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96
Global Health NOW: Gold Mining, Mercury, and the Amazon’s Mothers; and Dispatches from Bogotà : ICFP 2025
November 5, 2025
TOP STORIES
Nearly two-thirds of European parents with children who are overweight or obese think their kids are underweight or normal weight, .
Flu samples sent to the U.S. CDC by other countries have fallen by 60% this year, making it harder for the U.S. to target vaccines against flu viruses with the most pandemic potential.
Influenza can increase stroke risk by 5X within a month of infection, .
The White House is closing in on a deal with pharma companies Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to drop the cost of their top obesity drugs to $149 per month in some cases, in return for limited Medicare coverage for the drugs. IN FOCUS Aerial view of an illegal mining camp during an operation by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources against Amazon deforestation in Roraima State, Brazil, on February 24, 2023. Alan Chaves/AFP via Getty Images Gold Mining, Mercury, and the Amazon’s Mothers Brazilian researchers are finding mounting proof that mercury from illegal Amazon gold mining is linked to neurological disorders and disabilities among Indigenous children. Background: As illegal mining has proliferated in the region, rivers—key to the livelihoods of Indigenous people—have become contaminated with mercury, as have the fish eaten as staple food. Emerging evidence: In recent years, health officials have reported dozens of patients in the region—mostly children—with neurological disorders.
Here’s a snapshot of takeaways so far, starting with a startling stat:
States make progress in removing barriers to opioid use disorder medications –
Women must be warned of home birth risks and have access to skilled midwives, experts say – The Road to Secure Biological Sample Transportation in Central Africa – Issue No. 2817
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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Flu samples sent to the U.S. CDC by other countries have fallen by 60% this year, making it harder for the U.S. to target vaccines against flu viruses with the most pandemic potential.
Influenza can increase stroke risk by 5X within a month of infection, .
The White House is closing in on a deal with pharma companies Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to drop the cost of their top obesity drugs to $149 per month in some cases, in return for limited Medicare coverage for the drugs. IN FOCUS Aerial view of an illegal mining camp during an operation by the Brazilian Institute of Environment and Renewable Natural Resources against Amazon deforestation in Roraima State, Brazil, on February 24, 2023. Alan Chaves/AFP via Getty Images Gold Mining, Mercury, and the Amazon’s Mothers Brazilian researchers are finding mounting proof that mercury from illegal Amazon gold mining is linked to neurological disorders and disabilities among Indigenous children. Background: As illegal mining has proliferated in the region, rivers—key to the livelihoods of Indigenous people—have become contaminated with mercury, as have the fish eaten as staple food. Emerging evidence: In recent years, health officials have reported dozens of patients in the region—mostly children—with neurological disorders.
- While scientists have long suspected mercury as the culprit, a groundbreaking study tracking 176 pregnant women and their babies aims to find more definitive answers.
- Already, preliminary findings show that the mothers have mercury levels 5X higher than considered safe.
Here’s a snapshot of takeaways so far, starting with a startling stat:
- For the cost of a cappuccino in many countries—$8 per person per year—we could cover the $54 billion gap in unmet demand for contraception. That’s just one eye-opening figure from the released as ICFP got underway earlier this week.
- Expanding the tent: A session highlighting an effort to incorporate Islamic values into a sexual education program in Indonesia is one of several exploring ways to engage religious leaders, male allies, and other partners to boost sexual and reproductive health rights for all.
- Fails for the win: A Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs session on normalizing failure featured panelists brave enough to share a work “fail,†and how they channeled it for growth, sharing pro tips, ideas, and resources—from hosting a “Fail Fest†to a CCP Learning from Failure module.
States make progress in removing barriers to opioid use disorder medications –
Women must be warned of home birth risks and have access to skilled midwives, experts say – The Road to Secure Biological Sample Transportation in Central Africa – Issue No. 2817
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: An Epidemic of Inequality; and GHN’s Untold Stories Contest
November 4, 2025
TOP STORIES
The long-besieged cities of al-Fashir in Darfur and Kadugli in Sudan's south are officially in famine, according to the U.N.-backed Integrated Food Security Phase Classification.
928 million women in 128 low- and middle-income countries want to avoid pregnancy, according to one of two Guttmacher reports released at yesterday’s opening of the International Conference on Family Planning in Bogotá, Colombia.
A common malaria test in Asia and South America is providing false negatives, potentially delaying treatment for people with the disease, ; the WHO has been investigating the finding since April.
The Maldives has banned the purchase or even use of tobacco by anyone born after Jan. 1, 2007, making the island nation the first country to enact a generational smoking ban. IN FOCUS A homeless person sleeps rough on the street outside The Hamilton Live venue, just a few hundred meters from the White House, in Washington, D.C., on May 27. STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images An Epidemic of Inequality Economic inequality leads to entrenched disease that drives further economic vulnerability and hollowed-out health care—a “vicious cycle†that increasingly threatens global stability and outbreak response, released ahead of this month’s G20 meetings in Johannesburg. COVID-19, AIDS, Ebola, and mpox have all become deadlier and longer lasting because of unequal access to critical health care, housing, and work. Historically, epidemics have led to “a persistent increase in inequality†that peaked ~5 years later, found the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics, . A snapshot of disparity: The COVID-19 pandemic pushed 165 million people into poverty and raised the debt burden of low-income countries to $3 trillion+, .
Know of an underreported issue in global health? , co-sponsored by the and .
How it works: Just explain your idea—whether it’s something you’ve worked on or come across in your travels—and why you think it deserves more attention in 150 words or less. If you win, we’ll help you shine a spotlight on your issue.
Extra incentive: The winner receives a free registration for the CUGH annual meeting in Washington, DC, April 9–12, 2026.
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
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928 million women in 128 low- and middle-income countries want to avoid pregnancy, according to one of two Guttmacher reports released at yesterday’s opening of the International Conference on Family Planning in Bogotá, Colombia.
A common malaria test in Asia and South America is providing false negatives, potentially delaying treatment for people with the disease, ; the WHO has been investigating the finding since April.
The Maldives has banned the purchase or even use of tobacco by anyone born after Jan. 1, 2007, making the island nation the first country to enact a generational smoking ban. IN FOCUS A homeless person sleeps rough on the street outside The Hamilton Live venue, just a few hundred meters from the White House, in Washington, D.C., on May 27. STR/NurPhoto via Getty Images An Epidemic of Inequality Economic inequality leads to entrenched disease that drives further economic vulnerability and hollowed-out health care—a “vicious cycle†that increasingly threatens global stability and outbreak response, released ahead of this month’s G20 meetings in Johannesburg. COVID-19, AIDS, Ebola, and mpox have all become deadlier and longer lasting because of unequal access to critical health care, housing, and work. Historically, epidemics have led to “a persistent increase in inequality†that peaked ~5 years later, found the Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemics, . A snapshot of disparity: The COVID-19 pandemic pushed 165 million people into poverty and raised the debt burden of low-income countries to $3 trillion+, .
- Meanwhile, the world’s richest gained 25% more wealth during COVID-19.
- “The rich had a very good pandemic … while poorer people got poorer,†said Michael Marmot, director of the Institute of Health Equity at University College London.
- Remove debt.
- Invest in social determinants of health like housing and education.
- Ensure fair access to medicines and technology.
- Strengthen community-led disease response.
Know of an underreported issue in global health? , co-sponsored by the and .
How it works: Just explain your idea—whether it’s something you’ve worked on or come across in your travels—and why you think it deserves more attention in 150 words or less. If you win, we’ll help you shine a spotlight on your issue.
Extra incentive: The winner receives a free registration for the CUGH annual meeting in Washington, DC, April 9–12, 2026.
- Nominations Deadline: November 24, 2025
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: ‘Devastating’ Upheaval in the Obamacare Marketplace; and Preventing Preterm Births in Australia
November 3, 2025
TOP STORIES
Mpox has spread in 17 countries in Africa over the past six weeks, , with ~2,860 cases and 17 deaths between Sept. 14 and Oct. 19; Malaysia, Namibia, the Netherlands, Portugal, and Spain have also detected Clade Ib mpox for the first time since the last report.
