Equatorial Guinea is expanding an ambitious malaria elimination plan - ABC News - Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

Health workers prepare to visit communities to spray insecticide and help prevent the spread of malaria in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, April 24, 2026. Credit: AP Photo/Misper Apawu With its torrential rains, tropical forests and omnipresent humidity, Equatorial Guinea provides the perfect conditions for mosquitoes to breed. For centuries, mosquito-borne diseases, in particular malaria, have dictated the fate of residents of this central African nation, impacting how they lived, worked and died.

MALABO, Equatorial Guinea (AP) — With its torrential rains, tropical forests and omnipresent humidity, Equatorial Guinea provides the perfect conditions for mosquitoes to breed. For centuries, mosquito-borne diseases, in particular malaria, have dictated the fate of residents of this central African nation, impacting how they lived, worked and died. But Bioko island, off mainland Equatorial Guinea, has managed to sharply reduce malaria infections and deaths. Bioko, roughly half the size of Rhode Island, has used familiar tools: indoor spraying, mosquito nets and keeping control of the larvae population. Its success, however, has depended on something less easily replicated: two decades of painstaking data collection, sustained funding and workers going door to door to win residents' trust. Now the tiny, oil-rich country wants to bring that approach to its mainland and eliminate malaria altogether. But the expansion of Bioko's strategy presents formidable challenges, from porous international borders to the sheer scale of the territory.

York and Scarborough hospitals are facing a shortfall of dozens of beds this winter, according to senior leaders. York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust forecasts a shortfall of 52 beds at York Hospital and 32 at Scarborough Hospital, based on expected winter demand. The prediction comes after the proportion of patients waiting for more than 12 hours in emergency departments at the trust's hospitals more than doubled, from 5.9% in April to 14.6% in August. Despite the predicted shortfall, the trust said plans were in place to reduce pressure on services and provide extra capacity if needed. Health bosses said that improvements in same-day emergency care, shorter hospital stays and faster discharges could free up the equivalent of around 30 beds at York and 13 at Scarborough Hospital. Even with those improvements, a residual shortfall of 22 beds at York and 19 at Scarborough is still expected. A trust spokesperson said they were preparing for additional pressures by working closely with health and social care partners.

Scientists have discovered an unexpected reason why Alzheimer's disease disrupts sleep, and their findings suggest that the problem may be reversible. In experiments involving mice with Alzheimer's-like brain changes, researchers restored more than two hours of sleep per day without removing the amyloid plaques associated with the disease. The surprising discovery points to an overlooked culprit: the brain's own immune cells. Rather than simply protecting the brain from damage, these cells can trigger inflammation that interferes with healthy sleep.