Nurith Aizenman

World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus was one of many global health leaders who spoke bluntly about the coronavirus pandemic at annual meetings that conclude on Tuesday. Discussing the lack of priority given to vaccines for poor countries, he stated, "The world is on the brink of a catastrophic moral failure." Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Chinese travelers at a railway station in Beijing, China, wear face masks to protect themselves from the new coronavirus on Jan. 21, 2020. The virus was first identified in Wuhan, China, in Dec. 2019, and since then has quickly spread worldwide. Kevin Frayer/Getty Images hide caption

A 19-year-old woman talks with nurse Valeria Zafisoa at a traveling contraception clinic in eastern Madagascar run by the British nonprofit group Marie Stopes International. Samantha Reinders for NPR hide caption

Steve Davis is a longtime advocate for the poor. In his new book, Undercurrents: Channeling Outrage to Spark Practical Activism, he writes about five promising trends that could help lift people out of extreme poverty. Portrait by Stuart Isett. Book by Wiley hide caption

A seaside scene in Indonesia. As countries like Indonesia move up the income ladder, some health conditions improve — but new threats, like non-communicable diseases, loom large. Tommy Trenchard for NPR hide caption