Support for the MMR vaccine has dropped among U.S. adults from 90% to 82% within just a few months, at the University of Pennsylvania, which also found that 43% of adults do not know whether HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. recommends the MMR vaccine.
The WHO is giving new guidance for countries to respond to the global health funding crisis as aid from the U.S. and other countries is cut this year by ~30%–50%; suggested measures include protecting essential health services and prioritizing health care accessed most by the poorest.
Autism diagnosis rates are higher among children born to mothers who tested positive for COVID-19 during pregnancy, , which analyzed 18,000+ births in Brigham health system from March 2020 to May 2021; risk differences were most pronounced among boys and when infection occurred in the third trimester.
IN FOCUS
The healthcare.gov website, where millions of Americans buy their health insurance, seen on a laptop in Norfolk, Virginia, on November 1. Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Upheaval in the Obamacare Marketplace
The ~24 million Americans relying on health insurance provided through state- and federally run marketplaces commonly known as Obamacare are facing steep price hikes and confusion as open enrollment kicks off amid political turmoil, expiring subsidies, and the government shutdown, .
The marketplaces, including Healthcare.gov, opened Saturday for 2026 coverage, and the sticker shock varies from state to state—with average premiums rising 114%,
Factors at play:
Subsidy standoff: Democrats and Republicans have clashed over extending pandemic-era “enhanced†subsidies that expire Dec. 31.
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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- Depending on how states step in to cover subsidies, the increased amount enrollees will pay varies widely—from 30% in Maryland to 175% in New Jersey—without the extension.
- “It’s devastating. We’ve gotten to the point that real people are in the middle of this now,†said Jessica Altman, executive director of California’s state exchange.
- No elective deliveries before 39 weeks without medical justification.
- Measuring cervix length at all mid-pregnancy scans.
- Interventions including progesterone and surgical procedures.
- Smoking cessation support if needed.
- Continuity of care from a known midwife.
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: U.S. Enters Uncharted Territory on Hunger; and Double, Double, Toil and Bubbles
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October 30, 2025 | ISSUE 2814
ÌýTOP STORIESSudan’s paramilitary Rapid Support Forces killed 460 people, including patients, Tuesday in a North Darfur hospital, the latest atrocity in a two-year civil war that has left at least 40,000 dead.
Flu, COVID-19, and other viral infections have been linked to increased risk of heart disease and stroke, ; it found risk of heart attack spikes 3X within weeks after a COVID-19 infection and 4X after a flu infection.
A newly discovered antibiotic is 100X stronger against superbugs and so far shows no signs of resistance, ; the potent compound, called pre-methylenomycin C lactone, had been “hiding in plain sight†in a familiar bacterium. Ìý
Generic versions of biologics (medications derived from living organisms) will be developed under an expedited timeframe, , as a part of a Trump administration plan to lower pharmaceutical costs.
ÌýIN FOCUSFederal workers impacted by the government shutdown, including TSA officers and air-traffic controllers, line up to receive food parcels at Newark Liberty International Airport, in New Jersey, on October 27. Spencer Platt/Getty Images
U.S. Enters Uncharted Territory on Hunger ÌýU.S. families who rely on federal food assistance are facing deep uncertainty this week. On Nov. 1, 40 million+ people risk losing critical food benefits as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) runs out of money due to the government shutdown. That funding crisis comes as new SNAP work requirements go into effect—meaning 2.4 million Americans may lose eligibility for the program, even as food prices rise. Ìý
Amid the confusion, experts working in hunger and nutrition are also losing a roadmap they have relied on for 30 years: the Household Food Security Survey and the corresponding annual report, which has informed food assistance policy for three decades. Ìý
Background: The hunger survey and report were launched in 1996 to better understand food insecurity in the U.S. and to assess whether food assistance programs were working. That data shaped the country’s . Ìý
Report rescinded: In September, the USDA discontinued the report, with Trump administration officials calling it “redundant, costly, politicized, and extraneous.†Ìý
Researchers and advocates warn that the decision eliminates the only continuous, nationally representative data on food insecurity—and harms the country’s chances of ending hunger. Ìý
“There’s no other data set in the United States where this has been consistently assessed for over 30 years—and we’re going to be losing that,†says Craig Gundersen, an economics professor at Baylor University. Ìý
Related: What Is SNAP? And Why Does It Matter? –
ÌýDATA POINT518,000+
—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”
Number of cholera cases reported across 32 countries from January through September; 6,508 deaths have been reported, surpassing last year’s toll. — Ìý
ÌýALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Double, Double, Toil and Bubbles Ìý ÌýEven on sunny days, car wash tunnels have an ominous enter-if-you-dare feel about them: the lashing water, the slapping tentacles of curtain mitts, the fee-fi-fo-thump of giant brushes. Black out the windows and switch on a fog machine, and suddenly seems like an entirely viable threat. Ìý
Such rinse-and-repeat nightmares have become standard at many such “haunted car washes†as the Halloween trend picks up across the U.S., .
Something wicked this way comes with a squeegee:
At , doomed drivers enter under a sign cheerfully declaring “It’s Your Time to Shine DIE†before being terrorized by ghoulish figures staring in windows and yanking door handles. Ìý
A grinning skeleton in a trucker hat haunts ; while a terrifying nun darts among the soap nozzles at .
All the terror translates to a bolstered bottom line, with some car washes doubling business the week before Halloween: a veritable graveyard smash.
ÌýQUICK HITSTeens who use weed before age 15 have more trouble later, a study finds –
Trump surgeon general nominee Casey Means faces US Senate hearing –
Trump administration seeks to study health effects of offshore wind –
Scans shed light on changes in brain when we zone out while tired –
Ìý|
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Meeting Clear and Present Climate-Driven Dangers and GHN’s Transformation
October 29, 2025
TOP STORIES
Hurricane Melissa slammed Cuba today after the Category 5 hurricane devastated western Jamaica yesterday; the full extent of the damage in Jamaica is not yet clear, though the prime minister said “some loss of life†should be expected.
A “Rwanda-style†genocide is unfolding in real time in Sudan—with a scale of violence unseen since the mass killings in Bosnia, Srebrenica, and, a generation ago, in Darfur, say Yale Humanitarian Research Lab observers.
India’s 7-year-old nationwide health insurance plan has brought medical care within reach of 800+ million people—but the government’s failure to pay $11.2 billion to providers is endangering the plan’s future.
The U.S. Veterans Affairs agency is making it hard for male veterans with breast cancer to get care because of an executive order signed by President Trump that seeks to restore “biological truth†in government.
EDITOR'S NOTE
Hey Readers,
There’s no standing still in today’s turbulent media environment. So we’re not.
In the coming weeks, we’ll be trying new approaches to GHN. Today, we’re frontloading the latest breaking and important news. And In Focus will dive deep into a major news story, an exclusive article, or a thoughtful commentary. We’ll also publish fewer individual summaries to deliver a more readable, shareable newsletter.
Tell us what you think: Look for our upcoming surveys and email us your feedback.
Change can be hard, but I assure you one thing won’t change: Our commitment to deliver the essential news and views in global health.
Thanks,
Brian W. Simpson
Editor in Chief, Global Health NOW
bsimpso1@jhu.edu
IN FOCUS
Firefighters extinguish wildfire in the peatlands of Ogan Ilir, South Sumatra, on September 26. Al Zulkifli/AFP via Getty
Meeting Clear and Present Climate-Driven Dangers
As the world heads toward COP30 in Brazil, the stakes for human health are clear. Climate change is an escalating health emergency that is already claiming millions of human lives and reshaping communities worldwide, with especially deepening risks for Indigenous groups.
Intensifying toll: “All health risks of climate change are worsening at once,†said Marina Romanello, executive director of the , which estimates that 2.5 million people die each year from air pollution linked to fossil fuels, .
Milestones: Since 2010, the number of people needing NTD interventions has fallen by 32%, from 2.2 billion to 1.5 billion in 2023.
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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- Heat-related deaths have risen 23% since the 1990s.
- Dengue transmission risk increased up to 49%.
- 12 of 20 tracked health indicators reached record lows for the second year in a row.
