Global Health

Jamaica's Ministry of Health released a reggae music video about how people can protect themselves against the Zika virus.

Rapping Doc With A Reggae Beat Tells Jamaicans How To Fight Zika Virus

5:22pm February 16, 2016

by Maanvi Singh

Doctor and musician Michael Abrahams acknowledges that "Zik V is not in the Caribbean territory" but sends a message that "prevention is the greatest weapon."

Aedes aegypti mosquitoes like these are known to carry the Zika virus â four cases of which have now been confirmed in American Samoa, according to officials.

American Samoa Says It Has 205 Suspected Cases Of Zika

3:03pm February 15, 2016

by Bill Chappell

The news was announced recently by health and government leaders in American Samoa, which has a population of around 54,000.

Don't have a "functioning postal code"? Aid workers can download and print Jaded Aid from the field. NPR's Goats and Soda team played a round using the downloadable deck.

Could A Vial Of Bono's Tears End Poverty? In This Card Game, It Can

10:00am February 14, 2016

by Malaka Gharib

Frustrated aid workers can find laughter and solace in Jaded Aid, which pokes fun at the bureaucratic business of global development.

Brazilian soldiers prepare for an operation to fight the Aedes aegypti mosquito, vector of the Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya viruses, in Sao Paulo, Brazil on February 3. The operation on Saturday will include 220,000 soldiers passing out pamphlets; they ho

Brazilian Military Takes Aim At Mosquito Problem

8:51am February 13, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

On Saturday, 220,000 soldiers across Brazil are going door to door to raise awareness about the Zika virus, and promote mosquito control efforts that could slow the disease's spread.

Puzzling Proverbs: So Why Did The Goat Go Home After It Broke A Leg?

7:00am February 13, 2016

by Kiley Shields

Ghana is a land of many sayings, often starring an animal. Only the meaning is not always clear. We turned to our correspondent on the ground for answers.

A midwife cuts the umbilical cord of a newborn baby in a hospital in South Sudan.

Penalty For Home Birth: A Chicken Or A Cow

2:00pm February 12, 2016

by Vicky Hallett

So that's one way to improve health care in the developing world. Here are some other bright ideas from people who like to shake up the status quo.

A reconstruction of a Neanderthal man (right) based on skull found at the La Ferrassie rock shelter in Dordogne Valley, France. He's face to face with a male Homo sapien.

Science Seeks Clues To Human Health In Neanderthal DNA

11:20pm February 11, 2016

by Christopher Joyce

Some of the genetic variations in human DNA that have been linked to quick clotting or depression or diabetes lie within or near the genetic stretches we picked up from Neanderthals, a study finds.

Queue Listen Now

The Risks (And Unexpected Benefits) Of Sending Health Students Abroad

3:38pm February 11, 2016

by Diane Cole

Universities are setting standards for volunteer global health programs in developing countries — so both the student and the local people can have a good experience.

Chart: Use Of Contraceptives And Abortion Laws In Countries Affected By Zika

Health & Safety

Chart: Access To Contraception And Abortion In Zika-Affected Countries

1:52pm February 11, 2016

by Marc Silver

The possibility that the Zika virus is linked to the birth defect microcephaly has sparked a public debate about women's reproductive rights in Latin America.

This Mosquito Likes Us Too Much For Our Own Good

6:24pm February 10, 2016

by Jason Beaubien

Meet Aedes aegypti. It's an ideal spreader of disease — from its attraction to trash to its habit of sipping blood from lots of folks in one feeding spree.