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Thu, 05/21/2026 - 09:39
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 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, . 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 – 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. 
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 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 
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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 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,” . 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 , 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 –     'Get off your phones': Surgeon general advisory calls on kids to cut screen time –      Treating Superbugs With Litigation: Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria From Animal Agriculture As a Public Nuisance –     Immunotherapy could be used to treat depression, early trial suggests –     U.S. researchers face new restrictions on publishing with foreign collaborators –     World Cup’s hidden health operation –   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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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Categories: Global Health Feed

Wed, 05/20/2026 - 09:51
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.  
  • 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 –   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, .    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, .  
  • 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, —with Sweden taking a more permissive approach and France instituting a total ban. 
Related:    It’s maddeningly difficult to ban smoking –      WHO Member States Should Treat Fossil Fuels like Tobacco – as a Public Health Threat –     Fire and ‘sheer volume’: how Britain’s 6m-vape problem is putting recycling under strain –   OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS How measles unleashed a wave of suffering in Bangladesh –     CDC Director’s Nomination Is an Opportunity to Reconstitute the CDC –     She Was Finding Sources of Dangerous Water and Soil Pollution. The E.P.A. Canceled Her Grant –      Religious Anti-Abortion Center Finds Opportunity in Town Without OB-GYNs –     At least 80% responsibility for ill health in old age down to individual, says study –     Can extra snoozing reverse the health hazards of a bad night’s sleep? –   Issue No. 2919
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

Tue, 05/19/2026 - 09:33
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. 
  • “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, . 
Ebola latest:  
  • 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.  
#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, . 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 –      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.  
    Related:      Q&A: Is AI democratizing global health or reinforcing old inequities? –      FDA clears first AI-based early warning system for sepsis –   OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Mpox infections may outnumber diagnosed cases 33 to 1, study suggests –      HHS withdraws amended vaccine advisory panel charter –      Steep drop in number of people with Affordable Care Act health coverage, analysis finds –     Children’s Mental Health Visits Have Shot Up, Research Shows –     Thousands of U.S. countertop workers could have damaged lungs, safety expert says –     Kazakhstan Sees Later Marriages and More Equal Partnerships, Study Finds –     RFK Jr. wants meat back on hospital trays, no matter what cardiologists think –   Issue No. 2918
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

Mon, 05/18/2026 - 09:36
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, .  
  • 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, . 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, . 
  • 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, .  DATA POINT

1.1 billion
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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–ēis 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  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.”   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 –

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 .

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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

Thu, 05/14/2026 - 09:30
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, .  
  • 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. 
Scrambling to understand spread: Researchers are also working to grasp the transmission patterns of the Andes strain—the only hantavirus known to spread between humans, .  
  • 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. 
Risk and response: While American cruise passengers are being quarantined and monitored, the CDC said Wednesday the threat to the public remains low, .  
  • Laboratories, including the University of Nebraska Medical Center, are rapidly developing diagnostic tests, , and refining containment protocols as scientists study possible mutations.  
Misinformation contagion: Meanwhile, COVID-era conspiracy theories are resurging online—but this time, AI is an accelerant, . 
  • “The conspiracy theories from COVID-19 never really died,” said University of Buffalo misinformation researcher Yotam Ophir. “They lay dormant for a few years.” 
POPULATIONS The Paternal Mortality ‘Blind Spot’ 
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. 
Illuminating the issue: Northwestern University researchers tracked ~130,000 babies born in Georgia in 2017 to see if their fathers died over the following five years, . 
  • Among 796 fathers who died, 60% of the deaths were preventable—pointing to “a huge blind spot” in public health. 
Need for more data—and intervention: Researchers are unpacking the factors driving the deaths; however, , the study’s lead author said birth-related health care visits provide a key opportunity to connect with fathers and provide them with support.   OPPORTUNITY Last Call to Submit for Open Forum Conference! 
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. 
Abstract and award nominations are due by Sunday, May 17.  ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION In Chonkers’ Wake
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:

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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

Wed, 05/13/2026 - 09:22
96 Global Health NOW: A Silent STI Crisis Among South Africa’s Girls; Medical Rumors Turn Violent in the Congo May 13, 2026 TOP STORIES Maternity care in eastern Chad is “facing enormous pressure,” the UN Population Fund has warned, as the massive influx of refugees fleeing Sudan’s civil war means many women are giving birth in overcrowded clinics with limited medication and equipment.     A French hantavirus patient is critically ill with life-threatening lung and heart problems, and is depending on an artificial lung, doctors say; the hantavirus outbreak centered on the cruise ship MV Hondius has now grown to 11 total cases.     ~7 million U.S. children live in a home with a loaded and unlocked gun, , which also found that ~32 million U.S. children live in homes with firearms.     Prescriptions for ivermectin and benzimidazole among cancer patients rose 2.5X after actor Mel Gibson endorsed the unproven treatment on Joe Rogan’s podcast, ; the needed dose for any anti-cancer effect would be toxic for humans, doctors say, and there have been no clinical trials on the drugs’ safety and efficacy for treating cancer in people.   IN FOCUS School girls being screened at the launch of the Dreams program, aimed at reducing new HIV infections, particularly in adolescents and young women. Durban, South Africa, April 7, 2021. Darren Stewart/Gallo Images via Getty A Silent STI Crisis Among South Africa’s Girls    In South Africa, which has one of the highest rates of STIs in the world, adolescent girls and young women are at particular risk: They are more likely to have STIs than boys and men of the same age, and than older women.     Yet they are also less likely to seek or receive care due to overwhelming stigma and a lack of education, .  
  • “That silence is as deafening as it is dangerous,” wrote lead study author Zoey Duby in a . 
Gaps in care despite symptoms: Of ~5,000 South African girls and young women ages 15–24 surveyed by researchers with the South African Medical Research Council, many reported at least one STI symptom, with 17.5% reporting genital itching, 8.2% reporting unusual discharge, and 7.0% reporting vaginal pain or burning. 
  • Despite these responses, just 16% had ever received an STI diagnosis. 
Barriers to care include:   
  • Confusion and misinformation about STIs, including a belief that HIV prevention medication means condoms are unnecessary. 
  • Pervasive STI shame and stigma, even in consultations with health workers. In the survey itself, 22.5% of participants preferred not to disclose symptoms. 
Improved education is essential: While schools are key sources of sexual health information, researchers say current lessons focus too heavily on HIV and neglect other STIs. 
  • Researchers are urging more “all-in-one, youth-friendly” reproductive health services that combine education, contraception, and HIV prevention with STI testing.  
Related: Study shows doxyPEP’s diminished effectiveness against gonorrhea –    DATA POINT

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Deaths averted by the RTS,S malaria vaccine among eligible kids in Ghana, Kenya, and Malawi from 2019 to 2023, . —
  MISINFORMATION Medical Rumors Turn Violent in the Congo   Over the past year, false online claims about a mystery illness supposedly circulating in the DRC have sparked panic, leading to violence and the killing of four health workers who were conducting vaccine research in the Tshopo province.     Explosion of misinformation: Videos and testimonials shared online described an illness that caused genital atrophy, with pastors and megachurch leaders fueling the viral content with claims of miracle cures.  
  • Health workers have been accused of secretly spreading the disease.  
Deadly outcomes: The WHO-backed Africa Infodemic Response Alliance (AIRA), which monitors health misinformation, says ~17 killings linked to the rumor have been reported, including the four slain health workers.  
  • Meanwhile, AIRA has lost key funding amid aid cuts, leaving it with fewer personnel and resources to combat misinformation.  
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Middle East conflict pollution puts Africa at risk of health impacts –

Dengue outpaces virus-blocking mosquitoes in Brazil –

Marty Makary departs FDA after clashes with Trump over fruit-flavored vapes –

European Parliament calls for investigation into undisclosed meetings between EU officials and Philip Morris International –

The next WHO leader will need to be a multitasking political acrobat – 

How minimum wage hikes and food stamps fit into suicide prevention – 

By changing women’s lives, the pill changed the nation –

Cities are rehearsing for deadly heat. Will it help when disaster comes? – 

Wine’s leftovers could help wean chicken farms off antibiotics – Issue No. 2915
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

