Global Health Programs aggregator

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: The Race to Develop a New Ebola Vaccine; and Broadening HPV Vaccine Access to Boys

Thu, 21 May 2026 09:39:08 -0400

Global Health NOW: The Race to Develop a New Ebola Vaccine; and Broadening HPV Vaccine Access to Boys

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May 21, 2026


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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, reports The Washington Post (gift link). 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.

Dire impact of American absence: Already, cuts to USAID and CDC programs have led to life-threatening surveillance gaps and delays in the movement of critical protective gear and testing supplies, global health experts tell The New York Times (gift link). Those gaps also slow and endanger future vaccine development and distribution models.

“In a time when hours matter, we’re delayed by weeks,” said Nicholas Enrich, the former top global health official for USAID.

Related: Analysis of past Ebola outbreaks suggests 54% death rate, identifies hemorrhage as key risk factor – CIDRAP

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

Broadening HPV Vaccine Access to Boys

Researchers are urging South Africa to include boys in its HPV vaccination program, warning that men are increasingly affected by HPV-related cancers, too.

Prioritizing girls: South Africa’s soon-to-be-launched 2026-2030 cervical cancer elimination strategy aims to have girls vaccinated for HPV between ages 9–15.

The campaign does not include boys, who can’t get routine HPV-related cancer screening through public health care.

The case for wider access: While women are especially at risk for developing cervical cancer from the human papillomavirus, men also face a substantial threat: One in five men globally carries a cancer-causing strain of HPV.

Experts say a gender-neutral HPV vaccination approach would improve overall cancer prevention.

Bhekisisa (commentary)

OPPORTUNITY

Deadline Extended: Apply for the Heroes of Tomorrow UN SDG Awards

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 UN SDG Action Campaign will bring together nine finalists from all over the world for a unique program of coaching and capacity building in advance of the Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards Ceremony, in Rome, Italy on October 29, 2026.

Extended deadline: May 31, 2026

Learn more about the Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards

Changemaker (self-)nomination form

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

The Rhythm Will Be Televised

It’s a grounding principle of democracy: Give the people what they want.

And if that’s more air guitar, so be it.

Hungary’s health-minister-to-be Zsolt Hegedűs went viral in April for his exuberant celebration of incoming prime minister Péter Magyar’s victory. Because how better to celebrate the ousting of Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power than with a rollicking medley of finger-points, raise-the-roofs, and snakey-arms?

Hegedűs saw his debut as a “singular, spur-of-the-moment outpouring of emotion,” The Guardian reports. But his base—now consisting of the entire internet—wasn’t having it. By the time he arrived at Maygar’s swearing in on May 9, “the audience had been waiting for this so eagerly” and he “didn’t want to let down the people,” he said.

Anti-virus, pro-viral: Hegedűs has been busy updating Hungarians about infectious disease threats, and touting the health benefits of throwing shapes: “It’s not that I’m going to start dancing in parliament”—a real shame, actually—“but I want to use this popularity to encourage people to adopt a health-conscious lifestyle and focus on mental wellbeing,” he said.

Thanks for the tip, Barbara Benham!

QUICK HITS

Gaza’s public health crisis deepens as rodent infestations, sewage overflow and soaring heat threaten civilians – International Rescue Committee (news release)

'Get off your phones': Surgeon general advisory calls on kids to cut screen time – ABC

Treating Superbugs With Litigation: Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria From Animal Agriculture As a Public Nuisance – Harvard Law Review

Immunotherapy could be used to treat depression, early trial suggests – The Guardian

U.S. researchers face new restrictions on publishing with foreign collaborators – Science

World Cup’s hidden health operation – Your Local Epidemiologist

Issue No. 2920

Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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

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Copyright 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.

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World Health Organization: UN agencies step up Ebola response in eastern DR Congo

Thu, 21 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400

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.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: A ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Reset for Humanitarian Aid; and Nicotine Pouch Popularity Surges

Wed, 20 May 2026 09:51:00 -0400

Global Health NOW: A ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Reset for Humanitarian Aid; and Nicotine Pouch Popularity Surges

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May 20, 2026


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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,” warns a major commission in a landmark report that calls for a total overhaul of aid systems rather than incremental reforms, reports the Middle East Eye.

Background: A rising number of conflict-driven deaths and forced displacement globally spurred the 2024 launch of the CHH-Lancet Commission on Health, Conflict and Forced Displacement—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.

