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96
Global Health NOW: Somalias Severe Food Insecurity; How Dentists are Driving Antibiotic Overuse
Plus: Lets Talk Turkey Attacks
February 26, 2026
TOP STORIES
~$900 million in U.S. funds designated for two public health emergency preparedness programs lack coordinated oversight, , with the two HHS programsthe Public Health Emergency Preparedness program and the Hospital Preparedness Programboth failing to adequately track state and local emergency readiness.
Assisted dying legislation has passed in Jersey, making it the second British Isles region to pass such a statute following the Isle of Man; however, advocates warn that the laws enactment could be slowed due to delays in the final approval process known as royal assent.
A cocktail of plastic particles and chemicals has been identified in microwavable meals, by Greenpeace International that analyzed 24 recent scientific studies on such products.
Hundreds of international scientists could face increasing restrictions from the U.S. National Institute of Standards and Technology, with 3-year work limits, reduced access to labs, and some scientists from certain countries potentially losing all access as a part of proposed new rules.
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
Somalias 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, .
U.S. dentists are prescribing antibiotics at increasing rates, contributing to rising antimicrobial resistance, while failing to install systems to prevent overuse, By the numbers: Dentists issued 27 million+ antibiotic prescriptions in 2025a 6% increase since 2020.
Curbing overuse of dental antibiotics proves daunting How to avoid inappropriate dental antibiotics 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 Foundations Fries Awards for Health.
When Ottowa lab tech Michael Bourgon encountered two brazen birds on his walk home from work last week, he tried to be cordial.
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 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, .
- And drought conditions are expected to remain dire through the spring, triggering further hunger across southern, central, and parts of northern Somaliataking a particular toll on farming families, pastoralists, and people who are displaced, .
- 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.
U.S. dentists are prescribing antibiotics at increasing rates, contributing to rising antimicrobial resistance, while failing to install systems to prevent overuse, By the numbers: Dentists issued 27 million+ antibiotic prescriptions in 2025a 6% increase since 2020.
- 80% of antibiotic prescriptions in dentistry are unnecessary, .
- Clindamycin ranks as the second-most prescribed dental antibiotic despite experts calls to minimize it.
Curbing overuse of dental antibiotics proves daunting How to avoid inappropriate dental antibiotics 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 Foundations 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.
When Ottowa lab tech Michael Bourgon encountered two brazen birds on his walk home from work last week, he tried to be cordial.
Hey, whats up turkeys? he greeted.
But they had come for blood, aggressively following Bourgon and giving him the business, . As they pecked around his ankles, he quickly realized: Whatever this is, I dont want it.&紳莉莽梯;
His next thought: Please dont 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 lookingself-describedlike the Unabomber.&紳莉莽梯;
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
But it didnt stop there. Bourgon still had to face workand the turkeysthe next day, and the next.
By round three, I was readywith some turkey face-off strategies for us all: Stand your ground, and dont be chaseable.&紳莉莽梯;
Doormats get walked on, he advised. Dont put up with the turkey nonsense.&紳莉莽梯;
QUICK HITS Group unveils 10-year blueprint to reduce blindness Newly released 2025 scorecard unveils progress and setbacks on health and gender equality across Southern Africa More pregnant Americans are skipping prenatal care, CDC finds Scientists discover a key to staying mentally sharp in old age When the next global health crisis strikes, will we be ready in 100 days? Issue No. 2871Global 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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Scrutiny of Shifting U.S. Aid Strategy; and Antiquated, Isolated TB Care
February 25, 2026
TOP STORIES
Guinea-Bissau has terminated a controversial U.S.-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial that was suspended earlier over ethics concerns, as it would deny half of all enrolled babies a birth-dose inoculation in the country, which carries one of the worlds heaviest burdens of hepatitis B infections.
15 U.S. states are suing to reverse changes to federal recommendations that reduced from 17 to 11 the number of diseases children are routinely vaccinated against, contending that the changes were not based on scientific evidence; HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CDC acting director Jay Bhattacharya, and their respective agencies are named as defendants.
Cervical cancer rates in young U.S. women vary substantially by state, based on HPV vaccine uptake, as states with low vaccination rates see minimal progress, ; overall, rates have dropped 27% among U.S. women ages 2031 since the introduction of the vaccine.
~6 in 10 U.S. women will have some type of cardiovascular disease in the next 25 years, , which also forecasts surges in health factors that contribute to cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure, obesity, and diabetes.
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, .
Objections: Zimbabwes leaders halted the talks over U.S. requirements for Zimbabwe to share sensitive biological and population data without guaranteed access to resulting medical innovations, . Zimbabwe leadership was also concerned about efforts to fold in mineral deals.
How debt relief for developing countries could help reverse the devastating consequences of UK aid cuts
Little Clarity on Legality of Trumps Foreign Aid Shutdown One Year After 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. Were 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.
Rapid sequencing approach could transform tuberculosis surveillance and care
Tuberculosis funding cuts could cost households up to $80 billion OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Trump cites health care issues in Greenland saying hes sending a hospital ship. His claims are off
As measles cases climb, these 9 diseases threaten comebacks
Hundreds of American nurses choose Canada over the U.S. under Trump
Bhattacharyas growing power in Trump's HHS worries health experts
Theres a Measles Alert in My Area. Now What?
Major Chinese funder to stop paying fees for 30 pricey open-access journals
New Type Of Vaccine Could One Day Give Universal Protection Against Colds, Flu, COVID Issue No. 2870
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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- In response, the U.S. embassy in Harare said health assistance for HIV/AIDS, malaria, and maternal and child health would be wound down.
- 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.
How debt relief for developing countries could help reverse the devastating consequences of UK aid cuts
Little Clarity on Legality of Trumps Foreign Aid Shutdown One Year After 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. Were 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.
Rapid sequencing approach could transform tuberculosis surveillance and care
Tuberculosis funding cuts could cost households up to $80 billion OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Trump cites health care issues in Greenland saying hes sending a hospital ship. His claims are off
As measles cases climb, these 9 diseases threaten comebacks
Hundreds of American nurses choose Canada over the U.S. under Trump
Bhattacharyas growing power in Trump's HHS worries health experts
Theres a Measles Alert in My Area. Now What?
Major Chinese funder to stop paying fees for 30 pricey open-access journals
New Type Of Vaccine Could One Day Give Universal Protection Against Colds, Flu, COVID Issue No. 2870
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: The Power of Polio Influencers in Malawi; and Fijis Tsunami of HIV Infections
February 24, 2026
TOP STORIES
Renewed fighting in South Sudan has displaced nearly 280,000, damaged health facilities and hindered humanitarian aid operations, and fueled the spread of cholera; UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher warns it amounts to a perfect storm of conflict, climate shocks, and deprivation.
The U.S. FDA will drop the two-study requirement for new drug approvalseliminating the longtime standard of requiring two rigorous studiesin an attempt to speed up the availability of certain medical products.
Hepatitis B vax rates in the U.S. have slipped in the last couple of years to 73.2% in August 2025, researchers from Harvard and the UC San Diego School of Medicine foundreversing an era of growth with a high of 83.5% in 2023.
Cannabis use among adolescents increases the risks of being diagnosed with bipolar and psychotic disorders, as well as anxiety and depression, years later, that analyzed data on 460,000 teenagers in Northern California for a 25year period. 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.
Drugs, denial and stigma: the babies and children swept up in Fiji's HIV nightmare
Zimbabwe rolls out long-acting HIV drug, among first countries to do so DATA POINT
2881
漍漍
The number of attacks on health care in Ukraineincluding health workers, facilities, and ambulancesdocumented by the WHO since the full-scale war began on February 24, 2022. CORRECTION In a Top Story last week that , we said Five years into Ukraines war but we should have said, As the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year. Thanks for flagging that error, Angeline Sawaya! SPONSORED 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. QUICK HITS Destitute survivors of south-east Asias cyberscam farms an international crisis South Africa regulator backed by the food industry blocks ad on sugars health risks NIH research grant funding rates plummeted in 2025 Study: Antibiotic resistance threatens 30-year decline in deaths from lower respiratory infections Vaccine skeptic stepping down from No. 2 post at CDC Biohackers and wellness influencers are pushing nicotine as part of their stacks Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!
How a Syrian refugee built a global mental health lifeline for displaced communities Issue No. 2869
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 U.S. FDA will drop the two-study requirement for new drug approvalseliminating the longtime standard of requiring two rigorous studiesin an attempt to speed up the availability of certain medical products.
Hepatitis B vax rates in the U.S. have slipped in the last couple of years to 73.2% in August 2025, researchers from Harvard and the UC San Diego School of Medicine foundreversing an era of growth with a high of 83.5% in 2023.
Cannabis use among adolescents increases the risks of being diagnosed with bipolar and psychotic disorders, as well as anxiety and depression, years later, that analyzed data on 460,000 teenagers in Northern California for a 25year period. 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, .
- At a Blantyre school, one in 10 students remained at their desks during a vaccination drive because their parents didnt give consent.
- One parent told The Guardian: I feel my child has had enough vaccines in her life.&紳莉莽梯;
- You can give [a mother] any argument. It doesnt matter. And then you have a local influencer walk in, and he says vaccinate, and she just hands you the child.&紳莉莽梯;
- And without intervention, Fiji health officials warn that number could swell to ~25,000 cases by 2029.
- But at-risk populations are expanding beyond people who use drugs: 33 babies were born with HIV in early 2025.
