The latest round of a large-scale polio vaccination campaign in Gaza targeting nearly 600,000 young children got underway on Saturday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Every day, almost one in five young women are married off while still children, according to the UN reproductive and sexual health agency, UNFPA, which is urging countries to say 鈥淚 don鈥檛鈥 to child marriage, an illegal practice that is almost universally condemned and yet remains widespread globally.
Categories: Global Health Feed
On the 3rd anniversary of Dr Paul Farmer's death, several leaders reflect on his lessons for dealing with the ongoing crisis in global health and development
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: A Deeper Look at Global Suicide; Why Latin America Needs Its Own CDC; and All Verklempt Over a Fish始s Ascent
~740,000 suicides are reported annually worldwide鈥攚hich equals one death every 43 seconds.
February 20, 2025
A mother who lost her 19-year-old son gives a speech next to the "Silent Struggle" statue鈥攁n art project created to break the taboo surrounding suicide, in Nijmegen, Netherlands, November 4, 2024. Ana Fernandez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty
A Deeper Look at Global Suicide
Over the past 30 years, the global age-standardized suicide mortality rate fell ~40%鈥斺漣ndicating that intervention and prevention are working,鈥 per the at the University of Washington鈥攚hich yesterday published 鈥渢he most comprehensive analysis of the global burden of suicide to date鈥 in .
Key findings include:
More deaths among men: The number of deaths for males was 2X+ that for females.
Later in life: The mean age of death at the time of suicide has been steadily rising. Researchers posited that one reason may be suicide prevention efforts focused on younger people.
The firearms factor: Firearms are considered the most lethal means of suicide, with the US, Uruguay, and Venezuela reporting the highest proportion of firearm-related suicide deaths.
Related: Is suicide prevention finally working in India? Lancet study shows how suicide death rate went down by 30% from 1990 to 2021 鈥 EDITORS始 NOTE Ready for CUGH!
GHN has landed in Atlanta for the . If you鈥檙e here too, let us know鈥攚e鈥檇 love to hear from you!
All best,
Dayna and Brian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Mass polio vaccination in Gaza is set to continue next week, as health officials aim to reach 591,000+ children under age 10 in response to the recent detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples there.
Muscle-building supplement use has been associated with muscle dysmorphia among Canadian adolescents and young adults, per a new published in PLOS Mental Health; the study found that muscle dysmorphia symptoms increased as the number of supplements used grew.
Malaria susceptibility can vary among ethnic groups due to genetic and lifestyle factors that influence immune responses, finds a new published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, which compared immune cells of children from two West-African ethnic groups.
Cash rewards for mosquito captures are being offered by a village near Manila, as the Philippines faces a 40% increase in dengue cases in the country; health officials fear the move could backfire if people try to propagate mosquitos for the reward. Trump Administration News RFK Jr. targets transgender protections in one of first moves at HHS 鈥
Administration Fires Border Health Inspectors Who Screen For Diseases 鈥
Trump Administration Reverses Plan to End Free COVID Test Program 鈥
What鈥檚 next for the World Health Organization? US exit could reshape agency 鈥
Trump鈥檚 dismantling of USAid raises risk of mpox global emergency, experts warn 鈥 GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A nurse takes care of a dengue fever patient at the Sergio Bernales National Hospital, in the outskirts of Lima, Peru, on April 17, 2024. Juan Carlos CISNEROS/AFP via Getty Why Latin America Needs Its Own CDC鈥擭ow More Than Ever
Latin American governments must champion the creation of a regional CDC, recognizing that preparedness is essential for health security, three public health leaders from Mexico and Peru argue in an exclusive GHN commentary.
Pandemic lesson: When COVID-19 swept through Latin America, it exposed the region鈥檚 lack of coordinated public health response mechanisms.
Latin America needs a similar regional agency that would work alongside PAHO to ensure faster, more efficient responses to health emergencies, according to the authors.
Read the full commentary for details on next steps required for making the Latin America CDC a reality.
Editor鈥檚 note: Drs. Garcia and Saavedra will discuss the challenges and benefits of creating a LATAM CDC during at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health conference in Atlanta.
Nota del editor: GHN ha publicado . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES USAID Mass Health Care Layoffs Across Africa
In health systems across Africa, tens of thousands of doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and other health workers at U.S.-funded programs have been laid off, as the fallout continues from the Trump administration鈥檚 abrupt freeze on foreign funding.
In Uganda, ~3,000 doctors, nurses, and other health personnel have lost their jobs, per the Ugandan Medical Association.
In Kenya, hundreds of layoffs have already taken effect at key hospitals; ~41,000 health workers in the country are employed with funding from USAID or PEPFAR, health officials estimate.
The Quote: 鈥淚t is the patients who will suffer the most,鈥 said Salome Kimani, a physician at Gikambura Hospital in Kenya, who said that despite a U.S. federal judge鈥檚 ruling to lift the freeze, health workers鈥 futures remain in limbo.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION All Verklempt Over a Fish始s Ascent
We usually advise readers to follow the science. Today we始re making an exception, choosing to believe that a humpback anglerfish made her way to the ocean始s surface not because she was sick, but because she wanted to take her last breath while basking in the sun.
The viral "," aka the fish with the lightbulb on its head, usually lives thousands of feet into the depths of the ocean.
Burying the lede almost as deep, CBS News celebrated the rare surface sighting in a run-of-the-mill 鈥.鈥 Then TikTok got to the throbbing heart of the story, and now we can始t stop crying.
Much like the little anglerfish rising from the deep, TikTokkers始 tears welled up from their emotional depths, along with many theories.
While one figured that the sick fish simply couldn鈥檛 鈥渕aintain zero buoyancy,鈥 others linked her ascent to magical feminine resilience. 鈥,鈥 sobbed one user.
Who do you believe? QUICK HITS Three years of full-scale war in Ukraine roll back decades of progress for women鈥檚 rights, safety and economic opportunities 鈥
mRNA vaccines show promise in pancreatic cancer in early trial 鈥
Africa鈥檚 cholera resurgence exposes funding failures
Norovirus: UK cases reach record high as hospitals struggle with capacity 鈥
Fog harvesting could provide water for arid cities 鈥
The WHO's Funding Gap: Filling the Medical Diplomacy Void 鈥
Is This Common Herbicide Harming Your Health? 鈥 Issue No. 2679
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Over the past 30 years, the global age-standardized suicide mortality rate fell ~40%鈥斺漣ndicating that intervention and prevention are working,鈥 per the at the University of Washington鈥攚hich yesterday published 鈥渢he most comprehensive analysis of the global burden of suicide to date鈥 in .
- But: ~740,000 suicides are reported annually worldwide鈥攚hich equals one death every 43 seconds.
- And progress is not universal, with increases reported across Central Latin America, Andean Latin America, tropical Latin America, and high-income North America.
Key findings include:
More deaths among men: The number of deaths for males was 2X+ that for females.
Later in life: The mean age of death at the time of suicide has been steadily rising. Researchers posited that one reason may be suicide prevention efforts focused on younger people.
The firearms factor: Firearms are considered the most lethal means of suicide, with the US, Uruguay, and Venezuela reporting the highest proportion of firearm-related suicide deaths.
Related: Is suicide prevention finally working in India? Lancet study shows how suicide death rate went down by 30% from 1990 to 2021 鈥 EDITORS始 NOTE Ready for CUGH!
GHN has landed in Atlanta for the . If you鈥檙e here too, let us know鈥攚e鈥檇 love to hear from you!
- Stop by GHN鈥檚 exhibit booth (#20) to say hi, let us know what you鈥檙e up to, and share any story ideas.
- Find out who won this year鈥檚 Untold Global Health Story contest at the awards ceremony (Saturday, Feb. 22, 3鈥4 p.m., Salon West and East at the Hilton Atlanta).
- Cap off your conference and practice pitching your ideas at the Pulitzer-GHN Communications Workshop (Sunday, Feb. 23, 1:30 p.m., Room 205鈥207).
All best,
Dayna and Brian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Mass polio vaccination in Gaza is set to continue next week, as health officials aim to reach 591,000+ children under age 10 in response to the recent detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples there.
Muscle-building supplement use has been associated with muscle dysmorphia among Canadian adolescents and young adults, per a new published in PLOS Mental Health; the study found that muscle dysmorphia symptoms increased as the number of supplements used grew.
Malaria susceptibility can vary among ethnic groups due to genetic and lifestyle factors that influence immune responses, finds a new published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, which compared immune cells of children from two West-African ethnic groups.
Cash rewards for mosquito captures are being offered by a village near Manila, as the Philippines faces a 40% increase in dengue cases in the country; health officials fear the move could backfire if people try to propagate mosquitos for the reward. Trump Administration News RFK Jr. targets transgender protections in one of first moves at HHS 鈥
Administration Fires Border Health Inspectors Who Screen For Diseases 鈥
Trump Administration Reverses Plan to End Free COVID Test Program 鈥
What鈥檚 next for the World Health Organization? US exit could reshape agency 鈥
Trump鈥檚 dismantling of USAid raises risk of mpox global emergency, experts warn 鈥 GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A nurse takes care of a dengue fever patient at the Sergio Bernales National Hospital, in the outskirts of Lima, Peru, on April 17, 2024. Juan Carlos CISNEROS/AFP via Getty Why Latin America Needs Its Own CDC鈥擭ow More Than Ever
Latin American governments must champion the creation of a regional CDC, recognizing that preparedness is essential for health security, three public health leaders from Mexico and Peru argue in an exclusive GHN commentary.
Pandemic lesson: When COVID-19 swept through Latin America, it exposed the region鈥檚 lack of coordinated public health response mechanisms.
- Despite being home to 8.2% of the world鈥檚 population, Latin America accounted for .
- The in the region over the past year have again exposed the limitations of fragmented national responses, they write.
Latin America needs a similar regional agency that would work alongside PAHO to ensure faster, more efficient responses to health emergencies, according to the authors.
Read the full commentary for details on next steps required for making the Latin America CDC a reality.
Editor鈥檚 note: Drs. Garcia and Saavedra will discuss the challenges and benefits of creating a LATAM CDC during at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health conference in Atlanta.