But failures have been decades in the making, the Commission argues, as seen in:

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.

A need for a power shift: The pressures of the moment have created what lead author Paul Spiegel called a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to remake systems, including:

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.

What’s next: The Commission aims to help form a Global Humanitarian Alliance, regional implementation forums, and accountability reports aimed at turning the recommendations into enforceable global standards.

Related: Rethinking Humanitarian Health – Public Health On Call

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

TOBACCO

Nicotine Pouch Popularity Surges

The WHO is raising alarm over a rapid uptake of nicotine pouch products among youth, as the small sachets containing flavored powdered nicotine are “being aggressively marketed” to young people worldwide, per News Medical.

Youth-targeting tactics include using sweet flavors and savvy social media campaigns to attract young users, who are especially susceptible to developing long-term nicotine addiction, finds the organization’s first-ever report on the products.

Sales topped 23 billion+ units in 2024—a 50% spike over the previous year—creating a ~$7 billion industry in 2025.

Regulation is limited or absent in many countries, says the WHO, which urges “comprehensive” policymaking from advertising bans to taxation.

The regulatory debate is playing out across Europe, reports Politico—with Sweden taking a more permissive approach and France instituting a total ban.

Related:

It’s maddeningly difficult to ban smoking – The Atlantic

WHO Member States Should Treat Fossil Fuels like Tobacco – as a Public Health Threat – Health Policy Watch

Fire and ‘sheer volume’: how Britain’s 6m-vape problem is putting recycling under strain – The Guardian

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

How measles unleashed a wave of suffering in Bangladesh – The Telegraph

CDC Director’s Nomination Is an Opportunity to Reconstitute the CDC – CSIS

She Was Finding Sources of Dangerous Water and Soil Pollution. The E.P.A. Canceled Her Grant – The New York Times (gift link)

Religious Anti-Abortion Center Finds Opportunity in Town Without OB-GYNs – KFF Health News

At least 80% responsibility for ill health in old age down to individual, says study – The Guardian

Can extra snoozing reverse the health hazards of a bad night’s sleep? – Science

Issue No. 2919

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World Health Organization: Ebola outbreak: ‘Every epidemic begins in a community and ends in a community’

Wed, 20 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400

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.

World Health Organization: Flak jackets and final goodbyes: Lebanon’s first responders under fire

Wed, 20 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400

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.

World Health Organization: Ebola risk is high inside DR Congo but it’s no pandemic emergency: WHO

Wed, 20 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400

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.

91ɬ�� Faculty of Medicine news: ‘Jumping gene’ helps explain elevated pancreatic cancer risk in French-Canadians

Tue, 19 May 2026 10:13:42 -0400

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.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Ebola Worries Loom Over #WHA79; and How AI is Accelerating Biosecurity Risks

Tue, 19 May 2026 09:33:08 -0400

Global Health NOW: Ebola Worries Loom Over #WHA79; and How AI is Accelerating Biosecurity Risks

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May 19, 2026


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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 79th World Health Assembly and emphasized the importance of international cooperation.

“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, per Health Policy Watch.

Ebola latest:

The outbreak has caused 131 suspected deaths and 513 suspected cases, according to DRC health minister Samuel-Roger Kamba, per The New York Times (gift link).

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, Reuters reports. 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.

#WHA79 highlights:

“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, the Ghanian Times reports. 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.”

Related:

US bans travellers from DRC, Uganda and South Sudan amid major Ebola outbreak – The Telegraph

Your guide to events at the 79th World Health Assembly – WHA Guide 2026

Watch the World Health Assembly sessions – WHO

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.

Nature

Related:

Q&A: Is AI democratizing global health or reinforcing old inequities? – Medical Xpress

FDA clears first AI-based early warning system for sepsis – CIDRAP

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Mpox infections may outnumber diagnosed cases 33 to 1, study suggests – CIDRAP

HHS withdraws amended vaccine advisory panel charter – The Hill

Steep drop in number of people with Affordable Care Act health coverage, analysis finds – NPR

Children’s Mental Health Visits Have Shot Up, Research Shows – The New York Times (gift link)

Thousands of U.S. countertop workers could have damaged lungs, safety expert says – NPR

Kazakhstan Sees Later Marriages and More Equal Partnerships, Study Finds – The Astana Times

RFK Jr. wants meat back on hospital trays, no matter what cardiologists think – The Independent

Issue No. 2918

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World Health Organization: DRC Ebola outbreak: hundreds of suspected cases, no vaccine

Tue, 19 May 2026 08:00:00 -0400

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.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern; and We Know How to Stop Disease Outbreaks. Will We?