Drugs, denial and stigma: the babies and children swept up in Fiji's HIV nightmare
Zimbabwe rolls out long-acting HIV drug, among first countries to do so DATA POINT
2881
漍漍
The number of attacks on health care in Ukraineincluding health workers, facilities, and ambulancesdocumented by the WHO since the full-scale war began on February 24, 2022. CORRECTION In a Top Story last week that , we said Five years into Ukraines war but we should have said, As the war in Ukraine enters its fifth year. Thanks for flagging that error, Angeline Sawaya! SPONSORED 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. QUICK HITS Destitute survivors of south-east Asias cyberscam farms an international crisis South Africa regulator backed by the food industry blocks ad on sugars health risks NIH research grant funding rates plummeted in 2025 Study: Antibiotic resistance threatens 30-year decline in deaths from lower respiratory infections Vaccine skeptic stepping down from No. 2 post at CDC Biohackers and wellness influencers are pushing nicotine as part of their stacks Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!
How a Syrian refugee built a global mental health lifeline for displaced communities Issue No. 2869
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Global Health sNOW Day
February 23, 2026
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
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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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
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Afghanistans Catastrophic Hunger
Plus: Birth Certificates for Bangladeshs Invisible Children
February 19, 2026
TOP STORIES
Libya has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, the WHO has validatedthe result of a decades-long effort that involved improved surveillance, expanded surgical care, and training and support for eye health workers that was particularly notable given years of political instability and humanitarian challenges that strained health services.
New FDA guidance for antibiotic use in food-producing animals seeks to add duration limits to medically important antibiotics; but critics say fails to adequately address the rise and spread of antibiotic resistance and the potential impacts on human health.
Early prenatal care has declined in the U.S., with the share of births to women who had prenatal care in the first trimester dropping from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, ; while reasons for the decline were not cited, the decrease was higher for mothers in minority groups, and specialists pointed to the rise in maternity deserts as a likely factor.
Greater air pollution exposure has been linked to heightened Alzheimers risk, , which found that air pollution affected the brain through direct effects rather than through other chronic conditions. IN FOCUS A malnourished child holding his mothers hand inside the M矇decins Sans Fronti癡res therapeutic nutrition center at a hospital in Herat, Afghanistan, on January 8. Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Afghanistans Catastrophic Hunger
Afghanistan faces a historic surge in malnutrition, as aid cuts, displacement, and drought leave two-thirds of the countrys population facing serious or crisis levels for acute malnutrition, .
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 fathers 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.
Its safe to say that us non-athletes dont 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 storiesand wonder, popcorn in hand, if we might have stood a chance at Olympic greatness.
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 didnt have the time.
The sacrifices of an Olympian. QUICK HITS Measles cases in South Carolina rise by 12 to 962, state health department says NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya will take over leadership of CDC temporarily Why is the US targeting Cubas global medical missions? FDA will drop two-study requirement for new drug approvals, aiming to speed access New Inhalable Tuberculosis Treatment Could Replace Months of Daily Pills The most dangerous sport at the Winter Olympics? Its not luge or ice skating Issue No. 2867
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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New FDA guidance for antibiotic use in food-producing animals seeks to add duration limits to medically important antibiotics; but critics say fails to adequately address the rise and spread of antibiotic resistance and the potential impacts on human health.
Early prenatal care has declined in the U.S., with the share of births to women who had prenatal care in the first trimester dropping from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, ; while reasons for the decline were not cited, the decrease was higher for mothers in minority groups, and specialists pointed to the rise in maternity deserts as a likely factor.
Greater air pollution exposure has been linked to heightened Alzheimers risk, , which found that air pollution affected the brain through direct effects rather than through other chronic conditions. IN FOCUS A malnourished child holding his mothers hand inside the M矇decins Sans Fronti癡res therapeutic nutrition center at a hospital in Herat, Afghanistan, on January 8. Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Afghanistans Catastrophic Hunger
Afghanistan faces a historic surge in malnutrition, as aid cuts, displacement, and drought leave two-thirds of the countrys population facing serious or crisis levels for acute malnutrition, .
- 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.
- Children: ~4 million children are acutely malnourished, and 500+ child deaths have been logged in recent monthslikely 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.
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 fathers 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.
Its safe to say that us non-athletes dont 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 storiesand wonder, popcorn in hand, if we might have stood a chance at Olympic greatness.
- What we never considered: What if we just joined in?
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 didnt have the time.
The sacrifices of an Olympian. QUICK HITS Measles cases in South Carolina rise by 12 to 962, state health department says NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya will take over leadership of CDC temporarily Why is the US targeting Cubas global medical missions? FDA will drop two-study requirement for new drug approvals, aiming to speed access New Inhalable Tuberculosis Treatment Could Replace Months of Daily Pills The most dangerous sport at the Winter Olympics? Its not luge or ice skating Issue No. 2867
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 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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Forced Begging in Ethiopia; and Botswanas Health Care Breakdown
February 18, 2026
TOP STORIES
Five years into Ukraines war, more than a third of the countrys children2,589,900remain displaced, including 791,000+ children inside Ukraine and nearly 1.8 million children who are now refugees outside the country.
The UK government launched a vaccination campaign in response to a measles outbreak in North London; vaccine coverage with both doses of the MMR vaccine have now dropped to 89% across England, and below 65% for some areas. Modernas flu vaccine will now be reviewed by the U.S. FDA after the agency reversed its decision last week to reject the application for the vaccine, which is made with mRNA technology. The maker of Roundup, the weedkiller, has announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits which allege the chemical company, Bayer, failed to warn people that Roundup could cause cancer. 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 Ethiopias major cities in an often overlooked form of human trafficking that researchers describe as a crime hiding in plain sight, 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.
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.
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
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The UK government launched a vaccination campaign in response to a measles outbreak in North London; vaccine coverage with both doses of the MMR vaccine have now dropped to 89% across England, and below 65% for some areas. Modernas flu vaccine will now be reviewed by the U.S. FDA after the agency reversed its decision last week to reject the application for the vaccine, which is made with mRNA technology. The maker of Roundup, the weedkiller, has announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits which allege the chemical company, Bayer, failed to warn people that Roundup could cause cancer. 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 Ethiopias major cities in an often overlooked form of human trafficking that researchers describe as a crime hiding in plain sight, 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 Mekellepromising education or medical care.
- I would go out crawling on my hands since I didnt 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.&紳莉莽梯;
- Most were too afraid or dependent upon traffickers to seek help, and the police rarely provided a pathway out.
- 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.
- A public health emergency was declared six months ago, but an ombudsmans new investigation reveals continued struggles, including the countrys largest hospital being reduced to an old, heavily worn vehicle, overloaded with passengers.&紳莉莽梯;
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.
-
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 (510 minutes each) offer a simple, meaningful way to spark conversation. To make hosting easy, the creators of the series developed a flexible toolkit that provides everything you need to facilitate an in-person or hybrid event, including:
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A facilitation guide with inclusive, actionoriented discussion prompts.
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An NTD factsheet with episodespecific context.
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賊梗硃餃聆t棗u莽梗&紳莉莽梯;勳紳措勳喧硃喧勳棗紳 and promotional language.
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Booming Bootleg Cigarettes Down Under; and the Race for WHO Leadership Ramps Up
February 17, 2026
TOP STORIES
Mortality among people who inject drugs and participated in a Stockholm, Sweden, needle and syringe program declined over a decade of harm reduction intervention expansion, including a take-home naloxone effort; observed a marked reduction in opioid overdose deaths.
Plastic water bottles contained more chemicals than glass: tested 37 Belgian brands and found 17 endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including bisphenol B and acetaminophenand observed that higher price correlated with increased phthalate levels.
The benefits of intermittent fasting fail to match the hype, of 22 studies that found little to no weight loss improvement compared to regular dietary advice or doing nothing at all for people who were overweight or obese.
Ultra-processed food companies hijacked the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) loophole to let questionable ingredients slip into American food products, says U.S. health secretary RFK Jr., who pledged to act on a petition from former FDA chief David Kesler to address the issue. IN FOCUS Pedestrians walk past signs outside a tobacconist and convenience store in central Sydney, Australia. March 27, 2025. David Gray/AFP via Getty Booming Bootleg Cigarettes Down Under
Australias aggressive taxes on cigarettes have driven down smoking rates and raised an average packs cost to US$40. But theyve also unleashed a nationwide black market, .
Public health perspective: The illegal market has made prices so cheap that further tax increases wouldnt do much good, said Becky Freeman, a University of Sydney tobacco expert.
Smoking And Quitting Behaviors Vary by Socioeconomic Position Exclusive: India sticks to e-cigarette ban in snub for Philip Morris DATA POINT
123 million
漍漍漍漍
Additional malaria cases in Africa by 2050 that could be triggered by climate change, driven mostly by extreme weather events, led by researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia and Curtin University.
WHO Race for WHO Leadership Ramps Up Diplomatic maneuvering has begun for the WHO's next director-general, as the nomination process opens in April for next years vote. And while a list of rumored candidates is growing, the successor to current chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus faces an existential convergence of crises amid geopolitical rifts and major funding challenges. An agency at a crossroads: The WHOs next leader will have to steer the agency at a critical juncture that includes a $1畜illion funding gap after the U.S. withdrawal, a 25% staff cut, and low morale. Seeking a unicorn: The incoming chief will also need to balance demands for global equity with fiscal reformall while trying to meet 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and prepare for potential pandemics in a post-COVID landscape. SPONSORED 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. QUICK HITS Mexico Risks Losing Its Measles-Free Status, Months Before Millions Arrive for World Cup Doctors bear the burden as medical freedom fuels worst US measles outbreak in 30 years Investment in Malaria Venture Yields 13x Health Benefits Indian Health Service to phase out use of dental fillings containing mercury by 2027 As More Schools Turn to AI Weapons Detection, Questions Persist
As US presence wanes, China works to increase its influence through foreign aid
The Karate Class Where Kenyas Grandmothers Learn to Fight Back Issue No. 2865
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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Ultra-processed food companies hijacked the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) loophole to let questionable ingredients slip into American food products, says U.S. health secretary RFK Jr., who pledged to act on a petition from former FDA chief David Kesler to address the issue. IN FOCUS Pedestrians walk past signs outside a tobacconist and convenience store in central Sydney, Australia. March 27, 2025. David Gray/AFP via Getty Booming Bootleg Cigarettes Down Under
Australias aggressive taxes on cigarettes have driven down smoking rates and raised an average packs cost to US$40. But theyve also unleashed a nationwide black market, .
