The Ebola crisis is far outpacing the response, Congo's IRC director says
Health workers battling the ongoing Ebola outbreak in Congo are hindered by lack of data, budget cuts and a fearful community.
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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.
Hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia – OB-GYNS set new rules for menopause treatment
For the first time since 2014, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists has updated its guidelines for the treatment of symptoms commonly associated with menopause.
Public health nurse talks about the moment she learned to ask for help
For StoryCorps, a public health nurse in Minnesota speaks with her college mentor about a moment when she almost gave up on her career aspirations.
Hit a midlife wall? Here's how to rediscover your strengths
Health and science correspondent Allison Aubrey talks with Ailsa Chang about her new podcast Your Turn with Allison Aubrey — and they share a survey that can help us identify our most positive character traits.
Hit a midlife wall? This test identifies your strengths and what matters to you
Kansas voters could send a Democrat to the Senate for the first time in nearly a century — and flip the governor's office back to Republican control, even in what could be a tough year for the GOP.
After booting 760K off ACA health plans, the Trump administration adds some people back
The Trump administration provided few details about its process for canceling hundreds of thousands of Affordable Care Act enrollments — even as the next stage of the anti-fraud effort is underway.
Make a 'sick day' kit for cold and flu season before your household gets hit
Cold and flu season is here. Before someone in your household gets hit, make sure you have these essential meds and comfort items in your medicine cabinet.
Medicare Advantage plans are shutting down, leaving millions without coverage
Medicare open enrollment starts Thursday, Oct. 15. And for several million seniors across the country it will be especially important. That's because some insurers are shutting their Medicare Advantage plans, especially in rural areas.
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?
VIDEO: The skincare sample is free. What happens next can cost thousands
For years, customers have complained of aggressive sales tactics and charges at mall skincare stores. NPR investigated the business that connects many of them.
What to know about Pope Leo's lung cancer diagnosis
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks to Dr. Otis Brawley, an oncologist at Johns Hopkins University, about the Pope's lung cancer diagnosis.
Writer Yiyun Li lost both of her sons. When words fell short, she turned to music
Li won a Pulitzer for her memoir about the suicides of her two sons. In her new novel, Music Against the Night , she writes about two young prodigies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
Rise in accidents involving kids and e-bikes sparks debate about regulation
Emergency room departments are reporting soaring numbers of pediatric trauma accidents associated with micromobility devices. Experts and advocates agree that the federal government needs to step in.
Sauna research gathers steam
Leading researchers in heat exposure are coming together to reach a consensus on what we know — and don't — about the health benefits of sauna and its potential for treating and preventing disease.
Here's what to know if you're unsure about your measles immunity status
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against measles. For most adults, one shot of the MMR is considered enough protection. But there are certain situations that call for a second dose.
Do adults need another measles shot?
Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against measles, one of the most contagious diseases known. For most adults, one shot of the MMR is considered enough protection. But there are certain situations that call for getting a second dose.
How one antibiotic morning-after pill came to be widely available in San Francisco
An antibiotic morning-after pill has been shown to be effective for preventing STIs among gay men, but some doctors worry about antibiotic resistance. This story discusses STIs and their symptoms.
Don't be scared: Being afraid is outright fun, and maybe useful
Listeners of NPR's Weekend Edition Sunday may already know that host Ayesha Rascoe loves horror. But why do scream queens (and kings) like her like what's frightening? The answer may surprise you.
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?
Sweating the details: Sauna's potential health benefits draw scientists' interest
A group of international researchers is pushing to rigorously study the potential health benefits of sauna and other heat therapies. They hope to bring scientific legitimacy to the age-old practices.
Ongoing lawsuits allege GLP-1s can cause serious harm. But we don't know how often
Scant data about serious adverse effects makes it harder to answer scientific and legal questions about how often the drugs might cause serious harm like blindness or pancreatitis.
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 student hated reading for years. Her podcast explores finding the right diagnosis
Middle schooler Cora Walsh of Long Island, N.Y., has won the 2026 NPR Student Podcast Challenge with a story about her journey with dyslexia.
ChatGPT for Teens has special safeguards. A watchdog group finds most don't work
A study from Common Sense Media says most safeguards in ChatGPT for Teens failed. The chatbot talks to teens like a friend and doesn't alert parents when users talk about self-harm and suicide.
Why we remember: One student's journey into memory
Why one teen can't let go of the time he ate fries with his great-grandpa.
