Voice of America

War-torn Yemen Faces Threat of Cholera Epidemic

Tuesday, October 18, 2016
The WHO has urgently asked for $22.35 million to prevent cholera from spreading throughout the country, after 18 cases of the disease have been confirmed among 340 suspected cases of acute watery diarrhea. Due to conflict, two thirds of the country’s population do not have access to clean water and sanitation, increased malnutrition is prevalent, and health systems’ resources are scarce.

Afghanistan to Restart Polio Vaccine Campaign After IS Retreat

Monday, August 15, 2016
After being on hold for 18 months due to unsafe travel conditions for health workers, polio vaccinations will recommence in eastern regions of Afghanistan that have been cleared of Islamic State militants, who had also hindered vaccination efforts by spreading misinformation about vaccine side-effects and health workers.

Activists: Burma's Foreign Aid Group Ban Puts Thousands at Risk

Monday, March 10, 2014
SITTWE, BURMA — In western Burma’s Rakhine state, authorities asked international aid group Doctors Without Borders (known by its French name Medecins Sans Frontieres or MSF) to cease operations after accusations of aid bias. Activists say the ban will leave nearly 700,000 people without access to much needed medical care in the country's second-most impoverished region.

Health Experts: Leishmaniasis on the Rise in War-Torn Syria

Monday, April 22, 2013
Health workers in northern Syria have reported a dramatic rise in cases of Leishmaniasis--locally dubbed “Aleppo Button Disease” for the sores it produces--and are calling on the World Health Organization and other international agencies for help. Leishmaniasis, transmitted through the bite of the common sandfly, is a complex of diseases affecting different parts of the body. The kind most commonly found in Syria is called cutaneous Leishmaniasis, which is characterized by welts or sores on the skin.