- The tax on a single cigarette has tripled in a decade to about US$1.06.
- The price spike has launched a huge demand for illegal cigarettes. A pack of under-the-counter cigarettes costs as little as US$7.
- Illegal cigs are commonly sold at shops and via private sales, accounting for perhaps half of all tobacco sales.
- Criminal gangs are smuggling in cigarettes from the Middle East or China.
- have spawned 100+ firebombings and hundreds of attacks on shopkeepers and others, as turf battles have erupted among gangs.
Public health perspective: The illegal market has made prices so cheap that further tax increases wouldnt do much good, said Becky Freeman, a University of Sydney tobacco expert.
- I only support tax increases if they are effective at reducing smoking, Freeman said.
Smoking And Quitting Behaviors Vary by Socioeconomic Position Exclusive: India sticks to e-cigarette ban in snub for Philip Morris DATA POINT
123 million
漍漍漍漍
Additional malaria cases in Africa by 2050 that could be triggered by climate change, driven mostly by extreme weather events, led by researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia and Curtin University.
WHO Race for WHO Leadership Ramps Up Diplomatic maneuvering has begun for the WHO's next director-general, as the nomination process opens in April for next years vote. And while a list of rumored candidates is growing, the successor to current chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus faces an existential convergence of crises amid geopolitical rifts and major funding challenges. An agency at a crossroads: The WHOs next leader will have to steer the agency at a critical juncture that includes a $1畜illion funding gap after the U.S. withdrawal, a 25% staff cut, and low morale. Seeking a unicorn: The incoming chief will also need to balance demands for global equity with fiscal reformall while trying to meet 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and prepare for potential pandemics in a post-COVID landscape. SPONSORED 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. QUICK HITS Mexico Risks Losing Its Measles-Free Status, Months Before Millions Arrive for World Cup Doctors bear the burden as medical freedom fuels worst US measles outbreak in 30 years Investment in Malaria Venture Yields 13x Health Benefits Indian Health Service to phase out use of dental fillings containing mercury by 2027 As More Schools Turn to AI Weapons Detection, Questions Persist
As US presence wanes, China works to increase its influence through foreign aid
The Karate Class Where Kenyas Grandmothers Learn to Fight Back Issue No. 2865
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Progress and Pushback on Polio Vaccination; and Perus Defective Cancer Drugs
February 16, 2026
TOP STORIES
A measles outbreak in London is spreading rapidly among children under age 10, per the U.K. Health Security Agency, which has reported 34 laboratory-confirmed cases over the last month linked to schools and nurseries in Enfield.
A new recombinant mpox strain combining genomic elements of clades Ib and IIb of the virus has been identified in two casesone in the U.K. and the other in India, which has urged continued genomic surveillance.
Whooping cough cases in Australia have hit their highest level recorded in 35 years following a potentially catastrophic drop in vaccinations; 57,000+ cases were reported in 2024mostly among children.
France will slash its funding for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by 58%+ for the next two-year cycle, from 1.6 billion to 660 million; French NGOs warned that the cutswhich could impact antiretroviral HIV treatments, malaria prevention, condom availability, and testing serviceswill cost lives. IN FOCUS Progress and Pushback on Polio Vaccination The WHO is expanding the global arsenal for polio outbreak response by aimed at curbing vaccine-derived outbreaks more sustainably in the ongoing quest to eradicate the virus. But the progress comes as vaccination strategy is under threat in a new era of politicizationpotentially endangering decades of gains. The new nOPV2 vaccine is designed to be more genetically stable than older vaccines, reducing risk of vaccine-derived outbreaks while effectively curbing virus transmission, . Meanwhile in Malawi, health officials have launched a new oral polio vaccination campaign in schools and door-to-door, seeking to administer 1.7 million nOPV2 doses after detecting vaccine-derived type 2 virus in sewage in the southern city Blantyre last month, . Polio endgame: The WHO's SAGE Polio Working Group convened in Geneva this month to review global polio eradication strategies, including phasing out the two-strain oral vaccine (bOPV) while improving the nOPV2 and next-generation shots (IPV), . An uncertain future in the U.S.: Despite these global strides, the future of vaccine strategy in the U.S. is uncertain as allies of HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. form coalitions to roll back state-level school vaccine mandatesalarming public health experts who warn this could swiftly erode a century of protections against deadly childhood diseases, including polio, . DATA POINT
123 million
漍漍漍漍
Additional malaria cases in Africa by 2050 that could be triggered by climate change, driven mostly by extreme weather events, led by researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia and Curtin University.
PHARMACEUTICALS Perus Defective Cancer Drugs Ineffective and even dangerous cancer drugs have been repeatedly shipped to Peru health facilities amid an ongoing pattern of regulatory failures within the country. Unfit for use: ~118,000 vials of chemo bought with government funds have been ordered destroyed since 2019, though some reached hospitals and even patients before they were scrapped. Poor track records: Pharma companies with problematic track records have been awarded state contracts, even after their drugs have failed quality tests. Exacerbating a crisis: 1 in 4 cancer patients in Peru experience treatment delays because of drug shortages. , in partnership with OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Key US infectious-diseases centre to drop pandemic preparation NSFs flagship fellowship program is rejecting applicants without peer review RFK Jr. shakes up top health department staff She was denied a legal abortion and sent to prison over an illegal one. Now she tells her story HIV made him expect to die at 40. At 73, Edwin Cameron asks: Whos planning for our ageing survivors? Photos: The flying doctors of Lesotho wont let their wings be clipped Issue No. 2864
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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A new recombinant mpox strain combining genomic elements of clades Ib and IIb of the virus has been identified in two casesone in the U.K. and the other in India, which has urged continued genomic surveillance.
Whooping cough cases in Australia have hit their highest level recorded in 35 years following a potentially catastrophic drop in vaccinations; 57,000+ cases were reported in 2024mostly among children.
France will slash its funding for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by 58%+ for the next two-year cycle, from 1.6 billion to 660 million; French NGOs warned that the cutswhich could impact antiretroviral HIV treatments, malaria prevention, condom availability, and testing serviceswill cost lives. IN FOCUS Progress and Pushback on Polio Vaccination The WHO is expanding the global arsenal for polio outbreak response by aimed at curbing vaccine-derived outbreaks more sustainably in the ongoing quest to eradicate the virus. But the progress comes as vaccination strategy is under threat in a new era of politicizationpotentially endangering decades of gains. The new nOPV2 vaccine is designed to be more genetically stable than older vaccines, reducing risk of vaccine-derived outbreaks while effectively curbing virus transmission, . Meanwhile in Malawi, health officials have launched a new oral polio vaccination campaign in schools and door-to-door, seeking to administer 1.7 million nOPV2 doses after detecting vaccine-derived type 2 virus in sewage in the southern city Blantyre last month, . Polio endgame: The WHO's SAGE Polio Working Group convened in Geneva this month to review global polio eradication strategies, including phasing out the two-strain oral vaccine (bOPV) while improving the nOPV2 and next-generation shots (IPV), . An uncertain future in the U.S.: Despite these global strides, the future of vaccine strategy in the U.S. is uncertain as allies of HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. form coalitions to roll back state-level school vaccine mandatesalarming public health experts who warn this could swiftly erode a century of protections against deadly childhood diseases, including polio, . DATA POINT
123 million
漍漍漍漍
Additional malaria cases in Africa by 2050 that could be triggered by climate change, driven mostly by extreme weather events, led by researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia and Curtin University.
PHARMACEUTICALS Perus Defective Cancer Drugs Ineffective and even dangerous cancer drugs have been repeatedly shipped to Peru health facilities amid an ongoing pattern of regulatory failures within the country. Unfit for use: ~118,000 vials of chemo bought with government funds have been ordered destroyed since 2019, though some reached hospitals and even patients before they were scrapped. Poor track records: Pharma companies with problematic track records have been awarded state contracts, even after their drugs have failed quality tests. Exacerbating a crisis: 1 in 4 cancer patients in Peru experience treatment delays because of drug shortages. , in partnership with OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Key US infectious-diseases centre to drop pandemic preparation NSFs flagship fellowship program is rejecting applicants without peer review RFK Jr. shakes up top health department staff She was denied a legal abortion and sent to prison over an illegal one. Now she tells her story HIV made him expect to die at 40. At 73, Edwin Cameron asks: Whos planning for our ageing survivors? Photos: The flying doctors of Lesotho wont let their wings be clipped Issue No. 2864
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: EPA Moves to Revoke Key Climate Health Warning
Plus: Kenya Battles Kala-azar
February 12, 2026
TOP STORIES
Life-threatening blood clots that have been a rare side effect of some COVID-19 vaccines, including those by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, are caused by an adenovirus protein used by both vaccines which triggered rogue antibodies in people with a particular genetic background, .
The WHO director-general has called a U.S.-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau unethical, as the trial will deny half the children the vaccine despite its proven efficacy; instead of testing benefits or efficacy, the study appears focused on looking for adverse outcomes in children who receive a birth dose.
Measles cases fell across Europe and Central Asia last year, dropping by 75% in 2025 compared to 2024 due to outbreak response measures and the gradual decline in the number of people susceptible to infection as the virus infected undervaccinated communities, per new UN data; still, outbreak risks remain.
