96
Global Health NOW: The Race to Develop a New Ebola Vaccine; and Broadening HPV Vaccine Access to Boys
May 21, 2026
TOP STORIES
Bangladesh officials ignored repeated warnings from UNICEF over several years about a shortage of measles vaccines that could lead to an outbreak, ; the current outbreak has now killed 481, with six children dying over 24 hours as suspected cases reach 57,856, .
The UN has voted to support a landmark ruling from the International Court of Justice which found countries have a legal obligation to address the “existential threat” of the climate crisis; 141 member states voted in favor, with eight voting no and 28 abstaining.
Local transmission of malaria in the U.S. remains “a significant public health concern,” warns a , which points to a 2023 outbreak in which 10 people across four states were locally infected, and highlights most U.S. residents’ lack protective immunity against the disease.
Common preservatives used in store-bought foods were linked to a 29% greater risk of elevated blood pressure and a 16% higher risk of heart attacks and stroke, per ; the study found that even “natural” preservatives citric acid and ascorbic acid were linked to a 22% greater risk of high blood pressure.
EDITORS' NOTE
We're Taking a Long Weekend
Heads up, readers! We won’t be publishing Monday in observance of Memorial Day in the U.S. We’ll be back Tuesday with more news!—The Editors IN FOCUS A border health officer at the Busunga crossing between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo checks a traveler's temperature on May 18. Badru Katumba/AFP/Getty The Race to Develop a New Ebola Vaccine As the global health community mobilizes to respond to the Ebola outbreak centered in eastern DRC and Uganda that has now sickened ~600 ad killed ~139, a simultaneous effort is kicking into gear in labs worldwide: develop a vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain—fast. But such a vaccine is still months away, The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or targeted treatment, and WHO officials say producing doses for trials could take six to nine months. Current status: There are two potential vaccine candidates, but neither is ready to move into human testing.
The Changemaker Awards honor individuals leading collective action towards justice, equality, and peace in support of UN #SDGs. Successful changemakers demonstrate visionary leadership and the ability to make measurable, lasting impact within their communities and beyond—like Jîn Dawod (2025 Winner), a mental health visionary who transformed her experience as a Syrian refugee into life-changing support for displaced communities across 26 countries.
In 2026, the will bring together nine finalists from all over the world for a unique program of coaching and capacity building in advance of the , in Rome, Italy on October 29, 2026.
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.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Heads up, readers! We won’t be publishing Monday in observance of Memorial Day in the U.S. We’ll be back Tuesday with more news!—The Editors IN FOCUS A border health officer at the Busunga crossing between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo checks a traveler's temperature on May 18. Badru Katumba/AFP/Getty The Race to Develop a New Ebola Vaccine As the global health community mobilizes to respond to the Ebola outbreak centered in eastern DRC and Uganda that has now sickened ~600 ad killed ~139, a simultaneous effort is kicking into gear in labs worldwide: develop a vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain—fast. But such a vaccine is still months away, The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or targeted treatment, and WHO officials say producing doses for trials could take six to nine months. Current status: There are two potential vaccine candidates, but neither is ready to move into human testing.
- The leading vaccine candidate uses the same platform as Merck’s Ervebo shot, which protects against the Zaire strain of Ebola. Previous research identified a Bundibugyo-specific version of that shot protected monkeys, but it was never manufactured to human-testing standards.
- A second candidate, built on technology similar to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, could move into trials sooner, though there is not yet animal data to support safety and efficacy.
- Meanwhile, an investigational monoclonal antibody treatment, called MBP134 and developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., can protect against multiple strains of Ebola and has been through early human testing.
- “In a time when hours matter, we’re delayed by weeks,” said Nicholas Enrich, the former top global health official for USAID.
- The campaign does not include boys, who can’t get routine HPV-related cancer screening through public health care.
- Experts say a gender-neutral HPV vaccination approach would improve overall cancer prevention.
