VOA Health Program for Africa Connects Audience, Doctors

Health Chat, a pioneering new Voice of America radio program, is giving listeners in Africa a direct line to medical professionals.

Veteran health reporter Linord Moudou, the host of Health Chat, says the half-hour show makes it possible for people to question doctors and health care professionals about the specific issues they face in Africa.

“We want to tailor the show to our audience,” Linord says, “so we will listen to their concerns, answer their questions, and discuss things like prevention and family health, subjects that affect the lives of our listeners.”

The weekly English language call-in program, which airs every Tuesday (at 17:30 UTC), will also highlight the latest health and medical news and focus on one particular issue each week.

The guest on this week’s show is Dr. Halima Mwenesi, a senior project director at the global development organization FHI 360. Dr. Mwenesi discusses malaria control and what is being done to fight the mosquito-borne disease, which kills nearly one-million people around the world every year, many of them children in Africa.

Health Chat is broadcast on shortwave, FM and AM affiliate stations in Africa. A companion webpage has health information, stories, helpful links and a place to leave comments and ask questions.

In addition to Health Chat, Linord Moudou hosts a health segment on the VOA program In Focus, a 30-minute TV news magazine program, which airs in English five days a week.

For more information about this release contact Kyle B. King at the VOA Public Relations office in Washington at kking@voanews.com. For more information about any of our programs visit the VOA website at www.voanews.com.