Global Health

"I want to grow up and become a police. But I need to study in a good school for that. I want to become a police to protect the country." - Fiza, 13, India

It's All About The Girls: Is The World Listening To Them?

5:17am September 14, 2014

by Linda Poon

More than 500 girls living in poverty have lent their voices to Girl Declaration, a campaign urging world leaders to include the needs of girls in the next set of global development goals.

A burial team in Barkedu, Liberia, buries their protective clothing alongside the body of an Ebola victim. It's possible to catch the virus from clothing soiled by infected blood or other bodily fluids.

How Do You Catch Ebola: By Air, Sweat Or Water?

6:49pm September 12, 2014

by Linda Poon

Americans have many questions — and misconceptions — about the deadly virus that's rapidly spreading in West Africa. We asked two scientists to explain more about how Ebola is transmitted.

Make Way For Ambulances: They're Stuck In Bangalore Traffic

11:21am September 12, 2014

by Maanvi Singh

The Indian city is a busy high-tech hub with crowded roads. Ambulances get tied up in traffic along with everyone else. Clever thinkers are coming up with solutions. Motorcycle ambulance, anyone?

She's a mother talking to another mother — and both are HIV-positive. That's the mentoring role played by Phelokazi Tinzi, who works for mothers2mothers in South Africa.

A Happy Marriage, A Terrible Secret, A Healthy Baby

9:08am September 12, 2014

by Anders Kelto

They were married in South Africa. The next day, he told his bride he was HIV positive. Soon after, she tested positive. And she thought nothing in her life would ever go right.

US soldiers have intervened in during natural disasters such as the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. But a disease outbreak is more complicated.

Can The U.S. Military Turn The Tide In The Ebola Outbreak?

9:00am September 12, 2014

by Geoff Brumfiel

Some say our military has a big role to play in bringing Ebola under control. But sending in troops is trickier than it sounds.

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About 1 in 3 suicides is due to self-poisoning with pesticides, often by farmers in Asia, Central America and Africa.

Health & Safety

Suicide Is A Big Problem Where You'd Least Expect It

1:40pm September 11, 2014

by Amy Walters

The conventional thinking is that suicide is a problem in high-income countries. But a new WHO report says that three-fourths of suicide deaths are in the low- and middle-income world.

Handsome Zhang — that's his real name in Mandarin -- runs a shipping company, one of many supporting businesses spawned by East Wind village's furniture industry. The shipping business helped Zhang, 25, buy this Kia sports car.

The Alibaba Effect: How China's eBay Transformed Village Economics

10:58am September 11, 2014

by Frank Langfitt

At first, Sun Han made a staggering 100 percent profit margin on his furniture. Soon everyone in his village was opening a furniture factory — and didn't need to raise pigs anymore.

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Not every business has been hurt by the Ebola epidemic: Stephen Kollie says his newspaper stand is thriving because people are hungry for the latest Ebola information. But many of his usual expatriate customers have left the country, he says.

Fast-Moving Ebola Slows Down Liberia's Economy

10:30am September 11, 2014

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

Farmers are too frightened to tend their fields. Customers have stopped going to restaurants, bars and other shops. So now people in Liberia's "breadbasket" region are depending on food donations.

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Sami Yenigun flies into Lofa province in a U.N. helicopter.

Covering Ebola: Fear And Love In Liberia

6:29pm September 10, 2014

by Marc Silver

NPR producer Sami Yenigun went on assignment with excitement and trepidation. To protect himself from infection, he did not touch anyone. Yet he was deeply touched by the people he met.

Alieu P. Manor, 18, survived Ebola. He gazes into the room of his cousin, Varlee Kanneh, who was not so lucky.

In Liberia's Hard-Hit Lofa County, Ebola Continues To Take A Toll

3:18pm September 10, 2014

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

The farming town of Barkedu accounts for a fifth of Liberia's Ebola deaths. Residents have revved up anti-Ebola efforts. But the virus has swept away entire families, and there's no end in sight.

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