Reuters Health News Summary

Following is a summary of current health news briefs. Britain's Prince William tackles mental health taboo at Davos gathering

Britain's Prince William revealed on Wednesday that "not one celebrity" had originally wanted to join a mental health campaign he started in 2016 with his wife Kate and brother Harry. "We went out to a lot of people and nobody, before we started, was interested in being a part of 'Heads Together' – because it was mental health," he said, speaking on a panel at the World Economic Forum in the Swiss resort of Davos. Furloughed federal workers may lose some health benefits: U.S. senators

Four U.S. senators expressed concern on Wednesday that federal employees affected by the partial government shutdown could lose their dental and vision health insurance benefits if they are unable to pay their premiums. In a letter to the government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM), Democratic Senators Mark Warner, Tim Kaine, Chris Van Hollen and Ben Cardin said forcing workers to pay the premiums during the shutdown would be "unacceptable." China to crack down on health care violations: state media

China will step up its fight against "irregularities" in the sale of healthcare products after a series of scandals in the industry in recent months, state media reported on Thursday, citing senior officials. Zhang Mao, minister at the State Administration for Market Regulation, told China Central Television in an interview that the country's health sector was "rampant with irregularities" and plans were underway to put it under greater scrutiny. Congo records one-day record for confirmed Ebola cases

Democratic Republic of Congo on Wednesday confirmed 14 new cases of Ebola virus in its eastern borderlands, the largest one-day increase since the current outbreak was declared in August. The outbreak of the haemorrhagic fever in the eastern provinces of North Kivu and Ituri is already the second-largest in history with 713 confirmed and probable cases and 439 deaths. China clones gene-edited monkeys for sleep disorder research

Chinese scientists have made clones of a gene-edited macaque to aid research of circadian rhythm disorders that are linked to sleep problems, depression and Alzheimer's disease, the official Xinhua news agency said on Thursday. It was the first time multiple clones had been made from a gene-edited monkey for biomedical research, the agency said. The clones were born at the Institute of Neuroscience at the China Academy of Sciences in Shanghai. Israel cabinet expected to approve medical cannabis exports

Israel's cabinet is set to approve a long-awaited law to allow exports of medical cannabis, the Finance Ministry said on Wednesday, in a move likely to boost state revenues. The ministry said the bill, to be voted on at Sunday's cabinet meeting, allows the export of medical cannabis to countries that permit its use after receiving licences from the health regulator. IVF doctors should scratch technique for improving pregnancy rates

Scratching the interior of the uterus before implanting a fertilized egg into the womb does not improve the chances that it will attach and develop into a baby, according to a large study of a popular in vitro fertilization (IVF) technique that now appears to be a waste of time and money. The method, known as endometrial scratching, involves taking a flexible tube that lets gynecologists collect tissue samples in the uterus and using it to create a small scratch in the lining of the uterus a month or so before a fertilized egg is transferred. Dutch hospitals warn no-deal Brexit will put patients in danger

Dutch hospitals warned on Wednesday that a no-deal Brexit would lead to a shortage of medicines and medical supplies in the Netherlands and could put patients at risk. The Dutch annually import around 2 billion euros worth of medicines and medical supplies from Britain, which is around 10 percent of all goods shipped from Britain to the Netherlands. Toxic substances found in diapers in France: government agency

A variety of potentially toxic substances, including the widely-used weed-killer glyphosate, has been found in babies' diapers in France, according to a study on Wednesday by the French environment agency ANSES. The study said research had found substances including butylphenyl methylpropional used in beauty products and certain aromatic hydrocarbons as well as glyphosate. All of them pose potential risks. Separated twins joined at head continue recovery, one lags in development

Twin baby girls joined at the head who were separated on June 6, 2017, are continuing their recovery, with one showing some developmental delays compared with her sister, according to an update of the case that also provides details of the techniques used in the surgery. The surgical team at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia used a 3D printer and special rings to gradually separate the girls' brains before undertaking the 11-hour operation that gave Erin and Abby Delaney lives of their own at the age of 10 months.

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