Tue, 05/12/2026 - 09:46
96 Global Health NOW: America’s Overlooked Drug Crisis; and Discoveries and Delays in Kala-azar Treatment May 12, 2026 TOP STORIES Palestinians recounted a pattern of sexual violence against men, women, and children by Israeli prison guards, soldiers, settlers, and security agency interrogators to Nicholas Kristof, who shared the interviews in ; a separate , , presents evidence that Hamas and their allies raped, assaulted, and sexually tortured their victims during and after the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel, including previously unknown allegations related to the sexual abuse of minors held hostage in Gaza. 
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) has been renamed polyendocrine metabolic ovarian syndrome (PMOS) following a decades-long push by advocates who say the term “polycystic” is misleading and contributed to delayed diagnosis and inadequate treatment for the condition, which impacts ~170 million women globally.  Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner! 
A single-infusion therapy of immune cells engineered to recognize HIV could suppress the virus for years, per a small proof-of-concept study slated for presentation at ; the therapy has already cured some blood cancers by modifying a patient’s own immune cells to recognize and kill malignant cells.     Six in ten Americans polled on their awareness of the Trump administration’s reductions to U.S. foreign aid spending and global health programs say the changes have negatively impacted global views of the U.S., per a question in a poll that confirms that Americans’ views on aid cuts and support for people’s health in developing countries fall along highly partisan lines.   IN FOCUS Beer sits for sale in a grocery store in Brooklyn, New York City. January 3, 2025. Spencer Platt/Getty Images America’s Overlooked Drug Crisis  
Every day it kills almost 500 Americans, yet alcohol is so pervasive in U.S. culture that few pay attention to the damage it causes.     STAT reporters Lev Facher and Isabella Cueto do. In their  (two articles are live so far), they deep dive into the U.S. alcohol epidemic—“a generational failure of the medical and public health systems, of industry, and of government,” as they describe it  (subscription required).       The unacknowledged “public health emergency” includes: 
  • Far more alcohol-related deaths in 2024 than opioid-related deaths (178,000 vs. 39,000). 
  • A near doubling of alcohol-related emergency department visits to 5.4 million in 2022 from 2.7 million in 2003. 
  • Research that links “heavy drinking to cancer, heart disease, stroke, cognitive decline, developmental disorders, gun violence, injuries …” 
  • Economic costs of $249 billion per year. 
Daily toll: Reno, Nevada, emergency physician Jenny Wilson says she sees acute and chronic problems resulting from excessive alcohol use “every single day, multiple, multiple times. Without question.”     The  (free access) how the U.S. is failing, including: 
  • Inconsistent screening for excessive drinking. 
  • A fragmented treatment infrastructure. 
  • Open attitudes toward alcohol consumption during pregnancy. 
  • Political deference to a powerful industry lobby.   
Upcoming topics in the series: 
  • A new kind of liver crisis. 
  • 12-step program’s uneven record. 
  • Alcohol during pregnancy. 
  • Trump administration’s weakening of alcohol research. 
  • Alcohol industry maneuvers behind the scenes. 
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASES Discoveries and Delays in Kala-azar Treatment 
It has been four years since trials for new, shorter kala-azar treatment concluded in East Africa—but the successful new protocols are still not reaching patients, doctors say.     The trial: The DNDi-sponsored trial centered in Eastern Africa, which accounts for 79% of global cases of the deadly parasitic disease kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis. 
  • Amudat Hospital in northeastern Uganda gave patients a 14-day regimen of both oral miltefosine and paromomycin. Patients reported faster recovery and less pain compared with older treatments like a standard 30-day injection-only regimen. 
Stalled gains: 2025 funding cuts severely strained services at the hospital and contributed to delays in implementing updated care models.     OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Hantavirus cases rise to 11 as cruise ship passengers quarantine –

Supreme Court extends pause on abortion pill restrictions through Thursday – 

She's trying to outrun pancreatic cancer. Breakthrough treatments give her hope – 

Kennedy Is Driving a Vast Inquiry Into Vaccines, Despite His Public Silence – 
No link between maternal COVID infection and birth defects, data suggest –   Giving birth in a hotel room? For some Indigenous women, gaps in care mean few options – 

3 simple ways to reduce your body’s exposure to plastic chemicals – 

Pediatrics group issues new guidance on recess for the first time in 13 years –   Issue No. 2914
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

Mon, 05/11/2026 - 09:14
96 Global Health NOW: Hantavirus Reveals Gaps in Outbreak Response; and Rising Vitamin K Shot Refusals May 11, 2026 TOP STORIES Manitoba has declared a public health emergency over HIV, amid some of Canada’s highest HIV rates—19.5 cases per 100,000 people, or ~3.5X Canada’s overall rate of 5.5; the aim of the declaration is not to create fear, public health officials say, but to open up options to increase testing and raise awareness.    
The skin disease dermatophilosis has been confirmed in clusters of European men who have sex with men; the disease typically infects livestock, and while the human cases are reminiscent of mpox emergence, researchers say the condition appears mild.     CDC support for PEPFAR will end in September in most countries, as the Trump administration pivots to its “America First” strategy of sending most HIV care funds directly to countries based on bilateral agreements with the U.S.; the move is the “final blow” to the 23-year-old program, public health advocates say.  
The UAE has launched a new initiative to combat river blindness via mass administration of medicines, disease monitoring, and the training of local healthcare workers; the effort, to be implemented by Noor Dubai, supports the WHO’s roadmap to eliminate river blindness by 2030.   IN FOCUS Passengers are evacuated by small boat from the MV Hondius in the Granadilla Port. Tenerife, the Canary Islands, Spain, May 10. Chris McGrath/Getty Hantavirus Reveals Gaps in Outbreak Response     The global response to the hantavirus outbreak centered on the Dutch cruise ship MV Hondius is entering a new phase as passengers disembark on the island of Tenerife and evacuate to their home countries.    The decampment raises new concerns in a crisis that has already exposed the challenges of managing a global health response in a post-COVID landscape riddled with severe budget cuts, stalled research, rife misinformation, and strained international relationships.     CDC’s role questioned: Although the outbreak involves Americans, the agency “has been uncharacteristically missing in action,” , with the going out Friday and evacuation and quarantine plans for passengers only being confirmed over the weekend. 
  • 17 U.S. cruise passengers returned to the U.S. early today, ; one American tested “mildly” positive for the virus and another showed “mild symptoms,” . Passengers are headed to the in Nebraska. 
  • Acting CDC director Jay Bhattacharya that the agency didn’t want to cause public panic, but infectious disease experts say the agency’s quiet “underscored the nation’s diminished global role in the face of health threats,” .  
Lack of treatments: Hantavirus is a known threat, so why aren’t there vaccines or treatments? Despite decades of research, there has been “no strong external pull” to develop treatments for the rare disease, .  
  • One pilot project researching hantavirus spillover was eliminated under NIH cuts last year.  
  • Still, some promising treatments in the pipeline could be expedited, .  
Erosion of trust: Meanwhile, virus-related misinformation has run rampant, .     The future of global cooperation: The struggle to trace the virus across borders has proven to be a “mammoth effort,” . And in a year when countries have withdrawn from the WHO, from WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to the people of Tenerife makes the case for collaboration: “The best immunity any of us has is solidarity.”      Related: I’m fighting misinformation online. False hantavirus claims follow a now-familiar playbook – DATA POINT

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Attacks on healthcare in Ukraine since Russia’s full-scale invasion began in February 2022, . “This cannot be normalized,” says Hans Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe, emphasizing that each attack marks a violation of international humanitarian law. —
  CHILD HEALTH Rising Vitamin K Shot Refusals    With growing distrust in medical interventions, U.S. hospitals are reporting a sharp increase in parents rejecting newborn vitamin K shots. Pediatricians fear deficiency-related deaths are rising as a result. 
  Why the shot matters: The vitamin K injection has been a standard part of postnatal care for decades because it helps infants clot blood and prevents rare but dangerous brain bleeding.  
  • Babies who skip the shot are far more likely to suffer severe bleeds, lasting injuries, or death. 
Doctors alarmed over declines: A found that rates of vitamin K refusal reached 5% nationwide—a 77% spike since 2017.  
  • While deficiency-related deaths are not tracked, doctors warn that the growing rejections are contributing to the hundreds of infant brain-bleeding fatalities that occur each year.  
  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS NHS cancer nurses exposed to toxic chemicals linked to miscarriage due to inadequate PPE –     Measles Wild-Type Virus Detection Through Wastewater Surveillance in Sandoval County, New Mexico –     Nigeria: Sokoto, Sightsavers Step Up Vaccination After Meningitis Kills 33 Children –     FDA cliffhanger: Makary’s fate in limbo –     A U.S. Senate Candidate Says Foreign Truckers Are Making America’s Roads Unsafe. His Own Truckers Have Caused Harm. –     As Ranks of Uninsured Grow, Minnesota’s Hospitals Are Among Least Charitable in Nation –     WHO Gender Parity Dips Amidst Staff Cuts, but Women Advance Slightly in Professional Ranks –      New research reveals how music can transform exercise from a chore to a joyful habit –  Issue No. 2913
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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Categories: Global Health Feed

Thu, 05/07/2026 - 09:56
96 Global Health NOW: The Health-Improving Power of Pollinators; and The Deep Disparities in Kenya’s AI-Driven Health Coverage May 7, 2026 TOP STORIES At least 29 passengers left a cruise ship in the midst of a hantavirus outbreak on April 24, without contact tracing, after the first on board passenger death, but the WHO maintains the risk to the public is still low, ; officials believe the outbreak could have originated from a bird-watching excursion in Argentina, where hantavirus cases have been on the rise, . 
  Shootings at hospitals have increased steadily over 25 years, from 6 to 34 events per year—a 6.4% increase annually, , which pointed to the need for "hospital-specific prevention strategies,” including improved weapons screening processes.     COVID-19 can lead to blood clots, heart attack, and stroke because of the virus’s impact on proteins in blood vessels, . The study found that viral damage to thrombomodulin—a protein on the surface of blood vessel cells—creates clots, which then travel throughout the body and disrupt blood flow.  

