Health & Medicine
Measuring patients’ vital signs virtually in the heart of the Amazon
Seven “medical totems” have been brought to the remote town of Jordão, Acre, in the Brazilian Amazon. They can be translated into the local Indigenous language, enabling virtual appointments in a state with the country’s lowest doctor-patient ratio.
A new way to help Asian American teens handle college admissions stresses
Teresa Hsu and Michelle Garcia noticed teens and young adults in their Asian American community struggling with anxiety, particularly around school-related pressure. So the two have started a program to train Asian American high school students to help one another manage their mental health and understand the role history has played in shaping the pressures they currently feel.
Staying healthy on the Out of Eden Walk
National Geographic Explorer Paul Salopek has been walking across the globe for over a decade as part of the Out of Eden Walk. He often walks through sparsely populated, extremely remote places. That trek comes with a major concern: What do you do when you get sick? Salopek tells Host Carolyn Beeler how he stays healthy on the road, noting that health care comes in many forms.
Ghana approves breakthrough malaria drug for babies — but research is ‘on ice’ amid US funding cuts
Ghana has approved the world’s first malaria drug for newborns, marking a breakthrough in infant care. But as rollout nears, US funding cuts are freezing critical research — threatening long-term progress in the fight against the disease.
PEPFAR and the future of the global fight against HIV
PEPFAR was launched in 2003 to stop the spread of HIV in Africa. Now, although some funding remains for the program, many of PEPFAR’s prevention and support services have stalled, as Dr. Atul Gawande, who led global health at USAID during the Biden administration, explains to The World’s Host Marco Werman.
Cuban medical missions face scrutiny amid allegations of forced labor
For decades, Cuba has deployed tens of thousands of doctors and nurses to underserved regions of the globe. But those missions are now being investigated amid claims of forced labor. Medical professionals share some of their experiences.