West Africa

Light shines through the chlorine-stained windows in the blood-testing area at Redemption Hospital in New Kru Town, Monrovia, Liberia.

As Ebola Crisis Ebbs, Aid Agencies Turn To Building Up Health Systems

3:31pm March 25, 2015

by Nurith Aizenman

The virus is largely contained in Liberia. But an already-fragile health care system has been devastated. Crucially important workers have died. Will the world pay attention — and pitch in?

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The most recent propaganda videos from Boko Haram have higher production values than in the past and other similarities to ISIS-produced videos.

World News

Boko Haram Takes A Page From ISIS Propaganda Playbook

6:55pm March 05, 2015

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

The Nigerian Islamist militant group has traded grainy videos for slick productions. This week, Boko Haram posted a video purportedly showing the bodies of two beheaded men accused of spying.

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The Harmattan haze can become so dense in Dakar, Senegal, it dims the sun and grounds flights.

While New England Gets Snow, West Africa Gets Sand

2:11pm February 28, 2015

by Ofeibea Quist-Arcton

A hot wind blows from the Sahara Desert across West Africa each winter. This year, the clouds of sand are so thick that flights are grounded, cocoa trees are suffering and everyone has a cough.

A health worker with Doctors Without Borders carries a child suspected of having Ebola at the treatment center in Paynesville, Liberia, last October. Ebola is especially deadly for young children and babies. About 4 in 5 infected died.

The Grandpa Who Saved His Granddaughter From Ebola

9:55am February 18, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Ebola is especially deadly for children and babies. About 80 percent of those infected have died. But one man knew instinctively that love and affection could make a difference.

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Nick van Praag of Ground Truth meets with locals of Pakistan's Sindh Province in 2013 to see if they're satisfied with efforts to help them recover from previous floods and prevent damage from any future ones.

Billions Go To Victims Of Disaster And Disease. Does It Really Help?

5:46am February 08, 2015

by Nurith Aizenman

Ground Truth is a new group with a simple yet revolutionary way of figuring out if disaster relief works: Ask the victims.

Ebola cases have steadily declined in Liberia and Sierra Leone over the past several weeks.

Ebola Cases Plummet In West Africa, As Endgame Begins

8:33pm January 29, 2015

by Michaeleen Doucleff

Only 99 Ebola cases were reported worldwide last week. That's the lowest weekly count since June. But getting down to zero cases is still a long way off.

Hollande: Anti-'Charlie' Protesters Don't Understand French Values

2:01pm January 17, 2015

by Scott Neuman

As demonstrations against the satirical magazine are staged in many parts of the Muslim world, the French president defends what he says is his country's principle of freedom of expression.

Ebola was out of control in Liberia in August, when this picture was taken.

14 Takeaways From The 14-Part WHO Report On Ebola

2:20pm January 16, 2015

by NPR Staff

Angry mobs that targeted health workers. A single funeral that infected 365 people. No isolation wards in Liberia. These are some of the striking points in WHO's new analysis.

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This photo was taken in November, a tough month for Sierra Leone, with Ebola cases reportedly on the rise. A staff member is disinfecting an office where Dr. Komba Songu M'Briwah talks on the phone.

Prediction: All Predictions About Ebola Are Unpredictable

10:55am January 15, 2015

by Jason Beaubien

A million cases by the end of 2014. On the wane in Guinea in August. Coming soon to every major U.S. city. Predictions about Ebola frequently don't come true — and there's a reason for that.

The windows at Redemption Hospital in Monrovia, where Ebola cases are treated, are streaked with chlorinated water as a disinfectant.

Ebola Vaccine Will Soon Be Tested In West Africa

2:17pm January 09, 2015

by Richard Harris

It's been tough to design tests because some people object to the idea that a comparison group won't receive the vaccine. But plans are moving ahead.