WHO Confirms Second Ebola Case in Congo Outbreak
The World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed on Sunday a second case of Ebola in Democratic Republic of Congo after an outbreak this week of 17 other suspected cases. Health officials
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WHO to Vote for New Director-General; David Nabarro Wants the Job
Dr. David Nabarro says he wants to rid the world of two diseases that are close to being eradicated: polio and guinea worm. Polio exists mainly on the Pakistani-Afghan border
Read MoreWHO to Vote on New Director-General; David Nabarro Wants the Job
Dr. David Nabarro says he wants to rid the world of two diseases that are close to being eradicated: polio and guinea worm. During a visit to VOA, he also
Read MoreFactbox: Ebola Virus Outbreaks in Africa
Democratic Republic of Congo Ebola Outbreak On May 13, the World Health Organization declared an Ebola outbreak in Bas-Uele province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, after a person
Read MoreCheap Drug Could Cut Maternal Deaths in Childbirth by a Third
Postpartum hemorrhaging is the leading cause of maternal deaths. An estimated 127,000 women bleed to death after giving birth. But there are hopeful signs that a widely available drug could
Read MoreIdeological Divide Over Abortion Again Affects US Foreign Aid
Among the first executive actions at the White House this year, President Donald Trump reinstated a law that bans any U.S. aid to international organizations that support the practice of
Read MoreMichelle Obama Criticizes Trump School Lunch Directives
Former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama has criticized the new Trump administration’s directives on school lunches during her first high-profile public appearance since leaving the White House. Obama, who led
Read MoreStrange Exoplanet Bucks Planet Formation Trends
An exoplanet located 437 light years away could shed light on the different ways planets form around their stars. HAT-P-26b, which astronomers call a “warm Neptune,” has a “primitive” atmosphere
Read MoreWHO Confirms Ebola Case in DR Congo
A person has tested positive for the Ebola virus in the northern Democratic Republic of Congo. A spokesman for the World Health Organization says officials declared an Ebola outbreak in
Read MoreOld Nuclear Technology Giving Way to New Generation of Reactors
After several large-scale incidents at nuclear power plants around the globe, public pressure in some countries led to abandoning the technology. But manufacturers say the new generation reactors are much
Read MoreCoffee Flour, Beer Pizza on Menu as Innovators Fight Food Waste
Beer cookies, coffee flour and bananas that don’t brown are just some of the innovations on offer to fight food waste. Plus smart scales that measure exactly what chefs chuck
Read MoreBrazil Says Its Zika Emergency Over
Brazil declared an end to its public health emergency for the Zika virus on Thursday, 18 months after a surge in cases drew headlines around the world. The mosquito-borne
Read MoreHeroin Epidemic Pushing Up Hepatitis C Infections in US
The heroin epidemic is driving up hepatitis C infections, with the biggest increase in people in their 20s, U.S. health officials said Thursday. The number of new infections nearly tripled
Read MoreAlaska Natives Look to Arctic Council to Preserve Pristine Region, Way of Life
The foreign ministers of the eight Arctic Council nations will meet to discuss climate change this week, amid news last month that temperatures in the pristine region are warming at
Read MoreFighting Algae Blooms From the Top of the Food Chain
Algae blooms happen when simple algae plants start growing out of control. The tiny plants are not usually toxic on their own, but the overabundance creates so-called dead zones because
Read MoreDogs Help Autistic Children at the Dentist’s Office
Autistic children are naturally sensitive to changes in their routines, including visits to the doctor or dentist. They may become agitated and uncooperative. When a dog trainer in Chile tried
Read MoreMeasles Hit Minnesota Somalis Amid Low Vaccination Rates
Any outbreak of measles is cause for concern, but the current outbreak in Minneapolis, Minnesota stands out for two reasons. One, almost none of the victims were vaccinated against the
Read MoreTaiwan Rejection From WHO Assembly Further Strains Relations With China
Taiwan’s already precarious relations with old rival China took another step back this week after the self-ruled island said Beijing blocked it from the annual World Health Organization assembly, a
Read MoreUS Under Increased Pressure to Remain Committed to Climate Change Efforts
Pressure is mounting on the U.S. administration to remain committed to the Paris agreement on climate change. European Union leaders, a former United Nations chief and former U.S. President Barack
Read MoreUS Medical Body Recommends Against Screening for Thyroid Cancer
Screening for thyroid cancer is no longer recommended for adults with no symptoms, a U.S. health task force says. In a news release, the U.S. Preventative Services Task Force said
Read MoreChina’s President Xi Says to Uphold Global Climate Deal
Chinese President Xi Jinping told French President-elect Emmanuel Macron in a phone call on Tuesday that he would uphold the Paris Agreement on curbing climate change. China, the world’s top
Read MoreStudy: Laws to Tackle Climate Change Exceed 1,200 Worldwide
Nations around the world have adopted more than 1,200 laws to curb climate change, up from about 60 two decades ago, which is a sign of widening efforts to limit
Read MoreExperts Link Fatal Mystery Illness in Liberia to Meningitis Bacteria
U.S. federal health officials say the mysterious illness that has killed 13 people in Liberia came from a bacteria that can lead to the fatal brain disease meningitis. At least
