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Ginger and cinnamon are more than just鈥痠ngredients. Along with other鈥痵pices, their medicinal value鈥痠s gaining鈥痓oth鈥痑ttention鈥痑nd legitimacy.

96 Global Health NOW: A 鈥楤rutal,鈥� Man-Made Hunger Crisis and the Best Global Health Reporting of 2025 December 17, 2025 TOP STORIES The U.S. CDC approved updated hepatitis B vaccine recommendations for infants, reversing a decades-old policy offering every newborn a hepatitis B shot; the decision was approved despite criticism from physicians and health systems, who said they would not be changing their practices.       A former leading NIH scientist has sued the Trump administration over her firing, claiming she was illegally terminated for her warning that widespread cuts to the agency were endangering patients鈥攅specially those enrolled in clinical trials鈥攁nd imperiling public health.     Cases of a new, shape-shifting influenza variant鈥擩.2.4.1, or subclade K鈥攁re rising globally, now detected in 30+ countries; while the variant is not included in the current flu vaccine composition, the WHO emphasizes that seasonal vaccines still offer the best protection against severe cases.     The UN General Assembly approved a political declaration to combat noncommunicable diseases and promote mental health, with near-unanimous approval from member states except Argentina, Paraguay, and the U.S.鈥攚hich claimed that the declaration overreached in recommending measures like taxes on unhealthy products.   IN FOCUS A 鈥楤rutal,鈥� Man-Made Hunger Crisis    After the Trump administration鈥檚 sudden cuts to food aid early this year, U.S. officials were repeatedly warned by humanitarian advocates that the disruption would cause starvation, violence, and death among refugees in Kenya.     Those warnings were ignored, resulting in what aid workers describe as an American-made crisis.      of the unfolding crisis from multiple angles:  

• The lengths World Food Program workers went to warn of dangers, from emergency cables to appeals made over elaborate dinners in Nairobi. 

• Trump administration officials鈥� studied refusal to acknowledge the urgency.  

• And the suffering endured by families in Nairobi鈥檚 Kakuma camp, where rations fell to historic lows, malnourished children wasted and died, and families fled rather than starve. 

鈥淚鈥檝e never experienced anything like it,鈥� said one longtime aid worker in Kakuma. 鈥淚t鈥檚 huge and brutal and traumatizing.鈥� 
  The report expands on  depicting how U.S. officials celebrated USAID cuts with cake鈥攅ven as dire warnings of resulting cholera deaths in South Sudan loomed.

The pair of articles from Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Brett Murphy cap a year of excellent reporting from many global health journalists on the global fallout from slashed foreign aid, leading us into our round-up of 2025鈥檚 must-reads.    2025's BEST GLOBAL HEALTH REPORTING The Toxic Toll of Battery Recycling    American car companies have long relied on recycled lead for batteries. But the process of recycling is steadily poisoning the communities working and living around the factories throughout Africa.

• Children near one factory cluster outside Lagos, Nigeria, had lead levels that could cause lifelong brain damage.  

• Automakers were aware of the lead pollution for nearly 30 years, yet they opted not to act鈥攁nd actively blocked advocates鈥� attempts to intervene.  

 
  A Portrait of Measles Resurgence    As measles swept through North America amid declining vaccination rates, reporter Eli Saslow chronicled one West Texas family鈥檚 battle with the virus鈥攚hich forced the father and four children to spend days in the hospital.  

• 鈥溾�業 feel like I鈥檝e been lied to,鈥� [the father] Kiley texted his wife, as his temperature hit 40掳C (104掳F). He treated himself with cod liver oil and vitamin D," as recommended by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

       A Must-Read Commentary:  
鈥淎s the pandemic rose, I saw my patients get sick and in some cases die, including a 42-year-old mother of two young children whose loss is seared into my soul. As it receded 鈥� the overwhelming public sentiment was: never again. Today, it seems: never what?鈥� 鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌� Siddhartha Mukherjee in鈥痑 March 10, 2025, commentary in  Argentina鈥檚 鈥楾idal Wave鈥� of Health Cuts 
Extreme cuts to Argentina鈥檚 health systems under President Javier Milei鈥檚 austerity measures forced patients and their families to resort to desperate measures to access vital care, including turning to Facebook to obtain donated cancer drugs.       
  A Scourge of Dud Cancer Drugs  
Critical chemotherapy drugs used worldwide have failed key quality tests, leaving cancer patients in 100+ countries at risk of ineffective treatments and life-threatening side effects鈥攅xposing dangerous gaps in international drug regulation.    

