http://www.voanews.com/archive/health/latest/594/607.html health http://www.voanews.com/img/voa/rssLogo_VOA.gif http://www.voanews.com/archive/health/latest/594/607.html en-US 2012 - VOA 60 Fri, 24 May 2013 07:03:11 -0400 Pangea CMS – VOA A long-anticipated revision of an official diagnostic guide to mental illness, known as the DSM-5, was released this week.  While the new manual is being welcomed by some doctors as reflecting advancements in the understanding and diagnosis of mental disorders, critics say its definitions of psychiatric conditions are based too much on symptoms and too little on the biological causes of mental illness. The DSM, or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, is considered by ... http://www.voanews.com/content/medical-diagnosis-depression-mental-illness/1666567.html http://www.voanews.com/content/medical-diagnosis-depression-mental-illness/1666567.html Wed, 22 May 2013 20:53:31 -0400 Health Jessica Berman Camels are known for their ability to travel long distances across the desert without water, but they’re also becoming an increasingly important source of milk for people in drought-prone regions. That includes East African countries like Kenya, where populations of camels, the single-humped kind technically known as dromedaries, have grown rapidly over the past few decades.    Unpasteurized camel milk  But introducing camels, or any species, to a new region could mean ... http://www.voanews.com/content/us-researchers-examine-camel-milk-risks/1666178.html http://www.voanews.com/content/us-researchers-examine-camel-milk-risks/1666178.html Wed, 22 May 2013 11:16:39 -0400 Health Véronique LaCapra http://www.voanews.com/content/us-researchers-examine-camel-milk-risks/1666178.html#relatedInfoContainer Scientists and economists say the H7N9 bird flu outbreak in China has cost that country's poultry industry $6.5 billion, as consumers shun chicken and health officials make gains in controlling the deadly virus. The cost data, provided by China's agriculture ministry, was reported Tuesday at the World Health Assembly in Geneva. At the conference, United Nations experts warned health authorities worldwide to be on the lookout for the virus, which is known to have infected 130 people ... http://www.voanews.com/content/bird-flu-cost-in-china-set-at-63-billion-dollars/1665773.html http://www.voanews.com/content/bird-flu-cost-in-china-set-at-63-billion-dollars/1665773.html Tue, 21 May 2013 21:15:55 -0400 Asia VOA News Researchers have developed an experimental iPhone application, or app, designed to help emergency medical technicians diagnose a particularly deadly form of heart attack and send that information quickly to waiting hospital surgical teams. The inexpensive app can greatly improve a patient's odds of survival. The iPhone app is specially designed to identify patients suffering from a dangerous type of heart attack known as STEMI, or ST-elevation myocardial infarction.   In STEMI, ... http://www.voanews.com/content/new-iphone-app-speeds-care-of-heart-attack-victims/1665697.html http://www.voanews.com/content/new-iphone-app-speeds-care-of-heart-attack-victims/1665697.html Tue, 21 May 2013 17:56:26 -0400 Health Jessica Berman United Nations agencies are mounting emergency operations to contain an epidemic of measles in the Central African Republic and of cholera in Niger. The recent rebellion against the former regime of Francois Bozize in the Central African Republic [CAR] is taking a heavy toll on children. Last month, eight children tested positive for measles in the capital, Bangui, raising alarm at the possibility of the spread of this killer disease. The U.N. Children’s Fund says months of extreme violence ... http://www.voanews.com/content/un-works-to-contain-disease-epidemics-in-two-african-countries/1665490.html http://www.voanews.com/content/un-works-to-contain-disease-epidemics-in-two-african-countries/1665490.html Tue, 21 May 2013 13:40:39 -0400 Health Lisa Schlein http://www.voanews.com/content/un-works-to-contain-disease-epidemics-in-two-african-countries/1665490.html#relatedInfoContainer A new United Nations report says AIDS-related deaths in Africa are falling while the number of Africans getting treatment for the AIDS virus is on the rise. The report from the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS says the number of people in Africa who receive anti-retroviral drugs increased from less than 1 million in 2005 to more than 7 million last year. It says AIDS-related deaths fell by nearly a third during that same period, and that new HIV infections are also falling. Many ... http://www.voanews.com/content/un-aids-deaths-down-treatment-up-in-africa/1665441.html http://www.voanews.com/content/un-aids-deaths-down-treatment-up-in-africa/1665441.html Tue, 21 May 2013 12:57:11 -0400 Health VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/un-aids-deaths-down-treatment-up-in-africa/1665441.html#relatedInfoContainer Coffee lovers have another reason to rejoice as a new study claims that regular consumption of the popular beverage can reduce the risk of a rare but serious liver disease. According to research published by the Mayo Clinic, coffee intake can lower the chance of contracting primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), an autoimmune liver disease. The disease can lead to cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and biliary cancer.  "While rare, PSC has extremely detrimental effects," ... http://www.voanews.com/content/coffee-may-protect-against-liver-disease/1664647.html http://www.voanews.com/content/coffee-may-protect-against-liver-disease/1664647.html Mon, 20 May 2013 12:49:30 -0400 Health VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/coffee-may-protect-against-liver-disease/1664647.html#relatedInfoContainer A new study says little is being done to meet the growing demand for modern contraception methods in poor countries. The Guttmacher Institute says there’s an increasing desire for smaller families.  Guttmacher says between 2003 and 2012 the number of women wanting to avoid pregnancy – and in need of modern contraception – rose from 716 million to 867 million. The sharpest increase was seen, it says, in the 69 poorest countries “where modern method use was already very low.” Senior ... http://www.voanews.com/content/contraception-poo-countries-20may13/1664256.html http://www.voanews.com/content/contraception-poo-countries-20may13/1664256.html Mon, 20 May 2013 06:10:02 -0400 Africa Joe DeCapua Two new medical discoveries are raising hopes of containing malaria - the mosquito-borne parasitic disease that each year infects more than 200 million people and claims an estimated 660 thousand lives.  Meantime, the World Health Organization is warning about dire consequences if a drug-resistant form of malaria spreads beyond southeast Asia. Artemisinin has helped cut global malaria deaths by more than 25 percent over the past decade. But now, in parts of Southeast Asia, this drug no ... http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-making-new-dicoveries-but-finding-more-resistance/1663515.html http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-making-new-dicoveries-but-finding-more-resistance/1663515.html Fri, 17 May 2013 23:41:32 -0400 Health Carol Pearson http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-race-to-contain-malaria-making-new-dicoveries-but-finding-more-resistance/1663515.html#relatedInfoContainer Marijuana has been used for centuries to relieve pain, improve mood and increase appetite. A new study finds that the herb also has a positive effect on blood sugar levels, suggesting it could be helpful in diabetes control. Researchers analyzed data collected from more than 4,600 patients who completed a drug-use questionnaire and provided blood samples. Nearly half had never used marijuana, about 2,000 others had used it in the past and the rest were current users. Participants who ... http://www.voanews.com/content/study-finds-marijuana-helps-control-blood-sugar-waistlines/1663260.html http://www.voanews.com/content/study-finds-marijuana-helps-control-blood-sugar-waistlines/1663260.html Fri, 17 May 2013 14:41:50 -0400 Health VOA News Mosquitoes infected with the malaria parasite are significantly more attracted to human odors than uninfected mosquitoes. Researchers already knew that the microscopic parasite - Plasmodium falciparum - can alter the behavior of the mosquitoes it infects, causing them to consume larger and more frequent blood meals. That increases the rate of malaria transmission. But now James Logan and colleagues at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine have identified another behavioral ... http://www.voanews.com/content/malaria-infected-mosquitoes-more-attracted-to-humans/1662986.html http://www.voanews.com/content/malaria-infected-mosquitoes-more-attracted-to-humans/1662986.html Fri, 17 May 2013 11:08:37 -0400 Health VOA News The yellow fever ‘booster’ vaccination given 10 years after the initial vaccination is not necessary, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The WHO's group of experts on immunization believes one dose of vaccination is enough to provide life-long immunity against yellow fever.   "This is very important because it will allow endemic countries currently using booster doses in their schedule to consider alleviating this schedule, and it also has implications for ... http://www.voanews.com/content/who-says-yellow-fever-booster-unnecessary/1662973.html http://www.voanews.com/content/who-says-yellow-fever-booster-unnecessary/1662973.html Fri, 17 May 2013 10:49:38 -0400 Health Selah Hennessy Arizona State University atmospheric scientist Kevin Gurney is mapping carbon dioxide emissions for the entire planet and he wants you to help.  