Global Health
Flu Fighters Armed With Increasing Knowledge
May 2, 2009 · The H1N1 flu is beginning to reveal its ways, but public health officials aren't relaxing. "This is the time for us to prepare and get ready." ()
Hear all stories from this pageadd all to playlist
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius says the new virus turned out to be milder than initially feared but cautions that parents should still make sure to keep sick children at home. ()
This swine flu strain is not merely a case of the usual gradual evolution. Scientists see a shift. ()
Dr. Richard Besser said it's still too early to declare the swine flu outbreak under control. ()
May 2, 2009 · The H1N1 flu is beginning to reveal its ways, but public health officials aren't relaxing. "This is the time for us to prepare and get ready." ()
May 2, 2009 · Visual explorations of how the human body works have had us riveted since before Leonardo da Vinci sketched the famous Vitruvian man sometime around 1487. That fascination is the focus of what may be one of the most gruesome coffee table books ever. ()
May 1, 2009 · Government health officials warned dieters and body builders Friday to immediately stop using Hydroxycut, a widely sold supplement linked to cases of serious liver damage and at least one death. The FDA said the company that makes the dietary supplement has agreed to recall 14 Hydroxycut products. ()
April 30, 2009 · The number of states with confirmed cases of swine flu expanded Thursday, with 13 states reporting a total of 114 cases. As the virus spreads, so does awareness and the potential for overreaction. School districts and universities in particular are wrestling with this question: to close or not to close? ()
April 29, 2009 · The Obama administration has pushed through several health measures, expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program and dedicating more than $100 billion in stimulus money to health care. But the big test will come when Obama tries to get Congress to act on a bill overhauling the U.S. health care system. ()
April 29, 2009 · Experts say washing your hands for at least 20 seconds can keep nasty germs away. Singing a catchy tune while you lather can help you keep track of the time. ()
April 28, 2009 · In the midst of what international health officials fear could be the start of a flu pandemic, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is still without most of its top political leaders. The Senate is set to vote Tuesday on the nomination of Kathleen Sebelius to become the agency's secretary. ()
April 28, 2009 · Democrats called for a quick vote on Kathleen Sebelius as the country deals with the swine flu outbreak. The Senate was scheduled to vote Tuesday afternoon, and Sebelius was expected to get the 60 votes needed, though perhaps with little margin to spare. ()
April 27, 2009 · The World Health Organization now categorizes an outbreak first seen in Mexico City as a Phase IV alert, in which a virus is considered capable of causing sustained disease outbreaks in a community. But the agency stopped short of declaring a pandemic. ()
April 25, 2009 · A new strain of swine flu has killed at least 60 people and left more than a thousand others sick in Mexico. The World Health Organization says the virus appears to spread from human to human, and the head of the organization broke off a trip to the U.S. to deal with the crisis. ()
April 25, 2009 · Over the last few years, UCLA researchers have received death threats, had their cars firebombed and had their homes vandalized by activists seeking to stop animal testing. This week, one UCLA professor said enough is enough. ()
April 24, 2009 · The average individual health plan costs about $400 a month, and a family policy costs more than $1,000. But in a recent NPR-Kaiser-Harvard poll, many uninsured said they would be willing to pay no more than $100 a month. Potential sticker shock is emerging as a key issue in the debate over whether everybody should be covered. ()
The award-winning staff of NPR's Science desk brings you the week's best in Science News.