Nota del editor: GHN ha publicado . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES USAID Mass Health Care Layoffs Across Africa
In health systems across Africa, tens of thousands of doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and other health workers at U.S.-funded programs have been laid off, as the fallout continues from the Trump administration鈥檚 abrupt freeze on foreign funding.
In Uganda, ~3,000 doctors, nurses, and other health personnel have lost their jobs, per the Ugandan Medical Association.
In Kenya, hundreds of layoffs have already taken effect at key hospitals; ~41,000 health workers in the country are employed with funding from USAID or PEPFAR, health officials estimate.
The Quote: 鈥淚t is the patients who will suffer the most,鈥 said Salome Kimani, a physician at Gikambura Hospital in Kenya, who said that despite a U.S. federal judge鈥檚 ruling to lift the freeze, health workers鈥 futures remain in limbo.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION All Verklempt Over a Fish始s Ascent
We usually advise readers to follow the science. Today we始re making an exception, choosing to believe that a humpback anglerfish made her way to the ocean始s surface not because she was sick, but because she wanted to take her last breath while basking in the sun.
The viral "," aka the fish with the lightbulb on its head, usually lives thousands of feet into the depths of the ocean.
Burying the lede almost as deep, CBS News celebrated the rare surface sighting in a run-of-the-mill 鈥.鈥 Then TikTok got to the throbbing heart of the story, and now we can始t stop crying.
Much like the little anglerfish rising from the deep, TikTokkers始 tears welled up from their emotional depths, along with many theories.
While one figured that the sick fish simply couldn鈥檛 鈥渕aintain zero buoyancy,鈥 others linked her ascent to magical feminine resilience. 鈥,鈥 sobbed one user.
Who do you believe? QUICK HITS Three years of full-scale war in Ukraine roll back decades of progress for women鈥檚 rights, safety and economic opportunities 鈥
mRNA vaccines show promise in pancreatic cancer in early trial 鈥
Africa鈥檚 cholera resurgence exposes funding failures
Norovirus: UK cases reach record high as hospitals struggle with capacity 鈥
Fog harvesting could provide water for arid cities 鈥
The WHO's Funding Gap: Filling the Medical Diplomacy Void 鈥
Is This Common Herbicide Harming Your Health? 鈥 Issue No. 2679
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Measles Gains Ground in Texas; Online Daters Kept in the Dark; and Plastic Credits Predicament
February 19, 2025
A road sign delineating the Texas state line and welcoming visitors to Gaines County, Texas. Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty
Measles Gains Ground in Texas
A swiftly spreading measles outbreak in West Texas has grown to 58 cases, and an additional eight people in neighboring eastern New Mexico also have been diagnosed, .
Escalation: Cases have ballooned since the first two cases were Jan. 30. Health officials suspect the true case count is much higher鈥攚ith 200鈥300 people infected but untested, .
Texas health officials say the outbreak is the state鈥檚 largest in ~30 years and that 13 people have been hospitalized.
All eight patients hospitalized in Uganda's Ebola Sudan outbreak have been released after testing negative for the virus twice in tests conducted 72 hours apart, the WHO regional office for Africa announced yesterday; the outbreak鈥檚 toll stands at nine cases and one death.
A surge in dengue infections in the Philippines鈥 capital region鈥攊ncluding 10 recent deaths in Quezon City鈥攕purred Addition Hills village officials to offer residents a token bounty for mosquitoes captured dead or alive.
President Trump issued an executive order aimed at expanding access to IVF yesterday; he directed his assistant for domestic policy to draft policy ideas to protect IVF access and 鈥渁ggressively鈥 reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for the treatment within 90 days. Health and Science Cuts: The Latest ______________________________________________ Mass firings decimate U.S. science agencies 鈥
Amid layoffs at HHS, experts warn about impact on public health 鈥
USDA says it accidentally fired officials working on bird flu and is trying to rehire them 鈥
Trump cuts reach FDA workers focused on food safety and medical devices 鈥
Former CDC director: Two programs reportedly on the chopping block must be saved 鈥
Censored Science Can鈥檛 Save Lives 鈥 SEXUAL VIOLENCE Online Daters Kept in the Dark
Online romance titan Match Group, owner of over a dozen dating apps, first received reports of Stephen Matthews assaulting another member in September 2020. Numerous reports followed for three years鈥攗ntil he was finally arrested and sentenced to 158 years鈥 incarceration for offenses against 11 women.
But why didn鈥檛 Match ban him after the first report?
The growing plastic credits sector is designed to address the tide of plastic waste.
Worst affected: Developing countries with limited waste management, like Cambodia.
The bigger problem: The system does nothing to stop or incentivize buyers to cease producing or using unrecyclable plastic.
QUICK HITS UN rights office warns of 鈥榙angerous tipping point鈥 as abuses surge in Sudan 鈥
U.S. reverses plan to shut down free covid test program 鈥
The wind may be partly to blame for bird flu spread between farms, a new study suggests 鈥
Japanese encephalitis virus 鈥 JEV 鈥 detected at two Queensland piggeries 鈥
Landmark Study of Chagas Disease in Paraguay Supports Use of Rapid Tests to Improve Access to Diagnosis 鈥
Meet the 鈥榣epers鈥 of Somerset - battling stigma from the West Country 鈥
The Pandemic Treaty's True Cost 鈥
Influencers to urge young people to not vape as part of UK government campaign 鈥 Issue No. 2678
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
A swiftly spreading measles outbreak in West Texas has grown to 58 cases, and an additional eight people in neighboring eastern New Mexico also have been diagnosed, .
Escalation: Cases have ballooned since the first two cases were Jan. 30. Health officials suspect the true case count is much higher鈥攚ith 200鈥300 people infected but untested, .
Texas health officials say the outbreak is the state鈥檚 largest in ~30 years and that 13 people have been hospitalized.
- Most cases are among children who are unvaccinated, and have been concentrated in a 鈥渃lose-knit, undervaccinated鈥 Mennonite community and among children who attend small religious schools or are homeschooled.
- Last year, kindergarten vaccination rates fell below 93%鈥攂elow the necessary to prevent measles outbreaks.
- Yesterday, Kennedy vowed to scrutinize the nation鈥檚 childhood vaccine schedule鈥攄espite a promise to a U.S. senator that he would not alter it, : 鈥淣othing is going to be off limits,鈥 Kennedy said.
All eight patients hospitalized in Uganda's Ebola Sudan outbreak have been released after testing negative for the virus twice in tests conducted 72 hours apart, the WHO regional office for Africa announced yesterday; the outbreak鈥檚 toll stands at nine cases and one death.
A surge in dengue infections in the Philippines鈥 capital region鈥攊ncluding 10 recent deaths in Quezon City鈥攕purred Addition Hills village officials to offer residents a token bounty for mosquitoes captured dead or alive.
President Trump issued an executive order aimed at expanding access to IVF yesterday; he directed his assistant for domestic policy to draft policy ideas to protect IVF access and 鈥渁ggressively鈥 reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for the treatment within 90 days. Health and Science Cuts: The Latest ______________________________________________ Mass firings decimate U.S. science agencies 鈥
Amid layoffs at HHS, experts warn about impact on public health 鈥
USDA says it accidentally fired officials working on bird flu and is trying to rehire them 鈥
Trump cuts reach FDA workers focused on food safety and medical devices 鈥
Former CDC director: Two programs reportedly on the chopping block must be saved 鈥
Censored Science Can鈥檛 Save Lives 鈥 SEXUAL VIOLENCE Online Daters Kept in the Dark
Online romance titan Match Group, owner of over a dozen dating apps, first received reports of Stephen Matthews assaulting another member in September 2020. Numerous reports followed for three years鈥攗ntil he was finally arrested and sentenced to 158 years鈥 incarceration for offenses against 11 women.
But why didn鈥檛 Match ban him after the first report?
- Users reported for assault are 鈥渂anned鈥 from all Match platforms鈥攂ut members can easily rejoin or switch apps.
- The company has concealed data on users reported for drugging, assaulting, or raping their dates since at least 2016, internal documents show鈥攁nd a transparency report on the offenses, which Match said would be released in 2020, has still not materialized.
The growing plastic credits sector is designed to address the tide of plastic waste.
- Corporations pay for the collection and disposal of plastic waste as a way to offset their environmental footprint鈥攊deally in a process that will result in recycled material.
Worst affected: Developing countries with limited waste management, like Cambodia.
The bigger problem: The system does nothing to stop or incentivize buyers to cease producing or using unrecyclable plastic.
QUICK HITS UN rights office warns of 鈥榙angerous tipping point鈥 as abuses surge in Sudan 鈥
U.S. reverses plan to shut down free covid test program 鈥
The wind may be partly to blame for bird flu spread between farms, a new study suggests 鈥
Japanese encephalitis virus 鈥 JEV 鈥 detected at two Queensland piggeries 鈥
Landmark Study of Chagas Disease in Paraguay Supports Use of Rapid Tests to Improve Access to Diagnosis 鈥
Meet the 鈥榣epers鈥 of Somerset - battling stigma from the West Country 鈥
The Pandemic Treaty's True Cost 鈥
Influencers to urge young people to not vape as part of UK government campaign 鈥 Issue No. 2678
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
The UN World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that the mass polio vaccination campaign in Gaza which began successfully last year, will continue in the coming days.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Stifled Oxygen Access; Gaps at Planned Parenthood; and 鈥楨gg-Harvesting Scheme鈥 Shocks Surrogacy Sector
February 18, 2025
Babies receiving oxygen at Damascus Hospital on January 28 in Damascus, Syria. Spencer Platt/Getty
Stifled Oxygen Access
COVID-19 laid bare the need for medical oxygen鈥攁nd inequities in access, , leading to the formation of a Lancet Global Health Commission on medical oxygen security.
Now鈥攚eeks after the Trump administration freeze on aid programs, including some that could have improved oxygen access鈥, detailing stark disparities:
Call for investment: Medical oxygen is as cost-effective as routine childhood immunization, and if access is expanded, it could 鈥渂enefit many health goals simultaneously,鈥 the committee found.
The collection includes articles detailing innovative solutions鈥攊ncluding one pointing to and another on . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Noncommunicable diseases will cause more deaths in sub-Saharan Africa than infectious diseases by 2030, researchers announced at the recent 4th Global NCD Alliance Forum in Kigali, Rwanda; NCDs are linked to 74% of global deaths, per .
