health care

WHO Says Progress Is Being Made Against The Ebola Outbreak, But Remains A Threat

5:54pm May 18, 2018

by Jason Beaubien

The World Health Organization said Friday that with swift action, it can bring the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo under control.

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In a statement from the Planned Parenthood Federation of America on the rule, the group said it would not "stand by while our basic health rights are stripped away."

Clinics That Refer Women For Abortions Would Not Get Federal Funds Under New Rule

5:54pm May 18, 2018

The White House budget office is reviewing a proposal, drafted by the Department of Health and Human Services, similar to a discontinued Reagan-era policy that critics describe as the "gag rule."

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In 2017, birthrates fell by 4 percent both for women 20 to 24 years old and for women 25 to 29, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

U.S. Births Dip To 30-Year Low; Fertility Rate Sinks Further Below Replacement Level

9:52pm May 17, 2018

by Bill Chappell

The results put the U.S. further away from a viable replacement rate — the standard for a generation being able to replicate its numbers.

Why The U.S. Birth Rate Is At Its Lowest In 30 Years

6:04pm May 17, 2018

A new report from the Centers for Disease Control says the U.S. birth rate is the lowest in 30 years. NPR's Mary Louise Kelly talks to Gretchen Livingston, from Pew Research Center, about why that is and it means for the U.S.

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HHS Secretary Clarifies Trump Administration's Plan To Reduce Prescription Drug Prices

5:42pm May 17, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

The Department of Health and Human Services is releasing more details of the President Trump's plan to reduce drug prices, including a new web site.

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Celgene has managed to thwart several generic drugmakers who want to compete with cheaper versions of its medicines.

Health & Safety

How A Drugmaker Gamed The System To Keep Generic Competition Away

1:57pm May 17, 2018

by Alison Kodjak

Celgene Corp. has thwarted rival drugmakers eager to make cheaper versions of medicines for a form of blood cancer. Now administration officials are criticizing practices they say hold generics back.

From left to right: Felito Diaz, Julio Cesar Santiago, Richard Lopez and Irma Bermudez meet at Casa Esperanza, a treatment and transitional housing program in Roxbury, Mass.

What Explains The Rising Overdose Rate Among Latinos?

2:03pm May 16, 2018

by Martha Bebinger

Opioid addiction is often portrayed as a white problem, but overdose rates are now rising faster among Latinos and blacks. Cultural and linguistic barriers may put Latinos at greater risk.

Teens are visiting the hospital for suicidal thoughts or actions more frequently.

Hospitals See Growing Numbers Of Kids And Teens At Risk For Suicide

1:50pm May 16, 2018

by Tara Haelle

The number of children and teens who visited the hospital for suicidal thoughts or attempts doubled from 2008 to 2015. Rates were highest during the school year.

Dan Diaz holds a photo of his late wife, Brittany Maynard, taken on their wedding day, during a rally calling for California Gov. Jerry Brown to sign right-to-die legislation at the Capitol in Sacramento in 2015.

Judge Overturns Assisted Suicide Law In California

11:40am May 16, 2018

by Scott Neuman

Judge Daniel Ottolia ruled that the California Legislature was hasty in passing the 2015 law, but he put the decision on hold for five days to give the state time to file an emergency appeal.

When Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds signed Iowa's new abortion bill into law, protesters gathered outside her office at the Statehouse in Des Moines. Two groups have now filed a lawsuit to block the bill.

Groups File Lawsuit To Block Iowa's New 'Heartbeat' Abortion Law

2:43pm May 15, 2018

by Bill Chappell

Scheduled to take effect on July 1, the law is one of the most restrictive abortion measures in the U.S.