More than 70% of baby foods, drinks, and snacks sold in the U.S.including crackers, yogurt, and puffsare ultraprocessed and contain additives that have been linked to health issues, according to
IN FOCUS
Steam rises from the smoke stacks of the Ravenswood Generating Station, New York City's largest power plant, on January 26. Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty
EPA Moves to Revoke Key Climate Health Warning
The EPA is poised to revoke its own 2009 scientific conclusion that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health and welfareupending the legal foundation for a wide range of federal climate protections, . Background: Known as the determination established wide-ranging health threats posed by greenhouse gases produced by oil, gas, and coal, and has since been invoked to set emissions limits for vehicles and power plants. The long road to repeal: Members of President Trumps administration have long worked to dismantle climate legislation they describe as unfounded and harmful to the economy, , with White House officials lauding the rollback as the largest deregulatory action in American history.&紳莉莽梯; Long-term impact: Ending the finding could block future presidents from using the EPA to limit emissions, allowing industries to fully abandon regulations, Scientific backlash: Leading scientific and health organizations overwhelmingly oppose the rollback, saying it ignores vast and mounting scientific evidence that links pollution- and climate change-driven disasters to illness, higher medical costs, and premature deaths beyond scientific dispute, .
94 million+
漍漍漍
The number of people worldwide who suffer from cataracts; half of them lack access to the corrective surgery, according to the WHO.
NEGLECTED DISEASES Kenya Battles Kala-azar
An outbreak of kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, has surged in Kenya's dry regions over the last year. By the numbers: Cases spiked from 1,575 in 2024 to 3,577 in 2025, and the disease has a 95% fatality rate if untreated.
Its been said that revenge is a dish best served cold. But it may actually be a dish best served to an armadillo, . Thankfully, every February, a slew of zoos and wildlife conservation groups offer such a service, de facto guide to vengeful Valentines. A sampling: Bugs and hisses: The San Antonio Zoos annual allows donors to pay $5 to name a cockroach after an ex, then have it fed to inhabitants, .
Study supports shorter treatment regimens for TB prevention
Four states sue Trump administration over cuts to public health funding
Nurses on strike in New York approve new contracts at 2 of 3 hospital systems
Public health workers reflect on a year since mass layoffs at the CDC
At 2am, it feels like someones there: why Nigerians are choosing chatbots to give them advice and therapy Issue No. 2863
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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The EPA is poised to revoke its own 2009 scientific conclusion that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health and welfareupending the legal foundation for a wide range of federal climate protections, . Background: Known as the determination established wide-ranging health threats posed by greenhouse gases produced by oil, gas, and coal, and has since been invoked to set emissions limits for vehicles and power plants. The long road to repeal: Members of President Trumps administration have long worked to dismantle climate legislation they describe as unfounded and harmful to the economy, , with White House officials lauding the rollback as the largest deregulatory action in American history.&紳莉莽梯; Long-term impact: Ending the finding could block future presidents from using the EPA to limit emissions, allowing industries to fully abandon regulations, Scientific backlash: Leading scientific and health organizations overwhelmingly oppose the rollback, saying it ignores vast and mounting scientific evidence that links pollution- and climate change-driven disasters to illness, higher medical costs, and premature deaths beyond scientific dispute, .
- Environmental groups have pledged to fight the EPA every step of the way with legal challenges that could stretch for years.
- Communities across the country will bear the brunt of this decisionthrough dirtier air, higher health costs, and increased climate harm, said Michelle Roos, executive director of the Environmental Protection Network, .
94 million+
漍漍漍
The number of people worldwide who suffer from cataracts; half of them lack access to the corrective surgery, according to the WHO.
NEGLECTED DISEASES Kenya Battles Kala-azar
An outbreak of kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, has surged in Kenya's dry regions over the last year. By the numbers: Cases spiked from 1,575 in 2024 to 3,577 in 2025, and the disease has a 95% fatality rate if untreated.
- Few facilities in Kenya have the capacity to diagnose or treat the illness, and more training to address the medical crisis is needed.
Its been said that revenge is a dish best served cold. But it may actually be a dish best served to an armadillo, . Thankfully, every February, a slew of zoos and wildlife conservation groups offer such a service, de facto guide to vengeful Valentines. A sampling: Bugs and hisses: The San Antonio Zoos annual allows donors to pay $5 to name a cockroach after an ex, then have it fed to inhabitants, .
- Similarly, the lets donors revenge-name mealworms or rats which are then fed to birds of prey with video proof of their revenge being swallowed whole.&紳莉莽梯;
Study supports shorter treatment regimens for TB prevention
Four states sue Trump administration over cuts to public health funding
Nurses on strike in New York approve new contracts at 2 of 3 hospital systems
Public health workers reflect on a year since mass layoffs at the CDC
At 2am, it feels like someones there: why Nigerians are choosing chatbots to give them advice and therapy Issue No. 2863
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Deteriorating Health Conditions in Immigration Detention; and The Struggle to Keep Mobile Crisis Teams in Action
February 11, 2026
TOP STORIES
At least nine people were killed and at least 25 injured yesterday in Canadas deadliest mass shooting in decades; the shootings, at the hands of a suspect who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, took place in a home and a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.
The U.S. FDA has refused to review Modernas application for a new mRNA flu vaccine, though no safety or efficacy concerns were identified; Moderna has requested an urgent meeting with the FDA, noting that it has submitted the vaccine for review in Europe, Canada, and Australia.
Aluminum exposure from dietary sources over the course of a 100-year lifespan is orders of magnitude higher than the cumulative lifetime exposure from all the recommended aluminum-containing vaccines, .
Tanning companies are spreading harmful misinformation about suntanning bedsclaiming a range of health benefits, from boosting energy to preventing colds and fluon social media ads targeting young people, while cancer charities link the sunbeds to rising melanoma cases among youth in the UK. IN FOCUS Texas State Troopers prepare to disperse a crowd protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the South Texas Family Residential Center. January 28, Dilley, Texas. Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Deteriorating Health Conditions in Immigration Detention As U.S. immigration detention centers expand under the Trump administrations mass deportation campaign, detainees and health workers are reporting severe health and safety breakdownsincluding among children. In Dilley, Texas: Families are being held for weeks or months at facilities like the Dilley Detention Center, . Despite legal limits on detaining minors, ~300 have been held for 20+ days.
91%
漍漍
Share of Americans across the political spectrum who agree it is important for the U.S. to be a global leader in science and technology; 63% expressed willingness to pay $1 more per week in taxes in support of medical and health research. MENTAL HEALTH The Struggle to Keep Mobile Crisis Teams in Action Over the last decade, U.S. communities have increasingly turned to mobile crisis teams to respond to psychiatric emergencies rather than dispatching law enforcement.
We incorrectly spelled out IOM in our top story yesterday, about a ; IOM stands for the International Organization for Migration. Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader for setting us straight! QUICK HITS In Sudan, sick and starving children wasting away
India sticks to e-cigarette ban in snub for Philip Morris Landmark settlement could create new protections for harm reduction under disability law Film series memorializing the AIDS epidemic provides 'chilling parallels' to today Dozens of researchers will move to France from US following high-profile bid to lure talent Benjamin Korinek: Why global health shouldnt be political FDA to reassess the safety of BHA, a preservative used in popular snack foods Affordable microscope speeds up malaria diagnosis with AI Issue No. 2862
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 U.S. FDA has refused to review Modernas application for a new mRNA flu vaccine, though no safety or efficacy concerns were identified; Moderna has requested an urgent meeting with the FDA, noting that it has submitted the vaccine for review in Europe, Canada, and Australia.
Aluminum exposure from dietary sources over the course of a 100-year lifespan is orders of magnitude higher than the cumulative lifetime exposure from all the recommended aluminum-containing vaccines, .
Tanning companies are spreading harmful misinformation about suntanning bedsclaiming a range of health benefits, from boosting energy to preventing colds and fluon social media ads targeting young people, while cancer charities link the sunbeds to rising melanoma cases among youth in the UK. IN FOCUS Texas State Troopers prepare to disperse a crowd protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the South Texas Family Residential Center. January 28, Dilley, Texas. Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Deteriorating Health Conditions in Immigration Detention As U.S. immigration detention centers expand under the Trump administrations mass deportation campaign, detainees and health workers are reporting severe health and safety breakdownsincluding among children. In Dilley, Texas: Families are being held for weeks or months at facilities like the Dilley Detention Center, . Despite legal limits on detaining minors, ~300 have been held for 20+ days.
- Parents and children there report regular illness and limited medical attention. Children with medical complaints frequently experience delays, dismissals, or lack of follow-up, reported nonprofit advocacy organization RAICES, which has logged ~700 reports of insufficient medical care since August 2025.
- Others describe worsening mental health, with many children struggling with depression and self-harm amid prolonged stays and lack of schooling.
- U.S. Public Health Service officers describe inadequate care, overcrowding, and dark, windowless cells. Several have resigned, saying they cannot serve under such conditions.
- Public health officers are being asked to facilitate a man-made humanitarian crisis, said nurse Rebekah Stewart, who resigned from the service.
91%
漍漍
Share of Americans across the political spectrum who agree it is important for the U.S. to be a global leader in science and technology; 63% expressed willingness to pay $1 more per week in taxes in support of medical and health research. MENTAL HEALTH The Struggle to Keep Mobile Crisis Teams in Action Over the last decade, U.S. communities have increasingly turned to mobile crisis teams to respond to psychiatric emergencies rather than dispatching law enforcement.
- A found that there are ~1,800 mobile teams nationwide, providing people with therapeutic care and helping them avoid jail or the ER.
- A much-needed service is available and then not available, available and then not available, said Sierra Riesberg, director of the Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana.
We incorrectly spelled out IOM in our top story yesterday, about a ; IOM stands for the International Organization for Migration. Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader for setting us straight! QUICK HITS In Sudan, sick and starving children wasting away
India sticks to e-cigarette ban in snub for Philip Morris Landmark settlement could create new protections for harm reduction under disability law Film series memorializing the AIDS epidemic provides 'chilling parallels' to today Dozens of researchers will move to France from US following high-profile bid to lure talent Benjamin Korinek: Why global health shouldnt be political FDA to reassess the safety of BHA, a preservative used in popular snack foods Affordable microscope speeds up malaria diagnosis with AI Issue No. 2862
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
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96
Global Health NOW: Health Crisis in Gaza; and Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers in South Africa
February 10, 2026
TOP STORIES
53 refugees and migrants from several African countries died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off Libyas coast last Friday; the International Office for Migration reports that at least 375 people have been reported dead or missing in January.