- But critics say both goals should advance together, : “Both are utterly feasible, and readily so, if the Big Oil lobby is brought under control,†said Jeffrey Sachs, with Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development.
Milestones: Since 2010, the number of people needing NTD interventions has fallen by 32%, from 2.2 billion to 1.5 billion in 2023.
- 50+ countries have eliminated at least one NTD in the past decade, and NTD-related deaths have dropped from 139,000 to 119,000.
Analysis: Last year's COVID vaccines protected well against severe illness –
Black women with fibroids face delays and poor care in the UK, says report –
Scientists had to change more than 700 grant titles to receive NIH funding. Health disparities researchers fear what’s next –
HHS Employees Now Being Measured By Loyalty To Trump's Policies –
As Americans Develop More Preventable Diseases, Lifesaving Data Remains Underused –
Schools close and island life is under threat as Greece reckons with low birth rates –
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: U.S., Canada Risk Measles-Free Status; WHO Warns of Tobacco Treaty Interference; and Brazil's Teen Pregnancy Turnaround
October 28, 2025
A nurse demonstrates how to put on a mask at a measles screening point at Victoria Hospital, in London, Ontario, on July 9. Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty
U.S., Canada Risk Measles-Free Status
The consequences of teetering government commitments to vaccines and falling vaccination rates are emerging across North America. Measles-free no more: Canada and the U.S. are poised to lose their status as countries that have eliminated measles, . Canada’s year of continuous measles transmission and its 5,000+ cases this year make it likely that a November PAHO meeting will determine the country is no longer measles free. The U.S. may soon get the same label. Muzzled experts: Doctors and public health experts in Florida have been reluctant to speak out about a state plan to end required childhood vaccinations, .
Threat to U.S. vaccines as CDC staff supporting key advisory panel laid off –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Kansas City health experts say confusing CDC vaccine guidance risks wider spread of infections – Measles outbreak in South Carolina grows; Canada’s elimination status threatened –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; DATA POINT
9 of 10
—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”
Portion of air pollution-linked deaths attributable to noncommunicable diseases in 2023. —
The Latest One-Liners The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia is committing grave atrocities in Darfur’s regional capital, El Fasher, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) warns, citing ethnically motivated killings, summary executions of civilians attempting to flee the area, and attacks on humanitarian volunteers attempting to administer aid.
Thousands of stillbirths—nearly 30%—occur without clear warning signs or clinical risk factors, of ~2.8 million U.S. pregnancies that documented ~19,000 stillbirths between 2016 and 2022—with Black families and poorer communities bearing a disproportionate toll. Cigarette butts are an “overlooked yet potent†vector for antibiotic resistance genes, that detected 95 potential pathogens in cigarette butts collected from 105 urban green spaces and 35 cities across China.
Weight loss drugs are lowering the U.S. obesity rate, albeit slowly—from a high of 39.9% three years ago to 37% of U.S. adults this year, that shows a doubling in the number of people taking the drugs over the past year and a half. BIG TOBACCO WHO Urges ‘Vigilance’ Against Tobacco Treaty Interference
The tobacco industry is ramping up efforts to undermine an international treaty to reduce smoking and vaping, ahead of a key meeting in Geneva next month, .
Background: The meeting will involve updates to the , a 20-year-old treaty with 183 signatories that includes policies on advertising limits, health warnings, and smoking bans.
Big Tobacco tactics: But ahead of the meeting, the WHO is urging governments to “remain vigilant†to various ways the tobacco industry is infiltrating and manipulating delegations, including posing as consumer, economic, or scientific groups to promote misinformation in “a deliberate strategy to try to derail consensus.†Meanwhile, in the UK: A British lawmaker who is pushing against a proposed ban on tobacco to anyone born after 2008 has a relative who is “very high up†at British American Tobacco, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FAMILY PLANNING Brazil Turns Around its Teen Pregnancy Epidemic Brazil once had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Latin America, with ~750,000 Brazilian girls ages 15–19 giving birth in 2000. But over 25 years, births among that age have plummeted 44%, falling below 400,000 in 2019, with ~281,000 projected for 2025. Contraception intervention: The primary driver for the reversal has been the rapid expansion of birth control access, with free birth control, condoms, and IUDs provided by the country’s national health system, Sistema Unica de Saude. Outreach: Community health program Saude da Familia sends educators door to door to share family planning options. Broader change: Poverty reduction, improved education, and expanded internet access have transformed opportunities for young women. OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Texas sues Tylenol company over autism claims –
Behind the Dismantling of the C.D.C.: Reform or ‘Humiliation’? –
This 'minor' bird flu strain has potential to spark human pandemic –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
Anti-abortion pregnancy centers are looking to offer much more than ultrasounds and diapers – Some viruses can play a deadly game of hide and seek inside the human body – Clocks to go back: Three impacts Daylight Saving Time changes can have on you - what the science says – Picture of health: going to art galleries can improve wellbeing, study reveals – Issue No. 2812
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 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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The consequences of teetering government commitments to vaccines and falling vaccination rates are emerging across North America. Measles-free no more: Canada and the U.S. are poised to lose their status as countries that have eliminated measles, . Canada’s year of continuous measles transmission and its 5,000+ cases this year make it likely that a November PAHO meeting will determine the country is no longer measles free. The U.S. may soon get the same label. Muzzled experts: Doctors and public health experts in Florida have been reluctant to speak out about a state plan to end required childhood vaccinations, .
- Pediatricians are afraid of losing business, county health department officials refer reporters to state officials, and University of Florida infectious disease experts were told not to speak to reporters without supervisor approval.
Threat to U.S. vaccines as CDC staff supporting key advisory panel laid off –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Kansas City health experts say confusing CDC vaccine guidance risks wider spread of infections – Measles outbreak in South Carolina grows; Canada’s elimination status threatened –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; DATA POINT
9 of 10
—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”
Portion of air pollution-linked deaths attributable to noncommunicable diseases in 2023. —
The Latest One-Liners The Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia is committing grave atrocities in Darfur’s regional capital, El Fasher, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) warns, citing ethnically motivated killings, summary executions of civilians attempting to flee the area, and attacks on humanitarian volunteers attempting to administer aid.
Thousands of stillbirths—nearly 30%—occur without clear warning signs or clinical risk factors, of ~2.8 million U.S. pregnancies that documented ~19,000 stillbirths between 2016 and 2022—with Black families and poorer communities bearing a disproportionate toll. Cigarette butts are an “overlooked yet potent†vector for antibiotic resistance genes, that detected 95 potential pathogens in cigarette butts collected from 105 urban green spaces and 35 cities across China.
Weight loss drugs are lowering the U.S. obesity rate, albeit slowly—from a high of 39.9% three years ago to 37% of U.S. adults this year, that shows a doubling in the number of people taking the drugs over the past year and a half. BIG TOBACCO WHO Urges ‘Vigilance’ Against Tobacco Treaty Interference
The tobacco industry is ramping up efforts to undermine an international treaty to reduce smoking and vaping, ahead of a key meeting in Geneva next month, .
Background: The meeting will involve updates to the , a 20-year-old treaty with 183 signatories that includes policies on advertising limits, health warnings, and smoking bans.