• Meanwhile,  has found that globally-exported generic medications from major Indian drugmaker Zee Laboratories have been repeatedly flagged as ineffective and dangerous; but a lack of repercussions means the company continues to ship pharmaceuticals worldwide. 

More Notables:   

• Wielding Obscure Budget Tools, Trump鈥檚 鈥楻eaper鈥� Vought Sows Turmoil in Public Health 鈥� 

• How Imperial Brands鈥� confidential contract kept cigarette prices low in Laos鈥攚hile secretly enriching a political insider 鈥�  

• Trump Halted an Agent Orange Cleanup. That Puts Hundreds of Thousands at Risk for Poisoning. 鈥� 

QUICK HITS How countries around the world have responded to mass shootings 鈥�      Why Mumbai's Overcrowded Trains Prove Fatal 鈥�     Grant cuts, arrests, lay-offs: Trump made 2025 a tumultuous year for science 鈥�     House Speaker Johnson rebuffs efforts to extend health care subsidies, pushing ahead with GOP plan 鈥�      Gen Z behind jump in use of oral nicotine pouches across Great Britain 鈥�     A Powerful New Drug Is Creating a 鈥榃ithdrawal Crisis鈥� in Philadelphia 鈥�  

A grad student鈥檚 wild idea triggers a major aging breakthrough 鈥�  Issue No. 2839
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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A 麻豆传媒网站-led study is challenging a popular theory about how dopamine drives movement, a discovery that could shift how scientists think about Parkinson鈥檚 disease treatments.聽

Published in聽聽the research found dopamine does not set the speed or force of each movement, as had been thought. Instead, it appears to act as the underlying support system that makes movement possible.聽

While the Asia and Pacific region has made notable progress in reducing hunger, persistent challenges remain in addressing malnutrition, food insecurity and unequal access to healthy diets, a new UN report published on Wednesday concludes. 

96 Global Health NOW: An 鈥楢ccelerating鈥� Measles Outbreak; and GHN's Best Exclusives of 2025 December 16, 2025 TOP STORIES A phase two trial for an Oxford University-developed vaccine against the deadly Nipah virus has been launched in Bangladesh, where the disease has a case fatality rate of up to 71%.    
Suspected militants killed two people including a police officer guarding a team of polio workers in northwestern Pakistan today, amid a weeklong nationwide campaign aimed at immunizing 45 million children.      Speakers and members of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) frequently commented about infectious disease risks from immigrants during this month鈥檚 meeting of the CDC panel, sparking concerns about anti-immigrant rhetoric.  
  Personalized risk-based breast cancer screening was as effective as one-size-fits-all annual mammograms in a large trial of ~46,000 women; the findings suggest a risk-based approach could improve screening by shifting resources from low-risk women to high-risk women.   IN FOCUS The heart of downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, on June 13, 2021. J. Michael Jones An 鈥楢ccelerating鈥� Measles Outbreak     The surging South Carolina measles outbreak has topped 120 cases and sent hundreds into 21-day quarantines, as state health officials hunker down for a monthslong fight. 

• 126 cases鈥攎any among schoolchildren鈥攈ave been reported in the state鈥檚 northwest, . 119 of the measles patients were unvaccinated. 

• 303 people are in quarantine (some for the second time), and 13 are in isolation.   

No mandates: State officials, including Gov. Henry McMaster, are steering clear of vaccine mandates, while simultaneously encouraging kids鈥� vaccinations and emphasizing free choice, .  

• "There's some people who don't want to do it, and that's up to them," McMaster said. "People need to understand it's dangerous just like a lot of other diseases. If there's some way to prevent it, you ought to do it." 

• Local people are divided with some skeptical of vaccines and aggrieved by COVID-19 remote learning and shutdowns, while others worry about risks for their youngest children, .   