Plant-based meat and dairy products in U.K. supermarkets contain a “prevalence” of mycotoxins, which are fungi-produced poisonous compounds, ; all 212 meat- and dairy-substitute products tested contained the toxins, which pose little risk in low quantities, but “could lead to a cumulative build-up” resulting in health problems, researchers said. 
IN FOCUS A honeybee sits on a marigold flower to collect nectar. Kathmandu, Nepal, February 8, 2024. Sanjit Pariyar/NurPhoto via Getty The Health-Improving Power of Pollinators    Wild insect pollinators have a direct impact on human health and livelihoods through the critical role they play in food production and nutrition, that quantifies those connections in precise and tangible ways.     Exploring the links in Nepal: To “understand and harness the pathways linking biodiversity to human health,” researchers spent a year inside 10 farming villages in Jumla District, Nepal, where three-quarters of the population depends directly on smallholder farming, .  
  • "That link between the biodiversity around them, and their health, their nutrition, their livelihoods is very, very direct,” explained lead author Thomas Timberlake.  
  • Researchers tracked daily diets of 776 people and cataloged extensive activity between insects and crops across 500+ species—gauging the influence of insects on crops, and crops on humans.  
A vast web of connections: Pollinators were essential to crops that accounted for 44% of household farming income and 20%+ of vital nutrient intake, including vitamin A, folate, and vitamin E.     Interdependent losses: Some populations are drastically affected by the decline of pollinators like native honeybee populations, which are critical for pollinating multiple crops, and which have dropped by ~50% over ~10 years in some Nepalese regions due to habitat loss, pesticide use, and climate change.  
Symbiotic gains: Researchers identified “relatively simple interventions” that significantly boost pollinators, including planting wildflowers, curbing pesticide use, and native beekeeping. 
  • Active pollination management could increase household income by 15%–30% and raise 9% of the population out of a nutrient deficiency. 
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HEALTH DISPARITIES The Deep Disparities in Kenya’s AI-Driven Health Coverage    Kenya’s new health coverage program is facing backlash over its algorithm formula that is “systematically” driving up costs for the nation’s poorest.     Background: The Social Health Authority (SHA), launched in 2023, was meant to overhaul the country’s decades-old national insurance system and expand coverage. 
  • To determine what households can afford to contribute, the government is using a predictive machine-learning algorithm that calculates incomes based on possessions and life circumstances. 
A flawed formula: The new system has overcharged more than half of poor households while underestimating wealthier ones, found an investigation by  in collaboration with  and .     Impact: Of 20 million+ people registered for SHA, ~5 million are paying their premiums, leading many to be denied care, and hospitals report large deficits as SHA reimbursements remain unpaid.      

ICYMI: Rooting Out AI’s Biases – OPPORTUNITY Call for Abstracts     The International Conference for Urban Health (ICUH) invites abstracts for work addressing issues in global urban health to share in Mexico City this coming October 13–17, under the theme Healthy Cities by Design: Climate, Care, & Community from Latin America to the World.    Submissions are open across six thematic tracks spanning climate resilience, food and movement, mental health and belonging, lifecourse health, urban health systems, and a dedicated Latin America and Caribbean spotlight, with submissions in English, Spanish, and Portuguese welcome.  
  •  
  •  
  • Deadline: May 17 
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION No Divine Intervention for a Pope on Hold 
Nothing tests one’s faith quite like a soul-crushing call with customer service. And when it comes to escaping the purgatory of the hold line, it turns out even the Pope doesn’t have a prayer.     Like anyone shifting careers and houses, Robert Prevost-turned Pope Leo XIV had to make some calls updating his address and phone number, including a call he personally made to his bank in South Chicago, .     The pontiff’s successful responses to security questions rivaling St. Peter’s at the Pearly Gates still weren’t enough to satisfy the customer service representative, who informed him that he needed to come to the bank in person, .     Even the patience of Job runs out at a point, and even the Holy Father resorted to pulling the ace up his vestments’ sleeve: “Would it matter to you if I told you I’m Pope Leo?” he purportedly said.    Click.     Could the Pope’s experience bring a little needed fire and brimstone to  of interminable customer service hassles and ?    It would be a miracle worthy of canonization.  QUICK HITS One Million More Midwives: The Smartest Investment for Safer Births in a Shrinking Aid Landscape –     In a milestone for ALS, a treatment helps some patients improve –     Survey: Facing headwinds, early-career physician-scientists mull other options, jobs abroad –     Georgia officials knew chemicals from carpet mills were polluting local water. The people did not –     First AI tool to detect suspicious peer reviews rolled out by academic publisher –     RFK Jr withdraws proposal banning teens from tanning beds as skin experts warn of cancer risks –   Issue No. 2912
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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Categories: Global Health Feed

Wed, 05/06/2026 - 09:32
96 Global Health NOW: Identifying ‘The Deadliest Company in the World’; and On the Front Lines of an Emerging Drug Crisis May 6, 2026 TOP STORIES 1 in 5 amputees in Gaza is a child, and it could take at least five years for the 6,600+ in Gaza who need prosthetics and rehabilitation care to receive it amid a severe shortage of specialists and ongoing restrictions on prosthetic supply shipments, the UN said this week.     20 years after the HPV vaccine’s U.S. approval, data show that the vaccine reduces the risk of cervical cancer by 80% in women vaccinated by age 16 and 66% in those vaccinated after 16, ; the vaccines aren’t associated with serious side effects, the research shows.      The FDA blocked the publication of multiple recent studies showing the safety and efficacy of widely used COVID-19 and shingles vaccines; the HHS said the studies drew “broad conclusions that were not supported by the underlying data,” even though the research was conducted by government scientists analyzing millions of patient records.   Londoners from Black African and Caribbean backgrounds are 2X as likely to suffer stroke as white counterparts and are less likely to receive timely care, that analyzed 30 years of stroke incidents from the South London Stroke Register.    IN FOCUS The exterior of the China Tobacco Shanghai Cigarette Factory Building. Shanghai, China, March 28. CFOTO/Future Publishing via Getty Identifying ‘The Deadliest Company in the World’    A handful of powerful industries play a major role in driving deaths from chronic diseases worldwide: tobacco, alcohol, ultra-processed foods, and fossil fuels, which together are responsible for at least one-third of global deaths, .    Outsized impact: Among those industries, one company stands out as the single commercial entity linked to the most global deaths: China National Tobacco Corp., better known as China Tobacco—a state-owned company that for decades has controlled ~97% of China’s cigarette market in a country that consumes nearly half the world’s cigarettes.    Staggering toll: Tobacco use in China caused ~59–78 million deaths from 1990 to 2023, or 2 million people annually,  run by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. 
  • China Tobacco is tied to ~57 million of those deaths—a toll surpassing fatalities linked to war, drugs, or traffic worldwide, even adjusting for the highest plausible death estimates from those other industries.   
  • The company also wields significant influence over China’s public health policy, systematically undercutting anti-smoking efforts. 
Intervention possible—and unlikely: Because of China Tobacco’s centralized role, direct policy change could avert millions of early deaths over decades.  
  • But the government’s dependence on billions in tax revenue from the industry means the company “is likely to retain its spot as No. 1 in the world for years to come.” 
     Related:     FDA announces its first OK of fruit-flavored e-cigarettes for adults in major shift under Trump –     Can vaping cause cancer? The evidence suggests it might. –      Hans Henri P. Kluge: Big Tobacco is No Longer Selling Cigarettes – It Is Engineering Addiction –   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES OPIOIDS On the Front Lines of an Emerging Drug Crisis     In the swiftly shape-shifting opioid market, morgues and medical examiners are increasingly the first to flag new deadly drugs when typical detection methods fail.  
  • Novel opioids like cychlorphine—a powerful synthetic opioid up to 10X stronger than fentanyl—often go undetected in labs.  
“Sentinels of public health”: A Knoxville, Tenn., medical examiner was key to alerting public health officials and law enforcement to the rise of cychlorphine—which she flagged after a long push for advanced testing in a suspicious overdose case.     Rapidly rising threat: In just six months, ~50 deaths in the region have been linked to cychlorphine, making it one of the leading local causes of overdose fatalities.       OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS ‘Spreading like wildfire’: Fiji grapples with soaring HIV cases –     Why rat virus patients could become super-spreaders –     Zambia blasts the US over a $2 billion health deal in exchange for critical minerals –      Can promises on gender equality made in Australia help a 16-year-old Indian cigarette maker with no toilet? –     CDC leader calls for new journal to 'elevate scientific rigor' –      Health care costs outrank food, vaccine concerns for MAHA voters, poll shows –     US woman moves to France and cuts annual asthma drug cost from $36,000 to $3,500 – Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!  Issue No. 2911
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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Categories: Global Health Feed