Confirmed illnesses caused by contaminated food in the U.S. rose to 1,392 last year, a 25% increase over 2023, ; almost all of the cases involved either Listeria, Salmonella, or Escherichia coli.
A U.S. pain management company called Pain MD engaged in a long-term fraud scheme that generated millions of dollars in revenue by giving patients 700,000 expensive, unnecessary injections; company president Michael Kestner was convicted of 13 health care fraud felonies in October.
An apparent spillover from wild birds to dairy cattle has made Arizona the 17th U.S. state in which H5N1 has been detected in dairy herds; the virus has been found in nearly 970 herds nationwide since March 2024. Trump Administration News __________________________________________________
South Africa has more people living with HIV than any other country. Trump鈥檚 aid freeze has hit hard 鈥
鈥嬧婼TAT is backing up and monitoring CDC data in real time: See what's changing 鈥
N.I.H. Research Grants Lag $1 Billion Behind Last Year鈥檚 鈥
Health agencies lose staff in key areas as Trump firings set in 鈥
Trump鈥檚 Plan to Defund the NIH Will Ruin a National Treasure 鈥
The Erasing of American Science 鈥 REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE Gaps at Planned Parenthood
Many Planned Parenthood clinics are in crisis, as funding shortages have led to a 鈥渄ire need鈥 of upgrades, employee turnover, and lapses in patient care, an investigation by The New York Times has found.
Lack of resources: The organization has seen its funding strained as its patient population declines, and as state governments block its clinics from receiving Medicaid payments.
And yet: Employees say they are hesitant to speak out due to the threat facing American reproductive rights: 鈥淲e鈥檙e afraid of damaging the mission,鈥 said Damien Hamblin, a former Planned Parenthood medical assistant.
Related:
Republican States Claim Zero Abortions. A Red-State Doctor Calls That 鈥楲udicrous.鈥 鈥
Prayer and prosecutions: the US 鈥榟ate group鈥 waging war over Britain鈥檚 abortion clinic buffer zones 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HUMAN RIGHTS 鈥楨gg-Harvesting Scheme鈥 Shocks Surrogacy Sector
The Georgian Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into human trafficking after several women who sought work there as surrogates reported being forced to have their eggs removed.
Background: Last month, three Thai women were reportedly rescued from a house in Tbilisi. Thai police said the women were brought to Georgia by a Chinese criminal syndicate under the pretense of surrogacy鈥攁nd were then forced to have their eggs removed for others鈥 IVF procedures.
Impact: The accusations have sent 鈥渟hockwaves鈥 through the international surrogacy industry in Georgia, which has seen a boom since Russia鈥檚 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
QUICK HITS With 10 Days Of Talks Left, It's 'Now Or Never' For Pandemic Agreement 鈥
Guillain Barre Syndrome cases rise to 207: Over half of cases are in 5-km radius from Sinhagad Road, shows health dept data 鈥
Updated bird flu vaccine for poultry gets license 鈥
Woman in cancer remission for record 19 years after CAR-T immune treatment 鈥
The Lingering Trauma of COVID Coverage for Italian Journalists 鈥
The Coming Democratic Baby Bust 鈥
Report Recommends States Adopt Firearm Purchaser Licensing Laws That Include Five Core Components 鈥
How an Abba classic raised millions and saved thousands of children from abuse 鈥
What are the best AI tools for research? Nature鈥檚 guide 鈥 Issue No. 2677
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
COVID-19 laid bare the need for medical oxygen鈥攁nd inequities in access, , leading to the formation of a Lancet Global Health Commission on medical oxygen security.
Now鈥攚eeks after the Trump administration freeze on aid programs, including some that could have improved oxygen access鈥, detailing stark disparities:
- Fewer than 1 in 3 people who need medical oxygen鈥攆or respiratory diseases, surgical complications, trauma, and maternal and child health emergencies鈥攔eceive it, .
- Most of the ~5 billion people without oxygen access鈥攏early 82%鈥攍ive in LMICs; coverage gaps are even higher in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.
Call for investment: Medical oxygen is as cost-effective as routine childhood immunization, and if access is expanded, it could 鈥渂enefit many health goals simultaneously,鈥 the committee found.
The collection includes articles detailing innovative solutions鈥攊ncluding one pointing to and another on . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Noncommunicable diseases will cause more deaths in sub-Saharan Africa than infectious diseases by 2030, researchers announced at the recent 4th Global NCD Alliance Forum in Kigali, Rwanda; NCDs are linked to 74% of global deaths, per .
Confirmed illnesses caused by contaminated food in the U.S. rose to 1,392 last year, a 25% increase over 2023, ; almost all of the cases involved either Listeria, Salmonella, or Escherichia coli.
A U.S. pain management company called Pain MD engaged in a long-term fraud scheme that generated millions of dollars in revenue by giving patients 700,000 expensive, unnecessary injections; company president Michael Kestner was convicted of 13 health care fraud felonies in October.
An apparent spillover from wild birds to dairy cattle has made Arizona the 17th U.S. state in which H5N1 has been detected in dairy herds; the virus has been found in nearly 970 herds nationwide since March 2024. Trump Administration News __________________________________________________
South Africa has more people living with HIV than any other country. Trump鈥檚 aid freeze has hit hard 鈥
鈥嬧婼TAT is backing up and monitoring CDC data in real time: See what's changing 鈥
N.I.H. Research Grants Lag $1 Billion Behind Last Year鈥檚 鈥
Health agencies lose staff in key areas as Trump firings set in 鈥
Trump鈥檚 Plan to Defund the NIH Will Ruin a National Treasure 鈥
The Erasing of American Science 鈥 REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE Gaps at Planned Parenthood
Many Planned Parenthood clinics are in crisis, as funding shortages have led to a 鈥渄ire need鈥 of upgrades, employee turnover, and lapses in patient care, an investigation by The New York Times has found.
Lack of resources: The organization has seen its funding strained as its patient population declines, and as state governments block its clinics from receiving Medicaid payments.
- Despite a fundraising boom since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, most of that money is spent on legal and political battles.
And yet: Employees say they are hesitant to speak out due to the threat facing American reproductive rights: 鈥淲e鈥檙e afraid of damaging the mission,鈥 said Damien Hamblin, a former Planned Parenthood medical assistant.
Related:
Republican States Claim Zero Abortions. A Red-State Doctor Calls That 鈥楲udicrous.鈥 鈥
Prayer and prosecutions: the US 鈥榟ate group鈥 waging war over Britain鈥檚 abortion clinic buffer zones 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HUMAN RIGHTS 鈥楨gg-Harvesting Scheme鈥 Shocks Surrogacy Sector
The Georgian Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into human trafficking after several women who sought work there as surrogates reported being forced to have their eggs removed.
Background: Last month, three Thai women were reportedly rescued from a house in Tbilisi. Thai police said the women were brought to Georgia by a Chinese criminal syndicate under the pretense of surrogacy鈥攁nd were then forced to have their eggs removed for others鈥 IVF procedures.
Impact: The accusations have sent 鈥渟hockwaves鈥 through the international surrogacy industry in Georgia, which has seen a boom since Russia鈥檚 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
QUICK HITS With 10 Days Of Talks Left, It's 'Now Or Never' For Pandemic Agreement 鈥
Guillain Barre Syndrome cases rise to 207: Over half of cases are in 5-km radius from Sinhagad Road, shows health dept data 鈥
Updated bird flu vaccine for poultry gets license 鈥
Woman in cancer remission for record 19 years after CAR-T immune treatment 鈥
The Lingering Trauma of COVID Coverage for Italian Journalists 鈥
The Coming Democratic Baby Bust 鈥
Report Recommends States Adopt Firearm Purchaser Licensing Laws That Include Five Core Components 鈥
How an Abba classic raised millions and saved thousands of children from abuse 鈥
What are the best AI tools for research? Nature鈥檚 guide 鈥 Issue No. 2677
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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Categories: Global Health Feed
不良研究所 researchers receive funding from the Canadian Cancer Society for cancer equity research
Co-Principal Investigators Manisha Pahwa, CIHR Research Excellence, Diversity, and Independence Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of Physical and Occupational Therapy, and Professor Ananya Banerjee, from 不良研究所's Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Occupational Health, have been awarded $449,604 from the Canadian Cancer Society鈥檚
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: U.S. Agencies Brace for More Cuts; Launching a Vaccine Trial During an Ebola Outbreak; and The 鈥榃ild West鈥 of Antivenoms in Africa
February 17, 2025
People at a "Save the Civil Service" rally hosted by the American Federation of Government Employees outside the U.S. Capitol. February 11, Washington, D.C. Kent Nishimura/Getty
U.S. Health and Aid Agencies Brace for (More) Impact
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary last week amid upheaval at the nation鈥檚 health agencies, as deep staffing cuts were announced and the future of international aid and research funding remains tenuous.
Scientists and health leaders say they expect more turmoil.
Tens of thousands go hungry in Sudan after Trump aid freeze 鈥
The mess inside Rubio's 'lifesaving' waivers 鈥
Researchers face impossible decisions as U.S. aid freeze halts clinical trials 鈥
Trump Firings Impact 'Front Line of Surveillance' for Bird Flu Outbreak 鈥
'My wife fears sex, I fear death' - impacts of the USAID freeze 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners A measles outbreak in rural west Texas continues to spread, with 49 cases confirmed, most among unvaccinated school-age children; officials suspect the true number of infections is closer to 200鈥300 cases.
Rural Americans face 鈥渟ignificantly shorter, less healthy lives鈥 than their urban counterparts鈥攚ith rural men in particular facing shorter life spans due to obesity, smoking, and chronic conditions such as heart disease, per published last year in the Journal of Rural Health.
Louisiana public health officials will stop promoting vaccination, the state鈥檚 attorney general announced in a 鈥攃iting the need for the government to 鈥減ull back its tentacles from the practice of medicine.鈥
President Donald Trump directed his administration to evaluate the 鈥渢hreat鈥 to children posed by antidepressants, stimulants, and other common psychiatric drugs as part of an signed Thursday establishing a commission led by newly confirmed health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has criticized the use of those drugs. GHN EXCLUSIVE A nurse injects a dose of an Ebola virus vaccine at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, on Feb. 3. Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua via Getty Images Launching a Vaccine Trial During an Ebola Outbreak Just four days after Uganda鈥檚 Ministry of Health announced a new Ebola outbreak on Jan. 30, a team of local and international investigators began a trial of a vaccine candidate against the Sudan virus.