Big Tobacco tactics: But ahead of the meeting, the WHO is urging governments to “remain vigilant†to various ways the tobacco industry is infiltrating and manipulating delegations, including posing as consumer, economic, or scientific groups to promote misinformation in “a deliberate strategy to try to derail consensus.†Meanwhile, in the UK: A British lawmaker who is pushing against a proposed ban on tobacco to anyone born after 2008 has a relative who is “very high up†at British American Tobacco, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FAMILY PLANNING Brazil Turns Around its Teen Pregnancy Epidemic Brazil once had one of the highest teenage pregnancy rates in Latin America, with ~750,000 Brazilian girls ages 15–19 giving birth in 2000. But over 25 years, births among that age have plummeted 44%, falling below 400,000 in 2019, with ~281,000 projected for 2025. Contraception intervention: The primary driver for the reversal has been the rapid expansion of birth control access, with free birth control, condoms, and IUDs provided by the country’s national health system, Sistema Unica de Saude. Outreach: Community health program Saude da Familia sends educators door to door to share family planning options. Broader change: Poverty reduction, improved education, and expanded internet access have transformed opportunities for young women. OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Texas sues Tylenol company over autism claims –
Behind the Dismantling of the C.D.C.: Reform or ‘Humiliation’? –
This 'minor' bird flu strain has potential to spark human pandemic –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
Anti-abortion pregnancy centers are looking to offer much more than ultrasounds and diapers – Some viruses can play a deadly game of hide and seek inside the human body – Clocks to go back: Three impacts Daylight Saving Time changes can have on you - what the science says – Picture of health: going to art galleries can improve wellbeing, study reveals – Issue No. 2812
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 2025 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: Diphtheria’s Dangerous Return; Bird Flu Rebounds; and Model of Healthy Architecture
October 27, 2025
Pediatrician Mohamud Omar examines a child’s tonsils in the diphtheria ward of Demartino Public Hospital in Mogadishu, Somalia, last month. Brian Otieno/The New York Times
Diphtheria’s Dangerous Return
Diphtheria, a deadly bacterial disease long controlled by vaccines, is spreading again in regions destabilized by conflict and climate-driven displacement, as hospital wards throughout parts of Africa and the Middle East fill with children struggling to breathe.
Fueling factors: Mass displacement, COVID-19 pandemic disruptions, and vaccine hesitancy have left millions of children vulnerable—especially in regions with hollowed-out health systems.
"What is very sad is many people were cheering in the streets because they were happy there was a peace deal. Imagine, (some of) those same people are dead after they were told the war is over." —â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general: Gaza health 'catastrophe' will last for generations –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; The Latest One-Liners
Gun violence is trending downward for more than three-quarters of U.S. cities with the most shootings—including Chicago, Baltimore, Memphis, and Los Angeles—per an analysis of 150 U.S. cities; the trend holds across red and blue cities and states in every region of the country.
South Africa regulators have approved lenacapavir—making it the first African country to register the twice-yearly anti-HIV injection, and at record speed (within 65 days); distribution could roll out as early as February 2026. Thanks for the tip, Elna Schutz!
NHS England is trialing a 15-minute blood test that distinguishes between bacterial and viral infections, allowing faster diagnoses and reducing the overprescription of antibiotics; the trial among children will run in three EDs through March.
The recycling process increased levels of toxic chemicals in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a type of plastic commonly used for food packaging, that suggests a direct tie between recycling intensity and the level of chemical contamination in recycled products. INFECTIOUS DISEASES Bird Flu Rebounds After a lull in cases for the past several months, bird flu is rapidly making a comeback worldwide, leading scientists to warn of a potentially severe viral season. In Europe, early outbreaks are being reported in the highest number of countries in at least a decade, . From August to mid-October, 56 outbreaks have been reported in 10 EU countries and Britain, with the most reported in Poland, the top EU poultry producer. In the U.S., the virus has hit dozens of poultry flocks since the start of September, killing , including 1.3 million turkeys that will impact Thanksgiving supply, . Idaho, Nebraska, and Texas have reported . And .
Scaling up: Scientists say such dynamic and collective strategies could one day inspire public space designs that can reduce disease transmission in humans. OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS UN alarmed by ‘terrifying’ situation in Sudan’s El Fasher, calls for immediate ceasefire – DRC: Cholera Epidemic Rapidly Spreading Across The Country – Meet the nurse in Uganda who climbs a 1,000-foot ladder to save lives – WHO Report Raises Alarm on Clinician Mental Health, Working Conditions – New Initiative Aims To Bring Doctors Up To Speed On Down Syndrome – Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! AI chatbots are sycophants — researchers say it’s harming science – Issue No. 2811
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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- And global aid cuts this year have contributed to severe malnutrition and the shuttering of immunization programs.
- While the U.S. rarely sees travel-related cases, full kindergarten vaccination rates including diphtheria coverage from 95% in 2020 to 92% in 2024–25.
- “We didn’t even have a diphtheria support modality, because we didn’t need one. And now we have to build out a whole new process to help countries respond,†said Katy Clark, a diphtheria expert with Gavi.
"What is very sad is many people were cheering in the streets because they were happy there was a peace deal. Imagine, (some of) those same people are dead after they were told the war is over." —â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä” Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general: Gaza health 'catastrophe' will last for generations –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; The Latest One-Liners
Gun violence is trending downward for more than three-quarters of U.S. cities with the most shootings—including Chicago, Baltimore, Memphis, and Los Angeles—per an analysis of 150 U.S. cities; the trend holds across red and blue cities and states in every region of the country.
South Africa regulators have approved lenacapavir—making it the first African country to register the twice-yearly anti-HIV injection, and at record speed (within 65 days); distribution could roll out as early as February 2026. Thanks for the tip, Elna Schutz!
NHS England is trialing a 15-minute blood test that distinguishes between bacterial and viral infections, allowing faster diagnoses and reducing the overprescription of antibiotics; the trial among children will run in three EDs through March.
The recycling process increased levels of toxic chemicals in polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a type of plastic commonly used for food packaging, that suggests a direct tie between recycling intensity and the level of chemical contamination in recycled products. INFECTIOUS DISEASES Bird Flu Rebounds After a lull in cases for the past several months, bird flu is rapidly making a comeback worldwide, leading scientists to warn of a potentially severe viral season. In Europe, early outbreaks are being reported in the highest number of countries in at least a decade, . From August to mid-October, 56 outbreaks have been reported in 10 EU countries and Britain, with the most reported in Poland, the top EU poultry producer. In the U.S., the virus has hit dozens of poultry flocks since the start of September, killing , including 1.3 million turkeys that will impact Thanksgiving supply, . Idaho, Nebraska, and Texas have reported . And .
- But the government shutdown and federal health cuts are causing scientists to question whether the U.S. has an adequate response plan and communication, .
- Black garden ants can quickly adapt their nest architecture to limit the spread of deadly fungal infections, .
Scaling up: Scientists say such dynamic and collective strategies could one day inspire public space designs that can reduce disease transmission in humans. OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS UN alarmed by ‘terrifying’ situation in Sudan’s El Fasher, calls for immediate ceasefire – DRC: Cholera Epidemic Rapidly Spreading Across The Country – Meet the nurse in Uganda who climbs a 1,000-foot ladder to save lives – WHO Report Raises Alarm on Clinician Mental Health, Working Conditions – New Initiative Aims To Bring Doctors Up To Speed On Down Syndrome – Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! AI chatbots are sycophants — researchers say it’s harming science – Issue No. 2811
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 2025 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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You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Cancer Besieges Lebanon; The Untold Stories Contest of 2026 Has Launched, and A Jaw-Dropping Face-Off
October 23, 2025
A flock of birds flies over a cloud of smog. Beirut, Lebanon, August 14. Joseph EID/AFP via Getty
Cancer Besieges Lebanon
Beirut is often shrouded in smog pumped out by unregulated vehicles and diesel generators. Cigarette smoke permeates public places.
The toxic air and smoke have contributed to a staggering cancer crisis in Lebanon, , which analyzes the cancer burden worldwide from 1990 to 2023 and forecasts the cancer burden up to 2050.
The survey projects that cancer cases and deaths will rise worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. But Lebanon’s crisis is particularly acute, :
! A joint effort between GHN and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, this annual contest is your chance to spotlight an underreported issue that you care about.
Looking for inspiration? Check out some of our , including , reported by Lucien Chauvin, and , covered by Joanne Silberner.
'An urgent public health crisis': Why so many people are struggling to get medicine –
How Did Dengue Go Global? This Mosquito Species Might be to Blame. –
Nicholas Kristof: Opinion: Trump Revives Foreign Aid, Helping Needy Billionaires –
HIV specialists in short supply, especially in the South –
Updated CPR guidelines provide expanded recommendations for managing choking and opioid overdose –
Why Women Feel Unsafe in Nature: The Gender Gap in Green Spaces –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Issue No. 2810
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 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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The toxic air and smoke have contributed to a staggering cancer crisis in Lebanon, , which analyzes the cancer burden worldwide from 1990 to 2023 and forecasts the cancer burden up to 2050.