Tue, 05/05/2026 - 09:25
96 Global Health NOW: Cruise Ship Hantavirus Investigation; and Delayed Visas, Looming Care Gaps May 5, 2026 TOP STORIES Rescue efforts are ongoing in a fireworks factory explosion that killed 26 and injured at least 61 in central China yesterday; Chinese President Xi Jinping has ordered an investigation into the disaster and “a far-reaching evaluation of workplace safety measures.” 
  Fossil-fuel derived methane emissions persisted at record high levels globally in 2025, making it unlikely that a 2030 target for reducing them by 30% will be met. 
  Overburdened dialysis units across Australia and New Zealand are being forced to ration lifesaving care, with wait times lasting years in some cases,  from nephrology, dialysis and transplant registry experts in the two countries. They say the government needs to invest in more equipment and emphasize prevention to stop a “tsunami” of kidney disease. 
Rates of antibiotic-resistant E. coli infections in the blood of newborns at a Kansas hospital are on the rise, ; E. coli is a top cause of sepsis in newborns.  IN FOCUS The cruise ship MV Hondius off the port of Praia, the capital of Cape Verde, on May 3. AFP via Getty Cruise Ship Hantavirus Investigation    The WHO and international partners are investigating the cluster of seven cases of severe respiratory illness (including three deaths) tied to hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, .     What’s the latest?  
  • “We do believe that there may be some human-to-human transmission that is happening among the really close contacts,” said WHO's Maria Van Kerkhove, .  
  • The first person who fell ill may have been infected before boarding the MV Hondius in Ushuaia, Argentina, Van Kerkhove added. 
  • Human infection commonly occurs via “aerosolized droplets of rodent faeces, urine or saliva containing the virus,” . 
  • The WHO says there’s low risk to the global population. 
  • Two cases of the seven cases have been laboratory-confirmed. 
  • The ship is moored off Cape Verde, off the coast of West Africa.  
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  • Results of genetic sequencing of the virus in sick passengers to determine the hantavirus strain should be available within a few days, University of Saskatchewan virologist Bryce Warner told Nature.   
Worth noting: South African experts did early lab testing that confirmed hantavirus infection in a patient, one of the seven, who remains critically ill.   
  • “South Africa has very fast data, is home to some of the world’s best epidemiologists, and is a true team player in the world of global health,” .
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POLICY Delayed Visas, Looming Care Gaps    Hundreds of foreign doctors educated in the U.S. may be forced to leave the country within months due to a backlog of delayed visa waivers, potentially leaving vulnerable communities without care    Program in limbo: The HHS Exchange Visitor Program lets physicians educated in the U.S. remain in the country on J1 visas while they transition to temporary worker status if they practice in underserved areas. 
  • But this year, applications have stalled for months across multiple agencies.  
Costly consequences: If doctors are forced to leave due to delays, rehiring them could cost employers ~$100,000 per visa—a prohibitive expense.     Patients bear the brunt: Such losses will especially impact rural and low-income areas, medical leaders warn. 
  • “There’s going to be hundreds of places that are not going to have a physician that should have,” said one impacted psychiatrist.  
    Related: Immigration changes are driving foreign researchers to leave the U.S. — or not come to begin with –    OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Abortion pill rulings cause whiplash and confusion – 

Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants – 

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

The Cost of ‘Natural’ Womanhood –

‘Point of no return’: New Orleans relocation must start now due to sea level, study finds – 

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

The Bus That Brings Reproductive Care to Homeless Women –   Issue No. 2910
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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Mon, 05/04/2026 - 09:17
96 Global Health NOW: The Growing Threat of ‘Hidden Hunger’; and Raw Milk Market Gains Ground May 4, 2026 TOP STORIES A suspected hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship has led to three deaths, while lab results confirm six cases, ; WHO officials said the  “risk to the wider public remains low” as exposure to the virus is rare and typically linked to exposure to infected rodents, .     Ghana has rejected a bilateral health agreement with the U.S., as Ghana’s leaders resisted terms requiring the sharing of sensitive health data—the same issue that led Zimbabwe to reject a similar deal and that has also prompted a court to suspend implementation of Kenya’s agreement.     School phone bans in the U.S. have had mixed results so far, , which analyzed 40,000+ schools and found that test scores and attendance have not increased; however, the study found improved student well-being over time and said long-term impacts bear further study.      The U.S. identified 50 large TB outbreaks involving 10+ related cases between 2017 and 2023, , which found that roughly two‑thirds of large outbreaks occurred within family or social networks.  IN FOCUS Farmers harvest potatoes in a field in Dalingzi Village of Daxinzhuang Town in the Fengnan District, Tangshan City, China, on July 9, 2025. Yang Shiyao/Xinhua via Getty The Growing Threat of ‘Hidden Hunger’
Staple foods like rice, wheat, legumes, and potatoes are steadily losing vital nutrients, as rising carbon dioxide levels from climate change deplete key minerals and vitamins from crops. The shift could lead to mounting health consequences, scientists say—especially in low-income countries.     ³󲹳’s&Բ;󲹱ԾԲ: Increasing carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere alter plant development by speeding growth and boosting sugars while disrupting their ability to absorb key minerals, like zinc and iron.  
  • , scientists found that nutrients have already decreased by an average 3.2% across all plants since the late 1980s—a depletion already impacting diets worldwide.  
“The diets we eat today have less nutritional density than what our grandparents ate, even if we eat exactly the same thing,” said Kristie Ebi of the University of Washington’s Center for Health and the Global Environment.    The impact: Scientists warn of a future of “hidden hunger,” where people eat sufficient calories but face major deficiencies. While wealthy countries can offset losses with diet changes and supplements, poorer populations reliant on impacted crops could see “devastating” impacts.  
  • By mid-century, over a billion women and children could face increased risk of iron-deficiency anemia, leading to pregnancy complications, developmental problems, and death.  
  • And ~2 billion people across the globe already facing nutrient shortages could see exacerbated health problems.  
Strategies needed: Researchers emphasize the need for agricultural policy geared toward growing an array of nutritious crop variants—and the urgent need to cut carbon emissions.         ICYMI:  – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health  DATA POINT

40,000+
—ĔĔĔ—
The number of measles cases since March 15 in Bangladesh’s growing outbreak, according to health officials; nearly 300 deaths have been reported in that time frame. —   POLICY Raw Milk Market Gains Ground   
State legislators are pressing for wider access to raw milk in the U.S., as demand for the product grows despite its established health risks and links to ongoing outbreaks. 
 
More legal avenues: Currently 40+ proposed bills in 18 states are seeking to make it easier to buy, sell, or consume raw milk. 
 
Risks persist: The push for raw milk access has accelerated with promotion from social media and wellness influencers, despite five outbreaks linked to raw milk reported in the past year alone. 
  • A CDC review identified  tied to raw milk that sickened 2,600+ people between 1998 and 2018, with children especially vulnerable.  
“Public health has lost the battle on raw milk,” said Mary McGonigle-Martin, co-chair of consumer advocacy group Stop Foodborne Illness. 
 