The Changemaker Awards honor individuals leading collective action towards justice, equality, and peace in support of UN #SDGs. Successful changemakers demonstrate visionary leadership and the ability to make measurable, lasting impact within their communities and beyond—like Jîn Dawod (2025 Winner), a mental health visionary who transformed her experience as a Syrian refugee into life-changing support for displaced communities across 26 countries.
In 2026, the will bring together nine finalists from all over the world for a unique program of coaching and capacity building in advance of the , in Rome, Italy on October 29, 2026.
- Extended deadline: May 31, 2026
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.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
United Nations agencies have moved swiftly to support efforts to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), delivering emergency medical supplies, protective equipment and logistics support.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: A ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Reset for Humanitarian Aid; and Nicotine Pouch Popularity Surges
May 20, 2026
TOP STORIES
The Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda could take months to contain, the WHO said today, reporting a current suspected death toll of 130+ and 600+ suspected cases, ; meanwhile, challenges related to the region’s conflict and shortages of personnel, medical equipment, disinfectant, and protective gear are complicating the response, .
Iran’s appeal for support against attacks on healthcare by the U.S. and Israel failed at the WHA yesterday, with 19 votes in favor and 30 against; a similar resolution from Lebanon, which asks the WHO to provide support through medications and supplies, passed with 95 votes in favor and two against. Over half of U.S. teens are unaware of their right to independently access STI testing and treatment without a guardian’s consent, finds a . Undiagnosed ADHD may be linked to traffic-related injuries among adults, finds a new study presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting; the study found that ~35% of 95 adults admitted to the hospital for traffic-related injuries screened positive on the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale and that high-risk driving behaviors were more common among adults who screened positive. Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! IN FOCUS Residents gather to collect drinking water in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on May 19. Ahmed Al Arini / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty A ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Reset for Humanitarian Aid The global humanitarian aid system is “no longer fit for purpose,” that calls for a total overhaul of aid systems rather than incremental reforms, . Background: A rising number of conflict-driven deaths and forced displacement globally spurred the —a collaboration between the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health and The Lancet.
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.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Iran’s appeal for support against attacks on healthcare by the U.S. and Israel failed at the WHA yesterday, with 19 votes in favor and 30 against; a similar resolution from Lebanon, which asks the WHO to provide support through medications and supplies, passed with 95 votes in favor and two against. Over half of U.S. teens are unaware of their right to independently access STI testing and treatment without a guardian’s consent, finds a . Undiagnosed ADHD may be linked to traffic-related injuries among adults, finds a new study presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting; the study found that ~35% of 95 adults admitted to the hospital for traffic-related injuries screened positive on the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale and that high-risk driving behaviors were more common among adults who screened positive. Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! IN FOCUS Residents gather to collect drinking water in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on May 19. Ahmed Al Arini / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty A ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Reset for Humanitarian Aid The global humanitarian aid system is “no longer fit for purpose,” that calls for a total overhaul of aid systems rather than incremental reforms, . Background: A rising number of conflict-driven deaths and forced displacement globally spurred the —a collaboration between the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health and The Lancet.
- Their research period spanned the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID and other international funding shortfalls—demonstrating the politicization of aid that essentially functions as “rationing by design” driven by donor interests rather than human need.
- Rising harm: Conflict deaths nearly doubled between 2021 and 2024, and attacks on healthcare hit a record 3,663 incidents in 2024.
- Need gaps: 239 million people are expected to need aid in 2026, but only ~87 million are likely to receive it.
- Moving decision-making and funding control to affected communities.
- Financing to create pooled, independent funds that are channeled straight to local groups and healthcare and are insulated from donor politics.
- Using health outcomes to create better accountability around violations of humanitarian law.
- A single streamlined UN aid agency instead of fragmented groups.
- Sales topped 23 billion+ units in 2024—a 50% spike over the previous year—creating a ~$7 billion industry in 2025.
- The regulatory debate is playing out across Europe, —with Sweden taking a more permissive approach and France instituting a total ban.