Swati Gupta, IAVI vice president, shares details in an interview with GHN about how the clinical trial was launched so quickly. Key points:
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASES The 鈥榃ild West鈥 of Antivenoms in Africa
In sub-Saharan Africa, a venomous snakebite is too often a death sentence: ~20,000 people in the region are killed each year, with rural populations especially impacted by lack of access to care and by severe antivenom shortages.
But even getting an antivenom is no guarantee of survival, finds a deep dive by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism:
OPIOID CRISIS Overdose Deaths鈥擳hrough the Lens of One County
Hamilton County, Ohio, has long battled a staggering opioid overdose epidemic. But that is starting to change.
The county鈥攚hich includes Cincinnati鈥攕aw a sharp drop in overdose deaths, from 393 in 2023 to ~270 in 2024.
Reflecting a national trend: National overdose deaths decreased by 20%+ in 2024, per .
Behind the drop: Researchers and frontline responders point to a 鈥渃onfluence of factors,鈥 including:
Landmark Vaccine Deals Signal Africa's Shift Toward Local Manufacturing 鈥
Trump Will Withhold Money From Schools That Require Covid Vaccines 鈥
U.S. bird flu hospitalizations rise to 4 after Ohio discloses case 鈥
The teen loneliness machine 鈥
New Polling: Majority of voters want compassion, not cruelty, for refugees 鈥
Empathy for other peoples' pain peaks in young adulthood 鈥
Are PhDs losing their lustre? Why fewer students are enrolling in doctoral degrees 鈥 Issue No. 2676
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr. was confirmed as U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary last week amid upheaval at the nation鈥檚 health agencies, as deep staffing cuts were announced and the future of international aid and research funding remains tenuous.
Scientists and health leaders say they expect more turmoil.
- Kennedy has said he will prioritize research on chronic diseases and would give infectious disease research at the NIH 鈥渁 break鈥 for eight years, .
- The HHS announced Friday that 5,200 workers across the department would be terminated, 鈥攁 move one senior CDC scientist described as 鈥渢aking a wrecking ball to both the deep institutional knowledge of the agency and its future.鈥
- NIH: Layoffs currently total 1,165 people, .
- CDC: Hundreds of agency staffers have been terminated, including 鈥渄isease detectors鈥 who trained laboratory staff; the agency expects ~1,300 layoffs, .
- FDA: Firings appear to focus on employees assessing food safety, medical devices, and tobacco products, .
- But widespread cuts to USAID-funded staff and treatments and other aid organizations are already in effect鈥攁nd deeply felt in places like Zimbabwe, which has seen HIV care halted, .
Tens of thousands go hungry in Sudan after Trump aid freeze 鈥
The mess inside Rubio's 'lifesaving' waivers 鈥
Researchers face impossible decisions as U.S. aid freeze halts clinical trials 鈥
Trump Firings Impact 'Front Line of Surveillance' for Bird Flu Outbreak 鈥
'My wife fears sex, I fear death' - impacts of the USAID freeze 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners A measles outbreak in rural west Texas continues to spread, with 49 cases confirmed, most among unvaccinated school-age children; officials suspect the true number of infections is closer to 200鈥300 cases.
Rural Americans face 鈥渟ignificantly shorter, less healthy lives鈥 than their urban counterparts鈥攚ith rural men in particular facing shorter life spans due to obesity, smoking, and chronic conditions such as heart disease, per published last year in the Journal of Rural Health.
Louisiana public health officials will stop promoting vaccination, the state鈥檚 attorney general announced in a 鈥攃iting the need for the government to 鈥減ull back its tentacles from the practice of medicine.鈥
President Donald Trump directed his administration to evaluate the 鈥渢hreat鈥 to children posed by antidepressants, stimulants, and other common psychiatric drugs as part of an signed Thursday establishing a commission led by newly confirmed health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has criticized the use of those drugs. GHN EXCLUSIVE A nurse injects a dose of an Ebola virus vaccine at Mulago National Referral Hospital in Kampala, Uganda, on Feb. 3. Hajarah Nalwadda/Xinhua via Getty Images Launching a Vaccine Trial During an Ebola Outbreak Just four days after Uganda鈥檚 Ministry of Health announced a new Ebola outbreak on Jan. 30, a team of local and international investigators began a trial of a vaccine candidate against the Sudan virus.
Swati Gupta, IAVI vice president, shares details in an interview with GHN about how the clinical trial was launched so quickly. Key points:
- 鈥淧art of the reason that we could get the trial started so quickly is because there was already Sudan virus vaccine in country, and the WHO also had pre-approved protocols and other documentation,鈥 said Gupta.
- There is currently no licensed vaccine for Sudan virus, which causes severe hemorrhagic fever disease and has an average case fatality rate of up to 50%.
- The trial of IAVI鈥檚 VSV Sudan vaccine involves the WHO, Makerere University, the Uganda Virus Research Institute, the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), and others.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASES The 鈥榃ild West鈥 of Antivenoms in Africa
In sub-Saharan Africa, a venomous snakebite is too often a death sentence: ~20,000 people in the region are killed each year, with rural populations especially impacted by lack of access to care and by severe antivenom shortages.
But even getting an antivenom is no guarantee of survival, finds a deep dive by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism:
- Diluted and fraudulent antivenoms have flooded the poorly regulated market.
- Some corporations knowingly sell ineffective products鈥攕uch as antivenoms made for Indian snakes, which are ineffective in Africa.
OPIOID CRISIS Overdose Deaths鈥擳hrough the Lens of One County
Hamilton County, Ohio, has long battled a staggering opioid overdose epidemic. But that is starting to change.
The county鈥攚hich includes Cincinnati鈥攕aw a sharp drop in overdose deaths, from 393 in 2023 to ~270 in 2024.
Reflecting a national trend: National overdose deaths decreased by 20%+ in 2024, per .
Behind the drop: Researchers and frontline responders point to a 鈥渃onfluence of factors,鈥 including:
- Broadened access to naloxone and opioid addiction treatment
- More outreach programs
- Crackdowns on Chinese chemical suppliers and Mexican criminal groups manufacturing fentanyl
- And potentially鈥攁 diminished population of at-risk people because so many have already succumbed to overdoses
Landmark Vaccine Deals Signal Africa's Shift Toward Local Manufacturing 鈥
Trump Will Withhold Money From Schools That Require Covid Vaccines 鈥
U.S. bird flu hospitalizations rise to 4 after Ohio discloses case 鈥
The teen loneliness machine 鈥
New Polling: Majority of voters want compassion, not cruelty, for refugees 鈥
Empathy for other peoples' pain peaks in young adulthood 鈥
Are PhDs losing their lustre? Why fewer students are enrolling in doctoral degrees 鈥 Issue No. 2676
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Eyes on RFK Jr; Re-mapping Medicine in Burma; and Cat Diplomat Naps on the Job
The U.S. Senate will vote today on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation as the nation鈥檚 Health Secretary.
February 13, 2025
RFK Jr., President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, arrives for his Senate Finance Committee confirmation hearing on January 29, in Washington, D.C. Anna Moneymaker via Getty
Eyes on RFK Jr.
The U.S. Senate is poised to vote on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation as the nation鈥檚 Health Secretary today, amid concerns about his vaccine skepticism and conflicts of interest,
Dynamics at play: Despite some Republicans鈥 skepticism about Kennedy鈥檚 views, he is expected to be confirmed, with most GOP senators embracing Kennedy鈥檚 鈥淢ake America Healthy Again鈥 vision.
More Trump Transition News:
This is what happens to the body when HIV drugs are stopped for millions of people 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
83% of mpox cases in the DRC鈥檚 outbreak have been linked to sex work, finds a new of Clade 1b鈥檚 epidemiologic and genomic evolution published in Nature Medicine.
Multidrug-resistant TB in children is rising, especially in low-income regions, finds a new published in Pediatric Research; younger children were found to be at the highest risk of mortality.
The reemergence of dengue virus serotype 3 in Brazil after 17 years could lead to new outbreaks of the disease, as the population there has not been immunized against that type, warns an published in the Journal of Clinical Virology.
Once-weekly semaglutides used to treat obesity could help curb alcohol cravings, a small new published in JAMA Psychiatry has found; researchers say the findings bear further study. CONFLICT Re-mapping Medicine in Burma
Health care in Burma 鈥渋s in collapse,鈥 following four brutal years of civil war, per a recent .
But a 鈥減atchwork of facilities鈥 in opposition-held territory have sprung up, where displaced doctors aim to provide care in wartime conditions.
Background: Tens of thousands of doctors and nurses refused to work for the military junta after its coup in 2021. But a violent crackdown targeted those health workers鈥攍eading many to seek refuge in regions controlled by opposition groups.
They are now building a new health infrastructure despite a host of obstacles, including , a rise in communicable diseases, and the U.S. aid freeze鈥攚hich doctors say could 鈥減rove a near-fatal blow鈥 for the fledgling operations.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES GUNS Disarming Domestic Abusers
In Tennessee, ~40% of women killed in domestic violence shootings were shot by someone who was barred from having a gun at the time of the crime.
Proposed legislation seeks to prevent that鈥攗sing simple changes in enforcement.
Background: While Tennessee prohibits those convicted of domestic violence from owning firearms, it does not require them to disclose the names of the people they gave the guns to鈥攚hich would allow for follow-up or recourse if a convicted abuser maintains access, by ProPublica and WPLN found.
Effective intervention: Follow-up reporting the efforts of rural Scott County, which requires gun-dispossession forms to include the names of gun recipients. The new GOP-sponsored bill is modeled on this policy and requires more transparency.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Cat Diplomat to Nap on the Job
鈥嬧嬧淪orry, I始m retired鈥 is a great way to avoid pesky requests. But if the new gig is in Bermuda 鈥 that may change things.
It did for Palmerston the cat, former chief mouser at the UK Foreign Office.
Because a 鈥渜uieter and easier鈥 life in the British countryside wasn始t relaxing enough, the diplomat came out of retirement to join his adoptive father for the 鈥減urr-fect鈥 gig in the pink sand paradise, .
