Suggested Stories: Global Health

CHOOSE YOUR STORY

Global Health includes stories about health science, inequities, mental health, outbreaks and epidemics, food security, clean water, and more. Explore the stories below to find one that interests you. Then, use this worksheet to support you with writing a letter that asks a decisionmaker to take action.

CONTEST GUIDELINES

Stories for Grades 3 and Up

Story	Media	Publication	Content Warnings
“Wildfire Smoke Can Cause Health Problems, Even Death” by Keith Matheny and Eric Seals	Text	Detroit Free Press	N/A
“Next Generation of Doctors Prepares To Tackle Rural Health Care Shortage in West Virginia” by William Brangham, Caleb Hellerman, and Matt Ehrichs	Video with transcript	PBS NewsHour	N/A
“How Nurses Overcome Challenges While Treating Patients With Limited English Proficiency” by William Brangham and Caleb Hellerman	Video with transcript	PBS NewsHour	N/A
“This ‘Super Banana’ Was Designed To Save Lives. Will It Matter That It’s Orange?” by Agostino Petroni	Text	National Geographic	N/A
“Public Health Impact of the Drainage System in Lagos: A Photo Essay” by Precious Williams	Photo, Text	Pulitzer Center	N/A

Stories for Grades 6 and Up

Story	Media	Publication	Content Warnings
“Fight Against Tuberculosis Stalls in Bangladesh As U.S. Cuts Aid” by Fred de Sam Lazaro and Simeon Lancaster	Video, Text	PBS NewsHour	N/A
“A Growing Trend: Opting Out of Childhood Vaccinations” by Andy Pierrotti	Video, Text	Atlanta News First	N/A
“In the Shadow of War, Life Begins Anew in a Congolese Maternity Ward” by Sophie Neiman	Photo, Text	Christian Science Monitor	Reference to sexual violence
“Poorly Tracked Virus Is a ‘Silent Killer’ Affecting Asian Americans Most” by Zhe Wu	Text	San Francisco Public Health	N/A
“The Black Maternal Health Crisis Is Getting Worse. One Expert Details the Resources Available To Help Solve It.” by Jenae Barnes	Text	Capital B Gary	N/A
“Health Care Professionals Who Are Transgender and Non-binary Are Changing the Exclusionary Health Care System” by Rachael Sorcher	Photo, Text	Pulitzer Center	N/A
“How Extreme Heat Impacts Your Brain and Mental Health” by Aryn Baker	Text	TIME	Mentions of suicide
“A Nigerian Community Where Tap Water Smells Like Gasoline” by Omolola Afolabi	Photo, Graphs, Text	Premium Times	N/A

Stories for Grades 9 and Up

Story	Media	Publication	Content Warnings
“Could a Conflict-Borne Superbug Bring On Our Next Pandemic?” by Eli Cahan	Text	Rolling Stone	Descriptions of suffering from injuries and illness
“Without a Lifeline: The Children Left Behind in Global Health Cuts” by Catherine Offord	Photo, Data visualizations, Text	Science Magazine	N/A
“A World Away, a Warning Ignored: Measles Vaccines in Samoa” by Andy Pierrotti and Luke Carter	Video, Text	Atlanta News First	N/A
“Those Who Don't Exist: Long COVID in Mexico” by Alice Pipitone and Quetzalli Blanco	Video, Photo, Text	palabra.	N/A
“An Exodus of Nurses Has Caused a ‘Medical Brain Drain’ in Nigeria. Are Rich Countries To Blame?” by Aurora Almendral and Ibanga Isine	Photo, Text	Quartz	N/A
“Lassa Fever Is Surging in West Africa. Researchers Want To Know Why” by Leslie Roberts	Photo, Text	Science	Descriptions of suffering from illness
“Argentina’s Leader Takes Ax to Program That Drove Down Teen Pregnancy” by Natalie Alcoba, Anita Pouchard Serra, and Leila Miller	Photo, Text	New York Times	N/A
"Millions of Veterans Got Health Care and Benefits Under the PACT Act. Thousands Left Out Want the Same Chance." by Patricia Kime	Text	Military.com	N/A
“‘A Deliberate Poisoning’: How a Banned Pesticide Haunts the French Caribbean” by Mathilde Augustin	Photo, Text	The Guardian	N/A
“How Insurers Delay, Restrict, and Deny Care for Eating Disorders” by Melanie Haiken	Photo, Text	MindSite News	Discussions of disordered eating and mental health crises