The Trump administration plans to cut $600 million in public health funding in four Democrat-led statesCalifornia, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota; the programs, deemed inconsistent with agency priorities, include HIV prevention and surveillance and disease outbreak management.
Mexico state officials announced stepped-up health screening and face mask recommendations in schools for the area, which borders Mexico City, in response to a spreading measles outbreak; the country had 2,143 confirmed cases and nearly 6,000 suspected cases as of last Friday, with the western state of Jalisco hardest hit.
The U.S. National Cancer Institute is investigating ivermectin as a possible cancer treatment, despite the lack of new evidence of the antiparasitic drugs anti-cancer potential; I am shocked and appalled, one NCI scientist said. IN FOCUS Palestinian patients prepare for evacuation to Egypt at the Red Cross Hospital. Khan Yunis, Gaza, February 2. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Health Crisis in Gaza Clashes over WHO reporting and the health situation in Gaza continue months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire raised hopes for reconstruction and improved health.
Women employed as domestic workers in South Africa often face a wrenching dilemma shortly after giving birth: Return to work at their employers home without their baby, or lose their job.
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 Trump administration plans to cut $600 million in public health funding in four Democrat-led statesCalifornia, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota; the programs, deemed inconsistent with agency priorities, include HIV prevention and surveillance and disease outbreak management.
Mexico state officials announced stepped-up health screening and face mask recommendations in schools for the area, which borders Mexico City, in response to a spreading measles outbreak; the country had 2,143 confirmed cases and nearly 6,000 suspected cases as of last Friday, with the western state of Jalisco hardest hit.
The U.S. National Cancer Institute is investigating ivermectin as a possible cancer treatment, despite the lack of new evidence of the antiparasitic drugs anti-cancer potential; I am shocked and appalled, one NCI scientist said. IN FOCUS Palestinian patients prepare for evacuation to Egypt at the Red Cross Hospital. Khan Yunis, Gaza, February 2. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Health Crisis in Gaza Clashes over WHO reporting and the health situation in Gaza continue months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire raised hopes for reconstruction and improved health.
- The WHOs Executive Board voted down Israels proposal last week to consolidate the twice-annual health reports on the occupied Palestinian Territories, .
- 18,000 patients, including 4,000 children, have life-threatening conditions and need evacuation, according to Saudi Arabias delegate.
- Israel responded that it had approved the departure of thousands of Palestinians, but other countries werent accepting enough patients.
- Delegates described 90% of hospitals destroyed, 1,600 health workers killed, inadequate sanitation, and extensive disease risks.
- Israel called such reports outdated and distorted.
- 68% of 400+ older Gazans surveyed said they had reduced or stopped chronic disease treatment because of access problems, .
- 76% of respondents report living in tents.
- A kidney disease patient about the difficulty of getting medicines and care in Gaza.
- An Israeli court on Feb. 8 turned down an appeal that would have allowed a 5-year-old cancer patient into Israel for treatment, .
- Nigeria records ~43,000 snakebites and ~1,900 related deaths each year. Meanwhile, ~50% of Nigerian health facilities lack the capacity to treat snakebite envenoming, .
- Supply chain breakdowns, high treatment costs, and inadequately trained personnel have contributed to a scourge of avoidable deaths, .
Women employed as domestic workers in South Africa often face a wrenching dilemma shortly after giving birth: Return to work at their employers home without their baby, or lose their job.
- Many women in this position are unable to breastfeed their babies, which the WHO recommends for the first six months, depriving them of numerous health benefits.
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Life After Leprosy; and Few Resources for Migrating Minors
February 9, 2026
TOP STORIES
At leprosy colonies throughout India, people who have long been cured of the disease continue to live and thrive inside the communitiesa testament to the support systems there, and to the stigma that persists outside, .
India is home to ~750 leprosy colonies today, where tens of thousands of former patients, their children, and grandchildren live.
4 million+
漍漍漍漍
Girls still at risk of female genital mutilation. HEALTH SURVEILLANCE Few Resources for Migrating Minors Children and juveniles migrating north through Mexico live in precarious and unsafe conditions, both in their place of origin and on their journeywith ongoing barriers to medical care, finds a 2024 study of 200 minors. A range of adversities: Many children experience deterioration in their physical and mental health during transit, as they encounter persecution, coercion, violence, and discrimination, as well as unsanitary living and transit conditions, food insecurity, and exposure to environmental hazards, per the study. A need for interventions: Researchers described a need for sustainable health and psychological programs for children at migratory sheltersand called for more civil society-led mobile clinics. QUICK HITS Newly obtained emails undermine RFK Jr.'s testimony about 2019 Samoa trip before measles outbreak
Take the vaccine, please, Dr Oz urges amid rising measles cases in US
China criticizes U.S. for WHO pullout, accusing it of sidestepping international law Argentina: No Withdrawal from Pan American Health Organization Despite Leaving WHO Womens Preferences for Home-Based Self-Sampling or Clinic-Based Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening Federal Vaccine Advisers Take Aim at Covid Shots CDC study highlights growing threat of invasive E coli Inside the quest to make a safer football helmet Issue No. 2860
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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Landmines and other explosives that are remnants of war in Afghanistan killed ~92 people and injured 379 others last year; more than two-thirds of the victims were children, per the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.
A USAID division cut by the Trump administration, Development Innovation Ventures, was revived last week as an independent nonprofit: the DIV fund, which will continue the former programs mission to fund and support international interventions, thanks to $48 million in private donor funding.
Burundi has signed a bilateral agreement with the U.S. as a part of the ongoing rollout of the America First Global Health Strategy, which will result in $129 million in funding from the U.S. State Department over five years to support HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives, and in Burundi increasing its domestic health funding by $26 million over the same time span.
After facing years of litigation, U.S. chemical company Corteva will stop producing Enlist Duo, an herbicide containing a toxic cocktail of the Agent Orange chemical 2,4-D and glyphosatewhich have both been linked to cancer and ecological harm; Corteva will still use 2,4-D in another of its products, Enlist One.
At leprosy colonies throughout India, people who have long been cured of the disease continue to live and thrive inside the communitiesa testament to the support systems there, and to the stigma that persists outside, .
India is home to ~750 leprosy colonies today, where tens of thousands of former patients, their children, and grandchildren live.
- The colonies have long been places of exile: People who contracted the disease were segregated and forced to live in deep poverty and isolation.
- ~173,000 new leprosy cases were reported globally in 2024, .
4 million+
漍漍漍漍
Girls still at risk of female genital mutilation. HEALTH SURVEILLANCE Few Resources for Migrating Minors Children and juveniles migrating north through Mexico live in precarious and unsafe conditions, both in their place of origin and on their journeywith ongoing barriers to medical care, finds a 2024 study of 200 minors. A range of adversities: Many children experience deterioration in their physical and mental health during transit, as they encounter persecution, coercion, violence, and discrimination, as well as unsanitary living and transit conditions, food insecurity, and exposure to environmental hazards, per the study. A need for interventions: Researchers described a need for sustainable health and psychological programs for children at migratory sheltersand called for more civil society-led mobile clinics. QUICK HITS Newly obtained emails undermine RFK Jr.'s testimony about 2019 Samoa trip before measles outbreak
Take the vaccine, please, Dr Oz urges amid rising measles cases in US
China criticizes U.S. for WHO pullout, accusing it of sidestepping international law Argentina: No Withdrawal from Pan American Health Organization Despite Leaving WHO Womens Preferences for Home-Based Self-Sampling or Clinic-Based Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening Federal Vaccine Advisers Take Aim at Covid Shots CDC study highlights growing threat of invasive E coli Inside the quest to make a safer football helmet Issue No. 2860
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Going on the Offensive Against Cholera; and Best in Show, First in Our Hearts
February 5, 2026
TOP STORIES
A South Sudan hospital has been hit by a government air strike, says M矇decins Sans Fronti癡res, which runs the facility; the attack in Lankien, Jonglei state, marks the tenth attack in 12 months on MSF-run medical facilities in the country amid a resurgence in fighting between soldiers and a coalition of opposition forces.
Raw milk has been linked to the listeria death of a newborn in New Mexico, per state officials, who say that the most likely source of infection was unpasteurized milk the mother consumed during pregnancy. Researchers identified a genetic mutation that helps malaria-spreading Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes resist pyrethroidsthe main insecticides used to treat bednets; the research, led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Cameroons Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, also developed a DNA test to track the mutation across West and Central Africa. A new rapid test can identify bacteria and effective antibiotics to use against them in just 36 minutes, per a study published in a key tactic to fight antimicrobial resistance, say researchers. IN FOCUS A member of the Syria Immunization Team holds cholera vaccination ampoules in Sarmada, Syria, on March 7, 2023. Anas Alkharboutli/picture alliance via Getty Going on the Offensive Against Cholera
Preventive cholera vaccination programs will restart globally after a ~4-year hiatusa signal that the global supply has seen significant recovery after critical vaccine shortages, .
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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Raw milk has been linked to the listeria death of a newborn in New Mexico, per state officials, who say that the most likely source of infection was unpasteurized milk the mother consumed during pregnancy. Researchers identified a genetic mutation that helps malaria-spreading Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes resist pyrethroidsthe main insecticides used to treat bednets; the research, led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Cameroons Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, also developed a DNA test to track the mutation across West and Central Africa. A new rapid test can identify bacteria and effective antibiotics to use against them in just 36 minutes, per a study published in a key tactic to fight antimicrobial resistance, say researchers. IN FOCUS A member of the Syria Immunization Team holds cholera vaccination ampoules in Sarmada, Syria, on March 7, 2023. Anas Alkharboutli/picture alliance via Getty Going on the Offensive Against Cholera
Preventive cholera vaccination programs will restart globally after a ~4-year hiatusa signal that the global supply has seen significant recovery after critical vaccine shortages, .
