Archive

Obama Administration Nominates New Leader to Revive USAID

The White House has finally named its USAID head nominee, after 10 months of a leadership vacuum that prompted public statements of frustration from Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton. President Barack Obama has chosen Rajiv Shah, 36, a doctor and recently-appointed senior official at the Department of Agriculture.

U.S. Passes on Unlicensed H1N1 Vaccine Boosters, Despite Shortage

Despite shortages, officials stand by the choice not touseadjuvants to stretch supply.

Obama Ends HIV Travel Ban

Foreigners infected with HIV will be allowed to travel and immigrate to the U.S.

U.S. Communities Dealing with Diseases Common in Third World

Many poor or urban communities in the United States are dealing with potentially fatal diseases and parasites normally considered problems of the third world and developing countries. NewsHour correspondent Jeffrey Kaye looks at these “neglected diseases” that get little attention in the U.S. but affect hundreds of thousands of citizens each year.

H1N1 Vaccine Shortage Leaves Clinics Scrambling

Many people have been reluctant to receive the H1N1 flu vaccine. But others are scrambling for a limited supply of doses. Betty Ann Bowser reports.

H1N1 Virus Hitting Hardest Among Young People

About half of the H1N1 hospitalizations so far this fall have been among people under the age of 24. Margaret Warner talks to Thomas Frieden of the Centers for Disease Control about the H1N1 vaccine and what students and parents should do if symptoms of H1N1 are seen.

HIV Vaccine Tests Confirm 'Modest' Protection, More Research Needed

The complete results of the first vaccine trial to ever show some protection against HIV were released Tuesday, and researchers sought to refute criticism that the study's results could be weaker than indicated.

Health Aftermath of Natural Disasters in Southeast Asia

A string of disasters killed more than 1,500, and are now spreading disease.

Learning from International Health Care Systems

As part of a series looking at health care in other countries, Ray Suarez traveled to the Netherlands to explore the innovative universal Dutch system. Two experts answered your questions on what lessons the United States can take from other countries' health care systems.

Swine Flu Vaccinations Begin, but Demand Still Outstrips Supply

The flu season might start earlier than expected, complicating efforts to distribute a vaccine.

How Much Will the H1N1 Flu Cost the U.S.?

Distribution centers around the country began receiving shipments of the much anticipated H1N1 flu vaccine this week. Those costs, as well as the economic blow of closed schools and lost productivity, could set back the fragile U.S. economy.

Comparing International Health Care Systems

Compare the health care systems in the Netherlands, Japan, the United States and its neighbors -- Canada and Mexico-- and learn what experts had to say about each of the health care models.

Trial Shows First Ever HIV Protection from Vaccines

Results from a vaccine trial in Thailand showed a 31 percent prevention rate for HIV, the first time a trial has shown that a vaccine may stop HIV infection. The results are a major step forward for a field of research that had stalled after failed Merck trials in 2007.

H1N1 Vaccine Production Falling Short

The WHO warns production will not reach goals.

Reporter's Notebook: Progress Towards a Malaria-Free Tanzania

Senior correspondent Ray Suarez writes about the steps Tanzania has taken to prevent malaria infection with insecticide-treated nets, and the promise of new malaria vaccine trials.

Extended Interviews: Tanzania's Health Minister, Disease Experts

Web-exclusive extended clips of the head of malaria vaccine trials in Tanzania, the country's health minister, a new medical school graduate and a WHO neglected diseases expert.

Net Campaign, Vaccine Trials Mark Malaria Progress

A massive malaria eradication effort is underway in Tanzania, including a widespread campaign for distribution of insecticide-treated bed nets. Rear Admiral Tim Ziemer, who heads malaria programs for the Obama administration, spoke with the NewsHour in Tanzania.

Slide Show: Community Drug Distributors Target River Blindness

A group of community drug distributors in the Tanzanian village of Tangeni are helping to reduce the impact of onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness.

Community-based Drug Program Targets River Blindness

Community drug distribution system used for river-blindness prevention.

Series Preview: Tanzania's Health Challenges

Senior correspondent Ray Suarez previews the NewsHour's three-part series from Tanzania.

