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96 Global Health NOW: Hantavirus Reveals Gaps in Outbreak Response; and Rising Vitamin K Shot Refusals May 11, 2026 TOP STORIES Manitoba has declared a public health emergency over HIV, amid some of Canada鈥檚 highest HIV rates鈥�19.5 cases per 100,000 people, or ~3.5X Canada鈥檚 overall rate of 5.5; the aim of the declaration is not to create fear, public health officials say, but to open up options to increase testing and raise awareness.    
The skin disease dermatophilosis has been confirmed in clusters of European men who have sex with men; the disease typically infects livestock, and while the human cases are reminiscent of mpox emergence, researchers say the condition appears mild.     CDC support for PEPFAR will end in September in most countries, as the Trump administration pivots to its 鈥淎merica First鈥� strategy of sending most HIV care funds directly to countries based on bilateral agreements with the U.S.; the move is the 鈥渇inal blow鈥� to the 23-year-old program, public health advocates say.  
The UAE has launched a new initiative to combat river blindness via mass administration of medicines, disease monitoring, and the training of local healthcare workers; the effort, to be implemented by Noor Dubai, supports the WHO鈥檚 roadmap to eliminate river blindness by 2030.   IN FOCUS Passengers are evacuated by small boat from the MV Hondius in the Granadilla Port. Tenerife, the Canary Islands, Spain, May 10. Chris McGrath/Getty Hantavirus Reveals Gaps in Outbreak Response     The global response to the hantavirus outbreak centered on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius is entering a new phase as passengers disembark on the island of Tenerife and evacuate to their home countries.    The decampment raises new concerns in a crisis that has already exposed the challenges of managing a global health response in a post-COVID landscape riddled with severe budget cuts, stalled research, rife misinformation, and strained international relationships.     CDC鈥檚 role questioned: Although the outbreak involves Americans, the agency 鈥渉as been uncharacteristically missing in action,鈥� , with the going out Friday and evacuation and quarantine plans for passengers only being confirmed over the weekend. 

• 17 U.S. cruise passengers returned to the U.S. early today, ; one American tested 鈥渕ildly鈥� positive for the virus and another showed 鈥渕ild symptoms,鈥� . Passengers are headed to the in Nebraska. 

• Acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya that the agency didn鈥檛 want to cause public panic, but infectious disease experts say the agency鈥檚 quiet 鈥渦nderscored the nation鈥檚 diminished global role in the face of health threats,鈥� .  

Lack of treatments: Hantavirus is a known threat, so why aren鈥檛 there vaccines or treatments? Despite decades of research, there has been 鈥渘o strong external pull鈥� to develop treatments for the rare disease, .  

• One pilot project researching hantavirus spillover was eliminated under NIH cuts last year.  

• Still, some promising treatments in the pipeline could be expedited, .  

Erosion of trust: Meanwhile, virus-related misinformation has run rampant, .     The future of global cooperation: The struggle to trace the virus across borders has proven to be a 鈥渕ammoth effort,鈥� . And in a year when countries have withdrawn from the WHO, from WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to the people of Tenerife makes the case for collaboration: 鈥淭he best immunity any of us has is solidarity.鈥�      Related: I鈥檓 fighting misinformation online. False hantavirus claims follow a now-familiar playbook 鈥� DATA POINT

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Attacks on healthcare in Ukraine since Russia鈥檚 full-scale invasion began in February 2022, . 鈥淭his cannot be normalized,鈥� says Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, emphasizing that each attack marks a violation of international humanitarian law. 鈥�
  CHILD HEALTH Rising Vitamin K Shot Refusals    With growing distrust in medical interventions, U.S. hospitals are reporting a sharp increase in parents rejecting newborn vitamin K shots. Pediatricians fear deficiency-related deaths are rising as a result. 
  Why the shot matters: The vitamin K injection has been a standard part of postnatal care for decades because it helps infants clot blood and prevents rare but dangerous brain bleeding.  

