Jason Beaubien http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100218&ft=1&f=2100218 Jason Beaubien is NPR's Global Health and Development Correspondent on the Science Desk. en Copyright 2013 NPR - For Personal Use Only NPR API RSS Generator 0.94 Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:16:00 -0400 http://media.npr.org/images/npr_news_123x20.gif Jason Beaubien http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=2100218&ft=1&f=2100218 Haiti Moves A Step Closer Toward Eradicating Elephantiasis Despite the daunting health challenges Haiti faces, the country has achieved a major step toward eliminating the parasitic infection, which causes severe swelling of the legs. Haiti is on track to wipe out the disease within four years, scientists say. Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:16:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/13/191291172/haiti-moves-a-step-closer-toward-eradicating-elephantiasis?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/13/191291172/haiti-moves-a-step-closer-toward-eradicating-elephantiasis?ft=1&f=2100218 Despite the daunting health challenges Haiti faces, the country has achieved a major step toward eliminating the parasitic infection, which causes severe swelling of the legs. Haiti is on track to wipe out the disease within four years, scientists say.

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]]> Faces Of Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis New types of tuberculosis are emerging around the world that take years and thousands of dollars to cure. Patients fighting this disease are often isolated from their communities and suffer devastating drug side effects, such as permanent hearing loss and dizziness. Tue, 04 Jun 2013 16:17:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/12/182903139/faces-of-drug-resistant-tb?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/12/182903139/faces-of-drug-resistant-tb?ft=1&f=2100218 New types of tuberculosis are emerging around the world that take years and thousands of dollars to cure. Patients fighting this disease are often isolated from their communities and suffer devastating drug side effects, such as permanent hearing loss and dizziness.

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]]> Moldova Grapples With Whether To Isolate TB Patients Throughout the Soviet-era tuberculosis patients in Moldova were treated in special TB hospitals. But that system collapsed along with the Soviet Union. Now the Eastern European nation is struggling to cope with worst rate of drug-resistant TB in Europe. And there's a raging debate over whether infectious TB patients should be returned to sanitariums or be treated at home. Tue, 04 Jun 2013 04:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/04/188566805/moldova-grapples-with-whether-to-isolate-tb-patients?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/2013/06/04/188566805/moldova-grapples-with-whether-to-isolate-tb-patients?ft=1&f=2100218 Throughout the Soviet-era tuberculosis patients in Moldova were treated in special TB hospitals. But that system collapsed along with the Soviet Union. Now the Eastern European nation is struggling to cope with worst rate of drug-resistant TB in Europe. And there's a raging debate over whether infectious TB patients should be returned to sanitariums or be treated at home.

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]]> Love In The Time Of TB: A Young Family Fights An Ancient Foe Oxana and Pavel Rucsineanu fell in love while living in a Moldovan hospital's tuberculosis ward. Now, several years later, Oxana has recovered, and she and the couple's new baby live in an apartment. But Pavel's infection has evolved into a deadly form of TB, which keeps him from joining his new son and wife. Mon, 03 Jun 2013 17:16:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/03/186072305/love-in-the-time-of-tb-a-young-family-fights-an-ancient-foe?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/06/03/186072305/love-in-the-time-of-tb-a-young-family-fights-an-ancient-foe?ft=1&f=2100218 Oxana and Pavel Rucsineanu fell in love while living in a Moldovan hospital's tuberculosis ward. Now, several years later, Oxana has recovered, and she and the couple's new baby live in an apartment. But Pavel's infection has evolved into a deadly form of TB, which keeps him from joining his new son and wife.

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]]> Saving Newborns: 'Kangaroo Care' Could Go A Long Way Each year more than a million babies die within the first 24 hours after birth, a study finds. But there are some simple, inexpensive things that could save these infants, like early breast-feeding and teaching moms to hold their newborns close. Tue, 07 May 2013 09:08:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/06/181578562/saving-newborns-kangaroo-care-could-go-a-long-way?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/05/06/181578562/saving-newborns-kangaroo-care-could-go-a-long-way?ft=1&f=2100218 Each year more than a million babies die within the first 24 hours after birth, a study finds. But there are some simple, inexpensive things that could save these infants, like early breast-feeding and teaching moms to hold their newborns close.

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]]> A $5.5 Billion Road Map To Banish Polio Forever The World Health Organization released a six-year plan to wipe out the remaining pockets of polio and ensure the virus doesn't come back. With fewer than 20 polio cases so far this year, the world is closer than ever before to eradicating polio. Fri, 26 Apr 2013 03:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/26/178993960/a-5-5-billion-road-map-to-banish-polio-forever?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/26/178993960/a-5-5-billion-road-map-to-banish-polio-forever?ft=1&f=2100218 The World Health Organization released a six-year plan to wipe out the remaining pockets of polio and ensure the virus doesn't come back. With fewer than 20 polio cases so far this year, the world is closer than ever before to eradicating polio.

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]]> A New Way To Make The Most Powerful Malaria Drug The relatively scarce "sweet wormwood" plant has long been the only source of the herbal drug artemisinin. A new trick for making artemisinin in the lab should help even out supplies around the world, scientists say, and cut the cost of malaria treatment. Wed, 10 Apr 2013 19:05:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/10/176807016/a-new-way-to-make-the-most-powerful-malaria-drug?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/10/176807016/a-new-way-to-make-the-most-powerful-malaria-drug?ft=1&f=2100218 The relatively scarce "sweet wormwood" plant has long been the only source of the herbal drug artemisinin. A new trick for making artemisinin in the lab should help even out supplies around the world, scientists say, and cut the cost of malaria treatment.

