Science & Health: Recent Episodes
Voice of America
Iceland is now the home of the world's largest direct air capture and storage plant of carbon dioxide. The plant aims to remove 4,000 tons of carbon dioxide - one of the main contributors to global warming - from the air each year, as VOA’s Mariama Diallo reports.Producer: Rob Raffaele.
The World Health Organization says low-income countries still do not have enough COVID-19 vaccines and is urging wealthier nations to deliver more doses. VOA’s Mariama Diallo has this report. Producer: Kim Weeks
Every year close to 200,000 people die from burns, according to World Health Organization data. The WHO says most of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries. Since the United States entered the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, US military burn specialists have changed the way serious burns are treated. VOA's Carol Pearson has more.
A series of spacewalks is underway outside the International Space Station. Plus, a fire scare occurs in the Russian section of the ISS, and amateur stargazers have set up camp at an ancient Mesopotamian site in modern-day Iraq. VOA's Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.
A greater share of U.S. soldiers survived the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq than those who fought in previous conflicts. Advances in medicine and new concepts in trauma care over the past two decades have made the difference. VOA's Carol Pearson reports on the most dramatic advances. Camera: Mike Burke Video editor: Marcus Harton
The U.S. ended its conflict in Afghanistan, but the Veterans Health Administration continues researching ways to reduce the impact of the most serious injuries U.S. troops suffered in conflicts in both Afghanistan and Iraq. VOA's Carol Pearson reports on one area of research, traumatic brain injury.
Amid the latest wave of COVID-19 infections, less than 1% of people in Africa's most populated country, Nigeria, have been fully vaccinated against the coronavirus. Nigerian authorities are scrambling for more vaccines but say misinformation and myths are discouraging uptake. Timothy Obiezu looks at efforts to dispel the rumors in this report from the capital, Abuja. Camera: Emeka Gibson Producer: Jason Godman
The space delivery business is booming. Plus, Hurricane Ida from space, and wildfire smoke so thick satellite imagery captures the damage. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space. Produced by: Arash Arabasadi Camera: AP/REUTERS/SPACEX/BLUE ORIGIN/NASA TV/MAXAR/NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION (NOAA)
The United Nations Environment Program on Monday marked the official end of toxic leaded gasoline use in vehicles worldwide. A company in Nairobi, where the UNEP is headquartered, is working on the next step — converting all buses and utility vehicles to electric power by 2030. Lenny Ruvaga has the story.
As Israel expands its third COVID booster shot campaign, analysts are pointing to wide disparities between Jews and Arabs when it comes to getting vaccinations. While 80% of eligible Jewish Israelis have been vaccinated, about one-third of Arab citizens of Israel have yet to get their shots. As Linda Gradstein reports from Jerusalem, some root causes are poverty and distrust.Camera: Ricki Rosen
A Belgian-African company operating in Burkina Faso is planting trees to help curb desertification and open up lands for grazing cattle and farming. The project by the company, Hommes et Terre (Men and Earth), is taking place in Burkina Faso’s dangerous conflict zones where expanding desertification is a cause for strife. Henry Wilkins reports from Ouagadougou.Camera: Henry Wilkins
A private spaceflight company sues NASA. Plus, a modified space spoon, a mega meteor shower, and an international spacecraft passes Venus. Details in the Week in Space from VOA's Arash Arabasadi. Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Experts say South Africa is seeing growing drug addiction among young people during the pandemic. A medical research center found that some teenagers are abusing cough syrup that contains the drug codeine. Franco Puglisi looks at the drug addiction problem and efforts to rehabilitate youth in this report from Johannesburg.Camera: Franco Puglisi Produced by: Barry Unger
The recent success of private space flight companies spiked adventure seekers’ interest, but the price tag is far too high for most people. Experts say in just a few years, prices for a trip to space will likely drop low enough for ordinary people to be able to afford a flight. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has this report.
Lebanon is running desperately short of life-saving medicines to treat cancer, heart ailments, or even of basic vitamins needed by expectant mothers. It is all a direct result of Lebanon’s deepening political and economic crisis which has led to severe shortages hard currency and fuel. Anchal Vohra has this report for VOA from northern Lebanon.Videographer and producer: Tilo Gummel
The number of known deaths from COVID-19 has passed 4 million, according to Johns Hopkins University, which is tracking both cases and deaths. In the past 100 years, there have been flu and cholera epidemics, the AIDS epidemic and multiple other diseases around the world. VOA's Carol Pearson says the latest research shows many epidemics either don't have to happen or can be contained.
After much lobbying, Australia’s Great Barrier Reef will not appear on a list of “in danger” World Heritage Sites. Environmentalists call this a “terrible” decision fueled by political pressure. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports.
The U.S. has averaged more than 26,000 new COVID-19 cases per day over the past week — more than double the number it was a month ago — with the more contagious delta variant making up over 80% of cases. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara looks at the Biden administration’s strategy for dealing with the surge, as misinformation continues to drive anti-vaccination sentiments in certain groups. Producer: Kimberlyn Weeks
The space-tourism industry got a major boost aboard a billionaire’s rocket ship. Plus, the EU lends Mother Earth a climate-conscious hand, and LeBron James suits-up for the big screen. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space. Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Seven COVID-19 vaccines have received the green light from the World Health Organization so far. And as new variants of the coronavirus evolve, questions arise about how well each vaccine works. It can get confusing. But as VOA's Steve Baragona reports, when it comes to keeping people out of the hospital and the grave, any shot will help. Video editor: Bronwyn Benito
As the United Nations marks World Population Day on July 11, its experts say there is no perfect population number and that human innovation will continue to manage and outpace the growth in the number of humans living on the planet. VOA’s Laurel Bowman has more.
It seems Richard Branson, and not Jeff Bezos, will be the first billionaire in space. Plus, a new robot could make work safer on the International Space Station, while the UAE names its first female astronaut. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has the Week in Space.Camera: AP/NASA/EUROPEAN SPACE AGENCY (ESA)/REUTERS/VIRGIN GALACTIC/SPACE X/GSMA/ESA Produced by : Arash Arabasadi
As tourists finally return to Spain's beaches this summer, they may be facing an unpleasant surprise: patches of thick brown algae that have washed up on the golden sands of its most popular resorts. Metric tons of Rugulopteryx okamurae — an alga believed to come from Asia in the ballast tanks of cargo ships — lie on the beaches of resorts in southern Spain in an invasion which threatens the already struggling tourism industry, upsets marine biodiversity and has left local fishermen with near-empty nets. The otherwise picturesque landscape at Valdevaqueros Beach, Tarifa, after the invasive seaweed washes ashore. (Alfonso Beato/VOA)Elsewhere in the Mediterranean, the same brown sludge has appeared on the other side of the Straights of Gibraltar on the coast of northern Morocco. With the same texture as seaweed, it can cause mild irritation to the skin if touched during swimming, and the plant's rotting remains are an eyesore for tourists. Below the waves, this new arrival to this part of the Mediterranean stops local algae from developing and drives away fish and mollusks that cannot feed on this inedible plant. Environmental nightmare “It is aggressively taking over the entire sea floor of the Straits of Gibraltar because the algae take up 50% of the space between ten and 20 meters below the surface,” said Francisco Ruíz Giraldez, the mayor of Tarifa, a popular holiday destination for kite surfers, in an interview with VOA. “It is an environmental nightmare because it invades the habitat of local vegetation and kills it off. It causes a problem for the fishermen because it gets caught up in their nets and they cannot catch anything.” Fishing nets have to be discarded after coming back tangled in the invasive sea algae, with few fish. (Alfonso Beato/VOA)Ruíz Giraldez, who is also a biologist, added: “This is a big problem for tourism as metric tons of dead algae leave a nasty brown stain on the beach and does not look good and it begins to smell bad.” The speed at which the algae reproduce means it is a race against time to rid Spain's beaches of this unsightly stain. “It’s like Groundhog Day. You take the [algae] away one day and the next day it’s back again,” said Ruíz Giraldez. Last year officials cleared 5,000 metric tons of the algae from the beaches of Tarifa alone. Along the coast in Estepona, another popular tourist resort, authorities had to get rid of 3,383 metric tons of the plant, while in Marbella some ...