• Babies who skip the shot are far more likely to suffer severe bleeds, lasting injuries, or death. 

Doctors alarmed over declines: A found that rates of vitamin K refusal reached 5% nationwide鈥攁 77% spike since 2017.  

• While deficiency-related deaths are not tracked, doctors warn that the growing rejections are contributing to the hundreds of infant brain-bleeding fatalities that occur each year.  

  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS NHS cancer nurses exposed to toxic chemicals linked to miscarriage due to inadequate PPE 鈥�     Measles Wild-Type Virus Detection Through Wastewater Surveillance in Sandoval County, New Mexico 鈥�     Nigeria: Sokoto, Sightsavers Step Up Vaccination After Meningitis Kills 33 Children 鈥�     FDA cliffhanger: Makary鈥檚 fate in limbo 鈥�     A U.S. Senate Candidate Says Foreign Truckers Are Making America鈥檚 Roads Unsafe. His Own Truckers Have Caused Harm. 鈥�     As Ranks of Uninsured Grow, Minnesota鈥檚 Hospitals Are Among Least Charitable in Nation 鈥�     WHO Gender Parity Dips Amidst Staff Cuts, but Women Advance Slightly in Professional Ranks 鈥�      New research reveals how music can transform exercise from a chore to a joyful habit 鈥�  Issue No. 2913
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 passengers and crew have disembarked from the hantavirus-hit cruise ship MV Hondius in Tenerife and many have returned to their home countries, as the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said the operation demonstrated a 鈥渢riumph of solidarity鈥�.

Passengers and crew from the cruise ship MV Hondius began disembarking in Tenerife on Sunday under a tightly coordinated international health operation led by Spanish authorities and the World Health Organization (WHO), as officials sought to reassure the public that the outbreak 鈥渋s not another COVID.鈥�

The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has issued a direct plea for calm and solidarity to the citizens of Tenerife ahead of the scheduled arrival of the MV Hondius on Sunday

New evidence shows that malaria vaccination is significantly reducing child deaths in Africa and could have an even greater impact as programmes expand, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified more than 3,000 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the UN agency reported on Friday.

The risk of hantavirus spreading to the general population is 鈥渁bsolutely low鈥�, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Friday, as a flight attendant tested negative for the disease after coming into contact with an infected passenger from the cruise ship at the centre of the outbreak, who later died. 

96 Global Health NOW: The Health-Improving Power of Pollinators; and The Deep Disparities in Kenya鈥檚 AI-Driven Health Coverage May 7, 2026 TOP STORIES At least 29 passengers left a cruise ship in the midst of a hantavirus outbreak on April 24, without contact tracing, after the first on board passenger death, but the WHO maintains the risk to the public is still low, ; officials believe the outbreak could have originated from a bird-watching excursion in Argentina, where hantavirus cases have been on the rise, . 
  Shootings at hospitals have increased steadily over 25 years, from 6 to 34 events per year鈥攁 6.4% increase annually, , which pointed to the need for "hospital-specific prevention strategies,鈥� including improved weapons screening processes.     COVID-19 can lead to blood clots, heart attack, and stroke because of the virus鈥檚 impact on proteins in blood vessels, . The study found that viral damage to thrombomodulin鈥攁 protein on the surface of blood vessel cells鈥攃reates clots, which then travel throughout the body and disrupt blood flow.  

Plant-based meat and dairy products in U.K. supermarkets contain a 鈥減revalence鈥� of mycotoxins, which are fungi-produced poisonous compounds, ; all 212 meat- and dairy-substitute products tested contained the toxins, which pose little risk in low quantities, but 鈥渃ould lead to a cumulative build-up鈥� resulting in health problems, researchers said. 
IN FOCUS A honeybee sits on a marigold flower to collect nectar. Kathmandu, Nepal, February 8, 2024. Sanjit Pariyar/NurPhoto via Getty The Health-Improving Power of Pollinators    Wild insect pollinators have a direct impact on human health and livelihoods through the critical role they play in food production and nutrition, that quantifies those connections in precise and tangible ways.     Exploring the links in Nepal: To 鈥渦nderstand and harness the pathways linking biodiversity to human health,鈥� researchers spent a year inside 10 farming villages in Jumla District, Nepal, where three-quarters of the population depends directly on smallholder farming, .  

