Apr 16 Health officials to begin new global effort to eradicate polio By Shawn Paik This weekend marks the start of a global effort that health officials are hoping will be the final push to eradicate polio. Continue reading
Apr 06 Watch 5:00 Why there’s been a dangerous diabetes spike around the globe By PBS News Hour According to a new study from the World Health Organization, diabetes cases have quadrupled over the last 40 years, mostly in poorer nations. Today, 8.5 percent of all adults worldwide suffer from the chronic disease, and 3.7 million deaths are… Continue watching
Apr 01 World news quiz: A hijacked airplane and a new underwater retreat By Larisa Epatko This week, a man hijacked an airplane, and posed for a picture, while the World Health Organization announced the end to a public health emergency. Take our 5-minute quiz about these events and more. Continue reading
Mar 29 The Ebola public health emergency is over, WHO declares By Helen Branswell, STAT Ebola no longer constitutes an international health emergency, the World Health Organization said Tuesday. Continue reading
Mar 11 Florida may use GMO mosquitos to fight Zika. Here’s what you should know By Jennifer Kay, Associated Press MIAMI — The spread of the Zika virus in Latin America is giving a boost to a British biotech firm's proposal to deploy a genetically modified mosquito to try to stop transmission of the disease. Continue reading
Feb 16 Why it’s so hard to zap the Zika mosquito, and what we can do By Larisa Epatko The little black Aedes aegypti mosquito with its white-striped legs and body seems harmless enough, but it can spread the Zika virus, which is tentatively linked to birth defects in babies. Continue reading
Feb 01 Watch 3:28 News Wrap: WHO issues call to action on Zika virus By PBS News Hour In our news wrap Monday, the World Health Organization declared the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne disease linked to birth defects in the Americas, an international public health emergency. Also, a suicide bomber blew himself up at a police headquarters in… Continue watching
Feb 01 WHO declares international emergency over Zika virus By Larisa Epatko The World Health Organization declared the Zika virus, and its possible link to an explosion of birth defects in Latin American countries, a public health emergency in need of a coordinated international response on Monday. Continue reading
Jan 29 How does Zika virus shrink a baby’s brain and other FAQs By Nsikan Akpan What is Zika virus? How early can a doctor spot microcephaly? Did you know the U.S. already has a virus causing thousands of microcephaly cases each year?… Continue reading
Jan 28 Watch 3:01 WHO to consider declaring international emergency over Zika virus By PBS News Hour The World Health Organization offered a powerful new warning about the rapid spread of the Zika virus, which apparently causes birth defects such as microcephaly and neurological problems. Officials estimate that there could be 3 to 4 million cases in… Continue watching