  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS WHO delays pandemic treaty amid pathogen-sharing dispute –   
Court restricts abortion access across the US by blocking the mailing of mifepristone –      ‘Mothers won’t die, babies can survive’: new maternal hospital opens in world’s largest refugee camp –  
Trump just replaced his surgeon general pick, and it could change what you’re told about your health –     ‘A ghost that lives with us’: Death Cafes take the sting out of the inevitable end –    Issue No. 2909
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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Categories: Global Health Feed

Thu, 04/30/2026 - 09:14
96 Global Health NOW: A Turning Point in TB Testing; and A ‘Terrifying Medical Underworld’ Expands April 30, 2026 TOP STORIES Endometriosis diagnosis could be dramatically improved with a new imaging tool that uses a molecular tracer to help physicians observe blood vessel growth and inflammation in the body; the new tool could significantly shorten the long wait time for a diagnosis, which averages 9+ years in the U.K.  

HIV patients in Senegal are forgoing treatment amid a surge of arrests targeting the LGBTQ community after the government’s decision to increase prison term lengths and fines for same-sex sexual acts and any promotion of homosexuality.     America's infant formula supply has been deemed safe by the FDA, which tested 300+ infant formula samples for contaminants including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, pesticides, PFAs, and phthalates, and found "an overwhelming majority of samples had undetectable or very low levels of contaminants.”     World Cup health surveillance for the competition will be launched by global health academics at Georgetown University, who are providing a temporary surveillance hub to monitor disease risks like measles.   IN FOCUS Scanning electron micrograph of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause TB. NIH//Universal Images Group via Getty Images A Turning Point in TB Testing    A new portable tuberculosis test could transform the diagnostic process for patients, making it more accessible and affordable for underserved populations, and leading to earlier treatment options, .     The traditional method: For over a century, TB diagnosis has relied on examining a patient’s phlegm samples under a microscope—an often-unwieldy, imprecise method that can miss up to half of cases or produce false positives.  
  • It’s also difficult for many patients, like children and older people, to provide phlegm samples. 
Circumventing phlegm: A new molecular test detects TB bacterium DNA via a simple tongue swab or phlegm, using technology similar to that used in hospital-based COVID tests to produce results in under 30 minutes, . 
  • In  researchers analyzed the tests of ~1,400 patients across Africa and Asia and found the diagnostic process met WHO accuracy standards, while proving easy to use in low-resource settings. 
  • The device, MiniDock MTB, was developed by the Chinese company Pluslife, which designed it to be low-cost, battery-powered, and simple enough to use in clinics without microscopes or advanced labs. 
  • Caveats: The test may miss very early infections and cannot identify drug-resistant TB without follow-up testing. 
Implications: Easier, more reliable diagnosis could reduce missed cases, expedite treatment, and slow transmission.  HEALTH SYSTEMS A ‘Terrifying Medical Underworld’ Expands     A crisis is growing in American hospitals as more facilities resort to patient “boarding”: the practice of holding admitted patients for hours or days in the emergency departments or other ill-equipped temporary locations while awaiting a hospital bed.     The reasons for the growing practice are complex, including hospital financial structures and staffing issues. But meaningful reforms have yet to be enacted.     In a deeply researched, and deeply personal report, journalist and former ER physician Elisabeth Rosenthal lays out the crisis through the lens of her late husband’s own agony in this “terrifying medical underworld” in his last days before dying of esophageal cancer.     The quote: “Everyone knows about this problem, and no one cares enough to do anything about it. It’s barbaric,” said Adrian Haimovich, an ED doctor in Boston.       OPPORTUNITY Funding Opportunity for Disability Inclusion  
Borealis Philanthropy's Disability Inclusion Fund is seeking joint grant proposals from organizations led by and for disabled people.  
These grants support cross-movement collaborations advancing disability justice, including community organizing, advocacy, narrative change, arts, and policy work.  
  • At least one partner must be disability-focused and disability-led.  
  • Combined annual budgets must be under $3 million.  
  • All organizations must be U.S.-based 501(c)(3)s or fiscally sponsored.  
Successful applicants can receive up to $150,000 over two years.  
  •   
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Gulls Just Wanna Have Fun    The frenzied squawks echoing from a pub in De Panne, Belgium, last weekend may have been alarming—if not downright annoying—to uninitiated passersby. But to the crowd inside, these were sacred hymns of homage.    The annual European Seagull Screeching Championship is, after all, more than a competition. Now in its sixth year, the event seeks to rehabilitate the much-derided sea scavengers’ reputation by “connecting gulls and people,” and reminding them that “a gull screeching brings back good memories,” .     The real memory-makers? The people with eerily good impressions of that unhinged cackle only a seagull can make as it divebombs your sandwich. This year, 70 contestants from 15 countries gave it their best go, , many donning feathers in an effort to further impress the five jury members (each “true seagull lovers,” assures the website).    And much like a seagull, organizer Claude Willaert has unapologetically bold aims for the competition, : “We are going to have more countries than at the Eurovision Song Contest.”  QUICK HITS RFK Jr. is holding up $600M in vaccines for poor countries –      Australia becomes the 30th country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem –  
A cheap drug used by longevity enthusiasts may have a surprising impact on exercise –  
J. Craig Venter, Scientist Who Decoded the Human Genome, Dies at 79 –  
Baby teeth hold clues to the harms of toxic metals for infants — and older kids –   
Why you should ‘feed a cold’: eating primes immune cells for action –   Issue No. 2908
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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Categories: Global Health Feed

Wed, 04/29/2026 - 09:14
96 Global Health NOW: When Policy Shapes Biology; and How Health Misinformation is Fueling Solar Farm Fears April 29, 2026 TOP STORIES Aid groups are calling for a humanitarian corridor to be opened through the Strait of Hormuz as the war in Iran has led to the blockage of vital aid supplies, including critical medications.     Viral hepatitis remains “a major global health challenge” despite notable gains, ; while hepatitis C- and B-related deaths have declined significantly, current transmission rates of ~1.8 million infections annually show that2030 elimination goals are off-course.     Disabled Americans who receive Supplemental Security Income and live with family members who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will see their monthly benefits cut or eliminated if a Trump administration rule change moves forward; the cuts would affect ~400,000 people with dementia, developmental disabilities, and other conditions.     A former NIH aide has been on obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges for allegedly using his personal email to conceal federal records about federally funded research into dangerous viruses like the one that caused COVID-19.   IN FOCUS A view of houses in KwanGode, a rural area outside Hillcrest, South Africa. November 29, 2025. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty When Policy Shapes Biology    The introduction of powerful anti-HIV drugs in regions like South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natale province has rewritten disease outcomes of the populations there. But the intervention has also reshaped the DNA of people in the region, —slowing evolutionary changes that were being driven by the epidemic, . 
  • In KwaZulu-Natal, extreme AIDS mortality before 2005 drove measurable genetic change over a decade, rapidly reshaping immune system genes.  
  • The inflow of antiretroviral drugs notably slowed this process.  
Deep, downstream effects: Abrupt funding cuts to programs like PEPFAR and those affecting programs backed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria risk undoing that progress, potentially allowing both the epidemic and its biological impacts to intensify again. 
  • Such interruptions and reductions have eroded critical infrastructure needed to test, track, and treat the virus, impacting not only treatment but the ability to prevent it, .  
  • South Africa’s uptake of lenacapavir, for example, will be heavily affected by funding cuts, , .  
Seismic shifts on the horizon: South Africa is facing major upheaval to its HIV-fighting infrastructure: the Global Fund has notified the country that it has less than eight years before its funding wraps, .  
Related:     AIDS Creeps Back in Parts of Zambia, a Year After U.S. Cuts to H.I.V. Assistance –      We detected Aids through a federal early warning system. Trump has decimated it –   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES COMMUNICATION How Health Misinformation is Fueling Solar Farm Fears    The expansion of large solar farms is becoming a new battleground in public health policy: Critics point to health risks as a reason to restrict expansion, while researchers say such fears are grounded in misinformation.     A range of concerns: Critics of solar farms say health risks range from the impacts of electromagnetic fields to contamination, and such concerns have contributed to recent restrictions in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri. 
  • But the purported public health risks are not grounded in credible evidence, say researchers and environmental lawyers.  
Energy goals at stake: The backlash threatens to stall solar energy transition targets even as demand grows. 
  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS More of the same. Epic Fury’s impact on global health and humanitarian actions –     Former Tobacco Executive Takes CDC Role –     ‘America First’ aid policy reshapes how U.S. delivers global health assistance –     Ending Malaria Is Africa’s Smartest Investment: Here Is Why Leaders Are Acting Now –      In first meeting, federal autism committee focuses on ‘profound autism’ –      GOP takes aim at hospital CEOs over affordability crisis –     A neuroscientist’s guide to reading the research yourself –   Issue No. 2907
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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Tue, 04/28/2026 - 09:24
96 Global Health NOW: UK Cuts Imperil Polio Eradication; and How One Sudanese Surgeon Held Back the Tide April 28, 2026 TOP STORIES Ghana has rejected a U.S. proposal for a bilateral health aid deal because of a requirement that it share health data; Zimbabwe shot down a similar America First Global Health Strategy-based proposal for the same reason.  