Big picture: The CDC reports 1,900+ measles cases in the U.S. and three deaths (two of whom were children) so far this year.     Related: Connecticut reports first measles case in years 鈥�   BEST OF 2025 GHN EXCLUSIVES Muthukutti, 23, endured an amputation of his left leg after an accident at Sree Mariyammal Fireworks Factory in Achangulam village, outside Sivakasi, India. Kamala Thiagarajan Fireworks鈥痑nd Heartbreak in a Hard-Hit Indian Village  鈥�&苍产蝉辫; SIVAKASI, India鈥擮f the 650 families who live in Surangudi village, most have lost either a limb or a loved one to鈥痜ireworks. 
 
Workers in the area produce 50,000 tons of firecrackers annually鈥攎ost of India's鈥痜ireworks鈥攊n factories prone to explosions and fires. Journalist Kamala Thiagarajan鈥檚 two-part series takes readers inside a poorly regulated factory system that led to at least 100 deaths in 2023鈥�2024. 
鈥�&苍产蝉辫;
    Migration Response Done Right: Brazil鈥檚 Model    PACARAIMA, Brazil鈥擬igrants fleeing Venezuela鈥檚 deteriorating political and economic system have found something wondrous at the border with Brazil: Open arms.    Since 2018, the Opera莽茫o Acolhida (Operation Welcome) partnership has blended military logistical support with respect for humanitarian autonomy to provide housing, essential services, and efforts to counter human trafficking, though U.S. foreign aid cuts have forced some organizations to scale back.      (with support from the Johns Hopkins-Pulitzer Global Health Reporting Fellowship)    Dispensing 鈥楩ree Chances at Life鈥�      In this hard-partying college town of Iowa City, the beloved Deadwood Tavern is known as a great place to relax, watch Iowa football, pick up free naloxone, birth control, emergency contraceptives, gun locks, wound care kits, and needle disposal kits. They鈥檙e all available, free and anonymously, from the public health vending machine at the back of the bar鈥攑art of a trend taking off in dozens of cities.  
 
  Peru鈥檚 Illegal Mining Surges 鈥� and Destroys    LIMA, Peru鈥擲oaring gold prices and plunging U.S. government funds are鈥痯ushing Peru鈥檚 southeastern jungle, scene of a booming illegal mining industry, into a public health crisis鈥攚ith destroyed forests, mercury poisoning, and fast-spreading infectious diseases. The cancelation of U.S.-supported reforestation and mercury poisoning mitigation projects has been likened to 鈥渢hrowing gasoline on an already hot fire.鈥�
      Why Latin America Needs Its Own CDC鈥擭ow More Than Ever (Commentary) 
Latin American governments must champion the creation of a regional CDC, similar to the Africa CDC model, that would work alongside PAHO to ensure faster, more efficient responses to health emergencies, according to three public health leaders from the region.   
  
  Other Notable Exclusives 

•  by Rupsa Chakraborty 


•  by Scovian Lillian 


•  by Abiodun Jamiu 


•  by Sanket Jain 


•  (commentary) by Siddhesh Zadey and Dhananjaya Sharma 

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Can Canada Survive Trump鈥檚 Attack on Science? 鈥�      Newsom announces new public health initiative led by ousted CDC officials 鈥�     NSF pares down grant-review process, reducing influence of outside scientists 鈥�     Is science diplomacy still possible? 鈥�  Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!     FDA has no plans to put most serious warning on COVID vaccines, Bloomberg News reports 鈥�     She Studied Mosquitoes to Prevent Malaria 鈥�   Issue No. 2838
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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World leaders meeting at the UN General Assembly have adopted a historic global declaration to tackle noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions together, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday.

Amid an early start to the Northern Hemisphere influenza season a new variant of the virus is rapidly gaining ground - but vaccination remains the 鈥渕ost effective defence鈥�, the UN health agency said on Tuesday.

A new study has linked air pollution exposure and immune-system changes that often precede the onset of autoimmune diseases.

麻豆传媒网站 researchers analyzing Ontario data found that fine particles in air pollution are associated with higher levels of a biomarker linked with autoimmune diseases, such as systemic lupus.

96 Global Health NOW: Mosquito-Borne Illnesses Engulf Cuba; and Prosecutions Climb in a Post-Roe Landscape December 15, 2025 TOP STORIES A military air strike on a hospital in Burma (Myanmar) killed at least 31 and injured dozens more last Wednesday; the attack left the Rakhine state hospital, which was stretched thin and overflowing with patients before being struck, in ruins.

