Mariel Ferragamo

Mariel Ferragamo covers Africa and global health and edits the Daily News Brief. Her previous experience includes roles at the Energy for Growth Hub and in the U.S. Congress. Mariel holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental policy from Colby College and a certification in journalism from New York University.

Public Health Threats and Pandemics

Major Pandemics of the Modern Era

For more than a century, countries have wrestled with how to improve international cooperation in the face of major outbreaks of infectious diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic, which brought the world to a near halt in 2020 and killed nearly seven million people, underscored the urgency.

Timeline by Claire Klobucista and Mariel Ferragamo March 10, 2025
Drug Policy

How Does Fentanyl Reach the United States?

President Trump has imposed steep tariffs on Canada, China, and Mexico in the name of curbing fentanyl flows into the United States. In reality, supplies of the drug—and related deaths—have sharply declined in the past year, though they are still at worrying levels.

Article by Mariel Ferragamo March 4, 2025
Democratic Republic of Congo

War Returns to the Democratic Republic of Congo: What to Know

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been mired in conflict for years. As fresh fighting surges in the east, the roots of today’s violence can be traced back to old problems.

Article by Stuart Reid and Mariel Ferragamo February 7, 2025 Africa Program
Brazil

What Is the BRICS Group and Why Is It Expanding?

As BRICS grows in both membership and global sway, its expansion comes with divisions among its members old and new on how to set the stage for a revised world order.

Backgrounder by Mariel Ferragamo December 12, 2024
Sudan

Crisis in Sudan: War, Famine, and a Failing Global Response

Photo Essay by Mariel Ferragamo and Sabine Baumgartner September 19, 2024
Sub-Saharan Africa

Africa and the Gulf Are Growing Closer. Will It Increase Global Tensions?

The Gulf states are angling for closer ties with African countries, and the feeling is mutual. But critics say differences over governance values, labor rights, and ongoing conflicts could stoke tensions.

In Brief by Alexandra Dent and Mariel Ferragamo August 8, 2024
Health

Is Africa at a Turning Point for Malaria?

Two new malaria vaccines offer Africans the hope of finally eradicating a disease that has long plagued them disproportionately. Experts say vaccination is just one tool in a much broader fight.

In Brief by Mariel Ferragamo July 29, 2024
Daily News Brief

Foreign Policy in the U.S. Presidential Debate, and Other Headlines of the Day

The Daily News Brief

Article by Mariel Ferragamo June 28, 2024
Public Health Threats and Pandemics

What Is Avian Flu?

A recent surge in avian flu outbreaks in birds and some mammals, including humans, is worrying farmers, scientists, and public health experts. The threat of the virus becoming a pandemic is said to be low, but its evolution continues to raise alarms and pointed questions about preparedness.

Backgrounder by Mariel Ferragamo January 7, 2025
Rwanda

Thirty Years After Rwanda’s Genocide: Where the Country Stands Today

After the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, the country has made tremendous strides toward peace and development. But critics say these have come at the cost of political freedoms.

In Brief by Mariel Ferragamo April 3, 2024
The War in Ukraine

How Ukraine Overcame Russia’s Grain Blockade

Photo Essay by Noah Berman, Mariel Ferragamo and Sabine Baumgartner February 27, 2024
Somalia

Somaliland: The Horn of Africa’s Breakaway State

The would-be independent state stands in contrast to Somalia as a place of relative stability, and despite its lack of international recognition, Somaliland continues to push its own foreign policy.

Backgrounder by Mariel Ferragamo and Claire Klobucista January 21, 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa

Russia’s Growing Footprint in Africa

African governments have increasingly welcomed economic, diplomatic, and security ties with Russia—leading Western countries to denounce what they see as Moscow’s destabilizing influence and seek their own, more equal partnerships.

Backgrounder by Mariel Ferragamo December 28, 2023
United States

These Eight Charts Show Why Fentanyl Is a Huge Foreign Policy Problem

Overdoses involving fentanyl and other synthetic opioids are the leading cause of death among young Americans and a threat to U.S. public health, the economy, and national security. Combating the epidemic requires addressing China’s and Mexico’s roles in the global fentanyl supply chain.

Article by Mariel Ferragamo and Diana Roy December 21, 2023
Niger

The Niger Coup Could Threaten the Entire Sahel

The coup in Niger, once seen as the cornerstone of U.S. counterterrorism efforts in West Africa, now threatens wider regional instability and could potentially open the door to further Russian influence.

In Brief by Mariel Ferragamo August 3, 2023
South Africa

Will South Africa’s Power Crisis Sink Its Green Ambitions?

A devastating power crisis is plaguing South Africa, battering its economy and threatening to sink its climate goals amid the global race to renewables.

In Brief by Mariel Ferragamo July 20, 2023
LGBTQ+

Africa’s Struggle Toward Inclusive LGBTQ+ Laws

Countries in Africa have some of the harshest and most discriminatory LGBTQ+ policies in the world. But some governments are taking hopeful steps toward inclusion.

Article by Mariel Ferragamo and Kali Robinson June 13, 2023
Sudan

What Is the Extent of Sudan’s Humanitarian Crisis?

More than a year into the civil war in Sudan, over nine million people have been displaced, exacerbating an already devastating humanitarian crisis.

In Brief by Mariel Ferragamo and Diana Roy June 26, 2024
Africa

Eastern Congo: A Legacy of Intervention

The Democratic Republic of Congo has been subjected to centuries of international intervention by European powers, as well as its African neighbors. This timeline traces the role of the outside forces that have beleaguered eastern Congo since the end of the colonial era.

Timeline by James McBride and Mariel Ferragamo April 18, 2023
COVID-19

When Will COVID-19 Become Endemic?

Government leaders are optimistic that COVID-19 is becoming more predictable and manageable, but the pandemic isn’t over yet.

In Brief by Claire Klobucista and Mariel Ferragamo May 24, 2023
Health

What Is the FDA’s Role in Public Health?

The U.S. health agency regulates the country’s foods and drugs, among other products. With the FDA’s role in drug development and nutrition policy and its COVID-19 pandemic response driving controversy, President Donald Trump is set to shake up its leadership.

Backgrounder by Mariel Ferragamo and Claire Klobucista January 27, 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa

Africa’s ‘Leaders for Life’

Sub-Saharan Africa is home to many of the world’s longest-ruling heads of state. Pro-democracy advocates have at times successfully stopped presidents from extending their mandates, but the authoritarian trend could be accelerating.

Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista and Mariel Ferragamo September 20, 2023
International Criminal Court

The Role of the ICC

The International Criminal Court was created to bring justice to the world’s worst war criminals, but debate over the court still rages.

Backgrounder by Mariel Ferragamo and Claire Klobucista March 27, 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa

AGOA: The U.S.-Africa Trade Program

U.S. trade with sub-Saharan Africa has plateaued in recent years, prompting analysts to question the effectiveness of a preferential trade program for the region.

Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista and Mariel Ferragamo December 4, 2023
Public Health Threats and Pandemics

Fentanyl and the U.S. Opioid Epidemic

Opioid addiction has become one of the United States’ biggest killers, endangering public health, the economy, and national security. But closing the floodgates on fentanyl poses a significant foreign policy challenge.

Backgrounder by Mariel Ferragamo and Claire Klobucista March 28, 2025
Peacekeeping

The Role of Peacekeeping in Africa

Africa continues to have more peacekeeping missions than any other continent. As conflict-stricken countries increasingly look outside the United Nations for support, experts say reforms are necessary to improve peacebuilding.

Backgrounder by Claire Klobucista and Mariel Ferragamo December 12, 2023

CFR Staff

Mariel Ferragamo

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