Global Health Programs aggregator

��Թ� Faculty of Medicine news: CIHR and partners invest $7.9 million in cancer prevention research at ��Թ�

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 14:05:07 -0500

Part of the largest CIHR-led cancer prevention investment, ��Թ� researchers will develop approaches to reduce cancer risk and improve early detection

��Թ� Perspectives Blog newsletter: ��Թ� Perspectives on Global Health: February 2026 Issue

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:00:00 -0500

��Թ� Perspectives on Global Health: February 2026 Issue

February 2026

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NEWSLETTER

This February,

We are highlighting some recently published articles on the blog:

🔹 Loss of Measles Elimination Status in Canada
🔹 Still Here: How Colonialism Keeps TB Around
🔹 Malignancy in Academia: An Editorial on the Academic Hidden Curriculum of Dysfunction
🔹 Sex Ed in the U.S. is Under Assault - Our Health, Rights and Relationships Are at Stake
🔹 The Indigenous Health Centre of Tiohtià:ke: A Necessity, not a Luxury
🔹 In Conversation with La Maison Bleue

Not to mention...
🔹 Spotlight Awards are Open! Winter 2025 Call for Health Experiences IS OPEN! Apply today!

Thank you for being part of our community. Enjoy the read! 💙✨

Selected Articles for this Month

Loss of Measles Elimination Status in Canada

“Still, the anxiety around this outbreak is not mere frustration at a disease we thought we buried. It is a troubling hint of the vaccine-resistant future that may be waiting ahead." - Author: Becca Winkelaar

Still Here: How Colonialism Keeps TB Around

"The historical trajectory of TB in Canada, particularly its disproportionate impact on Indigenous populations, serves as a poignant illustration of [...] social determinants at play."
- Author: Hillary Wright

Malignancy in Academia: An Editorial on the Academic Hidden Curriculum of Dysfunction

“Academia is often idealized as a space of growth, curiosity, and knowledge creation. But glossy mission statements and institutional pride often mask a more uncomfortable reality: a silent curriculum of power, inequity, and waste (1). From medical school in Egypt, graduate training in Canada, and through the professional experiences, I have witnessed systems that differ in form but share common dysfunction. I have made mistakes. I remained silent, learned, and watched many others quietly endure the same.”
- Author: Moustafa Laymouna

Sex Ed in the U.S. is Under Assault - Our Health, Rights, and Relationships Are at Stake

“Sex education in America has long shifted with each administration, its content dictated by politics rather than public health. Federal funding priorities and Department of Education guidelines now serve as partisan tools in a culture war over our bodies and identities. But political ideology should not determine our right to accurate, life-saving information."
- Authors: Maya Ueoku, Lila Aspin, Aleeyaa Alam

The Indigenous Health Centre of Tiohtià:ke: A Necessity, not a Luxury

"In spotlight is the Indigenous Health Centre of Tiohtià:ke (IHCT), a community health centre that provides necessary care to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in the Montréal area and to those visiting the area. Approaching its 10th anniversary, the clinic is a celebration of hard work, determination, and compassion – removing barriers, delivering culturally sensitive care, and doing so with no charge to its clientele."
- Author: Hillary Wright

In Conversation with La Maison Bleue

"Last semester, I had the privilege of volunteering at La Maison Bleue (LMB), a social perinatal organization with five branches across Montreal. LMB works with at-risk pregnant women and families, with a mission to reduce social inequalities and promote optimal child development. During my time there, I saw this mission come to life: children meeting with psychoeducators to assess their learning development, mothers attending workshops on Canada’s immigration process, and families bonding in the waiting room. The organization does more than just provide healthcare and social services; it fosters a community, oftentimes for people who might otherwise lack one."
- Author: Bridget Li

In the Spotlight

This month, we wanted to highlight a recently published piece by Juwel Rana, former Editor-in-Chief of the ��Թ� Global Health Journal

Long-term exposure to fine particulate matter and diabetes in Bangladeshi adults: Can clean air targets curb the rising diabetes burden?