• "That link between the biodiversity around them, and their health, their nutrition, their livelihoods is very, very direct,鈥� explained lead author Thomas Timberlake.  

• Researchers tracked daily diets of 776 people and cataloged extensive activity between insects and crops across 500+ species鈥攇auging the influence of insects on crops, and crops on humans.  

A vast web of connections: Pollinators were essential to crops that accounted for 44% of household farming income and 20%+ of vital nutrient intake, including vitamin A, folate, and vitamin E.     Interdependent losses: Some populations are drastically affected by the decline of pollinators like native honeybee populations, which are critical for pollinating multiple crops, and which have dropped by ~50% over ~10 years in some Nepalese regions due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change.  
Symbiotic gains: Researchers identified 鈥渞elatively simple interventions鈥� that significantly boost pollinators, including planting wildflowers, curbing pesticide use, and native beekeeping. 

• Active pollination management could increase household income by 15%鈥�30% and raise 9% of the population out of a nutrient deficiency. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HEALTH DISPARITIES The Deep Disparities in Kenya鈥檚 AI-Driven Health Coverage    Kenya鈥檚 new health coverage program is facing backlash over its algorithm formula that is 鈥渟ystematically鈥� driving up costs for the nation鈥檚 poorest.     Background: The Social Health Authority (SHA), launched in 2023, was meant to overhaul the country鈥檚 decades-old national insurance system and expand coverage. 

• To determine what households can afford to contribute, the government is using a predictive machine-learning algorithm that calculates incomes based on possessions and life circumstances. 

A flawed formula: The new system has overcharged more than half of poor households while underestimating wealthier ones, found an investigation by  in collaboration with  and .     Impact: Of 20 million+ people registered for SHA, ~5 million are paying their premiums, leading many to be denied care, and hospitals report large deficits as SHA reimbursements remain unpaid.      

ICYMI: Rooting Out AI鈥檚 Biases 鈥� OPPORTUNITY Call for Abstracts     The International Conference for Urban Health (ICUH) invites abstracts for work addressing issues in global urban health to share in Mexico City this coming October 13鈥�17, under the theme Healthy Cities by Design: Climate, Care, & Community from Latin America to the World.    Submissions are open across six thematic tracks spanning climate resilience, food and movement, mental health and belonging, lifecourse health, urban health systems, and a dedicated Latin America and Caribbean spotlight, with submissions in English, Spanish, and Portuguese welcome.  

•  

•  

• Deadline: May 17 

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION No Divine Intervention for a Pope on Hold 
Nothing tests one鈥檚 faith quite like a soul-crushing call with customer service. And when it comes to escaping the purgatory of the hold line, it turns out even the Pope doesn鈥檛 have a prayer.     Like anyone shifting careers and houses, Robert Prevost-turned Pope Leo XIV had to make some calls updating his address and phone number, including a call he personally made to his bank in South Chicago, .     The pontiff鈥檚 successful responses to security questions rivaling St. Peter鈥檚 at the Pearly Gates still weren鈥檛 enough to satisfy the customer service representative, who informed him that he needed to come to the bank in person, .     Even the patience of Job runs out at a point, and even the Holy Father resorted to pulling the ace up his vestments鈥� sleeve: 鈥淲ould it matter to you if I told you I鈥檓 Pope Leo?鈥� he purportedly said.    Click.     Could the Pope鈥檚 experience bring a little needed fire and brimstone to  of interminable customer service hassles and ?    It would be a miracle worthy of canonization.  QUICK HITS One Million More Midwives: The Smartest Investment for Safer Births in a Shrinking Aid Landscape 鈥�     In a milestone for ALS, a treatment helps some patients improve 鈥�     Survey: Facing headwinds, early-career physician-scientists mull other options, jobs abroad 鈥�     Georgia officials knew chemicals from carpet mills were polluting local water. The people did not 鈥�     First AI tool to detect suspicious peer reviews rolled out by academic publisher 鈥�     RFK Jr withdraws proposal banning teens from tanning beds as skin experts warn of cancer risks 鈥�   Issue No. 2912
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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As Canada moves to modernize cervical cancer screening, a new study suggests most women do not yet understand or trust the shift from the Pap test to human papillomavirus (HPV) based screening.

