Health News Roundup: U.S. health officials to testify to Congress on vaping sickness; Walmart expands $1 a day education program to deepen push in healthcare

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Novo Nordisk targets bigger slice of diabetes market with new tablet

Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk is aiming for a big slice of the multibillion-dollar diabetes market with a new pill, approved by U.S. authorities on Friday, that caters for patients with an aversion to needles. The company built its position as the world's biggest insulin maker on the back of injectable drugs but now aims to transform the market with a first-of-its-kind tablet version of its semaglutide drug.

Aid group says vaccine 'rationing' in Congo is hampering Ebola fight

The World Health Organization is "rationing" Ebola vaccines in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with access controls meaning too few people at risk are being protected in an outbreak of the deadly disease, the aid group MSF said on Monday. The medical charity Medicins Sans Frontiers (MSF) accused the WHO of using a rigid system of eligibility for vaccination and said the restrictions are allowing the viral disease to resurge in communities previously thought to be protected.

France may face sperm shortage under Macron plan to ease IVF rules

France risks a shortage of frozen sperm if lawmakers approve new legislation that allows single women and lesbian couples access to in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and abolishes the right of sperm and egg donors to keep their identities secret, clinicians said. Lawmakers in the country's National Assembly on Tuesday start debating a bioethics bill that unwinds some of western Europe's strictest rules governing medically-assisted pregnancies, a campaign promise of President Emmanuel Macron.

U.S. health officials to testify to Congress on vaping sickness

Congress begins public hearings this week about a mystery vaping-related lung disease that has sickened hundreds of people across the United States and taken eight lives. Anne Schuchat, principal deputy director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), will be asked by a House Oversight subcommittee Tuesday about the possible causes of the outbreak, what vaping products may have been implicated and what can be done about the disease that recently has sickened 530 people in 38 states. The parent of a recently stricken Chicago teen will also speak to lawmakers.

California federal prosecutors conducting criminal probe into Juul: WSJ

Federal prosecutors in California are conducting a criminal probe into e-cigarette maker Juul Labs Inc, the Wall Street Journal reported on Monday, citing people familiar with the matter. The focus of the probe by the U.S. attorney's office of the Northern District of California, which is in early stages, was unclear, the report said.

Walmart expands $1 a day education program to deepen push in healthcare

Walmart Inc is expanding an education program it began last year by offering healthcare degrees for $1 a day, its latest push to beef up its presence in the fast-growing health and wellness market in the United States. Walmart will offer seven bachelor's degrees and two diplomas in fields such as health science and healthcare management through a program that already offers degrees in the fields of business, supply chain management, computer science, and cyber security, the company said.

China may roll out e-cigarette rules amid global vaping backlash: state media

China, the world's largest tobacco market, may introduce rules for the e-cigarette industry as early as next month amid growing health concerns and reports that some products contain toxic elements, state media reported. The e-cigarette market in China, which has over 300 million smokers, is still considered less developed compared with other nations. However, dozens of domestic manufacturers such as Relx, Yooz, and SNOW+ have taken tens of millions of dollars in venture capital funding.

Tanzania summons World Health Organization rep over Ebola complaint

Tanzania on Tuesday summoned the World Health Organization's local representative over its assertion that the government refused to share information on suspected Ebola cases, signaling displeasure at the agency's rare public rebuke. Transparency and speed are key to combating the deadly hemorrhagic fever because it can spread rapidly. Anyone deemed to have been in contact with potentially infected people must be quarantined and the public warned to step up precautions such as handwashing.

U.S. recorded two new cases in measles outbreak last week

Two new cases of measles were reported in the United States last week, in the latest sign that health authorities have yet to take control of the nation's worst outbreak of the highly contagious and sometimes deadly disease since 1992. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also determined that two previously reported cases of the disease were not in fact measles, keeping the total number of cases for the year at 1,241 as of Sept. 12.

More Americans say vaping is as dangerous as smoking cigarettes: Reuters poll

A growing number of Americans say that vaping e-cigarettes is at least as harmful as smoking traditional cigarettes, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll, following reports of an outbreak of vaping-related illnesses and deaths. The national online poll, released Tuesday, found that 63% of adults in the United States disagreed with the statement that "vaping is healthier than traditional cigarettes." That is up 16 percentage points from a similar Reuters/Ipsos poll that ran in the spring of 2016. (Graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/2m82D7I)

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(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)