People on Spain’s Mediterranean coast are grappling with what researchers are calling a silent invasion of sea algae that is threatening its biodiversity, tourism and fishing industry. Scientists say the invasive species arrived in the Mediterranean from Asia in the ballast of cargo ships, creating an “environmental nightmare.” In this report for VOA narrated by Jonathan Spier, Alfonso Beato has details from the southern Spanish coastal city of Tarifa.Camera: Alfonso Beato Graham Keeley contributed to this report
The Biden administration announced shipments of millions of Moderna vaccine donations for Guatemala and Vietnam on Tuesday, after pledging to donate 4 million doses to Indonesia last week. But overall, the U.S. fell short of its target of sending 80 million doses to countries in need by the end of June. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report on the challenges facing the U.S. effort to help vaccinate the world.
A car with wings recently completed a test flight in Slovakia. Its designers say the successful journey brings us one step closer to flying cars, but experts aren’t so sure that’s happening any time soon. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Private space operations continue to expand. Plus, Europe's space agency continues its quest for diversity, and a French astronaut makes good — sort of — on a promise to his crewmates. VOA's Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Several countries have imposed restrictions on travelers from Britain amid rising cases of the delta variant of the coronavirus. Scientists say the delta mutation is more infectious and now makes up around 95 percent of new cases in Britain. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.
Efforts are taking place around the world to vaccinate as many people as possible to protect against COVID-19. Officials are tracking the safety and effectiveness of those efforts, but some medical experts say they aren’t getting the information they need on Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine. Anush Avetisyan has the story.Camera: David Gogokhia Produced by: Henry Hernandez
Pandemic economic pressure and more state limits on abortion are driving an increasing number of women, especially the poor, to Washington, D.C., to terminate their pregnancy. VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias explains why. Camera, Producer: Veronica Balderas Iglesias
The Northern Hemisphere sees its longest day of the year; astronauts make power moves outside the International Space Station. Plus: do you ever get the feeling you’re being watched? Details in The Week in Space from VOA’s Arash Arabasadi.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Images of the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol are seared into many Americans' minds and remain especially vivid for members of Congress who witnessed the riot. One congressman has been especially forthcoming about the mental trauma he has been experiencing months after the riot. VOA's Carolyn Presutti spoke with the lawmaker and filed this report. Camera: Saqib Ul Islam Produced by: Adam Greenbaum
What do the Pentagon, the FBI and other U.S. intelligence agencies know about UFOs? A report due this week is expected to draw few conclusions and raise many questions — especially about U.S. adversaries. Matt Dibble reports.Producer: Matt Dibble.
Residents in North India’s rural Kangra district say they have been anxious to get vaccinated for COVID-19 after a second wave of the pandemic created havoc and ravaged villages last month. While tech savvy, digitally aware city dwellers have managed to get shots, millions in rural areas are being left behind because of a technology barrier. Registering on the official website called CoWIN, they say, has been a challenge for many residents like Harnam Singh — who only has an old-fashioned feature phone and no internet connection. “I have a simple phone. I don’t even know how smart phones operate,” Singh said with a shrug. After widening its inoculation drive to all adults last month, the government in India made it mandatory for those between 18 and 45 years old to register on a digital portal for a shot. The move created a divide between people in towns and cities at an advantage in getting shots while millions in rural areas were jostled out of vaccine lines because they did not have smart phones or adequate resources. Criticism that the digital divide was excluding millions from its inoculation drive prompted the government to act. This week, all those eligible for vaccines will be allowed to walk into health centers for appointments, according to authorities. People leave a vaccination center after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine in Imphal, India, June 21, 2021.India’s vaccination program is gaining momentum — the country administered more than eight million shots on Monday as it offered free vaccines to all. But sustaining that record pace, especially in vast rural areas, remains a challenge as demand for vaccines continues to outstrip supply amid shortages. Residents in Kangra however say not much has changed for them with the new policy because only limited numbers could walk to vaccination centers. On the other hand, those with access to an online booking are assured a shot. That means people like Manoj Sharma, who don’t own a smart phone, are still scrambling to get an online slot, usually turning to friends for help. “The government should facilitate this process for us,” said Sharma, who works as a driver. “I am driving all day and providing an essential service. Being on the road, I worry about getting the virus.” The technology barrier prompts about 15 people a day to walk to Lok Mitra Kendra, a local center that offers assistance. “The registration on ...
When COVID-19 hit, the world was not ready. The pandemic showed us major gaps in our preparation and ability to respond to the virus. Health experts say we will have another one. VOA's Carol Pearson reports that it doesn't have to be as bad as COVID-19. Camera: Laurel Bowman Produced by: Bakhtiyar Zamanov
Astronauts working outside the International Space Station prepare for prime-time power. Plus, NASA readies for the moon while a U.S. Congressman asks a puzzling question about changing its orbit. VOA's Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
For some people, COVID has led to changes in lifestyle, or even a new job. That’s the case of a cyclist in Los Angeles, California, who ended up opening several bicycle shops to meet a growing demand by people wanting to get exercise while exploring their city. Mike O’Sullivan has more. Camera: Mike O’Sullivan and Roy Kim
Turkey's Sea of Marmara is battling an explosion of sea algae, dubbed sea snot, which is now threatening an ecological disaster. As Dorian Jones reports for VOA from Istanbul, the mucus-like substance is fast becoming politically toxic as well.
A report published in The New England Journal of Medicine shows the potentially lifesaving results of lab-grown mosquitos. Infected with bacteria, the insects may no longer have the ability to transmit dengue. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.
Concerns about the safety of the COVID vaccine are common especially when it comes to inoculating very young children. A new study suggests that some moms may be passing along antibodies to their infants. VOA’s Dilge Timocin has more. Camera: Tezcan Taskiran
Geophysical sciences professor Edwin Kite pores over a steady stream of data and images originating from U.S. and Chinese rovers and crafts simultaneously exploring Mars."I am interested in solar system and exoplanet habitability,” Kite explained to VOA from his University of Chicago laboratory. His field of study has traditionally been accomplished using telescopes and analyzing meteors in addition to the few moon rocks returned to Earth by U.S. astronauts who landed there in the 1960s and 70s.But today’s on-the-ground missions exploring Mars are helping him and his colleagues obtain a more direct and complete understanding of the red planet.“You can quickly go through a loop of making a discovery, forming a hypothesis based on that discovery and sending a new spacecraft to test it,” Kite told VOA. “We’ve only scratched the surface of what there is to discover. We don’t know which country’s investigation is going to stumble over something that unlocks the next stage of exploration. The more countries doing that exploration, the better, for everyone.”FILE - Then-Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Fla., speaks in West Palm Beach, Fla.Testifying remotely at a recent U.S. congressional hearing, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, a former astronaut and former U.S. senator from Florida, signaled alarm at the recent success of the Chinese space program, which he said wasn’t confined to Mars exploration.“They want to send three big landers to the south pole of the moon. And that’s where the water is,” he said. “And we are still a year or two away from a much smaller lander going there.”Artemis programNelson is urging lawmakers to support NASA’s Artemis program, which plans to return humans – including the first woman – to the moon, with Mars as an eventual destination.Nelson said China is on a similar path.“I think that’s adding a new element as to whether or not we want to get serious and get a lot of activity going on landing humans back on the surface of the moon,” he said.“China is gaining rapidly on the U.S., and the Europeans are also in this space race,” said Rocky Kolb, a professor of astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Chicago who believes a new space race could be mutually beneficial. “Competition brings out the best in everyone. It pushes people, and there’s a lot to explore in space.”Kolb would like to see the U.S. and Chinese space programs collaborate as well as compete.“I think it would ...