Study: H1N1 Replicates, Spreads Faster Than Seasonal Flu

A new study released by University of Maryland researchers this month found that the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus may have a biological advantage over other seasonal flu viruses this winter.

Schools Brace for H1N1 With Prevention, Emergency Plans

As flu season gears up and H1H1 concerns intensify, correspondent Tom Bearden reports on how one Colorado school district is handling the threat of the H1N1 flu virus.

Death Bound to Childbirth in Tanzania

A woman dies every hour in Tanzania from preventable causes related to childbirth. Rose Mlay, National Coordinator for the White Ribbon Alliance in Tanzania, spoke with the Online NewsHour about the issue.

Slideshow: An Entrepreneurial Vision

Thr Aravind Eye Care System has provided eye care to millions of people for more than three decades, offering sight-restoring surgery to impoverished patients by subsidizing the cost with paying patients. Aravind now offers video consultations, village visits and manufactures its own lenses.

Preparations for H1N1 Flu Ramp Up

Amid predictions of a new wave of the H1N1 flu, health officials are warning that schools are especially at risk.

Schools Brace for H1N1 Outbreaks

As students head back to school, education systems and universities across the country are bracing for potential outbreaks of the H1N1 swine flu and trying to prepare for the unknown.

Drug Resistance Threatens Malaria Treatment in Cambodia

NewsHour correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Cambodia on growing drug resistance to artemisinin, the most effective drug currently available to fight the disease.

Nigeria Sees Polio Outbreak from Mutated Vaccine Virus

A mutated virus from the oral vaccine used to prevent the spread of polio in Nigeria has paralyzed at least 124 children in the West African country this year. The new figure is double the 62 vaccine-derived cases reported in the country last year, and marks the continuation of the longest vaccine-derived polio outbreak ever seen.

Malaria a Part of Life for Many Cambodians

New development of drug resistant parasites could mean even more severe cases of malaria in Cambodia.

Indian Hospital Provides Top Eye Care for All

This Web-exclusive report on the partnership that helped grow India's Aravind eye hospitals includes an interview with famed epidemiologist Dr. Larry Brilliant. The Aravind system provides top of the line eye surgeries, treating over 1.7 million patients each year. The majority of the surgeries are performed for free, for people who could normally not afford the procedure.

Proximity of Animals and Humans a Health Threat in Cambodia

Fred de Sam Lazaro reports from Cambodia on avian flu and concerns over potential interaction with H1N1. Many people in Cambodia live and work in close contact with animals, creating an environment that fosters transmission of disease from animals to humans.

The Animal-Human Disease Link in Cambodia

About 75 percent of the new diseases affecting humans in the past decade can be traced to animals, reports the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Common human contact with farm animals and wildlife are among the factors that make Cambodia vulnerable to diseases jumping from animals to humans.

MP3: National Wildlife Disease Program Head Outlines Science of Zoonoses

Dr. Thomas DeLiberto, head of the USDA's National Wildlife Disease Program, outlines the science behind zoonotic diseases, what causes pathogens to jump from animals to human and discusses the importance of wildlife surveillance.

Confronting Malaria and Drug Resistance on the Thai-Cambodia Border

In this reporter's notebook, NewsHour correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro writes about tracking the growing resistance to the malaria drug artemisinin in western Cambodia.

Pregnant Women, Children Top H1N1 Vaccination Priority List

The Centers for Disease Control's advisory committee on immunization met Wednesday in an emergency session to set priorities for who should receive the H1N1 influenza vaccine now in development. Pregnant women, healthcare workers and children six months to 18 years should be given access to H1N1 flu vaccinations first this fall, said the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

Fake and Substandard Drugs Threaten Malaria Treatment in Cambodia

Poor-quality and counterfeit malaria drugs are contributing to growing drug resistance in Cambodia, near the Thai-Cambodian border. A 2009 report from the International Policy Network found that fake tuberculosis and malaria drugs alone may kill about 700,000 people a year.

In Russia, Unhealthy Habits Make Funerals Outpace Births

In her latest report from Russia, Margaret Warner takes a look at the health and well-being of the Russian people, including the low life expectancy for adult males. Russia's population now stands at 141 million, a drop of 12 million people, says the U.N., since the collapse of the Soviet Union 16 years ago.