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 moves you. Then, use this worksheet to support you with writing your Fighting Words poem.

CONTEST GUIDELINES

Stories for Grades 3 and Up

Story	Media	Publication	Content Warnings
“Public Health Impact of the Drainage System in Lagos: A Photo Essay” by Precious Williams	Photo, Text	Pulitzer Center	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

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
“Community Plays a Key Role in New Approaches To Neurodiversity in the U.K.” by Erin Johnson	Photo, Text	Pulitzer Center	N/A
“Softly Into the Night: An End of Life Love Story” by Joseph Scheller	Photo, Text	Montana Standard	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
“Pressure Takes a Toll on Mississippi Black Teachers' Mental Health” by Asia Alexander	Photo, Text	Pulitzer Center	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
“How the World’s Deadliest Crises Go Unseen” by Amy Maxmen	Photo, Text	Undark Magazine	Descriptions of violence
“How To Recover When a Climate Disaster Destroys Your City” by Mariana Lenharo	Photo, Text	Nature	N/A
“A Dad and His Teenager Are Talking Openly About Suicide. And They Say Your Family Should Too” by Deepa Fernandes, Ashley Locke, Julia Corcoran, and Grace Griffin	Audio	WBUR 90.9 fm	Discussion of suicide and self-harm
“Why Are Alaska’s Rivers Turning Orange?” by Alec Luhn	Photo, Text	Scientific American	N/A
“The Vice of Spice: Confronting Lead-Tainted Turmeric” by Wudan Yan	Photo, Text	Undark Magazine	N/A
“6 Stories Show the Human Toll of Poland’s Strict Abortion Laws” by Anna Pamula and Kasia Strek	Photo, Text	TIME	Mention of sexual violence
“Toxic Air, Limited Care: The Cost of Motherhood in Gary, Indiana” by Jenae Barnes	Video, Photo, Text	Capital B Gary	N/A
“Love in the Time of Sickle Cell Disease” by Krithika Varagur	Text	Harper’s Magazine	N/A
“‘You Can’t Gangster a Horse’: Native Youth Connect With Culture To Break Cycles of Addiction” by Elyse Wild	Photo, Text	Native News Online	Discussion of drug abuse and overdose
“Those Who Don’t Exist: Long COVID in Mexico” by Alice Pipitone and Quetzalli Blanco	Video, Photo, Text	palabra.	N/A