On Thursday, the eve of the G-7 summit in Cornwall, England, U.S. President Joe Biden formally announced what had been disclosed a day earlier — that his administration would donate 500 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine to 92 low- and middle-income countries. Here’s the latest from White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara, who is traveling with the president.
Washington-area residents are increasingly out and about as COVID-19 cases fall in the U.S., including the capital region. But reluctance to get vaccinated persists in some quarters, despite extensive campaigns promoting inoculation — and warnings of the dangers of failing to get the jab. VOA’s Laurel Bowman has our story.Camera: Laurel Bowman
NASA sends squids to space. Plus, the world’s wealthiest man makes out-of-this-world travel arrangements, and a soccer star talks game with an orbiting astronaut. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
When India was grappling with the pandemic last year, villages perched on Himalayan slopes remained in serene outposts, largely untouched. But the deadly second wave did not spare these far-flung regions.“Entire villages were infected. In fact, the virus reached places at over 2000 meters,” said Rakesh Prajapati, the Deputy Commissioner of Kangra. “Rural centers were badly hit this time.” Kangra is the largest district in the mountainous Himachal Pradesh state.Health experts blame a number of factors for India’s second wave. Among them are a more transmissible variant, super spreader events such as big public gatherings and laxity in following COVID protocols. In Himachal Pradesh too, public health experts have pointed to large wedding functions that were held in the days before infections spiraled.As health facilities were inundated, authorities scrambled to contain the infection. They used some unusual initiatives to spread the message about following COVID protocols — in village lanes, street artists in black costumes enacted the threat posed by the coronavirus if residents did not use masks or follow measures such as sanitizing hands. A strict lockdown was enforced with police handing out penalties to those violating norms such as social distancing.A local artist spreads the message about following COVID protocols in Kangra district in India’s Himachal Pradesh state.The second wave has ebbed in recent days with daily cases reducing significantly.But the severity of infections and death toll was much higher compared to the first wave, according to officials. “This time we got disproportionate number of cases compared to our hospital infrastructure. So, we had to raise the capacity of our hospital beds, from 150 to 1,500 and we also had to increase ventilators, ICU (Intensive Care Unit) beds,” said Prajapati.With hospitals stretched to capacity, authorities asked hundreds of infected people to isolate at home. But that was a challenge for many.“If you have one or two rooms and one washroom, how do you isolate,” asked Sudhir Sharma, a resident who set up beds in a house he owns for people stricken with the virus.He launched a helpline called “Shakti” on realizing how tough handling the infection was for patients after his driver tested positive. “When I asked him where he would stay, he told me he would pitch a tent outside his home. That is when I understood the predicament people face in villages.”Meals were cooked and distributed to families where several members were sick, and kits of ...
Four-year-old Kirill Zherebtsov was born deaf and without ears. He was scheduled for a special surgery in California but a day before his flight, his mother died unexpectedly. What happened next is a story in resilience. Angelina Bagdasaryan has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian
A seaside aqua fitness workout isn’t just about exercise, water, sun and sea breezes. It also provides a way to recover from injury and to find camaraderie, as Allison Lékogo Fernandes discovered, filing this report from Senegal.Camera: Mbaye Ndir
Since the beginning in coronavirus pandemic in early 2020, the New York City’s tourism industry has suffered, including its famous open-top sightseeing buses. VOA’s Aunshuman Apte has more. Camera: Aunshuman Apte Producer: Aunshuman Apte
Space junk finally hits its mark. Plus, NASA now eyes Venus after its first major flight issue on Mars. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
YouTube videos that cause an autonomous sensory meridian response, or ASMR, are likely something school-age kids know all about. Their parents? Not so much. Karina Bafradzhian looks at a new trend that some people say helps them deal with pandemic-induced stress. Camera: David Gogokhia
In most of the countries Gallup surveyed, the proportion of people who said they would be vaccinated for COVID-19 was below 70%. That's the lowest percentage of the population that scientists think needs to have immunity in order to stop the virus from spreading. Steve Baragona explains why scientists think achieving herd immunity is important. Graphic Artist: Mesut Ersöz
A private spaceflight company successfully flew a spacecraft with people on board. Plus, NASA may predict volcanic activity from orbit, and sky gazers get a special treat. VOA's Arash Arabasadi has the Week in Space. Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
A new algorithm tool is helping social workers better detect kids who are in high-risk child abuse situations. Deana Mitchell reports
Some might put off a visit to the eye doctor, but one company has come up with a way for patients to administer their own vision exam at home, using a smartphone. Tina Trinh reports.
A U.S. Space Force defense satellite is launched into space. Plus, China makes it to Mars, and a satellite made of wood is scheduled for launch later this year. VOA's Arash Arabasadi has the Week in Space.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
NASA shares the sound of its Mars helicopter. Plus, space debris triggers a verbal sparring match, and an asteroid sample is heading to Earth. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has This Week in Space.Producer: Arash Arabasadi.
The U.S. Department of Energy’s Fermilab near Chicago is probing the unseen forces that make up the basic building blocks of all matter – and life. VOA’s Kane Farabaugh reports the project could change scientists’ understanding of particle physics and the very fabric of the universe. Camera: Kane Farabaugh Producer: Kane Farabaugh
Washington plans to lift many coronavirus restrictions and aims for a full reopening by mid-June. The U.S. capital has already vaccinated more than 70% of its residents. Saqib Ul Islam reports on a unique vaccine drive in the city. Camera: Saqib Ul Islam Producer: Saqib Ul Islam
In much of Africa, including Zimbabwe, women struggling to have children often face stigma and ridicule. To help overcome the problem, two Zimbabwean doctors in 2017 re-opened the country's only in vitro fertilization clinic. Columbus Mavhunga has more from Harare. Camera: Blessing Chigwenhembe
Experts say this has already been a busy year for volcanic activity, but now NASA scientists say they may be able to predict eruptions far enough in advance to save lives. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.