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]]> Dengue Fever Cases Have Been Seriously Underestimated There could be as many as 400 million dengue infections worldwide each year, making it more common than malaria, according to a new study. One reason for the huge increase in estimated infections is that dengue has been spreading far and wide to regions outside the tropics. Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:29:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/08/176563030/dengue-fever-cases-have-been-seriously-underestimated?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/08/176563030/dengue-fever-cases-have-been-seriously-underestimated?ft=1&f=2100218 There could be as many as 400 million dengue infections worldwide each year, making it more common than malaria, according to a new study. One reason for the huge increase in estimated infections is that dengue has been spreading far and wide to regions outside the tropics.

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]]> Research: Dengue Underestimated By World Health Organization The tropical disease dengue is far more widespread than previously thought, according to an article in the journal <em>Nature</em>. The study estimates there are three to four times more dengue infections each year than the number currently tallied by the World Health Organization. Mon, 08 Apr 2013 02:50:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/08/176537923/research-dengue-underestimated-by-world-health-organization?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/08/176537923/research-dengue-underestimated-by-world-health-organization?ft=1&f=2100218 The tropical disease dengue is far more widespread than previously thought, according to an article in the journal Nature. The study estimates there are three to four times more dengue infections each year than the number currently tallied by the World Health Organization.

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]]> Change In Donors Is Remaking Global Giving Less money is now coming from wealthy, industrialized nations and more is flowing from private foundations, corporations and even countries that only a few years ago were recipients themselves. Thu, 04 Apr 2013 10:28:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/03/176165280/the-new-landscape-of-global-giving-not-your-grandfather-s-international-aid-agen?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/03/176165280/the-new-landscape-of-global-giving-not-your-grandfather-s-international-aid-agen?ft=1&f=2100218 Less money is now coming from wealthy, industrialized nations and more is flowing from private foundations, corporations and even countries that only a few years ago were recipients themselves.

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]]> Private Foundations Start To Edge Out Some Countries In International Aid Donations A new report on global giving shows there has been a big shift in recent years in who is giving and receiving international aid. The U.S. remains the largest donor, giving out more than $30 billion each year. But now large sums of money are coming from private foundations and corporations and even countries who only a few years ago were recipients themselves. Wed, 03 Apr 2013 15:00:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/03/176166664/private-foundations-start-to-edge-out-some-countries-in-international-aid-donati?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/2013/04/03/176166664/private-foundations-start-to-edge-out-some-countries-in-international-aid-donati?ft=1&f=2100218 A new report on global giving shows there has been a big shift in recent years in who is giving and receiving international aid. The U.S. remains the largest donor, giving out more than $30 billion each year. But now large sums of money are coming from private foundations and corporations and even countries who only a few years ago were recipients themselves.

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]]> How To Get Rid Of Polio For Good? There's A $5 Billion Plan Last year there were just over 200 cases of polio in remote parts of Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Now, a new $5.5 billion plan aims to eliminate the disease for good by 2018. Tue, 02 Apr 2013 18:16:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/02/176039412/how-to-eradicate-polio-for-good-theres-a-5-billion-plan?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/02/176039412/how-to-eradicate-polio-for-good-theres-a-5-billion-plan?ft=1&f=2100218 Last year there were just over 200 cases of polio in remote parts of Nigeria, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Now, a new $5.5 billion plan aims to eliminate the disease for good by 2018.

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]]> Power Shift Under Way As Middle Class Expands In Developing World The economic expansion of the so-called "Global South" is being driven by new trade and technology partnerships, according to a United Nations report. The U.N. predicts that over the next two decades, economic and political power will shift away from Europe and North America. Fri, 15 Mar 2013 10:12:00 -0400 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/03/15/174339876/power-shift-underway-as-middle-class-expands-in-developing-world?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/03/15/174339876/power-shift-underway-as-middle-class-expands-in-developing-world?ft=1&f=2100218 The economic expansion of the so-called "Global South" is being driven by new trade and technology partnerships, according to a United Nations report. The U.N. predicts that over the next two decades, economic and political power will shift away from Europe and North America.

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]]> What Happened To The Aid Meant To Rebuild Haiti? Three years after an earthquake destroyed much of Haiti's capital, it's clear that only a fraction of the $9 billion pledged in international relief reached the country. Most of what did arrive went to short-term relief, instead of rebuilding people's homes. Thu, 28 Feb 2013 03:42:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/28/172875646/what-happened-to-the-aid-meant-to-rebuild-haiti?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/28/172875646/what-happened-to-the-aid-meant-to-rebuild-haiti?ft=1&f=2100218 Three years after an earthquake destroyed much of Haiti's capital, it's clear that only a fraction of the $9 billion pledged in international relief reached the country. Most of what did arrive went to short-term relief, instead of rebuilding people's homes.

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]]> Treating HIV Patients Protects Whole Community Treating people for HIV isn't just beneficial for those infected but also helps the entire community. Two studies show that where HIV drugs are widely available, the risk for new HIV infections drops dramatically and overall life expectancy increases by more than a decade. Fri, 22 Feb 2013 03:25:00 -0500 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/22/172520096/the-whole-community-gets-a-health-boost-from-hiv-treatment?ft=1&f=2100218 http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/02/22/172520096/the-whole-community-gets-a-health-boost-from-hiv-treatment?ft=1&f=2100218 Treating people for HIV isn't just beneficial for those infected but also helps the entire community. Two studies show that where HIV drugs are widely available, the risk for new HIV infections drops dramatically and overall life expectancy increases by more than a decade.

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