The survey projects that cancer cases and deaths will rise worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. But Lebanon’s crisis is particularly acute, :
- The country has the fastest increase in cancer incidence and deaths worldwide, with new cancer cases up 162% and deaths by 80% over the period covered in the survey.
- “Cancer is killing … Why have you been waiting so long to take action?†study coauthor Ali Mokdad asked of the Lebanese government.
1,600+ measles cases in the U.S. have been reported this year, , as an linked to two schools with low vaccination rates expands to 20 cases.
Major methane leak alerts from the world’s oil and gas sectors are often ignored by companies and governments, despite improved satellite detection from the UN Environment Programme, , which determined that just 12% of alerts lead to responsive action.
Pregnant detainees in ICE facilities in Louisiana and Georgia are not receiving adequate care, says the ACLU, which called on U.S. officials to release expectant and postpartum mothers from federal detention facilities.
Members of Gen Z are significantly underrepresented in clinical trials and health studies, meaning millions of young people could miss out on new treatments for health conditions, or may risk using unsafe or ineffective medication due to low participation in medical research.
! A joint effort between GHN and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, this annual contest is your chance to spotlight an underreported issue that you care about.
- Nominate an issue you feel deserves a broader audience, whether you’ve worked on it firsthand or come across it in your travels.
- If you win, we'll send a reporter to cover your story and help it get the spotlight it deserves.
Looking for inspiration? Check out some of our , including , reported by Lucien Chauvin, and , covered by Joanne Silberner.
- Deadline: November 24, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. EST
- of ~3,600 women with PMDD found that 82% had suicidal thoughts , and 25% had tried to end their lives
- By , 90% of women with PMDD are mistakenly thought to have another condition.
- “Gurning†is another word for making the kind of face your mother warns “will freeze like thatâ€; the sort of grimace people make when they bite into the sour crab apples for which is named.
- “You've got to make people laugh without scaring the children,†organizer Lesley Rogers told .
'An urgent public health crisis': Why so many people are struggling to get medicine –
How Did Dengue Go Global? This Mosquito Species Might be to Blame. –
Nicholas Kristof: Opinion: Trump Revives Foreign Aid, Helping Needy Billionaires –
HIV specialists in short supply, especially in the South –
Updated CPR guidelines provide expanded recommendations for managing choking and opioid overdose –
Why Women Feel Unsafe in Nature: The Gender Gap in Green Spaces –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Issue No. 2810
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 2025 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: Anti-Science Bills Sweep U.S; Azithromycin Trial Has No Impact on Infant Deaths; and ‘Gut-Healing’ Food Treats Malnutrition
October 22, 2025
Crates of freshly bottled raw milk at the Lolans Farm stand. Middleborough, Massachusetts, March 17. David L Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty
Anti-Science Bills Sweep State Legislatures
A wave of legislation aiming to weaken or roll back public health protections has been introduced in U.S. states this year, , which of 420+ bills, and found that ~30 such bills have already been adopted in 12 states.
Most of the laws focus on three categories—vaccines, raw milk, and water fluoridation—and cover a range of directives, including:
Ambulances supplied to Malawi by the UK Aid Match Maternal Health program from 2015 to 2018 were sold off to fund repairs for officials’ cars, drawing outrage from locals and civil society groups; one official defended the move, claiming that the vehicles “were faulty and would be costly to fix.â€
A hepatitis A outbreak in the Czech Republic is among the worst the country has seen in decades, with 21 deaths and 1,842 cases recorded earlier this month; centered in Prague, the outbreak has begun to spread to other regions.
Men who use plastic tableware have a higher accumulation of microplastics in their semen and lower sperm counts, that studied samples from ~200 men of reproductive age in Chongqing, China. U.S. and Global Health Policy News The Pentagon Retreats from Climate Fight as Heat and Storms Slam Troops –
It’s been a month. And we still don’t know much about Kennedy’s long COVID consortium – Government shutdown means many CDC experts are skipping a pivotal meeting on infectious disease – The Deceptive Phrase Behind Trump’s Medicaid Purge – INFANT MORTALITY Mass Azithromycin Trial Has No Impact on Infant Deaths A major trial in Mali that aimed to help reduce infant mortality through mass antibiotic distribution had no impact on infant death rates, —findings that could change WHO-recommended intervention tactics. Background: After a 2018 trial showed that administering the commonly used antibiotic azithromycin 2X per year reduced deaths in 1–5-year-olds, the WHO recommended the intervention for infants. The study: 149,000+ infants ages 1–11 months received either a placebo every three months, or azithromycin, distributed 2X or 4X per year.
Eight countries added to methanol poisoning warning list – WHO warns $1.7bn funding shortfall threatens polio eradication efforts – More people are freezing their eggs — but most will never use them – How one Michigan town is putting partisanship aside in pursuit of clean water – Bird flu hiding in cheese? The surprising new discovery – Issue No. 2809
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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- Anti-vaccine bills: Make it easier to get vaccine exemptions; prohibit vaccine requirements; place more restrictions on certain vaccines or programs.
- Raw milk: Remove restrictions on raw milk sales.
- Fluoride: Ban fluoride in drinking water or make fluoridation a ballot measure.
- “The march of conspiracy thinking from the margins to the mainstream now guiding public policy should be a wake-up call for all Americans,†said Devin Burghart, president of the Institute for Research and Education on Human Rights.
Ambulances supplied to Malawi by the UK Aid Match Maternal Health program from 2015 to 2018 were sold off to fund repairs for officials’ cars, drawing outrage from locals and civil society groups; one official defended the move, claiming that the vehicles “were faulty and would be costly to fix.â€
A hepatitis A outbreak in the Czech Republic is among the worst the country has seen in decades, with 21 deaths and 1,842 cases recorded earlier this month; centered in Prague, the outbreak has begun to spread to other regions.
Men who use plastic tableware have a higher accumulation of microplastics in their semen and lower sperm counts, that studied samples from ~200 men of reproductive age in Chongqing, China. U.S. and Global Health Policy News The Pentagon Retreats from Climate Fight as Heat and Storms Slam Troops –
It’s been a month. And we still don’t know much about Kennedy’s long COVID consortium – Government shutdown means many CDC experts are skipping a pivotal meeting on infectious disease – The Deceptive Phrase Behind Trump’s Medicaid Purge – INFANT MORTALITY Mass Azithromycin Trial Has No Impact on Infant Deaths A major trial in Mali that aimed to help reduce infant mortality through mass antibiotic distribution had no impact on infant death rates, —findings that could change WHO-recommended intervention tactics. Background: After a 2018 trial showed that administering the commonly used antibiotic azithromycin 2X per year reduced deaths in 1–5-year-olds, the WHO recommended the intervention for infants. The study: 149,000+ infants ages 1–11 months received either a placebo every three months, or azithromycin, distributed 2X or 4X per year.
- Mortality rates were nearly identical across all groups.
- The new food formulation, dubbed MDCF-2 (microbiome-directed complementary food), blends chickpea, soybean, and peanut flours with green banana into an affordable combination that nourishes this microbiome.
- The therapeutic food was the result of a collaboration between researchers studying malnutrition at the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) and those studying the gut microbiome at Washington University in St. Louis.
- November 1–6, 2025
Eight countries added to methanol poisoning warning list – WHO warns $1.7bn funding shortfall threatens polio eradication efforts – More people are freezing their eggs — but most will never use them – How one Michigan town is putting partisanship aside in pursuit of clean water – Bird flu hiding in cheese? The surprising new discovery – Issue No. 2809
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 2025 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: High Costs of Malaria Funding Cuts; Navigating Taliban Taboos to Care for Women; and Iran’s Transgender Care Paradox
October 21, 2025
Women breastfeed their babies while waiting to have them vaccinated against malaria at the launch of a vaccination campaign for children from zero to 23 months. Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, July 15, 2024. Sia Kambou/AFP via Getty
High Costs of Malaria Funding Cuts
Draconian cuts to malaria prevention programs could translate to 990,000 more deaths in the next five years, by the African Leaders Malaria Alliance and Malaria No More UK.