NASA celebrates the 60th anniversary of Alan Shepard’s history-shaping flight. Plus, private spaceflight sets a launch date, and wine from space lands on Earth with an out-of-this-world price tag. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has the Week in Space.Camera: AP/NASA/SKYPE/NASA TV/BLUE ORIGIN Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Entrepreneur Anil Joshi engages in a dismal ritual every morning just checking the internet for the latest coronavirus pandemic news from India from a laptop computer perched on the breakfast table in his suburban Chicago home. "In my own family — my cousin's family actually has four people — all four people got infected," Joshi told VOA. "A childhood friend of my mine died actually." In the past several weeks, seven members of Ashfaq Syed's extended family in the Indian city of Hyderabad have contracted the COVID-19 virus. He says all seven have since died. "It is going crazy," says Syed, a Naperville Public Library Board trustee. "I've been getting messages every day of somebody passing away, especially from my family and friends and loved ones." As the number of those infected with COVID-19 continues to surge in India, overwhelming the health care system in the country, many from South Asia now living in the United States have watched helplessly as friends and family members grapple with the virus — with many thousands dying daily because of a lack of oxygen. The World Health Organization said in a weekly report that India accounted for nearly half the coronavirus cases reported worldwide last week. Tech solutions Joshi's company, IntelliH, is creating technology that could help during the crisis. Its product would allow medical professionals to remotely assess and monitor patients. He says he has a team of 35 employees in India developing the technology, but the virus is slowing down their work. "In our own group, in the last three weeks, we have four people who are actually infected and not able to work," Joshi says. "Because their mom or dad got it first, and obviously Indian families are very closely knit families and they live together." As infections rise, so does the need for supplies — and quickly. "People need oxygen supply there," Joshi says. "People need medicines like remdesivir and others." "We need ventilators," Syed says. While there are challenges in getting actual equipment collected and sent to India, he says sending money has provided immediate assistance. "Oxygen, an ox cylinder, used to be 2,000 Indian rupees earlier," Syed says. "Now it has shot up to 20,000, 30,000 because of the shortage of oxygen, so we need to arrange for funds, which we are doing." There are about 250,000 people living in Illinois with direct connections to South Asia, and the ...
During coronavirus-mandated lockdowns, millions of people started following the so-called “cleanfluencers” — online bloggers who inspired others to clean and organize their homes while gaining useful knowledge about keeping things neat and tidy. Nina Vishneva has the story, narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Natalia Latukhina, Alexander Barash
President Biden set a goal of reducing U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by half by 2030. His pledge to a virtual summit of world leaders in April is welcomed by those hit hardest by climate change and looking for as much quick action as possible. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more. Camera: AP/REUTERS/NASA/SKYPE/NATIONAL AUTONOMOUS UNIVERSITYProduced by: Arash Arabasadi
Turkey was recently heralded as one of the most successful nations in containing the spread of COVID 19, prompting the government to ease controls. But a surge in infections coupled with vaccine shortages has forced a U-turn, with the country now under its most severe lockdown, as Dorian Jones reports for VOA from Istanbul.
India has opened its immunization drive to all adults as it reels under a catastrophic second wave of the novel coronavirus pandemic. But a shortage of vaccines in the country often called a vaccine powerhouse means inoculating a significant part of the 1.4 billion population is still a distant goal. Anjana Pasricha has a report.
At a mass COVID-19 vaccination site in Baltimore, Maryland, thousands of people are currently getting inoculated daily. Iryna Matviichuk visited the site, in this story narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Kostiantyn Golubchyk Contributor: Ouliana Teliouk
NASA Astronaut Michael Collins, who made history as part of the 1969 Apollo 11 crew to first land a person on the moon, has died at age 90. In interviews with VOA's Kane Farabaugh, Collins reflected on the importance of the mission and the contributions of the astronauts of his era, while keeping a focus on the future of crewed spaceflight and exploration.Producer and camera: Kane Farabaugh.
Kenyan farmers say they are being forced to hand-pollinate their crops due to a decline in bee populations from pesticides. Kenya’s insect experts say the chemicals, meant to kill desert locusts and other pests, are killing off bees and other pollinating insects. Kenyan farmer Samuel Nderitu says he made a good living from his crops for nearly a decade until 2019, when he noticed neighboring farmers spraying for pests. His crop yields started dropping, says Nderitu, and he’s convinced it’s because the pesticides killed off pollinating insects like bees. He has since been forced to hand-pollinate the plants. "It has been quite successful — not 100% though because that’s not natural," he said. "The natural one is where the insects transfer the pollen from one plant to another; that's the most successful one. But now, because the pollinators are not there, we have to help in that process." A 2019 desert locust invasion in east Africa forced Kenyan authorities and farmers into a massive spraying campaign to save their crops. But Kenya’s International Center of Insect Physiology and Ecology says the unchecked use of pesticides is ironically killing off the pollinators on which the crops depend. ‘’The pesticides are affecting the health of the bees because the pesticides reduce immunity of bees," says Nelly Ngungu, a research scientist at the center. "Now, aggravating the effects of pesticides, and lack of forage because of climatic conditions, change in climate, all this they reduce the immunity of bees and can eventually lead to bee death and decline in population.’’ Kenya’s agricultural experts are researching pest control options that reduce chemical use. Agricultural research professor Hamadi Boga says biological control — using predators that feed on pests — is one option. "The biggest challenge is that biological control works exito, where exito means ‘in the lab.’ It works very well but when you take it to the field, because of rain and other environmental issues, sometimes it's not quite as perfect,” said Boga. Biodiversity groups are also training Kenya’s farmers on how to repel pests without harmful chemicals that can kill pollinators. The national coordinator of the Kenya Biodiversity Coalition, Anne Maina, explains. ‘’We train them on what is called integrated pest management," she said. "For example, if you find that you have a particular pest that is giving you trouble or disease — how do you plant crops? For example, even in your kitchen garden, if ...
Kenyan farmers say they are being forced to hand pollinate their crops due to a decline in bee populations from pesticides. Kenya’s insect experts say the chemicals, meant to kill desert locusts and other pests, are killing off bees and other pollinating bugs. Victoria Amunga reports from Nairobi. Camera: Robert Lutta Producer: Rob Raffaele
Senegal banned single-use plastics a year ago, but the regulation has been poorly enforced and plastic waste still litters the coastline and threatens health. For Earth Day (April 22) this year, a group of Senegalese surfers, scuba divers, and activists took matters into their own hands and to set an example for others to follow. Annika Hammerschlag reports from Dakar. Camera: Annika Hammerschlag
In March, one of the world’s biggest container ships became stuck in Egypt’s Suez Canal, creating a commercial logjam and spikes in the cost of oil. At a training facility in France, mariners are learning how to avoid a similar predicament. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.
During Ramadan many mosques are open, but because of attendance limits there’s no guarantee of a place to pray. But new phone apps can help solve that problem, as VOA's Yuni Salim found out, in this report narrated by Nova Poerwadi. Camera: Yuni Salim Producer: Bronwyn Benito
Vanuatu, a remote chain of more than 80 islands in the Pacific, is one of the few countries in the world where the coronavirus has not spread. How did they do it? Ginny Stein has more for VOA from Vanuatu’s capital city, Port Vila. Camera: Ginny Stein
President Joe Biden aimed to accentuate the positive as he wrapped up his Leaders Summit on Climate Change on Friday. Biden highlighted the economic benefits the fight against climate change offers. But his plans still face an uphill battle at home. VOA's Steve Baragona has more.
In an exclusive interview with VOA, the director of Oxford University’s Jenner Institute says their new malaria vaccine, tested in Burkina Faso, has shown a preliminary efficacy rate of 77%, which could help prevent over 400,000 deaths a year, most of them in sub-Saharan Africa. Henry Wilkins looks at the burden of malaria on families in the region and the potential impact of the new vaccine in this report from Kaya, Burkina Faso.
Old machines are transformed into new robots in an exhibition that makes viewers think twice about the machines they use. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee has the details. Camera: Roy Kim Producer: Elizabeth Lee
NASA makes history with its flying robot on Mars, a new commander takes the helm of the International Space Station, and the European Space Agency looks for solutions to the problem of space junk. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us The Week in Space.
