NPR | World Health Headlines


A stock of U.S.-bought birth control, meant for sub-Saharan Africa, goes bad in Belgium
Sat Nov 15 9:10 am
Millions of dollars worth of contraceptives have been stored in Belgium since the U.S. froze foreign aid. A local official says some products were stored improperly and are largely unusable.
Read More
If you're going to be kind to another human, today is the day to do it!
Thu Nov 13 7:15 am
November 13 is World Kindness Day. Its goal is to encourage acts of kindness. (After all, one kind day is better than none.) Here's a look at the nature and nurturing of human kindness.
Read More
New malaria drug could be a life-saver as the standard drug shows signs of weakness
Wed Nov 12 4:59 pm
The best drug to fight malaria is facing increased resistance from the parasites it fights. Now there's an alternative in the pipeline and it looks promising.
Read More
COVID vaccine rollout and pandemic preparedness assessed in new book, 'Fair Doses'
Tue Nov 11 8:16 am
In his new book, 'Fair Doses,' epidemiologist Seth Berkley discusses what went right -- and wrong -- with COVID vaccine distribution and whether the world is ready if a new pandemic were to strike.
Read More
Canada loses measles-free status, raising alarms among experts
Tue Nov 11 4:45 am
After more than 12 months of sustained outbreaks, Canada has lost its measles elimination status. Experts fear the U.S. could soon face the same fate as vaccine misinformation fuels the virus' spread.
Read More
A first-time HPV vaccination campaign sees some success -- and strong resistance
Sun Nov 09 7:23 am
The goal: inoculate 90% of girls in parts of Pakistan to immunize them against the infection that causes cervical cancer. "Our biggest challenge was to counter misinformation," says a spokesman.
Read More
Doctor in Sudan wins $1 million prize for his extraordinary courage: 'It is my duty'
Sat Nov 08 8:58 am
Dr. Jamal Eltaeb of Sudan has been awarded the Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity. He says, "Every day we work in the impossible conditions with barely enough to keep people alive."
Read More
Wait, what? A RAT caught and ate a BAT? And there's video! What does it portend?
Sat Nov 08 7:22 am
Scientists filmed bats to see how they communicate while swarming. They found a surprise: In urban settings, rats attack bats. What are the implications for bats ... and virus spread to humans?
Read More
Why next year's flu shot might not be as good as it should be
Fri Nov 07 10:10 am
America's withdrawal from the World Health Organization is affecting the ability of U.S. scientists to track flu and other pathogens. That could be a blow to the development of the 2025 flu vaccine.
Read More
AI steps in to detect the world's deadliest infectious disease
Thu Nov 06 7:30 am
There's a global shortage of radiologists. Now artificial intelligence is helping speed up the diagnosis of tuberculosis in hard-to-reach communities.
Read More