Key cat asset: It始s well known that humans just want to be liked by cats, and Palmerston始s feline air of indifference could derail diplomatic talks with a single side-eye. Not to mention his considerable soft鈥攁nd fluffy鈥攑ower. 鈥淚 just welled up over a cat retiring,鈥 after his 2020 departure from official duties.
Now he始s back, but with boundaries. In a silent attack on 始this could have been an email始-ism, Palmerston 鈥渨ill attend only the meetings he deems important, offering advice when necessary,鈥 between naps. QUICK HITS J&J, Sanofi stop E.coli vaccine trial due to low effectiveness 鈥
Some red states report zero abortions. Doctors and researchers say it's not true 鈥
MSF urges govt to prioritise, eliminate noma disease 鈥
As Oropouche cases continue in the Americas, PAHO urges countries to keep their guard up 鈥
An asteroid could hit Earth in 2032. Don't panic 鈥 yet 鈥 Issue No. 2675
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
The U.S. Senate is poised to vote on Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s confirmation as the nation鈥檚 Health Secretary today, amid concerns about his vaccine skepticism and conflicts of interest,
Dynamics at play: Despite some Republicans鈥 skepticism about Kennedy鈥檚 views, he is expected to be confirmed, with most GOP senators embracing Kennedy鈥檚 鈥淢ake America Healthy Again鈥 vision.
- Democrats, however, oppose Kennedy, and it is unclear whether he will win support from Sen. Mitch McConnell, a polio survivor and vaccine supporter, .
- But reports that the paper Kennedy cites was funded by an anti-vaccine organization and published in a fringe journal run by people with ties to Kennedy鈥攔aising larger fears that Kennedy will 鈥渉ave wide powers to advance his favored research studies,鈥 said Lawrence O. Gostin, a public health law expert at Georgetown University.
- Critics have also voiced concern over Kennedy financially benefiting from his oversight; he has profited from referring clients to a law firm suing the makers of Gardasil.
- He has vowed to overhaul agencies like the NIH, FDA, and CDC.
More Trump Transition News:
Medicare removes sexual orientation, gender identity questions from enrollment forms 鈥
US actions have serious impact on global health, WHO chief says 鈥This is what happens to the body when HIV drugs are stopped for millions of people 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
83% of mpox cases in the DRC鈥檚 outbreak have been linked to sex work, finds a new of Clade 1b鈥檚 epidemiologic and genomic evolution published in Nature Medicine.
Multidrug-resistant TB in children is rising, especially in low-income regions, finds a new published in Pediatric Research; younger children were found to be at the highest risk of mortality.
The reemergence of dengue virus serotype 3 in Brazil after 17 years could lead to new outbreaks of the disease, as the population there has not been immunized against that type, warns an published in the Journal of Clinical Virology.
Once-weekly semaglutides used to treat obesity could help curb alcohol cravings, a small new published in JAMA Psychiatry has found; researchers say the findings bear further study. CONFLICT Re-mapping Medicine in Burma
Health care in Burma 鈥渋s in collapse,鈥 following four brutal years of civil war, per a recent .
But a 鈥減atchwork of facilities鈥 in opposition-held territory have sprung up, where displaced doctors aim to provide care in wartime conditions.
Background: Tens of thousands of doctors and nurses refused to work for the military junta after its coup in 2021. But a violent crackdown targeted those health workers鈥攍eading many to seek refuge in regions controlled by opposition groups.
They are now building a new health infrastructure despite a host of obstacles, including , a rise in communicable diseases, and the U.S. aid freeze鈥攚hich doctors say could 鈥減rove a near-fatal blow鈥 for the fledgling operations.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES GUNS Disarming Domestic Abusers
In Tennessee, ~40% of women killed in domestic violence shootings were shot by someone who was barred from having a gun at the time of the crime.
Proposed legislation seeks to prevent that鈥攗sing simple changes in enforcement.
Background: While Tennessee prohibits those convicted of domestic violence from owning firearms, it does not require them to disclose the names of the people they gave the guns to鈥攚hich would allow for follow-up or recourse if a convicted abuser maintains access, by ProPublica and WPLN found.
Effective intervention: Follow-up reporting the efforts of rural Scott County, which requires gun-dispossession forms to include the names of gun recipients. The new GOP-sponsored bill is modeled on this policy and requires more transparency.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Cat Diplomat to Nap on the Job
鈥嬧嬧淪orry, I始m retired鈥 is a great way to avoid pesky requests. But if the new gig is in Bermuda 鈥 that may change things.
It did for Palmerston the cat, former chief mouser at the UK Foreign Office.
Because a 鈥渜uieter and easier鈥 life in the British countryside wasn始t relaxing enough, the diplomat came out of retirement to join his adoptive father for the 鈥減urr-fect鈥 gig in the pink sand paradise, .
Key cat asset: It始s well known that humans just want to be liked by cats, and Palmerston始s feline air of indifference could derail diplomatic talks with a single side-eye. Not to mention his considerable soft鈥攁nd fluffy鈥攑ower. 鈥淚 just welled up over a cat retiring,鈥 after his 2020 departure from official duties.
Now he始s back, but with boundaries. In a silent attack on 始this could have been an email始-ism, Palmerston 鈥渨ill attend only the meetings he deems important, offering advice when necessary,鈥 between naps. QUICK HITS J&J, Sanofi stop E.coli vaccine trial due to low effectiveness 鈥
Some red states report zero abortions. Doctors and researchers say it's not true 鈥
MSF urges govt to prioritise, eliminate noma disease 鈥
As Oropouche cases continue in the Americas, PAHO urges countries to keep their guard up 鈥
An asteroid could hit Earth in 2032. Don't panic 鈥 yet 鈥 Issue No. 2675
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: 鈥楥atastrophic鈥 Interruptions in HIV/AIDS Care; Judge Orders Agencies to Restore Health Data; The 鈥楺ueen of Cholera鈥
February 12, 2025
Sister Sally Naidoo administers an HIV test on a young boy at the Right To Care AIDS clinic. January 27, 2012, Johannesburg, South Africa. Foto24/Gallo Images via Getty
鈥楥atastrophic鈥 Interruptions in HIV/AIDS Care
Storytellers from Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria will share firsthand accounts of living and working amid humanitarian crises, fleeing conflict, and shaping impactful roles in public health.
Frances Stead Sellers, an associate editor of the Washington Post and a host of Washington Post Live, will moderate the event. Sellers has reported extensively on public health and disaster response.
All are welcome for this evening of inspiring stories. If you are in the D.C. area, we hope you始ll join us.
. Reception to follow.
Extraordinary Journeys: Stories of Refugees Fleeing Conflict and Shaping Global Health
Doctors and patients in China are raising alarms over what they say are ineffective generic drugs procured through a process favoring the lowest cost鈥攁 system that could encourage manufacturers to cut corners to win contracts.
Most U.S. workers with chronic conditions that need to be managed during work hours鈥攕uch as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and asthma鈥攈aven鈥檛 told their employers, a has found.
STI cases in Europe spiked in 2023, with notable increases among young people, from the European CDC; gonorrhea in particular surged 31%, and antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea was cited as an emerging threat. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DATA Judge Orders Agencies to Restore Health Data
A U.S. federal judge yesterday ordered federal health agencies to restore websites and datasets pulled late last month by the Trump administration, reports.
Judge John Bates said the sudden loss of the data jeopardizes the work of clinicians and public health, ultimately harming everyday Americans. He issued the in response to a lawsuit filed by advocacy groups representing physicians and consumers.
Data slated to return:
The big question: Will the Trump administration comply with court orders? that the Trump administration is adopting a combative stance, arguing that it鈥檚 the judiciary that鈥檚 overstepping鈥攃alling into question the longstanding balance of powers.
More headlines:
Democrats unveil legislation in bid to halt USAID elimination 鈥
Johns Hopkins leaders: NIH cuts put lifesaving medical research and care at immediate risk 鈥
Trump鈥檚 NIH challenges the model that underlies U.S. scientific dominance 鈥 INFECTIOUS DISEASES The 鈥楺ueen of Cholera鈥
The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) is known internationally as a crown jewel of South Asian science.
Its queen? Firdausi Qadri, who has spent her career studying enteric diseases鈥攆ocusing mainly on demonstrating the benefits of simple, cheap oral cholera vaccines and advocating for their use.
But her work is an uphill battle. Oral vaccines have not eliminated cholera, and plans to curtail the disease both globally and in Bangladesh are off track:
Related: Dirty water and endless wars: why cholera outbreaks are on the rise again 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS Survey shows nurses around the world suffered high levels of pandemic stress 鈥
As vaccination rates decline, widespread outbreaks of diseases like measles and polio could reemerge 鈥
Cash as medicine: How Brazil slashed TB by tackling poverty 鈥
In one of the Marines鈥 most iconic jobs, a stunning pattern of suicide 鈥
鈥楾he new generation is different鈥: In Djibouti, activists lobby to end female genital mutilation 鈥
Your brain is full of microplastics: are they harming you? 鈥
For Many, Weight-Loss Drugs Are Pricey. Expanding Access Is Hard. 鈥
Asian five-year-olds in England 70% more likely to have tooth decay than average 鈥
Want to Smoke Outdoors in Milan? Better Be Far From Other People. 鈥 Issue No. 2674
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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The American aid freeze is already disrupting HIV/AIDS care and research that could cost lives and 鈥渟et back efforts to beat the AIDS epidemic by years,鈥 .
Current landscape: Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said there would be a 90-day reprieve for 鈥渓ife-saving鈥 HIV treatment funded by PEPFAR鈥攂ut many programs have already closed.
-
The reprieve does not cover prevention services; preventive anti-HIV medicine is available only to pregnant and breastfeeding women. Condom services and educational programs also remain shuttered.
-
Plus: Major African HIV vaccine and prevention trials are on hold.
South Africa in the spotlight: The Trump administration鈥檚 decision to target South Africa for funding cuts is a major blow to the country with the highest number of people living with HIV globally, .
-
While PEPFAR-funded projects are allowed to apply for waivers, many clinics are uncertain if they are eligible, .