In a nationally representative 2022 study of Bangladeshi adults, higher long-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with increased diabetes risk, with cleaner air targets potentially reducing national diabetes prevalence by up to 7.5%.

Click on the link to read more!

Share your Perspective on Global Health

We are excited to announce our Winter 2026 Call for Papers in the following area:

Health Experiences

The Health Experiences theme includes and is not limited to personal experiences with healthcare, illness, or an impactful clinical rotation you completed during your studies.

We encourage writers to explore creative aspects of this theme. For example, how do cultural practices or the arts allow us to better understand the illness experience and personalize the care people receive? What are creative solutions to public health challenges?

Click here for submission guidelines.

You can submit your article, photo essay or article pitch to us by emailing us at: globalhealthblog@mcgill.ca.

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest information and experiences in global health!

Follow us on social media

Copyright © 2017 ��Թ� Global Health Programs, All rights reserved.

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��Թ� Perspectives in Global Health Blog · McIntyre Medical Building, Room 633 · 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler · Montreal, Qc H3G 1Y6 · Canada

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Somalia’s Severe Food Insecurity; How Dentists are Driving Antibiotic Overuse

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:48:02 -0500

Global Health NOW: Somalia’s Severe Food Insecurity; How Dentists are Driving Antibiotic Overuse

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February 26, 2026


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IN FOCUS

A man and children eat together at a camp as people receive food aid packages in Mogadishu, Somalia, February 25. Halil Ibrahim Sincar/Anadolu via Getty Images

Somalia’s Severe Food Insecurity

The number of Somalis facing acute food insecurity has nearly doubled since last year, impacting a “staggering” 6.5 million people, as deepening drought, ongoing conflict, exorbitant food prices, and reduced aid all lead to deteriorating conditions, reports UN News.

And drought conditions are expected to remain “dire” through the spring, triggering further hunger across southern, central, and parts of northern Somalia—taking a particular toll on farming families, pastoralists, and people who are displaced, per the new IPC monitoring report.

Children at extreme risk: 1.8+ million children under five are expected to suffer from acute malnutrition this year, including ~483,000 experiencing severe wasting—the deadliest form of malnutrition.

Flagging aid: The crisis has been further compounded by a drop in humanitarian assistance, with food aid reaching only 17% of the 4.8 million people in need in January 2026, reports Anadolu Ajansı.

Since aid cuts last year, there has been a “significant reduction in the availability of nutrition treatment services,” including preventive treatment, supplemental feeding and therapeutic clinics, and early detection and referral services for children.

Call for intervention: The IPC is calling for an urgent influx of food aid and WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) assistance to high-risk “hotspot” areas.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

How Dentists are Driving Antibiotic Overuse

U.S. dentists are prescribing antibiotics at increasing rates, contributing to rising antimicrobial resistance, while failing to install systems to prevent overuse, reports CIDRAP in its investigative series, “Antibiotic Aftershocks.”

By the numbers: Dentists issued 27 million+ antibiotic prescriptions in 2025—a 6% increase since 2020.

80% of antibiotic prescriptions in dentistry are unnecessary, finds one 2019 study.

Climbing clindamycin usage: The increase includes 2.3 million prescriptions for clindamycin, a high-risk drug with a link to deadly C. difficile infections, per one of CIDRAP’s reports.

Clindamycin ranks as the second-most prescribed dental antibiotic despite experts’ calls to minimize it.

Siloed stewardship: While hospitals and health systems have adopted mandatory antibiotic stewardship programs, private dental offices lack similar oversight, shared patient records, or incentives to curb misuse.

Related:

Curbing overuse of dental antibiotics proves daunting – CIDRAP

How to avoid inappropriate dental antibiotics – CIDRAP

OPPORTUNITY

Nominations Open for Fries Awards for Health

Do you know someone who has achieved a major accomplishment in health? Nominate them for the CDC Foundation’s Fries Awards for Health.

The Fries Prize for Improving Health, a $100,000 prize, is awarded to an individual who has made major accomplishments in health improvement, with emphasis on recent contributions to health, and with the general criteria of the greatest good for the greatest number of people.

