyone else, and we were all in the same situation."
Still, he continued, ecstasy is "known as the love drug. It makes you just want to hug your friends and dance and laugh and smile."
"When everything was happening, I noticed that I wasn't really afraid for myself," he recalled.
"The only concern I had was that I wouldn't be able to help my friends or that something would happen to them, and I would be totally useless, unable to do anything -- that was a terrible feeling, not being in control."
Vered Atzmon-Meshulam, a psychologist specialising in trauma and head of the Resilience Division at the rescue and recovery organisation ZAKA, told AFP she was not surprised by the study because previous research has suggested MDMA could help treat post-traumatic stress disorder.
In 2023, Australia became the first country to legalise the use of MDMA to treat PTSD.
"This research is very important for continuing to develop tailored responses for extreme trauma," Atzmon-Meshulam said.
"We must move forward to the next phase, which includes treatments that use psychedelics for healing in a true and widespread manner, not just for the people who were at Nova, but many others who suffer from post-trauma."
reg/jd/smw/sco

Trump

Trump's doctor finds US president in 'excellent health' after physical

  • "President Trump exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State," read a physician's letter shared by the White House.
  • Donald Trump is in "excellent health," a White House doctor's assessment said Sunday, after he underwent his first annual medical checkup since returning to the US presidency.
  • "President Trump exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State," read a physician's letter shared by the White House.
Donald Trump is in "excellent health," a White House doctor's assessment said Sunday, after he underwent his first annual medical checkup since returning to the US presidency.
Republican Trump, 78, has repeatedly boasted about his own vigor since starting a second term, while mocking his 82-year-old Democratic predecessor Joe Biden as decrepit and mentally unfit for office.
"President Trump exhibits excellent cognitive and physical health and is fully fit to execute the duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State," read a physician's letter shared by the White House.
It noted a few abnormalities that included minor sun damage to Trump's skin, as well as scarring on his right ear from a gunshot wound suffered in an assassination attempt last July.
A colonoscopy revealed last year that Trump had diverticulosis -- small pouches in the colon -- and a benign polyp, the report said, adding that a follow-up exam was recommended in three years.
It said Trump is taking four medications: two for cholesterol control, aspirin for cardiac prevention, and a steroid skin cream.
The report overall was complimentary of Trump's health, praising his "active lifestyle" and citing his "frequent victories in golf events" -- a common boast of the billionaire who also abstains from alcohol and cigarettes.
He is known, however, to indulge in fast food and famously enjoys well-done steaks -- although he appears noticeably thinner than during his first term.
The latest report put his current weight at 224 pounds (101.6 kilograms), down from 243 in 2019.
Trump had said Friday he felt "in very good shape" after his exam earlier that day at the Walter Reed military hospital in the Washington suburbs.
"I took a cognitive test. I don't know what to tell you other than I got every answer right," he told reporters aboard Air Force One.

Outlandish health claims

Trump has been accused of a lack of openness about his health despite huge interest in the well-being of America's commander-in-chief.
The White House said previously that presidential physician Sean Barbabella would give a readout of the physical and that "of course" it would provide the full report.
But Trump's personal and White House doctors have at times made outlandish claims about his health.
In 2015, during Trump's first presidential run, his doctor Harold Bornstein released a letter saying the tycoon "unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency."
Bornstein later told CNN that Trump himself "dictated that whole letter. I didn't write that letter."
The White House doctor in his first term, Ronny Jackson, said in 2018 that with a healthier diet Trump could "live to be 200 years old."
Jackson's report then suggested Trump should aim to lose 10 to 15 pounds but said he was generally in "excellent health," adding that there were no signs of "any cognitive issues."
A year later, an exam found the 6-foot-3 (1.9 meter) Trump weighed 243 pounds, up seven pounds since shortly before taking office, making him technically obese.
Age became a major issue in the 2024 election, when Trump and Biden faced off as the oldest major party candidates in US history.
Biden was forced to drop out of the race after a stumbling performance in a TV debate against Trump in June that put concerns over his cognitive health to the top of the agenda.
bur-bjt/bbk

