Sanctions hit life-saving drugs in Iran

Published on Feb 17, 2013
Despite the concerns of Israel, the U.S. and its Western allies, Iran denies it’s developing atomic arms under the cover of a civilian nuclear program. Meanwhile, the severe international sanctions are hitting the lives of everyday Iranians in need of medicine, as RT’s Maria Finoshina has found out.

Over the Last Ten Years (HIV Prevention in Asia)

Published on Nov 28, 2012 by AsianDevelopmentBank
Preventing HIV and AIDS in Asia and the Pacific remains a priority for the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Accurate and accessible information is critical for an effective and successful response. Here ADB and UNAIDS highlight the importance of continuing our joint efforts in fighting the disease.

NYC Schools Expand Birth Control Availability

Published on Oct 24, 2012 by VOAvideo
More than 7,000 girls in New York City become pregnant by the age of 17 each year. Nearly two-thirds have abortions. Now, some New York public high schools are expanding a program to provide birth control to students as young as 14 who request it. That expansion has become controversial with some parents. VOA’s Carolyn Weaver has more.

Attempting to Bridge Burma’s HIV Treatment Gap

Published on Sep 10, 2012 by VOAvideo

Burma’s AIDS epidemic mostly affects marginalized groups, such as the gay community. In a country where homosexuality remains illegal, finding and treating gay patients is a challenge for the few health workers devoted to their treatment. VOA News reports that an annual religious event called a Nat festival, however, is one time when the gay community can network – and talk to health workers about treatment.

The placebo phenomenon

Mini Med School Draws Curious Ordinary People

Opens with a somewhat graphic view of a human cadaver.

Oct 24, 2011

Becoming a doctor takes many years of training at a medical school and tens of thousands of dollars in tuition. But anyone can get a taste of medical training, from real medical school professors, in just two months, for free, at a mini medical school in Denver.

Neglected Diseases Afflict South Asia’s Poor

Nov 3, 2011

At a time when economists predict that South Asia’s economy will grow, health experts point to hundreds of millions suffering from neglected infections, often as a result of poverty. In a series of new studies, researchers say many countries in South Asia bear a disproportionate burden of these diseases and have a need for new drugs and vaccines. In part 1 of a two-part series, Vidushi Sinha looks at the toll these diseases take on the poorest of the poor.

International Conference Highlights Family Planning in Senegal

Offering “birth spacing” to women turns out to be much more palatable than “birth limitation.”

Dec 8, 2011

With the global population reaching 7 billion this year, doctors and health officials are advocating better family planning methods. Senegal, where some 2,000 international delegates gathered in early December to tackle the issues.

Obesity Industrial Complex

Feb 10, 2012

As the debate over cutting government spending rages on, billions of dollars of taxpayer money are wasted each year on junk food. Between 1995 and 2010, over 250 billion dollars was spent on subsidizing foods that are making Americans fat. The health effects are devastating. 75 percent of Americans are now considered overweight. One in five kids in the U.S. are obese. RT’s Liz Wahl takes a look at why some politicians feed into the Obesity Industrial Complex.

Medical Exam Provides Stage for Actors

Most actors perform in movies, TV or theatres, but for others, the stage is an exam room at a medical school. At the University of Maryland School of Nursing, it’s an interactive performance with a medical student. VOA’s June Soh reports.

Report Identifies Obesity, Hormones as Major Breast Cancer Risks

A new medical report cautions women that obesity, excessive alcohol consumption, overexposure to medical X-rays and hormone treatments during menopause can raise their risk of developing breast cancer. But critics say the report fails to emphasize the cancer-causing impact of many industrial chemicals and environmental pollutants – factors they believe could pose greater breast-cancer risks to women than their lifestyle choices.

Rise in anti-psychotic drugs taken by children

Nov 9, 2011

We’ve uncovered a dramatic rise in the number of powerful anti-psychotic drugs being prescribed to children – some as young as five.

Medical Panel Recommends Boys Get Controversial Vaccine

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention may soon recommend that boys and girls get a vaccine protecting them from the human papilloma viruses….a group of viruses that are transmitted sexually and that can cause cervical and other cancers. Until now, the CDC had recommended only that girls get the vaccine before they become sexually active. But opposition to the vaccine has been strong in the United States, and as VOA’s Carol Pearson reports, the new, broader recommendation is likely to add fuel to the controversy.

Guinea pig nation: Pharmas use people as drug test fodder in India?

August 19, 2010

The world’s pharmaceutical giants stand accused of using people in India as guinea pigs for their new medical products – sometimes even without their consent. And Human rights groups say those who do know what’s happening, often don’t get a full explanation of the dangers they face.

In Brazil, Women’s Changing Roles, Attitudes Leading to Smaller Families

Despite having the most Catholics in the world, 80 percent of Brazilian women of childbearing age are using some form of artificial contraception. In partnership with National Geographic Magazine, special correspondent Fred de Sam Lazaro examines the declining fertility rate, which has dropped to just 1.9 children per woman.