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

Tuesday

India's Pandemic Death Toll Estimated At About 4 Million: 10 Times The Official Count

Performing last rites before the cremation of a family member who died of COVID-19. Anupam Nath/AP hide caption

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Anupam Nath/AP

Goats and Soda

India's Pandemic Death Toll Estimated At About 4 Million: 10 Times The Official Count

That's the number of "excess deaths" from January 2020 to June 2021, reflecting the true toll of COVID-19, say researchers in a new study. Why the big disparity?

India's Pandemic Death Toll Estimated At About 4 Million: 10 Times The Official Count

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Saturday

Thursday

New U.S. Malaria Czar: Why We Should Care About The Disease, Even In A Pandemic

Dr. Raj Panjabi, the newly named head of the President's Malaria Initiative, treating patients during a visit to Liberia, where he was born and lived until 1990. He'll lead the effort to prevent and treat malaria around the world. Each year, some 400,000 people die of a disease that, he notes, is "preventable and treatable." Gabriel Diamond/Skoll Foundation hide caption

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Gabriel Diamond/Skoll Foundation

Goats and Soda

New U.S. Malaria Czar: Why We Should Care About The Disease, Even In A Pandemic

Did you even know the U.S. has a malaria czar? Who himself had malaria as a kid? We interview Dr. Raj Panjabi, newly appointed by President Joe Biden.

Saturday

How Goats (And Perhaps People) Make Up Their Minds

A herd of goats in Russia ponders ... well, we can't really know what they're pondering, but it's a safe bet they're interested in finding something to eat. Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Kirill Kudryavtsev/AFP via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

How Goats (And Perhaps People) Make Up Their Minds

How does a herd decide which direction to head in? Researchers put GPS collars on a gathering of goats to find out. Here's what they learned — and how it might apply to humans.

Friday

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Friday

Monday

Sunday

Life Was Improving For 'No Sex For Fish.' Then Came The Flood

Alice Amonde sits on a boat on the village of Nduru Beach, Kenya. She is part of the group of women who have fought against the practice of transactional sex that was part of the fishing business. This photograph was taken in November 2019. This spring, flooding from Lake Victoria devastated the village. Julia Gunther For NPR hide caption

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Julia Gunther For NPR

Goats and Soda

Life Was Improving For 'No Sex For Fish.' Then Came The Flood

In a Kenyan fishing village along Lake Victoria, women fought the practice of fishermen demanding sex in exchange for a catch of fish to sell. They were making progress. Then came the floods of 2020.

Monday

How Bad Has The Pandemic Been For Childhood Vaccinations?

Vaccines for measles-rubella and cervical cancer are administered at a school in Jimbaran, Indonesia. Vaccination rates have dropped during the pandemic. Keyza Widiatmika/NurPhoto via Getty Images hide caption

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Keyza Widiatmika/NurPhoto via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

How Bad Has The Pandemic Been For Childhood Vaccinations?

The betterment of childhood vaccination rates has been a global success story. A new report on the impact of the pandemic offers reason for concern — and optimism.

How Bad Has The Pandemic Been For Childhood Vaccinations?

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Friday

Coronavirus FAQ: I See People Wearing Disposable Coveralls On Planes. Good Idea?

Air passengers wearing practically full-body coveralls at the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in India. Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP via Getty Images

Goats and Soda

Coronavirus FAQ: I See People Wearing Disposable Coveralls On Planes. Good Idea?

Some passengers don a disposable suit over their clothes to help shield themselves from the coronavirus. Is that helpful? What about gloves, face shields and goggles? Also: A blanket idea!

Monday

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Sunday

PHOTOS: The Masks Of Congo Are Worn To Protect, To Protest — And To Strike A Pose

Anglebert Maurice Kakuja, 29, a Sapeur, or Congolese dandy, shows off his fashion sense while wearing a homemade mask in the eastern Congolese city of Bukavu. Sapeurs take their name from the acronym for their group: Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes. Raissa Karama Rwizibuka hide caption

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Raissa Karama Rwizibuka

Goats and Soda

PHOTOS: The Masks Of Congo Are Worn To Protect, To Protest — And To Strike A Pose

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, citizens are required by law to wear a mask in public. But the face coverings can have many meanings and materials — including banana leaves.