- Global vaccine shortages forced us into a cycle of reacting to cholera outbreaks instead of preventing them. We are now in a stronger position to break that cycle, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
- That surge continues: 600,000+ cholera cases and ~7,600 deaths were reported to WHO last yearwith children most at risk.
- Last month alone, 11,965 new cholera cases, and 126 new deaths globally were .
- 6.1 million doses have been sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 10.3 million to Bangladeshother high-risk regions.
- The income cap for benefits will be drastically lowered, putting medication out of reach for ~16,000 people.
- Its terrifying, said Tori Samuel, a mother of three who has relied on the program for decades.
In our summary yesterday about cancer prevention, the projected 50% rise is in cancer cases, not rates. We regret the error.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Best in Show, First in Our Hearts God loves a terrier. It is a truth crooned by legendary Norwich terrier owner Cookie Fleck, played by Catherine OHara in the 2000 mockumentary Best in Show. But before the terrier group was judged Tuesday night at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, all the love was focused on OHara herself, who died last week at 71as organizers paid tribute to the actor with a video montage on the Madison Square Garden jumbotron, . The tribute reflected just how beloved the film and OHara have become in that subculture, even though both gently lampooned eccentricities and intensity of dog shows.- The first time I watched it, I was highly insulted, said David Fitzpatrick, this years best in show judge. Then I watched it again and I started thinking, Oh my God, they really have some of us pegged.
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: New Insights into Cancer Prevention; and Could Fish Farming Help Fight Schistosomiasis
February 4, 2026
TOP STORIES
Serious side effects and high cost have hindered the rollout of the first chikungunya vaccine, IXCHIQ, produced by French manufacturer Valneva, and shifted focus to a newer vaccine, Vimkunya, produced by Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic, which is expected to be safer for vulnerable groups.
Long COVID in children will be studied more closely in three clinical trials launching this year, including the largest pediatric long COVID trial to datewhich will recruit 1,300 children, teens, and young adults for a randomized placebo-controlled trial of low-dose naltrexone to treat fatigue. /
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has recommended that surgeons delay gender-related breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery until a patient is 19 years old, , saying that there is low certainty in the risk-benefit ratio for such surgical interventions for children and adolescents.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a $100 million pilot program to address homelessness and addiction in eight cities this week, including expanded funding for faith-based substance use treatment.
IN FOCUS: WORLD CANCER DAY
A health worker administers an HPV vaccine to a girl during a HPV vaccination drive against cervical cancer in Karachi, Pakistan. September 24, 2025. Rizwan Tabassum/AFP via Getty
New Insights into Cancer Prevention
Nearly 4 in 10 cancer cases worldwide are potentially preventable, ahead of World Cancer Day today, .
What that means: ~7.1 million cancer cases in 2022 were linked to preventable causes per the analysis by the WHO and its International Agency for Research on Cancer, which looked at dozens of cancer types in ~200 countries and considered 30 modifiable risk factors including tobacco, alcohol, air pollution, and occupational exposure to toxins, .
Leading risk factors: Tobacco smoking was the leading contributor to cases (15%), followed by infections like HPV (10%) and alcohol (3%).
Zooming in: Preventable cancers were more common in men (45%) than women (30%), .
A Year of Disruption: 5 Resources to Understand Foreign Aid Cuts
'Efficacy will be secondary': RFK Jr.'s vaccine advisers have a new mission
US government concerns over key vaccine ingredient are not based on science
Nigerian women and contraceptives: study finds big gaps between the haves and the have-nots
Why scientists are so excited about a nasal spray vaccine for bird flu The Secret Weapon in Canadas Sewers: As America takes an axe to its health data, expanding wastewater surveillance could save lives Clean air should not be a privilege: how Bogot獺 is tackling air pollution in its poorest areas Issue No. 2858
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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- In men, smoking was the leading risk factor, accounting for ~25% of the 4.3 million preventable cancer cases, and was the leading cause of cancer in men living in both low- and high-income regions.
- In women, infections such as HPV were leading drivers, especially in low- and middle-income regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa.
- Addressing these preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden, senior study author Isabelle Soerjomataram told the BBC.
- In places like Senegal, rice farmers are especially vulnerable, as they work in flooded fields where snails thrive.
- The hope is that catfish will help with snail controland provide an added food source.
A Year of Disruption: 5 Resources to Understand Foreign Aid Cuts
'Efficacy will be secondary': RFK Jr.'s vaccine advisers have a new mission
US government concerns over key vaccine ingredient are not based on science
Nigerian women and contraceptives: study finds big gaps between the haves and the have-nots
Why scientists are so excited about a nasal spray vaccine for bird flu The Secret Weapon in Canadas Sewers: As America takes an axe to its health data, expanding wastewater surveillance could save lives Clean air should not be a privilege: how Bogot獺 is tackling air pollution in its poorest areas Issue No. 2858
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: 9 Million Deaths May Follow Aid Cuts
Plus: Egypts Child Health Gains Jeopardized
February 3, 2026
TOP STORIES
Ultra-processed foods are more similar to cigarettes than other foods and should be regulated as such, according to that highlights how both products encourage addiction and are marketed to maximize consumption.
Young people in Ontario are being diagnosed with psychotic disorders more frequently compared to their older peers, according to a from the Canadian province; studies from and have identified a similar trend.
An emerging bat-borne virus, Pteropine orthoreovirus, was discovered in stored throat swabs and viral cultures of five patients thought to be infected with Nipah virus, ; the patients, hospitalized from December 2022 to March 2023, had eaten raw date palm sap, a route of NiV spillover.
Lead exposure among a small group of people in Utah is 100X lower today than in the 1960s, ; researchers relied partly on an unconventional source: hair clippings from 100-year-old scrapbooks. IN FOCUS Pharmacist Joseph Njer Airo inspects boxes of antiretroviral drugs labeled "USAID," at Migosi Sub-county Hospital, in Kisumu, Kenya, on April 24, 2025. Michel Lunanga/Getty Images 9 Million Deaths May Follow Aid Cuts
If current trends in global health funding cuts continue, 9.4 million excess deaths will occur by 2030, published in The Lancet Global Health yesterday. Thats the mild scenario.
Egypt made major strides in childrens health outcomes in the last three decadescutting child mortality from 108 deaths per 1,000 children under 5 in 1988, to 26 deaths per 1,000 in 2024 through policies including:
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. QUICK HITS Six years after COVID-19s global alarm: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic? Synthetic compound targets malaria at multiple stages to prevent its transmission
Indonesia Delays Sugary Drink Taxes, Yet Again
Eye Protection for Tear Gas and other Hazards: A Protest Safety Guide Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner! 2 or more alcoholic drinks a day linked to 91% higher colorectal cancer risk Thanks for the tip, Xiadong Cai! Why scientists are so excited about a nasal spray vaccine for bird flu Issue No. 2857
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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Young people in Ontario are being diagnosed with psychotic disorders more frequently compared to their older peers, according to a from the Canadian province; studies from and have identified a similar trend.
An emerging bat-borne virus, Pteropine orthoreovirus, was discovered in stored throat swabs and viral cultures of five patients thought to be infected with Nipah virus, ; the patients, hospitalized from December 2022 to March 2023, had eaten raw date palm sap, a route of NiV spillover.
Lead exposure among a small group of people in Utah is 100X lower today than in the 1960s, ; researchers relied partly on an unconventional source: hair clippings from 100-year-old scrapbooks. IN FOCUS Pharmacist Joseph Njer Airo inspects boxes of antiretroviral drugs labeled "USAID," at Migosi Sub-county Hospital, in Kisumu, Kenya, on April 24, 2025. Michel Lunanga/Getty Images 9 Million Deaths May Follow Aid Cuts
If current trends in global health funding cuts continue, 9.4 million excess deaths will occur by 2030, published in The Lancet Global Health yesterday. Thats the mild scenario.
Worst case: A severe scenario based on even greater funding cuts would lead to 22.6 million additional deaths by 2030, per Barcelona Institute for Global Health researchers and colleagues.
Whats at stake? HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as hunger, may resurge across the globe, .
- It is the dismantling of an architecture that took 80 years to build, said Rockefeller Foundation President and former USAID chief Rajiv Shah. The scale of the cuts and the scale of the reduction far outstrip the scale of philanthropy to step in and solve the problem.&紳莉莽梯;
Flashback: Development assistance was associated with declines of 70% in HIV/AIDS, 56% for malaria, and 56% for nutritional deficiencies from 2002 to 2021, per the study.
Meanwhile in Geneva: Despite funding cuts, the WHO has 85% of funds needed for its current biennium budget, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the 158th Executive Board meeting, .
Related:
This global health leader praises Trump's aid plan and gears up to beat malaria
Days After US Leaves WHO, Israel Warns it Faces Pressure to Withdraw
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CHILD MORTALITY Egypts Child Health Gains JeopardizedEgypt made major strides in childrens health outcomes in the last three decadescutting child mortality from 108 deaths per 1,000 children under 5 in 1988, to 26 deaths per 1,000 in 2024 through policies including:
- School-based insurance that helped families access medical care and medicine.
- Vaccine coverage, especially for polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, and measles.
- Widespread hepatitis C screening.
But that progress is threatened as economic turmoil and post-pandemic fallout lead to care setbacks, including:
- A physician exodus, with ~18,000 doctors resigning since 2019 due to low pay.
- Hospital bed shortages.
- Pandemic disruptions in maternal care, which led to a spike in C-sections and prematurity.
