96 Global Health NOW: A Long Road to Rehabilitation for Gaza’s Amputees; and New Rules for Digital Accessibility Plus: Houston, We Have a Cobbler View this email in your browser April 9, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES CDC leadership has delayed the publication of a report showing the COVID-19 vaccine’s effectiveness, including how the vaccine cut the likelihood of hospital and emergency room visits for healthy adults last winter by about half; scientists say they fear the report is being downplayed because it conflicts with HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s criticism of the shot. The Washington Post (gift link)    The EU has cut its contribution to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, as global contributions to global health aid continue to drop; the European Commission has pledged €700 million to the Fund between 2027–2029, a €15 million drop from what it provided from 2023 to 2025. Euronews    The U.S. teenage birth rate fell 7% in 2025, per a report published Thursday by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics, a drop the lead author described as “extraordinary,” continuing a decade of decline; potential contributing factors include higher use of contraception and lower sexual activity among youth. NPR    Maternal psychological stress driven by crises like natural disasters can affect fetal development and birth outcomes, finds a new study published in the Journal of Health Economics that examined the birth outcomes of babies born to mothers in Japan who faced widespread anxiety about radiation exposure in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. News Medical  IN FOCUS A young Palestinian amputee walks with a nurse outside the UAE Hospital Ship SSF Ania in the port of Arish, in northeastern Egypt, on February 5. AFP via Getty Images A Long Road to Rehabilitation for Gaza’s Amputees     For the hundreds of adults and children from Gaza who have undergone amputations since 2023, specialized prosthetic treatment remains a struggle to access—with many stranded in neighboring Egypt indefinitely as they seek to regain both physical and social mobility there. 

• ~6,000 Palestinians have faced limb amputation during the conflict with Israel, per WHO estimates; at the conflict’s height in 2023, 10+ children lost one or both legs every day, per Save the Children.  

Legal limbo: Egypt is the primary destination for Palestinians needing amputation care, but most Palestinians treated there are unable to access formal residency permits or refugee status.  

• As a result, patients often live in temporary housing like hostels, are unable to work or open bank accounts, and face constant pressures and uncertainty while requiring specialized care for months and years. 

Dependent on NGOs: Long-term, high-tech prosthetic rehabilitation is almost impossible without the support of medical charities.  

• Orthomedics in Cairo has treated ~300 Palestinian patients since October 2023, mostly through NGO funding from groups like the Turkish charity Sadakataşı.  

The Guardian  POLICY New Rules for Digital Accessibility
As colleges and universities increasingly rely on digital resources, the obstacles for students with disabilities have grown. 

• Many websites, apps, and digital learning materials have not been designed to accommodate people who are deaf or blind or have low vision.  

But revised regulations under the Americans with Disabilities Act aim to change that. By the end of this month, large U.S. public institutions must meet updated accessibility standards for all digital materials––improvements that include captioned videos, color contrast, and more inclusive screen navigation.  

• Just as stairs can exclude people who use wheelchairs from accessing government buildings, inaccessible web content and mobile apps can exclude people with a range of disabilities, the rule states.  

• Institutions serving 50,000+ people have had two years to prepare; smaller institutions must comply by 2027. 

NPR     Related: Digital Accessibility: Teaching and Learning Resources – The Elm (The University of Maryland, Baltimore)  OPPORTUNITY Calling Current and Future Global Health Leaders
This month, join Unite For Sight—a nonprofit global health delivery organization committed to promoting high-quality care for all—for the 23rd annual Global Health & Innovation Conference in Connecticut.     The gathering brings together global health leaders and “dives deep into bold ideas, transformative innovation, and responsible global engagement.” 
 
Plenary panels include: 

• Defining Purpose in Global Health 

• Designing Better Solutions for Global Health 

• What Real Impact Looks Like  

• Local Leadership and Global Partnerships  

April 18–19, 2026; North Haven, CT 

Register for the conference. Sign up before April 10 for a reduced rate. 

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Houston, We Have a Cobbler
The crew of Artemis II may have boldly gone farther from Earth than any human, but they made sure the Nutella stayed within arm’s reach.     As the world watched a livestream of the crew hurtling towards that 252,752-mile record, the broadcast was interrupted by a full-sized jar of the chocolate hazelnut spread pirouetting in zero-G across the cabin, reports Futurism; a relatable reminder that snacks are the real highlight of any professional venture.     Nutella is just one of 189 NASA-approved items selected for the Artemis menu, which includes broccoli au gratin, cobbler, and barbecued beef brisket. 

• Meanwhile, the Canadian Space Agency ensured their astronaut Jeremy Hansen had his requisite maple syrup.   

The food must be shelf-stable and as crumb-less as possible for microgravity, hence the inclusion of 58 tortillas, reports Scientific American. Microgravity can also dull tastebuds, which is apparently why the space agency packed not one, but five different kinds of hot sauce.     Almost as important as oxygen?: 43 cups of coffee were allotted for the crew, reports National Geographic—a little more than 10 cups per astronaut over the 10-day mission. QUICK HITS Pesticides may wreak havoc on the gut microbiome – Science     Eye symptoms may signal higher-severity long COVID – CIDRAP  
Scientists Move Closer to Male Birth Control With No Hormones, No Snip – Gizmodo  

Patients scramble to find estrogen patches as shortage worsens after US FDA champions use – Reuters     Should’ve put a ring on it? Maybe! Marriage is linked to lower risk of cancer – CNN   Issue No. 2895
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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The scale and speed of destruction from the wave of airstrikes in Lebanon which began just hours after the US-Iran ceasefire announcement, has left the country’s already strained health system struggling to cope, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