treaty

Accord reached 'in principle' over tackling future pandemics: negotiating body

BY CHRISTOPHE VOGT

  • That text will require a final seal of approval from all World Health Organization members at the World Health Assembly in Geneva at the end of May.
  • World Health Organization members on Saturday reached agreement over how to tackle future pandemics after three years of discussions, the co-chair of the negotiating body told AFP. "We have an accord in principle" and the final version will have to be approved by the various member states, said Anne-Claire Amprou, the French ambassador for world health.
  • That text will require a final seal of approval from all World Health Organization members at the World Health Assembly in Geneva at the end of May.
World Health Organization members on Saturday reached agreement over how to tackle future pandemics after three years of discussions, the co-chair of the negotiating body told AFP.
"We have an accord in principle" and the final version will have to be approved by the various member states, said Anne-Claire Amprou, the French ambassador for world health.
Delegates will meet on Tuesday in Geneva to put the finishing touches to a landmark text on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response and give it their definitive seal of agreement, Amprou added.
That text will require a final seal of approval from all World Health Organization members at the World Health Assembly in Geneva at the end of May.
The breakthrough, which came after a marathon discussion session stretching for almost 24 hours, was welcomed by enthusiastic applause from the delegates lasting several minutes.
"This is a very good signal. You are part of an incredible history in the making," said the WHO's director-general, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
"This is a good gift to our children and our grandchildren," said Tedros, who remained with delegates throughout the night as they thrashed out an agreement.
"We're very grateful for their commitment," he said of the delegates' marathon overnight session, in a post on X.
French President Emmanuel Macron also welcomed the agreement.
"With the agreement in principle for a pandemic treaty, the international community is creating a new system to better protect us," he posted on X.

Sticking points

Several sources told AFP one of the main sticking points had been paragraph 11, which deals with technology transfer for production of health products related to pandemics -- particularly to benefit developing countries.
Latin American countries are also pushing for facilitation of the transfer.
The issue had been a bone of contention in poorer countries during the Covid-19 pandemic, when they say rich nations hoarded vaccine doses and tests.
Several countries where the pharmaceutical industry is a major economic player oppose the idea of mandatory transfers and have insisted on it being voluntary.
One delegate said this point has been resolved, but the latest version of the text was not available as of Saturday afternoon.
US President Donald Trump in January slashed the international aid programme of what had been by far the world's biggest donor nation. 
The United States was absent from the talks, Trump having said on his return to the White House that his country would leave the WHO, which experts say will heighten risks to the global health risk surveillance system.

'A lot of upside'

WHO members decided the agreement had to be drawn up in December 2021, two years after the start of the Covid outbreak, which killed millions across the globe and brought the world economy to its knees.
Saturday's text however did not match the scale of WHO member states' initial ambitions, said James Packard Love, executive director of Knowledge Ecology International, an advocacy group.
"The initial proposals put forward by the secretary were quite ambitious (but) that's not the case now," he told AFP.
"As the negotiations have dragged on, the trade people have come in, the industry, people have come in. And some people ask me, is the agreement so weak now that it's not worth doing?" he added.
"I tell people that I think there's a lot of upside for getting an agreement." 
"The pandemic agreement will not be perfect," Michelle Childs, head of policy advocacy at the Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative (DNDi) told AFP.
"It is a product of compromise, and not all ambitions will be met," she added.
"But it will create a crucial new baseline to build on to save lives during the next global health emergency. It is a floor, not a ceiling," said Childs.
Warning signs of health risks remain, notably H5N1 bird flu, a virus which continues to infect new species, raising fears of possible transmission between humans.
Other risks include measles outbreaks in 58 countries resulting from insufficient vaccination rates due to mistrust of vaccines caused by misinformation, and mpox, which has been spreading in Africa.
vog/jj/rlp

Trump

Trump, 78, says feels in 'very good shape' after annual checkup

BY DANNY KEMP

  • "I felt I was in very good shape.
  • Donald Trump said he felt "in very good shape" Friday after his first annual medical checkup since returning to the US presidency, an exam that puts the focus on the fitness of the oldest man ever elected to the White House.
  • "I felt I was in very good shape.
Donald Trump said he felt "in very good shape" Friday after his first annual medical checkup since returning to the US presidency, an exam that puts the focus on the fitness of the oldest man ever elected to the White House.
Republican Trump, 78, has repeatedly boasted about his own vigor since starting a second term, while mocking his 82-year-old Democratic predecessor Joe Biden as decrepit and mentally unfit for office.
But now it is Trump, who will also be 82 at the end of his presidency, under the stethoscope.
"I felt I was in very good shape. Good heart," Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One, adding that "I took a cognitive test. I don't know what to tell you other than I got every answer right."
The billionaire arrived at the Walter Reed military hospital in the Washington suburbs earlier in the day -- after a delay due to talks on tariffs.
"I have never felt better, but nevertheless, these things must be done!" Trump said on Truth Social earlier this week.
Trump has repeatedly been accused of a lack of openness about his health despite huge interest in the wellbeing of America's commander-in-chief.
Stating that he underwent both cardio and cognitive tests, Trump said a report would be released by his doctor on Sunday.
The White House said previously that presidential physician Sean Barbabella would give a readout of the physical and that "of course" it would provide the full report.
"I can confirm the president is in very good shape, as you see on a near daily basis," Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier.
She said Trump would not be having a general anesthetic -- which is normally used for procedures such as colonoscopies -- but added there is "a lot that goes into it to make sure the president is accomplishing all of his goals."
Trump is a prolific golfer who abstains from alcohol and cigarettes.
But he is also known to indulge in fast food and famously enjoys well-done steaks, although he appears noticeably thinner than during his first term.

