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Global Health

Motorists drive through the heavy rains in the Kibera Slums on March 14, 2026 in Nairobi, Kenya. At least 25 people have died after heavy rains caused devastating flash floods in Nairobi and other parts of Kenya this weekend.

Even without the interference of El Niño, Nairobi, Kenya is prone to flooding. Above: Motorists drive through heavy rains in the Kibera community on March 14. Flooding that month took over 100 lives in the capital city. Donwilson Odhiambo/Getty Images hide caption

Donwilson Odhiambo/Getty Images

A 'Green Army' is out to thwart El Niño flooding

In Nairobi, a city prone to floods, workers in the "Green Army" are making preparations to prevent disaster when El Niño arrives.

A 'Green Army' is out to thwart El Niño flooding

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One of the macaques at a Texas sanctuary, where researchers ran tests to see if the monkeys became germophobes after experiencing a viral outbreak. Stephan Kaufhold hide caption

Stephan Kaufhold

Will a macaque eat a grape sitting on a pile of poo? A study on germophobia

When an outbreak strikes, humans try to avoid germs. (Remember wiping off groceries at the start of the pandemic?) What about ... monkeys?

Macaques become germophobes after experiencing an outbreak

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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, with a first case reported on October 6 -- a businessman in his forties who had lived in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where there has been a major outbreak since May. Since the first, eight additional cases have emerged, mostly people with a close connection to the first victim, who died in the capital Nairobi on October 5.

Kenya Red Cross personnel during a simulation of the evacuation of remains of an Ebola victim in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on October 22. Kenyan authorities detected a ninth case of Ebola in the country, the health ministry said Tuesday. Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Images

Africa

Authorities investigating whether first Kenya and Nigeria Ebola cases crossed paths

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.

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.

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

Sajad Hameed for NPR

Only on NPR

Sidewalk sleepers: They have nowhere else to stay while a loved one is in the hospital

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.

Illustration of factory worker.
Faven Mulugeta for NPR

Understanding AI

These workers help train robots who could one day steal their jobs

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?

Textile factory workers in India are teaching AI how to do their jobs

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She was a global star: Teen bikes 700 miles carrying injured dad. Where is she now?

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

Deepak Paswan

Following Up

She was a global star: Teen bikes 700 miles carrying injured dad. Where is she now?

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 anti-plague institute in the city of Irkutsk on October 7, 2026.

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

Tatyana Makeyeva/AFP/via Getty Images

Did Russia play by the rules in reporting lab worker's death?

A global treaty signed by 197 countries — including Russia — requires reporting any death that could be a sign of an outbreak to come.

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.

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

Michael Gurven

Research News

Gut microbes followed migrating humans across continents, new study suggests

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?

Gut microbes followed migrating humans across continents, new study suggests

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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.

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

U.S. Office of Foreign Assistance

October 1 ushered in a new era in U.S. foreign aid. What's the plan? Will it work?

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.

How the U.S. has changed its approach to foreign aid this year

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BOSTON, MA - MARCH 27: A demonstrator wearing a bridal gown takes part in a protest urging legislators to end Massachusetts child marriage at the Massachusetts State House in Boston on March 27, 2019. A committee hearing took place Tuesday about a Senate bill that would prevent minors from getting married in Massachusetts. Currently, some under 18 can marry with the consent of at least one parent.

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

David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe/via Getty Images

A new California law bans child marriage. What's the global outlook on the practice?

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, which occur roughly twice a month, are the only form of education they can access.

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

Tommy Trenchard for NPR

Photos: This may be the most inspirational night school on Earth

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 was photographed at the AIDS Conference in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in July.

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

Ian Cheibub for NPR

Only on NPR

Why this island paradise has the world's fastest-growing HIV epidemic

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.

Close-up of letters displaying a portion of the genetic sequence of the novel Coronavirus which infected people beginning in Wuhan, China in 2020, on a computer screen, San Ramon, California, January 29, 2020. The release of the genetic sequence of the virus is a key step towards developing vaccines and other treatments.

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

Smith Collection/Gado//via Getty Images

There's a global pandemic treaty that's signed -- and in 'limbo.' What's the holdup?

The treaty aims to help the countries of the world prepare for — and defeat — any future pandemic. Why hasn't it gone into effect?

Pandemic treaty negotiations are at an impasse

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Cash transfers, aimed at lifting families out of poverty, are delivered by mobile pone.

Cash transfers, aimed at lifting families out of poverty, are delivered by mobile phone. Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/via Getty Images hide caption

Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/via Getty Images

Needy couples got cash and a spending plan. Results were good -- and bad

In Liberia, joint financial planning boosted cash aid's benefits. It also had an unexpected consequence for some families.

Cash aid can lead to improved financial circumstance, but can also increase conflict

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The Nepali Army conducts a search-and-rescue operation on September 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.o

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

Skanda Gautam/AFP/via Getty Images

Asia

Is Nepal's flood a harbinger of what's to come in the Himalayas?

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.

Rescuing those still trapped by flash floods in Nepal and Tibet

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Unsafe medical practices drive a rise in child HIV cases in Pakistan

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

Betsy Joles/NPR

State of the World from NPR

Unsafe medical practices drive a rise in child HIV cases in Pakistan

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.

Unsafe medical practices drive a rise in child HIV cases in Pakistan

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