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.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
Facing a fast-moving Ebola outbreak caused by a rare strain of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) is relying on a rapid, community-centred response to halt transmission in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, a senior official has told UN News.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Before heading to strike sites in war-torn Lebanon, rescue workers and paramedics often say goodbye to one another – a ritual captured in widely shared videos reflecting the growing dangers faced by aid workers since hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel erupted on 2 March.
Categories: Global Health Feed
The deadly Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda does not represent a global pandemic emergency, although the risk is high at a regional and national level, the UN health agency chief said on Wednesday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
‘Jumping gene’ helps explain elevated pancreatic cancer risk in French-Canadians
Researchers at 91ɬ have discovered a centuries-old genetic mutation that helps to explain why some French‑Canadians in Quebec are at an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer. Until quite recently, standard genetic tests have not been able to identify this “jumping gene” cause.
The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Genetics, suggest better-targeted genetic testing could help identify people at higher cancer risk who were previously missed.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Ebola Worries Loom Over #WHA79; and How AI is Accelerating Biosecurity Risks
May 19, 2026
TOP STORIES
A diphtheria outbreak in Australia’s Northern Territory—with 133 cases, including one likely death—has spread, with Western Australia, Queensland, and South Australia now reporting up to 90 cases; it’s now the biggest diphtheria outbreak the country has seen in decades, per the country’s health minister, Mark Butler.
As infectious disease outbreaks like hantavirus and Ebola grow more frequent, they are also becoming more damaging, exacerbated by the climate crisis and armed conflict, say the authors of the ; they warn that the pandemic risk is outpacing investment in preparedness, which is undermined by “geopolitical fragmentation and commercial self-interest.”
U.S. abortion bans appear to have made it harder for people experiencing miscarriages to receive appropriate—or even any—treatment, ; as the Oregon Health & Science University-led study focused only on first trimester miscarriages among people with private insurance, the impact is likely an underestimate.
Nearly half of U.S. teens are on their phones between midnight and 4 a.m., losing critical sleep time on school nights, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics that tracked 657 adolescents participating in the national Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study.
IN FOCUS
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivers a speech at the opening of the 79th World Health Organization assembly. Geneva, May 18. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty
Ebola Worries Loom Over #WHA79
The burgeoning Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda at once overshadowed yesterday’s opening of the and emphasized the importance of international cooperation.
US bans travellers from DRC, Uganda and South Sudan amid major Ebola outbreak – Your guide to events at the 79th World Health Assembly – Watch the World Health Assembly sessions – GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HEALTH SECURITY How AI is Accelerating Biosecurity Risks Advanced biological AI tools are powering a research revolution, allowing scientists to design proteins and viruses—and opening up access to bioengineering knowledge and tools to people outside of labs. Promise and risk: This new era could pave the way to great medical discoveries—and, scientists fear, for bad actors to misuse in the creation of toxins, viruses, and other bioweapons that can evade detection. A range of responses: Scientists say a series of safeguards are needed in response to increased risks, including better screening by companies that synthesize nucleic acids to order so they can better identify dangerous sequences.
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.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
- “From conflicts to economic crises to climate change and aid cuts, we live in difficult, dangerous and divisive times,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said yesterday at the WHA's opening, .
- The outbreak has caused 131 suspected deaths and 513 suspected cases, according to DRC health minister Samuel-Roger Kamba, .
- 30 cases have been laboratory confirmed and linked to the outbreak in the DRC’s northeastern Ituri Province.
- 2 cases have been confirmed in Uganda.
- Tedros said today that he is “deeply concerned about the scale and speed” of the outbreak, . He expects numbers to increase as surveillance, contact tracing, and lab testing scale up.
- The WHO's Emergency Committee is convening today to discuss the outbreak.
- “We are witnessing the end of an era, and we must have the courage to build the next one,” Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama said yesterday, noting that global health cuts could lead to 9 million preventable deaths by 2030, . His own country has lost $78 million in USAID funds, affecting programs in malaria, maternal and child health, HIV, and nutrition.
- Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for greater investment in global health in the face of “the pandemic of egotism and selfishness,” Health Policy Watch reports. Spain has boosted its official development aid by 30%, he said. Sánchez obliquely castigated the U.S., saying “the country that cut $18 billion from global public health and ODA [official development assistance] has spent more than $29 billion on war.”
US bans travellers from DRC, Uganda and South Sudan amid major Ebola outbreak – Your guide to events at the 79th World Health Assembly – Watch the World Health Assembly sessions – GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HEALTH SECURITY How AI is Accelerating Biosecurity Risks Advanced biological AI tools are powering a research revolution, allowing scientists to design proteins and viruses—and opening up access to bioengineering knowledge and tools to people outside of labs. Promise and risk: This new era could pave the way to great medical discoveries—and, scientists fear, for bad actors to misuse in the creation of toxins, viruses, and other bioweapons that can evade detection. A range of responses: Scientists say a series of safeguards are needed in response to increased risks, including better screening by companies that synthesize nucleic acids to order so they can better identify dangerous sequences.
- Others say AI tools themselves must have more stringent access controls and flagging systems to prevent misuse.
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.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has health workers rushing to stop transmission while the roll out of any potential vaccine is months away, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern; and We Know How to Stop Disease Outbreaks. Will We?
May 18, 2026
TOP STORIES
The WHO should declare the global climate crisis a public health emergency of international concern, ; the WHO-convened commission delivered a report to European ministers yesterday on the eve of the World Health Assembly.
LGBTIQ+ people are increasingly targeted for violence and discrimination, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said yesterday; consensual same-sex relations are criminalized in more than one-third of countries.
Mifepristone remains accessible via telehealth prescription and mail delivery after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a freeze on a lower court ruling that would have required in-person appointments for patients to acquire the drug; the underlying legal case remains unresolved and is expected to eventually return to the Supreme Court.
Hantavirus can survive in human sperm for up to six years, creating potential for sexual transmission even after recovery from the virus, ; while such transmission has not been documented, UK health officials say they were reviewing hantavirus research while monitoring British passengers from the MV Hondius. IN FOCUS A CBCA Virunga Hospital staff member checks a visitor's temperature before allowing her access to the hospital. Goma, DRC, May 17. Jospin Mwisha/AFP via Getty Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern The WHO has declared an Ebola outbreak centered in eastern DRC as cases rapidly mount and epidemiologists urgently seek to gauge the spread of the highly contagious virus that has likely been circulating undetected for weeks, .
1.1 billion
—ĔĔĔĔĔ
People live in slums, per the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat); how to house them in dignity is a question being discussed at the this week. —
GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY Using the 7-1-7 target, public health officials in El Salvador managed to stop the spread of imported malaria cases and maintain the nation’s malaria-free status. Courtesy of Resolve to Save Lives We Know How to Stop Disease Outbreaks. Will We?
In December 2024, as cases of cholera were surging in South Sudan, the Ministry of Health recognized and curbed the outbreak in record time, with just six confirmed cases and no reported deaths. Compare that to what we’re seeing with measles globally—as the disease has made a comeback in countries that had once eliminated it, like the U.S.
“The difference isn’t the disease; it’s the response and investment in prevention,”
One tool that’s helping to contain outbreaks—including in South Sudan––is the 7-1-7 target, developed by Resolve to Save Lives and adopted by dozens of communities, countries, and institutions around the world, based on three simple goals:
A Danish Couple’s Maverick African Research Finds Its Moment in RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Policy –
Study reveals hidden trauma of unaccompanied Afghan refugee children brought to UK –
Efforts to understand America’s drugged-driving problem stalls under Trump –
RFK Jr.’s department to make it easier to fire career staff –
With a Friend in Trump, the Tobacco Industry Secures a Lucrative Win – Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!
How outbreaks at sea have been helping to shape the global health system since medieval times –
A revolutionary cancer treatment could transform autoimmune disease – Issue No. 2917
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.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Mifepristone remains accessible via telehealth prescription and mail delivery after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a freeze on a lower court ruling that would have required in-person appointments for patients to acquire the drug; the underlying legal case remains unresolved and is expected to eventually return to the Supreme Court.