887 million
—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”——
People––nearly 80% of the world’s poor––who live in regions that are exposed to extreme heat, flooding, and other climate hazards. —
DISASTER RESPONSE: AFGHANISTAN Navigating Taliban Taboos to Care for Women In the days following deadly earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan in August, aid agencies trying to help women were forced to navigate strict—and often contradictory—Taliban gender-based regulations. Women bear the brunt: The majority of the 2,200+ people who died were women and girls, who were more likely to sleep inside structures that collapsed.
Related: Let Afghan women work: maternal health depends on it – GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HUMAN RIGHTS Iran’s Transgender Care Paradox Despite Iran’s widespread discriminatory policies against LGBTQ+ people, the country is billing itself as a global destination for gender-affirming surgery—with medical tourism agencies offering low-cost operations and luxury stays in an advertising push that aims to generate ~$7 billion annually. But the promotion diminishes often-contradictory cultural attitudes toward trans and gay rights and hides the grim reality of ongoing stigma, say advocates. Background: Iran is one of the few places in the Muslim world that permits gender-affirming care, with religious leaders legalizing transition surgeries ~40 years ago as a legitimate medical need. Abusive tool: But gay and gender-nonconforming people have also been coerced into unwanted procedures, under threat of violence or the death penalty, to maintain strict gender binaries and suppress gay rights. OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Sexual violence, torture and betrayal: Life under Putin’s occupation – My life with ALS: A week in Brooke Eby's life behind the phone camera lens – New Leaders' Initiative Aims To Drive Investment In Health –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; New medical school center set to investigate healthy aging with HIV –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
Medical Care in the Hardest Places: Dr. Jill Seaman's Three Decades in South Sudan –
Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time as climate crisis warms country – Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner! Issue No. 2808
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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- Even a 20% reduction in support to the Global Fund in its upcoming replenishment could lead to 33 million more cases and 82,000 more deaths by 2030.
- Beyond lives lost, that Global Fund shortfall would mean a $5.14 billion hit to Africa’s GDP by 2030.
- Malaria currently kills ~600,000 people—mostly children under five—every year.
- The Global Fund, which delivers nearly two-thirds of all international funds for fighting malaria, convenes its supporters on November 21. It aims to raise $18 billion in the next three years, .
- Germany committed $1 billion to the Global Fund last week, but that amount is than its previous commitment, .
- The UK is poised to make a similar funding reduction.
887 million
—â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”â¶Ä”——
People––nearly 80% of the world’s poor––who live in regions that are exposed to extreme heat, flooding, and other climate hazards. —
DISASTER RESPONSE: AFGHANISTAN Navigating Taliban Taboos to Care for Women In the days following deadly earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan in August, aid agencies trying to help women were forced to navigate strict—and often contradictory—Taliban gender-based regulations. Women bear the brunt: The majority of the 2,200+ people who died were women and girls, who were more likely to sleep inside structures that collapsed.
- Taliban restrictions prevented men from aiding many injured women, forcing the few female workers available to travel treacherous terrain with male guardians.
- Women’s exclusion from medical schools also meant a diminished female health workforce to assist in the crisis.
Related: Let Afghan women work: maternal health depends on it – GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HUMAN RIGHTS Iran’s Transgender Care Paradox Despite Iran’s widespread discriminatory policies against LGBTQ+ people, the country is billing itself as a global destination for gender-affirming surgery—with medical tourism agencies offering low-cost operations and luxury stays in an advertising push that aims to generate ~$7 billion annually. But the promotion diminishes often-contradictory cultural attitudes toward trans and gay rights and hides the grim reality of ongoing stigma, say advocates. Background: Iran is one of the few places in the Muslim world that permits gender-affirming care, with religious leaders legalizing transition surgeries ~40 years ago as a legitimate medical need. Abusive tool: But gay and gender-nonconforming people have also been coerced into unwanted procedures, under threat of violence or the death penalty, to maintain strict gender binaries and suppress gay rights. OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Sexual violence, torture and betrayal: Life under Putin’s occupation – My life with ALS: A week in Brooke Eby's life behind the phone camera lens – New Leaders' Initiative Aims To Drive Investment In Health –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; New medical school center set to investigate healthy aging with HIV –&²Ô²ú²õ±è;
Medical Care in the Hardest Places: Dr. Jill Seaman's Three Decades in South Sudan –
Mosquitoes found in Iceland for first time as climate crisis warms country – Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner! Issue No. 2808
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: The Resistance to Ending UNAIDS; Gaza’s Ecological Wounds; and Spreading the Benefits of Child Spacing in Nigeria
October 20, 2025
Headquarters of the WHO and UNAIDS. Geneva, Switzerland, May 16, 2009. Gunter Fischer/Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty
The Resistance to Ending UNAIDS
A growing number of voices are decrying a proposal made by UN Secretary-General António Guterres last month to sunset UNAIDS by the end of 2026—four years early—as part of a broader UN restructuring plan, .
Background: The single-sentence proposal appeared without warning in a UN80 reform plan released in September.
Sounding the alarm: UNAIDS officials and member states argued at the World Health Summit last week that such a timeline could be the “nail in the coffin†of global HIV response, and especially dangerous given destabilization this year from funding cuts by the U.S. and other countries, .
Fiji has earned WHO validation for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem, following surveys and studies to improve understanding of the disease as well as school WASH initiatives; it is the 26th country to achieve the milestone, and it’s the first NTD to be eliminated in Fiji.
The FDA will expedite reviews for a round of nine experimental drugs that align with “U.S. national interests,†including drugs for pancreatic cancer, infertility, deafness, and vaping addiction.
Peanut allergies have declined sharply among children since pediatric guidelines issued in 2017 encouraged parents to introduce infants to peanuts rather than avoid them, , which found the rate of peanut allergies among children under 3 plunged from 1.46% in 2012–2015 to 0.93% in 2017–2020. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Gaza’s Ecological Wounds Two years of bombardment have left Gaza facing ecological disaster, —with contaminated ground, air, and water that threaten residents’ safety.
Afflicted air: Airborne rubble particles and open waste burning have filled Gaza’s air with hazardous dust, raising risks of cancer and respiratory illness, especially for children.
Waste-filled water: Gaza’s water supply is critically low and heavily polluted, leaving just 8.4 liters of water daily per person for drinking and sanitation—well below emergency standards. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FAMILY PLANNING Spreading the Benefits of Child Spacing in Nigeria Nigeria’s Kano State has one of the country’s highest fertility rates at 5.8, and modern contraceptive use remains low at just 10.6%—leading to rapid population growth that strains the region’s fragile economy.
Child spacing, the practice of timing pregnancies around safe and manageable intervals, is a key tool in family planning efforts—but most messaging targets women. Meeting men: To address this gap, MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices, a sexual and reproductive health care services provider, is actively engaging men through targeted discussions about child spacing and contraceptive use during traditional social gatherings known as Majalisa. And supporting women: The organization is reaching Kano women through 100+ door-to-door community health workers called MS Ladies. Related: Trump Administration Decimates Birth Control Office in Layoffs – OPPORTUNITY Attention Humanitarian Workers: Apply to the H.E.L.P. Course The Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P) course, offered by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is accepting applications for the January 2026 session. For 25+ years, the H.E.L.P. course has offered humanitarian workers intensive training in the public health principles of disaster preparedness and disaster management, drawing participants from a variety of civil society, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement—including nurses, physicians, public health professionals, lawyers, journalists, managers, planners, logisticians, and aid workers—some with many years of experience, and others just beginning their careers.
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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- “Sunsetting can be good if you stand in a beautiful sunset. And it can be terrifying if you’re standing by yourself, and it just all of a sudden gets dark,†said Christine Stegling, deputy executive director of UNAIDS, at the summit.
- 1,000+ civil society organizations worldwide at the proposal.
Fiji has earned WHO validation for eliminating trachoma as a public health problem, following surveys and studies to improve understanding of the disease as well as school WASH initiatives; it is the 26th country to achieve the milestone, and it’s the first NTD to be eliminated in Fiji.
The FDA will expedite reviews for a round of nine experimental drugs that align with “U.S. national interests,†including drugs for pancreatic cancer, infertility, deafness, and vaping addiction.