The U.S. FDA may place a 鈥渂lack-box鈥� warning on COVID-19 vaccines, ; a decision on whether to place the label鈥攗sed to flag serious threats to life and health鈥攊s expected by the end of this month.

The FDA also approved two antibiotics, zoliflodacin and gepotidacin, to treat gonorrhea late last week; the approval comes as Neisseria gonorrhoeae, the bacterium that causes the STI, has 鈥渙utsmarted every previous antibiotic deployed against it, including the sole therapy that remains effective.鈥�  

A $2.5 billion aid deal between Kenya and the U.S. has been suspended by a Kenyan court over data privacy concerns, after a consumer rights group sounded the alarm that under the deal Kenyans鈥� personal medical data could be viewed by U.S. officials. IN FOCUS An employee of Cuba's Ministry of Public Health fumigates a house in the Jesus Maria neighborhood of Havana, on November 20. Adalberto Roque/AFP via Getty Images Mosquito-Borne Illnesses Engulf Cuba    Mosquito-borne illnesses are sweeping through Cuba鈥檚 population amid medicine shortages, overcrowded hospitals, and a lack of government action and transparency, .    On the ground: Health officials and independent advocates report a mix of dengue, chikungunya, Oropouche, and other respiratory viruses circulating simultaneously. 

• Many Cubans simply refer to the illnesses as 鈥渢he virus鈥濃�攔eflecting confusion about what they are suffering from amid little to no diagnostic resources. 

• Symptoms include high fever, rashes, swelling of joints, vomiting, diarrhea, and persistent pain that leaves many unable to walk normally. 

Rapid rise in cases: Official data show 42,000+ chikungunya cases and ~26,000 dengue infections reported this year, with the latter virus鈥檚 incidence surging 71%+ in one week, . 

•  last month suggested that one-third of the Cuban population was infected.  

And 47 arbovirus deaths have been reported鈥攖hough health workers and families say the real number is much higher, as death certificates have been mislabeled, . 

• Children and older people have been especially affected. 

Conditions are exacerbated by severe food and medicine shortages, sanitation failures, prolonged power blackouts, and failed vector control. 

• 鈥淣obody is okay here. 鈥� We are an army of zombies,鈥� 57-year-old Mercedes Interian told El Pa铆s. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH Prosecutions Climb in a Post-Roe Landscape    More than three years after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, pregnancy complications鈥攊ncluding life-threatening conditions and pregnancy loss鈥攁re increasingly subject to legal scrutiny in U.S. states with strict anti-abortion laws.     By the numbers: A  found at least 412 pregnancy-related prosecutions in the two years after Roe鈥檚 reversal.    Three types of cases: Charges include mishandling fetal remains, murder accusations after miscarriages or stillbirths, and alleged substance use during pregnancy.    Chilling effect on care: Fear of criminalization is leading to delays in care, interstate travel for treatment, and dangerous, nonviable pregnancies being carried to term.      
  Related: Fewer characters on TV had abortions this year 鈥� and more stories reinforced shame 鈥�  QUICK HITS Trump Officials Celebrated With Cake After Slashing Aid. Then People Died of Cholera. 鈥�     Nearly half of Japanese have experienced loneliness and isolation 鈥�      New clues about long covid鈥檚 cause could unlock treatments 鈥�     Harvard Replaces Leader of Health Center Said to Have Focused on Palestinians 鈥� 
  AI finds a surprising monkeypox weak spot that could rewrite vaccines 鈥�     The Epidemic of Tobacco Harms among People with Mental Health Conditions 鈥�     What's behind the wellness claims for the synthetic dye methylene blue? 鈥�     The gift that shaped my career in science 鈥�   Issue No. 2837
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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96 Global Health NOW: Ukraine Births Under Siege; and Slovenia鈥檚 Preventive Care Pays Off December 11, 2025 TOP STORIES Afghanistan鈥檚 humanitarian crisis is deepening with the deterioration of basic human rights, especially for women and girls, warn senior UN officials鈥攚ho say nearly half of the country鈥檚 population will need protection and humanitarian assistance amid economic decline, displacement, and diminishing aid.     South Carolina鈥檚 measles outbreak is 鈥渁ccelerating鈥� due to holiday travel and undervaccination, ; of the 111 measles cases recorded in the state鈥檚 northwest region, 105 involved people who were unvaccinated while three were partially vaccinated. 