RFK Jr. touts vaccine injury initiative, worrying experts
Heath Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announces new steps aimed at identifying and treating complications from vaccines.
Health Secretary Kennedy touts an initiative to study vaccine safety
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has established a new clinic at the National Institutes of Health to study vaccine injuries. It's part of a larger administration effort on vaccine safety.
Suicide is up among Black Americans. We need to talk about it.
NPR's Michel Martin hosted a panel conversation about mental health and suicide in the Black community, exploring a difficult subject in deeply personal conversations.
Medical debt is crushing hospital patients in LA. Health officials may have a fix
In Los Angeles County, the nation's most populous, a new system could screen hospital patients for financial aid, preventing hundreds of thousands from getting bills they can't pay.
New Maryland law requires radiologists inform patients of heart disease warning sign
NPR's Michel Martin speaks with radiologist Dr. Lisa Mullen about a new Maryland law requiring that patients be notified if mammogram results show calcium deposits in blood vessels.
Republicans and Democrats find a unifying target: Pharmacy benefit managers
Republicans and Democrats, both patients and politicians, seem united in their disdain for the healthcare companies known as pharmacy benefit managers. Tennessee and Arkansas are regulating now them.
The WHO seeks more details on the death of a plague research lab employee in Russia
The World Health Organization says it wants more information on what caused the death of an employee at a Russian plague research lab. Russia says the woman died of pneumonia of unknown origin.
What is the pneumonic plague?
The ancient disease of plague is back in the headlines after the death this month of a Russian lab worker.
Doomscrolling too much? Try these tips to put the phone down and plug into real life
NPR Life Kit provides tips to help you reduce your screentime.
How to define a measles death
Historically, the CDC relied on state health departments' determination of measles deaths. Now, it's working with the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists to create a clear definition.
She got Trump's $500 check for health insurance. To her, it's a 'political stunt'
As checks from President Trump for health costs hit millions of mailboxes, a poll shows Americans don't trust Republicans on healthcare. Experts doubt it will move the needle and say it is likely illegal.
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?
DIY fertilizer is a blessing as farmers face steep prices due to the Iran war
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."
5 things civil rights data says about public schools
The federal Civil Rights Data Collection, for the first time in decades, tells us about the teacher workforce and reminds us racial disparities are still stark in American public schools.
'Medicare for All' message attracts midterm voters buckling under medical bills
Midterm candidates are talking up Medicare for All, and in a poll 2 out of 3 Americans said they support it. The phrase speaks to a desire for radical change, though many don't really know what it is.
An early flu season means it might be time to think about a flu shot
Flu season typically starts in October or November. But it looks like the flu started to pick up in September this year.
CDC funding for HIV prevention shifted from providers to states under Trump
Nonprofits fighting HIV used get direct funding from the CDC. Now that money is going to state health departments that may have other priorities.
An early start to flu season moves up vaccination timing
This year's flu season is unusual. It started early and in the West, instead of the South. A new variant with a mutation that helps the virus evade immunity may be playing a role.
What happened during Christa Pike's failed execution
Catherine Sweeney was in the witness room when Tennessee attempted to execute Christa Pike on Sept. 30. An attempted execution in May had also failed. Here's what Sweeney saw and heard.
Wildfire smoke affects animals in unique ways. Scientists are trying to understand it
The new field of "smoke ecology" examines how wildfire smoke perturbs wild places and animals — and what might be done to prevent its worst mayhem.
From floating saunas to clinical trials: How heat might help mental health
While scientists have a decent understanding of how sauna and other forms of heat exposure exercises our cardiovascular system, they know relatively little about its impact on mental health.
Republicans and Democrats find a unifying target: Pharmacy benefit managers
Republicans and Democrats, both patients and politicians, seem united in their disdain for the healthcare companies known as pharmacy benefit managers. Tennessee and Arkansas are regulating them now.
What does marathon training do to your body? A reporter becomes the test subject
Before running the New York City Marathon, NPR's Elissa Nadworny gets a bone scan, blood work and a treadmill test to settle a question from Mom: Is this bad for my body?
4 ways to battle performance anxiety, according to a confidence coach
Worried about stumbling before a high-stakes event, like a race or a job interview? Psychologist Cindra Kamphoff offers creative strategies to overcome the jitters and build confidence in the moment.
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.
Heat-related deaths in Phoenix rise, after two years of decline
Metro Phoenix has so far seen twice as many heat deaths as this time last year. Authorities are trying to understand why and how to intervene.