Read MoreKenya Health Officials Issue Alert Over Dengue Fever Outbreak
An alert has been issued in Mombasa County, Kenya, in response to an outbreak of dengue fever, a potentially fatal mosquito-borne disease. More than 100 people have been infected in
Read MoreTrump Administration Hollows Out EPA Science Integrity Board
The Trump administration will not reappoint half the expert members of a board that advises the Environmental Protection Agency on the integrity of its science, the latest in a series
Read MoreMystery Illness Kills 12 in Liberia
Global health experts are striving to identify a mysterious illness in Liberia that has already killed 12 people. Officials with the World Health Organization in Monrovia have already ruled out
Read MoreLow-dose Aspirin Might Reduce Risk of Most-common Breast Cancer
Low-dose aspirin might help fend off breast cancer, according to a new study. Researchers at the City of Hope Comprehensive Cancer Center noted an overall 16 percent reduction in breast-cancer
Read MoreStudy Finds Meditation Improves Attention in Anxious Individuals
A new study has found engaging in a simple meditation exercise for 10 minutes a day can reduce symptoms in people with anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders are marked by
Read MoreTrump Administration Turns Back Obama School Lunch Rules
The Trump administration is turning back a U.S. public school program promoted by former first lady Michelle Obama that required healthier lunches for children. “If kids aren’t eating the food
Read MoreBlame Your Microbes for Your Cravings, Research Shows
The microbes in your gut may have a say in what you want for dinner, according to new research. The findings only apply to fruit flies at the moment. But
Read MoreSpaceX Launches Secret Spy Satellite
Chalk up another win for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which successfully launched a secret spy satellite for a U.S. government agency early Monday. The launch at the Kennedy Space Center in
Read MoreShrinking Worm Harvest Upsets Sports Fishing Business
A mysterious decline in two of the most popular fishing worms is depriving fishermen of their favorite bait and threatening the livelihood of Maine’s so-called “wormers.” VOA’s Faith Lapidus reports.
Read MoreArtificial Womb Provides Hope for Premature Babies
Every year, an estimated 15 million babies are born prematurely. It’s believed 1 million children die around the world each year of complications of pre-term birth. Researchers at the Children’s
Read MoreSenegal to Introduce HPV Vaccine to Battle Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is preventable, yet it remains the most common type of cancer in Africa, the World Health Organization says. WHO data show that Senegal currently has one of the
Read MorePeople’s Climate March Brings Thousands to Washington
Thousands rallied Saturday in Washington for the People’s Climate March. Organizers said they hoped the day’s events would send a clear message to the Trump administration and lawmakers in Washington
Read MoreThousands of Environmentalists March in Washington
Thousands of environmental activists marched in the U.S. capital Saturday to try to draw support for climate-related causes. The People’s Climate March was meant to coincide with President Donald Trump’s
Read MoreStrato-glider to Explore Little-known Mountain Waves
Later this year, two pilots in a sailplane will try to break the world altitude record for a glider, soaring more than 27 kilometers above sea level. But their primary
Read MoreUS to Run Out of Vaccine for Yellow Fever by Mid-2017
U.S. health officials say the United States will run out of the vaccine for yellow fever as early as next month, and travelers who need a shot might have to
Read MoreMarchers to Protest Trump’s Climate Policies
Another protest march will take place in Washington Saturday. The People’s Climate March targets President Donald Trump’s efforts to undo action on climate change. A movement that began with a
Read MoreRecovery School Helps Addicts Take it Day by Day
Drug overdose deaths in the United States continue to rise. The majority of those deaths can be attributed to opioids, synthetic or natural drugs that when used correctly relieve pain.
Read MoreRobot Takes Sick Child to Class
Think back to grade school. If you were sick, you stayed home. If you had a serious illness, you’d miss weeks, or even months of classes. Technology could change all
Read MoreNASA Craft Reaches Uncharted Territory Between Saturn, its Rings
NASA’s Cassini spacecraft sailed into uncharted territory Wednesday between the planet Saturn and the rings that encircle it, and emerged Thursday unscathed. The Cassini craft is the first and only
Read MoreTop US, WHO Doctors Address Vaccine Safety
Anti-vaccine activists endured a cold, rainy day in Washington one recent Friday, to rally against childhood vaccines. Gabriele Cashman drove for five hours to support the anti-vaccine cause. She and
Read MoreExperimental Drug Cures Malaria in Mice
Scientists have developed a compound that both cured and prevented malaria in animals. They say the experimental drug even is effective against resistant strains of the mosquito-borne parasite. If
Read MoreLow-cost Drug Could Save Thousands of Mothers’ Lives Across Developing World
A new study says a low-cost and widely available drug could save the lives of one in three mothers who would otherwise bleed to death after childbirth. The global trial
Read MoreNearly 2 Million Children Participate in Polio Trials that Proved Successful
Up to this day in 1954 in American history, even a president of the United States, later President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, could be struck down by the debilitating effects of
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