As the world observes Earth Day later this week, Israeli environmentalists worry that the Dead Sea, the lowest place on Earth, is disappearing. That is posing environmental dangers and also could affect the Dead Sea’s unique salutary effects. For VOA, Linda Gradstein reports from the Dead Sea. Camera: Ricki Rosen Produced by: Bronwyn Benito
President Joe Biden has kicked off a two-day virtual global Summit on Climate with a pledge to substantially reduce U.S. carbon emissions by 2030 and double annual climate change funding to developing countries by 2024. Forty world leaders as well as climate activists and representatives of international organizations are attending the summit, as VOA’s White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports.
As teenage pregnancies soared during coronavirus lockdowns in Africa's largest urban slum, Kibera, teachers and parents looked for a way to reduce the problem. Their idea was to form a women's football (soccer) club, to direct their energy in a healthy way, and they became so good they are about to join Kenya's professional women's soccer league. Brenda Mulinya reports from Nairobi. Camera: Robert Lutta
Touting the 200 million COVID-19 shots administered since he took office, President Joe Biden said he is looking into sending excess doses abroad. His administration is under pressure to do more to improve global vaccine equity, including supporting a campaign to waive vaccine patents. White House Correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
This week the Biden administration is promoting a plan to boost electric bus production, proposing $45 billion spending to reduce American-made bus emissions to zero by 2030. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this report.
An innovative home recycling unit aims to revolutionize the world of recycling as we know it. VOA’s Julie Taboh has more.Camera: Adam Greenbaum Producers: Julie Taboh/Adam Greenbaum
A company in Wales has found a way to repurpose discarded personal protective equipment, or PPE, to help keep it out of landfills amid the coronavirus pandemic. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.
In the U.S., senior citizens and other vulnerable populations without access to technology have struggled to make COVID-19 vaccination appointments with online booking systems. Matt Dibble reports on the nationwide network of tech-savvy volunteers who are taking on the challenge. Camera, Producer: Matt Dibble
Zimbabwe's government this month reported a major increase in teenage pregnancies in January and February. Advocates are blaming the rise from previous years on coronavirus lockdowns and poverty. Columbus Mavhunga reports from Harare, Zimbabwe.Zimbabwe’s government says nearly 5,000 teenage girls became pregnant in January and February and about 1,800 entered early marriages during the same period.According to a government report, most of the girls live in poor suburbs such as Epworth, about 30 kilometers southeast of Harare.Here, since 2018, 17-year-old Natsiraishe Maritsa, founder of the Vulnerable Underaged People's Auditorium Initiative, has been teaching her peers about the dangers of early pregnancy and early marriage.“I have realized that child marriages deprive the girl child of her rights,” she said. “And I have seen young girls diagnosed with fistula, I have seen young girls sink deep into poverty, I have seen young girls being abused because of child marriages. So, I realized that I had to stand up and fight for this noble cause.”She thinks karate lessons, among other activities, keep girls in this poor suburb occupied, including during the lockdowns.Seventeen-year-old Natsiraishe Maritsa, founder of the Vulnerable Underaged People's Auditorium Initiative, teaches her peers about the dangers of early pregnancy and early marriage and keeps them busy with martial arts. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)She was disappointed with the government report’s findings.“It made me realize that there is still a lot that still needs to be done,” she said. “This is not a one-man’s thing. Stakeholders out there should join the campaign and hold marathons, fun runs, campaigning for a nation that is free from early pregnancies and early marriages. We have to spread the wings and counter the effects and causes of children marriages. Because the more we speak out, the more we campaign against it, it is the more cases of pregnancies and early marriages decline.”The United Nations Population Fund has been helping to ensure Zimbabwe’s children have online and radio lessons during the COVID-19 lockdowns.“Zimbabwe is among countries in sub-Saharan Africa with a huge problem teenage pregnancy,” said Blessing Tafadzwa Nyagumbo, UNFPA Zimbabwe’s adolescent sexual reproductive health specialist. “The country has a high adolescent fertility rate of 108 per 1,000 among young women aged 15 to 19 years. This is against average fertility rate of 101 births per 1,000 young women aged between 15 and 19 in sub-Saharan Africa. Of course, this data, is from before COVID-19 pandemic and [before] lockdown measures were ...
Nigerian authorities are stepping up efforts to vaccinate more people against COVID-19 after a slow rollout blamed on misinformation. Authorities aim to vaccinate over 80 million Nigerians by year’s end but are running far behind schedule. Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja. Camera: Emekas Gibson
This week in space: NASA's flying robot on Mars remains grounded pending an update. Plus, the United Nations names an astronaut as an ambassador, and satellites may help the fight against climate change. VOA's Arash Arabasadi reports.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Several U.S. states have temporarily stopped providing Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccines in line with federal guidance after six people who received the shots developed rare blood clots. Meanwhile, several countries have suspended the AstraZeneca vaccines after reports it, too, may be linked to blood clots. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara reports.
Much of Europe has been forced back into lockdown amid a deadly third wave of the coronavirus. In Britain however, pubs, shops and services reopened Monday as the government hailed its vaccination program for cutting infections. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.Camera: Henry Ridgwell Producer: Jason Godman
Tobacco farmers in Zimbabwe, Africa's largest tobacco producer, are pinning their economic hopes on the addictive plant. Despite anti-smoking campaigns ahead of the World Health Organization's No Tobacco Day on May 31, farmers say the crop is one of their biggest sources of income. After quitting journalism at a government-controlled company four years ago, 39-year-old Itai Mazire went into farming. This year, he expects to sell at least 9,000 kilograms of tobacco from his eight-hectare plot, about 150 kilometers east of Harare. Mazire says delayed selling seasons, due to the coronavirus pandemic, forced him to dip into his savings to pay workers. But Mazire says his harvest this year was the biggest ever and he expects sales to more than double that of 2020. “This season is a success for us Zimbabwe tobacco farmers, in particular," he said. "The rains were with us and we did our job. It’s a perfect story. We are curing our tobacco and every farmer will be smiling all the way to the bank. He gets his money, the economy improve[s], our foreign currency reserves will improve through tobacco.” Workers at a tobacco auction floor in Marondera about 100km east of east of Harare, Zimbabwe, Apr. 10, 2021. (Columbus Mavhunga/VOA)After gold, tobacco is Zimbabwe’s biggest foreign currency earner. The cash-strapped government expects earnings this year to jump from last year’s $452 million U.S. dollars to $800 million. Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka says that’s not enough. “The tobacco’s potential is immense," he said. "It is in this regard that the government, together with stakeholders in the industry, is at an advanced stage of developing a three-pronged strategy. First, to increase annual production to 300 million kilograms largely from small holder farmers by 2025." Campaigners say Zimbabwe should instead work to replace tobacco, which is known to cause cancer, with other crops that are less damaging to health. Sharon Nyatsanza of South Africa-based National Council Against Smoking (Apr. 12, 2021) says Zimbabwe should work to replace tobacco with other crops that are less damaging to health. (Columbus Mavhunga/SKYPE)Sharon Nyatsanza, from the South Africa-based National Council Against Smoking, says people who use tobacco are more vulnerable to the coronavirus, the cause of the COVID-19 disease. “Emerging signs show that people who are exposed to tobacco are at higher risk of developing worse COVID-19 outcomes. But beyond COVID-19 pandemic is a threat to humanity and it kills millions each and every ...
The Mekong is one of the world’s great rivers — a 5,000-kilometer waterway threading from China through Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. However, dams have subverted the ecosystem, bringing drought during the monsoon season and high waters when it should be dry. That has forever changed the lives of those who depend on the river for food and work in northeastern Thailand, a poor region bordering Laos and Cambodia. Vijitra Duangdee reports for VOA news, from Nong Khai, Thailand.Camera: Black Squirrel Productions
Scientists studying sea turtles say the ancient animals’ numbers are dropping. They blame mostly human activity, but say they hope a new action plan could help the species mount a comeback. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.