Hundreds of hepatitis B infections and more liver cancer cases will likely follow the Trump administration’s policy that canceled a recommendation that the hepatitis B vaccine be given to infants within 24 hours of birth, .  

Strict limits on girls’ education and women’s work opportunities in Afghanistan may cause a shortage of 25,000 women teachers and health workers by 2030, .      48% of newborns infected with chikungunya during birth will experience severe neurological problems, including seizures, bleeding in the brain, and other issues, ; babies who appear healthy at birth can experience fever, persistent crying, and feeding problems three to seven days later.    IN FOCUS: GHN EXCLUSIVE A health worker administers polio drops to a child on a nationwide week-long poliovirus eradication campaign. Karachi, Pakistan, September, 1, 2025. Asif Hassan/AFP via Getty UK Cuts Imperil Polio Eradication 
Anne Wafula Strike once proudly served as the U.K.’s “poster girl” for polio eradication. Today, the Kenyan-born paralympic athlete and polio survivor has a different message: “It feels we were running a group relay and just before the finish line, someone deliberately dropped the baton.” 
  Last month, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) lost its largest contributor . The move is part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's sweeping 40% reduction in foreign aid, the largest percentage cut to development assistance by any government. 
  With the world on the cusp of eradicating the disease, “it’s the worst possible moment” to abandon funding, says Shahin Huseynov, WHO’s polio coordinator for Europe. Only two wild polio cases were reported globally in the first three months of 2026, and just two countries remain endemic—but poliovirus has been found in U.K. wastewater this year.  
  • Without sustained funding, the WHO warns that 200,000 children could be paralyzed by polio each year within a decade. 
What it means on the ground: The cuts will likely mean prioritizing surveillance and vaccination campaigns in the highest-risk areas, and postponing the goal of eradicating polio by 2029, says Huseynov.  
With GPEI's budget already cut 30% from prior U.S. cuts, advocates are urging the U.K. to honor its legal obligation to spend 0.7% of national income on overseas aid. 
  • Reinstating polio funding would cost just $134 million, a fraction of what's been cut. 
There’s hope that other countries will step in—such as Australia, Spain, Canada, and Korea—who are still “looking, kind of, to use their development assistance funds in a very positive way,” says Adrian Lovett of the ONE Campaign.    Nevertheless, a major concern is the signal the cuts send to other countries: “It’s not just about money. It’s about solidarity,” says Huseynov.
  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CONFLICT How One Sudanese Surgeon Held Back the Tide    Even as missiles hit Al Nao hospital, as electricity faltered, supplies dwindled and hospital staffers fled, orthopedic surgeon Jamal Eltaeb kept working.    Al Nao is one of the only functioning hospitals in the region outside Khartoum in civil war-torn Sudan—and Eltaeb knew it was a lifeline for hundreds of desperate patients.  
  • For three years, he has found a way to keep caring for them—despite direct attacks on the hospital and amidst mass-casualty bomb strikes where 100+ wounded patients needed emergency care.  
  • “We were working everywhere, in tents, outside, on the floor, doing everything to save patients’ lives,” said Eltaeb, who was just recognized with the $1 million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.  
Dire, ongoing need: ~40% of Sudan’s hospitals no longer function as the war enters its fourth year.   

Related: Darfur: Two decades on, a new generation of children faces 'horrific violence' – OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Can the U.S. handle another pandemic? –  
The US CDC on the brink –     Bedilu Abebe: Why Malaria Still Persists in Ethiopia –     Trump administration warns against using federal dollars on fentanyl test strips –      Toxins plus climate harms likely cause of reduced fertility, study finds –     CDC warns of drug-resistant salmonella infections linked to backyard poultry –

How to let go of grudges — and why it could be good for your health –   Issue No. 2906
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

Mon, 04/27/2026 - 09:25
96 Global Health NOW: A ‘Critical Phase’ in the Malaria Fight; and Solar Powering Maternal Survival in Nigeria April 27, 2026 TOP STORIES Algeria has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem after a decades-long effort that was accelerated in 2013 with particular focus on 12 highly affected provinces and intensive door-to-door screening and management; it is the 29th country globally to have eliminated the infection, which can cause blindness.     The first gene therapy for deafness has been approved by the FDA—a historic milestone in the treatment of hearing loss, though the treatment currently impacts only people born with a very rare form of genetic deafness; the manufacturer, Regeneron, will offer the treatment for free in the U.S.     Living in pesticide-heavy environments could heighten the risk of cancer by up to 150%–ēeven with chemicals considered “safe” on their own— that examined the impact of complex mixtures of chemicals in real-world conditions, in contrast to previous research that has focused mostly on individual chemicals in controlled environments.  
70%+ of people globally believe at least one false or unproven health claim, like that vaccine risks outweigh benefits or that fluoride in water is harmful, —results that point to a potentially growing number of people questioning scientific evidence.   IN FOCUS Midwife Sarah Atim speaks to expectant mothers about malaria vaccination during an antenatal care session at a hospital in Uganda's Apac district. April 8, 2025. Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty A ‘Critical Phase’ in the Malaria Fight    The global fight against malaria is at a pivotal juncture, as major scientific advances like vaccines, therapies, and diagnostics converge with rising threats like drug resistance and underfunded health systems—a set of opportunities and barriers “defining a critical phase for malaria control,” as is marked.     New tools, new hope: Artemether-lumefantrine, the first malaria treatment tailored for newborns and small infants, has been approved, closing a longstanding gap in care for “one of the most underserved patient groups,” which is also the most vulnerable, .  
  • Three new rapid diagnostic tests are also rolling out, designed to detect mutating parasite strains that previously slipped through standard testing. 
And new threats: There is increasing evidence that parasites are growing resistant to artemisinin—the “backbone” of lifesaving therapies—. This shift, along with insecticide-resistant mosquitoes and expanding mosquito habitats, is making it difficult to build on hard-won gains like the vaccine rollouts.     Ongoing toll of disruption: Meanwhile, malaria programs throughout Africa are still seeing the effects of the sudden USAID cuts last year, . In Zambia, for example, malaria hospitalizations are now increasing—likely due to the lack of regular USAID-funded spraying, doctors say.  
  • And even as bilateral agreements with the U.S. are formed to fund countries’ malaria programs, countries with high malaria burdens are struggling to regain lost traction.  
The Quote: “We’re just running all the time, and the malaria parasite is catching up with us all the time,” said Jane E. Carlton, director of the Malaria Research Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.     Related:       How mosquitoes—and malaria—helped shape the whereabouts of early humankind –    AI-powered drones slash malaria cases –   Can you stop malaria crossing borders? One nation’s bid to wipe out the disease –   Malaria rebound spurs AI-driven hunt for parasite genes linked to deadly cases – DATA POINT

379 million
—ĔĔĔĔĔ
Malaria cases averted across 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa attributable to the U.S. President’s Malaria Initiative investment from 2005 to 2024, from Imperial College London and the Malaria Atlas Project. –ē
  TECH & INNOVATION Solar Powering Maternal Survival in Nigeria    Electricity can be the difference between life and death for many maternity ward patients in Nigeria, where ~40% of primary health care centers lack reliable power.  
  • Power interruptions lead to delayed surgeries, stalled oxygen flow, and nonworking incubators, and also hamper routine procedures that require light, like suturing.  
Lifesaving solar energy: Since Gombe State Specialist Hospital installed a solar-hybrid system in 2020, maternal deaths have dropped from 15–20 per month to 1–2, and neonatal deaths have fallen from 50+ per month to 20–25.  
  • “There is no interruption. We can suture, we can operate, we can do everything,” said Sarigamo Ibrahim, a nurse and midwife who manages the maternity unit. 
  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS South Carolina’s 200-day measles outbreak is over. What it cost. –  
Measles Is Back. What Comes Next Will Be Worse. –  Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!  
What happened to Covid? –  
The Next Global Health Crisis Is Already Here: Childhood Trauma from War –  
Trump fires all 24 members of the U.S. National Science Foundation’s governing body –   

