Global Health

Harvest wheat from a field near Wright, Kan. May 10, 2004.

Former Anti-GMO Activist Says Science Changed His Mind

5:29pm January 20, 2013

by NPR Staff

For years, British environmental activist Mark Lynas vandalized genetically modified food crops. Then, he had a change of heart. He went in front of the world to reverse his position, telling the anti-GMO lobby to "get out of the way and let the rest of us get on with feeding the world sustainably."

Queue Listen Now

A boy stands on a pile of rocks used for the construction of new homes in the hills overlooking Camp Corail, just north of Port-au-Prince. Squatters are streaming into the area and setting up communities, with little government oversight.

Despite Billions In Aid, Many Haitians Still Live In Squalid Camps

9:06am January 14, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

Three years ago, a massive earthquake destroyed much of Haiti's capital city. Aid agencies from around the world pledged billions of dollars to help Haiti rebuild. But since then, many of the grand plans have fizzled, and some 350,000 Haitians still live in makeshift camps.

Queue Listen Now

Our Lady of Assumption Catholic Church in downtown Port-au-Prince, Jan. 17, 2010.

Haiti Then And Now: 3 Years After The Earthquake

4:07pm January 11, 2013

by Ben de la Cruz

Evidence of loss remains even three years after a massive earthquake claimed the lives of as many as 200,000 people in Haiti. One of the first photojournalists to capture the grim aftermath of the quake, NPR's David Gilkey traveled back to Haiti to revisit images he originally took in 2010.

Queue Listen Now

U.S. Ranks Below 16 Other Rich Countries In Health Report

6:46pm January 09, 2013

by Richard Knox

Americans are sicker and die sooner than their counterparts in comparable nations. No single cause can account for the difference, but improving medical care will only help so much, as disparities can be traced to dietary choices, drugs and alcohol, guns, and even cars.

Queue Listen Now

South Korean men play games at a downtown park in Seoul on Nov. 1. Recent data suggest that South Korea is now the fastest-aging country on Earth.

South Korea Prepares The Young For A Rapidly Aging Population

1:43pm January 07, 2013

by Anthony Kuhn

South Korea now appears to be the fastest-aging country in the world. The government has launched a series of creative programs, including a network of community centers for dementia patients and training for young people that simulates the physical and mental effects of old age.

Queue Listen Now

'Full Planet, Empty Plates'

12:23pm January 07, 2013

In Full Planet, Empty Plates: The New Geopolitics of Food Scarcity, Lester Brown says the world's food supply is tightening, and the reasons are many. People in developing countries are eating more meat, a grain-intensive food; farmers are overpumping, causing water tables to fall; and crop yields have plateaued, despite technological advances.

Queue Listen Now

Chiara Andolina, a malaria researcher in Thailand, feeds her mosquito colony by letting the insects bite her right arm. These mosquitoes are picky and will dine only on live human blood.

Health & Safety

Mosquito Maven Takes Bites For Malaria Research

11:47am January 02, 2013

by Jason Beaubien

A scientist in Thailand raises mosquito colonies so she can study a new malaria drug. The insects are quite spoiled — they'll eat only live human blood. So she feeds them "breakfast" each day from her right arm.

Queue Listen Now

Researchers at the U.S. Geological Survey National Wildlife Health Center in Madison, Wis., use eggs to see if the Asian strain of the H5N1 bird flu virus has entered the U.S. in this photo from 2006.

Research Moratoriums And Recipes For Superbugs: Bird Flu In 2012

5:46am December 31, 2012

by Nell Greenfieldboyce

When scientists figured out how to make the deadly H5N1 virus more contagious, a debate ignited about whether to publish the research and do more experiments. Over the past year, scientists published the contentious work, but they still can't agree on the field's future.

Queue Listen Now

An employee tidies boxes of medicines displayed in a pharmacy in the city of Caen in western France last month. Beginning in 2013, girls between the ages of 15 and 18 will be able to get birth control free of charge, and without parental notification.

In France, Free Birth Control For Girls At Age 15

3:16pm December 20, 2012

by Eleanor Beardsley

Starting in January, the French government will provide contraceptives for girls ages 15 to 18 — without charge and without parental notification. The measure, which passed parliament without debate, aims to reduce teen pregnancies by increasing access to birth control and education.

Queue Listen Now

Dr. Aun Pyae Phyo examines a baby at the Whampa malaria clinic on the Thailand-Myanmar border.

A View From The Ground: Thailand Confronts Drug-Resistant Malaria

3:16pm December 20, 2012

Global deaths from malaria have dropped sharply in the past decade, thanks in part to powerful drugs called artemisinins. But on the border between Thailand and Myanmar, doctors are starting to see cracks in artemisinin's armor. The medicine is working more slowly, and sometimes not at all.

Queue Listen Now