Every day, more than 130 people in the U.S. die of an opioid overdose, but in one state heavily impacted by the opioid crisis, innovative solutions are now advancing with the hope of saving lives.The opioid epidemic has taken an unspeakable toll on individuals, families and communities in the U.S.To fight back, the Midwestern state of Ohio set up a competition open to scientists, tech companies and individuals to help end this crisis. The four winners are each receiving a $1 million to further develop their products.FILE – Eddie Davis stands beside the grave of his son Jeremy, furthest left, who died from the abuse of opioids at the age of 35, July 17, 2019, in Coalton, Ohio.Two appsOne of the winning entries is an app developed at University Hospitals in Cleveland.The app helps doctors determine if a patient who is given a prescription for an opioid is likely to …

U.S. health officials are warning users of e-cigarettes to reconsider their habit of vaping, noting a rise in the number of respiratory illnesses linked to the practice.The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said Friday that they were investigating 215 cases of a serious lung disease possibly related to the use of e-cigarettes.Officials said the cause of the illnesses was not yet known, but noted that in some of the cases, patients used e-cigarette products that contained THC, the mind-altering substance in marijuana.Most of the patients have recovered from the mysterious illness, but last week, the first death from the disease was reported.CDC adviceThe CDC warned the public not to buy vaping products off the street and to avoid adding substances like THC.”CDC recommends that, while the investigation is ongoing, Americans who use e-cigarettes and are concerned about these specific, potential risks of illness should consider refraining from their …

Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg joined several hundred other young people Friday outside the United Nations to demand action on global warming.    To chants of “Greta! Greta!” the petite 16-year-old climate rock star made her way through a sea of young people, many of whom said they had drawn inspiration from her activism.    She rose to fame last year after she started skipping school on Fridays, leading strikes over the lack of action on climate change.    Greta arrived in New York on Wednesday, ahead of a Sept. 21 Youth Climate Summit at the United Nations, which she will address. Adult leaders will meet two days later to have a climate summit of their own.    She has said she will not fly because air travel leaves too big a carbon footprint, and she put her principles to the test, crossing the Atlantic in a zero-emissions, no-frills sailboat with her …

Gavi, the global vaccine alliance that targets developing countries, said Friday that it was appealing for $7.4 billion to immunize 300 million children in 2021-25. Gavi’s latest fundraising drive is its most ambitious to date. Officials said they expected huge returns from what would be the agency’s most comprehensive and cost-effective preventive health package ever.    Gavi said the vaccines would protect against 18 diseases, saving up to 8 million lives. Spokeswoman Frederique Tissandier said sustainable investment was needed for the project because there still are 1.5 million people dying every year from vaccine-preventable diseases. “The situation is increasingly fragile because of climate change, because of wars, because of the rise of the population in the urban slums,” she said. “So you have more and more epidemics that are spreading around.” Tissandier said Gavi planned to introduce new vaccines to prevent deadly diseases. For instance, she said, Gavi is ready to invest up to $150 million in a new Ebola vaccine stockpile once it is prequalified by the World Health Organization.    She told VOA that Gavi also would help the Democratic Republic of the Congo …

The Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of Congo has reached another grim milestone, the World Health Organization says. More than one year after the epidemic was declared, the WHO confirmed 3,004 cases, including 2,006 deaths. That is the second worst Ebola outbreak after the 2014 West African epidemic, which infected more than 28,000 people and killed more than 11,000.Most Ebola cases in the current epidemic are in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s conflict-ridden North Kivu province. WHO says Ebola transmission has been substantial, but somewhat less intense for the past 10 weeks. On average, it says 80 people a week are being sickened by the virus.Unlike previous outbreaks, health workers have new tools to help them tackle the deadly disease. WHO says more than 200,000 people in the DRC and in four neighboring countries have been vaccinated against Ebola, and two therapeutic treatments are saving the lives of people who …

A 9-year-old Congolese girl who tested positive for Ebola in neighboring Uganda has died, officials said Friday, as the World Health Organization said that the outbreak has neared 3,000 cases.The young girl’s body will be repatriated with her mother back to Congo for a funeral, according to Dr. Eddy Kasenda, Ebola representative in the Congolese border town of Kasindi.”We are finalizing the administrative formalities so that the body is repatriated and buried here in Congo, her native country,” Kasenda said. “We are collaborating with the health services of neighboring Uganda and we will strengthen the sanitary measures here in Kasindi.”A Ugandan official at the hospital where the girl had been in isolation confirmed her death overnight. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to reporters.The girl, who was traveling with her mother, was identified at a border screening Wednesday as a possible Ebola patient …

