Global Health

Challenges low income countries are facing

4:24pm July 11, 2022

NPR's Ailsa Chang speaks with Dr. Atul Gawande of USAID about the challenges facing low-income countries as they tackle continued COVID surges, a lack of monkey pox vaccines and climate disasters.

A pharmacist on the Phelophepa health-care train takes payment for a patient's prescription.

PHOTOS: South Africa's 'train of hope' is a godsend for millions. But new threats loom

8:04am July 09, 2022

by Tommy Trenchard

Dubbed the "train of hope," the Phelophepa has brought health care to millions of South Africans. But it's facing an unprecedented spree of theft and vandalism on the country's railways.

What do you do if you catch COVID on a trip?

Coronavirus FAQ: I took a trip and caught COVID. What should I do? When can I go home?

6:34pm July 08, 2022

by Marc Silver

As summer travel surges, so does COVID. Experts share advice on how to prepare ahead of time in case you are infected on a vacation or visit — and what to do if you get that dreaded positive test.

Health & Safety

Afghanistan's depleted dining rugs are a reminder of hunger and loss

2:51pm July 08, 2022

As members of the middle class have fallen into poverty in the wake of the Taliban takeover, families are no longer able to serve sumptuous repasts on their traditional dining rugs.

Youssef Al-Kurd waits to be seen for his heart disease at Shifa Hospital in Gaza.

Health & Safety

A 70-year-old man in Gaza needed open heart surgery. It was a race against time

5:51pm July 07, 2022

NPR journalists followed Youssef Al-Kurd and his family for months as they begged for the medical care that could save his life.

Dozens of Leishmania parasites (purple) surround 3 white blood cells (orange) in this image magnified 1,000 times.

Health & Safety

A nasty disease is even nastier for patients with HIV. Now there's encouraging news

1:43pm July 07, 2022

by Max Barnhart

It's called visceral leishmaniasis. It's spread by sandflies and fatal if left untreated. Fortunately, a new drug regimen holds promise.

Florence Aluoch Odero prepares fish for frying at Migingo Island Hotel, a food stall in Nairobi's Kenyatta Market. Her expenses are soaring due to inflation.

Health & Safety

The case of the incredible shrinking fritter: A report from Kenya's street stalls

10:15pm July 02, 2022

Inflation — fueled by the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and local issues — has made everything more expensive, including the oil used to fry street food. Here's how vendors and customers are coping.

Queue Listen Now

Print a poster version of this comic to hang up on your fridge or give away to friends. Download the poster here.

Health & Safety

Coronavirus FAQ: Can I get COVID outdoors? (With printable poster on how to cut risks)

5:04pm July 01, 2022

by Melody Schreiber

We've heard for months that chances of catching SARS-CoV-2 outdoors are far less than indoors. Is that still true with highly contagious omicron strains? And if it is, what can you do to stay safe?

Europe is at the center of the monkeypox outbreak — and it must act quickly to prevent the virus from becoming established, the WHO says. Here, a medical laboratory technician works with suspected monkeypox samples to be tested at La Paz hospital in Mad

New monkeypox cases have tripled in Europe since June 15, the WHO regional chief says

3:34pm July 01, 2022

by Bill Chappell

The monkeypox outbreak is expanding, and Europe is at its center, says Dr. Hans Kluge.

A woodcut from the 15th century depicts a scene from the Black Death plague, which killed an estimated 50 million people in Europe and the Mediterranean between 1346 and 1353. Scientists say they may have found the origin of this deadly disease.

Scientists say they've solved a 700-year-old mystery: Where and when Black Death began

3:50pm June 30, 2022

by Max Barnhart

For centuries, scientists and historians have wondered where the Black Death — the deadliest pandemic in recorded history — came from. New research sheds light on the ancient disease.