Untangling the complex relationship between HIV-exposure and tuberculosis in children: a narrative review –   
So, you got bit by a tick. Here’s exactly what to do next. –   Issue No. 2905
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

Thu, 04/23/2026 - 09:40
96 Global Health NOW: Europe’s ‘Narrowing Window’ for Climate Action; and Burkina Faso’s Psychiatric Care Deficit Plus: Your Photos May Be Bad—But Are They Bad Enough? April 23, 2026 TOP STORIES 21 African countries are battling measles outbreaks, and 493 deaths associated with the disease have been registered, reports the Africa CDC—which highlighted that 72% of all cases and 95% of the deaths have occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  

The CDC will not publish a report showing the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines; sources familiar with the blocked report say it showed the vaccines reduced hospitalizations and emergency department visits ‌among ⁠healthy adults by about half this past winter.     A revamped suicide and crisis hotline, 988, has been associated with an 11% drop in suicides among adolescents and young adults in U.S. compared with projected rates since the shortened number was launched in 2022, ; states with the biggest increases in answered calls also saw the largest decline in suicide rates.    A UK generational smoking ban passed this week in Parliament following a yearslong campaign; the directive means that children born after Dec. 31, 2008, will be banned from ever buying cigarettes.   IN FOCUS Locals and forest firefighters try to battle a wildfire in the village of Veiga das Meas, in northwestern Spain, on August 16, 2025. Miguel Riopa/AFP via Getty Europe’s ‘Narrowing Window’ for Climate Action
Extreme heat, drought, vector-borne illnesses, and other climate-driven health risks are rapidly escalating across Europe, —which warns that political action and public will are not keeping pace with the need for urgent interventions, .  

  • “The health impacts of climate change are intensifying faster than our response is keeping up,” said Joacim Rocklöv, co-director of the Lancet Countdown Europe. 

Heat-related harms: Compared with the 1990s, extreme heat alerts are up 318%, and nearly all monitored European regions saw an increase in deaths attributable to heat.  

  • Heat is also exacerbating sleep disruption and complications in chronic diseases and birth outcomes. 

Accelerating disease: The overall average risk of dengue outbreaks in Europe has quadrupled over the last decade, and reported cases of West Nile virus, chikungunya, and Zika virus are also rising regionwide.  

Food insecurity: Meanwhile, drought is contributing to rising food prices, which pushed over a million more people into moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023 compared to past decades. 

Lagging political response: While Europe has been a global leader in climate policy progress, the report warns that political and public engagement are stalling, and urges further actions “need to be accelerated” including:  

  • Swifter transition away from fossil fuels to other energy sources.  

  • Implementing early warning systems for heat and other climate dangers into health care.  

  • Targeted adaptation measures including expanded green spaces. 

Related: Heatwaves, floods and wildfires pose rising threat to democracy, report finds –  

MENTAL HEALTH Burkina Faso’s Psychiatric Care Deficit     In Burkina Faso, access to mental health care is scarce, with just 11 psychiatrists available to a population of 20 million+ people.     Strained system: Mental health services were already fragile, but recent years of conflict and insecurity in the region have led to the withdrawal of NGOs that helped provide care.  
  • Meanwhile, a key nurse training program has been suspended, and the country is dealing with an exodus of medical professionals to other countries.  
Cultural dynamics: A great deal of misinformation and stigma are still attached to mental health disorders, and families often turn to spiritual healers for help instead of medical care.    Hope on the horizon? The government has announced a plan to train and employ 60 psychiatrists over the next five years.      OPPORTUNITY Take a Load Off ... Your Eyes  
Prolonged screen use is a reality of daily life for many of us.     Students at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have launched a campaign—Take 60—to encourage 60-second hourly screen breaks to help reduce digital eye strain and support better focus and overall eye health.    We hope you’ll give it a try ... after scrolling down to read the Thursday Diversion!    ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Gullfoss, a waterfall on the Hvítá River, in southwest Iceland, in November 2023. This photo was taken by GHN's Morgan Coulson, who spent just 24 hours in Iceland on her way to Ireland, and couldn't find a bad shot. Your Photos May Be Bad—But Are They Bad Enough? 
Are you generally uninterested in photography, not good at it, and regularly disappointed with your own photos? Do you have no regard for composition and take portraits from below? Of people eating? Did you 
 
There’s a prize for that—and it comes with “possible worldwide recognition” and a trip to Iceland.
 
Icelandair is seeking the “” to prove that this supermodel of a country has no bad angles—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where “a lack of skill makes you ideal for this task.”
 
We admire Icelandair’s optimism, but suspect there’s someone out there that can still make a glacier look like a murky pond, a majestic volcano resemble an anthill, and give the Geysir a double chin. And we hope it’s us.
 

 
Thanks for the tip, Lindsay Smith Rogers!  QUICK HITS Why these treatments for one of the deadliest cancers are stirring such hope –      Residents in rural Sudan say the Iran war has made it harder to get medicines –     Pace of N.I.H. Funding Slows Further in Trump’s Second Year –     In hearings, RFK Jr claims no responsibility for measles spread –     Two common drugs may reverse fatty liver disease, study finds –      Britain’s £8bn bet on the developing world –   Issue No. 2903
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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Wed, 04/22/2026 - 09:43
96 Global Health NOW: The Civilian Impact of War in Iran; and A Disease-Busting House Design April 22, 2026 TOP STORIES Human rights violations are on the rise internationally at the hands of both states and non-state actors who largely face no accountability, ; despite the grim findings, the report praises the “masterful work” of diplomats and activists seeking to strengthen civil rights and liberties.     Nearly half of U.S. children breathe dangerous levels of air pollution, , which also warned that the Trump administration’s sweeping rollback of protections will worsen the outlook.      A major mRNA vaccine trial will launch soon in Britain as the country seeks to prepare for a potential bird flu pandemic; the trial, led by Moderna and the U.K. Health Security Agency, will recruit 3,000 participants to test the human vaccine’s effectiveness.      WHO-recommended antibiotics for neonatal sepsis are largely ineffective in low-resource nations, of antibiotic resistance, which found that antibiotics like ampicillin and gentamicin were active against only 25% of cases in which they were used and had “limited coverage against locally prevalent, highly resistant pathogens.”   IN FOCUS A woman looks out over Resalat Square, where photos of civilians killed in recent U.S.-Israeli strikes are displayed. Tehran, Iran, April 20, Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty The Civilian Impact of War in Iran   The war in Iran is taking a deepening toll on civilian life as widespread damage to the country’s already-fragile natural resources, infrastructure, and health systems is “pushing one of the world’s most environmentally vulnerable regions toward catastrophe,” (CAP).     So far, 1,700+ civilians—including at least 254 children—have been killed, .  
  • But the true toll is difficult to gauge due to restricted reporting, damage to hospitals, and widespread communications blackouts.  
Health systems hollowed out: Even before the war, Iran’s health care system was weakened by sanctions and violence from recent unrest. As of April 3, ~300 medical facilities had been damaged, further hampering care, per CAP.     Environmental emergency: Already strained by years of drought and climate impacts, the region now faces “compounding harms” from strikes on oil facilities and industrial sites—leading to long-term ecological risks from air, water, and soilcontamination.     Water scarcity, “food catastrophe”: Attacks on water infrastructure threaten access to drinking water across the region. Meanwhile, analysts say the conflict’s impact on global food prices could lead to “catastrophe,” as shipping disruptions lead to shortages in oil and fertilizer needed for agricultural production, .  
  • Such impacts will be most deeply felt by low-income countries in Africa and Asia.  
Call for humanitarian intervention: The report calls for urgent aid, but also long-term remediation centered on environmental harm—including surveillance for chronic disease, soil recovery, and investments in more resilient water systems. 

