The Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has issued a direct plea for calm and solidarity to the citizens of Tenerife ahead of the scheduled arrival of the MV Hondius on Sunday
Categories: Global Health Feed
New evidence shows that malaria vaccination is significantly reducing child deaths in Africa and could have an even greater impact as programmes expand, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
The World Health Organization (WHO) has verified more than 3,000 attacks on healthcare in Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the UN agency reported on Friday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
The risk of hantavirus spreading to the general population is “absolutely lowâ€, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) stressed on Friday, as a flight attendant tested negative for the disease after coming into contact with an infected passenger from the cruise ship at the centre of the outbreak, who later died.
Categories: Global Health Feed
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, .
Symbiotic gains: Researchers identified “relatively simple interventions†that significantly boost pollinators, including planting wildflowers, curbing pesticide use, and native beekeeping.
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.
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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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.
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.
- 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.
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
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 .
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
Public education will be critical as provinces roll out new cervical cancer screening method, researchers say
As Canada moves to modernize cervical cancer screening, a new study suggests most women do not yet understand or trust the shift from the Pap test to human papillomavirus (HPV) based screening.
The national survey, published in , examined women’s preferences for cervical screening – including how they want to be screened and how they want information communicated – as Canada transitions from Pap tests to HPV testing.
Categories: Global Health Feed
A deadly hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean poses a low global public health risk and is “not the start of another COVID pandemicâ€, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Thursday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
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.
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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- 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.
- 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.â€
- Novel opioids like cychlorphine—a powerful synthetic opioid up to 10X stronger than fentanyl—often go undetected in labs.
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
It’s been confirmed that another passenger from the cruise liner linked to the outbreak of hantavirus has contracted the disease, which has claimed the lives of three people on board and sparked an international alert coordinated by the UN World Health Organization (WHO).
Categories: Global Health Feed
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.â€
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?
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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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.
- 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.
- “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,†.
- But this year, applications have stalled for months across multiple agencies.
- “There’s going to be hundreds of places that are not going to have a physician that should have,†said one impacted psychiatrist.
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
The UN has expressed deep concern over escalating security incidents in the Gulf, warning that recent attacks risk undermining efforts to maintain regional stability.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Hantavirus victims on a ship in the Atlantic Ocean may have been infected prior to joining the cruise and human-to-human transmission on board cannot be ruled out – although it is rare - the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
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. °Â³ó²¹³Ù’s&²Ô²ú²õ±è;³ó²¹±è±è±ð²Ô¾±²Ô²µ: 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.
40,000+
—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”
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.
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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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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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. °Â³ó²¹³Ù’s&²Ô²ú²õ±è;³ó²¹±è±è±ð²Ô¾±²Ô²µ: 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.
- 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.
40,000+
—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”
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.
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 .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
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Categories: Global Health Feed
An outbreak of deadly hantavirus aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has triggered an international public health response.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Three people have died and three others are ill following suspected cases of hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Pour marquer la Journée internationale des travailleuses et des travailleurs, soyons véritablement unis pour la santé.
Categories: Global Health Feed
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.
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.
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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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.
- 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.
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.
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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Copyright 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: 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, .
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.
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 .
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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- 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.
- 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, , .
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.
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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Copyright 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: 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.â€
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.
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.
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.
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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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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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.â€
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.
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.
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.
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 .
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
Countries are making measurable progress in combatting viral hepatitis, but the disease remains a major global health challenge, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report published on Tuesday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
