FindFreshLove

Here are the most read stories on Goats and Soda, NPR’s global health and development blog, this week: 

Image: James Suzman

1. Are Hunter-Gatherers The Happiest Humans To Inhabit Earth?

Anthropologist James Suzman has lived with one of the last groups of hunter-gatherers. And it’s made him rethink his perspective on the Western lifestyle.

2. How Zika Became So Dangerous For Babies

For decades, Zika had been relatively innocuous. In 2015, that changed. A new study unravels the mystery of what caused thousands of cases of microcephaly.

3. What The Pileup Of U.S. Disasters Means For The World

Fundraising shortfalls. Staff operating at full tilt. How this epic season of hurricanes in the U.S. is complicating the response to global crises.

4. What The Yom Kippur Fast Means To A Ugandan Jew

Shadrach Mugoya Levi sometimes went hungry when he was growing up. So a day without eating isn’t that unusual. But it is meaningful.

5. Drink Up! Volunteers Swallow Bacteria That Causes Typhoid

Scientists went on a hunt for human guinea pigs to test out a new vaccine — and they got them!

6. Why ‘Plague Season’ Is A Big Worry In Madagascar This Year

The number of cases has prompted a ban on public gatherings — and concern from the World Health Organization. The disease is spreading in cities and has claimed 30 lives so far.

7. Nearly Half Of All Abortions Unsafe In Developing Countries