The national survey, published in , examined women鈥檚 preferences for cervical screening 鈥� including how they want to be screened and how they want information communicated 鈥� as Canada transitions from Pap tests to HPV testing.

A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean poses a low global public health risk and is 鈥渘ot the start of another COVID pandemic鈥�, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.

96 Global Health NOW: Identifying 鈥楾he Deadliest Company in the World鈥�; and On the Front Lines of an Emerging Drug Crisis May 6, 2026 TOP STORIES 1 in 5 amputees in Gaza is a child, and it could take at least five years for the 6,600+ in Gaza who need prosthetics and rehabilitation care to receive it amid a severe shortage of specialists and ongoing restrictions on prosthetic supply shipments, the UN said this week.     20 years after the HPV vaccine鈥檚 U.S. approval, data show that the vaccine reduces the risk of cervical cancer by 80% in women vaccinated by age 16 and 66% in those vaccinated after 16, ; the vaccines aren鈥檛 associated with serious side effects, the research shows.      The FDA blocked the publication of multiple recent studies showing the safety and efficacy of widely used COVID-19 and shingles vaccines; the HHS said the studies drew 鈥渂road conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data,鈥� even though the research was conducted by government scientists analyzing millions of patient records.   Londoners from Black African and Caribbean backgrounds are 2X as likely to suffer stroke as white counterparts and are less likely to receive timely care, that analyzed 30 years of stroke incidents from the South London Stroke Register.    IN FOCUS The exterior of the China Tobacco Shanghai Cigarette Factory Building. Shanghai, China, March 28. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Identifying 鈥楾he Deadliest Company in the World鈥�    A handful of powerful industries play a major role in driving deaths from chronic diseases worldwide: tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, and fossil fuels, which together are responsible for at least one-third of global deaths, .    Outsized impact: Among those industries, one company stands out as the single commercial entity linked to the most global deaths: China National Tobacco Corp., better known as China Tobacco鈥攁 state-owned company that for decades has controlled ~97% of China鈥檚 cigarette market in a country that consumes nearly half the world鈥檚 cigarettes.    Staggering toll: Tobacco use in China caused ~59鈥�78 million deaths from 1990 to 2023, or 2 million people annually,  run by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. 

• China Tobacco is tied to ~57 million of those deaths鈥攁 toll surpassing fatalities linked to war, drugs, or traffic worldwide, even adjusting for the highest plausible death estimates from those other industries.   

• The company also wields significant influence over China鈥檚 public health policy, systematically undercutting anti-smoking efforts. 

Intervention possible鈥攁nd unlikely: Because of China Tobacco鈥檚 centralized role, direct policy change could avert millions of early deaths over decades.  

• But the government鈥檚 dependence on billions in tax revenue from the industry means the company 鈥渋s likely to retain its spot as No. 1 in the world for years to come.鈥� 

     Related:     FDA announces its first OK of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adults in major shift under Trump 鈥�     Can vaping cause cancer? The evidence suggests it might. 鈥�      Hans Henri P. Kluge: Big Tobacco is No Longer Selling Cigarettes 鈥� It Is Engineering Addiction 鈥�   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES OPIOIDS On the Front Lines of an Emerging Drug Crisis     In the swiftly shape-shifting opioid market, morgues and medical examiners are increasingly the first to flag new deadly drugs when typical detection methods fail.  

