G20 Health Ministers Take on Antibiotic Resistance
Health ministers of the G20 leading economies, meeting for the first time Saturday, agreed to work together to tackle issues such as a growing resistance to antibiotics and to start
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Eastern US Trees Shift North, West With Climate Change
A warmer, wetter climate is helping push dozens of Eastern U.S. trees to the north and, surprisingly, west, a new study finds. The eastern white pine is going west, more
Read More‘Doomsday’ Seed Vault Entrance Repaired After Arctic Ice Thaw
Norway is repairing the entrance of a “doomsday” seed vault on an Arctic island after an unexpected thaw of permafrost let water into a building meant as a deep freeze
Read MoreVirtual Avatar Could Be Your Doctor
One day instead of visiting a doctor in person for health information or searching online, you could be asking for advice from a medical expert’s avatar. A new app is
Read MoreScientists Look for Stronger Coral as Climate Change Heats Up
The list of threats to the world’s coral reef systems is long: overfishing, tourism, and the aquarium trade, for starters. Add the continuing effects of climate change, ocean warming and
Read MoreClimate Change Fueling Rapid Greening of Antarctic Peninsula
One of the coldest areas in the world is getting greener, and researchers say it’s because of global warming. Researchers from the University of Exeter in England who first studied
Read MoreWHO Says Time to Stop Ignoring Adolescent Health
The World Health Organization has delivered dramatic news about the causes of death for young people the world over. Governments and health agencies have made great strides in reducing deaths
Read MoreJapan, China Pull Combustible Ice From Seafloor
Commercial development of the globe’s huge reserves of a frozen fossil fuel known as “combustible ice” has moved closer to reality after Japan and China successfully extracted the material from
Read MoreFloating Barge on New York River Grows Crops
In New York, where buildings outnumber green spaces, some people have small gardens to grow some of their own food. Now, another garden is growing in New York in a
Read MoreHeavy Rain May Have Once Fallen on Mars
Heavy rain shaped the Martian landscape billions of years ago, according to a new study. According to researchers at the Smithsonian Institution and the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory,
Read MoreRisk of Colon Cancer Death Reduced in Patients with Healthy Lifestyle
Colon cancer patients who adopt a healthy lifestyle after treatment could potentially reduce their risk of death from a recurrence by more than 40 percent, according to new research. The
Read MoreSomali Community in Minnesota Fights Measles, Misinformation
An ongoing measles outbreak in Minnesota has shined a light on the fact many Somali immigrants choose not to vaccinate their children. According to the Minnesota Department of Health,
Read MoreFew US Doctors Discuss Cancer Costs With Patients, Study Finds
Most doctors did not discuss the cost of cancer treatment with patients, spent less than two minutes on it when they did, and usually did so only after patients brought
Read More‘Sea Monster’ Carcass Identified
Scientists say they have identified the “sea monster” that washed ashore on an Indonesian beach. The badly decomposing carcass measures over 15 meters long and baffled scientists since it washed
Read MoreYear-round Flu Vaccination May Prevent Hospitalization of Pregnant Women
Pregnant women who come down with the flu are at greater risk of illness requiring hospitalization. A new study found that in resource-poor countries, flu vaccination reduced the risk of
Read MoreCholera Outbreak Compounds Hunger Crisis in Southern Somalia
A regional drought has displaced more than half a million people in Somalia and left the country at risk of famine. A cholera outbreak is further complicating relief efforts, in
Read MoreUninhabited Island has ‘World’s Worst’ Plastic Pollution
The beaches on a remote, uninhabited island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean have the highest amount of plastic debris in the world. Researchers from the University of Tasmania
Read MoreHigh-tech Gloves Give Doctors Better Data on Muscle Stiffness
One of the effects of progressive muscle diseases like cerebral palsy is muscle stiffness. There are drugs and therapies that are supposed to help but gauging their effectiveness is challenging.
Read MoreStudy: Most Effective Measures Identified for Containing Ebola
A small outbreak of Ebola virus in Democratic Republic of the Congo is causing alarm among public health officials. A new study outlining containment strategies may help prevent an epidemic
Read MoreTiny Phytoplankton Threaten America’s Most Diverse Waterway
Florida’s Indian River lagoon is considered the most biologically diverse estuary in the Northern Hemisphere. But it is facing a serious threat to the plants and animals in its waters.
Read MoreWHO 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
Read MoreWHO 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
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