Under the sea: The search for potential miracle cures
By Yvaine Ye Medill Reports What mysteries lurk in the blue water that covers more than 70 percent of the earth’s surface? No one truly knows, not even scientists. But many suspect the next miracle cure could be swimming in vast oceans amongst tiger sharks and stingrays.
‘Fake news’ about flu shot
By Yvaine Ye Medill Reports Baby boomers, Gen X-ers and millennials hardly ever agree with each other on the same issue, but more than half of them have found common ground on the flu vaccine. They are not fans. More than 7,000 people died as a result of flu and flu-related disorders such as lung […]
Smoking rates among younger Chinese-Americans shrouded in mystery
By Ruojing Liu Cigarette butts litter the streets in Chinatown. The Respiratory Health Association (RHA) collaborates with the Asian Health Coalition to organize students for a tobacco litter clean-up there on World No-Tobacco Day each May 31st. They meet in Chinatown Square. As in the past, volunteers can expect to fill dozens of clear jars […]
Chicago’s new HIV primary care services finalized
By Ruojing Liu The Chicago Department of Public Health finalized deals Thursday with the University of Illinois at Chicago and Howard Brown Health to transfer and expand the city’s HIV primary care services. The deals include transferring two currently city-run HIV primary care clinics at 845 W. Wilson Ave. in Uptown and at 641 W. […]
Suggestion to abolish bottled water tax amid Chicago tap water lead concern
By Ruojing Liu Richard Boykin, Cook County Commissioner of the 1st District, suggested Chicago abolish the 5-cent bottled water tax amid concerns over lead contamination in the city’s drinking water system. The Chicago Tribune recently published a series of stories on possible lead contamination risks in Chicago’s tap water as construction work disrupts service lines […]
Local HIV organizations oppose Rauner’s 2017 budget
By Ruojing Liu Gov. Bruce Rauner’s proposed budget for the 2017 fiscal year cuts $7.4 million from the Illinois state general HIV/AIDS fund compared to about $25.4 million last year. The approximate 30 percent cut raised some eyebrows among local organizations that serve the HIV/AIDS community. On February 17, Gov. Rauner proposed a budget for […]
State Budget miscarriage might see more HIV positive babies
By Ruojing Liu “They saved my life.” When LeSherri James was pregnant with her first baby in 2003, the homeless 21-year-old HIV positive mother-to-be was not left to face the pregnancy on her own. Anne Statton and the Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative (PACPI) she led was there to help. The organization helped James through […]
Great Lakes protection awaits presidential candidates’ endorsement
By Ruojing Liu Environmentalists within the Great Lakes region announced a campaign platform Wednesday, asking the 2016 presidential candidates to support a Great Lakes restoration and protection agenda. The new platform includes endorsement of maintaining at least $300 million each year for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative within the Federal budget. President Obama cut that […]
Hundreds participated in Chicago’s largest CPR training event
By Ruojing Liu Hundreds of Chicago residents participated in the city’s largest CPR training event Friday at the Advocate Center. The Advocate Heart Institute partnered with the Chicago Bulls and the American Heart Association to organize the event to train more people how to perform CPR during emergencies.
Chicago promotes safe-sex, HIV prevention program
By Ruojing Liu A coalition of Chicago-based organizations recently rolled out a new city-wide campaign to raise awareness of an HIV prevention program of taking a prescription-only pill once every day. The program, called pre-exposure prophylaxis or PrEP, aims at people who are at high risk of contracting HIV as a way to significantly reduce […]