• Novel opioids like cychlorphine鈥攁 powerful synthetic opioid up to 10X stronger than fentanyl鈥攐ften go undetected in labs.  

鈥淪entinels of public health鈥�: A Knoxville, Tenn., medical examiner was key to alerting public health officials and law enforcement to the rise of cychlorphine鈥攚hich she flagged after a long push for advanced testing in a suspicious overdose case.     Rapidly rising threat: In just six months, ~50 deaths in the region have been linked to cychlorphine, making it one of the leading local causes of overdose fatalities.       OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS 鈥楽preading like wildfire鈥�: Fiji grapples with soaring HIV cases 鈥�     Why rat virus patients could become super-spreaders 鈥�     Zambia blasts the US over a $2 billion health deal in exchange for critical minerals 鈥�      Can promises on gender equality made in Australia help a 16-year-old Indian cigarette maker with no toilet? 鈥�     CDC leader calls for new journal to 'elevate scientific rigor' 鈥�      Health care costs outrank food, vaccine concerns for MAHA voters, poll shows 鈥�     US woman moves to France and cuts annual asthma drug cost from $36,000 to $3,500 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!  Issue No. 2911
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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It鈥檚 been confirmed that another passenger from the cruise liner linked to the outbreak of hantavirus has contracted the disease, which has claimed the lives of three people on board and sparked an international alert coordinated by the UN World Health Organization (WHO).

96 Global Health NOW: Cruise Ship Hantavirus Investigation; and Delayed Visas, Looming Care Gaps May 5, 2026 TOP STORIES Rescue efforts are ongoing in a fireworks factory explosion that killed 26 and injured at least 61 in central China yesterday; Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an investigation into the disaster and 鈥渁 far-reaching evaluation of workplace safety measures.鈥� 
  Fossil-fuel derived methane emissions persisted at record high levels globally in 2025, making it unlikely that a 2030 target for reducing them by 30% will be met. 
  Overburdened dialysis units across Australia and New Zealand are being forced to ration lifesaving care, with wait times lasting years in some cases,  from nephrology, dialysis and transplant registry experts in the two countries. They say the government needs to invest in more equipment and emphasize prevention to stop a 鈥渢sunami鈥� of kidney disease. 
Rates of antibiotic-resistant E. coli infections in the blood of newborns at a Kansas hospital are on the rise, ; E. coli is a top cause of sepsis in newborns.  IN FOCUS The cruise ship MV Hondius off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 3. AFP via Getty Cruise Ship Hantavirus Investigation    The WHO and international partners are investigating the cluster of seven cases of severe respiratory illness (including three deaths) tied to hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, .     What鈥檚 the latest?  

• 鈥淲e do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that is happening among the really close contacts,鈥� said WHO's Maria Van Kerkhove, .  

• The first person who fell ill may have been infected before boarding the MV Hondius in Ushuaia, Argentina, Van Kerkhove added. 

• Human infection commonly occurs via 鈥渁erosolized droplets of rodent faeces, urine or saliva containing the virus,鈥� . 

• The WHO says there鈥檚 low risk to the global population. 

• Two cases of the seven cases have been laboratory-confirmed. 

• The ship is moored off Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa.  

奥丑补迟鈥檚&苍产蝉辫;苍别虫迟?  

• Results of genetic sequencing of the virus in sick passengers to determine the hantavirus strain should be available within a few days, University of Saskatchewan virologist Bryce Warner told Nature.   

Worth noting: South African experts did early lab testing that confirmed hantavirus infection in a patient, one of the seven, who remains critically ill.   

• 鈥淪outh Africa has very fast data, is home to some of the world鈥檚 best epidemiologists, and is a true team player in the world of global health,鈥� .

