Health
Latest Stories
Stories Over Tea: The Power of Reminiscence Therapy
With the help of objects and prompts from the past, those with dementia are able to focus on what remains rather than what’s been lost.
In India, Good Health Starts in the Soil
Across more than 100 villages, in-depth education about nutrition and natural farming has vastly improved the health of vulnerable residents.
The Slow, Powerful Work of Bridging the Women’s Health Gap
Women are still underrepresented in medical research. But thanks to trailblazers like cardiologist Marianne Legato and patient advocate Carolyn Thomas, that’s starting to change.
No Matter Who Wins, Health Will Keep Improving on Common Ground
Positive developments in health are unfolding all around us, from the staying power of telemedicine to life-saving naloxone access.
An Age-Old Midwife Tradition’s Revival Is Saving Vulnerable Newborns
The simple skin-to-skin practice known as kangaroo mother care is proven to help babies survive and thrive. So why hasn’t it gone mainstream?
Living Well With Diabetes — With Help From a Peer
So much of managing diabetes takes place outside the doctor’s office. That’s where peer coaches — who can give advice based on experience — step in.
The Hospitals That Send Patients Home With Nutritious Food
Our diet impacts our health, as both health care and anti-hunger organizations have long understood. Now, they’re beginning to collaborate.
A Place to Recover: How Medical Respite Programs Help Unhoused People Heal
For people experiencing homelessness, recuperating after a hospitalization is difficult. Medical respite care programs can help bridge the gap.
Don’t Forget to Take Your ‘Culture Vitamins’
In Denmark, prescriptions for group-based experiences, like concerts or library read-alouds, are helping people reconnect with themselves.
Seeds of Hope for Farmers’ Mental Health
As awareness of rural mental health issues grows, so too does a mosaic of efforts to help: teletherapy, hotlines, “resiliency circles” and more.
Londoners Are Walking Their Way to Better Mental Health
Walking therapy — simply walking and talking with intention — has been shown to relieve stress, loneliness, burnout and more.
The Street Medicine Team Bringing Care to L.A.’s Homeless
In a city where housing is scarce, one group is helping patients get healthy enough to live stable, independent lives.
When the Doctor Prescribes a Warmer Home
Helping vulnerable people to live in comfortable temperatures through the cold winter months can help them stay in better health, too.
A ‘High-Tech, Low-Cost’ Approach to Community Mental Health Care in India
Maanasi’s innovative, women-focused strategy has been so successful that it has already been copied in Kenya, Lithuania and elsewhere.
Introducing ‘A Patient Is a Person’
A new series about how whole-person health is transforming the patient journey.
Drones Are Whizzing Lifesaving Supplies Across the ‘Last Mile’
In hard-to-reach areas, the fast-moving tech is streamlining emergency deliveries, from blood for transfusions to snakebite antivenom.
The Doulas Who Help Navigate Gender Exploration
Just like birth doulas, gender doulas serve as coaches and mentors, supporting people at all stages of their gender journey.
Could New Technology Eliminate Cervical Cancer?
Health care nonprofits are sharing new screening and treatment methods, aiming to one day eradicate this preventable disease completely.
How Women Are Helping Their Neighbors Heal From Depression
In places with few mental health professionals, volunteer-led group therapy sends positive ripples through families and communities.
‘Slowly Forging a Relationship’: Rural Vermont’s New Blueprint for Addiction Recovery
A unique collaboration pairs a recovery group and an EMS team to help those with alcohol and substance abuse disorders find long-term care.
‘Composting Our Emotions’: How Climate Action Cultivates Well-Being
The Smart Heart: How AI Is Sharpening Cardiovascular Medicine
Artificial intelligence tools have the potential to prevent thousands of heart attacks every year — if researchers can meet the technology’s challenges.
Prescription Meal Kits Are a New Tool for Managing Diabetes
Over half of Stockton, California’s residents are diabetic or prediabetic. A prescribed meal program aims to change that.