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. QUICK HITS Six years after COVID-19s global alarm: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic? Synthetic compound targets malaria at multiple stages to prevent its transmission
Indonesia Delays Sugary Drink Taxes, Yet Again
Eye Protection for Tear Gas and other Hazards: A Protest Safety Guide Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner! 2 or more alcoholic drinks a day linked to 91% higher colorectal cancer risk Thanks for the tip, Xiadong Cai! Why scientists are so excited about a nasal spray vaccine for bird flu Issue No. 2857
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Measles Strengthens Its U.S. Foothold; and Pregnant, Breastfeeding, and Detained by ICE
February 2, 2026
TOP STORIES
The 10 Guinea worm infection cases reported last year漍confined to three countries: Chad, Ethiopia, and South Sudan漍mark a historic low and a 33% decline from 2024s 15 cases.
An autism advisory panel to the U.S. government has been overhauled by HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who replaced members of the panel with outspoken activists who say vaccines are linked to autism.
Pancreatic tumors were eliminated in mice through a triple combination therapy administered , which found that the therapy prevented tumor recurrence and may point the way to new clinical trials for treating pancreatic cancer.
Severe acute pancreatitis has been linked with GLP-1 injections, a UK medication regulator has warned; while the risk is small, the guidance was updated after 1,143 cases of acute and chronic pancreatitis were reported in 2025 among patients taking semaglutide or tirzepatide.
IN FOCUS
Parkside Pediatrics providers Chandler Hash (left) and Nathan Heffington assess a patient with measles symptoms in Spartanburg, SC, on January 30. The Washington Post via Getty
Measles Strengthens Its U.S. Foothold
U.S. doctors are learning to recognize a disease most have encountered only in textbooks as measles strengthens its grip nationwideincluding in South Carolina, which is now home to the largest U.S. measles outbreak since the disease was eliminated 25+ years ago, .
South Carolinas outbreak has surpassed the case count of last years outbreak in West Texas and now includes 840+ infectionsmostly among unvaccinated children and adults in the Spartanburg area. Hundreds have quarantined for weeks, and ~19 have been hospitalized, .
Wider U.S. risks: The outbreak has already seeded cases in states as close as North Carolina and as far away as Washingtoncontributing to 500+ U.S. cases in January alone, and imperiling the countrys measles-free status as plunging vaccination rates create pockets where the virus can rapidly spread.
Michelle A. Williams: The EPA just erased a century of public health progress
EU sets toxin limit amid global infant formula recalls 2 or more alcoholic drinks a day linked to 91% higher colorectal cancer risk Thanks for the tip, Xiaodong Cai!
Converging global crises and the re-emergence of neglected tropical diseases: the case of noma David Wallace-Wells: The Real Reason MAHA Hates Vaccines Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff! Its freezing cold and youve lost power. Heres what emergency doctors want you to do Helping with grandkids may slow cognitive decline Issue No. 2856
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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- I dont see a clear end to this, said epidemiologist Scott Thorpe, who runs the nonprofit Southern Alliance for Public Health Leadership.
- The facility, which holds about ~1,200 people, including 400+ children, has already been scrutinized for its medical care of detained families, including a child hospitalized after symptoms of appendicitis went undiagnosed,
- She has not had routine prenatal care, despite complications that include heavy bleeding, advocates say. And one of her children was still breastfeeding.
- The fact that parents arent with the kids, that shes breastfeeding an infant, pregnant and having complicationsthose kinds of things are not being looked at or considered as relevantits inhumane from my perspective, said immigration lawyer Kerry Doyle.
Michelle A. Williams: The EPA just erased a century of public health progress
EU sets toxin limit amid global infant formula recalls 2 or more alcoholic drinks a day linked to 91% higher colorectal cancer risk Thanks for the tip, Xiaodong Cai!
Converging global crises and the re-emergence of neglected tropical diseases: the case of noma David Wallace-Wells: The Real Reason MAHA Hates Vaccines Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff! Its freezing cold and youve lost power. Heres what emergency doctors want you to do Helping with grandkids may slow cognitive decline Issue No. 2856
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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96
Global Health NOW: Reproductive Care Collapses in Afghanistan
Plus: Time to Chart a New Path to Africas Malaria-Free Future
January 29, 2026
TOP STORIES
Malaria deaths could spike to half a million across Africa over the next 25 years due to climate change, which finds that shifting and extreme weather patterns could lead to an additional 123 million malaria cases across the continent.
Two animal-borne pathogens pose a growing threat to humans, warns a new ; the viruses, influenza D virus and canine coronavirus, have been flying under the radar, but conditions are shifting that have improved their capacity to spread among humans, researchers say.
HPV screening rates among underserved groups in Australia were substantially boosted through cervical sample self-collection programs, ; participation was especially high among women who were 10+ years overdue for screening and those living in very remote areas.
Twice-yearly PrEP is slowly becoming more accessible to people in the U.S., as insurers gradually agree to cover the high-cost drug, Yeztugoan injection of the drug lenacapavir.
IN FOCUS
Farida, 30, a midwife, monitors pregnant women close to delivering, at the provincial hospital's maternity department, on August 27, 2025, in Ghazni, Afghanistan. Elise Blanchard/Getty Images
Reproductive Care Collapses in Afghanistan
Women in Afghanistan increasingly have nowhere to turn to prevent pregnancies or find basic prenatal services, as the countrys reproductive care system deteriorates under the Taliban. Birth control banned: The started in 2023, with contraceptives swiftly disappearing from shelves and doctors forbidden from dispensing themeven for women whose lives could be threatened by pregnancy. Clinic closed: Clinics accused of violating the Talibans orders face risk of closure; doctors have also been forced to close their doors after the sudden drop in international aid last year.
As wealthy countries cut assistance and malaria surges in parts of Africa, the continents leaders must chart a new path to a malaria-free future, write Corine Karema, Francine Ntoumi, and Garry Aslanyan .
OPPORTUNITY Wellbeing With AI: What's Possible?
Join the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Department of Mental Health for an urgent discussion on the risks, benefits, and practical applications of AI in mental health care. Laura Reiley, whose , will share her story.
Year after year, epic snowstorms prove that behind every winter weather report is a comedian waiting in the wings. This week was no different across the U.S., with reporters and officials resorting to jokes and light shaming to keep people indoors. A sampling: OPERATION BREAD AND MILK: The to chill out on hoarding supplies. Weve already seen the frantic look in your eyes, they wrote. You are not launching a three-year mission to Mars.&紳莉莽梯; Park it on the couch, Kansas City, Missouri. The local fire department or people trying to squeeze in a mani-pedi: Hush Jessica.&紳莉莽梯; These gems are important reminders of iconic past weather reports: An anchormans .&紳莉莽梯;A reporter delivered breaking updates using a rubber chicken for reference, and struggled to make a snow angel. Is it great snowman snow? No, man, no. Cincinnati, Ohio, 2025 Honestly the hardest Ive ever worked. A named Big Papi. Manchester, New Hampshire, 2022 Oh, boy. Less forecast, more Shakespearean monologue. A local weatherman warned that our Baltimore, Maryland, 2010 QUICK HITS Radical changes could be coming to psychiatrys bible
Risk of maternal death during pregnancy greatly underestimated, study finds
Rise in insecurity, hostile environment affecting NTDs programme
Tanzania Among Seven Countries Included in the New Network to Strengthen Collaborative Disease Surveillance
On Public Health and Human Rights in Minneapolis
Eating snow cones or snow cream can be a winter delight, if done safely Issue No. 2855
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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Women in Afghanistan increasingly have nowhere to turn to prevent pregnancies or find basic prenatal services, as the countrys reproductive care system deteriorates under the Taliban. Birth control banned: The started in 2023, with contraceptives swiftly disappearing from shelves and doctors forbidden from dispensing themeven for women whose lives could be threatened by pregnancy. Clinic closed: Clinics accused of violating the Talibans orders face risk of closure; doctors have also been forced to close their doors after the sudden drop in international aid last year.
- 440+ hospitals and clinics have closed or reduced services in Afghanistan in the last year, .
- Since then, women have been left largely to fend for themselves, with minimal to no prenatal care amid risky pregnancies, complications, and miscarriages.
As wealthy countries cut assistance and malaria surges in parts of Africa, the continents leaders must chart a new path to a malaria-free future, write Corine Karema, Francine Ntoumi, and Garry Aslanyan .
- The recent dramatic reduction in aid is disrupting core activities like disease surveillance, supply chains for medicines, and delivery of care.
- All governments where malaria is endemic should have national elimination plans.
- African institutions should set priorities, align partners around national plans, and demand accountability for results.
- The African Union and other organizations can help coordinate efforts at the regional level, keeping malaria high on the political agenda.
- Malaria programs need to engage other programslike routine immunization, antenatal care, and community outreachto get the newly approved malaria vaccines RTS,S and R21/ MatrixM to people.
OPPORTUNITY Wellbeing With AI: What's Possible?
Join the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Department of Mental Health for an urgent discussion on the risks, benefits, and practical applications of AI in mental health care. Laura Reiley, whose , will share her story.
She will be joined by Thomas Insel, who formerly served as director of the National Institute of Mental Health and more recently led the Mental Health team at Verily (formerly known as Google Life Sciences), and Holly Wilcox, director and founder of the Johns Hopkins Center for Suicide Prevention.
The livestream of the event is open to the public, but registration is required. You will receive a link to the livestream with your registration confirmation.