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POLICY Delayed Visas, Looming Care Gaps    Hundreds of foreign doctors educated in the U.S. may be forced to leave the country within months due to a backlog of delayed visa waivers, potentially leaving vulnerable communities without care    Program in limbo: The HHS Exchange Visitor Program lets physicians educated in the U.S. remain in the country on J1 visas while they transition to temporary worker status if they practice in underserved areas. 

• But this year, applications have stalled for months across multiple agencies.  

Costly consequences: If doctors are forced to leave due to delays, rehiring them could cost employers ~$100,000 per visa鈥攁 prohibitive expense.     Patients bear the brunt: Such losses will especially impact rural and low-income areas, medical leaders warn. 

• 鈥淭here鈥檚 going to be hundreds of places that are not going to have a physician that should have,鈥� said one impacted psychiatrist.  

    Related: Immigration changes are driving foreign researchers to leave the U.S. 鈥� or not come to begin with 鈥�    OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Abortion pill rulings cause whiplash and confusion 鈥� 

Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants 鈥� 

Beauty Without Burden: Why Nigeria Must Keep Lead Out of Cosmetics 鈥� 

The Cost of 鈥楴atural鈥� Womanhood 鈥�

鈥楶oint of no return鈥�: New Orleans relocation must start now due to sea level, study finds 鈥� 

Telemedicine Visits Tied to Fewer Antibiotics for Respiratory Infections 鈥�  Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!

The Bus That Brings Reproductive Care to Homeless Women 鈥�   Issue No. 2910
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 UN has expressed deep concern over escalating security incidents in the Gulf, warning that recent attacks risk undermining efforts to maintain regional stability.

Hantavirus victims on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean may have been infected prior to joining the cruise and human-to-human transmission on board cannot be ruled out 鈥� although it is rare - the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.

96 Global Health NOW: The Growing Threat of 鈥楬idden Hunger鈥�; and Raw Milk Market Gains Ground May 4, 2026 TOP STORIES A suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has led to three deaths, while lab results confirm six cases, ; WHO officials said the  鈥渞isk to the wider public remains low鈥� as exposure to the virus is rare and typically linked to exposure to infected rodents, .     Ghana has rejected a bilateral health agreement with the U.S., as Ghana鈥檚 leaders resisted terms requiring the sharing of sensitive health data鈥攖he same issue that led Zimbabwe to reject a similar deal and that has also prompted a court to suspend implementation of Kenya鈥檚 agreement.     School phone bans in the U.S. have had mixed results so far, , which analyzed 40,000+ schools and found that test scores and attendance have not increased; however, the study found improved student well-being over time and said long-term impacts bear further study.      The U.S. identified 50 large TB outbreaks involving 10+ related cases between 2017 and 2023, , which found that roughly two鈥憈hirds of large outbreaks occurred within family or social networks.  IN FOCUS Farmers harvest potatoes in a field in Dalingzi Village of Daxinzhuang Town in the Fengnan District, Tangshan City, China, on July 9, 2025. Yang Shiyao/Xinhua via Getty The Growing Threat of 鈥楬idden Hunger鈥�
Staple foods like rice, wheat, legumes, and potatoes are steadily losing vital nutrients, as rising carbon dioxide levels from climate change deplete key minerals and vitamins from crops. The shift could lead to mounting health consequences, scientists say鈥攅specially in low-income countries.     奥丑补迟鈥檚&苍产蝉辫;丑补辫辫别苍颈苍驳: Increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere alter plant development by speeding growth and boosting sugars while disrupting their ability to absorb key minerals, like zinc and iron.  

• , scientists found that nutrients have already decreased by an average 3.2% across all plants since the late 1980s鈥攁 depletion already impacting diets worldwide.  