Hantavirus can survive in human sperm for up to six years, creating potential for sexual transmission even after recovery from the virus, ; while such transmission has not been documented, UK health officials say they were reviewing hantavirus research while monitoring British passengers from the MV Hondius. IN FOCUS A CBCA Virunga Hospital staff member checks a visitor's temperature before allowing her access to the hospital. Goma, DRC, May 17. Jospin Mwisha/AFP via Getty Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern The WHO has declared an Ebola outbreak centered in eastern DRC as cases rapidly mount and epidemiologists urgently seek to gauge the spread of the highly contagious virus that has likely been circulating undetected for weeks, .
- The announcement, made Saturday, came one day after the Africa CDC reported that the DRC outbreak was linked to dozens of suspected deaths, and after the confirmation of at least two cases in Uganda.
- The virus is centered in a mining corridor region that Africa CDC director general Jean Kaseya described as “a very vulnerable and fragile region” weakened by conflict and poor health infrastructure, .
- Cases have also been reported in heavily populated areas including Kinshasa, Goma, and Kampala, further complicating response.
- There are no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the strain, and WHO officials said existing rapid tests initially missed the virus.
- The response is also impacted by USAID cuts, reduced CDC funding, and the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO, say global health experts, who pointed to a pivotal U.S. role in previous Ebola outbreaks.
1.1 billion
—ĔĔĔĔĔ
People live in slums, per the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat); how to house them in dignity is a question being discussed at the this week. —
GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY Using the 7-1-7 target, public health officials in El Salvador managed to stop the spread of imported malaria cases and maintain the nation’s malaria-free status. Courtesy of Resolve to Save Lives We Know How to Stop Disease Outbreaks. Will We?
In December 2024, as cases of cholera were surging in South Sudan, the Ministry of Health recognized and curbed the outbreak in record time, with just six confirmed cases and no reported deaths. Compare that to what we’re seeing with measles globally—as the disease has made a comeback in countries that had once eliminated it, like the U.S.
“The difference isn’t the disease; it’s the response and investment in prevention,”
One tool that’s helping to contain outbreaks—including in South Sudan––is the 7-1-7 target, developed by Resolve to Save Lives and adopted by dozens of communities, countries, and institutions around the world, based on three simple goals:
- Detect an outbreak within seven days of the first case.
- Notify public health authorities within one day of detection.
- Complete early response actions within seven days of notification.
A Danish Couple’s Maverick African Research Finds Its Moment in RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Policy –
Study reveals hidden trauma of unaccompanied Afghan refugee children brought to UK –
Efforts to understand America’s drugged-driving problem stalls under Trump –
RFK Jr.’s department to make it easier to fire career staff –
With a Friend in Trump, the Tobacco Industry Secures a Lucrative Win – Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!
How outbreaks at sea have been helping to shape the global health system since medieval times –
A revolutionary cancer treatment could transform autoimmune disease – Issue No. 2917
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.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
From Ebola outbreaks in Central Africa to the complex evacuation of passengers aboard a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) opened its annual assembly on Monday as countries grapple with disease outbreaks, deep funding cuts and growing geopolitical tension.
Categories: Global Health Feed
A day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the new Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo an international emergency, top global disease transmission experts stressed that the chances of another global pandemic similar to the 2019 coronavirus emergency are increasing all the time.
Categories: Global Health Feed
The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, citing rising cases, cross-border spread and significant uncertainties about the scale of the epidemic.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Brightly coloured nicotine pouches promoted through social media influencers, music festivals and youth-oriented advertising are driving a rapid rise in nicotine use among young people worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
91ɬ’s Bravo Gala shines a spotlight on research excellence
At event honouring 116 winners of major awards, keynote speaker and SSHRC Gold Medal recipient Myriam Denov emphasized the importance of listening.