Data is sketchy Power plants account for more than 40 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere. Gurney wants more information on the 25,000 plants around the world.    He says good data exists for the United States, Canada, India and the European Union, but estimates for the rest of the world are sketchy. “In ... http://www.voanews.com/content/citizen-scientists-map-global-emissions/1662640.html http://www.voanews.com/content/citizen-scientists-map-global-emissions/1662640.html Thu, 16 May 2013 16:26:44 -0400 Science & Technology Rosanne Skirble http://www.voanews.com/content/citizen-scientists-map-global-emissions/1662640.html#relatedInfoContainer Applying painless but targeted electrical stimulation to parts of the brain that play a role in number manipulation may in future be a way to help people who struggle with math, scientists said on Thursday.   Researchers who experimented with a type of brain stimulation called transcranial random noise stimulation (TRNS) found that in less than a week it improved students' performance in both calculation and rote learning of mathematical tasks.   The researchers stressed this ... http://www.voanews.com/content/transcranial-random-noise-stimulation-trns-neurobiology-mathematics-brain-function/1662421.html http://www.voanews.com/content/transcranial-random-noise-stimulation-trns-neurobiology-mathematics-brain-function/1662421.html Thu, 16 May 2013 13:03:09 -0400 Science & Technology Reuters Actress and U.N. goodwill ambassador Angelina Jolie is in the spotlight for her decision to undergo a double mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer, even though she is cancer free.  The actress announced her decision, and her surgery, in an article she wrote for The New York Times. Jolie's decision was based on a genetic test she had -- and other options available to women facing a breast cancer risk. She's beautiful, glamorous, and known for being outspoken ... http://www.voanews.com/content/angelina-jolie-mastectomy/1661939.html http://www.voanews.com/content/angelina-jolie-mastectomy/1661939.html Wed, 15 May 2013 19:38:25 -0400 Health Carol Pearson http://www.voanews.com/content/angelina-jolie-mastectomy/1661939.html#relatedInfoContainer Sub-Saharan Africa has some of the world's highest rates of chronic malnutrition among children. Now, the United Nations children's agency has put a price tag on it: $25 billion a year. That's the conclusion of a UNICEF conference on child malnutrition that wrapped up Wednesday in Paris. The effects of hunger often are obvious. Think about the images of skeletal children during the recent droughts in Africa's Sahel and the Horn of Africa. Stunting, or chronic malnutrition, is ... http://www.voanews.com/content/unicef-says-africas-child-malnutrition-costs-25-billion-dollars-annually/1661780.html http://www.voanews.com/content/unicef-says-africas-child-malnutrition-costs-25-billion-dollars-annually/1661780.html Wed, 15 May 2013 15:08:04 -0400 Africa Lisa Bryant India says it has developed a low cost vaccine to prevent diarrhea - a disease that claims the lives of tens of thousands of infants and young children in developing countries. It is expected to be on the market by next year, and is being hailed as a significant breakthrough.   Health officials say that clinical test results indicate the new vaccine is safe and effective against rotavirus, which causes severe diarrhea in children under the age of five.   Rotavirus is spread ... http://www.voanews.com/content/india-develops-lowest-cost-vaccine-to-prevent-diarrhea/1661311.html http://www.voanews.com/content/india-develops-lowest-cost-vaccine-to-prevent-diarrhea/1661311.html Wed, 15 May 2013 08:16:03 -0400 Asia Anjana Pasricha http://www.voanews.com/content/india-develops-lowest-cost-vaccine-to-prevent-diarrhea/1661311.html#relatedInfoContainer Millions of people in developing countries living near toxic waste dumps are facing potentially severe mental and physical health dangers, according to a new study.  The report finds the hazards posed by exposure to these chemical waste sites are comparable to those from malaria and air pollution. The study by a New York-based environmental organization analyzed water and soil samples at 373 waste sites in three countries - India, Indonesia and Pakistan - with a combined population of ... http://www.voanews.com/content/toxic-waste-exposure-widespread-in-developing-world/1661121.html http://www.voanews.com/content/toxic-waste-exposure-widespread-in-developing-world/1661121.html Tue, 14 May 2013 17:57:30 -0400 Health Jessica Berman Saudi Arabia has confirmed six new cases of the SARS-like novel coronavirus in its Eastern Province, state media reported on Monday and Tuesday, citing the health ministry.   