An international study has identified a blood-based indicator of intestinal damage and inflammation that strongly predicts mortality in sick children; the new biomarker could help to identify children at greatest risk of dying post-hospitalization in low-resource parts of the world. 

Even a small proportion of citizens who do not comply with public health measures can amplify an epidemic鈥檚 spread in large cities, in Turin, Milan, and Palermo that analyzed the role of individual behavior in the spread of contagions.  IN FOCUS Bogdana Zhupanyna surveys the damage to her apartment days after it was struck by a drone during a Russian bombardment. July 23, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Scott Peterson/Getty Ukraine Births Under Siege    Childbirth in Ukraine has grown increasingly perilous, as relentless bombardments and displacement fuel a maternal mortality crisis and contribute to plunging birth rates that threaten the country鈥檚 future.     Dangerous delivery: Maternal deaths in Ukraine spiked 37% between 2023 and 2024, reaching 25.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, .  

• Doctors report a sharp increase in complications, including more premature births, a 44% rise in uterine ruptures, and dangerous spikes in C-section rates鈥攗p to 46% in frontline regions like Kherson. 

Compromised care: 80+ maternity centers across Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed since Russia鈥檚 2022 invasion, putting pregnant women and newborns at severe risk and forcing hundreds of births to occur in underground shelters, .  

• Last week, a maternity hospital in Kherson was attacked, further compromising severely strained medical services,  

• Power outages and supply shortages further contribute to rising risks.  

Demographic disaster: Ukraine now has the highest death rates and lowest birth rates in the world, measuring three deaths for every birth, .  

• That has led to fears of population collapse, with the country鈥檚 population plummeting from 42 million in 2022 to a projected 25 million by 2051. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES Slovenia鈥檚 Preventive Care Pays Off    More than 20 years ago, Slovenia adopted a chronic disease prevention strategy that is now showing impressive results鈥攁nd becoming a model for other countries.     The basics: Slovenia鈥檚 system emphasizes primary care, screening, and coaching鈥攁nd, per Rade Pribakovi膰, of the country鈥檚 National Institute of Public Health, 鈥渒ind of nagging the population,鈥� to have regular checks at health promotion centers which reach ~50,000 Slovenians a year.  

• Such hubs are staffed with community nurses, dentists, gynecologists, and other specialists, and offer workshops on topics like nutrition, stress, and obesity.  

Results: Slovenia鈥檚 chronic disease death rates have fallen sharply, and its life expectancy has steadily increased: Last year, it reached 82.3 years鈥攈igher than the EU average of 81.7 years and the U.S. average of 78.4 years.      CORRECTION The Cause of Cholera
In yesterday鈥檚 GHN, in a story about the , we referred to the disease as a virus, but cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. We regret the error. Thanks to Hasanain Odhar for pointing out the mistake!  ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Will This Christmas Kill 鈥楲ast Christmas鈥�?       Think of it as 鈥攂ut for a Christmas song. And no one gets rich.      After decades of relentless overplay from Halloween til Christmas, a group of pals in Europe has organized the masses in a takedown of the loathed holiday track.   
  The first rule of Whamageddon: .      Us versus the airwaves: Refereed only by the honor system, players 
must publicly forfeit themselves if they鈥檙e 鈥渉it鈥� by the signature synth. WHAMbushing others is a no-no and radio hosts, who can send countless players to dreaded 鈥淲hamhalla鈥� with a single play,     Full disclosure: Until now, we actually didn鈥檛 realize we were supposed to hate the song and are now trying to catch up. If you鈥檙e in the same boat,  of its 鈥渋nanity鈥� and narrative incoherence.      But we will say: If making sense is how this YouTube scrooge rates music, we鈥檇 love to hear his take on    QUICK HITS The fight to beat neglected tropical diseases was going well. 2025 could change that 鈥�     Meta shuts down global accounts linked to abortion advice and queer content 鈥�       U.S. mass killings drop to 20-year low. Some policy shifts might be helping. 鈥�     EU officials acted to aid tobacco giant abroad, documents show 鈥�     Climate Change Is an Information Crisis; Public Health Already Knows How to Fight Those 鈥�     Japan turns to AI, robot caregivers to tackle dementia crisis 鈥�   Issue No. 2836
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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Gaza鈥檚 health system for mothers and newborns has been 鈥渄ecimated鈥�, the UN said on Thursday, with Israeli attacks destroying almost all hospitals, cutting off medical supplies and driving sharp rises in maternal deaths, miscarriages and newborn fatalities amid mass displacement and hunger.