91ɬ celebrated more than 100 researchers at the 21st edition of Bravo, a gala event May 7 honouring the winners of major provincial, national and international research prizes and awards in 2025.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: The Hunt for Hantavirus Origins; and The Paternal Mortality ‘Blind Spot’
Plus: In Chonkers’ Wake
May 14, 2026
TOP STORIES
Global health progress is off-target and hard-won gains are being reversed, warns the , which found that malaria incidence has increased, measles immunization coverage remains dangerously low, and the decline in maternal and child mortality rates is slowing.
U.S. overdose deaths dropped by 14% last year, ; but researchers caution that the number of deaths is still high (~70,000) and that cuts to harm reduction programs and the emergence of new illicit drugs could reverse progress.
Delayed diagnosis of travel-acquired malaria was common among U.S. children hospitalized for the disease between 2016 and 2023, , which found that malaria was not considered or tested for in 1 in 4 pediatric patients seeking initial clinical care; 51% of those children went on to develop severe symptoms.
Gene therapy was linked to a brain tumor in a boy years after receiving the treatment as a baby, per research presented at the annual meeting of American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy; while the mass was safely removed, it is the first time a gene therapy delivered by the adeno-associated virus has been linked to cancer, say researchers, who also said the rare outcome should not prevent the use of AAV in gene therapy.
IN FOCUS
An aerial view of Ushuaia harbor in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, on May 13. Edrien Esteves/AFP via Getty
The Hunt for Hantavirus Origins
As passengers of MV Hondius quarantine in their home countries, international health officials are racing to pinpoint the origin and transmission patterns of the Andes strain of hantavirus and sparked global alarm. Epidemiological detective work: Scientists are retracing the route traveled by the virus’s first known victims, a Dutch couple who boarded the cruise ship after crisscrossing Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, .
New insights are emerging into the understudied crisis of paternal mortality in the U.S., in which new fathers are dying from preventable causes like accidental injuries, homicide, suicide, and overdose in their children’s early childhood, .
There are a few more days to submit abstracts and awardee nominations for the . Hosted by the the annual public health workforce development gathering will be held August 24–26 in Nashville, Tennessee.
Swim on, Moby Dick: There’s a new white whale in our lives, and his name is Chonkers. Chonkers is not a whale. But the 1,500+-lb. Steller sea lion brought his own chonky mythos to San Francisco Bay this spring, dwarfing the resident sea lions and drawing “bonkers for Chonkers” crowds to Pier 39, —including some who made cross-country pilgrimages “looking for the big one,” . We are all drawn to Chonkers—but what drew Chonkers to us? Relatably, he was “very food-motivated,” ; and the easy pickings of anchovies, herring, and rockfish in the bay probably spurred Chonkers to make the unusual 30+ mile trek shoreward. Now that he’s dined, it appears that he’s ditched us, . What now? Bereaved Chonkers-watchers may hope for another visit from the Steller sea lion; but the local harbormaster Sheila Chandor says the Pier 39 docks and their typical dainty, 700-lb. denizens aren’t exactly fit to host him, . “He makes them all look like little kittens,” Chandor said. QUICK HITS It’s Time to Blow Up the Public Health Events Model –
‘We will not denounce people in distress’: Luxembourg doctors balk at EU migration proposals –
French authorities to release millions of sterile tiger mosquitoes – Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!
Tunisia validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem –
White House threatens to withhold Medicaid money from states over fraud –
On Monday morning it was a busy South Sudan hospital. By Tuesday night it was a bombed-out shell –
Want to keep aging at bay? Get some arts and culture every day, study finds – Issue No. 2916
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.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
As passengers of MV Hondius quarantine in their home countries, international health officials are racing to pinpoint the origin and transmission patterns of the Andes strain of hantavirus and sparked global alarm. Epidemiological detective work: Scientists are retracing the route traveled by the virus’s first known victims, a Dutch couple who boarded the cruise ship after crisscrossing Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, .
- Questions surrounding the initial source and incubation timeline have made it difficult to draw a clear line, resulting in some international finger-pointing between Argentina and Chile.