'Healthiest individual'

Trump's personal and White House doctors have at times made outlandish claims about his health.
In 2015, during Trump's first presidential run, his doctor Harold Bornstein released a letter saying the tycoon "unequivocally, will be the healthiest individual ever elected to the presidency."
Bornstein later told CNN that Trump himself "dictated that whole letter. I didn't write that letter."
The White House doctor in his first term, Ronny Jackson, said in 2018 that with a healthier diet Trump could "live to be 200 years old."
Jackson's report then suggested Trump should aim to lose 10 to 15 pounds but said he was generally in "excellent health," adding that there were no signs of "any cognitive issues."
A year later, an exam found the 6-foot-3 (1.9 meter) Trump weighed 243 pounds (110 kilograms), up seven pounds since shortly before taking office, making him technically obese. It said he was taking medication to treat high cholesterol.
In 2020, Trump told Fox News he aced a test for cognitive impairment by repeating the phrase "person, woman, man, camera, TV." 
Age became a major issue in the 2024 election when Trump and Biden faced off as the oldest major party candidates in history.
Biden was forced to drop out of the race after a stumbling performance in a TV debate against Trump in June that put concerns over his cognitive health to the top of the agenda.
Since returning to office Trump has repeatedly compared his own vigor to Biden's, while the White House has accused the previous administration of covering up what it says was the Democrat's decline.
dk/bfm/acb

vaccines

RFK Jr's autism 'epidemic' study raises anti-vaxx fears

BY CHLOé RABS AND DANIEL LAWLER

  • "Nearly 200 genes have been associated with autism, and approximately 80 percent of autism cases can be linked to genetic mutations," Thomas Bourgeron, head of the human genetics and cognitive functions lab at France's Pasteur Institute, told AFP. Yet vaccine sceptics including Kennedy have repeatedly promoted the debunked conspiracy theory that there is a link between the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and autism.
  • US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's announcement of a vast study to reveal the cause of a so-called autism "epidemic" has alarmed medical experts, who fear it could rekindle thoroughly debunked conspiracy theories about vaccines.
  • "Nearly 200 genes have been associated with autism, and approximately 80 percent of autism cases can be linked to genetic mutations," Thomas Bourgeron, head of the human genetics and cognitive functions lab at France's Pasteur Institute, told AFP. Yet vaccine sceptics including Kennedy have repeatedly promoted the debunked conspiracy theory that there is a link between the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and autism.
US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr's announcement of a vast study to reveal the cause of a so-called autism "epidemic" has alarmed medical experts, who fear it could rekindle thoroughly debunked conspiracy theories about vaccines.
Kennedy, a vaccine sceptic who has long promoted disproven theories linking childhood vaccines to autism, said Thursday that hundreds of scientists would determine by September why autism rates have been rising.
"And we'll be able to eliminate those exposures," he added, in a comment widely considered to be a reference to vaccines.  
However autism organisations, doctors and scientists rejected the idea that there is an "autism epidemic", saying five months was not enough time for such a study -- and that this subject has already been extensively looked at. 
The Autistic Self Advocacy Network, a US nonprofit, said Kennedy's announcement was a "clear signal" that the health department "intends to produce rigged and fraudulent research that supports Kennedy and (US President Donald) Trump's pre-existing beliefs in a connection between autism and vaccines".
Hugo Peyre, a child psychiatrist at University Hospital of Montpellier in France, told AFP that Kennedy's comments demonstrated "ignorance of the scientific literature".
Dozens of scientific studies over decades have confirmed that there is no link between autism and vaccines.

 Genetic, environmental factors

There is no single known cause for autism, a complex condition related to the development of the brain which can affect how people behave, communicate, learn and interact with others.
There are likely many factors that make children more likely to have autism, including genetic and environmental factors, according to the World Health Organization.
"Nearly 200 genes have been associated with autism, and approximately 80 percent of autism cases can be linked to genetic mutations," Thomas Bourgeron, head of the human genetics and cognitive functions lab at France's Pasteur Institute, told AFP.
Yet vaccine sceptics including Kennedy have repeatedly promoted the debunked conspiracy theory that there is a link between the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and autism.
This claim dates back to a retracted and repeatedly refuted study by Andrew Wakefield, a British doctor who was struck off the medical register for serious professional misconduct.
Yet this misinformation still spreads widely on social media, which can lead to lower vaccination rates.
During a measles outbreak in the southwestern United States, the vast majority of patients have been unvaccinated, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). 
A second child died during the outbreak last week.