Impact on women and girls: In sub-Saharan Africa, the aid freeze is having a 鈥渃atastrophic鈥 impact on women and girls鈥攚ho are disproportionately affected by the virus, .
-
Toll: The this week that dropped U.S. support could lead to 6.3 million AIDS deaths by the end of the decade.
Related:
How the gutting of USAID is reverberating around the world: Worry, despair, praise 鈥
How USAID dismantling could impact noncommunicable diseases 鈥
OPPORTUNITY Join GHN in DC for an Evening of Remarkable Stories GHN and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health will host a special live storytelling event spotlighting the remarkable experiences of refugees in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health community.Storytellers from Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria will share firsthand accounts of living and working amid humanitarian crises, fleeing conflict, and shaping impactful roles in public health.
Frances Stead Sellers, an associate editor of the Washington Post and a host of Washington Post Live, will moderate the event. Sellers has reported extensively on public health and disaster response.
All are welcome for this evening of inspiring stories. If you are in the D.C. area, we hope you始ll join us.
. Reception to follow.
Extraordinary Journeys: Stories of Refugees Fleeing Conflict and Shaping Global Health
- Wednesday, March 5, 6鈥7:30 p.m.
- Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. (555 Pennsylvania Avenue NW)
Doctors and patients in China are raising alarms over what they say are ineffective generic drugs procured through a process favoring the lowest cost鈥攁 system that could encourage manufacturers to cut corners to win contracts.
Most U.S. workers with chronic conditions that need to be managed during work hours鈥攕uch as diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, and asthma鈥攈aven鈥檛 told their employers, a has found.
STI cases in Europe spiked in 2023, with notable increases among young people, from the European CDC; gonorrhea in particular surged 31%, and antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea was cited as an emerging threat. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DATA Judge Orders Agencies to Restore Health Data
A U.S. federal judge yesterday ordered federal health agencies to restore websites and datasets pulled late last month by the Trump administration, reports.
Judge John Bates said the sudden loss of the data jeopardizes the work of clinicians and public health, ultimately harming everyday Americans. He issued the in response to a lawsuit filed by advocacy groups representing physicians and consumers.
Data slated to return:
- Information for patients about HIV testing and HIV prevention medication.
- Guidance on contraceptives.
- Datasets that show vulnerability to natural disasters and emergencies.
- An action plan to improve enrollment of underrepresented populations in clinical trials.
The big question: Will the Trump administration comply with court orders? that the Trump administration is adopting a combative stance, arguing that it鈥檚 the judiciary that鈥檚 overstepping鈥攃alling into question the longstanding balance of powers.
More headlines:
Democrats unveil legislation in bid to halt USAID elimination 鈥
Johns Hopkins leaders: NIH cuts put lifesaving medical research and care at immediate risk 鈥
Trump鈥檚 NIH challenges the model that underlies U.S. scientific dominance 鈥 INFECTIOUS DISEASES The 鈥楺ueen of Cholera鈥
The International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) is known internationally as a crown jewel of South Asian science.
Its queen? Firdausi Qadri, who has spent her career studying enteric diseases鈥攆ocusing mainly on demonstrating the benefits of simple, cheap oral cholera vaccines and advocating for their use.
But her work is an uphill battle. Oral vaccines have not eliminated cholera, and plans to curtail the disease both globally and in Bangladesh are off track:
- The number of available vaccines is limited, due to global demand.
- Bangladesh鈥檚 government isn鈥檛 investing in vaccination.
- The vaccine鈥檚 protection window is limited.
- Many cholera-prone countries still lack clean drinking water and sanitation.
Related: Dirty water and endless wars: why cholera outbreaks are on the rise again 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS Survey shows nurses around the world suffered high levels of pandemic stress 鈥
As vaccination rates decline, widespread outbreaks of diseases like measles and polio could reemerge 鈥
Cash as medicine: How Brazil slashed TB by tackling poverty 鈥
In one of the Marines鈥 most iconic jobs, a stunning pattern of suicide 鈥
鈥楾he new generation is different鈥: In Djibouti, activists lobby to end female genital mutilation 鈥
Your brain is full of microplastics: are they harming you? 鈥
For Many, Weight-Loss Drugs Are Pricey. Expanding Access Is Hard. 鈥
Asian five-year-olds in England 70% more likely to have tooth decay than average 鈥
Want to Smoke Outdoors in Milan? Better Be Far From Other People. 鈥 Issue No. 2674
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
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Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep concern over the impact of US funding cuts on critical global health initiatives, warning they pose a direct threat to public health efforts worldwide.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Disappearing Databases; Judge Halts NIH Payment Cuts; and Sweden鈥檚 Influx of Firearms
February 11, 2025
A CDC worker at the Emergency Operations Center activated to assist public health partners in responding to the novel coronavirus outbreak. Courtesy James Gathany/CDC; photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images
Disappearing Databases
Researchers are alarmed by the Trump administration鈥檚 removal of crucial health data from federal websites鈥攁nd fear other databases may follow, .
Fifteen measles cases鈥攎ostly in school-aged children鈥攈ave been reported in South Plains, Texas, a small county with one of the state鈥檚 highest rates of vaccine exemptions; some of the cases appear to be connected to private religious schools.
PAHO warned of an increased risk of dengue outbreaks amid increased circulation of serotype three (DENV-3) in the southern hemisphere of the Americas.
Nevada confirmed the state鈥檚 first human infection from H5N1 avian flu yesterday in a Churchill County dairy farm worker exposed to sick cows; while the report didn鈥檛 specify a genotype, the D1.1 genotype鈥攄ifferent than the B3.13 involved in early dairy cattle outbreaks鈥攚as identified in the county鈥檚 cattle recently. Trump Transition News US foreign aid freeze wreaks havoc for HIV treatment in Africa 鈥
U.S. exit from WHO: Potential impacts for smallpox virus biosafety 鈥
The USAID "Lifesaving" Waiver Is a Mirage Without Sufficient Staffing 鈥
USAID and CDC Halt of Support to Global Polio Eradication Threatens Worldwide Campaign 鈥
US decision to cut ties with WHO hurting polio eradication efforts 鈥
Trump鈥檚 USAID cuts raise concerns over Ebola outbreak in Uganda 鈥
The World Health Organization makes us all safer 鈥
Don鈥檛 expect the courts to save us from Donald Trump 鈥 RESEARCH Judge Halts NIH Payment Cuts
In response to a lawsuit by 22 states attorneys general, a federal judge yesterday temporarily stopped the Trump administration from making dramatic cuts to NIH payments for research.
The Quote: 鈥淚f the NIH notice remains in effect, SUNY institutions will face a Sophie鈥檚 Choice鈥攅ither redirect funding from other essential programs or be forced to end lifesaving NIH-funded research programs prematurely,鈥 said Ben Friedman, chief operating officer of the Research Foundation for the State University of New York, said in a to the court.
Related: Trump maintains funding freeze at NIH, defying court order 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES GUNS Sweden鈥檚 Influx of Firearms
As Sweden faces its worst mass shooting in history, the country is being forced to reckon with a growing gun violence scourge.
NEGLECTED DISEASES How Guinea Stopped Sleeping Sickness
Twenty years ago, Guinea was once the country with the of sleeping sickness cases in West Africa. But as of this year, the country managed to eliminate the NTD as a public health problem, .
What did it take? Shifting strategies鈥攁nd a great deal of perseverance.
Background: Sleeping sickness, or Human African Trypanosomiasis, is transmitted by the Trypanosoma parasite spread by tsetse flies. The disease can lead to sleep disorders and psychosis鈥攁nd can be fatal.
Treatment gains traction: The development of the drugs fexinidazole and acoziborole offers further hope that the disease can be vanquished.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS 鈥楲eft like luggage鈥: Disabled, sick and injured victims flee Sudan鈥檚 genocide 鈥
Cholera Outbreak Kills Over 100 in Angola 鈥 Ministry 鈥
Flu season in the US is the most intense it鈥檚 been in at least 15 years 鈥
As measles cases rise, a new book warns parents not to underestimate the disease 鈥
Hundreds Of Russian Soldiers Hospitalized, Treated In North Korea, Report Says 鈥
Man dies of asthma attack after inhaler cost skyrockets to more than $500 鈥
Congestion Relief Zone is Also a CRASH Relief Zone: Data 鈥
Zimbabweans try to outpace death at an exercise club in a cemetery 鈥 Issue No. 2673
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Researchers are alarmed by the Trump administration鈥檚 removal of crucial health data from federal websites鈥攁nd fear other databases may follow, .
- Regular CDC reports that have been delayed or are incomplete include FluView and HIV surveillance data.
- The release of three bird flu studies has been stalled for weeks.
- Teams of researchers are rushing to compile their own datasets and DIY sites.
Fifteen measles cases鈥攎ostly in school-aged children鈥攈ave been reported in South Plains, Texas, a small county with one of the state鈥檚 highest rates of vaccine exemptions; some of the cases appear to be connected to private religious schools.
PAHO warned of an increased risk of dengue outbreaks amid increased circulation of serotype three (DENV-3) in the southern hemisphere of the Americas.
Nevada confirmed the state鈥檚 first human infection from H5N1 avian flu yesterday in a Churchill County dairy farm worker exposed to sick cows; while the report didn鈥檛 specify a genotype, the D1.1 genotype鈥攄ifferent than the B3.13 involved in early dairy cattle outbreaks鈥攚as identified in the county鈥檚 cattle recently. Trump Transition News US foreign aid freeze wreaks havoc for HIV treatment in Africa 鈥
U.S. exit from WHO: Potential impacts for smallpox virus biosafety 鈥
The USAID "Lifesaving" Waiver Is a Mirage Without Sufficient Staffing 鈥
USAID and CDC Halt of Support to Global Polio Eradication Threatens Worldwide Campaign 鈥
US decision to cut ties with WHO hurting polio eradication efforts 鈥
Trump鈥檚 USAID cuts raise concerns over Ebola outbreak in Uganda 鈥
The World Health Organization makes us all safer 鈥
Don鈥檛 expect the courts to save us from Donald Trump 鈥 RESEARCH Judge Halts NIH Payment Cuts
In response to a lawsuit by 22 states attorneys general, a federal judge yesterday temporarily stopped the Trump administration from making dramatic cuts to NIH payments for research.