CDC says cases of coronavirus clusters are increasing in the U.S. in youth sports and day care centers, while hospitals are reporting more younger adults are being admitted with severe cases of the disease. As Mariama Diallo reports, coronavirus variants are to blame for the rise.
NASA eyes the first possible day to launch its flying robot on Mars. Plus, the space agency tests a moon capsule, and the European Space Agency calls for diversity. VOA's Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
A New York social worker and psychotherapist says more is needed to address the pandemic’s impact on mental health, particularly among health care workers. More from VOA Correspondent Mariama Diallo.
As the U.S. nears reaching its goal of vaccinating 200 million Americans by the end of April, the Biden administration is taking more steps toward helping other nations by appointing a coordinator for its global COVID-19 response. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has the story.
A recent report published by the National Academy of Sciences paints a grim picture of declining diversity in ocean life. The study spanned decades, and as VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, researchers link a drop in species to a rise in ocean temperature. Camera: Reuters Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
The wearable health care device market has been growing, especially in the Americas, Europe and Asia. COVID-19 is causing a boost in demand for these devices. VOA’s Elizabeth Lee shows examples of two devices that are finding new purpose during the pandemic.Camera: Elizabeth Lee, Matt Dibble Producer: Elizabeth Lee
While it may not yet be planting season outside, inside some New Jersey shipping containers, it’s always spring. Vladimir Lenski has the story, narrated by Anna Rice.Producer: Marcus Harton.Cameras: Max Avloshenko, Dmitrii Vershinin.
A new study published in the Lancet medical journal finds that stillbirths, maternal deaths and ectopic pregnancies rose during the coronavirus pandemic, possibly because women had reduced access to medical services. More with VOA’s Mariama Diallo on the data covering 6 million pregnant women in nearly 20 countries.
Percentagewise, Lebanon is home to the largest Christian population in the Middle East. As the country struggles in the face of multiple deep crises with no sign of respite, Easter this year offers little to celebrate. Jacob Russell has this report from Beirut. Camera: Jacob Russell, Agency Archive Producer: Jason Godman
Hundreds of thousands of seafarers are stranded across the world because of the coronavirus pandemic. Advocates for the seafarers say it is a ‘humanitarian crisis’ that threatens supply chains. Henry Ridgwell reports from London.Camera: Henry Ridgwell Produced by: Barry Unger
It is hard to see COVID-19 here, in the small village of KaMatsamo. Goats pick their way through a path that runs from the highway, the main thoroughfare in this South African town of some 23,000 people. On a recent day, most residents were not diligently wearing masks outdoors, as is the law. About half were. Africa’s megacities will bear deep scars from this coronavirus pandemic. But 59% of the continent’s population lives in rural areas, according to the World Bank, and large-scale lockdowns have effectively sealed off these rural areas — for better and for worse, residents say. On a recent fall day, VOA spoke to a group of residents who had gathered by the side of the road in this town just 12 square kilometers in size. Several said they knew of someone who had contracted COVID-19 — but most said that they did not think the virus itself has penetrated their community to the extent that it has urban areas. But the pandemic is deeply felt here, say residents — who point not to death tolls, but to economic and social devastation. South Africa is the continent’s epicenter, with more than 1.5 million confirmed cases and more than 52,000 deaths. Phakade Sambo is a bright 22-year-old with a dream — one that she said the pandemic has slashed. “It's been a problem — like, a really problem, a big problem — to me,” she said. She wants to learn a trade and, eventually, set up her own carpentry shop. “I can't continue with my carpentry studies,” she said, after re-adjusting an already neat row of avocados at her roadside stall. “I just stopped, and I can't even start my own business because the money is too low. People are complaining they can't even buy this fruit, they are complaining They say it's too much money, I'm being expensive or something. They say that.” Data about COVID’s impact on Africa’s urban-rural divide is still being gathered. But one recent study from a group of Nigerian and British researchers warns that rural African communities risk being left behind in the pandemic because of the lack of amenities like good road networks, clinics and hospitals. Freddy Nkosi, Congo country director at VillageReach, an NGO that focuses on remote, rural low-income countries, says the big efforts like, say, vaccination, are that much more difficult in rural settings. “You need to keep the vaccines in the cold-chain environments and you need to train the people ...
A team of South Africans has won a Cape Town competition to create a zero-carbon home, just ahead of Earth Day on April 22. Experts say the house design, which incorporates solar power, passive cooling, rainwater harvesting, and a food garden, could help reduce the nation's carbon footprint. Vinicius Assis reports from Cape Town, South Africa.Camera: Vinícius Assis
Before the pandemic hit, 82 percent of clinics in the landlocked Southern African nation of eSwatini lacked hot running water. That has changed in the last 6 months, with the installation of solar-powered water heaters in every single government clinic, opening up clean health facilities to up to 10,000 people a day in a nation that has long struggled with building up infrastructure. VOA's Anita Powell reports from Lobamba, eSwatini.
It can take hundreds of years for plastic containers to break down, if ever at all. Their presence reshapes entire ecosystems, and experts in Bolivia are calling for action to protect their communities. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.Producer: Arash Arabasadi
In the global race against emerging variants of COVID-19, experts say it's imperative to reach herd immunity quickly by vaccinating as many people as possible. VOA correspondent Mariama Diallo reports on the range of vaccines being used in the U.S. and elsewhere.
In Space news this week, NASA’s “Wright Brothers”-moment on Mars comes complete with a piece of Earth history on board. Plus, the space agency eyes its return to the moon, and a record-setting explorer sets yet another. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.Camera: NASA/AP/REUTERS/RICHARD GARRIOT DE CAYEUX Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Research is ongoing, but it’s thought the coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, may be a zoonotic disease that first appeared in bats. A team in the Philippines studies diseases carried by bats in hopes of preventing future pandemics. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.Producer: Arash Arabasadi
Ahead of World Tuberculosis Day Wednesday, doctors are warning that progress in the global fight against the disease has been set back more than a decade by the coronavirus pandemic. Henry Ridgwell reports. Video editor: Rod James
Campaigners against tuberculosis, a bacterial disease that mainly affects the lungs, say the coronavirus pandemic has rolled back years of progress in treating TB. But Nigeria — one of the countries hardest hit by the disease — has managed to maintain its progress, as Timothy Obiezu reports from Abuja. Camera: Emekas Gibson
Scientists are still learning how the coronavirus affects the body and why it's so lethal. A Cleveland Clinic survey indicates more than half of those questioned didn't know COVID-19 could affect their hearts, and nearly 70% didn't know that high blood pressure also increases the risk if they get the virus. VOA's Carol Pearson has the details.