More Teens Are Opting for Virtual Therapy
Amid the ongoing mental health crisis among young people, telehealth can offer a lifeline.
What Does Reproductive Health Have to Do With Climate Vulnerability?
Around the world, people and organizations are starting to recognize the role family planning can play in climate adaptation and resilience.
The Cheap, Clever Promise of ‘Water ATMs’
The machines — and the rural entrepreneurs who run them — are helping more people in India access safe drinking water.
An Overdose Antidote Goes Viral
Naloxone, the pocket-sized drug that can save the life of someone overdosing on opioids, is within arm’s reach in bars, libraries and vending machines.
Connecting Migrant Farmworkers With Health Care and Family
Deep in the mountains of North Carolina, internet access is helping workers get care — and keep in touch with loved ones.
Student Groups Are Distributing Free Emergency Contraceptives on Campus
When it comes to sexual health, students across the US are stepping in to help and educate their peers.
Come for the Free Meals, Stay for the Company
FoodCycle’s pop-up cafes are tackling not just hunger and food waste, but loneliness, too.
Eating Disorder Clinics Are Helping Patients of Color Break Down Barriers
People of color are half as likely as white people to get a diagnosis or treatment for an eating disorder — but that’s changing.
The Floating Health Clinics Delivering Care to Isolated Island Dwellers
In the Indian state of Assam, solar-powered boats serve as mobile hospitals for the remote communities along the Brahmaputra River.
How ‘Recovery Doulas’ Support Pregnant People Struggling With Addiction
In rural Montana, peer support doulas help patients and their babies make it through pregnancy healthy, sober and together.
The Power of Sharing Patients’ Life Stories With Caregivers
When one woman pasted her father’s brief biography on the walls, his caregivers became his champions. Now, more patients are sharing their stories.
How ‘Coffee Breaks’ for Colorado Farmers Cultivate Better Mental Health
Despite persistent stigma, agricultural workers are learning to treat their emotional well-being with as much care as their soil health.
How Nigeria Turned Men Into Better Fathers
Small group discussions among fathers about breastfeeding and maternal nutrition have a big impact when it comes to preventing child deaths.
Mindful Breathing Is Coming to New York City Classrooms This Fall
Every student in the city will engage in two to five minutes of daily mindfulness, a tactic that has shown positive effects in schools around the world.
Your Job Wants to Offer You Therapy. How Does That Make You Feel?
Workplaces are getting deeply involved with their employees’ mental health, in ways both positive and dubious.
For Indigenous Peoples With Deep Ties to the Land, Climate Change Is Personal
“Indigenous worldviews look at the land as an extension of the self, so can you argue that land is body?”
Telehealth Bridges the Mental Health Gap for Older Rural Folks
Remote psychotherapy sessions aren’t just more convenient than lengthy round-trips for in-person appointments. They reduce unnecessary prescriptions, too.
The World’s Therapists Are Talking to Ukraine
To prevent a mental health crisis, a multinational effort is bringing therapy to the war-torn country from thousands of miles away.
A Camp for Japan’s Social Recluses
At a retreat deep in the hills, hikikomori come together to cook, farm and, after years of isolation, gingerly step back into the world.
Navigating the Waves
Surf therapy is being embraced — from the US Navy to the British health service — as a surprisingly effective treatment for depression, anxiety and trauma.
For Outdoor Workers, Learning About Heat Protection Is a Lifesaver
In the absence of legal protections, one nurse-researcher is educating workers on how to stay safe amid punishing heat waves.
In This Arizona City, Kids With Autism Are More Than Welcome
For families with neurodiverse children, travel can be tough. In Mesa, locals have learned how to make it much easier.
A Personal Approach to Overcoming Veteran Homelessness in Detroit
“Solving homelessness is not simply putting individuals in housing; it’s putting them in housing that meets their unique needs.”
How Rural Mental Health Respites Fit into the Health Care Puzzle
At peer respite facilities, patients who don’t need immediate medical care can get help without feeling judged.