鈥淭he diets we eat today have less nutritional density than what our grandparents ate, even if we eat exactly the same thing,鈥� said Kristie Ebi of the University of Washington鈥檚 Center for Health and the Global Environment.    The impact: Scientists warn of a future of 鈥渉idden hunger,鈥� where people eat sufficient calories but face major deficiencies. While wealthy countries can offset losses with diet changes and supplements, poorer populations reliant on impacted crops could see 鈥渄evastating鈥� impacts.  

• By mid-century, over a billion women and children could face increased risk of iron-deficiency anemia, leading to pregnancy complications, developmental problems, and death.  

• And ~2 billion people across the globe already facing nutrient shortages could see exacerbated health problems.  

Strategies needed: Researchers emphasize the need for agricultural policy geared toward growing an array of nutritious crop variants鈥攁nd the urgent need to cut carbon emissions.         ICYMI:  鈥� Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health  DATA POINT

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The number of measles cases since March 15 in Bangladesh鈥檚 growing outbreak, according to health officials; nearly 300 deaths have been reported in that time frame. 鈥�   POLICY Raw Milk Market Gains Ground   
State legislators are pressing for wider access to raw milk in the U.S., as demand for the product grows despite its established health risks and links to ongoing outbreaks. 
 
More legal avenues: Currently 40+ proposed bills in 18 states are seeking to make it easier to buy, sell, or consume raw milk. 
 
Risks persist: The push for raw milk access has accelerated with promotion from social media and wellness influencers, despite five outbreaks linked to raw milk reported in the past year alone. 

• A CDC review identified  tied to raw milk that sickened 2,600+ people between 1998 and 2018, with children especially vulnerable.  

鈥淧ublic health has lost the battle on raw milk,鈥� said Mary McGonigle-Martin, co-chair of consumer advocacy group Stop Foodborne Illness. 
 
  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS WHO delays pandemic treaty amid pathogen-sharing dispute 鈥�   
Court restricts abortion access across the US by blocking the mailing of mifepristone 鈥�      鈥楳others won鈥檛 die, babies can survive鈥�: new maternal hospital opens in world鈥檚 largest refugee camp 鈥�  
Trump just replaced his surgeon general pick, and it could change what you鈥檙e told about your health 鈥�     鈥楢 ghost that lives with us鈥�: Death Cafes take the sting out of the inevitable end 鈥�    Issue No. 2909
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 2026 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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An outbreak of deadly hantavirus aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has triggered an international public health response.

Three people have died and three others are ill following suspected cases of hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday.

Pour marquer la Journ茅e internationale des travailleuses et des travailleurs, soyons v茅ritablement unis pour la sant茅.

96 Global Health NOW: A Turning Point in TB Testing; and A 鈥楾errifying Medical Underworld鈥� Expands April 30, 2026 TOP STORIES Endometriosis diagnosis could be dramatically improved with a new imaging tool that uses a molecular tracer to help physicians observe blood vessel growth and inflammation in the body; the new tool could significantly shorten the long wait time for a diagnosis, which averages 9+ years in the U.K.  

HIV patients in Senegal are forgoing treatment amid a surge of arrests targeting the LGBTQ community after the government鈥檚 decision to increase prison term lengths and fines for same-sex sexual acts and any promotion of homosexuality.     America's infant formula supply has been deemed safe by the FDA, which tested 300+ infant formula samples for contaminants including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, pesticides, PFAs, and phthalates, and found "an overwhelming majority of samples had undetectable or very low levels of contaminants.鈥�     World Cup health surveillance for the competition will be launched by global health academics at Georgetown University, who are providing a temporary surveillance hub to monitor disease risks like measles.   IN FOCUS Scanning electron micrograph of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause TB. NIH//Universal Images Group via Getty Images A Turning Point in TB Testing    A new portable tuberculosis test could transform the diagnostic process for patients, making it more accessible and affordable for underserved populations, and leading to earlier treatment options, .     The traditional method: For over a century, TB diagnosis has relied on examining a patient鈥檚 phlegm samples under a microscope鈥攁n often-unwieldy, imprecise method that can miss up to half of cases or produce false positives.  