The Elizabeth Fries Health Education Award, a $50,000 prize, recognizes a practitioner or scholar who has made a substantial contribution to advancing the field of health education or health promotion through research, program development, or program delivery.

Nominations are open until April 4, 2026!

Learn how to submit a nomination

Learn more about the CDC Foundation Fries Awards for Health

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

Let’s Talk Turkey … Attacks

When Ottowa lab tech Michael Bourgon encountered two brazen birds on his walk home from work last week, he tried to be cordial.

“Hey, what’s up turkeys?” he greeted.

But they had come for blood, aggressively following Bourgon and giving him “the business,” he told CBC’s Ottowa Morning. As they pecked around his ankles, he quickly realized: “Whatever this is, I don’t want it.”

His next thought: “Please don’t let me be the guy who goes viral for kicking a turkey in the face.” Instead, he gently kicked snow around the birds, which only provoked them further.

Then, a stunning rescue.

“Hey, hop in!” a perfect stranger called from a white SUV, despite Bourgon looking—self-described—“like the Unabomber.”

We know all this thanks to another hero: Quick-thinking passerby Jody Paul knew “a naturally funny situation” when he saw one, and captured the must-watch video.

But it didn’t stop there. Bourgon still had to face work—and the turkeys—the next day, and the next.

“By round three, I was ready”—with some turkey face-off strategies for us all: Stand your ground, and don’t be “chaseable.”

“Doormats get walked on,” he advised. “Don’t put up with the turkey nonsense.”

QUICK HITS

Group unveils 10-year blueprint to reduce blindness – The Guardian Nigeria

Newly released 2025 scorecard unveils progress and setbacks on health and gender equality across Southern Africa – WHO

More pregnant Americans are skipping prenatal care, CDC finds – Axios

Scientists discover a key to staying mentally sharp in old age – CNN

When the next global health crisis strikes, will we be ready in 100 days? – Devex

Issue No. 2871

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 Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe

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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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��Թ� Faculty of Medicine news: How stepping into nature affects the brain

Thu, 26 Feb 2026 09:02:16 -0500

Spending time in nature, even briefly, triggers changes in the brain that calm stress, restore attention and quiet mental clutter, a new study has found.

Researchers at ��Թ� and colleagues at Adolfo Ibáñez University in Chile have examined more than 100 brain-imaging studies from various disciplines. The result is one of the most comprehensive reviews to date of how the brain responds to nature.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Scrutiny of Shifting U.S. Aid Strategy; and Antiquated, Isolated TB Care

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 09:17:27 -0500

Global Health NOW: Scrutiny of Shifting U.S. Aid Strategy; and Antiquated, Isolated TB Care

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February 25, 2026


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IN FOCUS

Health workers assist a patient inside a tent at Kuwadzana polyclinic. Harare, Zimbabwe, November 18, 2023. Shaun Jusa/Xinhua via Getty

Scrutiny of Shifting U.S. Aid Strategy

As the new “America First” health aid strategy moves toward more transactional agreements, Zimbabwe has rejected a proposed $367 million health package from the U.S.—citing a “lopsided” deal that “undermines the sovereignty and independence of Zimbabwe as a country” and that compromises established global health frameworks, per Business Insider Africa.

Objections: Zimbabwe’s leaders halted the talks over U.S. requirements for Zimbabwe to share sensitive biological and population data without guaranteed access to resulting medical innovations, reports Reuters via CNBC Africa. Zimbabwe leadership was also concerned about efforts to fold in mineral deals.

In response, the U.S. embassy in Harare said health assistance for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and maternal and child health would be wound down.

Bigger picture: Zimbabwe’s withdrawal comes as a growing number of African nations sign onto such bilateral agreements—which global health experts say resemble China’s former government-to-government aid model, per NPR.

Now, China is moving away from such bilateral deals, investing instead in self-described “small and beautiful” health projects while strengthening WHO ties and global health partnerships.

Meanwhile: The U.S. State Department is seeking to overhaul its international disaster response system, proposing a new Bureau of Disaster and Humanitarian Response that will separate international relief from migration policy, reports Devex.