- Judge Angel Kelley in Boston set a hearing for Feb. 21,
- The AGs said the change that caps at 15% payments for indirect costs鈥攊ncluding administrative and facilities costs鈥攚ould have 鈥渋mmediate and devastating鈥 effects, . Average indirect costs are 28% of direct research cost.
- Associations connected to the nation鈥檚 medical, pharmacy, and public health schools, as well as hospitals in Boston and the New York area filed , STAT reports. In response, late last night Judge Kelley ordered a nationwide temporary pause on the NIH plans to slash the indirect cost payments, .
- The came from education organizations and public and private universities.
The Quote: 鈥淚f the NIH notice remains in effect, SUNY institutions will face a Sophie鈥檚 Choice鈥攅ither redirect funding from other essential programs or be forced to end lifesaving NIH-funded research programs prematurely,鈥 said Ben Friedman, chief operating officer of the Research Foundation for the State University of New York, said in a to the court.
Related: Trump maintains funding freeze at NIH, defying court order 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES GUNS Sweden鈥檚 Influx of Firearms
As Sweden faces its worst mass shooting in history, the country is being forced to reckon with a growing gun violence scourge.
- The shooting at an adult education campus in Orebro killed 11, and highlights Sweden鈥檚 shift from a 鈥減eaceful, high-trust society鈥 to one struggling with gang-related crime, right-wing nationalism, and easier firearm access.
- 鈥淵ou ask yourself, 鈥楥an you be safe in today鈥檚 Sweden?鈥欌 said Andreas Sundling, a student at the school.
NEGLECTED DISEASES How Guinea Stopped Sleeping Sickness
Twenty years ago, Guinea was once the country with the of sleeping sickness cases in West Africa. But as of this year, the country managed to eliminate the NTD as a public health problem, .
What did it take? Shifting strategies鈥攁nd a great deal of perseverance.
Background: Sleeping sickness, or Human African Trypanosomiasis, is transmitted by the Trypanosoma parasite spread by tsetse flies. The disease can lead to sleep disorders and psychosis鈥攁nd can be fatal.
- Initial elimination efforts鈥攊ncluding mass screening and treatment鈥攚ere ineffective. From 2012 onward, the focus shifted to vector control.
Treatment gains traction: The development of the drugs fexinidazole and acoziborole offers further hope that the disease can be vanquished.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS 鈥楲eft like luggage鈥: Disabled, sick and injured victims flee Sudan鈥檚 genocide 鈥
Cholera Outbreak Kills Over 100 in Angola 鈥 Ministry 鈥
Flu season in the US is the most intense it鈥檚 been in at least 15 years 鈥
As measles cases rise, a new book warns parents not to underestimate the disease 鈥
Hundreds Of Russian Soldiers Hospitalized, Treated In North Korea, Report Says 鈥
Man dies of asthma attack after inhaler cost skyrockets to more than $500 鈥
Congestion Relief Zone is Also a CRASH Relief Zone: Data 鈥
Zimbabweans try to outpace death at an exercise club in a cemetery 鈥 Issue No. 2673
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
A new UN-partnered project to distribute essential childhood cancer medicines has begun in Uzbekistan and Mongolia, the first rollout for a project due to be piloted in six countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Six principal investigators from The Neuro receive CIHR grants
Projects include important research on Parkinson鈥檚, glioblastoma and dementia
听
Categories: Global Health Feed
SCSD Research Day
Friday February 21st 2025 鈥 3pm to 5pm
Leacock Building #232, 855 Sherbrooke West
听
Categories: Global Health Feed
Sunsetting of the Vanier and Banting programs
In alignment with the and as announced in , the three federal granting agencies, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), the Natural Sciences and Engineering and Research Council (NSERC), and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) are working to offer a harmonized and streaml
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: A Deep Cut to NIH-Funded Research; Delving into D1.1; and New City, Old Threats
February 10, 2025
Lab technicians at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. Nashville, Tennessee, August 28, 2020. Brett Carlsen/Bloomberg via Getty
A Deep Cut to NIH-Funded Research
America鈥檚 research institutions are reeling after the Trump administration to research grants last Friday鈥攁 move universities and medical centers say could imperil the nation鈥檚 future in scientific research, .
What's targeted: The NIH cuts are aimed at 鈥渋ndirect costs鈥 in research grants鈥攆unding that universities and research centers depend on to cover essential operations like lab equipment, utilities, and staffing, .
Sweden鈥檚 government announced plans to tighten gun laws, including restricting AR15-style rifles and clarifying ownership eligibility rules, following a mass shooting last week that killed 10 people.
The UK鈥檚 contributions to the global vaccination group Gavi may be significantly reduced, with the government鈥檚 aid budget cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of GDP and more funds being used to support asylum seekers in the UK.
Black U.S. women died at a rate nearly 3.5X higher than white women around the time of childbirth in 2023, 鈥攚hich show that although maternal mortality fell below prepandemic levels that year, racial gaps widened. Trump Transition News All USAID staff on administrative leave reinstated until Feb. 14 鈥
Morale plummets at the CDC as staff fear job losses 鈥
鈥楳y boss was crying.鈥 NSF confronts potentially massive layoffs and budget cuts 鈥
Donald Trump's NIH Pick Just Launched a Controversial Scientific Journal 鈥
In Breaking USAID, the Trump Administration May Have Broken the Law 鈥 AVIAN FLU Delving into D1.1
The that dairy cows in Nevada have been infected with a new form of the bird flu is raising new concerns as the virus continues to spread across the U.S. and beyond, .
The basics: Previously, herds in the U.S. were infected with the B.3.13 strain. The cows in Nevada were infected with D1.1, a strain that has been spreading in wild birds and poultry.
New York poultry markets ordered to close temporarily as bird flu concerns spread 鈥
How worried should you be about bird flu? A Q&A with infectious disease specialist Dr. John Swartzberg 鈥
C.D.C. Posts, Then Deletes, Data on Bird Flu Spread Between Cats and People 鈥
It's like 'dead birds flying': How bird flu is spreading in the wild 鈥
Virginia lawmakers to CDC: Restart bird flu reports now 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MALARIA New City, Old Threats
As Indonesia constructs a new megacity that will one day be its capital, scientists are warning of an old danger lurking in the surrounding areas: malaria.
The new city, Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN), is being constructed in East Kalimantan, Borne鈥攁 鈥渕alaria and biodiversity hotspot,鈥 per a about IKN鈥檚 public health risks.
WHO chief asks countries to push Washington to reconsider its withdrawal 鈥
Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment Of Health Effects Of Nuclear Weapons 鈥
PEPFAR under review: what's at stake for PEPFAR's future 鈥
COVID vaccination saved more than 5,000 US lives in 7 months in 2023-24, CDC estimates 鈥
In Mexico, budget cuts dim hopes for a science funding revival 鈥
New drug halves number of children hospitalised with RSV 鈥
Super Bowl can cause elevated heart attack risk, especially among at risk patients 鈥
Men Who Have Gotten Vasectomies Are Sharing Their Stories And Some Of Them May Surprise You 鈥 Issue No. 2672
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
America鈥檚 research institutions are reeling after the Trump administration to research grants last Friday鈥攁 move universities and medical centers say could imperil the nation鈥檚 future in scientific research, .
What's targeted: The NIH cuts are aimed at 鈥渋ndirect costs鈥 in research grants鈥攆unding that universities and research centers depend on to cover essential operations like lab equipment, utilities, and staffing, .
- The NIH announced the rate will be slashed to 15%鈥攁 heavy reduction from the 30%+ many institutions previously received. In 2023, NIH spent nearly $9 billion on indirect costs. The new policy aims to cut $4 billion.
- The new rate, which goes into effect today, will apply to all new and existing grants, .
- "This is a surefire way to cripple lifesaving research and innovation," said Matt Owens, president of the Council on Government Relations.
- Long term, the cuts could 鈥渋rreparably damage the backbone of American scientific innovation鈥濃攅specially harming the future of young researchers, per one .
Sweden鈥檚 government announced plans to tighten gun laws, including restricting AR15-style rifles and clarifying ownership eligibility rules, following a mass shooting last week that killed 10 people.
The UK鈥檚 contributions to the global vaccination group Gavi may be significantly reduced, with the government鈥檚 aid budget cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of GDP and more funds being used to support asylum seekers in the UK.
Black U.S. women died at a rate nearly 3.5X higher than white women around the time of childbirth in 2023, 鈥攚hich show that although maternal mortality fell below prepandemic levels that year, racial gaps widened. Trump Transition News All USAID staff on administrative leave reinstated until Feb. 14 鈥
Morale plummets at the CDC as staff fear job losses 鈥
鈥楳y boss was crying.鈥 NSF confronts potentially massive layoffs and budget cuts 鈥
Donald Trump's NIH Pick Just Launched a Controversial Scientific Journal 鈥
In Breaking USAID, the Trump Administration May Have Broken the Law 鈥 AVIAN FLU Delving into D1.1
The that dairy cows in Nevada have been infected with a new form of the bird flu is raising new concerns as the virus continues to spread across the U.S. and beyond, .
The basics: Previously, herds in the U.S. were infected with the B.3.13 strain. The cows in Nevada were infected with D1.1, a strain that has been spreading in wild birds and poultry.
- 鈥淚t鈥檚 no longer just one virus,鈥 said influenza expert Richard Webby. 鈥淭his, to me, suggests that it鈥檚 going to be a lingering problem.鈥
- D1.1 has been associated with two severe human infections in North America, including one death.
New York poultry markets ordered to close temporarily as bird flu concerns spread 鈥
How worried should you be about bird flu? A Q&A with infectious disease specialist Dr. John Swartzberg 鈥
C.D.C. Posts, Then Deletes, Data on Bird Flu Spread Between Cats and People 鈥
It's like 'dead birds flying': How bird flu is spreading in the wild 鈥
Virginia lawmakers to CDC: Restart bird flu reports now 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MALARIA New City, Old Threats
As Indonesia constructs a new megacity that will one day be its capital, scientists are warning of an old danger lurking in the surrounding areas: malaria.
The new city, Ibu Kota Nusantara (IKN), is being constructed in East Kalimantan, Borne鈥攁 鈥渕alaria and biodiversity hotspot,鈥 per a about IKN鈥檚 public health risks.
