Marc Silver : NPR

Marc Silver Marc Silver edits NPR's global health blog.

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Marc Silver

Friday June 27, 2014

A Doctor Tries To Save A 9-Year-Old Stricken With Ebola

Workers with Doctors Without Borders prepare isolation and treatment areas for Ebola patients in Gueckedou, Guinea. Kjell Gunnar Beraas/AP hide caption

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Kjell Gunnar Beraas/AP

A Doctor Tries To Save A 9-Year-Old Stricken With Ebola

June 27, 2014 • The child was brought to a treatment center in the back of a pickup truck with his dying mother. Doctors knew his condition was dire. But they thought that maybe they could save him.

Friday June 20, 2014

A UNICEF field worker talks to villagers in Liberia's Foya District about how to prevent Ebola disease. Ahmed Jallanzo/EPA/Landov hide caption

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Ahmed Jallanzo/EPA/Landov

West Africa Is 'Overwhelmed' By Ebola

June 20, 2014 • The sheer number of places where Ebola is popping up — in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia — puts a strain on medical workers. They're still trying to control the outbreak that began in February.

Friday May 16, 2014

Samples from Dry Soda, Spindrift, Q and Veri Organic, four small companies that are trying to win back soda lovers by lowering the sugar. Maggie Starbard/NPR hide caption

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Maggie Starbard/NPR

Will Soda Lovers Drink To Less Sugar?

May 16, 2014 • U.S. sales of sugared and diet sodas have slumped. So soda-makers are trying to win back consumers with new flavors and less sugar. But historically, midcalorie sodas haven't sold very well.

Thursday May 15, 2014

Don't Salmon, Don't Shoal: Learning The Lingo Of Safe Cycling

What's that salmon doing in the bike lane? Leif Parsons for NPR hide caption

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Leif Parsons for NPR

Don't Salmon, Don't Shoal: Learning The Lingo Of Safe Cycling

May 15, 2014 • More and more people are bicycle commuting, but many haven't mastered the intricacies of bike etiquette. What the heck is a sharrow? Knowing that can make for a safer trip by bicycle or (gasp) car.

Thursday May 8, 2014

Save the Children USA/YouTube

Is This Save The Children Ad Too Sexy For The Cause?

May 8, 2014 • Save the Children hopes sex will sell its message: that the world's mothers and young children die from diseases and conditions that could be prevented. But it's unclear if the public will buy in.

Friday May 2, 2014

MERS Virus Comes To U.S., But Risk To Public Is Deemed Low

A Muslim pilgrim wears a mask in Mecca to protect against the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in October 2013. Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Fayez Nureldine/AFP/Getty Images

MERS Virus Comes To U.S., But Risk To Public Is Deemed Low

May 2, 2014 • An American health care worker who worked in Saudi Arabia is the first confirmed case of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome in this country. Health officials are concerned but not panicked.

When A Yoga Teacher Ticks You Off, Is It Rude To Walk Out?

Shut up and suffer, or split? iStockphoto hide caption

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iStockphoto

When A Yoga Teacher Ticks You Off, Is It Rude To Walk Out?

May 2, 2014 • The reasons we go to yoga are many, from building strength to finding calm. But a teacher's style might add to your stress level. Is it OK to abandon class? Or are there reasons to stick it out?

Thursday May 1, 2014

Here's The Scoop On Jackfruit, A Ginormous Fruit To Feed The World

Jackfruits grow on the branches and trunks of tall trees. You don't wait to harvest until they drop of their own accord — by that time, they'd be overripe. iStockphoto hide caption

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iStockphoto

Here's The Scoop On Jackfruit, A Ginormous Fruit To Feed The World

May 1, 2014 • It's the largest tree fruit in the world. It's nutritious. And because it's pretty easy to grow, it has the potential to be a star in the developing world. But ... does it taste good?

Monday April 21, 2014

Lead Poisoning Nightmare In Nigeria May Be Easing

Gado Labbo holds her 5-year-old son, Yusuf, at a clinic in Dareta, Nigeria. In 2010, when Yusuf first entered the clinic, he had a blood lead level 30 times higher than the amount the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention considers dangerous. David Gilkey/NPR hide caption

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David Gilkey/NPR

Shots - Health News

Lead Poisoning Nightmare In Nigeria May Be Easing

April 21, 2014 • Four years ago, hundreds of children died, exposed to lead dust that was everywhere, created in a rush to process ore for gold. Nigeria is finding its own path to curb that dust — and save kids.

Thursday April 17, 2014

Tabasco And Beer-Flavored: Not Your Easter Bunny's Jelly Beans

Jelly Belly says its most popular flavors include the savory-sweet Buttered Popcorn and Very Cherry. Meg Vogel/NPR hide caption

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Meg Vogel/NPR

The Salt

Tabasco And Beer-Flavored: Not Your Easter Bunny's Jelly Beans

April 17, 2014 • On the eve of Easter and National Jelly Bean Day, let us probe the mysterious origins and unexpected ascendancy of the humble candy. And to celebrate, we've sampled Jelly Belly's newest flavors.

Wednesday April 9, 2014

Why My Wife Didn't Choose A Double Mastectomy

TV host Samantha Harris says she will have a double mastectomy after being diagnosed with breast cancer. But the surgery doesn't eliminate cancer risk. Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP hide caption

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Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP

Shots - Health News

Why My Wife Didn't Choose A Double Mastectomy

April 9, 2014 • More and more women are deciding to have double mastectomies when they are diagnosed with breast cancer. TV host Samantha Harris is just the latest. But it's not the right choice for everyone.

Tuesday April 8, 2014

Quinoa Is Kosher For Passover, But Mom May Not Approve

Factories that got the all-clear now produce quinoa that will bear the OU-P symbol, meaning they're kosher for Passover. Iryna Melnyk/iStockphoto hide caption

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Iryna Melnyk/iStockphoto

The Salt

Quinoa Is Kosher For Passover, But Mom May Not Approve

April 8, 2014 • The Orthodox arbiters of kosher inspected quinoa fields in the mountains of Peru and Bolivia. And now for the first time, they've given their Passover seal of approval to the ancient "pseudo-cereal."

Mouthwash And Poor Dental Hygiene May Up The Risk Of Oral Cancer

A recent study reported that poor dental hygiene and excessive use of mouthwash containing alcohol could increase the risk of oral cancer. iStockphoto hide caption

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iStockphoto

Shots - Health News

Mouthwash And Poor Dental Hygiene May Up The Risk Of Oral Cancer

April 8, 2014 • Freshening up your mouth with a regular rinse could come with a long-term health hazard. But cancer specialists are far more concerned about tobacco, alcohol and betel nut chewing.

Friday October 25, 2013

What If Husbands Had A GPS To Help Wives With Breast Cancer?

Recalculating ... Katherine Streeter for NPR hide caption

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Katherine Streeter for NPR

Shots - Health News

What If Husbands Had A GPS To Help Wives With Breast Cancer?

October 25, 2013 • Imagine a device that would help men correct course when they mess up while trying to support the women they love. One breast cancer husband who did just about everything wrong when his wife was diagnosed says he would have welcomed a little back-seat driving.

Sunday June 16, 2013

Marc Silver and his daughter Maya wrote a book about how teens deal with a parent sick with cancer. Richard Nowitz/Courtesy of Marc Silver hide caption

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Richard Nowitz/Courtesy of Marc Silver

Shots - Health News

Coping On Father's Day Without Dad

June 16, 2013 • Teens who've lost a dad to cancer are a lonely bunch on Father's Day. But when some of these teenagers bare their souls, it turns out they have learned lessons that make them wise beyond their years.