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Global Health

Wednesday

Middle East Coronavirus Called 'Threat To The Entire World'

A nurse walks towards the Roger Salengro Hospital in Lille, France, where two patients were diagnosed with a coronavirus related to SARS. Michel Spingler/AP hide caption

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Michel Spingler/AP

Shots - Health News

Middle East Coronavirus Called 'Threat To The Entire World'

All told, the fatality rate for confirmed infections with the virus has been more than 50 percent. But the true fatality rate won't be clear until the fuller extent of cases, some probably much milder, becomes known.

Tuesday

Thursday

Wednesday

Could African Crops Be Improved With Private Biotech Data?

The baobob fruit is one of the 100 traditional African food crops that a group of scientists want to learn more about to improve nutrition. Alexander Joe/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Alexander Joe/AFP/Getty Images

The Salt

Could African Crops Be Improved With Private Biotech Data?

A plant scientist at Mars Inc. has appealed to the world's biggest life sciences companies to help him — by sharing what they already know about 100 crops that could provide better nutrition in Africa. But can the kings of agricultural intellectual property get onboard with open source agricultural information for Africa?

Polio Outbreak In Kenya: A Threat To Global Eradication

A baby receives a polio vaccine at the Medina Maternal Child Health center in Mogadishu, Somalia. The country has one of the lowest immunization rates in the world. Ben Curtis/AP hide caption

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Ben Curtis/AP

Shots - Health News

Polio Outbreak In Kenya: A Threat To Global Eradication

A handful of polio infections in Kenya and Somalia could set back efforts to wipe out the virus worldwide, health workers warned Wednesday. The last time there was polio in this region, the virus spread throughout the Horn of Africa into the Middle East and eventually into Indonesia.

Saturday

The Unsafe Sex: Should The World Invest More In Men's Health?

A man smokes a cigarette as he takes a break at a fruit market in Hyderabad, India. Smoking tobacco is eight times more prevalent among Indian men than women. Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Noah Seelam/AFP/Getty Images

Shots - Health News

The Unsafe Sex: Should The World Invest More In Men's Health?

The world's top health problems are more common in men than women. But recent global funding has been skewed toward women's issues. Some health economists say more effort should go toward stopping men's risky behaviors, like smoking and drinking.

Thursday

Monday

Sunday

C-Sections Deliver Cachet For Wealthy Brazilian Women

Daniele Coelho holds her newborn daughter as doctors finish her cesarean section at the Perinatal Clinic in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 2. Brazil has one of the world's highest rates of cesarean births. Felipe Dana/AP hide caption

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Felipe Dana/AP

The Changing Lives Of Women

C-Sections Deliver Cachet For Wealthy Brazilian Women

Brazil's economic boom has driven the demand for births by caesarean section. Some 80 to 90 percent of women in private hospitals deliver this way. Proponents say it allows mothers and doctors to better organize their time. Critics say the procedure drives up costs and may cause complications.

C-Sections Deliver Cachet For Wealthy Brazilian Women

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Thursday

Using Bacteria To Swat Malaria Inside Mosquitoes

More than a hundred different species of Anopheles mosquitoes can transmit malaria to people. Adam Cole/NPR hide caption

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Adam Cole/NPR

Shots - Health News

Using Bacteria To Swat Malaria Inside Mosquitoes

Infecting mosquitoes with a specific type of bacteria makes the insects resistant to malaria. Now scientists have figured out how to get the mosquitoes to pass the infections on to their offspring. If it can done reliably, it might help interrupt transmission of malaria to humans.

Wednesday

Why Bill Gates Thinks Ending Polio Is Worth It

There's no better deal than getting polio cases down to zero, philanthropist Bill Gates says. Marie McGrory/NPR hide caption

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Marie McGrory/NPR

Shots - Health News

Why Bill Gates Thinks Ending Polio Is Worth It

The Microsoft founder and philanthropist is putting his money and time where his passion is: eradicating polio. Gates talks with NPR's Robert Siegel about why it makes sense to spend an estimated $5.5 billion to wipe out the disease once and for all.

Why Bill Gates Thinks Ending Polio Is Worth It

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A woman wearing a mask rides past a KFC restaurant in Shanghai last month. Food scares and the bird flu haven't stopped many chicken lovers in the city from visiting KFC and other restaurants.

A woman wearing a mask rides past a KFC restaurant in Shanghai last month. Food scares and the bird flu haven't stopped many chicken lovers in the city from visiting KFC and other restaurants. Aly Song/Reuters /Landov hide caption

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Aly Song/Reuters /Landov

The Salt

Rat 'Mutton' And Bird Flu: Strange Days For Meat Eaters In Shanghai

A month after dead pigs washed ashore in a Shanghai river, the city got an even more serious meat problem: A new bird flu appeared at poultry markets. But even a recent rat meat scandal hasn't kept Shanghai's omnivores from enjoying KFC and Kung Pao Chicken.

Rat 'Mutton' And Bird Flu: Strange Days For Meat Eaters In Shanghai

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Officials Prepare For Another Flu Pandemic — Just In Case

Scientists in the U.S. are growing the H7N9 virus in the laboratory to help with vaccine development. James Gathany/CDC/Douglas E. Jordan hide caption

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James Gathany/CDC/Douglas E. Jordan

Shots - Health News

Officials Prepare For Another Flu Pandemic — Just In Case

Those people who have contracted the H7N9 virus have become very sick. And unlike the older bird flu virus, this one shows some adaptation to mammals, making it a matter of concern. But it doesn't make chickens sick, posing unique difficulties in fighting this kind of flu.

Officials Prepare For Another Flu Pandemic — Just In Case

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Tuesday

What's In A Flu Name? H's And N's Tell A Tale

Influenza covers it's shell with two types of accessories: the H spike, blue, and the N spike, red. Here the flu particle is sliced open to show its genetic material. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases hide caption

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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases

Shots - Health News

What's In A Flu Name? H's And N's Tell A Tale

With the new H7N9 virus spreading through China and H5N1 popping up every now and then in Southeast Asia, it's tough to keep track of all the flu viruses. Here's a quick guide to what those H's and N's mean, and why viruses with these letters cause the most concern.