It reported four new cases late on Monday and a further two late on Tuesday. One of the new cases has been treated and the patient was released from hospital, while the other new cases were still being treated, the Saudi Press Agency reported.   On Sunday, Saudi Arabia said it had had a total of 24 confirmed ... http://www.voanews.com/content/saudi-arabia-confirms-six-new-cases-of-sars-like-virus/1661103.html http://www.voanews.com/content/saudi-arabia-confirms-six-new-cases-of-sars-like-virus/1661103.html Tue, 14 May 2013 17:12:06 -0400 Middle East Reuters Niger is offering cash rewards to anyone reporting a case of Guinea worm as part of efforts to permanently eradicate the parasitic disease in the impoverished West African nation, the health ministry said.   Though it once afflicted around 3.5 million people annually across Asia and Africa, according to the U.S.-based Carter Center, Guinea worm disease is now on the verge of being eradicated worldwide.   Niger had been due to join the list of countries free from the disease last ... http://www.voanews.com/content/niger-offers-cash-reward-to-eradicate-guinea-worm/1660700.html http://www.voanews.com/content/niger-offers-cash-reward-to-eradicate-guinea-worm/1660700.html Tue, 14 May 2013 10:45:27 -0400 Africa Reuters Hollywood star Angelina Jolie has  had a double mastectomy to reduce her chances of getting breast cancer and says she hopes her story will inspire other women fighting the life-threatening disease. Jolie wrote in the New York Times on Tuesday the operation has made it easier for her to reassure her six children that she would not die young from cancer, like her own mother did at 56. "We often speak of 'Mommy's mommy', and I find myself trying to explain the illness ... http://www.voanews.com/content/angelina-jolie-has-double-mastectomy-to-prevent-breast-cancer/1660542.html http://www.voanews.com/content/angelina-jolie-has-double-mastectomy-to-prevent-breast-cancer/1660542.html Tue, 14 May 2013 06:58:03 -0400 Arts & Entertainment Reuters http://www.voanews.com/content/angelina-jolie-has-double-mastectomy-to-prevent-breast-cancer/1660542.html#relatedInfoContainer A new study by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says insects could be used in the fight against hunger and to increase food security. A report released Monday says that forest insects form part of the traditional diet for some two billion people worldwide and are a readily available source of nutritious and protein-rich food. Some of the most widely consumed insects include beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps and ants. The food agency report says insects are rich in protein, ... http://www.voanews.com/content/insect-can-fill-gap-in-diets-says-un/1660218.html http://www.voanews.com/content/insect-can-fill-gap-in-diets-says-un/1660218.html Mon, 13 May 2013 14:56:03 -0400 Health VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/insect-can-fill-gap-in-diets-says-un/1660218.html#relatedInfoContainer By 2015, almost one-third of the global population will remain without access to improved sanitation - which is U.N.-speak for hygienic toilet facilities. That would fall well short of a key global Millennium Development Goal [MDG], which is detailed in a new report published jointly by the World Health Organization and the U.N. Children’s Fund.   Bruce Gordon, the acting coordinator for water, sanitation and health at the World Health Organization, said Monday’s report was published as a ... http://www.voanews.com/content/un-says-billions-still-will-lack-sanitation-by-2015/1660101.html http://www.voanews.com/content/un-says-billions-still-will-lack-sanitation-by-2015/1660101.html Mon, 13 May 2013 12:56:19 -0400 Health Selah Hennessy http://www.voanews.com/content/un-says-billions-still-will-lack-sanitation-by-2015/1660101.html#relatedInfoContainer A new coronavirus that has killed 18 people since last year could be passed between people in close contact, according to the World Health Organization. Speaking from Saudi Arabia, WHO Assistant Director General Keiji Fukda said Sunday that he’s concerned about person to person tranmission. "Of most concern, however, is the fact that the different clusters seen in multiple countries increasingly support the hypothesis that when there is close contact, this novel coronavirus can ... http://www.voanews.com/content/who-issues-warning-over-sars-like-virus/1660074.html http://www.voanews.com/content/who-issues-warning-over-sars-like-virus/1660074.html Mon, 13 May 2013 12:05:42 -0400 Health Selah Hennessy http://www.voanews.com/content/who-issues-warning-over-sars-like-virus/1660074.html#relatedInfoContainer World Health Organization (WHO) officials said on Sunday it seemed likely a new coronavirus that has killed at least 18 people in the Middle East and Europe could be passed between humans, but only after prolonged contact. A virus from the same family triggered the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) that swept the world after emerging in Asia and killed 775 people in 2003.        