Mon, 18 May 2026 09:36:55 -0400

Global Health NOW: Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern; and We Know How to Stop Disease Outbreaks. Will We?

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May 18, 2026


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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 a public health emergency of international concern 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, reports The New York Times (gift link).

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.

Questions around count: 300+ suspected cases and 88 deaths have been reported, per the AP. But epidemiologists warn the scale of the outbreak could be far larger, with the WHO highlighting “significant uncertainties” about the number of infections and geographic spread.

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, reports NPR.

Cases have also been reported in heavily populated areas including Kinshasa, Goma, and Kampala, further complicating response.

Rare strain, few tools: The outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has only been reported twice before, reports the AP.

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.

Americans exposed: A small number of Americans may have been exposed in Congo, including at least one symptomatic individual who is being considered for medical evacuation by the CDC, per The Washington Post (gift link).

DATA POINT

1.1 billion
——————

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 World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan , this week. —UN News

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,” writes Amanda McClelland of Resolve to Save Lives.

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 model to follow: The latest installment of the just-published Epidemics That Didn’t Happen report shows 7-1-7 target success stories from countries that used the tool to identify and stop outbreaks quickly—including an Ebola outbreak in Uganda last year. Other countries can follow their lead, McClellan says, and adopt the 7-1-7 target to improve rapid outbreak detection and response.

“We have a choice,” McClellan writes. “We can wait for the next crisis and respond after lives are lost, or we can invest in prevention and stop outbreaks before they spread.”

READ THE FULL COMMENTARY BY AMANDA MCCLELLAN

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Top WHO official: I’m relieved it isn’t bird flu, but we’re in a ‘make or break’ phase for hantavirus – The Telegraph

A Danish Couple’s Maverick African Research Finds Its Moment in RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Policy – KFF Health News

Study reveals hidden trauma of unaccompanied Afghan refugee children brought to UK – The Independent

Efforts to understand America’s drugged-driving problem stalls under Trump – The Washington Post (gift link)

RFK Jr.’s department to make it easier to fire career staff – Politico

With a Friend in Trump, the Tobacco Industry Secures a Lucrative Win – The New York Times (gift link) Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!

How outbreaks at sea have been helping to shape the global health system since medieval times – The Conversation (commentary)

A revolutionary cancer treatment could transform autoimmune disease – Knowable

Issue No. 2917

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Global Health Programs aggregator

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: The Race to Develop a New Ebola Vaccine; and Broadening HPV Vaccine Access to Boys

TOP STORIES

EDITORS' NOTE

We're Taking a Long Weekend

IN FOCUS

The Race to Develop a New Ebola Vaccine

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

Broadening HPV Vaccine Access to Boys

OPPORTUNITY

Deadline Extended: Apply for the Heroes of Tomorrow UN SDG Awards

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

The Rhythm Will Be Televised

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2920

World Health Organization: UN agencies step up Ebola response in eastern DR Congo

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: A ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Reset for Humanitarian Aid; and Nicotine Pouch Popularity Surges

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

A ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Reset for Humanitarian Aid

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

TOBACCO

Nicotine Pouch Popularity Surges

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2919

World Health Organization: Ebola outbreak: ‘Every epidemic begins in a community and ends in a community’

World Health Organization: Flak jackets and final goodbyes: Lebanon’s first responders under fire

World Health Organization: Ebola risk is high inside DR Congo but it’s no pandemic emergency: WHO

91ɬ�� Faculty of Medicine news: ‘Jumping gene’ helps explain elevated pancreatic cancer risk in French-Canadians

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Ebola Worries Loom Over #WHA79; and How AI is Accelerating Biosecurity Risks

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

Ebola Worries Loom Over #WHA79

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

HEALTH SECURITY

How AI is Accelerating Biosecurity Risks

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2918

World Health Organization: DRC Ebola outbreak: hundreds of suspected cases, no vaccine

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern; and We Know How to Stop Disease Outbreaks. Will We?

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern

DATA POINT

GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY

We Know How to Stop Disease Outbreaks. Will We?

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2917