Related:

What $50 Billion for U.S. Foreign Affairs Changes for Global Health – Think Global Health (commentary)

How debt relief for developing countries could help reverse the devastating consequences of UK aid cuts – The Independent

Little Clarity on Legality of Trump’s Foreign Aid Shutdown One Year After – Foreign Policy

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

TUBERCULOSIS

Antiquated, Isolated Care

In northern Cameroon, patients with drug-resistant tuberculosis are often confined in hospital wards for months, unable to see their families or interact with their community until they test negative.

“We’re just here,” said TB patient Asta Djouma, who has been in isolation since October.

Outdated model: This sanitarium model was abandoned in many countries decades ago. The WHO has recommended home-based care for most TB patients for the last 15 years, citing research that shows people on home treatment do better mentally and medically.

But policy change in Cameroon and other low-income countries has lagged as health systems lack funds to monitor at-home care.

Ongoing battle: ~40,000 people developed TB in Cameroon in 2024.

The New York Times (gift link)

Related:

Rapid sequencing approach could transform tuberculosis surveillance and care – Yale School of Public Health / Yale University

Tuberculosis funding cuts could cost households up to $80 billion – CIDRAP

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Trump cites health care issues in Greenland saying he’s sending a hospital ship. His claims are off – AP

As measles cases climb, these 9 diseases threaten comebacks – The Washington Post (gift link)

Hundreds of American nurses choose Canada over the U.S. under Trump – NPR

Bhattacharya’s growing power in Trump's HHS worries health experts – The Hill

There’s a Measles Alert in My Area. Now What? – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Major Chinese funder to stop paying fees for 30 pricey open-access journals – Science

New Type Of Vaccine Could One Day Give Universal Protection Against Colds, Flu, COVID – IFLScience

Issue No. 2870

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Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: The Power of Polio Influencers in Malawi; and Fiji’s ‘Tsunami’ of HIV Infections

Tue, 24 Feb 2026 09:48:45 -0500

Global Health NOW: The Power of Polio Influencers in Malawi; and Fiji’s ‘Tsunami’ of HIV Infections

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February 24, 2026


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IN FOCUS

Health worker Mable Njunga marks a door in Lilongwe, Malawi, indicating the home's children under 5 have had the polio vaccine. March 20, 2022. Amos Gumulira / AFP via Getty

The Power of Polio Influencers in Malawi

The detection of poliovirus in sewage treatment plants in Blantyre, Malawi, triggered a massive vaccination drive in the past week. But health authorities are fighting more than the virus.

1.3 million children have been vaccinated against the disease in four days with supplies airlifted by the WHO, The Guardian reports.

Successful but: The rapid response has also run into indifference, misinformation, and reluctant parents.

At a Blantyre school, one in 10 students remained at their desks during a vaccination drive because their parents didn’t give consent.

One parent told The Guardian: “I feel my child has had enough vaccines in her life.”

Creative persuasion: Logic and evidence often fail in communities already persuaded by misinformation on social media, said a Unicef polio manager sitting with a group of mothers. So she said health workers turn to influencers:

“You can give [a mother] any argument. It doesn’t matter. And then you have a local influencer walk in, and he says ‘vaccinate’, and she just hands you the child.”

Meanwhile in the U.S.: Polio survivors are incensed by a federal vaccine committee chair’s recent assertion that polio vaccination should be optional, per another Guardian article. One survivor warns that many polio experts have retired and are taking their expertise with them.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

HIV/AIDS

Fiji’s ‘Tsunami of Infections’

Over the course of just five years, Fiji has become home to the world’s fastest-growing HIV outbreak, with cases surging from 147 in 2020 to 1,226 in the first half of 2025 alone.

And without intervention, Fiji health officials warn that number could swell to ~25,000 cases by 2029.

Driving the epidemic: A boom in methamphetamine use has led to a rise in needle- and paraphernalia-sharing and other high-risk trends increasing transmission.

But at-risk populations are expanding beyond people who use drugs: 33 babies were born with HIV in early 2025.

Lagging health response: While Fijian officials are budgeting for a more robust response, the country currently has limited testing and harm reduction infrastructure, and minimal stocks of antiretrovirals or PrEP.