On Sunday French authorities announced that a second man had ... http://www.voanews.com/content/new-virus-can-probably-pass-person-to-person-who/1659475.html http://www.voanews.com/content/new-virus-can-probably-pass-person-to-person-who/1659475.html Sun, 12 May 2013 08:22:53 -0400 Health Reuters U.S. nurses are caught between a sour economy, a demographic bump and a flood of unemployed new graduates. After years of worry about a shortage of nurses, about one-third of new nursing graduates in the United States have been struggling to find work. Experts say there will be many job openings for nurses - eventually. ”I’ve applied for 35 different jobs and, despite having a 4.0 GPA [very high grades], I have not received any jobs, so it’s really concerning,” said University of Maryland ... http://www.voanews.com/content/some-us-nurses-struggle-to-find-work/1658976.html http://www.voanews.com/content/some-us-nurses-struggle-to-find-work/1658976.html Fri, 10 May 2013 18:19:02 -0400 USA Jim Randle Save the Children is partnering with GlaxoSmithKline to reformulate an antiseptic to clean newborns' umbilical cords, a simple intervention that researchers in South Asia have found can prevent one out of every six newborn deaths in the developing world.  Save the Children, in its State of the World’s Mothers report this week, identified this intervention as a key strategy to saving as many as one million babies worldwide who die each year on their first day of life.  Umbilical ... http://www.voanews.com/content/umbillical-cord-cleanser-cuts-infant-mortality/1658656.html http://www.voanews.com/content/umbillical-cord-cleanser-cuts-infant-mortality/1658656.html Fri, 10 May 2013 13:30:07 -0400 Africa Jennifer Lazuta Providing Africans with affordable health care could be realized if pharmaceutical products were produced on the African continent. The continent faces many challenges before it will be able produce its own medicines. African and Chinese delegations came together this week at the Roundtable on China-Africa Health Cooperation to discuss how Africa can start producing health care products on the continent.  This could help African countries provide their citizens with a stable supply of ... http://www.voanews.com/content/challenges-ahead-for-africas-phamaceutical-industry/1658686.html http://www.voanews.com/content/challenges-ahead-for-africas-phamaceutical-industry/1658686.html Fri, 10 May 2013 13:24:30 -0400 Health Marthe van der Wolf An innovative program combining maternity advice and mobile phones is launching in South Africa, and could affect the lives of millions of mothers and babies. The service has already been launched in Bangladesh, and will soon come to India.   By 2014, there will be more phones on this planet than there are people, according to the United Nation’s telecoms agency. That startling comparison gave birth to an idea: Why not use mobile technology to give health information to plugged-in ... http://www.voanews.com/content/pregnant-text-messages-south-africa/1658649.html http://www.voanews.com/content/pregnant-text-messages-south-africa/1658649.html Fri, 10 May 2013 13:23:52 -0400 Health Anita Powell Scientists have developed an experimental vaccine to treat heroin addicts.  Such a vaccine would be a major advance for both public health and safety.  Addiction to the powerful, illicit narcotic not only destroys human lives, but also fuels a violent global drug trade.  An estimated 20 million people around the world are addicted to heroin and related opiates.  Their addiction, and frequent use of contaminated syringes, put heroin users at risk of a variety of diseases - ... http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-develop-experimental-vaccine-against-heroine/1658448.html http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-develop-experimental-vaccine-against-heroine/1658448.html Fri, 10 May 2013 10:15:19 -0400 Science & Technology Jessica Berman http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-develop-experimental-vaccine-against-heroine/1658448.html#relatedInfoContainer A new report by Save the Children finds that India leads the world in the highest number of babies dying within the first 24 hours of their birth, more than 300,000 a year.  Afsana Begum lost her second son to jaundice, just a month after he was born in a neighboring slum. Now pregnant again, she is determined that her baby enter the world in a safer environment.   “If you have a baby in the house, they only get a tetanus shot. If you have a child in a hospital, they will get all ... http://www.voanews.com/content/india-has-worlds-highest-infant-mortality-rate/1658437.html http://www.voanews.com/content/india-has-worlds-highest-infant-mortality-rate/1658437.html Fri, 10 May 2013 09:50:43 -0400 Asia Aru Pande http://www.voanews.com/content/india-has-worlds-highest-infant-mortality-rate/1658437.html#relatedInfoContainer Thousands of people around the world are taking part in walks and rallies to promote traffic safety.  May is Global Youth Traffic Safety Month.  Traffic safety is a subject that touches the hearts of many, including the Nelson Mandela family of South Africa.  Cars and people -- trying to get along on one of the world's busiest roads. Biking and walking and crossing --  in Cambodia. India, and Tanzania.  Competing with driving, sometimes risky, sometimes, losing. ... http://www.voanews.com/content/traffic-safety-at-the-heart-of-walks-rallies-around-the-world/1658349.html http://www.voanews.com/content/traffic-safety-at-the-heart-of-walks-rallies-around-the-world/1658349.html Fri, 10 May 2013 06:28:57 -0400 Health Carolyn Presutti Millions of girls in developing countries could soon have access to a vaccine that protects against cervical cancer. The GAVI Alliance has announced a record low price for the HPV vaccine. The announcement was made Thursday at the World Economic Forum for Africa in Cape Town. Despite the lower price, one group believes the cost is still too high. About 275,000 women die of cervical cancer every year. Most of them are in developing countries. The HPV vaccine protects against the human ... http://www.voanews.com/content/hpv-vaccine-price-9may13/1657689.html http://www.voanews.com/content/hpv-vaccine-price-9may13/1657689.html Thu, 09 May 2013 09:44:14 -0400 Africa Joe DeCapua Lawyers working on behalf of cholera victims in Haiti have given the United Nations 60 days to compensate those sickened by the disease or face a lawsuit in a U.S. court. The Institute for Justice and Democracy in Haiti announced the deadline Wednesday, their latest step in seeking $100,000 for the families of each of those who died from a cholera outbreak that began in October 2010. They also want $50,000 for those who became sick but survived. More than 8,000 people have died since the ... http://www.voanews.com/content/lawyers-for-haiti-cholera-victims-threaten-un-lawsuit/1657532.html http://www.voanews.com/content/lawyers-for-haiti-cholera-victims-threaten-un-lawsuit/1657532.html Thu, 09 May 2013 06:59:46 -0400 Americas VOA News Every 20 seconds, a child dies from a disease that could have been prevented with a safe and effective vaccine, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Measles is one of the leading causes of childhood deaths worldwide. Not only does measles kill, but it can leave children blind, deaf or developmentally disabled, even while they are still in their mothers' wombs. Yet the disease can be prevented with just two doses of a safe and inexpensive vaccine. When ... http://www.voanews.com/content/global-immunization-despite-successes-much-more-to-do/1657401.html http://www.voanews.com/content/global-immunization-despite-successes-much-more-to-do/1657401.html Wed, 08 May 2013 18:30:27 -0400 Health Carol Pearson A recently released study says that scaling up micronutrient powders, MNP’s, is the key to preventing iron deficiency anemia in children worldwide. The research was sponsored by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and carried out by the NGO Results for Development Institute in Washington D.C. Multiple micronutrient powders are tasteless and can be sprinkled on any homemade food, making it easily digestible even for babies.  It provides vital vitamins and minerals that children need for ... http://www.voanews.com/content/micronutrients-mnps-iron-children/1656997.html http://www.voanews.com/content/micronutrients-mnps-iron-children/1656997.html Wed, 08 May 2013 11:42:24 -0400 Health Kim Lewis Saudi Arabia has 13 cases of a new strain of coronavirus that has emerged from the Gulf, has killed seven people in the kingdom and spread as far as Britain and France, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia has reported 23 confirmed cases in total, Qatar two, Jordan two, Britain two and the United Arab Emirates one, the WHO said. Although there is no evidence of sustained human-to-human spread, there are concerns about clusters of cases. France reported its ... http://www.voanews.com/content/article/1656772.html http://www.voanews.com/content/article/1656772.html Wed, 08 May 2013 07:49:33 -0400 Health Reuters African and Chinese delegates have come together in Botswana to exchange experiences on how to tackle health problems. Usually Africa is the one receiving advice from