Global Health

As a young woman, pregnant and HIV-positive, Maurine Murenga did not have easy access to drugs that could save her life. Today she is an activist for equitable health-care. The global distribution of coronavirus vaccines is an issue of concern.

Health & Safety

History Repeats Itself: COVID-19 Vaccine Inequities Echo HIV Crisis

7:46am February 23, 2021

by Eyder Peralta

People were dying of a disease that could be treated — but in poor countries, they did not have access to medicines that could help. That was the story of HIV — and now of COVID-19.

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Embalmer and funeral director Kristy Oliver (left) and funeral attendant Sam Deras load the casket of a person who died after contracting COVID-19 into a hearse in El Cajon, Calif. People who work in hospitals and in funeral homes are witnesses to the los

'A Loss To The Whole Society': U.S. COVID-19 Death Toll Reaches 500,000

7:47pm February 22, 2021

by Pien Huang

As the country faces another wrenching milestone, there are signs of hope that we may be beating back the virus. But a brighter future won't bring back precious lives lost.

Coronavirus FAQs: Mammograms, Vaccine Ingredients ... And Dogs Who Sniff Masks

10:12pm February 19, 2021

Are there issues with having a mammogram right after a vaccine? Is there a list of vaccine ingredients — some people say they're scary. Also: My pooch loves to sniff discarded masks. Should I worry?

Vaccine prices by country and buying group.

Price Check: Nations Pay Wildly Different Prices For Vaccines

6:02pm February 19, 2021

by Jason Beaubien

The Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago gave an impassioned speech about the vaccine rollout, warning of hoarding and price gouging. Here's what we could find out about the cost of a dose.

'Why Is A Red Stain A Disaster?' Tips On Fighting Period Stigma (Plus A Zine!)

5:25pm February 19, 2021

by Malaka Gharib

That's the question that researcher Inga Winkler of Columbia University asks. She shares advice on how to overcome feelings of shame and embarrassment about menstruation.

President Biden will announce a cash infusion plan to help prop up the global coronavirus response.

Biden To Announce $4 Billion For Global COVID-19 Vaccine Effort

5:00pm February 18, 2021

by Alana Wise

The cash infusion will go to support the COVAX program, co-run by the World Health Organization, to distribute vaccines to low- and middle-income countries.

Health workers are briefed before conducting COVID-19 swab tests on public transportation drivers at a slum area in Manila. The Philippines is one of the Southeast Asian countries hit hardest by the pandemic.

Health & Safety

The Philippines Has Vaccinated Zero Health-Care Workers So Far

3:17pm February 18, 2021

by Julie McCarthy

And that's creating anxiety and stress — and may be contributing to a shortage of health workers. Why is the country having problems getting vaccines?

Workers from the garment sector block a road during a protest to demand payment of due wages, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, in April 2020. They claimed that factories had not paid them after retailers and brands cancelled orders due to worldwide lockdown measures

What A 30,000-Person Survey Reveals About Day-To-Day Life In The Pandemic

11:10am February 18, 2021

by Malaka Gharib

The responses reveal the impact on living standards in nine low- and middle-income countries — and may help governments find a way to help citizens most in need.

Marion Koopmans was part of a WHO team that traveled to Wuhan to investigate the start of the coronavirus pandemic. She tells NPR that the Wuhan seafood market was "not the whole story."

Virologist: WHO Team Found No 'Credible Link' Between Wuhan Labs, COVID-19

6:18pm February 16, 2021

by Steve Inskeep

Virologist Marion Koopmans was part of a WHO team that reconstructed the early coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan, China. She talked with NPR about her team's investigation.

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The average rate of confirmed coronavirus cases fell below 100,000 for the first time since Nov. 4, but health experts warn that highly infectious virus variants pose a serious risk to that downward trend.

New, Daily Coronavirus Cases Drop Below 100K For First Time In Months

11:10am February 15, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

Health experts caution communities not to lift coronavirus restrictions too soon as the nation continues on a downward trend of virus infections and deaths.