The Telegraph

Related:

Drugs, denial and stigma: the babies and children swept up in Fiji's HIV nightmare – The Guardian

Zimbabwe rolls out long-acting HIV drug, among first countries to do so – PBS

DATA POINT

2881
———

The number of attacks on health care in Ukraine—including health workers, facilities, and ambulances—documented by the WHO since the full-scale war began on February 24, 2022. —WHO

CORRECTION

In a Top Story last week that covered the displacement of children in Ukraine, we said “Five years into Ukraine’s war” … but we should have said, “As the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year.” Thanks for flagging that error, Angeline Sawaya!

Cells to Society: The Building Blocks of a Public Health Career

Considering a career in public health? The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is now offering online, noncredit courses for adult learners who are thinking about a career change, are seeking ways to be more helpful in their local communities, or are simply curious about how public health works. Explore available courses and register today to get a preview into a formal public health education.

Explore the Courses

QUICK HITS

Destitute survivors of south-east Asia’s cyberscam farms an ‘international crisis’ – The Guardian

South Africa regulator backed by the food industry blocks ad on sugar’s health risks – The Examination

NIH research grant funding rates plummeted in 2025 – Science

Study: Antibiotic resistance threatens 30-year decline in deaths from lower respiratory infections – CIDRAP

Vaccine skeptic stepping down from No. 2 post at CDC – Axios

Biohackers and wellness influencers are pushing nicotine as part of their ‘stacks’ – STAT Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!

How a Syrian refugee built a global mental health lifeline for displaced communities – Arab News

Issue No. 2869

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Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Global Health sNOW Day

Mon, 23 Feb 2026 10:07:04 -0500

Global Health NOW: Global Health sNOW Day

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February 23, 2026


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iStock/Getty

Global Health SNOW Day

GHN is off today due to inclement weather and reduced operations at Johns Hopkins University. We plan to be back tomorrow with all the latest global health news! —Dayna

Issue No. 2868

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Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Afghanistan’s ‘Catastrophic’ Hunger

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 09:25:50 -0500

Global Health NOW: Afghanistan’s ‘Catastrophic’ Hunger

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February 19, 2026


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IN FOCUS

A malnourished child holding his mother’s hand inside the Médecins Sans Frontières therapeutic nutrition center at a hospital in Herat, Afghanistan, on January 8. Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty

Afghanistan’s ‘Catastrophic’ Hunger

Afghanistan faces a historic surge in malnutrition, as aid cuts, displacement, and drought leave two-thirds of the country’s population facing serious or crisis levels for acute malnutrition, reports the AP.

“We have a catastrophic nutritional crisis on our hands,” said John Aylieff, Afghanistan Country Director for the UN's World Food Program, noting that levels of malnutrition are the highest ever recorded in the country at 17.4 million people.

Driving hunger: After the 2021 Taliban takeover, foreign aid plummeted and economic collapse left many without a lifeline for nutritional assistance. Since then, conditions have only worsened because of drought, earthquakes, and the return of 5.3 million Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran.

U.S. aid cuts last year delivered a devastating blow, and donors have since struggled to keep pace with the needs.

Most at risk:

Children: ~4 million children are acutely malnourished, and 500+ child deaths have been logged in recent months—likely an undercount.

Women: Prohibited from work, women are especially vulnerable. WFP has recorded a 30% rise in malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women, and is seeing an uptick in suicidal calls from women with nowhere to turn.

Fragility as Ramadan begins: “Many are beginning the fasting period without reliable incomes,” reports WFP.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

HUMAN RIGHTS

Birth Certificates for Bangladesh’s ‘Invisible’ Children

Hundreds of undocumented, “invisible” children born in brothels in Bangladesh now have birth certificates, opening the door to education and protections they previously could not access.

700+ children are newly documented after years of campaigning by activists with the Freedom Fund, who advocated for better documentation by pointing to a 2018 law that allows registration without a father’s details, and who worked to identify the children and collect their information.

Unlocking basic rights: The certificates will allow the children to enroll in school, acquire passports, and vote.

