Global Health

Dr. Thumbi Mwangi, an infectious disease epidemiologist from Kenya, at Howard Theatre in Washington, DC, on Nov. 29, 2016. In the U.S., Mwangi worked on a vaccine for cows that aimed to combat the same disease he saw the bovine battle in Kenya as a kid.

As A Boy, He Learned About Science By Rubbing Calves' Ears

7:00am April 16, 2017

by Erin Ross

Dr. Thumbi Mwangi had a eureka moment when he began researching a cattle disease in the U.S. The treatment was the same thing his dad the farmer had him do when he was growing up in Kenya.

In their new ad, Vicks tells the story of an adopted girl and her mother figure, Gauri Sawant, a transgendered woman who was born a boy.

Health & Safety

'Mummy' Is Transgender: A New Commercial Is The Talk Of India

7:00am April 15, 2017

by Chhavi Sachdev

It's a story of an orphan. And her beloved "mummy" — who is a transgender woman. The ad from Vicks has become a viral sensation.

Kadija Shellu is now 7. She had not only Ebola, but malaria as well.

Health & Safety

A Family Of Ebola Fighters: 'With God's Help, We Made It'

3:37pm April 14, 2017

by Ashoka Mukpo

It's the third anniversary of the Ebola pandemic; 2014 was a catastrophic year. But one family in Liberia gave health workers a reason to celebrate.

Chart: Total cases of yellow fever in Brazil, Jan. 19-April 6

Is Yellow Fever Knocking At Our Door?

12:09pm April 14, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

An outbreak in Brazil isn't slowing down as predicted. Dr. Anthony Fauci calls it "a potential threat" to the U.S.

Children frolic at a plaza with a fountain in Managua.

How Can Nicaragua Be So Happy When It Has A Stack Of Sad Statistics?

3:47pm April 13, 2017

The latest World Happiness Report says Nicaragua made the greatest gains in happiness of any country — to the surprise of some Nicaraguans.

Fisherman in Papua New Guinea, living on their boats, wait for the tide to change before going out to fish. Tuberculosis is a major health threat in the Pacific Ocean nation.

Surprising And Sobering: 7 Facts About Global Health

4:09pm April 11, 2017

What's an often overlooked killer in the world of global health? Why is heart disease both rising and falling? How did the Model T solve a health problem?

A shop owner holds a live chicken for sale in a Hong Kong market.

Why Chinese Scientists Are More Worried Than Ever About Bird Flu

10:23am April 11, 2017

by Rob Schmitz

A rapidly evolving strain of bird flu has killed a record number of people this year in China. Scientists are concerned about its potential to spur a global pandemic.

Queue Listen Now

University lecturer and activist Stella Nyanzi appears in court in Kampala, Uganda, on April 10, facing charges of cyber harassment and offensive communication.

Health & Safety

Ugandan Activist Nyanzi Arrested, Charged With Cyber Harassment

7:28pm April 10, 2017

by Eyder Peralta

Stella Nyanzi's latest run-in with the regime of President Museveni began with a fight for free sanitary pads for school-age girls. Then she wrote about the president and his wife on social media.

The typical asymmetrical lymphedema (lower limb swelling) seen in podoconiosis. The skin on the affected limbs is thickened with warty and mossy nodules. The toes are disfigured toes with joint fixation typical of advanced podoconiosis disease.

The Unexpected Cause Of This Awful Disease Lay Right Underfoot

5:23pm April 10, 2017

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Farmers in a remote Ugandan tropical forest suffered from an excruciatingly painful foot ailment. Usually parasitic worms are the cause — but not this time.

Zubair, who was diagnosed with a bone tumor and had part of his leg amputated, uses morphine to manage his pain. "Because of morphine I am surviving," he says. With the pain relief, he can ride his motorbike and work at a coffee shop.

VIDEO: Despite The Risks, Morphine Can Offer Hope

7:00am April 08, 2017

by Malaka Gharib

Morphine, like other opiates, is controversial. It poses risks. But for some patients, like a man in India who's profiled in a short documentary, the painkiller offers hope.