Health & Safety

Street children sleep on a discarded mattress on a center island near a road crossing in Manila, Philippines, in April. After 15 years of the Millennium Development Goals, Asia as a region has had the fastest progress, reports the U.N., yet hundreds of mi

How To Eliminate Extreme Poverty In 169 Not-So-Easy Steps

11:47am July 08, 2015

by Nurith Aizenman

The Millennium Development Goals, set in 2000, revolutionized the fight against poverty. Now the world is setting Sustainable Development Goals. But critics say there may be too many priorities.

Queue Listen Now

More Mammograms May Not Always Mean Fewer Cancer Deaths

10:57am July 08, 2015

by Nancy Shute

A comparison of women in 547 U.S. counties found that getting more women in for screening mammograms didn't lower death rates from breast cancer. More small cancers were found.

A user prepares drugs for injection in 2014 in St. Johnsbury, Vt.

Heroin Use Surges, Especially Among Women And Whites

10:57am July 08, 2015

by Richard Harris

All told, more than half a million Americans used heroin in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That represents a nearly 150 percent increase since 2007.

Queue Listen Now

Health & Safety

Industry Payments To Doctors Are Ingrained, Federal Data Show

10:47am July 08, 2015

The latest data on payments from drug and device companies to doctors show that many doctors received payments on 100 or more days last year. Some received payments on more days than they didn't.

Eating at a full-service restaurant doesn't necessarily mean a more healthful meal than dining at the drive-through joint.

Why Sit-Down Meals May Be Just As Unhealthful As Fast Food

2:10pm July 07, 2015

by Ina Yang

Fast-food restaurants are often demonized as the epitome of unhealthfulness. But a study suggests sit-down joints may be no better when it comes to sodium, saturated fat and the risk of overeating.

Following the money trail is pretty easy with doctors, but nurses are another story.

Industry Payments To Nurses Go Unreported In Federal Database

2:04pm July 07, 2015

by Charles Ornstein

The latest data on drug and device company payments to health professionals largely exclude nurse practitioners and physician assistants, even though they play an increasing role in patient care.

Most of the people who got measles in last year's outbreaks hadn't been vaccinated with the MMR vaccine.

After Measles Outbreaks, Parents Shift Their Thinking On Vaccines

2:04pm July 07, 2015

by Nancy Shute

The widely publicized measles outbreak linked to California theme parks appears to have made parents more confident about vaccine safety and benefits, a national poll finds.

U.N. Report Highlights Surprising Global Progress On Poverty Goals

9:02pm July 06, 2015

by Nurith Aizenman

In 2000 the world's leaders agreed on an ambitious plan for attacking global poverty by 2015. Called the Millennium Development Goals, these time-bound targets spurred an unprecedented aid effort that helped slash the share of people living in extreme poverty in half. Now nations are hammering out an even broader set of goals for 2030, but this time the task is proving highly controversial. The Millennium Development Goals were drafted in a highly casual way and that simple process proved the key to their success.

Queue Listen Now

A pregnant woman in Cuba with HIV would be referred to a policlinico, like the one above, for specialized care.

Cuba Is First To Earn WHO Seal For Ending Mother-Baby HIV Transmission

4:50pm July 06, 2015

by Susan Brink

The chances are now practically nil. How did Cuba do it? And how are other countries faring by comparison?

University of Chicago medical student Manny Quaidoo adds a pinch of salt to the spinach feta frittata he's learning to cook as part of a culinary medicine class.

Health & Safety

A Dose Of Culinary Medicine Sends Med Students To The Kitchen

2:36pm July 06, 2015

by Monica Eng

Aspiring doctors at the University of Chicago are learning how to teach patients about healthy eating. Nutrition advocates say this kind of training is critical to fighting obesity and diabetes.

Queue Listen Now