A World Health Organization (WHO) expert committee has again confirmed that there is no causal link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), following a new review of global scientific evidence.

On Saturday, November 8, 2025, Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives (HBHL) presented the third edition of the Amazing Brain Science Talks, in partnership with and the . Held at the Grande Biblioth猫que in Montreal, the event attracted over 100 attendees for an engaging afternoon discussing popular topics in brain health.

96 Global Health NOW: COVID Vaccines鈥� Safety Confirmed Amid U.S. Scrutiny; and How to Read a Scientific Study December 10, 2025 TOP STORIES In DRC鈥檚 worst cholera outbreak in 25 years, children account for nearly a quarter of the 64,427 total cases so far this year; in 鈥渙ne of the most tragic鈥� instances, 16 of 62 children died when the virus swept through a Kinshasa orphanage.  
The first single-dose dengue vaccine has been approved for use in Brazil; the shot, Butantan-DV, protects against four strains of dengue and will initially be given to 1 million people in January.  
  Children exposed to extreme heat are less likely to meet basic developmental milestones than children living nearby in cooler areas, ; low-income children are especially vulnerable.  
  Civicus downgraded  from 鈥渘arrowed鈥� to 鈥渙bstructed,鈥� citing a 鈥渟harp deterioration of fundamental freedoms in the country鈥� this year and placing the U.S. in the same classification as 39 other countries including Hungary, Brazil, and South Africa.   IN FOCUS People waiting to receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the Clermont-Tonnerre military hospital in Brest, France. April 6, 2021. Loic Venance/AFP via Getty COVID Vaccines鈥� Safety Confirmed Amid U.S. Scrutiny    A major French study is offering one of the clearest looks yet at the long-term safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, concluding that the vaccines did not increase mortality rates in France, . 

• The research arrives amid renewed debate of the vaccines鈥� safety in the U.S. sparked by an FDA memo that alleged vaccine-related deaths鈥攃laims rejected by former FDA leaders and unsupported by data.  

The study: The 鈥渆normous鈥� study  analyzed the health records of 28.7 million adults ages 18鈥�59 in the French health system; 22.8 million of those received an mRNA vaccine in 2021, .

• The team tracked all causes of death for four years鈥攆ar longer than most prior studies.  

Key results: Vaccinated people had a 74% lower risk of dying from COVID-19 in the hospital, and all-cause mortality over those four years was also lower: 0.4% among the vaccinated versus 0.6% among the unvaccinated.    Meanwhile in the U.S.: The FDA has broadened an internal review into whether COVID-19 vaccines may be linked to deaths in adults as well as children, , following FDA head Vinay Prasad鈥檚 unsubstantiated claims that the shots caused at least 10 pediatric deaths.   

• Prasad also said he plans to implement tighter vaccine-approval standards, though it is unclear what data sources the FDA is using to assess the safety of the vaccines or the approval process, .  

Related: Doctor groups form united front against RFK Jr鈥檚 efforts to limit vaccine access 鈥�   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES RESEARCH How to Read a Scientific Study    Research studies are no longer limited to an audience of scientists鈥攖hey are now a frequent feature of podcasts, YouTube videos, and social media posts.  

• How can nonscientists avoid falling for oversimplification, distortion, or manipulation?  

The first step: Learn how to read the studies. Epidemiologist Emily Gurley offers some key guidance, including:  

• Eye the essentials: Know the journal and its quality; understand the abstract section; look at the introduction to understand the study鈥檚  purpose, and read the discussion section to learn more about how to interpret the study. 

• Consider possible limitations, including sample size, participant demographics, and what needs further study. 

• Distinguish between correlation and causation.  

