Like many Americans, bartender Danjale Williams is worried about the growing threat of the novel coronavirus. What makes the 22-year-old in Washington even more frightened: The thought of medical bills she just can’t afford, as one of almost 27.5 million people in the United States who don’t have health insurance.”I …
your ad hereAt Sea: Passengers Off California Await Virus Test Results
Passengers aboard a cruise ship off the California coast were instructed to stay in their cabins as they awaited test results Friday that could show whether the coronavirus is circulating among the more than 3,500 people aboard. A military helicopter crew lowered test kits onto the 951-foot (290-meter) …
your ad hereLesotho’s Budding Cannabis Industry Sparks High Hopes
The tiny southern African mountain nation of Lesotho made history in 2017 by becoming the first on the continent to issue licenses for the production of medical cannabis. It made history again, when it signed tens of millions of dollars worth of deals with foreign investors to develop the lucrative …
your ad hereLive Brain Donations to Help Scientists Treat Epilepsy
Epilepsy, a neurological disorder typically associated with seizures, affects millions in the United States alone. Now, patients are helping scientists find new treatments by donating living brain tissue for research. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi takes us into the operating room. …
your ad hereHigh Hopes for Lesotho’s Budding Cannabis Industry
High in the mountains of Lesotho, a green revolution is growing. The tiny mountain kingdom, which is surrounded on all sides by South Africa, made history in 2017 by being the first African country to issue licenses for the production of medical cannabis.Marijuana is not new to Lesotho — it’s …
your ad hereCoronavirus Death Toll More than 1,100
Chinese health officials reported Wednesday the number of dead from a coronavirus outbreak has risen to more than 1,100.The National Health Commission figures included 97 new deaths and a total of 44,653 people confirmed infected since the outbreak began last month. Some experts have cast doubts about whether the total …
your ad hereChina Struggles to Cope with Surging Numbers of Infected Coronavirus Patients
China’s health care system is struggling to cope with the surging number of patients infected by the deadly coronavirus despite that Chinese President Xi Jingping has re-emerged in public to call for greater confidence in his government. FILE – A man bowing in front of flowers and a photo of …
your ad hereChinese Hospitals Struggle to Cope with Coronavirus Outbreak
China’s health care system is struggling to cope with the surging number of patients infected by the deadly coronavirus despite that Chinese President Xi Jingping has re-emerged in public to call for greater confidence in his government. FILE – A man bowing in front of flowers and a photo of …
your ad here‘Take Us Out of the Country’: African Students Plead for Evacuation as Coronavirus Spreads
As the death toll from the coronavirus continues to mount in China and elsewhere, thousands of African students in China count the hours hoping that their governments will evacuate them.Solomon Yohannes of Ethiopia, a third-year engineering student at Wuchang Technology University in the Wuhan region of China, the epicenter of …
your ad hereNew Coronavirus Transmissions Raise More Concerns as Deaths Surpass Those From SARS
The head of the World Health Organization’s says there are “concerning instances” of coronavirus transmission from people who have not traveled to China, a development that could mean there is a bigger problem. This comes as a WHO team of medical experts arrived in China on Monday and the death …
your ad hereSafety Advocates in Malaysia Push for Greater Use of Child Safety Seats
While waiting for his 5-year-old twins to get out of school one afternoon, Raj Rajoo got their child safety seats ready. “My kids, their lives are very important for me so I invested in the car seats,” he said.Malaysia has been requiring the use of child safety seats — also known …
your ad hereDrugs Fail to Slow Decline in Inherited Alzheimer’s Disease
Two experimental drugs failed to prevent or slow mental decline in a study of people who are virtually destined to develop Alzheimer’s disease at a relatively young age because they inherited rare gene flaws.The results announced Monday are another disappointment for the approach that scientists have focused on for years — …
your ad hereStudy: Indonesians Embrace FGM as Religious, Traditional Practice
