by Maggie Fox | 16 Feb 2026 | Decoders, Health and Wellness, Science, World
Natural and herbal medicines are much cheaper than prescription pills. But whether they work and are safe is another story. A bottle of herbal medicine that promises to cure all ailments. (Illustration by News Decoder.) This article was produced exclusively for News...
by Jasmine Ryu Won Kang | 2 Feb 2026 | Artificial Intelligence, Health and Wellness, Technology
You can get an appointment with an AI therapist 24/7 and talk through your problems on your own comfy couch. Any downsides to that? An AI therapist on a phone that resembles Sigmund Freud. (Illustration by News Decoder) This article was produced exclusively for News...
by Maggie Fox | 28 Jan 2026 | Decoder Replay, Health and Wellness, Science
Anti-vaxxers see a dark conspiracy around vaccines. But the reality is that for millions of people globally, vaccines are the life-saving miracle of science. A medical worker sticks a band-aid on the arm of a child. (Illustration by News Decoder) Editor’s note:...
by Georges Ki-Zerbo | 26 Jan 2026 | Africa, Health and Wellness, University of Toronto Journalism Fellows
Tens of millions of people get life-saving treatment thanks to decades of U.S. government funds that have now evaporated. In Africa, this is a wake-up call. A plaque hangs outside a health clinic in Thaba-Tsoeu, Lesotho that acknowledges funding by “The American...
by Mahima Adey | 19 Jan 2026 | Health and Wellness, University of Toronto Journalism Fellows
There’s vitamin D for bones, ginkgo biloba for memory, St. John’s wort for your mood, zinc for an immune boost. If it’s all natural, what’s the problem? Vitamin pills. (Photo by photoniko) In 2023, David Mitchener, 89, was admitted to a...