abroad. But African countries say they can teach other nations about health policies and how to tackle AIDS. China, which participated in the fourth International Roundtable on China-Africa Health Cooperation, is willing to listen, said Teguest Guerma, director of the African Medical Research Foundation, or ... http://www.voanews.com/content/china-africa-health-treatment/1656329.html http://www.voanews.com/content/china-africa-health-treatment/1656329.html Tue, 07 May 2013 12:48:22 -0400 Africa Marthe van der Wolf http://www.voanews.com/content/china-africa-health-treatment/1656329.html#relatedInfoContainer The humanitarian organization Save the Children has released its annual State of the World’s Mothers report. It says despite much progress being made in reducing maternal and child deaths, every year, three million babies die within the first month of life. Many just live a few hours. Save the Children President and CEO Carolyn Miles said there’s a widespread and mistaken belief that little can be done to save newborn lives in developing countries. As a result, many babies die. “This ... http://www.voanews.com/content/annual-mothers-report-7may13/1655999.html http://www.voanews.com/content/annual-mothers-report-7may13/1655999.html Tue, 07 May 2013 06:37:47 -0400 Health Joe DeCapua http://www.voanews.com/content/annual-mothers-report-7may13/1655999.html#relatedInfoContainer Chinese officials say another four people have died from a dangerous new strain of bird flu that has now claimed the lives of 31 people. Central health authorities said late Monday that two of the latest victims were from the eastern province of Jiangsu. The others were from nearby Anhui and Zhejiang. A total of 129 people, mostly in eastern China, have contracted the H7N9 virus since it was first reported in humans in March. One man in Taiwan has also been diagnosed with the virus, though ... http://www.voanews.com/content/china-reports-4-new-bird-flu-deaths/1655945.html http://www.voanews.com/content/china-reports-4-new-bird-flu-deaths/1655945.html Tue, 07 May 2013 02:21:58 -0400 Asia VOA News Novel coronavirus outbreaks are continuing on the Arabian Peninsula, and the The World Health Organization (WHO) announced May 6 that so far, it has been “notified of 30 novel coronavirus (nCoV) confirmed cases, including 18 deaths.” The WHO announcement comes after reports May 2 from the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia confirming three new cases of the disease. Two of the cases were from the same family, WHO reported. All the victims were reported in critical condition.  Within the ... http://www.voanews.com/content/novel-coronavirus-outbreaks-continue-in-arabian-peninsula/1655779.html http://www.voanews.com/content/novel-coronavirus-outbreaks-continue-in-arabian-peninsula/1655779.html Mon, 06 May 2013 17:12:03 -0400 Health VOA News http://www.voanews.com/content/novel-coronavirus-outbreaks-continue-in-arabian-peninsula/1655779.html#relatedInfoContainer The head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the current strain of bird flu that is causing illness and deaths in China cannot spark a pandemic in its current form - but he added that there is no guarantee it will not mutate and cause a serious pandemic. In an exclusive interview at the Reuters Health Summit in New York, Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the CDC, said more than 2,000 people have been in contact with infected individuals, and only a handful have become ... http://www.voanews.com/content/cdc-china-bird-flu-strain/1655676.html http://www.voanews.com/content/cdc-china-bird-flu-strain/1655676.html Mon, 06 May 2013 15:33:44 -0400 Health Reuters http://www.voanews.com/content/cdc-china-bird-flu-strain/1655676.html#relatedInfoContainer The first and second graders at the Hinkley School gather in pairs to practice their vocabulary words. It seems business as usual for now, but with so many families leaving town, the school is scheduled to close forever in June. “We’re learning every day different areas the kids are moving to now and we’ve had many, many tears," said Sonja Pellerin, a teacher at the school. "Some people have lived here for generations, and it is turning families upside down.” Hinkley is the ... http://www.voanews.com/content/unhappy-ending-for-erin-brockovich-town/1655514.html http://www.voanews.com/content/unhappy-ending-for-erin-brockovich-town/1655514.html Mon, 06 May 2013 12:52:34 -0400 USA Chris Richard (Los Angeles) http://www.voanews.com/content/unhappy-ending-for-erin-brockovich-town/1655514.html#relatedInfoContainer A form of yoga  that blends calisthenics and rehabilitation techniques is gaining popularity across the United States with its brawnier path to fitness. Fitness experts say DDP Yoga may lack the relaxation benefits of a more traditional yoga