#bestoftheweek

Here are the most read stories on Goats and Soda, NPR’s global health and development blog, for week of October 30. 

1. Miss Peru Contestants Startle Peruvians By Sharing Stats On Gender Violence

October saw several high-profile cases of violence against women in Peru. So the beauty pageant decided it was time to speak up. How did Peru react?

2. Scientists Solve 50-Year-Old Mystery About Breakbone Fever

For decades, scientists have noticed something particular about a mosquito-borne virus: The second infection can cause your blood vessels to leak, like with Ebola. Now scientists think they know why.

3. PHOTOS: An Amazing Eye For The Colors Of India

Black and white pictures were popular when Raghubir Singh started out as a photographer. But he insisted on color. A new retrospective shows his ground-breaking work.

4. Prize-Winning Photos Show A Different Side Of Instagram

Getty has given grants to photographers who focused on child brides in India, family members who have been out of touch and youth who have been incarcerated.

5. Transgender Women Of Indonesia Have A Champion In A 26-Year-Old Doctor

Across Indonesia, transgender women known as "waria" create community and look out for one another. Health care is a challenge, but one doctor is making a difference.

6. How Climate Change Is Already Affecting Health, Spreading Disease

For decades, scientists have predicted how climate change will hurt people's health. Now an international team of researchers say they're already seeing some of the damage.

7. How One Act Of Bravery Inspired India's Movie Stars To Fight Sexual Harassment

This year, a top actress was kidnapped and sexually assaulted. No one thought she would speak out — but she did. Here's what happened next.

Photos of the Week Series: May 4, 2018

Associate Photo Editor Kristen McNicholas has been responsible for looking at daily uploads so she has the first set of eyes on every image that the Your Shot community shares. She starts each day looking through thousands of photographs and this series will be a selection of her favorites from the past week. Each Friday she will be sharing her favorites here!

"I have always admired photography for the ability for the viewer to feel something. This past week I found myself wishing I was eating at home, taking a hike on a crisp October morning or just general feelings of wanderlust. Photography can transport us around the world and remind of us our own experiences, help us learn something new or take us home for a few moments."

Join the Your Shot community to begin sharing your stories with us.

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