One of the macaques at a Texas sanctuary, where researchers ran tests to see if the monkeys became germaphobes after experiencing a viral outbreak. Stephan Kaufhold hide caption
October 23, 2026 • When an outbreak strikes, humans try to avoid germs. (Remember wiping off groceries at the start of the pandemic?) What about ... monkeys?
Kenya Red Cross personnel during a simulation of the evacuation of remains of an Ebola victim in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on October 22, 2026. Kenyan authorities detected a ninth case of Ebola in the country, the health ministry said Tuesday. TONY KARUMBA/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
October 23, 2026 • Nigeria this week recorded its first case of Ebola in the current outbreak, which has spread from the epicenter in Congo to several other African countries.
Dr. Vanessa Kerry has been named the special envoy for health resilience at the World Health Organization. Joel Saget/AFP via Getty Images hide caption
October 20, 2026 • A respected figure in the world of global health, Dr. Kerry takes on a new responsibility. She says it's challenging but not "daunting."
Balraam Singh, 35, eats breakfast with his wife, Nusaa Davii, and their 7-year-old son, Munna, on the pavement outside Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, India. The child is receiving treatment for a heart condition, and the family has been sleeping on the pavement outside the hospital for the past 20 days. Sajad Hameed for NPR hide caption
October 17, 2026 • Patients travel miles to be treated at public hospitals in Delhi. Those in need get financial aid for their care. But for overnight accommodations, families are often on their own — and on the street.
October 14, 2026 • Factory workers in India are being asked to wear GoPro cameras to record the way they do their jobs. The ultimate goal is to train robots to take over. Will it work?
Jyoti Kumari holds a photo of her dad, Mohan Paswan. She became a global celebrity after news spread of her 700-mile bicycle ride, carrying her injured father on her bicycle, to get him to their village. Promises were made to reward her heroic feat. Were they kept? Deepak Paswan hide caption
October 11, 2026 • Her epic ride — carrying her injured dad on her $20 hot pink bicycle — made headlines. Promises were made — financial help, training for a cycling career, even a movie deal. Were any of them kept?
A woman wearing a face mask walks past the Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute of Siberia and the Far East, founded in the 1930s to monitor strains of dangerous pathogens. Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP/via Getty Images hide caption
October 9, 2026 • A global treaty signed by 197 countries — including Russia — requires reporting any death that could be a sign of an outbreak to come.
The bacteria that causes bubonic plague. Science Source hide caption
October 7, 2026 • The ancient disease of plague is back in the headlines after the death this month of a Russian lab worker.
A Tsimane extended family gets ready for the morning, while a large pot of manioc roots cooks in preparation to make shocdye , a local fermented brew. Michael Gurven hide caption
October 7, 2026 • New research looks at the surprising similarities in the gut microbiomes of hunter-gathers in Tanzania and horticulturalists in Bolivia, and asks: What role do these bacteria play in human health?
At a market in Zambia, organic vegetables share table space with bags of homemade bokashi fertilizer that sell for about $2.50 each. Andy Higgins for NPR hide caption
October 7, 2026 • It's hard enough being a small-scale farmer. Then the Iran war drove up fertilizer prices. So farmers are using a traditional Asian recipe to make their own. They call it a "labor of love."
In December, State Department senior official Jeremy Lewin welcomed Rwanda Foreign Minister Olivier J.P. Nduhungirehe for the signing of a multi-year Memorandum of Understanding on global health cooperation. U.S. Office of Foreign Assistance hide caption
October 2, 2026 • The America First strategy asks for a Memorandum of Understanding as a condition for healthcare and development aid. It's been praised for promoting self-reliance but criticized for its conditions.
A demonstrator in Massachusetts wearing a bridal gown takes part in a protest urging legislators to end child marriage. David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe/via Getty Images hide caption
October 1, 2026 • The governor of California has signed into law a ban on child marriage. What is the status of other efforts to ban the practice? And do bans prove effective?
Shepherds attend a part-time night school near Mokhotlong, Lesotho. For many, these classes are the only form of education they can access. Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption
September 27, 2026 • Many thousands of boys and men in Lesotho take up the vital profession of herding but have to give up their education. A small network of schools on a shoestring budget is teaching them the ABCs.
