NPR

Reporters Pick Their Favorite Global Stories Of The Decade

The topics range from a ticking time bomb in the Arctic to the art of taking selfies in an ethical way. Here are the stories selected by our contributors.
From left: Sekou Sheriff, of Barkedu village in Liberia, whose parents died at<strong> </strong>an Ebola treatment center; a polio vaccination booth in Pakistan; a schoolgirl in Ethiopia examines underwear with a pocket for a menstrual pad; an image from a video on the ethics of selfies; Consolata Agunga goes door-to-door as a community health worker in her village in Kenya.

It was quite a decade.

Ebola swept through Africa as never before – and has returned again just this past year.

Polio was almost wiped out – but not quite.

The issue of menstruation became a headline topic.

And a selfie debate began --- what are the ethics of posing for pictures in developing countries.

Our global health and development blog, Goats and Soda, did not start until 2014, but many of our contributors have been on their global beats for the full decade. We asked them to pick one story from the 2010s that was a personal favorite – and that captured a pivotal moment in global health and development.

Here are their selections.

Jason Beaubien: Taliban In Pakistan Derail World Polio Eradication (July 28, 2014)

If I had to choose one of my pieces it would be this one from 2014 — about the Taliban's efforts to stop polio vaccine teams in Pakistan. In the multibillion-dollar effort to wipe polio off the face of the planet, the persistence of the virus in Pakistan

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from NPR

NPR2 min read
The Louvre Museum Looks To Rehouse The 'Mona Lisa' In Its Own Room — Underground
Louvre Director Laurence des Cars said her institution is looking at upgrading both the visitor experience surrounding the iconic painting as well as the museum overall.
NPR4 min readInternational Relations
Bernie Sanders Says Netanyahu Is Attacking Campus Protests To Deflect War Criticism
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized ongoing campus protests across the U.S. as antisemitic. The Vermont senator said it was an attempt to "deflect attention" from Israel's actions.
NPR5 min readWorld
Blinken Tells China It's In Their Interest To Stop Helping Russia
NPR's Steve Inskeep speaks with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken following his talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping and top Chinese officials in Beijing.

Related Books & Audiobooks