- Scientists are also trapping rodents to determine whether the virus has spread into new regions beyond Patagonia.
- That means defining the conditions needed for the virus’s spread: incubation timing, respiratory droplet size, type of contact needed for spread, and the infectious dose needed to overcome immune defenses.
- Laboratories, including the University of Nebraska Medical Center, are rapidly developing diagnostic tests, , and refining containment protocols as scientists study possible mutations.
- “The conspiracy theories from COVID-19 never really died,” said University of Buffalo misinformation researcher Yotam Ophir. “They lay dormant for a few years.”
New insights are emerging into the understudied crisis of paternal mortality in the U.S., in which new fathers are dying from preventable causes like accidental injuries, homicide, suicide, and overdose in their children’s early childhood, .
- While maternal health and mortality are well-tracked in the U.S., paternal mortality has received little attention, despite its adverse effects on children and families.
- Among 796 fathers who died, 60% of the deaths were preventable—pointing to “a huge blind spot” in public health.
There are a few more days to submit abstracts and awardee nominations for the . Hosted by the the annual public health workforce development gathering will be held August 24–26 in Nashville, Tennessee.
- Abstract submissions are open for five conference tracks including performance improvement, data modernization, public health challenge navigation, and more.
- Nominate your colleagues, friends, and mentors for celebrating new and emerging leaders in the public health field.
Swim on, Moby Dick: There’s a new white whale in our lives, and his name is Chonkers. Chonkers is not a whale. But the 1,500+-lb. Steller sea lion brought his own chonky mythos to San Francisco Bay this spring, dwarfing the resident sea lions and drawing “bonkers for Chonkers” crowds to Pier 39, —including some who made cross-country pilgrimages “looking for the big one,” . We are all drawn to Chonkers—but what drew Chonkers to us? Relatably, he was “very food-motivated,” ; and the easy pickings of anchovies, herring, and rockfish in the bay probably spurred Chonkers to make the unusual 30+ mile trek shoreward. Now that he’s dined, it appears that he’s ditched us, . What now? Bereaved Chonkers-watchers may hope for another visit from the Steller sea lion; but the local harbormaster Sheila Chandor says the Pier 39 docks and their typical dainty, 700-lb. denizens aren’t exactly fit to host him, . “He makes them all look like little kittens,” Chandor said. QUICK HITS It’s Time to Blow Up the Public Health Events Model –
‘We will not denounce people in distress’: Luxembourg doctors balk at EU migration proposals –
French authorities to release millions of sterile tiger mosquitoes – Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!
Tunisia validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem –
White House threatens to withhold Medicaid money from states over fraud –
On Monday morning it was a busy South Sudan hospital. By Tuesday night it was a bombed-out shell –
Want to keep aging at bay? Get some arts and culture every day, study finds – Issue No. 2916
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.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
Decades of gains in the fight against AIDS are under growing threat as donor funding declines and community-based health services collapse in some of the world’s most vulnerable countries, the head of the joint UN programme on HIV/AIDS warned on Thursday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Provost honours 31 91ɬ professors for exceptional research achievements
The 2026 cohort of Distinguished James 91ɬ Professors, James 91ɬ Professors and William Dawson Scholars embody ‘the very best of our academic community’.
Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Angela Campbell has named 31 91ɬ professors as Distinguished James 91ɬ Professors, James 91ɬ Professors or William Dawson Scholars. The internal awards recognize exceptional research achievements.
Categories: Global Health Feed
91ɬ awarded 16 new or renewed Canada Research Chairs
From fundamental physics to child well-being, 91ɬ researchers advance discovery across disciplines
91ɬ has been awarded $18.1 million in federal funding to support 16 Canada Research Chairs – six new and 10 renewed.
Categories: Global Health Feed
$1.25 million for 91ɬ research from the New Frontiers in Research Fund
Federal fund will support transformative high risk, high reward research across engineering, science, and medicine at 91ɬ.
Categories: Global Health Feed
