How famine leads to rising rates of HIV

Snakebite clinic; climate-friendly rice [View this email online]( [NPR]( Goats and Soda editor's note Matt Kennedy/Marvel Studios/Getty Images The premiere of the new Black Panther movie, Wakanda Forever, has prompted an outpouring of affection for the late Chadwick Boseman, who portrayed T'Challa, ruler of the African kingdom of Wakanda, and who died of cancer in 2020. The new film echoes this tremendous loss as the character T'Challa has died as well. [Read NPR's review here.]( Now movies are just movies, but the Black Panther saga is more than a Marvel superhero film. In its depiction of an advanced and powerful African nation, it has touched a chord in the Continent. Our blog has previously reported on [the reaction in Ghana to the first film's premiere.]( Despite nitpicks about the "fake" African accents, as one viewer put it: "They are portraying the African sense of being there for each other. They're showing that Africans as a whole can stand up." We covered [the reaction of "big thinkers":]( "It's a reflection of what we would want our societies and countries to look like [on the African continent]," said physician Stellah Wairimu Bosire, the past CEO of the Kenya Medical Association and a human rights activist. And we probed the history of Mutapa, a real-life African kingdom with parallels to Wakanda: ["Black Panther's mythical home may not be so mythical after all."]( Marc Silver Editor, Goats and Soda in the news Hanna Barczyk for NPR [Food insecurity is driving women in Africa into sex work, increasing HIV risk]( A study found that giving direct food support to women and girls in sub-Saharan Africa cut their risk of contracting HIV by 64% because it alleviated the pressure to engage in high-risk sex. [Uganda ends school year early as it tries to contain growing Ebola outbreak]( Since the outbreak began in September, eight children have died — and there is no approved vaccine. But doctors are hopeful that public health measures may be enough to stop the spread. [Amid vaccine shortages, Lebanon faces its first cholera outbreak in three decades]( Several crises in the country — including political instability, COVID and financial collapse — have created deteriorating conditions that have allowed the bacteria to spread. fighting snakebites Guy Peterson for NPR [At Guinea's only specialized snake bite clinic, doctors need luck and antivenom]( Life or death in this country's only specialized clinic depends on how fast people can make the arduous trip to get there and the number of doses on hand. crops Erik Sacks [Could this cheaper, more climate-friendly perennial rice transform farming?]( A promising, less labor-intensive perennial rice is beginning to take off in China, but whether this success can be replicated in other crops like wheat or corn remains to be seen. --------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter continues after sponsor message --------------------------------------------------------------- links we like - NPR reports that ["China eases its 'zero COVID' policy with shorter quarantines and less restrictions."]( - "Iran's doctors have joined the uprising -- and are paying the price," reports The Washington Post. - Global Health Now interviews Adil Haider, dean of AKU’s Medical College in Pakistan, who shares [lessons learned from the devastating floods.]( - [The Lion King]( celebrated its 25th anniversary on Broadway with a Tiny Desk concert that highlighted the "spine-tingling African rhythm and language" that is showcased in its music and lyrics. --------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------- Stream your local NPR station. Visit NPR.org to find your local station stream. [Find a Station]( What do you think of today's email? We'd love to hear your thoughts, questions and feedback: [goatsandsoda@npr.org](mailto:goatsandsoda@npr.org?subject=Newsletter%20Feedback) Enjoying this newsletter? Forward to a friend! They can [sign up here](. Looking for more great content? [Check out all of our newsletter offerings]( — including Health, Daily News, Code Switch and more! You received this message because you're subscribed to Goats and Soda emails. This email was sent by National Public Radio, Inc., 1111 North Capitol Street NE, Washington, DC 20002 [Unsubscribe]( | [Privacy Policy]( [NPR logo]