Skip to main content Keyboard shortcuts for audio player Subscribe to Health Newsletter 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 State of the World from NPR Unsafe medical practices drive a rise in child HIV cases in Pakistan September 22, 2026 • 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 Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5978113/nx-s1-mx-5978113-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> In Missouri, a "yes" vote on Amendment 3 in 2024 supported adding abortion protections to the state constitution. But in 2026, a "no" vote on Amendment 3 would keep those protections. Kelly McCoomb altered her sign from 2024 with duct tape and placed it back in her yard in Maplewood, Missouri. Bram Sable-Smith/KFF Health News hide caption Abortion is on the ballot again as post-Roe policies continue to evolve KFF Health News September 22, 2026 • Four states will vote on abortion-related ballot measures in November. The measures follow the Supreme Court's "Dobbs" decision, which upended federal abortion protections. Food safety experts recommend washing all produce with water, regardless if it comes from a grocery store or a backyard garden. Oliver Helbig/Getty Images hide caption Is produce from a home garden safer than store bought? 'It depends' September 21, 2026 • A record-breaking summer for foodborne illness prompted more consumers to grow produce at home. But experts say it's the farming practices, not size, that matters for food safety. Is homegrown food safer? Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5972971/nx-s1-9934057" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> The fisherfolk at Kasimedu Fishing Harbour in Chennai, India, love and fear the sea. Viraj Nayar hide caption These stunning photos capture the hard yet fulfilling lives of fisherfolk September 20, 2026 • In the bustling heart of the southern Indian city of Chennai is a market that never sleeps, where residents from the poorest neighborhoods wage a battle of survival with the sea. A woman cracks the hull of a betel nut with her teeth to get to the meat to chew. Claire Harbage/NPR hide caption Betel nuts are a top mind-affecting substance. Now there's evidence of ancient use September 19, 2026 • New research on ancient human remains suggests the habitual usage of betel nuts, a plant seed with mind-affecting properties that is popular in parts of Asia despite the health risks it presents. Will even one of the U.N.'s 17 'sustainable development goals' be met by 2030? September 18, 2026 • The 17 goals agreed upon by world leaders are incredibly ambitious. Are we even close to achieving any of them? If we don't, is the project a failure? An AI-powered chatbot in Kenya answers questions about pregnancy and new babies to cut the country's rate of maternal mortality. Donwilson Odhiambo/SOPA Images/LightRocket/via Getty Images hide caption To prevent deaths in childbirth, Kenyan moms turn to an AI powered chatbot September 17, 2026 • Many questions come up during pregnancy. Is swelling normal? Are avocados safe to eat? For folks in Kenya who don't have a search engine at their fingertips, a chatbot is offering a lifeline. Can an AI chatbot save lives by answering texts about pregnancy? Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5962840/nx-s1-9930924" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla joined President Trump at the White House last year on Sept. 30 to announce a voluntary agrreement to reduce some prescription drug prices. One element aimed to lower prices in the taxpayer-funded Medicaid program, but the program is still being built, and details about which drugs will be discounted remain under wraps. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption A year ago, President Trump pledged to lower Medicaid drug prices. Has that happened? September 17, 2026 • The Trump administration's efforts to lower drug prices included promised changes to Medicaid. But it's still unclear which drugs will be affected. And each state has to opt in. What's the latest with the Trump admin's promise on lower drug prices in Medicaid? Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5971066/nx-s1-9925806" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> One way to boost self-esteem is to update a troubling memory about yourself, says psychologist Marisa Franco. As your current self, go back in time and give your younger self the reassurance you needed to hear back then. It can give your current self a sense of catharsis. Malaka Gharib/NPR hide caption Why reshaping memories may hold the key to raising self-esteem September 17, 2026 • In a new book, psychologist Marisa Franco explains why it's good to feel good about yourself — and shares a helpful memory technique that we've turned into a printable worksheet. Pima County Medical Examiner Greg Hess at his office in Tucson, Ariz. Hess and another Arizona-based medical examiner are rethinking how to catalog and count heat-related deaths, a major step toward understanding the growing impacts of heat. Cassidy Araiza for NPR hide caption The Undercount: The invisible death toll from climate change Here's why an Arizona medical examiner is working to track heat-related deaths September 16, 2026 • No one across the U.S. is consistently tracking climate-fueled deaths. One medical examiner has a new protocol on heat-deaths. Climate Mortality - Coroners & Medical Examiners Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-4854224/nx-s1-851e95c8-5a1a-4ab2-9bd8-6b5ebdf14e0d" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> This side view of a lab mouse brain shows nerve fibers extending from the human graft (colored with green and red fluorescent proteins) through the mouse brain (colored with blue). Scale bar = 1 mm. S. Pașca lab/Stanford University hide caption Mice with human brain cells offer a tool to study disease. Ethicists ask: What's next? September 16, 2026 • Neuroscientists have made a major advance in modeling the human brain in mice, offering a new way to study conditions like cerebral palsy. Ethicists ask if it changes how these mice should be treated. Mice with human brain cells offer a tool to study disease. Ethicists ask: What’s next? Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5968873/nx-s1-9929313" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Nicole Saphier, Trump's third pick for surgeon general, during a Senate committee on health hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. Daniel Heuer/Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption Senators question Trump's picks for top health positions, including surgeon general September 16, 2026 • On Wednesday, the Senate committee on health held a confirmation hearing for three top health officials, including surgeon general. Dr. Nicole Saphier is President Trump's third attempt to nominate a surgeon general. Senators question Trump’s picks for top health positions, including surgeon general

Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5968780/nx-s1-9929280" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> A nurse displays a set of birth control pills at Pima County Health Department's Northwest Clinic, which offers free reproductive health services for all ages through federal funding from Title X, in Tucson, Ariz., on Thursday, Sept. 3, 2026. Anna Watts for NPR hide caption New maps reveal massive gaps in access to affordable birth control across the U.S September 16, 2026 • Because of a data lag, the current reality of access may be even worse. 21 million women live in U.S. counties with limited birth control access Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5956869/nx-s1-9928139" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Smog mixed with a thick layer of clouds covers the Metro Manila skyline in the Philippines on Aug. 27. Photo by Melvin James Urubio/NurPhoto/via Getty Images hide caption Air pollution spiked after the Trump administration stopped embassy monitoring September 15, 2026 • In 2025, the Trump administration ended a long-running program to collect air pollution data at U.S. embassies. A new study suggests that led to a 24-33% increase in local pollution levels. Air pollution spiked after the Trump administration stopped embassy monitoring Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5966503/nx-s1-9927559" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Chat GPT says it has feature that allows a user to give ChatGPT info about someone they trust that the chatbot can contact if the user is in distress. Malte Mueller/Getty Images/fStop hide caption NPR looked for ChatGPT's new crisis feature. It's hard to find September 14, 2026 • Earlier this year, OpenAI launched a feature on ChatGPT meant to help people at risk of suicide connect with someone they trust for support. But its setup may prove challenging to someone in crisis. TRUSTED CONTACT CHAT GPT TEST Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5943118/nx-s1-9925833" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Electron microscope image of a measles virus particle. (Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, via AP, File) Cynthia Goldsmith/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP /Centers for Disease Control and hide caption Pennsylvania says an unvaccinated woman has died from measles-related complications September 13, 2026 • Pennsylvania has announced its third measles-related death in less than three weeks. A local coroner says the 40-year-old woman was unvaccinated. Actor Tatyana Ali holds a Baby Yams quilt. Ali's baby blankets raise funds and awareness for Black and Indigenous birth workers. Manfred Baumann hide caption Actor Tatyana Ali is advocating for Black and Indigenous maternal health September 13, 2026 • Actor Tatyana Ali says her healing journey after a traumatic childbirth has inspired her advocacy for Black maternal health, including support for midwives, doulas and other birth workers. Black women are more likely to experience pregnancy trauma and have their pain ignored Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5966885/nx-s1-9924284" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> The Sunday Story The Clancy trial and a split over postpartum psychosis September 13, 2026 • Last week, a judge declared a mistrial in the murder case of Lindsay Clancy, leading the public to wonder: What really went on in the jury room? The Clancy trial and a split over postpartum psychosis Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5965892/nx-s1-mx-5965892-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Lindsay Clancy looks on as jurors (out of frame) enter the courtroom during Clancy's murder trial at the Plymouth County Superior Court in Plymouth, Massachusetts, on September 4, 2026. Lindsay Clancy was on trial for the January 2023 strangulation deaths of her three young children. Her trial, which was televised and featured more than 80 witnesses, has sparked debate in the United States over maternal mental health. Greg Derr / POOL / AFP via Getty Images hide caption Up First from NPR The Clancy trial and a split over postpartum psychosis September 13, 2026 • Last week, a judge declared a mistrial in the murder case of Lindsay Clancy, leading the public to wonder: What really went on in the jury room? The Clancy trial and a split over postpartum psychosis Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5965890/nx-s1-mx-5965890-1" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Retired rugby star Gareth Thomas, who is HIV positive, came to Rio de Janeiro's famed Ipanema Beach to participate in a campaign called "Tackle HIV." Ian Cheibub for NPR hide caption 'People are still afraid of those three letters': Fighting the stigma of HIV September 12, 2026 • That's a quote from former rugby star Gareth Thomas, who is HIV positive. At the International AIDS Conference in Rio this year, he spoke out about the isolation and discrimination tied to the virus. Taya Hailstone has been in remission from Hodgkin lymphoma for five years, but the cancer's lasting damage to her organs and nerves can make basic tasks hard. Even so, Montana's health department decided Hailstone is no longer eligible for low-cost disability health coverage through Medicaid. Kyla Hailstone hide caption A cancer survivor hoped to work — then she lost her Medicaid disability coverage KFF Health News September 12, 2026 • As state governments grapple with how to determine who's sick enough to be excused from new Medicaid work requirements, some families are already struggling with what illnesses guarantee health coverage because of a disability. David J. Sencer CDC Museum at the Edward R. Roybal campus, the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. CDC is the national public health agency of the United States, under the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). hapabapa/Getty Images/iStock Editorial hide caption As diseases loom, CDC's response to measles deaths stirs fears about agency's reliability September 11, 2026 • The worst U.S. measles outbreak in decades is growing and flu season is imminent. Experts are fretting about federal health data reliability after the CDC questioned two Pennsylvania measles deaths. As diseases loom, CDC’s response to measles deaths stirs fears about agency’s reliability Embed Embed < iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/nx-s1-5950002/nx-s1-9923393" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player"> Dr. Rupa Narra is a U.S. pediatrician who arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo to help care for stricken children. Nothing could have prepared her for what she'd face. Courtesy of Dr. Rupa Narra hide caption 'I've never seen anything like this' -- A U.S. doctor treats Ebola's youngest victims September 10, 2026 • Dr. Rupa Narra is a U.S. pediatrician who arrived in the Democratic Republic of Congo to help care for stricken children. Nothing could have prepared her for what she'd face. The Department of Education building in Washington, D.C. Robert Knopes/Education Times via Getty Images hide caption Special education head at Education Department abruptly resigns September 9, 2026 • The leader of the Education Department's special education office told employees she is resigning after less than four months in the role and as the agency overall is morphing and shrinking.