The Health Alliance That Keeps Austin’s Music Scene Rocking
As the city gets pricier, a health system custom-built for musicians makes sure the “Live Music Capital of the World” keeps its title.
Putting Clinics in Schools Boosts Students’ Mental Health
These clinics — sometimes the only care option for vulnerable students — are getting increasing attention as mental health challenges mount.
Woodworking and Hugs: Inside the Mental Health Movement for Men
Recognizing that “men will talk shoulder to shoulder, but not necessarily face to face,” Men’s Sheds give guys a space to tinker while they open up — and heal.
To Reduce Infant Mortality, Just Add Stable Housing
When an experiment in Ohio gave moms-to-be a stable place to call home, their babies thrived.
With Green Prescriptions, Getting Healthier Is a Walk in the Park
From “forest bathing” to clinically prescribed time in national parks, a growing medical movement is sending patients back to nature, with remarkable results.
The Surprising Role of Blind Women in India’s Health Care System
With their heightened sense of touch, visually impaired women are detecting breast cancer in communities where access to health care is sparse.
Black Churches in California Lead the Way to Quality End-of-Life Care
The free Advanced Illness Care Program helps people with serious illnesses and their caregivers navigate “living wills.”
The Denver High School Where Teens Get Sober
“Recovery schools” blend typical high school curriculums with addiction treatment, leading to higher rates of attendance, graduation and sobriety.
4 Pandemic Responses That Changed Life for the Better
Covid transformed cities, jobs, even entertainment in ways that seem to be ever more permanent — and in some cases, made the world a better place.
Alongside Math and Reading, Schools Are Now Teaching Happiness
With “gratitude necklaces” and “gardens of emotions,” mental wellbeing classes help young people with anxiety and confidence.
At On-Campus Retirement Communities, Seniors and ‘Seniors’ Forge Deep Bonds
As housing for senior citizens moves onto college campuses, two generations separated by 50 years are connecting in profound ways that benefit both.
A Call for Help Answered
Abuse survivors can call helplines to stop the violence. Now abusers can, too.
For Parents Stressed by a Crying Baby, Help Is on the Way
From hotlines to home visits, these organizations offer a helping hand when overwhelmed parents need it most.
In the Container Village of “Poliopolis,” a Vaccine Trial Like No Other
For nearly a month, 30 strangers locked down together to test the first major update to the polio vaccines in decades.
The Voluntary Gun Law Preventing Suicides
Utah, Virginia and Washington allow people to ban themselves from impulsively buying a gun. Many more states could follow their lead.
How Two Former Debt Collectors Made $6.7 Billion in Medical Debt Disappear
Hospitals sell their patients’ debt to collection agencies for pennies on the dollar. RIP Medical Debt buys it up — just to forget all about it.
Tel Aviv Has Shade Down to a Science
While other cities wait for their newly planted trees to grow, the Israeli city is updating an age-old cooling method for the 21st century.
How One Nigerian State Overcame Vaccine Hesitancy and Eradicated Polio
As much of Nigeria struggles to contain a polio outbreak, traditional leaders in Cross River have made sure their local constituents embrace the vaccine.
The Wearable Help Button Keeping Hospital Workers Safe
Health care employees face higher rates of violence than any other type of worker. Now, a wearable button that summons help is stopping attacks before they happen.
“You Are Watching the Power of Music Changing Brain Chemistry”
Inside the incredible science of using music to restore the memories of people with dementia.
Helping Forest Firefighters Battle a Different Kind of Burnout
As wildfires increase in intensity and frequency, a Canadian initiative is protecting the mental health of those on the front lines.
What Birth Control for Men Will Change, and What It Might Not
Society has come a long way in expecting men to share reproductive responsibility, but those who could benefit most might not get access.
Can We Build Less Biased Medical Bots?
A Black skin health company is giving dermatologists and patients the medical information they need. Their next step? Training the bias out of medical AI.