Carrie Brady was 40 and single when she decided to adopt a baby. Because of the US opioid crisis, her chances of finding a match were better if she agreed to accept the child of someone addicted to drugs and that’s what she did. Maxim Moskalkov has the story.Casmera: Artyom Kokhan
NASA calls its latest mission on the surface of Mars a “Wright Brothers moment” of aeronautical pioneering. The ISS gets hardware upgrades, and Russia’s lone, female Cosmonaut now has a Barbie doll in her own image. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.Producer: Arash Arabasadi
NASA calls its latest mission on the surface of Mars a “Wright Brothers moment” of aeronautical pioneering. The ISS gets hardware upgrades, and Russia’s lone, female Cosmonaut now has a Barbie doll in her own image. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.Camera: NASA/AP/ESA/REUTERS/SPACE X/MATTELProduced by: Arash Arabasadi
Researchers in Japan recently discovered that some sea slugs can regrow their bodies. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports that studying these slugs may one day help answer questions about our own health.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Pakistan says it is now facing a third wave of the novel coronavirus. Officials have particularly expressed concern over the spread of the so-called UK variant of the virus. VOA’s Ayesha Tanzeem reports from the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. Camera: Malik Waqar Ahmed Produced by: Malik Waqar Ahmed, Rob Raffaele
While NASA’s Mars rover roams the Red Planet searching for signs of ancient life, scientists on Earth follow clues in a Turkish lake that may hold some answers. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.Camera: NASA/AP/AFP/REUTERS/SPACEXProduced by: Arash Arabasadi
Abortion is illegal in Malawi, unless the mother's life is at risk, but that doesn't stop an estimated 140,000 women per year having unsafe terminations that leave 12,000 women dead and countless others permanently scarred. Efforts to liberalize current abortion laws to prevent deaths are facing resistance from conservative groups. Lameck Masina reports from Blantyre. Camera: Lameck Masina Producer: Rod James
With COVID-19 still limiting travel, a Cameroonian startup has created a system that allows African medical patients to have an online consultation with doctors abroad. For years, 29-year-old Yvonne Tchouen of Cameroon has suffered from heart and breathing problems. For the past year, she has tried go abroad to see a specialist, but travel outside the country is difficult because of the COVID-19 pandemic. She finally found an alternative through Home Care Services, a private company that enables a patient to have a video consultation with a doctor living abroad. Yvonne chose to receive a second medical opinion from a specialist in France. This is done in the presence of a general practitioner who is at her side in Cameroon. Tchouen says she has been trying for a long time to meet specialists, in vain, without success. Today she had the opportunity to have a consultation with one who is abroad, she says, and who gave her the direction for the solution to her problem. Tchouen says she is really happy for that. The video linkup was made possible by the Cameroon company MedicAfrik. The patient, or a patient’s family living abroad, pays a fee for MedicAfrik to connect the patient with doctors living in France or Canada. MedicAfrik has almost 100 clinics and specialists participating in the network, with doctors speaking to patients in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Togo. Marcel Tchofach, the country manager of MedicAfrik in Cameroon, says because of the enthusiasm of the users, the company is working in the medium term, even in the very short term, to extend the product to the whole of Africa, to as many countries as possible. Dr. Daniel Wang, who lives in Cameroon, says the online consultations are a good idea, and he notes that many patients now use the technology because of COVID-19. But he said he hopes his patients also continue to have confidence in their local doctor. Dr. Wang says local doctors must make it clear to the patient that they are in the best position to give direction. He says they simply integrate what comes from elsewhere, so they do not have a limited opinion. Wang says this spirit of collaboration must also be with doctors abroad who must not dictate the way of doing things to the local doctors, but rather adds to what they are already doing to complete their opinions. At Cameroon’s National College of Doctors, they also say that patients benefit from getting a second opinion from doctors abroad. At the same time, says Dr. Jean-Berthelot Zambo, the pandemic has shown the country’s medical system can handle most problems. Dr. Zambo says the COVID-19 pandemic has provided the opportunity to prove that we can treat ...
Last March, when the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic, it had already proved to be lethal and highly contagious. It was a new virus with many unknowns. Since then, scientists have learned a lot about how it affects vital organs and its long-term effects. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a virus — officially known as SARS-COV2, short for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2. It’s the second time a coronavirus has sickened people and caused death. SARS first appeared in China in November 2002. The current version of the virus emerged from China in 2019, which is why it is called COVID-19.A worker inspects vials of SARS CoV-2 Vaccine for COVID-19 produced by SinoVac at its factory in Beijing, Sept. 24, 2020.The virus invades the lungs. Once there, it multiplies and neutralizes the molecules that help us fight infection. Most people recover, but the virus can damage the lungs and leave patients gasping for air. Patient stories Thomas Steele needed a double lung transplant because of COVID-19. “It’s nothing like sitting in your hospital room gasping for every breath and air you take, and I did that for 58 days,” Steele said.The lungs pass oxygen into the bloodstream, and the virus can damage the lungs and make the oxygen levels fall. Patients may need to be put on a ventilator to help them breathe. Blood clots COVID-19 can also cause dangerous clotting in the bloodstream. People who already have damaged blood vessels, from high blood pressure or stroke, and those with heart disease have a higher risk of serious disease. These clots can form throughout the body, including in the lungs and the heart. The clotting can cause heart attack or stroke. Dr. Allen Anderson at University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio is one of many cardiologists who saw people with healthy hearts suffer heart damage.“They had elevations of blood enzyme markers that were consistent with a heart attack even though they didn’t have any blockages in their coronary arteries, they had heart rhythm disturbances, and this occurred with quite high provenance,” Anderson said.The virus and the inflammation that accompanies it, can damage the heart tissue. Some of the damage can be reversed. But some cannot.This 2020 electron microscope image provided by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases - Rocky Mountain Laboratories shows SARS-CoV-2 virus particles which cause COVID-19, isolated from a patient in the U.S.Kidney damage Doctors have also learned that the virus can damage another vital organ — the kidneys. A large New York medical system looked at more than 5,000 COVID ...
When the coronavirus first emerged, many East Asian countries were hailed as global examples due to their impressive containment efforts. But as the one-year anniversary of the pandemic approaches, some of those countries are falling behind in their vaccine campaigns, as VOA’s Bill Gallo reports from Seoul.Camera: Kim Hyungjin, William Gallo
March 11 marks a year since the World Health Organization declared the coronavirus outbreak a global pandemic. The Middle East was one of the first regions to be hit outside China – and as Henry Ridgwell reports, the pandemic has exacerbated existing crises caused by conflict and forced migration. Camera: Henry Ridgwell Producers: Henry Ridgwell and Jon Spier
In recent weeks, as Africa prepared to mark the milestone of one year since the coronavirus reached its shores, millions of doses of long-awaited vaccine finally began to arrive across the continent. Most were provided by the global COVAX Facility, which distributes vaccine to lower income countries.That, officials say, has flipped this tale from one of despair to one of optimism.And, says South African President Cyril Ramaphosa, Africans played a valuable part in turning the tide.“South Africa's scientists and research institutions have made an important contribution to these efforts and have contributed to global knowledge about the disease, including on the emergence of new variants,” he said this week, addressing his nation on television. “And in this regard, our scientists who we should be proud of, have really led the way and they are recognized globally.”Ramaphosa, who held the rotating head of the African Union in 2020, was also instrumental in establishing a continental plan to acquire vaccines. He and other African leaders have repeatedly stressed the importance of global vaccine equity and urged access for poorer nations.In the Democratic Republic of Congo, the largest country in sub-Saharan Africa, officials this month received their first delivery of 1.7 million vaccine doses through COVAX.Village Reach is an aid organization that focuses on remote, rural low-income countries. Their DRC country director, Freddy Nkosi, told VOA that while African nations appear to have a lower proportion of confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths, the pandemic has still hit hard here.“Yes we are as affected as the rest of the world, in different proportion,” he said via Google Hangouts, from Kinshasa. “We have to continue to protect ourselves through all the protective measures, but also we have to get vaccinated so that we are all protected.”Dr. Richard Lessells, one of South Africa’s top viral researchers, says the continent’s largest vaccine drive, in South Africa, looks promising after fits and starts.The country was set to distribute 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine, but reversed course last month after researchers found it to be less effective against a variant that accounts for the majority of the nation’s new cases.South Africa has since switched to the Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines, but the process still delayed the vaccination campaign.Lessells says that as the continent stares down this anniversary, it needs one thing: time.“Once we get beyond that first priority group of the health care workers and ...