- Researchers are especially worried about a rare form of malaria caused by the parasite Plasmodium knowlesi, which thrives in degraded forests.
- More research, surveillance, and control measures are crucial before moving ~1 million people to IKN from Jakarta, the commentary urges.
WHO chief asks countries to push Washington to reconsider its withdrawal 鈥
Russia Opposes Updated WHO Assessment Of Health Effects Of Nuclear Weapons 鈥
PEPFAR under review: what's at stake for PEPFAR's future 鈥
COVID vaccination saved more than 5,000 US lives in 7 months in 2023-24, CDC estimates 鈥
In Mexico, budget cuts dim hopes for a science funding revival 鈥
New drug halves number of children hospitalised with RSV 鈥
Super Bowl can cause elevated heart attack risk, especially among at risk patients 鈥
Men Who Have Gotten Vasectomies Are Sharing Their Stories And Some Of Them May Surprise You 鈥 Issue No. 2672
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
The US pause in foreign assistance funding has created 鈥渃onfusion鈥 in the vital work of community HIV prevention, despite a waiver issued for HIV/AIDS programmes, the UN agency to combat the still deadly disease said on Friday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Argentina to Exit the WHO; A Potent New Way to Treat Pain; and Fat Bear Week in Altadena
Javier Milei attributed his decision to the WHO鈥檚 management of the COVID-19 pandemic.
February 6, 2025
Argentina's President Javier Milei leaves the Holocaust Museum after attending an event to commemorate International Holocaust Remembrance Day in Buenos Aires, on January 27. Luis Robayo/AFP via Getty
Following Trump始s Lead, Argentina to Exit WHO
Argentina鈥檚 president Javier Milei has announced the country will leave the WHO, following U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 lead, .
Rationale: Milei attributed his decision to the WHO鈥檚 management of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling the lockdowns a 鈥渃aveman quarantine鈥 and 鈥渙ne of the most outlandish crimes against humanity in history.鈥
鈥淲HO flu鈥: The bigger concern, health advocates say, is a growing trend CIDRAP鈥檚 director 鈥淲HO flu鈥濃攊n which countries pull out of the global health organization for political reasons.
Reaction: The announcement sparked immediate criticism from health organizations who say the move reduces Argentina鈥檚 access to health funding and resources. Opposition leaders said the decision would need to be approved by the country鈥檚 congress.
Meanwhile: The Trump administration has been considering plans for WHO reform鈥攊ncluding putting an American in charge of the agency in order for it to remain a member of the global body, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
A newer strain of bird flu has been detected in six dairy herds in Nevada; the strain, D1.1, is different from the one that has already been circulating in U.S. dairy herds, and that has been associated with severe infections in birds and humans.
Patients using diabetes apps can potentially miss critical blood glucose level alerts due to improper settings especially after software and hardware updates, per a new and recommendations.
Travelers to Uganda are being urged to take 鈥渆nhanced precautions鈥 because of the Ebola outbreak there, per alerts put out by , , and the .; recommendations include avoiding health care centers.
A kidney cancer vaccine is showing early promise, as Phase I trial results showed that nine patients at high risk for cancer recurrence remained cancer-free after three years; results suggest that the vaccines could someday be used for a wider variety of cancers. NEGLECTED DISEASES Niger鈥檚 Historic Victory Over River Blindness
Niger鈥檚 elimination of 鈥攁 parasitic disease more commonly known as river blindness鈥攊s being lauded as a 鈥渂eacon of hope鈥 in the quest to end NTDs.
Niger is the first country in the African continent to eliminate the disease, which can cause severe vision problems and blindness, plunging families into poverty.
What it took: The effort was 45 years in the making, and required extensive tracking, vector control, medication distribution鈥攁nd partnering with the global Onchocerciasis Elimination Committee, a global network of NGOs and disease experts.
Building on momentum: Eliminating river blindness in Niger alone is estimated to have added $2.3 billion USD to the country鈥檚 economy between 1976 and 2019 as prevention programs accelerated.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES PHARMACEUTICALS A Potent New Way to Treat Pain
The last week to greenlight a non-opioid pain medication鈥攖he first in 20+ years鈥攊s being heralded as 鈥済roundbreaking鈥 and a 鈥減ublic health milestone,鈥 .
The basics: The new analgesic drug, suzetrigine, will be sold under the brand name Journavx and used to treat moderate to severe acute pain, .
How it works: Whereas opioids bind to receptors in the brain, the new drug targets a pain-signaling pathway in the peripheral nervous system before pain signals reach the brain.
For one 525-pound California black bear, the Los Angeles wildfires weren始t a compelling enough reason to leave a cozy basement in Altadena.
After evacuating, Samy Arbid returned home to find his tubby tenant had doubled down(stairs), waiting out the emergency in the basement. Beary, aka Victor, was 鈥減robably trying to lay low, conserve energy and sleep for a while,鈥 according to Kevin Howells, an environmental scientist who helped lure Beary from his lair, the .
We始d have made a case here for ursine eminent domain, but animal control had other ideas. A tranquilizer wasn始t gonna cut it on this majestic creature, so they lured him鈥攙ery slowly and adorably鈥攚ith a buffet of rotisserie chicken, sardines, tomato sauce, peanut butter, and promise of a new life in Angeles National Forest, .
But will forest cuisine suit this urbanite始s palate? As one neighbor explained to : 鈥淗e just wants some good trash, like we all like some good trash.鈥 (Wait ... do we, though!?) QUICK HITS Sudanese relief workers in the capital fear reprisals from army 鈥
Sweden searches for answers after country's deadliest shooting 鈥
Public health group alarmed by online 鈥楧EI Watchlist鈥 targeting federal staff 鈥
Spinal cord electrical stimulation restores neural function in clinical trial 鈥
Time blindness is a psychological phenomenon. Here are steps to combat it. 鈥 Issue No. 2671
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
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Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Argentina鈥檚 president Javier Milei has announced the country will leave the WHO, following U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 lead, .
Rationale: Milei attributed his decision to the WHO鈥檚 management of the COVID-19 pandemic, calling the lockdowns a 鈥渃aveman quarantine鈥 and 鈥渙ne of the most outlandish crimes against humanity in history.鈥
- Milei鈥檚 actions have echoed other Trump policies, including a new crackdown on transgender care for minors.
鈥淲HO flu鈥: The bigger concern, health advocates say, is a growing trend CIDRAP鈥檚 director 鈥淲HO flu鈥濃攊n which countries pull out of the global health organization for political reasons.
Reaction: The announcement sparked immediate criticism from health organizations who say the move reduces Argentina鈥檚 access to health funding and resources. Opposition leaders said the decision would need to be approved by the country鈥檚 congress.
Meanwhile: The Trump administration has been considering plans for WHO reform鈥攊ncluding putting an American in charge of the agency in order for it to remain a member of the global body, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
A newer strain of bird flu has been detected in six dairy herds in Nevada; the strain, D1.1, is different from the one that has already been circulating in U.S. dairy herds, and that has been associated with severe infections in birds and humans.
Patients using diabetes apps can potentially miss critical blood glucose level alerts due to improper settings especially after software and hardware updates, per a new and recommendations.
Travelers to Uganda are being urged to take 鈥渆nhanced precautions鈥 because of the Ebola outbreak there, per alerts put out by , , and the .; recommendations include avoiding health care centers.
A kidney cancer vaccine is showing early promise, as Phase I trial results showed that nine patients at high risk for cancer recurrence remained cancer-free after three years; results suggest that the vaccines could someday be used for a wider variety of cancers. NEGLECTED DISEASES Niger鈥檚 Historic Victory Over River Blindness
Niger鈥檚 elimination of 鈥攁 parasitic disease more commonly known as river blindness鈥攊s being lauded as a 鈥渂eacon of hope鈥 in the quest to end NTDs.
Niger is the first country in the African continent to eliminate the disease, which can cause severe vision problems and blindness, plunging families into poverty.
What it took: The effort was 45 years in the making, and required extensive tracking, vector control, medication distribution鈥攁nd partnering with the global Onchocerciasis Elimination Committee, a global network of NGOs and disease experts.
Building on momentum: Eliminating river blindness in Niger alone is estimated to have added $2.3 billion USD to the country鈥檚 economy between 1976 and 2019 as prevention programs accelerated.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES PHARMACEUTICALS A Potent New Way to Treat Pain
The last week to greenlight a non-opioid pain medication鈥攖he first in 20+ years鈥攊s being heralded as 鈥済roundbreaking鈥 and a 鈥減ublic health milestone,鈥 .
The basics: The new analgesic drug, suzetrigine, will be sold under the brand name Journavx and used to treat moderate to severe acute pain, .
How it works: Whereas opioids bind to receptors in the brain, the new drug targets a pain-signaling pathway in the peripheral nervous system before pain signals reach the brain.
- 鈥淎s a result, you shouldn鈥檛 get euphoria,鈥 explained neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta in a this week.
For one 525-pound California black bear, the Los Angeles wildfires weren始t a compelling enough reason to leave a cozy basement in Altadena.
After evacuating, Samy Arbid returned home to find his tubby tenant had doubled down(stairs), waiting out the emergency in the basement. Beary, aka Victor, was 鈥減robably trying to lay low, conserve energy and sleep for a while,鈥 according to Kevin Howells, an environmental scientist who helped lure Beary from his lair, the .
We始d have made a case here for ursine eminent domain, but animal control had other ideas. A tranquilizer wasn始t gonna cut it on this majestic creature, so they lured him鈥攙ery slowly and adorably鈥攚ith a buffet of rotisserie chicken, sardines, tomato sauce, peanut butter, and promise of a new life in Angeles National Forest, .
But will forest cuisine suit this urbanite始s palate? As one neighbor explained to : 鈥淗e just wants some good trash, like we all like some good trash.鈥 (Wait ... do we, though!?) QUICK HITS Sudanese relief workers in the capital fear reprisals from army 鈥
Sweden searches for answers after country's deadliest shooting 鈥
Public health group alarmed by online 鈥楧EI Watchlist鈥 targeting federal staff 鈥
Spinal cord electrical stimulation restores neural function in clinical trial 鈥
Time blindness is a psychological phenomenon. Here are steps to combat it. 鈥 Issue No. 2671
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
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