Scientists warn that Greenland’s melting ice sheet is a real doomsday scenario.  Rising temperatures and record heat this summer accelerated what has already been a much faster thaw than seen in previous years. VOA’s Arash Arabasadi has more.   …

The World Health Organization says four more European countries have lost their measles-free status, as the preventable infectious disease spreads through the continent. Albania, the Czech Republic, Greece and Britain have lost their measles elimination status amid the growing anti-vaccination movements. The disease is considered endemic in 12 European countries. VOA’s Zlatica Hoke has more.   …

The WHO announced Thursday it will create a global registry to track research into human genetic manipulation, after a call to halt all work on germline genome editing, used in China last year to genetically modify twin baby girls.“New genome editing technologies hold great promise and hope for those who suffer from diseases we once thought untreatable,” the World Health Organization’s Director General for told the body’s genome editing oversight committee meeting in Geneva.“But some uses of these technologies also pose unique and unprecedented challenges — ethical, social, regulatory and technical,” he added.He Jiankui, a Chinese researcher, center, speaks during the Human Genome Editing Conference in Hong Kong, Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018. He made his first public comments about his claim to have helped make the world’s first gene-edited babies.Chinese scientist He Jiankui’s announcement last November that he had altered the DNA of twins girls in southern China by using …

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has confirmed nearly 900 cases of mumps among people at adult migration detention facilities across the United States in the last year.    The virus swept across 57 detention centers in 19 states, sickening 898 migrants between Sept. 1, 2018, and Aug. 22, the CDC said Thursday.     Thirty-three staff members were also infected.     The CDC said the virus continues to spread as more migrants are arrested or transferred between facilities.     Mumps is a contagious virus that causes swollen glands, puffy cheeks, fever, headaches and, in severe cases, hearing loss and meningitis.    Mumps outbreaks are rare in the U.S. because of vaccinations, but the disease is easily transmittable in spaces where people have close, prolonged contact.    The CDC said most of those infected were men who caught the virus while in detention.     Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Bryan Cox said all detainees go through a …

A large scientific study into the biological basis of sexual behavior has confirmed there is no single “gay gene” but that a complex mix of genetics and environment affects whether a person has same-sex sexual partners. The research, which analyzed data on DNA and sexual experiences from almost half a million people, found there are thousands of genetic variants linked to same-sex sexual behavior, most with very small effects. Five of the genetic markers were “significantly” associated with same-sex behavior, the researchers said, but even these are far from being predictive of a person’s sexual preferences. “We scanned the entire human genome and found a handful — five, to be precise — of locations that are clearly associated with whether a person reports in engaging in same-sex sexual behavior,” said Andrea Ganna, a biologist at the Institute of Molecular Medicine in Finland who co-led the research. He said these have “a very small effect” and, combined, explain “considerably less than 1% of the variance in the self-reported same-sex sexual behavior.” Other factorsThis means that …

For many kids, heading back to school means more than resuming classes and homework. It means getting back to clubs and student organizations focused on sustainability — everything from composting and recycling to reducing food waste and promoting cleaner oceans and waterways.“Young people tend to be incredibly active in sustainability issues, much more so than many adults,” says April Peebler, executive director of Heirs to our Oceans (H2OO), a Berkeley, California-based organization that tries to help 12- to 17-year-olds from around the world learn about and advocate for the environment.“There’s a lot of passion there, and a strong desire to deal with the problems facing the environment that they are going to be inheriting,”Hannah Ono, 15, of Boston, has already been advocating for the environment for years. In fourth grade, she and some friends started a petition asking Dunkin Donuts to stop using Styrofoam cups. The Change.org petition drew 300,000 …

The World Health Organization warns of serious consequences if nations do not take immediate action to stop the escalation of measles infections, which have reached alarming new heights. Nearly 365,000 cases of measles have been reported globally so far this year, the highest number since 2006.  The World Health Organization says that is almost three times as many cases than at the same time last year.  And, with four more months left in 2019, it warns more bad news is in store.The WHO said measles is increasing in all regions of the world, with the exception of the Americas.  WHO Director of the Department of Immunization Vaccines and Biologicals Kate O’Brien said the world is backsliding and is not on track to eliminate the dangerous, but largely preventable disease by 2020.”We are absolutely backsliding on the measles situation and that is extremely worrying for, certainly the health of children,” O’Brien said. …