Peanut allergies have declined sharply among children since pediatric guidelines issued in 2017 encouraged parents to introduce infants to peanuts rather than avoid them, , which found the rate of peanut allergies among children under 3 plunged from 1.46% in 2012–2015 to 0.93% in 2017–2020. ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Gaza’s Ecological Wounds Two years of bombardment have left Gaza facing ecological disaster, —with contaminated ground, air, and water that threaten residents’ safety.
- “What we are witnessing is not just a humanitarian catastrophe but an ecological collapse that threatens the very possibility of recovery,†said study author David Lehrer.
Afflicted air: Airborne rubble particles and open waste burning have filled Gaza’s air with hazardous dust, raising risks of cancer and respiratory illness, especially for children.
Waste-filled water: Gaza’s water supply is critically low and heavily polluted, leaving just 8.4 liters of water daily per person for drinking and sanitation—well below emergency standards. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FAMILY PLANNING Spreading the Benefits of Child Spacing in Nigeria Nigeria’s Kano State has one of the country’s highest fertility rates at 5.8, and modern contraceptive use remains low at just 10.6%—leading to rapid population growth that strains the region’s fragile economy.
Child spacing, the practice of timing pregnancies around safe and manageable intervals, is a key tool in family planning efforts—but most messaging targets women. Meeting men: To address this gap, MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices, a sexual and reproductive health care services provider, is actively engaging men through targeted discussions about child spacing and contraceptive use during traditional social gatherings known as Majalisa. And supporting women: The organization is reaching Kano women through 100+ door-to-door community health workers called MS Ladies. Related: Trump Administration Decimates Birth Control Office in Layoffs – OPPORTUNITY Attention Humanitarian Workers: Apply to the H.E.L.P. Course The Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P) course, offered by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, is accepting applications for the January 2026 session. For 25+ years, the H.E.L.P. course has offered humanitarian workers intensive training in the public health principles of disaster preparedness and disaster management, drawing participants from a variety of civil society, governmental and non-governmental organizations, and the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement—including nurses, physicians, public health professionals, lawyers, journalists, managers, planners, logisticians, and aid workers—some with many years of experience, and others just beginning their careers.
- The virtual course will run January 5–16, 2026, from 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Eastern time.
- Both noncredit and academic credit options are available.
- More questions? Email helpcourse.jhsph@gmail.com
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 2025 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: Upending Lesotho’s HIV Fight; The Danger of ‘America First’ in Global Health; and A Series of Very Fortunate Events
October 16, 2025
Upending Lesotho’s HIV Fight
Over two decades, U.S. funding helped Lesotho, a small nation with one of the world’s highest HIV rates, build an effective health network that allowed it to make lifesaving gains to set it on track for AIDS elimination by 2030.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Uruguay has legalized euthanasia, making it one of the first countries in Latin America to pass such legislation; it is now among a dozen countries worldwide to allow assisted suicide. Abortion access in Costa Rica has now been restricted to cases when the mother’s life is in danger after a rule change made by the country’s president that required no legislative approval. ~700 drugs used in the U.S. depend on chemicals solely produced in China, ; experts fear that such heavy reliance on China could leave American patients vulnerable if the country curtails exports. A New York resident with chikungunya is the state’s first known locally acquired case, health officials say; the U.S. hasn't seen a locally acquired infection since 2019. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Democratic governors form a public health alliance in a rebuke of Trump – How Texas Planned Parenthood is surviving without public funds –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Foreign Aid Cuts Halt Migrant and Refugee Health Project in Peru Partners In Health – Trump Rattles Vaccine Experts Over Aluminum – GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A pharmacist stocks PrEP medicine at a pharmacy in a community center operated by LoveYourself, a nonprofit impacted by U.S. foreign aid cuts. February 19, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. Ezra Acayan/Getty The Danger of ‘America First’ in Global Health The recently released presents a bold vision of U.S. leadership while overlooking the realities on the ground that determine whether lives are saved or lost, in an exclusive commentary for GHN.
The argument:
Related: When men drink, women and children pay the price – ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION A Series of Very Fortunate Events To connect with fellow humans, some people get together for dinner, coffee, or a walk. Others make art from pork scraps, or celebrate the birth of someone long dead. It seems that no matter the hobby, there’s a gathering to match. It just may be on the other side of the planet. Some options: Put a fork in it: Pudding mit Gabel—German for “I eat pudding wrong,†—is the ideal meetup if you want to eat the soupy treat with a fork. Pork art: In Pennsylvania, there’s a , an iconic but infamous “porcine delicacy†that marries meat scraps and cornmeal in a loaf to eat or, better yet, use for arts and crafts. Lipstick on a water buffalo: For the bovine enthusiast, a Chonburi, Thailand, festival to the humble, and probably unsuspecting, . Yes, that is its official scientific name. Posthume drama: Everyone except Jane Austen herself seemed to descend on Bath, England, many in costume, to celebrate the . Being honored with a 10-day, 2,000-guest extravaganza sounds … exhausting. Fortunately for Austen, she is already asleep. QUICK HITS Proposed UK cuts to global aid fund could lead to 300,000 preventable deaths, say charities – 'I can't afford to save both twins': Sudan's war left one mother with an impossible choice – Study finds no link between mRNA COVID vaccines early in pregnancy and birth defects – Nearly 70% of U.S. adults considered obese under new definition, study finds – California to ban ultra processed foods from school meals – Tiny brain nanotubes found by Johns Hopkins may spread Alzheimer’s –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Did lead poisoning doom Neanderthals? –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Issue No. 2806
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 2025 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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- Last year Lesotho reached UNAIDS’s 95-95-95 target of HIV-positive people aware of their status, in treatment, and reporting a suppressed viral load.
- “Everyone who is HIV-positive in Lesotho is a dead man walking,†said Hlaoli Monyamane, a 32-year-old miner with HIV.
- "When a child who was receiving treatment stops getting treatment, it feels like a crime against humanity,†said Catherine Connor, with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Uruguay has legalized euthanasia, making it one of the first countries in Latin America to pass such legislation; it is now among a dozen countries worldwide to allow assisted suicide. Abortion access in Costa Rica has now been restricted to cases when the mother’s life is in danger after a rule change made by the country’s president that required no legislative approval. ~700 drugs used in the U.S. depend on chemicals solely produced in China, ; experts fear that such heavy reliance on China could leave American patients vulnerable if the country curtails exports. A New York resident with chikungunya is the state’s first known locally acquired case, health officials say; the U.S. hasn't seen a locally acquired infection since 2019. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Democratic governors form a public health alliance in a rebuke of Trump – How Texas Planned Parenthood is surviving without public funds –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Foreign Aid Cuts Halt Migrant and Refugee Health Project in Peru Partners In Health – Trump Rattles Vaccine Experts Over Aluminum – GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A pharmacist stocks PrEP medicine at a pharmacy in a community center operated by LoveYourself, a nonprofit impacted by U.S. foreign aid cuts. February 19, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. Ezra Acayan/Getty The Danger of ‘America First’ in Global Health The recently released presents a bold vision of U.S. leadership while overlooking the realities on the ground that determine whether lives are saved or lost, in an exclusive commentary for GHN.
The argument:
- The strategy equates health leadership with dollars spent and medical products exported. However, among high-income nations, the U.S. health system has the ($13,432 per person) and the (78.4 years).
- The strategy correctly notes that U.S. foreign assistance programs are often inefficient, but it offers misguided solutions including privatization, conditional aid, and bilateral agreements.
- Its narrow focus on infectious diseases reflects yesterday’s battles, not today’s realities.
- The report overlooks the pivotal role of soft diplomacy yet concedes that programs like PEPFAR and smallpox eradication did more than save lives.
- The authors are most concerned by the strategy’s retreat from multilateralism. Global health crises cannot be contained through a patchwork of bilateral agreements, the pair argues.
- Weaponizing trade disputes by calling the proposed legislation a non-tariff trade barrier.
- Insisting that future labeling requirements are best pursued at the European level.
- Using “science‑based†reports to downplay alcohol’s cancer risks.