Documentation can also help protect children from trafficking.

The quote: “These documents are not just a tool, it’s about survival,” said Khaleda Akhter, Bangladesh program manager for the Freedom Fund.

The Guardian

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

A Dog Has His Day

It’s safe to say that us non-athletes don’t spend most of our lives thinking about triple axels, frantically sweeping near a kettle-type-thing, or cross-country-skiing-really-far-then-shooting-something.

But then for a few weeks every four years, we sink into our sofas and become winter sports dilettantes. We cry tears of joy and disappointment, lament scoring injustices, marvel at back stories—and wonder, popcorn in hand, if we might have stood a chance at Olympic greatness.

What we never considered: What if we just … joined in?

Nazgul, a local Czechoslovakian wolfdog, did just that, leaping into the final stretch of the women’s cross-country skiing qualifying race at Milano-Cortina. Immediately disqualified on grounds of being male, a dog, and not even on skis, Nazgul was nevertheless the star of the event, The Guardian reports.

A true sportsman, Nazgul congratulated fellow athletes with bum-sniffs at the finish line. Greek skier Konstantina Charalampidou welcomed the competition.

“I wanted to pet him, but I didn’t have the time.”

The sacrifices of an Olympian.

QUICK HITS

Measles cases in South Carolina rise by 12 to 962, state health department says – Reuters

NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya will take over leadership of CDC temporarily – NBC News

Why is the US targeting Cuba’s global medical missions? – Al Jazeera

FDA will drop two-study requirement for new drug approvals, aiming to speed access – AP

New Inhalable Tuberculosis Treatment Could Replace Months of Daily Pills – SciTech Daily

The most dangerous sport at the Winter Olympics? It’s not luge or ice skating – The Washington Post (gift link)

Issue No. 2867

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��Թ� Faculty of Medicine news: Engineered nanoparticles could deliver better targeted cancer treatment

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 14:42:37 -0500

Scientists at ��Թ� and the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute have developed a new way to deliver cancer immunotherapy that caused fewer side effects compared to standard treatment in a preclinical study.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Forced Begging in Ethiopia; and Botswana’s Health Care Breakdown

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 09:24:04 -0500

Global Health NOW: Forced Begging in Ethiopia; and Botswana’s Health Care Breakdown

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February 18, 2026


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IN FOCUS

People beg in the streets in central Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. November 16, 2010. Per-Anders Pettersson

Forced Begging in Ethiopia

People with disabilities are frequently trafficked and forced to beg in Ethiopia’s major cities in an often overlooked form of human trafficking that researchers describe as a “crime hiding in plain sight,” per a new study from the Population Council that is among the first to focus on the specific form of trafficking.

Exploiting vulnerability: Children with disabilities from poor rural families are especially at risk, facing stigma, exclusion, and almost no access to school or social support.

Traffickers often convince parents to allow them to take their children to urban areas like Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and Mekelle—promising education or medical care.

Extreme abuse: Once trafficked, the children are often forced to beg for long hours, often under “cruel and inhumane” conditions including near-starvation, minimal sleep, and constant threats of physical violence and abandonment.

“I would go out crawling on my hands since I didn’t have a wheelchair,” reported one female survivor with a physical disability, adding that if she returned with too few earnings her trafficker “insults me and hits me.”

Most were too afraid or dependent upon traffickers to seek help, and the police rarely provided a pathway out.

Calls for intervention: Researchers say trafficking can be prevented and reduced through:

Stigma reduction, including inclusive education and jobs for those with disabilities.

Safer reporting mechanisms and tailored law enforcement response.

Support systems after rescue, informed by survivor experience.

The Population Council

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

HEALTH SYSTEMS

Botswana’s Health Care Breakdown

Botswana's once-model health system is swiftly deteriorating amid a diamond trade slump that has drained national finances and exposed weaknesses in the country’s health funding structure.

Severe shortages: Medicine and supply stocks at hospitals have run out, forcing staff to buy supplies out-of-pocket, and leading to extensive wait times.

A public health emergency was declared six months ago, but an ombudsman’s new investigation reveals continued struggles, including the country’s largest hospital being reduced to an “old, heavily worn vehicle, overloaded with passengers.”