As of Oct. 1, refugees lose access to Medicaid across the country
Starting Oct. 1, refugees and asylum seekers are losing access to Medicaid across the country because of H.R. 1, the Trump administration's major budget bill Republicans passed in summer 2025.
'It's a nightmare.' Former refugee, professor on Trump's new Medicaid policy
Starting Oct. 1, many immigrants who are here legally lose their Medicaid coverage because of the Republican budget bill passed last year.
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?
Trump administration reverses stance on integration of people with disabilities
Disability rights advocates are angered by the latest reversal but are rallying behind proposed legislation and working with states to strengthen protections for community integration.
After failed execution, health workers say Tennessee's method flouts medical ethics
After a botched lethal injection in May, dozens of Tennessee medical professionals told the governor that healthcare professionals shouldn't help with executions, no matter the method.
Travel plans? Here's what to know as measles exposures reach trains and games
Measles is traveling, with outbreaks in Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York, and exposures on transportation and in sports. What should you know before getting on a plane or train?
Drugs are widely used to sedate dementia patients. Her sons wanted to keep her off them
Potent sedating medications are often used on agitated people with dementia in long-term care facilities despite federal efforts to discourage them. A clash over whether to drug a Michigan woman illuminates the wrenching decisions families and guardians face.
What's behind HHS claims that gender-affirming care 'may' radicalize
The report is the agency's latest effort to chip away at trust in established health care models for transgender people. Critics say it frames transgender identity as illegitimate or even dangerous.
They were promised protection. Instead, these kids with disabilities died in foster care
Disabled kids make up the largest group in foster care. They have the worst outcomes. They stay in foster care longest. They're the most likely to die.
Montana starts enforcing Medicaid work requirements on Oct 1. Patients are confused
In most states, people with Medicaid coverage will have to prove they're working, volunteering or studying, starting Jan. 1. But Montana is starting that early, and it's sowing confusion and anxiety.
Rural voters support MAHA movement, but feel little impact, poll finds
A new poll from KFF-AP shows that rural voters support the Make America Healthy Again movement, but they don't think it's had a positive impact on their lives.
This startup wants to prove gene-editing embryos is safe for making healthy babies
Origin Genomics aims to prove that the potential benefits of its technology for editing disease-causing genes in human embryos outweigh the risks.
This year's MacArthur Fellows include researchers who fuse science and justice
The MacArthur Foundation has just announced its latest batch of 20 fellows. Among the recipients of the $800,000 "no-strings-attached" fellowships are researchers who were recognized for their work at the intersection of science and justice.
Tennessee's failed execution ignites a medical ethics debate
After a botched lethal injection in May, dozens of Tennessee medical professionals told the governor that healthcare professionals shouldn't help with executions, ever. No matter the method.
5 tips for parents worried about their kids' screen time and online safety
Parental monitoring can help protect kids from the harms of social media and excess screen time. Screen time boundaries plus early and open conversations about online habits can make kids less vulnerable.
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.
From professor to patient: One man's journey on the frontier of lung cancer treatment
Lung cancer is still the top cancer killer, but new developments are shifting what the future might hold for patients.
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.
The U.S. has more thalidomide survivors than the government admits
In the 1950s and 1960s, doctors gave the drug thalidomide to pregnant patients without telling them — and without FDA approval. Now those patients' children want recognition.
Meal deliveries can save money and improve health. Will they survive Medicaid cuts?
Some states deliver meals to Medicaid patients that address their dietary needs. Evidence shows it aids recovery and saves healthcare costs, but federal budget cuts may lead some states to cancel it.
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?
Mom! Mom! MOM! 3 ways to stay calm in stressful parenting moments
Parenthood can be overwhelming. A therapist and mom of three shares techniques to help calibrate your emotions — so you can show up better for yourself and your family.
Congress passed $100 million for teen pregnancy prevention. Most of it is untouched
With days left to go in the 2026 fiscal year, lawmakers push the health department to spend the money Congress allocated to prevent teen pregnancy. An NPR exclusive.
$100 million in teen pregnancy prevention funds remain unused. What happened?
President Trump's FDA commissioner nom, Dr. Heidi Overton, faces Senators' questions
Dr. Heidi Overton has been nominated to be the new FDA commissioner. The Senate HELP committee pressed her on vaccines, mifepristone, food safety and whether she can tell the president he's wrong.
How to limit rat numbers? Train humans
No matter how much poison you put out, rats continue to thrive. So D.C.'s Rat Rangers are trying education (of people, not the rats). They take residents into back alleys to illuminate the problem.