Astronaut health and a VIP tour of Boeing’s Starliner capsule
New studies examine the effects of spaceflight on amateur astronauts. Plus, a VIP tour of Boeing’s Starliner capsule, and we remember a spaceflight pioneer. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space. ...
Kenyan group uses old ATMs to dispense free sanitary pads to students
A public-private partnership in Kenya provides female students with free sanitary napkins dispensed from converted ATMs at school. The goal is to provide pads to young women from poor families so they don't miss school because they are menstruating. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi, Kenya.…
Despite war, surrogacy in Ukraine keeps flourishing
Before Russia’s invasion, Ukraine was an international surrogacy hub. Relatively low cost and a favorable legal framework led to thousands of babies born every year thanks to Ukrainian surrogate mothers, many of them for overseas parents. Despite the war and the risks, hopeful foreigners keep…
Australian-led study issues food security warning over plant breeding skills shortage
Sydney — Australia’s national science agency warns a lack of scientists specialized in plant breeding could lead to ‘dire’ food security implications around the world. Researchers say plant breeding is a critical science that underpins the global production of food, animal feed and fuel. The finding…
Australia locks down farms as avian influenza spreads
Sydney — Bird flu continues to spread in the Australian state of Victoria, where more than 500,000 chickens have been euthanized. Strict quarantine zones restricting the movement of birds and equipment have also been put in place. Australian health authorities say bird flu spreads mainly among…
Alzheimer’s drug that slows disease gets backing from FDA advisers
WASHINGTON — A closely watched Alzheimer's drug from Eli Lilly won the backing of federal health advisers Monday, setting the stage for the treatment's expected approval for people with mild dementia caused by the brain-robbing disease. Food and Drug Administration advisers voted unanimously that the drug's…
US reconstructive surgeons step up to help Ukrainian counterparts
After Russia invaded Ukraine, the West responded, sending military weaponry and aid to the embattled nation. But as the war drags on, there is also a need for doctors. One nonprofit is sending American surgeons to Ukraine, and Ukrainian surgeons to train in the United…
Growing community of breast milk donors in Uganda gives mothers hope
KAMPALA, Uganda — Early last year, Caroline Ikendi was in distress after undergoing an emergency Caesarean section to remove one stillborn baby and save two others. Doctors said one of the preterm babies had a 2% chance of living. If the babies didn't get breast milk…
UN: More aquatic animals farmed than fished in 2022
ROME — The total global volume of fish, shrimp, clams and other aquatic animals that are harvested by farming has topped the amount fished in the wild from the world's waters for the first time ever, the United Nations reported Friday. The U.N.'s Food and Agriculture…
Climate crisis creates a health crisis, WHO reports
GENEVA — Scientific evidence documented in a series of articles presented by the World Health Organization this week highlights the harmful impact of climate change at key stages of the human life cycle. “These provide important scientific evidence on how the health of pregnant women, newborns,…
In many US cities, Black and Latino neighborhoods have less access to pharmacies
MONTGOMERY, Alabama — Parts of the north side of Montgomery are defined by what it has lost: restaurants, grocery stores and a convenient pharmacy, the latter of which closed five years ago. People who still live in the historically Black neighborhood of Newtown, like Sharon Harris,…
Man died with bird flu; US officials remain focused on another form of it
NEW YORK — The mysterious death of a man in Mexico who had one kind of bird flu is unrelated to outbreaks of a different type at U.S. dairy farms, experts say. Here's a look at the case and the different types of bird flu. What…
Former astronaut who took iconic photo of Earth dies in plane crash
seattle, washington — Retired Major General William Anders, the former Apollo 8 astronaut who took the iconic "Earthrise" photo showing the planet as a shadowed blue marble from space in 1968, was killed Friday when the plane he was piloting alone plummeted into the waters off…
UN development agency installing solar energy at Zimbabwean clinics, hospitals
Zimbabwe is facing long hours of power cuts due to its dilapidated infrastructure and the impact of recurring droughts on hydropower. To help, the United Nations Development Program is installing solar panels on government-owned health facilities. Columbus Mavhunga reports from Bulawayo. ...
AU, ILRI collaborate to make informal food markets in Africa safer
nairobi, kenya — An estimated 70 percent of Africa's urban households buy food from informal sources, such as street vendors, kiosks, and traditional market sellers, recent studies have found. Now, the African Union and the International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), are joining forces to design the…
SpaceX’s mega rocket completes its fourth test flight from Texas without exploding
Boca Chica, Texas — SpaceX's mega Starship rocket completed its first full test flight Thursday, returning to Earth without exploding after blasting off from Texas. The previous three test flights ended in explosions of the rocket and the spacecraft. This time, both managed to splash down…
In Eswatini, questions linger one year after HPV vaccine program launch
Cervical cancer is the most common cancer among women in the southern African nation of Eswatini, while globally it's the fourth most common. Despite this, a vaccination program in Eswatini that aims to prevent cervical cancer is meeting resistance. Nokukhanya Musi reports from Manzini, Eswatini.…
War traumatizes, haunts both Israeli and Palestinian children
Many Israeli and Palestinian children are suffering from trauma because of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel and the ensuing eight months of war between the two sides. Therapists in both communities say the emotional scars could linger for years. Linda Gradstein reports from…