Image by Miguel Á. Padriñán from Pixabay
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a United Nations agency that oversees public health worldwide. It offers advice and support to its member countries and coordinates scientific research and public health projects across borders. President Trump recently announced that the U.S. will stop funding the WHO, severely reducing the agency’s budget. Listen to learn more about the role of the WHO in protecting global health and how a withdrawal of funding could cripple its efforts.
Story Length: 3:47
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April 27, 2020
5:35
Millions of people in the U.S. are under strict social distancing restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The time length and requirements of these policies have been determined by governors, so they vary from state to state. Many people want to know when these restrictions will be lifted and what will make it safe to go back to school or eat at a local restaurant again. Listen to this story to hear a public health expert talk about what scientists and public health experts say will be necessary for normal life to resume.
This audio story was recorded in mid-April. The news about COVID-19 is changing rapidly and parts of this story may be dated.
Read MoreFebruary 13, 2020
4:05
The World Health Organization and the U.S. government are taking action to keep a new contagious virus from spreading. The coronavirus is transmitted by air and can quickly infect large populations. To help prevent its spread, the U.S. government is restricting travel to and from China, where the outbreak began, and putting some travelers in quarantine, which means separating them from other people for a few weeks. Listen to learn how this virus compares to others, where it has already spread, and how the government plans to contain it.
This audio story was recorded in early February. The news about COVID-19 is changing rapidly and parts of this story may be dated.
Read MoreJanuary 17, 2017
3:08
The Ebola outbreak in West Africa is under control now, according the the World Health Organization. During the outbreak in 2014, 11,000 people in Africa died of Ebola. Now scientists have discovered a vaccine against Ebola. The vaccination is different from other vaccines, which are typically given to healthy people before they are exposed to a virus. This new vaccine is given to someone after they are exposed to Ebola and can protect them. Listen to this story to learn more about this important discovery.
Read MoreMay 20, 2014
5:14
The disease smallpox was successfully eliminated in 1977, but two research facilities still hold the last samples of the smallpox virus. The World Health Organization is going to vote soon on the future of the smallpox samples. Should we keep the virus to study it or completely destroy it because it could get into the wrong hands? Listen to this story and discuss.
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