  QUICK HITS How a rare drug made from scientists鈥� blood saves babies from botulism 鈥�     Synthetic chemicals in food system creating health burden of $2.2tn a year, report finds 鈥�     After NIH grant cuts, breast cancer research at Harvard slowed, and lab workers left 鈥�     What to know about the surprising MERS coronavirus cases discovered in France 鈥�     Punished for bleeding: How periods in prison become a trap 鈥�     Malaria No More taps Trump insider for 鈥榥ew era鈥� of global health 鈥�     Five important financial moves for PhD students 鈥�   Issue No. 2835
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 vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member States say 40 to 90 per cent of their populations now use traditional medicine.  

96 Global Health NOW: Polio: An Influx of Cash鈥攁nd a Funding Shortfall December 9, 2025 TOP STORIES A hospital and kindergarten in Sudan came under drone strikes last week, killing 114 people, including 63 children; 35 were injured, many of whom tried to get victims to the hospital, according to the WHO; Sudan officials attributed the Kalogi massacre to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a group responsible for other atrocities in Sudan鈥檚 civil war.  

Countries must jointly enact policies and fund programs against climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution, ; the report, based on the work of 287 scientists, calls for unprecedented transformation of government, the financial sector, and industry.  

A multidrug-resistant bacterial colonization of the gastrointestinal tract is prevalent worldwide, ; carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales often precedes infections in critically ill hospital patients.  

Returning to school after the COVID-19 pandemic improved children鈥檚 mental health, according to a California-based study that found kids鈥� probability of being diagnosed with a mental health condition dropped 43% nine months after school reopening compared to pre-opening levels.   IN FOCUS A child is vaccinated against polio by Thane Municipal Corporation Health Department on December 8, 2024, in Mumbai, India. Praful Gangurde/Hindustan Times via Getty Images Polio: An Influx of Cash鈥攁nd a Funding Shortfall 
International donors committed to $1.9 billion against polio yesterday, but is it enough?                                               

• The funds will be used to vaccinate 370 million children against polio each year as well as build up health systems, (GPEI). 
   
• The Gates Foundation pledged $1.2 billion, and Rotary International committed to $450 million, . 

Shortfall: Despite the pledges, there鈥檚 still a $440 million gap in support for GPEI through 2029. 

• The U.K., Germany, and other countries have pulled back plans for development assistance and health funding in 2026, and U.S. support for polio efforts is unclear for 2026.  

• GPEI expects to cut its budget by 30% next year because of the global retreat in foreign aid, . 

The Quote: Without the full $6.9 billion needed for GPEI鈥檚 strategy, 鈥渃hildren will be left unprotected against polio,鈥� GPEI spokesperson Ally Rogers told CNN. 

Polio memories: , the University of Toronto Mississauga鈥檚 Madeleine Mant interviewed 65 people who had polio between 1941 and 1977. Their message: Young people shouldn鈥檛 have to experience polio or other vaccine-preventable diseases, .

Related: Bill Gates renews call to eradicate polio and malaria with UAE as key partner 鈥�  

DATA POINT

4.6 billion
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
The estimated number of people worldwide who still lack access to essential health services; while countries have advanced toward universal health coverage, major challenges remain. 鈥�
  HEALTH SYSTEMS A Health Care Breakdown in a Health Care Town 
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is southwest Georgia鈥檚 largest health provider鈥攂ut also the region鈥檚 dominant employer and economic power center.  
 
And yet: Locals describe a system fraught with access limitations, poor outcomes, high prices, and fractured care鈥攊ncluding dismissive treatment reported by uninsured residents. 
 
Inflection point: When the region became one of the nation鈥檚 first COVID-19 hot spots in 2020, the crisis exposed frayed relationships between the hospital and the community, especially poor and Black residents who suffered the worst outcomes. 
 
Bigger picture: The more hospitals operate as behemoth businesses, 鈥渢he fewer incentives there are to lower costs or improve quality and the less communities can do about either.鈥� 
 
QUICK HITS More Americans refusing vitamin K shots for newborns, new study finds 鈥�     Warning issued after new mpox strain identified in England 鈥�     Why Some Doctors Say There Are Cancers That Shouldn鈥檛 Be Treated 鈥�     Surprise! Your health care provider added a fee for that questionnaire you filled out 鈥�  
  Zimbabwe鈥檚 only female heart surgeon on medicine, misogyny and making a difference 鈥�   Issue No. 2834
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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Supporting colleagues facing potential sexual exploitation or abuse (PSEA) in the workplace, may start with small acts of recognition but can have lasting positive impacts, according to a UN member of staff working in the Southeast Asian country, Lao People's Democratic Republic.