Why are autism cases rising?

A key argument put forth by vaccine sceptics is that autism cases have been soaring.
Around one percent of children are autistic, the World Health Organization estimates. That is up from 0.62 percent in 2012, according to a 2022 study.
In the US, the rate of autism in children born in 1992 was one in 150, which rose to one in 36 for those born in 2012, according to the CDC.
The rising number of autism diagnoses is partly due to growing awareness about the condition, experts say.
And in the last couple of decades, milder forms of autism and related conditions have been folded into the umbrella term of autism spectrum disorder (ASD).
So for Peyre, it is beyond the pale to speak about an "autism epidemic".
There is an important distinction between how many people actually have autism, "which corresponds to the state of health of the population and which seems to be stable", and how many people are being diagnosed, he emphasised.
Even if autism diagnoses have "increased dramatically since the early 2000s," this does not mean "that children are sicker," he explained.
Bourgeron said that "diagnostic criteria have changed dramatically in recent decades, with greater consideration given to people without intellectual disabilities -- and better detection in girls".
"Healthcare professionals and families are also much more attentive to autism spectrum disorders," Peyre added.
Everyone agrees that more research is needed on the subject, with Peyre pointing in particular to a need to better understand risk factors before birth and the weeks afterwards.
But "the factors identified by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. have already been dismissed by the scientific community with very high-quality studies," he added.
dl-cra/phz

healthcare

Pig kidney removed from US transplant patient, but she set record

  • Her body's eventual rejection of the transplant showed that the reliable use of animal organs remains a distant goal, but doctors took some hope since the pig kidney did its blood-filtering work for 130 days before the body began rejecting it.
  • Doctors have had to remove the pig kidney implanted in an American woman after her body rejected it, but her four months living with the animal's organ set a record, the hospital that performed the operation said Friday.
  • Her body's eventual rejection of the transplant showed that the reliable use of animal organs remains a distant goal, but doctors took some hope since the pig kidney did its blood-filtering work for 130 days before the body began rejecting it.
Doctors have had to remove the pig kidney implanted in an American woman after her body rejected it, but her four months living with the animal's organ set a record, the hospital that performed the operation said Friday.
Towana Looney, a woman in her fifties from the southern state of Alabama, had received the genetically modified pig kidney on November 25 in New York.
The highly experimental procedure had fueled optimism that animal kidneys might prove a usable source amid a chronic shortage of available human kidneys.
Her body's eventual rejection of the transplant showed that the reliable use of animal organs remains a distant goal, but doctors took some hope since the pig kidney did its blood-filtering work for 130 days before the body began rejecting it.
A handful of patients had previously received pig kidneys, but none had survived more than two months.
Doctors said Looney, who is again receiving dialysis treatment, remains a candidate to receive a human kidney if one becomes available.
In a statement released by NYU Langone Hospital in New York, Looney expressed her gratitude for the care and support of her medical team there.
"For the first time since 2016, I enjoyed time with friends and family without planning around dialysis treatments," she said.
"Though the outcome is not what anyone wanted, I know a lot was learned from my 130 days with a pig kidney —- and that this can help and inspire many others." 
In 1999, Looney had donated a kidney to her mother. After a pregnancy-related complication damaged her remaining kidney, she spent eight years on dialysis.
Doctors were unable to find a compatible human donor, and Looney -- her health deteriorating -- was ultimately cleared to receive a genetically modified pig kidney.
Though early results were encouraging, "in early April, she had a reduction in renal function due to acute rejection," said Robert Montgomery, the chair of surgery and director of the hospital's transplant institute.
He added: "What triggered the rejection episode after a long period of stability is being actively investigated, but it followed a lowering of her immunosuppression regimen to treat an infection unrelated to the pig kidney."
The treatment seeks to inhibit the body's immune system to prevent it from attacking the implanted organ, but it also weakens the body's ability to fight off external infections.
The decision to remove the pig kidney was taken jointly by Looney and her doctors, in order to preserve "future possibilities for transplantation."
Doctors said she recovered rapidly from the April 4 operation, was discharged from the hospital on the fifth day after surgery, and "is back home in Alabama doing well."
cha/vla/bbk/mlm