Health & Safety

Samuel Gbarzeki, a professor who's been out of work since schools were suspended in July, gets his news and shares his views at the Daily Talk.

A Liberian Prof Doesn't Like What He's Seeing On The News Blackboard

1:38pm December 12, 2014

by Didrik Schanche

Samuel Gbarzeki is one of the many Liberians who stop by the Daily Talk blackboard to check out the news. The English professor has a lot to say about the latest headlines.

The Daily Talk uses chalk, photos and Liberian slang to spread the latest news. Editor Alfred Sirleaf set up the blackboard on Monrovia's main thoroughfare.

Liberia's Daily Talk: All The News That Fits On A Blackboard

1:36pm December 12, 2014

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

It's one of Liberia's most popular news sources, with updates on everything from Ebola to politics. The plywood newsboard on a busy Monrovia sidewalk is the brainchild of journalist Alfred Sirleaf.

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The authorities in Sierra Leone are coping with a raging Ebola epidemic in Freetown (above) yet they must also keep constant watch for Ebola hot spots that may crop up in the countryside.

Medical Mystery: Why Did Ebola Pop Up In A Remote Mining District?

1:34pm December 12, 2014

by Nurith Aizenman

Just over a week ago, officials in Sierra Leone noticed data suggesting an ominous trend: Ebola suddenly seemed to be spreading in Kono District, a land of towering mountains and muddy diamond mines.

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A worker helps to build an addition onto an Ebola holding center in the Port Loko district of Sierra Leone.

World's Slow Response To Ebola Leaves Sierra Leone Villages Scrambling

12:05pm December 12, 2014

by Nurith Aizenman

With the number of new infections reaching a record high, there's no time to wait for international aid to build perfect Ebola treatment centers. So village leaders are making do with what they have.

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Making and taking a hit chest to chest, instead of skull to skull, is easier to remember if you're not wearing a helmet, say University of New Hampshire Wildcat football players.

Football Players Drill Without Helmets To Curb Concussions

7:49pm December 11, 2014

by Jack Rodolico

The idea, according to a scientist at New Hampshire University, is to teach each player "rugby awareness," so he'll be more likely to keep his head out of harm's way. Helmets off, eyes up.

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At the Arsenal video club, men sit shoulder to shoulder. But some still say it's too dangerous to go in because of Ebola.

As Ebola Cases Drop, Liberia's Soccer Fans Are Back In The Zone

7:13pm December 11, 2014

by Sami Yenigun

Liberians cram into sports bars to cheer on their favorite teams. That wasn't happening when Ebola was at its peak. But now, the fans are gathering again.

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You Don't Want To Monkey Around With Monkey Malaria

5:11pm December 11, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

The surging and virulent strain is carried by macaques in southeast Asia. As their habitat is disrupted by development, the monkeys come in closer contact with people. And mosquitoes do the rest.

David Goldhill (second from left) talks with Dan Hilferty of Independence Blue Cross, Kevin Nazemi of Oscar Insurance and Sam Nussbaum of WellPoint in a conversation about health costs. Moderator Avik Roy is at far left.

Making The Human Condition Computable

5:03pm December 11, 2014

by Eric Whitney

Technological advances are making it easier for you and your doctor to track your health and to find treatments for complex diseases. But the technology may be costly and there are privacy pitfalls.

A shipment of experimental Ebola vaccine is opened at a hospital in Geneva.

Unexpected Joint Pain Seen In Test Of Experimental Ebola Vaccine

4:00pm December 11, 2014

by Richard Harris

A major donor has pledged $300 million to distribute an Ebola vaccine in Africa, as soon as one is available. Vaccine development is proceeding, but there have been hiccups.

The bright yellow steel bridge over St. John's River is an official border crossing between Liberia and Guinea. The Liberian-Guinean border has been closed since July to help curb the spread of Ebola.

Boredom On The Border Between Liberia And Guinea

9:38am December 11, 2014

by John Poole

To stop the spread of Ebola, Liberia shut down its border crossings to Guinea. That might have been wise from a medical point of view, but it's bad for the economy — and the restless residents.

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