Need for reform: While emergency measures are being implemented, including a $43 million infusion from The World Bank, officials are calling for deep systemic reform—like changes to drug procurement and health insurance.

The Telegraph

OPPORTUNITY

Watch the Series, Host a Screening

The third and final installment in the Escape the Neglect: Stories from the Front Lines docuseries, following the innovation arc in the treatment of sleeping sickness in the DRC, is now live.

The docuseries, produced by Devex in partnership with the Gates Foundation, spotlights the human stories from the global effort to end neglected tropical diseases in Nigeria, India, and the DRC.

Host a screening: These short films (5–10 minutes each) offer a simple, meaningful way to spark conversation. To make hosting easy, the creators of the series developed Screening‑in‑a‑Box, a flexible toolkit that provides everything you need to facilitate an in-person or hybrid event, including:

A facilitation guide with inclusive, action‑oriented discussion prompts.

An NTD factsheet with episode‑specific context.

Ready‑to‑use invitation and promotional language.

QUICK HITS

UK cuts aid further than any G7 country, including the US – The Telegraph

Vaccine Makers Curtail Research and Cut Jobs – The New York Times (gift link)

Chlorine Dioxide, Raw Camel Milk: The FDA No Longer Warns Against These and Other Ineffective Autism Treatments – ProPublica

Progress on family planning in Afghanistan is still possible – The Guardian (commentary)

The science influencers going viral on TikTok to fight misinformation – Nature

This form of mental exercise may cut dementia risk for decades – NPR's Short Wave

Issue No. 2866

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Global Health Programs aggregator

���������Թ� Faculty of Medicine news: CIHR and partners invest $7.9 million in cancer prevention research at ���������Թ�

���������Թ� Perspectives Blog newsletter: ���������Թ� Perspectives on Global Health: February 2026 Issue

We are highlighting some recently published articles on the blog:

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Somalia’s Severe Food Insecurity; How Dentists are Driving Antibiotic Overuse

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

Somalia’s Severe Food Insecurity

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

How Dentists are Driving Antibiotic Overuse

OPPORTUNITY

Nominations Open for Fries Awards for Health

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

Let’s Talk Turkey … Attacks

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2871

���������Թ� Faculty of Medicine news: How stepping into nature affects the brain

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Scrutiny of Shifting U.S. Aid Strategy; and Antiquated, Isolated TB Care

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

Scrutiny of Shifting U.S. Aid Strategy

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

TUBERCULOSIS

Antiquated, Isolated Care

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2870

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: The Power of Polio Influencers in Malawi; and Fiji’s ‘Tsunami’ of HIV Infections

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

The Power of Polio Influencers in Malawi

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

HIV/AIDS

Fiji’s ‘Tsunami of Infections’

DATA POINT

CORRECTION

SPONSORED

Cells to Society: The Building Blocks of a Public Health Career

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2869

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Global Health sNOW Day

Global Health SNOW Day

Issue No. 2868

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Afghanistan’s ‘Catastrophic’ Hunger

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

Afghanistan’s ‘Catastrophic’ Hunger

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

HUMAN RIGHTS

Birth Certificates for Bangladesh’s ‘Invisible’ Children

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

A Dog Has His Day

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Issue No. 2867

���������Թ� Faculty of Medicine news: Engineered nanoparticles could deliver better targeted cancer treatment

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Forced Begging in Ethiopia; and Botswana’s Health Care Breakdown

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

Forced Begging in Ethiopia

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

HEALTH SYSTEMS

Botswana’s Health Care Breakdown

OPPORTUNITY

Watch the Series, Host a Screening

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Issue No. 2866

��Թ� Faculty of Medicine news: CIHR and partners invest $7.9 million in cancer prevention research at ��Թ�

��Թ� Perspectives Blog newsletter: ��Թ� Perspectives on Global Health: February 2026 Issue

��Թ� Faculty of Medicine news: How stepping into nature affects the brain

��Թ� Faculty of Medicine news: Engineered nanoparticles could deliver better targeted cancer treatment