Bathed in crisp morning light, Sidra Hussain grips a cooler stacked with glistening vials of polio vaccine in northwest Pakistan.  Watching over Hussain and her partner, a policeman unslings his rifle and eyes the horizon.  In concert they begin their task — going door-to-door on the outskirts of Mardan city, dripping bitter doses of rose-colored medicine into infants’ mouths on the eve of a major milestone for the nation’s anti-polio drive.  The last infection of the wild poliovirus was recorded on January 27, 2021, according to officials, and Friday marks …

As he faced the multitude of news cameras and reporters during a 2015 press conference grappling with a potentially fatal cancer diagnosis, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, then 90, said he had one more goal to fulfill. “I’d like the last Guinea worm to die before I do,” he told a reporter, referring to the waterborne parasite that can grow up to 80 centimeters long inside the body, eventually erupting painfully out of the host’s skin and sometimes taking days to extract. More than six years later, Carter, now 97, has battled …

Nigerian health authorities say the country’s life expectancy is among the worst in the world, with influenza and pneumonia both leading causes of death. In Nigeria’s Cross River state, severe air pollution is increasing the cases of respiratory disease — as Timothy Obiezu reports from Port Harcourt, Nigeria. Camera: Emeka Gibson …

The installation of a solar-powered medical oxygen system at a hospital in central Somalia is proving effective in saving lives, Somali and World Health Organization doctors said.  The innovative solar oxygen system, the first of its kind in Somalia, was installed at Hanaano hospital, in the central town of Dhusamareb a year ago. Doctors say the system is having an impact and helping save the lives of very young patients.     “This innovation is giving us promise and hopes,” says Dr. Mamunur Rahman Malik, WHO Somalia Representative.   Malik says 171 patients …

Scientists and health officials around the world are keeping their eyes on a descendant of the omicron variant that has been found in at least 40 countries, including the United States.  This version of the coronavirus, which scientists call BA.2, is widely considered stealthier than the original version of omicron because certain genetic traits make it somewhat harder to detect. Some scientists worry it could also be more contagious. But they say there’s a lot they still don’t know about it, including whether it evades vaccines better or causes more …

A devil-horned newt, drought-resilient bamboo and a monkey named after a volcano were among 224 new species discovered in the Greater Mekong region in 2020, a conservation group said on Wednesday, despite the “intense threat” of habitat loss.  The discoveries listed in a report by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) include a new rock gecko found in Thailand, a mulberry tree species in Vietnam, and a big-headed frog in Vietnam and Cambodia that is already threatened by deforestation.  The 224 discoveries underlined the rich biodiversity of the Mekong region, which …

Uganda on Monday lifted its two-year COVID-19 curfew, allowing bars and nightspots to re-open. Excited revelers celebrated the end of one of the world’s longest lockdowns. A reveler who only identified herself as Peace said she has been drinking every night of the lockdown.  Uganda imposed the nighttime curfew in March 2020 in a bid to limit the spread of the coronavirus, which has led to about 3,500 deaths in the country.  Every night, businesses had to shut down at 7, and no cars were allowed on the streets.  Peace tells …

The U.S. health regulator on Monday revised the emergency use authorizations for COVID-19 antibody treatments from Regeneron and Eli Lilly to limit their use, as the drugs are unlikely to work against the omicron variant.  The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said the treatments are currently not cleared for use in any U.S. states or territories but may be authorized in certain regions if they work against potential new variants.  The agency highlighted other therapies that are expected to be effective against omicron, including a rival antibody drug from GlaxoSmithKline …

The head of the World Health Organization warned Monday that COVID-19 will be around for the foreseeable future, and everyone will have to learn to live with it. The WHO chief issued the warning at the opening of the agency’s weeklong executive board meeting. Two years ago, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a public health emergency of international concern. Then there were fewer than 100 cases and no deaths reported outside China. Those numbers now stand at nearly 350 million cases and more than 5.5 million deaths. WHO chief …

The coast of Ghana is home to five of the world’s endangered sea turtles, which are threatened by fishing nets and poachers who sell their meat and eggs. To help revive the turtle populations, a group of young footballers have taken it upon themselves to guard turtle nests and rescue turtles captured by fishermen.   Empty sea turtle shells are commonly found on the beach along Ghana’s coastal Gomoa Fetteh community. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) says six out of the seven species of sea turtles are endangered. Peter Kusaana of the …

 Anti-vaccine activists are set to rally Sunday in Washington at the Lincoln Memorial.The anti-vaccine argument has taken hold among various American groups, including politicians, school officials, professional athletes and health care workers. Public health officials say about 20% of U.S. adults are unvaccinated. COVID vaccine passport protests were held in several European capitals Saturday. Thousands of people turned out in Stockholm to demonstrate against the vaccine passes needed to go to indoor sites where there are 50 or more people. Protesters took to the streets of Paris to demonstrate against …