Mark Shaheel Lal is the founder of Living Positive Fiji and a reconciliation officer for the Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission. He says: "The majority of my friends, they got HIV through crystal meth." He was photographed at the AIDS conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July. Ian Cheibub for NPR hide caption
September 26, 2026 • In mid-September, Fiji's government declared a national emergency because of a startling rise in HIV infections. The country's crystal meth epidemic is a strong contributing factor.
These letters are part of the translated genetic code of the novel coronavirus that sparked the global pandemic. A new treaty aims to promote the sharing of such information among nations for any future virus that threatens the planet. Smith Collection/Gado//via Getty Images hide caption
September 25, 2026 • The treaty aims to help the countries of the world prepare for — and defeat — any future pandemic. Why hasn't it gone into effect?
Cash transfers, aimed at lifting families out of poverty, are delivered by mobile phone. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/via Getty Images hide caption
September 24, 2026 • In Liberia, joint financial planning boosted cash aid's benefits. It also had an unexpected consequence for some families.
The Nepali Army conducts a search-and-rescue operation on Sept. 10 inside the Chilime Hydropower Station tunnel days after the deadly flash floods and mudslides in Nepal's Rasuwa district in August. In the wake of the disaster, concerns are being raised about the impact of the construction of hydropower plants and dams in the Himalayas. Skanda Gautam/AFP/via Getty Images hide caption
September 23, 2026 • Building dams and hydropower plants in the Himalayas holds great promise for providing electricity. In the wake of the Nepal disaster, experts are asking about the risks of such construction.
Parents and children wait for care at Kulsum Bai Valika Hospital on July 25 in Karachi, Pakistan. Families say their children tested positive for HIV after syringes were used on multiple children being treated for other illnesses. Betsy Joles/NPR hide caption
September 22, 2026 • In Pakistan, dozens of parents who brought their children to hospitals for routine care say their kids now have HIV. At least six children have died. Parents accuse hospital staff of spreading the virus by reusing syringes and needles for injections and IV drips. Families are fighting for recognition of this avoidable tragedy, and to care for children now burdened with a lifelong illness.
The fisherfolk at Kasimedu Fishing Harbour in Chennai, India, love and fear the sea. Viraj Nayar hide caption
September 20, 2026 • In the bustling heart of the southern Indian city of Chennai is a market that never sleeps, where residents from the poorest neighborhoods wage a battle of survival with the sea.
A woman cracks the hull of a betel nut with her teeth to get to the meat to chew. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption
September 19, 2026 • New research on ancient human remains suggests the habitual usage of betel nuts, a plant seed with mind-affecting properties that is popular in parts of Asia despite the health risks it presents.
September 18, 2026 • The 17 goals agreed upon by world leaders are incredibly ambitious. Are we even close to achieving any of them? If we don't, is the project a failure?
An AI-powered chatbot in Kenya answers questions about pregnancy and new babies to cut the country's rate of maternal mortality. Donwilson Odhiambo/SOPA Images/LightRocket/via Getty Images hide caption
September 17, 2026 • Many questions come up during pregnancy. Is swelling normal? Are avocados safe to eat? For folks in Kenya who don't have a search engine at their fingertips, a chatbot is offering a lifeline.
Smog mixed with a thick layer of clouds covers the Metro Manila skyline in the Philippines on Aug. 27. Photo by Melvin James Urubio/NurPhoto/via Getty Images hide caption
September 15, 2026 • In 2025, the Trump administration ended a long-running program to collect air pollution data at U.S. embassies. A new study suggests that led to a 24-33% increase in local pollution levels.
Retired rugby star Gareth Thomas, who is HIV positive, came to Rio de Janeiro's famed Ipanema Beach to participate in a campaign called "Tackle HIV." Ian Cheibub for NPR hide caption
September 12, 2026 • That's a quote from former rugby star Gareth Thomas, who is HIV positive. At the International AIDS Conference in Rio this year, he spoke out about the isolation and discrimination tied to the virus.
