2009-06-10 WHO Close to Declaring Flu Pandemic
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. As of Tuesday, seventy-three countries had reported more than twenty-six thousand cases of the new H1N1 flu virus. A World Health Organization…
2009-06-03 Smoking and the Risk to Women’s Lungs
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. C.O.P.D., chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, blocks airflow through the lungs. It makes breathing difficult. The leading cause is cigarette smoking. Experts at…
2009-05-27 Study Says Smoking Bans Do Not Hurt Jobs in Bars, Restaurants
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. Smoking is the world’s leading preventable cause of death. In the United States, smoking rates are down from the past, but cigarettes…
2009-05-20 Hands-Only CPR Is a Simpler Way to Save Lives
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. If a person’s heart stops, would you know how to perform CPR? CPR, or cardiopulmonary resuscitation, can save a life and reduce…
2009-05-13 Alcohol, the ‘Asian Flush’ and the Risk of Cancer
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. A question from Taiwan: Chung Li wants to know why his face turns red when he drinks alcohol. This effect called facial…
2009-05-06 US Eases H1N1 Flu Policy for Schools
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. More than twenty countries have found cases of the new H1N1 influenza virus. In all around one thousand five hundred cases and…
2009-04-29 United States and Mexico Battle Swine Flu
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. Swine flu is a respiratory sickness caused by an influenza virus that mainly infects pigs. However, sometimes the virus can sicken humans.…
2009-04-22 The Global Snakebite Initiative Is Working to Improve Treatment for Victims
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. More than four million people around the world are bitten by snakes each year. At least one hundred twenty-five thousand of these…
2009-04-15 Happy Thoughts for Future = More Time to Live It?
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. Here is a good reason to be hopeful about the future: it might help you stay alive. Findings from a new study…
2009-04-08 A Combination Pill Lowers Blood Pressure and Bad Cholesterol
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. Studies have shown that the fewer medicines a person has to take the more likely he or she will take them. Last…
2009-04-01 Male Circumcision Reduces Chances of Human Papillomavirus
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. Male circumcision is the cutting off of a small amount of skin from the tip of the penis. In many parts of…
2009-03-25 New Test Could Speed Tuberculosis Results
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. Tuberculosis killed one million three hundred thousand people around the world in two thousand seven. In addition, almost half a million people…
2009-03-18 Study Links Hot Weather to Migraine Headaches
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. A migraine headache can cause disabling pain. People may not feel back to normal for hours or even days. Migraine headaches are…
2009-03-11 Laying the Roots for Healthy Teeth in Young Children
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. Bad teeth can be painful — and worse. They can even be deadly. Infections of the gums and teeth can release bacteria…
2009-03-04 Scientists Take Step in Search of ‘Universal’ Flu Vaccine
This is the VOA Special English Health Report. Evidence is increasing that common influenza viruses are becoming resistant to the main drug used to treat them. The drug is oseltamivir,…