96 Global Health NOW: The Hepatitis B Vote: A Pivotal Moment for U.S. Vaccine Policy December 8, 2025 TOP STORIES 20+ babies in Hungary have died of maternally contracted syphilis, and 63 cases have been confirmed in the country this year as syphilis cases increase worldwide.  

2 MERS cases have been reported in France; both patients had been on the same trip to the Arabian Peninsula; no secondary transmission has been detected.  

Kenya signed a $2.5 billion, five-year agreement to accept U.S. funding to help fight infectious diseases, becoming the first country to sign a deal aligned with the Trump administration鈥檚 foreign policy goals; the agreement sparked concerns about the security of sensitive health data.

Environmental advocates in Canada are pushing for a moratorium on the use of glyphosate, the key ingredient in RoundUp, after a 25-year-old foundational research paper on the herbicide鈥檚 safety was following revelations that RoundUp鈥檚 maker, Monsanto, may have helped produce the paper. IN FOCUS Members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the CDC headquarters. Atlanta, Georgia, December 5. Megan Varner/Bloomberg via Getty The Hepatitis B Vote: A Pivotal Moment for U.S. Vaccine Policy     It鈥檚 a tectonic shift in U.S. immunization policy: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted Friday to withdraw a long-standing recommendation that newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccination at birth. 

• The decision was made without new evidence and against the strong consensus of medical groups that the change puts children at unnecessary risk, .   

New recommendations, established efficacy: The panel now suggests delaying the first hepatitis B dose until at least two months for infants born to virus-negative mothers. 

• But the vaccine鈥檚 safety is well established, , which outlines the history of the shot, its timing, and its role in bringing down infections in young people by 99%. 

Sharp pivot:&苍产蝉辫;础颁滨笔鈥檚&苍产蝉辫; sets the stage for broader reconsideration of childhood immunization policy, .  

• President Trump  Friday, urging health officials to review the entire childhood vaccine schedule, calling the U.S. an 鈥渙utlier,鈥� .  

奥丑补迟鈥檚&苍产蝉辫;苍别虫迟: The decision about actually changing the vaccine guidelines now sits with the CDC鈥檚 acting director. 

• But states are already pushing back against ACIP鈥檚 recommendation: New York , and Ohio officials . 

Related:     4 fact-checks after CDC vaccine panel ends universal newborn hep B vaccine recommendations 鈥�      Three-fourths of Americans support hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, poll finds 鈥�   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CHILD HEALTH Australia鈥檚 Sweeping Social Media Ban    A strict ban on social media accounts for users under 16 takes effect in 
Australia this week, prompting platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube to deactivate hundreds of thousands of accounts, .  

• Other governments worldwide are watching the move, which Australian officials call the 鈥渇irst domino鈥� in such regulation. 

Details of the ban: Unlike current age-restrictions that are easy to work around and difficult to enforce, Australia has multiple compliance requirements, , including: 

• A 鈥渓ayered safety approach,鈥� including AI-informed age detection, activity-pattern analysis, and mandatory age verification. 

• Protections to block circumvention attempts, and parent reporting. 

• Fines of up to $49.5 million for platforms.  

The Quote: 鈥淪ocial media was a big social experiment. In some ways, this is an antidote social experiment,鈥� said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.   QUICK HITS Trump DoJ 鈥榠mmediately鈥� stops enforcing prison rape protections for trans and intersex people, according to leaked memo 鈥� 

Faulty glucose monitors linked to 7 deaths and more than 700 injuries, FDA warns 鈥� 

'Very concerning': Opioids for sickle cell pain often not administered fast enough in ED 鈥� 

How the new H-1B visa fee is upending health care in rural America 鈥�     Editors鈥� pick 2025: Our favourite essays and longform stories on public health in South Africa 鈥�     Ashish Jha to leave Brown University School of Public Health 鈥�     鈥極ne bite and he was hooked鈥�: from Kenya to Nepal, how parents are battling ultra-processed foods 鈥�   Issue No. 2833
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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The University continues to be recognized as one of Canada鈥檚 top research institutions and drivers of innovation听听听聽

The University continues to be recognized as one of Canada鈥檚 top research institutions and drivers of innovation听听听聽