Related:  Geopolitics and Humanitarian Health in Iran, Cuba, and Ukraine –  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ARCHITECTURE A Disease-Busting House Design
Well-designed “Star Homes”—which promote airflow, block insects, and feature outdoor latrines and rainwater collection systems—can reduce child mortality, demonstrates a randomized controlled trial in southern Tanzania, .    Per the research, led by Lorenz von Seidlein of the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit: 
  • Children under 13 living in Star Homes were 44% less likely than those in the control group to suffer from malaria.
  • Cases of diarrhea and respiratory infections were down by 30% and 18%, respectively.  
Drawbacks: The biggest barrier to broader application? The $8,800 price tag. But Seidlein says the goal wasn’t to prove that millions of Star Homes should be built. 
  • The study showed that “if you use better principles in building, you can probably achieve a massive effect,” he said. 
  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS ‘It’s a powder keg’: Romania leads EU measles cases as vaccination rates collapse –      As measles takes toll on kids, anti-vaxxers in US have change of heart –      Pentagon ends mandatory flu vaccines for service members –     ‘The next opioid epidemic’: Gambling legalization outpaces public health response to addiction – Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!    Priya Pal: If pregnancy centers get public money, they should meet   medical standards –      French activists sue 'deceptive' laughing gas suppliers –     A specialized tour at the Berlin Zoo brings joy to people living with dementia –   Issue No. 2903
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

Tue, 04/21/2026 - 09:19
96 Global Health NOW: The Questions Surrounding Zambia’s Future HIV Fight; and Omaha’s Lag in Lead Testing April 21, 2026 TOP STORIES RSV vaccination of pregnant women lowered the risk of hospitalization of their infant children by 81%, per a study of 289,000+ babies born in England; the findings were shared at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases on April 18.         Blue monkeys, a crowned eagle, a Nile monitor lizard, a leopard, and six other species were caught on video eating Egyptian fruit bats—which carry the Marburg virus; the video from a cave in Uganda demonstrates how intermediate animals could acquire and spread the fatal virus.       The Lancet is convening its first-ever commission focused on global skin health; the experts will set goals for reducing skin diseases, improving skin health, and training health workers.       President Trump directed $50 million on April 18 to increase availability of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and ibogaine for mental health treatment and ordered the FDA to speed their review.    IN FOCUS A man learns AIDS prevention know-how during an event marking World AIDS Day in Lusaka, Zambia, on December 1, 2022. Peng Lijun/Xinhua via Getty The Questions Surrounding Zambia’s Future HIV Fight
As Zambia has achieved dramatic HIV gains through PEPFAR-supported efforts, its Southern Province has spearheaded efforts to become less dependent on NGOs, . 
  • Since 2019, PEPFAR funds have been channeled directly to the provincial government, instead of being routed through NGOs.  
  • These “cooperative agreements” allowed the public sector to gradually take ownership of the HIV response.  
The U.S. now points to this approach as a model for direct-to-government aid funding, and moving away from NGOs.    But this transition can’t be rushed, Zambian health leaders argue: The shift has been a long process that involved data-driven oversight and services integrated with NGO support.  
  • “If you speed up change, chances are that you may actually end up with an outcome that you didn’t desire,” said Callistus Kaayunga, the health director of Southern Province.  
Meanwhile, Zambia is hesitating to agree to the new U.S. funding model, in which the U.S. is making aid contingent on access to Zambia’s mineral resources, .  
  • The country reportedly has until May to decide whether to sign a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. or lose funding.  
Related: She used to run U.S. AIDS relief — now, foreign aid has changed –   DATA POINT

90%
—ĔĔ
HPV vaccine uptake in girls in three European nations: Iceland, Norway, and Portugal, ; all EU countries now recommend HPV vaccination for both adolescent girls and boys, and report a decreased incidence of cervical cancer among vaccinated women since 2020. —  ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Omaha’s Lag in Lead Testing    The largest residential lead cleanup site in the U.S. is a 27-square-mile Superfund area in Omaha, Nebraska—a state that does not require lead testing during childhood. Instead, it is up to the doctor or a health system to test on a case-by-case basis.     The result: Currently, <50% of kids under age 7 who live in the area near the cleanup site are tested for lead, public health officials say. 
Elsewhere: 13 states have passed laws requiring all children to receive lead testing.    What’s next? The Douglas County Health Department plans to propose an ordinance requiring health workers to test all kids up to age 7 who live in the affected area.     Lasting stakes: If high blood lead levels go undetected, the federal government may not remediate tens of thousands of properties in Omaha.     GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS The real ‘nanny tax’? Not being able to breastfeed your own baby –     After Decades of Quiet Rumbling, an Epidemic Is Erupting Among California Stoneworkers –     Where U.S. science has been hit hardest after Trump’s first year –     Microplastics: Brain Study Confirms Health Risks, Challenges Kennedy’s Claims –     Democrats Demand Trump Administration Halt Plan To Collect Federal Workers’ Health Data –     There's new evidence for how loneliness affects memory in old age –     ‘Oscar of science’ awarded to team behind gene therapy that restores lost vision –   Issue No. 2902
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

Mon, 04/20/2026 - 09:33
96 Global Health NOW: Pakistan’s Infection Control Crisis; and The Hyperlocal Strategy to Curb Smoking April 20, 2026 TOP STORIES 9 out of 10 women in Liberia reported taking antibiotics monthly, per a survey of 109 women; many women said they used the antibiotics—which are available without prescription—to “cleanse” themselves after their menstrual cycle, a trend that has grown via widespread misinformation.     HIV testing in Russia should be expanded to one-third of the population each year in order to curb rapid rising infections, the nation’s health minister Mikhail Murashko said; the recommendation comes as Russia faces one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in Europe at 890 cases per 100,000 people.     A chikungunya therapy using monoclonal antibody technology has shown promise as both a treatment for the disease and as preexposure prophylaxis, say researchers who performed a first-in-human randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study presented at the ESCMID Global Congress.     Cerebral malaria and severe malarial anemia are tied to long-term cognitive impairment in children under 5, found a new prospective cohort study of 600 Ugandan children evaluated for overall cognitive ability, attention, and associative memory a year after hospitalization for severe malaria and then followed for another four to 15 years. IN FOCUS A Pakistani woman holds her HIV-positive child at a house at Wasayo village, in Rato Dero, in the southern Sindh province, on May 8, 2019. Rizwan Tabassum / Getty Pakistan’s Infection Control Crisis    At least nine people, including five newborns, have died in an mpox outbreak in Sindh province, Pakistan, as a burgeoning outbreak of the virus there tests a health system already failing to meet basic infection control standards, .     Mpox eruption: So far this year, health officials in the province have reported 122 suspected mpox cases. Until now, only sporadic, travel-related infections had been reported.  
  • The deaths of infants in neonatal units have raised alarms about possible hospital-acquired transmission. 
Systemic lapses in safety: Health officials in Pakistan say health facilities across the country are failing to meet basic safety and hygiene standards, leading to further spread of HIV, typhoid, and other diseases, . 
  • Health officials reported that HIV spiked 200% over the last decade, from 16,000 cases in 2010 to 48,000 by 2020.  
  • 39% of HIV infections are now found in traditionally low-risk populations, including women and children, . 
“Injection culture”: Much of the HIV outbreak is being driven by unsafe medical practices, including syringe reuse by health care providers and unregulated clinics. Pakistan has one of the highest rates of therapeutic injections, with people receiving 8–14 injections annually.    Related: San Francisco Reports Its First Clade I Mpox Case — What to Know and How to Find a Vaccine. –   THE QUOTE
  last Friday “show us ... the deliberate unraveling of the elements of H.I.V. prevention and treatment service delivery that are essential to actually finish the job and defeat this pandemic,” says Asia Russell, executive director of Health GAP.   —ĔĔĔĔĔ—ĔĔĔ— New PEPFAR Data Show Worrying Declines in Testing and Treatment for H.I.V. –
  TOBACCO The Hyperlocal Strategy to Curb Smoking     Taking on Big Tobacco may seem like an uphill battle. But in Massachusetts, small-town health advocates are up for the challenge.     Grassroots push: Generational bans on tobacco sales—which make it illegal for anyone born after a certain date to ever buy tobacco—are gaining traction in the state via local health ordinances that are harder for industry lobbyists to target.  
  • In 2020, the city of Brookline passed such a ban, and similar ordinances have now spread to 21 towns, impacting 600,000+ residents.  
Massachusetts towns have a long history of pioneering anti-tobacco efforts: Brookline was among the first U.S. jurisdictions to ban smoking indoors, and Needham was the first U.S. town to raise the tobacco-buying age to 21.     Current target: Passing a statewide ban. “It’s a long game,” said longtime anti-tobacco advocate Maureen Buzby.       GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES Related: What Will Bring the Next Generation of Global Health Students Hope? – QUICK HITS Myanmar military regime widens sanitary towel ban, claiming rebels use them for first aid –     Humans may already have some immunity to H5N1 bird flu, study suggests –      Trump's new pick for CDC leader may face “threat to follow ideology over evidence,” former surgeon general warns –  
RFK Jr. defends his health agenda and Trump’s proposed budget cuts in hearing –  
Politicians are using low teen birth rates to further restrict access to birth control, abortion –     Younger adult colon cancer deaths are concentrated in people with less education, study says –     The Great Ozempic Experiment – Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!    KitKat, Gatorade or granola bars? What’s banned under new SNAP rules is mixed. –   Issue No. 2901
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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