Short News
Rubella eradicated in the Americas
In 2015, the Americas became the first region to eliminate the virus disease rubella, which can harm fetuses.
Return of the European bison
The European bison is now returning to the wild after going extinct in 1919. Bisons have been released from zoos, and there are now 2,579 animals living free.
Large-scale thirst relief
UNICEF gave 14 million people access to clean water for drinking in 2015. About 2.6 billion people gained clean water since 1990, but 663 million still lack it.
Bugs mean business in Viet Nam
Nearly 7000 Vietnamese have escaped poverty by restarting their lost traditional business of breeding special insects to make a natural varnish called shellac.
Nigeria gets rid of polio
As late as 2012, Nigeria accounted for more than half of the world’s last cases of polio, but in 2015, there were no new cases reported, according to the WHO.
Global citizenship rising
A new poll by the BBC shows that more people think of themselves as global citizens. The trend is strongest in developing countries.
African exports doubled
On average, African nations have doubled their exports of manufactured goods since 2005. Production growth is rising faster in Africa than the world average.
More electric cars in China
In China, sales of electric cars have quadrupled since 2014. The authorities subsidise electric vehicles in an attempt to fight air pollution.
End of malaria in several countries
In 2014, several countries reported no new cases of indigenous malaria. The list of newly malaria-free countries includes Morocco, Argentina, and Sri Lanka.
Fewer young mothers in the Maldives
In the nineties, more than one in ten girls in the Maldives became pregnant between the age of 15 and 19. Today, it only happens to four out of every thousand.
Solar lamps for Uganda
Since 2014, 300,000 people in Uganda have obtained solar powered lamps. The new lamps are cheaper and also better for health than petroleum lamps.
Indian lions on the rise
India’s endangered Asiatic lions are doing better. The population has increased by 27 percent to 532 lions since 2010, according to a 2015 census.