• It鈥檚 also difficult for many patients, like children and older people, to provide phlegm samples. 

Circumventing phlegm: A new molecular test detects TB bacterium DNA via a simple tongue swab or phlegm, using technology similar to that used in hospital-based COVID tests to produce results in under 30 minutes, . 

• In  researchers analyzed the tests of ~1,400 patients across Africa and Asia and found the diagnostic process met WHO accuracy standards, while proving easy to use in low-resource settings. 

• The device, MiniDock MTB, was developed by the Chinese company Pluslife, which designed it to be low-cost, battery-powered, and simple enough to use in clinics without microscopes or advanced labs. 

• Caveats: The test may miss very early infections and cannot identify drug-resistant TB without follow-up testing. 

Implications: Easier, more reliable diagnosis could reduce missed cases, expedite treatment, and slow transmission.  HEALTH SYSTEMS A 鈥楾errifying Medical Underworld鈥� Expands     A crisis is growing in American hospitals as more facilities resort to patient 鈥渂oarding鈥�: the practice of holding admitted patients for hours or days in the emergency departments or other ill-equipped temporary locations while awaiting a hospital bed.     The reasons for the growing practice are complex, including hospital financial structures and staffing issues. But meaningful reforms have yet to be enacted.     In a deeply researched, and deeply personal report, journalist and former ER physician Elisabeth Rosenthal lays out the crisis through the lens of her late husband鈥檚 own agony in this 鈥渢errifying medical underworld鈥� in his last days before dying of esophageal cancer.     The quote: 鈥淓veryone knows about this problem, and no one cares enough to do anything about it. It鈥檚 barbaric,鈥� said Adrian Haimovich, an ED doctor in Boston.       OPPORTUNITY Funding Opportunity for Disability Inclusion  
Borealis Philanthropy's Disability Inclusion Fund is seeking joint grant proposals from organizations led by and for disabled people.  
These grants support cross-movement collaborations advancing disability justice, including community organizing, advocacy, narrative change, arts, and policy work.  

• At least one partner must be disability-focused and disability-led.  

• Combined annual budgets must be under $3 million.  

• All organizations must be U.S.-based 501(c)(3)s or fiscally sponsored.  

Successful applicants can receive up to $150,000 over two years.  

•   

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Gulls Just Wanna Have Fun    The frenzied squawks echoing from a pub in De Panne, Belgium, last weekend may have been alarming鈥攊f not downright annoying鈥攖o uninitiated passersby. But to the crowd inside, these were sacred hymns of homage.    The annual European Seagull Screeching Championship is, after all, more than a competition. Now in its sixth year, the event seeks to rehabilitate the much-derided sea scavengers鈥� reputation by 鈥渃onnecting gulls and people,鈥� and reminding them that 鈥渁 gull screeching brings back good memories,鈥� .     The real memory-makers? The people with eerily good impressions of that unhinged cackle only a seagull can make as it divebombs your sandwich. This year, 70 contestants from 15 countries gave it their best go, , many donning feathers in an effort to further impress the five jury members (each 鈥渢rue seagull lovers,鈥� assures the website).    And much like a seagull, organizer Claude Willaert has unapologetically bold aims for the competition, : 鈥淲e are going to have more countries than at the Eurovision Song Contest.鈥�  QUICK HITS RFK Jr. is holding up $600M in vaccines for poor countries 鈥�      Australia becomes the 30th country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem 鈥�  
A cheap drug used by longevity enthusiasts may have a surprising impact on exercise 鈥�  
J. Craig Venter, Scientist Who Decoded the Human Genome, Dies at 79 鈥�  
Baby teeth hold clues to the harms of toxic metals for infants 鈥� and older kids 鈥�   
Why you should 鈥榝eed a cold鈥�: eating primes immune cells for action 鈥�   Issue No. 2908
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 2026 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 .