practice, but it can be a well-balanced and effective exercise workout. Shirley Archer, an American Council on Exercise spokesperson, said DDP Yoga features traditional yoga postures in a non-traditional format. "The style is oriented toward ... http://www.voanews.com/content/hybrid-yoga-focuses-on-brawnier-form-of-fitness/1655197.html http://www.voanews.com/content/hybrid-yoga-focuses-on-brawnier-form-of-fitness/1655197.html Mon, 06 May 2013 07:08:22 -0400 Health Reuters Austerity is having a serious effect on health in both Europe and North America - that's according to a team of researchers at U.S. and European universities. Rates of suicide, depression and infectious diseases are up, and even malaria, eradicated from most Western countries decades ago, has staged a comeback in Greece.  Experts from leading U.S. and European universities compiled data for the World Health Organization's annual report on "health policy responses to the ... http://www.voanews.com/content/austerity-seriously-affecting-health-in-europe-north-america/1654291.html http://www.voanews.com/content/austerity-seriously-affecting-health-in-europe-north-america/1654291.html Fri, 03 May 2013 15:55:42 -0400 Health Michael Scaturro Chinese consumers are reeling following the latest scandal to rock the country's food supply - a crime ring that passed off meat from rats as lamb. Chinese police say they have arrested 63 people who allegedly ran the rat meat scam out of Shanghai and the coastal city of Wuxi. The arrests are part of a larger crackdown on fake or tainted meat that has resulted in the arrests of more than 900 people since the end of January. Authorities have also confiscated more than 20,000 tons of meat ... http://www.voanews.com/content/chinas-meat-market-infested-by-rats/1654161.html http://www.voanews.com/content/chinas-meat-market-infested-by-rats/1654161.html Fri, 03 May 2013 14:01:44 -0400 Asia VOA News A U.S.-based rights organization is criticizing a new mental health law in China, saying it does not end the country's system of involuntary confinement. In a report issued Friday, Human Rights Watch said the involuntary confinement of people with mental disabilities falls far short of the requirements of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which China adopted in 2008. HRW China director Sophie Richardson said the new law does not close loopholes that allow ... http://www.voanews.com/content/hrw-concerned-about-china-mental-health-law/1653667.html http://www.voanews.com/content/hrw-concerned-about-china-mental-health-law/1653667.html Fri, 03 May 2013 00:50:53 -0400 Asia VOA News U.S. researchers say urban dwellers exposed to the highest levels of fine particulate air pollution had faster hardening of the arteries, putting them at increased risk of stroke, compared to people in less polluted sections of the same city.  The finding adds to a growing body of evidence that residing in polluted urban areas is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries, is a leading cause of death around the world.  It can cause stroke ... http://www.voanews.com/content/air-pollution-linked-to-hardening-of-arteries-increased-stroke-risk/1653605.html http://www.voanews.com/content/air-pollution-linked-to-hardening-of-arteries-increased-stroke-risk/1653605.html Thu, 02 May 2013 19:35:44 -0400 Health Jessica Berman Scientists have discovered how heart disease patients with dangerously blocked arteries are able to grow new blood vessels to by-pass the blockage, and keep oxygen-rich blood flowing through their bodies. The discovery is raising the possibility of new treatments for cardiac patients.  In people with heart disease, it is not uncommon for new blood vessels to grow around blocked arteries in order to keep essential, oxygenated blood coursing through the body. But those emergency blood ... http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-dsicover-how-to-grow-new-blood-vessels/1653579.html http://www.voanews.com/content/scientists-dsicover-how-to-grow-new-blood-vessels/1653579.html Thu, 02 May 2013 18:20:12 -0400 Health Jessica Berman The founder of an international group that educates people about the dangers of female genital mutilation - also known as female genital cutting or FGM/C - says a growing number of women are refusing to undergo the practice. Molly Melching, founder of the non-profit group, Tostan, says her community-based program of education and training has helped reduce the practice in more than 6,000 communities in eight African countries. Molly Melching says Tostan has been successful in changing ... http://www.voanews.com/content/more-women-refuse-female-gential-mutilation/1653491.html http://www.voanews.com/content/more-women-refuse-female-gential-mutilation/1653491.html Thu, 02 May 2013 15:56:48 -0400 Health Pamela Dockins