- Monday, February 2, 2026, 12 p.m.1:30 p.m. EST
Year after year, epic snowstorms prove that behind every winter weather report is a comedian waiting in the wings. This week was no different across the U.S., with reporters and officials resorting to jokes and light shaming to keep people indoors. A sampling: OPERATION BREAD AND MILK: The to chill out on hoarding supplies. Weve already seen the frantic look in your eyes, they wrote. You are not launching a three-year mission to Mars.&紳莉莽梯; Park it on the couch, Kansas City, Missouri. The local fire department or people trying to squeeze in a mani-pedi: Hush Jessica.&紳莉莽梯; These gems are important reminders of iconic past weather reports: An anchormans .&紳莉莽梯;A reporter delivered breaking updates using a rubber chicken for reference, and struggled to make a snow angel. Is it great snowman snow? No, man, no. Cincinnati, Ohio, 2025 Honestly the hardest Ive ever worked. A named Big Papi. Manchester, New Hampshire, 2022 Oh, boy. Less forecast, more Shakespearean monologue. A local weatherman warned that our Baltimore, Maryland, 2010 QUICK HITS Radical changes could be coming to psychiatrys bible
Risk of maternal death during pregnancy greatly underestimated, study finds
Rise in insecurity, hostile environment affecting NTDs programme
Tanzania Among Seven Countries Included in the New Network to Strengthen Collaborative Disease Surveillance
On Public Health and Human Rights in Minneapolis
Eating snow cones or snow cream can be a winter delight, if done safely Issue No. 2855
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Grasping for Hope as Haiti Unravels; and Volunteer Vector Control in Bangladesh
January 28, 2026
TOP STORIES
The U.S. maternal syphilis rate spiked 28% from 2022 to 2024, ; the latest uptick is part of a worsening trend that has involved a 200%+ rise in maternal syphilis over the past decade, which is leading to a surge of congenital syphilis in infants.
The Trump administration has directed Gavi to eliminate vaccines containing the preservative thimerosal as a precondition for continued funding; anti-vaccine groups have claimed that thimerosal causes autism, despite scientific evidence to the contrary.
Humanitys risk of self-annihilation is closer than ever, say scientists who set the symbolic Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to catastrophe yesterdaynoting existential threats including nuclear war, climate change, risks of artificial intelligence, and biological disaster. The WHO has issued global guidance for school luncheslimiting sugars, saturated fats, and sodium, while expanding pulses and whole grains; the agency says it will provide technical assistance to support countries in meeting the goal. IN FOCUS A person walks past cars burned and used as a barricade by armed gangs during clashes last week with Haitian security forces in Port-au-Prince. January 16. Clarens Siffroy/AFP via Getty Grasping for Hope as Haiti Unravels Violence continues to roil Haiti as powerful gangs clash with state policedisplacing civilians, gutting health care, and precipitating an ongoing exodus of foreign aid that the country has long depended on.
Continued escalation: 100+ violence victims have been treated in Port-au-Prince in just two weeks, one of the few groups still providing medical care amid attacks from gangs, which control ~90% of the capital and have displaced more than 1.4 million people.
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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Humanitys risk of self-annihilation is closer than ever, say scientists who set the symbolic Doomsday Clock to 85 seconds to catastrophe yesterdaynoting existential threats including nuclear war, climate change, risks of artificial intelligence, and biological disaster. The WHO has issued global guidance for school luncheslimiting sugars, saturated fats, and sodium, while expanding pulses and whole grains; the agency says it will provide technical assistance to support countries in meeting the goal. IN FOCUS A person walks past cars burned and used as a barricade by armed gangs during clashes last week with Haitian security forces in Port-au-Prince. January 16. Clarens Siffroy/AFP via Getty Grasping for Hope as Haiti Unravels Violence continues to roil Haiti as powerful gangs clash with state policedisplacing civilians, gutting health care, and precipitating an ongoing exodus of foreign aid that the country has long depended on.
Continued escalation: 100+ violence victims have been treated in Port-au-Prince in just two weeks, one of the few groups still providing medical care amid attacks from gangs, which control ~90% of the capital and have displaced more than 1.4 million people.
- In 2025, 686 patients with violence-related injuries were admitted to MSFs Tabarre Hospital. 47 were children under 14.
- The aid exodus has also revealed the scale of national institutions dependence on foreign aidsomething local leaders say must change, .
- The trash, combined with rainier, hotter weather, creates ideal breeding conditions for mosquitoes.
- We are trying to change peoples mindset, said university student Umme Kulsum Siddiki Brishti.
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Measles Marches Across Europe; Tributes to William Foege; and Classifying Postpartum Psychosis
January 27, 2026
TOP STORIES
Meanwhile in the U.S.: The 2,400+ cases in the last year are the cost of doing business in a free country that has lots of global travelers, CDC principal deputy director Ralph Abraham told reporters last week, .
夷f I remain in India, too much attention would be directed toward the external support that India received, and it is very important that recognition be given to the accomplishments of the hundreds of thousands of Indians who really did the work. 漍Foege on his decision to leave India after the country was certified to be free of smallpox, recounted in Madhukar Pais tribute: William H. Foege, Key Figure in the Eradication of Smallpox, Dies at 89
If you look at the simple metric of who has saved the most lives, he is right up there with the pantheon. Smallpox eradication has prevented hundreds of millions of deaths. 漍Tom Frieden, quoted in Leader in smallpox eradication, Dr. William Foege, dies at 89 MATERNAL HEALTH Classifying Postpartum Psychosis As awareness of postpartum psychosis grows, U.S. psychiatrists are debating where the condition might fit into the DSMpsychiatrys core diagnostic manual. Background: Postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric disorder occurring in 12 out of 1,000 births. Weeks after delivery, symptoms of the disorder in new mothersincluding those with no history of mental illnesscan include paranoia or delusions. In the worst cases, it can lead to suicide or infanticide. The debate: Advocates say a stand-alone DSM category would improve doctor training, research, and courts handling of such cases.
Explore public health at your own pace with the first four courses in a series of 12 non-credit learning experiences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Designed for those interested in public health careers, these flexible courses build foundational knowledge in key areas and deepen professional skillsets.
QUICK HITS Ethiopia Declares End of Marburg Outbreak That Killed Nine Tobacco companies win again in South Korean lawsuit over costs to treat sick smokers Russia Cuts Its Disability Count As War Against Ukraine Wounds Hundreds of Thousands Rejecting Decades of Science, Vaccine Panel Chair Says Polio and Other Shots Should Be Optional CDC Restores $5 Billion in Public Health Grants After 24-Hour Pause
Has the golden age of global health ended? The health takeaways from Davos 2026 Ancient DNA Reveals Twisted Roots of Syphilis Go Back 5,500 Years Issue No. 2853
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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Mozambiques worst floods in decades are sparking fears of cholera and other threats; several people have been killed by crocodiles roaming waterlogged neighborhoods and 300,000+ have fled their homes.
Airports in Thailand, Nepal, Taiwan and other Asian countries are stepping up health-screening measures after the confirmation of five Nipah virus cases in Indias West Bengal state, where ~100 people are quarantined following detection of the virus in a hospital last week.
The prevalence of two proteins connected to inflammation and stress supports the weathering hypothesis that systemic racism accounts for much of the difference between the average life expectancy of Black and white adults, per a new study published in .
Australia is enduring a brutal heat wave as temperatures near 50C (122F) in parts of the country today; no deaths have been reported, though three wildfires are burning in Victoria.
- The WHO called for increased vaccination rates in the U.K., Spain, Austria, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan, the countries removed from the list of measles-free countries, .
- European countries reported 127,000+ measles cases last yearthe highest number since 1997, .
Meanwhile in the U.S.: The 2,400+ cases in the last year are the cost of doing business in a free country that has lots of global travelers, CDC principal deputy director Ralph Abraham told reporters last week, .
- We have these communities that choose to be unvaccinated, Abraham said. Thats their personal freedom.&紳莉莽梯;
- The measles-free status of the U.S. depends on proof that the virus has not circulated continuously in the nation for a year, between Jan. 20, 2025, and Jan. 20, 2026, Undark reports. Scientists are reviewing South Carolina, Utah, Arizona, and Texas outbreaks to determine if they are linked.
- The research will be completed in approximately two months.
夷f I remain in India, too much attention would be directed toward the external support that India received, and it is very important that recognition be given to the accomplishments of the hundreds of thousands of Indians who really did the work. 漍Foege on his decision to leave India after the country was certified to be free of smallpox, recounted in Madhukar Pais tribute: William H. Foege, Key Figure in the Eradication of Smallpox, Dies at 89
If you look at the simple metric of who has saved the most lives, he is right up there with the pantheon. Smallpox eradication has prevented hundreds of millions of deaths. 漍Tom Frieden, quoted in Leader in smallpox eradication, Dr. William Foege, dies at 89 MATERNAL HEALTH Classifying Postpartum Psychosis As awareness of postpartum psychosis grows, U.S. psychiatrists are debating where the condition might fit into the DSMpsychiatrys core diagnostic manual. Background: Postpartum psychosis is a psychiatric disorder occurring in 12 out of 1,000 births. Weeks after delivery, symptoms of the disorder in new mothersincluding those with no history of mental illnesscan include paranoia or delusions. In the worst cases, it can lead to suicide or infanticide. The debate: Advocates say a stand-alone DSM category would improve doctor training, research, and courts handling of such cases.
- But experts cant agree where in the manual the condition fitsbipolar, depressive, or psychotic disorderand they fear a flawed definition could lead to misguided treatment or coercive interventions.
Explore public health at your own pace with the first four courses in a series of 12 non-credit learning experiences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Designed for those interested in public health careers, these flexible courses build foundational knowledge in key areas and deepen professional skillsets.
QUICK HITS Ethiopia Declares End of Marburg Outbreak That Killed Nine Tobacco companies win again in South Korean lawsuit over costs to treat sick smokers Russia Cuts Its Disability Count As War Against Ukraine Wounds Hundreds of Thousands Rejecting Decades of Science, Vaccine Panel Chair Says Polio and Other Shots Should Be Optional CDC Restores $5 Billion in Public Health Grants After 24-Hour Pause
Has the golden age of global health ended? The health takeaways from Davos 2026 Ancient DNA Reveals Twisted Roots of Syphilis Go Back 5,500 Years Issue No. 2853
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Global Health sNOW Day
January 26, 2026
Edmund Lowe Photography / Getty Creative
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. 2852
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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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. 2852
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
