• The New Ireland province in Papau New Guinea has severely reduced transmission of lymphatic filariasis which causes elephantiasis. WHO.
• In just ten days, Zimbabwe has managed to vaccinate four million kids and teenagers against typhoid and cholera. WHO.
• Global cases of cholera plummeted by almost two thirds last year, thanks to a 68% decrease in cases in Yemen, and a 23% decrease from all other countries. WHO.
• A court in Jakarta has ruled that the Indonesian government is required to tighten national air quality standards to protect human health and the environment. The Independent.
• More than 99.5% of people in Bangladesh now have access to electricity, up from 47% before 2009. New Age.
• 85,000 adults with disabilities were able to vote for the first time in the recent German election. DW.
• 362,000 marijuana cases in New Jersey have been dismissed and 1,200 people released from probation as new drug laws take effect. NJ.
• The Philippine Senate has approved a bill to raise the minimum age of sexual consent from 12 to 16 years old. Benar News.
• Elderly black women now have equal access to matrimonial property in South Africa. Berea Mail.
• Ford is spending $11.4 billion to build two new factories in Tennessee and Kentucky for batteries and electric pickup trucks. Together, they’ll create over 11,000 jobs. The Atlantic.

For more good news, check out The Progress Network and Future Crunch.