With a knife, a razor blade, scissors or a needle, half of Indonesia’s girls are circumcised, and a new study found that it is a tradition more rooted in family folkways than religion.“Cultural reproduction occurs in the household,” said Sri Purwatiningsih, a researcher of Center for Population and Policy Studies …
your ad hereWHO: The Ebola Epidemic in DR Congo May Be Nearing its End
The World Health Organization reports progress is being made in combating the Ebola epidemic in the conflict-ridden North Kivu and Ituri provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The latest number of reported cases stands at 3,429, including 2,251 deaths — a fatality rate of 66%. FILE – Burial workers …
your ad hereExperience Handling Ebola Epidemic May Help Africa Dodge Coronavirus Bullet
The World Health Organization is scaling up measures to keep Africa free of the deadly coronavirus by shoring up the continent’s fragile health system and increasing preparedness efforts to tackle the potential spread of the dangerous virus to the continent. In its latest update on February 8, the WHO reported …
your ad hereEbola Epidemic May Help Africa Dodge the Coronavirus Bullet
The World Health Organization is scaling up measures to keep Africa free of the deadly coronavirus by shoring up the continent’s fragile health system and by increasing preparedness efforts to tackle the potential spread of the dangerous virus to the continent. WHO reports 31,211 cases, including 637 deaths inside China, …
your ad hereSolar Probe to Launch Sunday on Mission to Map Sun’s Polar Regions
A new spacecraft built jointly by U.S. and European space agencies is ready for a blazing journey to the sun to capture an unprecedented view of its two poles, an angle that could help researchers understand how the star’s vast bubble of magnetic energy affects Earth.The Solar Orbiter spacecraft will …
your ad hereEnforcement of Malaysia’s Smoking Ban Sparks Controversy
A smoking ban in all Malaysian eateries is sparking controversy particularly now that it’s being enforced. The ban officially began a year ago, but violators started being penalized only recently. Dave Grunebaum has the story. …
your ad hereScientists Study Climate Change in Ocean’s Midnight Zone
About 4,000 meters below the surface of the Indian Ocean hides the Midnight Zone. It’s barely lit but beaming with life, and scientists hope to gauge the effects of climate change there. …
your ad hereResearch Base in Antarctica Records Hottest Temperature on Record
Researchers at a base in the Antarctic say they have recorded the hottest temperature there since readings began more than 60 years ago.The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) said Friday the Argentine research base recorded a high of 18.3 C (64.9 F) on Thursday. The agency said that tops a former …
your ad hereUN Aims to End Female Genital Mutilation by 2030
U.N. agencies warn that the widespread prevalence of female genital mutilation is exacting a heavy toll in both human and economic terms. The U.N. is calling for an end to the practice by 2030. Around 200 million girls and women alive today are suffering the physical and psychological effects of female …
your ad hereFemale Genital Mutilation Still Prevalent in West Africa
February 6 is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. The practice, also known as female circumcision or cutting, poses serious health risks but remains common in many countries, particularly in West Africa.More than 200 million women and girls who are alive today have been cut, according …
your ad hereVOA Explains: How to Reduce Risk of Viral Infection
Germs are everywhere. How can you reduce the risk of viral infection? Here are some simple steps you can take to protect yourself. …
your ad hereNASA’s Record-Setting Koch, Crewmates Safely Back From Space
NASA astronaut Christina Koch, who has spent nearly 11 months in orbit on the longest spaceflight by a woman, landed safely in Kazakhstan on Thursday along with two of her International Space Station crewmates. The Soyuz capsule carrying Koch, along with station Commander Luca Parmitano of the European …
your ad hereTen More Japanese Cruise Ship Passengers Diagnosed with New Coronavirus
Japanese health authorities say 10 more people aboard a cruise ship have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus that has killed hundreds of people in China and triggered a global health emergency.A total of 20 people aboard Carnival Japan’s Diamond Princess have been diagnosed with the virus since it arrived …
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