For more than a century, International Women’s Day has celebrated women’s achievements across the globe, overcoming persistent gender inequality. This year’s observance comes as the UN reports women, particularly women of color, face especially high rates of unemployment. VOA’s Esha Sarai has more. Camera: Karen Sánchez and Rebaz Majeed
One year into the COVID-19 pandemic in Kenya, thousands of families are struggling with deepening poverty and unemployment. A survey by the charity Twaweza shows 60% of Kenyan families can no longer afford three meals per day. Brenda Mulinya reports from Nairobi. Camera: Amos Wangwa Producer: Henry Hernandez
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station this week built the bones for much-needed power upgrades. Also, SpaceX took flight with and without success, and flaming space junk lights up Australian skies. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi brings us the Week in Space.
Women's rights activists in Kenya have welcomed U.S. President Joe Biden’s order revoking the ban blocking U.S. funding to women’s health organizations that provide abortion or abortion-related services. Critics say the so-called gag rule left women uninformed about safe options to end a pregnancy. Forty-five-year-old Najma Wangoi lost her sister in 2018 after she bought medicine from a drug store to induce an abortion and it led to her death. The mother of two says her sister didn’t know there was a better way to end a pregnancy. “She didn’t know because she bought those medicines for 3,500 shillings ($35). If she knew there was a place to do a safe abortion, she would still be alive. She should have explained her situation to the hospital, and she would have been treated,” Wangoi said. Under the global gag rule, originally enacted by U.S. President Ronald Reagan and revived by President Donald Trump, it became difficult for millions of women to seek abortion services at health centers receiving U.S. funds. The gag rule blocked U.S. government funding for organizations if they provided abortion services, counseling or referrals. The rule effectively shut down health clinics, as well as community sensitization programs about sexual and reproductive health. Boniface Ushie, researcher with the African Population and Health Research Center, says while the ban has now been lifted by U.S. President Joe Biden, it will not be enough to undo the effects it had on women’s health in Africa. “Lifting it is great, but it’s going to take a while for the impact of the global gag rule as instituted by Trump to begin to lift. So, it's going to require a lot of funding. It's going to require a lot of programs to undo what has been done over the past four years,” Ushie said. Thirty-three-year-old Rose Akoth said she is lucky to be alive after taking tablets to abort a baby in 2019. After three days of pain, the fetus emerged but the placenta got stuck in her womb, requiring urgent medical attention. “I have a health problem now since I did the abortion because it didn’t come out well. These days my menstruation goes for a month and there is nothing I am using like family planning. My menstrual period goes on non-stop,” she said. Akoth, Wangoi and others hope that with the gag rule lifted, more women can ...
More than 86,000 people died from drug overdoses last year in the U.S. – a massive increase of just over 24 percent. It is an epidemic that as VOA’s Veronica Balderas Iglesias reports, has been shoved in the shadows by the pandemic – but is no less serious a public health issue.Camera: Veronica Balderas Iglesias Produced by: Veronica Balderas Iglesias
US President Joe Biden commemorated on Thursday the 50 millionth shot of the COVID-19 vaccine since his swearing-in, just days after the nation passed 500,000 coronavirus deaths. White House correspondent Patsy Widakuswara has this story.Producer: Barry Unger
Since successfully landing on Mars last week, the U.S. space agency NASA's Perseverance rover has been thrilling earthlings with images and sounds recorded from the Martian surface. VOA's Arash Arabasadi listens-in for the Week in Space.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
Residents at an assisted living facility in the US are getting a taste of life before the coronavirus pandemic. Thanks to a "hug tent,” residents can - while wearing plastic sleeves - embrace and hold hands with their families. More from VOA’s Mariama Diallo.
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout to date has been far from equitable. The vast majority of doses have gone to high-income countries, but a World Health Organization program aiming to change that delivered its first shots Wednesday, in Ghana. VOA's Steve Baragona has more.
Solar energy is a natural fit for sun-drenched Southern Africa, its proponents say. The only problem: Not enough panels to meet soaring demand. VOA's Anita Powell looks at one company spinning sunshine into energy. Camera: Zaheer Cassim
Orangutans are a critically endangered species and the coronavirus pandemic halted efforts to protect and increase their population. But as VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, rescue efforts in Indonesia are back under way.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced plans Monday to begin easing coronavirus lockdown measures. As Henry Ridgwell reports from London, Johnson credited Britain’s rapid vaccination program for allowing the country to begin reopening — amid growing scientific evidence that the vaccines will help to bring the global pandemic under control. Camera: Henry Ridgwell
The United States has officially rejoined the Paris Agreement after the Trump administration abandoned the global climate pact saying it was too costly for business. VOA's Senior Diplomatic Correspondent Cindy Saine reports.Produced by: Kimberlyn Weeks
People the world over have questions about the COVID-19 vaccines. Most have heard rumors about their safety. Even some health workers and members of the U.S. military have opted out of getting immunized. VOA's Carol Pearson helps debunk some common myths about the COVID vaccines.
NASA and the United States have successfully landed the Perseverance on Mars after the rover left the company of spacecrafts from the UAE and China in orbit. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi reports, challenges for the rover – and potentially a treasure trove of discoveries – await.Produced by: Arash Arabasadi
President Joe Biden’s administration has pledged to improve the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines in the U.S. This week, the first federally supported mass vaccination sites opened in California. Matt Dibble reports. Camera: Matt Dibble Producer: Matt Dibble
What happens after you received both doses of the COVID vaccine? Lesia Bakalets looked into how much life changes, if at all. Anna Rice narrates her story.
India’s nationwide vaccination drive against COVID-19 is picking up speed after encountering “vaccine hesitancy” in a country where the pandemic has waned. Anjana Pasricha visited an inoculation center in a New Delhi hospital to see the hurdles and the progress in India’s drive, which it has billed as the world’s largest.Camera: Darshan Singh
What’s Valentine’s Day without flowers? This year, as Angelina Bagdasaryan reports, some California residents might just find out, in this story narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Vazgen Varzhabetian
Health experts say allocating and delivering adequate supplies of COVID-19 vaccines to the developing world will continue to be a challenge. They add that collective and cooperative solutions will be needed -- and failing to provide them will imperil human health worldwide. More with VOA’s Mariama Diallo.
It’s a busy time on the Red Planet as three Mars missions from three countries converge on their target. Plus, there’s money to be made on what space drops on our planet. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has the Week in Space.Camera: NASA/Reuters/AP/CCTVProduced by: Arash Arabasadi
Across global cities big and small, the coronavirus pandemic has forced a shutdown of cultural life. But that’s changing in the Russian capital, where a mass vaccination program is in full swing. Charles Maynes reports from Moscow.Camera: Ricardo Marquina Montanana Produced by: Bronwyn Benito
As more people get the COVID-19 vaccine, health care experts are tackling the issue of how someone can prove they've been vaccinated. Lesia Bakalets has more in this story narrated by Anna Rice. Camera: Sergii Dogotar
Britain has launched an emergency program of door-to-door testing in several parts of the country, following the discovery of numerous cases of the coronavirus variant first identified in South Africa. Scientists say the variant could be more resistant to vaccines, as Henry Ridgwell reports from London. Camera: Henry Ridgwell