Related: When men drink, women and children pay the price – ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION A Series of Very Fortunate Events To connect with fellow humans, some people get together for dinner, coffee, or a walk. Others make art from pork scraps, or celebrate the birth of someone long dead. It seems that no matter the hobby, there’s a gathering to match. It just may be on the other side of the planet. Some options: Put a fork in it: Pudding mit Gabel—German for “I eat pudding wrong,†—is the ideal meetup if you want to eat the soupy treat with a fork. Pork art: In Pennsylvania, there’s a , an iconic but infamous “porcine delicacy†that marries meat scraps and cornmeal in a loaf to eat or, better yet, use for arts and crafts. Lipstick on a water buffalo: For the bovine enthusiast, a Chonburi, Thailand, festival to the humble, and probably unsuspecting, . Yes, that is its official scientific name. Posthume drama: Everyone except Jane Austen herself seemed to descend on Bath, England, many in costume, to celebrate the . Being honored with a 10-day, 2,000-guest extravaganza sounds … exhausting. Fortunately for Austen, she is already asleep. QUICK HITS Proposed UK cuts to global aid fund could lead to 300,000 preventable deaths, say charities – 'I can't afford to save both twins': Sudan's war left one mother with an impossible choice – Study finds no link between mRNA COVID vaccines early in pregnancy and birth defects – Nearly 70% of U.S. adults considered obese under new definition, study finds – California to ban ultra processed foods from school meals – Tiny brain nanotubes found by Johns Hopkins may spread Alzheimer’s –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Did lead poisoning doom Neanderthals? –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; Issue No. 2806
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 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: Demanding Justice for Health Workers; Rehabilitation: The Forgotten Frontline; and Triple Triumph in the Maldives
October 15, 2025
A portrait of Viktoriia, a nurse who was injured on July 8, 2024, when a Russian missile struck the Ohmatdyt National Children's Hospital where she worked. Lviv, Ukraine, September 28, 2024. Kostiantyn Liberov/Libkos/Getty
Demanding Justice for Health Workers
U.K. medical leaders are urging the government to back International Criminal Court prosecutions for war crimes targeting health workers, patients, and medical facilities.
comes in the wake of that details the rising incidence of violence against health workers, and the “deep and lasting scars†left on communities through such brazen attacks, as described by nurses working under threat in Afghanistan, Burma, Gaza, and Lebanon.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Cannabis use and addiction have been associated with genes also linked to bipolar disorder, obesity, and other traits, ; while the findings may one day lead to treatments for cannabis use disorder, researchers caution that clinical application is years away. The Sudanese city of El Fasher has been declared “uninhabitable,†—which described tens of thousands of people trapped inside “pushed to the edge of survival†as they face severe malnourishment, total destruction of infrastructure, and a cutoff from humanitarian aid amid ongoing artillery and drone attacks. 120+ people have been hospitalized in Gabes, Tunisia, for respiratory distress related to fumes from a nearby chemical factory that residents say is emitting toxic fumes. Safety of children’s toys will be more closely regulated by the EU, which will now require all toys sold online to include a “digital product passport†that will allow consumers and regulators to check each toy’s compliance with EU laws. GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A member of China Search and Rescue Team provides medical consultations for local residents in Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), April 5. Cai Yang/Xinhua via Getty Rehabilitation: The Forgotten Frontline Following a disaster, like the March 28 earthquake that shook the Sagaing region in Burma (Myanmar), rehabilitation services are often an afterthought—but they should be introduced far earlier in the response, , a physiotherapy student at Gulf Medical University, UAE.
“These are not optional extras; they are medically proven, evidence-based interventions,†writes Ijaz. For many survivors, the real challenge begins after surgery, she notes: Without the aid of early rehabilitation, they face a greater risk of long-term disability, pain, and, critically, the loss of independence.
Yet rehabilitation is one of the most overlooked elements of disaster response. Despite international guidelines confirming the need for early introduction—ideally within the first few days—“early rehab is still seen as optional or secondary and is systemically excluded from emergency response plans,†Ijaz says.
Success stories: Examples that could serve as models include the ICRC’s deployment of rehabilitation professionals within weeks following the 2020 Beirut Port blast in Lebanon, and the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee’s efforts following the August earthquake in Afghanistan. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH Triple Triumph in the Maldives
The Maldives has officially become the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of three diseases: hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis. Recipe for success:
Health of world's forests at 'dismal' levels, causing threat to humanity, report warns – This Nobel Peace Prize front-runner didn't win — but did get the 'alternative Nobel' –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; On the Front Line of the Fluoride Wars, Debate Over Drinking Water Treatment Turns Raucous – Shamans openly using psychedelic drugs for treatment in South Africa – Microplastics are everywhere. You can do one simple thing to avoid them. – Ditch ‘shrink it and pink it’ women’s trainer design, say experts – Issue No. 2805
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 2025 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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- “What is the point of international law if they murder our colleagues and don’t face consequences?†asked one senior nurse quoted in the report.
- Killings of health workers spiked 5X over a decade, from 175 in 2016 to 932 in 2024, driven by conflicts in Palestine, Ukraine, Lebanon, and Sudan. 1,200+ attacks have been reported this year.
- Working under intimidation from family members and authorities has become common in places like Afghanistan.
- Health infrastructure collapse and severe shortages hinder the ability to provide basic care.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Cannabis use and addiction have been associated with genes also linked to bipolar disorder, obesity, and other traits, ; while the findings may one day lead to treatments for cannabis use disorder, researchers caution that clinical application is years away. The Sudanese city of El Fasher has been declared “uninhabitable,†—which described tens of thousands of people trapped inside “pushed to the edge of survival†as they face severe malnourishment, total destruction of infrastructure, and a cutoff from humanitarian aid amid ongoing artillery and drone attacks. 120+ people have been hospitalized in Gabes, Tunisia, for respiratory distress related to fumes from a nearby chemical factory that residents say is emitting toxic fumes. Safety of children’s toys will be more closely regulated by the EU, which will now require all toys sold online to include a “digital product passport†that will allow consumers and regulators to check each toy’s compliance with EU laws. GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A member of China Search and Rescue Team provides medical consultations for local residents in Mandalay, Burma (Myanmar), April 5. Cai Yang/Xinhua via Getty Rehabilitation: The Forgotten Frontline Following a disaster, like the March 28 earthquake that shook the Sagaing region in Burma (Myanmar), rehabilitation services are often an afterthought—but they should be introduced far earlier in the response, , a physiotherapy student at Gulf Medical University, UAE.
“These are not optional extras; they are medically proven, evidence-based interventions,†writes Ijaz. For many survivors, the real challenge begins after surgery, she notes: Without the aid of early rehabilitation, they face a greater risk of long-term disability, pain, and, critically, the loss of independence.
Yet rehabilitation is one of the most overlooked elements of disaster response. Despite international guidelines confirming the need for early introduction—ideally within the first few days—“early rehab is still seen as optional or secondary and is systemically excluded from emergency response plans,†Ijaz says.
Success stories: Examples that could serve as models include the ICRC’s deployment of rehabilitation professionals within weeks following the 2020 Beirut Port blast in Lebanon, and the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee’s efforts following the August earthquake in Afghanistan. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MATERNAL & CHILD HEALTH Triple Triumph in the Maldives
The Maldives has officially become the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of three diseases: hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis. Recipe for success:
- 95% of pregnant women receive antenatal care.
- 95% of newborns receive hepatitis B vaccinations on time.
- Free antenatal care, vaccines, and diagnostic services—including testing for HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B—are included in the Maldives’ universal health coverage.
- October 27–28 at the Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center in D.C.
- (A detailed agenda and logistics information will follow upon confirmation)
Health of world's forests at 'dismal' levels, causing threat to humanity, report warns – This Nobel Peace Prize front-runner didn't win — but did get the 'alternative Nobel' –&²Ô²ú²õ±è; On the Front Line of the Fluoride Wars, Debate Over Drinking Water Treatment Turns Raucous – Shamans openly using psychedelic drugs for treatment in South Africa – Microplastics are everywhere. You can do one simple thing to avoid them. – Ditch ‘shrink it and pink it’ women’s trainer design, say experts – Issue No. 2805
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
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