Psychedelics Show Promise as a Treatment for Alcoholism
As alcohol consumption surges, groundbreaking new experiments are showing the vast potential of psilocybin to treat addiction.
In Sweden, Drones Are Beating Ambulances to the Scene — and Saving Lives
New technology is intervening in the moments where speed matters more than anything. Welcome to the future of emergency medicine.
Vaccines Were a Mysterious Lifesaver Long Before We Understood Them
How a science that now saves countless lives started with dairymaids who never got smallpox.
“Cool Roofs” Are Helping Women Earn More in India
As days get hotter, new forms of architecture are ensuring home-based workers can stay comfortably productive.
In the World’s Fastest Drummer, Scientists See a Bionics Breakthrough
The same A.I. technology that runs Jason Barnes’ prosthetic arm can teach people how to read Braille or play the piano in a matter of hours.
Is It Time for Your Pet to Go Vegan?
Your pet’s “carbon paw print” is bigger than you think. Cutting animal products from their diet may be the quickest way to change that.
The Doctor Is Out, and These Babies Are Healthier For It
India has saved the eyesight of thousands of infants by creating a system that allows non-physicians to screen for a rare eye disease.
The App That Lets You Lend Your Eyes to a Blind Person
If you have a phone, you can be one of the 5.4 million volunteers who help the visually impaired with their daily tasks.
How Baltimore Escaped the Worst of Covid-19
High vaccination rates, broad health coverage and bipartisan cooperation protected a city that initially looked vulnerable.
Miscarriage Leave Policies Do More Than End a Taboo
New Zealand is offering paid leave to women who miscarry — not just to grieve, but to fight discrimination.
Doctors Are Soothing Pain with Virtual Reality Worlds
Some patients are undergoing difficult procedures while surrounded by fluffy bouncing bears and winter wonderlands.
The Fridge the Vaccines Have Been Waiting For
Ice-chilled, powered by the sun and cold for weeks without electricity, the future of refrigeration is here — and just in time.
From 30 Million Cases to Zero
After a 70-year effort China has eradicated malaria. Could other countries replicate their success?
In India, Hospitals Are Turning Relatives into Expert Caregivers
A nonprofit is making sure that when patients get discharged, those caring for them know what they’re doing.
“Menstruation Vacations” Are Adapting Work for Women’s Health
“I call it a ‘do-what-you-can day’ — stay at home, take it easy, cancel all your appointments, or come in and work as usual.”
The Sounds of Healing
When musician Yoko Sen ended up in the hospital, she was overwhelmed by the cacophony of noise. What if all those beeps and alarms could sound like music instead?
Notifications Off! The Distraction-Free Benefits of Five-Hour Work Days
By minimizing wasted time, companies are increasing productivity — and workers are going home before lunch.
Recovered Covid Patients Send Their Leftover Meds to Those in Need
In India, an elegantly simple system ensures pills don’t get flushed when others can use them.
No Smoking — Ever? New Zealand’s Plan to Stub Out Cigarettes
In an era of decriminalization, a proposal to phase in a total ban has some harm-reduction advocates scratching their heads.
Britain Is Pioneering the Menopause-Friendly Workplace
The rarely discussed condition that forces women to scale back their careers is finally getting the equity treatment.
How a Tent City Controversy Became a Community’s Epiphany
When an affluent California city erected temporary shelters in a public parking lot, angry residents revolted — and then they got involved.
Government ‘Ministries of Loneliness’ Bridge the Gaps of Social Distance
Where isolation is an official policy, alleviating it is becoming one, too.
Portland’s ‘Hygiene Hub’ Goes Way Beyond Free Showers
A full-service facility run by the people who need it offers hot water, laundry, medical care — and legitimization.
4 Clever Ways We’re Getting More Shots into Arms
From veterinarian vaccinators to pop-up sites at mosques, here are some of the methods making the vaccine campaign more effective and equitable.