A new koala-tracking app and a marsupial hospital are the latest moves to protect one of Australia’s most famous native animals.  The furry, tree-dwelling marsupials are in decline in eastern Australia, and authorities hope a multi-million dollar rescue plan will help to save them. The app will help authorities map and track koala populations in New South Wales state, where the furry marsupials are in decline.  Members of the public as well as researchers are encouraged to report koala sightings using the technology.The koala faces  various threats, including loss of habitat, disease, road traffic accidents and attacks by dogs.  There are also susceptible to the impact of drought and climate change.Australia Steps up Effort to Save Vulnerable KoalasA koala hospital and new wildlife reserves are the focus of one of Australia’s boldest plans to protect the vulnerable marsupial. Almost 25,000 hectares of state forest will be set aside for koalas in New …

Water scarcity is one factor driving millions of people from their homes each year but is often not the only reason why they move, researchers told an international conference on Tuesday.In most cases, other economic and social problems like conflict, corruption or a lack of jobs contribute to the decision to leave, they said.They warned against over-simplifying the links between water and migration, and said many of those who do move – at least partly because of water-related pressures such as floods, droughts and pollution – may not travel far.”International migration is very expensive and very risky and it lies beyond the reach of many of the poorest people who are most vulnerable to water security and drought,” said Guy Jobbins of the London-based Overseas Development Institute.Those who suffer water-related shocks to their livelihoods – losing animals or crops – “are less likely to have the funds to start again …

SpaceX test-launched an early prototype of the company’s Mars rocket on Tuesday, rattling the nerves of people living near the Texas site and clearing another key hurdle in billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s interplanetary ambitions.The prototype, dubbed Starhopper, slowly rose about 500 feet(152m) off its launch pad in Brownsville, Texas, and propelled itself some 650 feet (198m) eastward onto an adjacent landing platform, completing a seemingly successful low-altitude test of SpaceX’s next-generation Raptor engine.The Raptor is designed to power Musk’s forthcoming heavy-lift Starship rocket, a reusable two-stage booster taller than the Statue of Liberty that is expected to play a central role in Musk’s interplanetary space travel objectives, including missions to Mars.The prototype “hopper” vehicle, resembling a chrome water tower with four landing legs, was originally slated for its test liftoff on Monday. But a “rather embarrassing” wiring issue with the single Raptor engine halted the countdown less than a second …

The group that regulates the global trade of wildlife has approved a nearly complete ban on the capture and transfer of wild African elephants to zoos, despite strong opposition from the United States and some African countries.Member nations of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) in Geneva approved the near total ban Tuesday after heated debate.A version of the ban that was slightly weakened by the European Union was approved after it was cleared by a required two-thirds majority vote.FILE – Visitors watch an elephant at the Milwaukee County Zoo in Wisconsin, July 3, 2019.The ban prohibits the transfer of all captured wild African elephants to so-called captive facilities, such zoos, circuses and other entertainment venues. The ban restricts the trade of elephants caught in the wild from Zimbabwe and Botswana to off-site conservation locations or secure areas in their natural habitats.The EU amendments included a loophole …

Fires across the Brazilian Amazon have sparked an international outcry for preservation of the world’s largest rainforest. Here’s a look at the role the Amazon plays in regulating the world’s climate:Is the World’s Oxygen Supply at Risk?No. While it’s commonly said that the Amazon produces 20% of the world’s oxygen, climate scientists say that figure is wrong and the oxygen supply is not directly at risk in any case. That’s because forests, including the Amazon, absorb roughly the same amount of oxygen they produce. Plants do produce oxygen through photosynthesis, but they also absorb it to grow, as do animals and microbes.That doesn’t mean the fires aren’t a problem for the planet. The Amazon is a critical absorber of carbon of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels, like oil and coal.Is the Amazon ‘the Lungs of the Planet?’The Amazon rainforest is frequently referred to as the …

Utah health officials say they are investigating 21 cases of a severe lung disease linked to vaping.   The state Department of Health announced the new number Monday, a jump from the five cases in teenagers and young adults reported last week.  The department says the cases stem from the use of a mix of nicotine and marijuana electronic cigarette products.   The symptoms of the disease include coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, nausea and vomiting.   The department advises that people who vape experience any of the symptoms that they should visit doctors.   Health officials say the first five people found with the disease were hospitalized.   Their conditions have improved after treatment. …