Cops and Hippies
Not every call to the police requires an armed response. Now, a more compassionate alternative is catching on.
Black Churches Are Preaching Mental Health Care
Facing racial violence and Covid-19, some congregations are putting their faith in psychology.
More States Say of Roadkill: Why Waste It?
A no-waste, no-cost solution — endorsed by everyone from hunters to PETA — is finally going mainstream.
The Happy Little Nursing Homes Outsmarting Covid-19
In “small house” elder-care facilities, family-sized groups of residents are thriving. The virus is not.
Hard-Knocks Restaurant Workers Are Embracing Mental Wellness
An industry that often celebrates pushing through the pain is turning its focus to mental health.
A Therapist Teaches Us How to Connect
In our latest “Bridging Divides” video, a crash course in reaching out to those who feel furthest away.
The Non-Partisan “Pro-Voice” Abortion Space
How one organization is taking ideology out of reproductive health.
Take Two Carrots and Call Me in the Morning
As the pandemic makes supermarkets a no-go zone for some, cities are writing prescriptions for free fruits and vegetables, delivered right to residents’ doors.
New York Is Using Data to Stop Homelessness Before It Starts
The city is pinpointing residents who are on the verge of losing their homes and getting them help before it happens.
Scotland’s ‘Navigators’ Transform Lives in the Emergency Room
Patients involved in violence may find a pink-shirted “Navigator” at their bedside, gently asking what led to the incident — and how they can help.
Wine Country’s Farmworkers Are Staying Healthy Against All Odds
Populated by seasonal laborers, Oregon’s Willamette Valley could have been devastated by the coronavirus. Instead, it’s become a model for how to keep workers safe.
A Mental Health Service for Inmates that Reduces Recidivism
In an effort to make its prisons more than punitive, Washington D.C. has begun offering cognitive behavioral therapy to incarcerated individuals.
5 More Countries Dodging the Virus
After we featured a list of places beating the coronavirus, many of you wrote in with your own countries’ success stories. Here are five you said we shouldn’t miss.
These Unsung Countries Are Vanquishing the Virus
While success stories like Germany and South Korea are rightly hailed, some of the most effective responses are in countries that haven’t been making the news.
Alaska Is Using South Korea’s Method to Beat the Virus
With the fewest infections of any state, Alaska proves contact tracing can work — even in America.
Emptier Jails Could Stay That Way
Covid-19 is showing us what ending mass incarceration could look like. Some judges and prosecutors like what they see.
These First Responders Are Rescuing Food
As farms and restaurants close, organizers are mobilizing to make sure the food left behind gets to where it’s needed most.
Why Hospitals Are Building Housing
As people’s homes become bulwarks against the pandemic, funding for health care is being spent on housing. Maybe they were the same thing all along.
Who Killed Tony the Tiger?
Chile is banning cereal mascots and slapping warning labels on unhealthy foods. Now even the kids won’t touch them.
It’s a New Day for LGBT Health
From transgender clinics to big wins in the fight against HIV, the landscape for LGBT health is nearly unrecognizable from just 10 years ago.
Tchau Tchau, Malaria
In country after country, one of the world’s deadliest diseases is being eradicated. In many cases, it’s women leading the fight.
Free the Paramedics!
They’re the medical system’s eyes and ears, yet they’re treated as crisis managers. Now some cities are letting their paramedics get to know their patients, with remarkable results.
Everybody Needs a Home
What would happen if our first step towards solving homelessness was to actually give people someplace to live?
Portugal’s Wildly Successful Decriminalization Experiment
By decriminalizing even “hard” drugs like heroin and cocaine, Portugal drove down HIV rates and overdose deaths—and proved beyond a doubt that harm reduction works.
Interactive: Harm Reduction Goes Global
How a once-radical idea is becoming the norm in country after country.
Bleeding-Heart Capitalism
A doctor in Denver is blending the Medicaid model with a capitalist profit motive, offering high-quality health care without the frills.
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