96 Global Health NOW: A Better Solution for Sickle Cell Care in Africa Amid Aid Cuts?; and Immigration Raids Heightening Postpartum Isolation View this email in your browser April 8, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Telehealth abortion will remain available in the U.S. for now, after a federal judge in Louisiana ruled yesterday that mifepristone can remain accessible while the FDA completes its safety review of the drug, which has been used for 25+ years and is widely prescribed through telehealth appointments, which now account for more than 1 in 4 U.S. abortions. NPR    Decades-old canned Alaska salmon dissected by researchers contained levels of tiny parasitic worms that signal that the fishes’ ecosystems were stable or recovering over a 40+-year span, per findings published in Ecology & Evolution; researchers posited that the Clean Water Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and warming oceans may all have played a role in increasing parasite levels. ScienceDaily    AI chatbots spread misinformation about a fake disease called “bixonimania,” a skin condition invented by researchers in an experiment to see how false preprint studies can infiltrate medical literature and be treated as fact by AI—and by other researchers relying on AI without checking source material. Nature     Greece will ban social media access for children under 15 starting January 2027, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis saying the prohibition is health-driven and that “when a child is in front of screens for hours, their brain does not rest”; the country follows Australia and Indonesia in implementing such a ban and will pressure the EU to follow suit, Mitsotakis said. Le Monde  IN FOCUS: GHN EXCLUSIVE Catherine Nabaggala, MD, consoles Olivia Nansamba whose son Melvin had a blood transfusion to treat sickle cell disease. Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson A Better Solution for Sickle Cell Care in Africa Amid Aid Cuts?    KAMPALA, UGANDA—Olivia Nansamba sits on a narrow bed at Mulago National Referral Hospital, her 6-month-old son in her arms. Melvin, who has sickle cell disease, is pale, weak, and wailing. 
  “Sickle cell disease is a very terrible disease,” says Nansamba, lifting up her baby’s swollen, bandage-wrapped hand. “Sometimes there’s pain, pain, pain.” 
  A brutal killer: Sickle cell disease can cause extreme pain crises, strokes, and organ damage. It claims 376,000 lives every year worldwide. About 80% of cases are in sub-Saharan Africa. 
  Barrier to care: A clinical mindset that only specialized hematologists and expensive interventions can help still prevails.  

• But restricting care to specialists and costly treatments grossly limits the number of children who can be helped, notes Joseph Lubega, MD, MPH, director of Texas Children’s Global Hematology-Oncology Pediatric Excellence program. 

A new approach: Lubega is seeking to radically boost access to treatment for sickle cell disease, per reporting in Uganda supported by the Pulitzer Center.  

• His project focuses on providing care in regular government clinics, where trained health care workers can screen and provide key meds to help children live longer, better lives. 

The Quote: “There are many fancy things you can do, but primary care can take care of the bulk of the issues––and at a very low cost,” Lubega says. “So that’s our mission.” 
Brian W. Simpson and Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson for Global Health NOW  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS Immigration Raids Heightening Postpartum Isolation    In U.S. cities like Minneapolis that have faced intense immigration crackdowns, immigrant mothers have been forced into isolation, increasing risks to their physical and mental health and the well-being of their babies, advocates say.     A vulnerable time: Newly postpartum mothers are susceptible to a host of challenges, including postpartum depression as well as physical complications like hemorrhage, preeclampsia, or infection. Untreated, these can be deadly. 

• One-third of maternal deaths occur in the first year postpartum.  

The risks are even more acute for immigrant mothers, particularly Latinas, who are 2X as likely as white women to develop postpartum depression. 

• But many of these women are now forgoing the care of friends and family––and putting off important postpartum checkups—in an effort to avoid detention.  

The 19th  OPPORTUNITY Save the Date: World Immunization Week Webinar    Explore strategies and approaches to increase vaccination coverage and access across the life course, from infants and young children to adolescents, pregnant women, and adults, in a webinar featuring a distinguished panel of experts convened by the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 

• April 20, 2–3 p.m. EDT 

• Register for the World Immunization Week Webinar

QUICK HITS “I Don’t Want to Die in India”: The Hidden Corridor of East African Sex Trafficking – More to Her Story    Srinidhi Polkampally and Bhav Jain: What American hospitals can learn from India about waste – STAT (commentary)    Idaho Cut Services for People With Schizophrenia. Then the Deaths Began. – The New York Times (gift link)    From misdiagnosis to medical bias: Why women are living longer but not better – UN Wire 
  Poll: Here’s what MAHA actually believes – Politico 
Study advances safe, reversible male contraceptive without hormones – News Medical   Issue No. 2894
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: Food, Fuel, and Fertilizer Shortages Follow Iran War; and Eswatini’s Limited Access to a Livesaving Drug View this email in your browser April 7, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Nearly 1,000 refugees and migrants have died so far this year in Mediterranean shipwrecks—and while arrivals are down sharply, fatalities are rising compared to this period last year; the UN’s International Organization for Migration urges improved search and rescue capacity and expanded legal migration pathways to “reduce dangerous crossings.” IOM (news release)    UK doctors launched a six-day strike today, rejecting a government pay and staffing deal that the British Medical Association deems inadequate; the government withdrew ‌a ⁠commitment to cover 1,000 additional specialty training positions contingent on the deal’s acceptance. Reuters via The Hindu 
Mexico faces a “toxic crisis,” warns UN special rapporteur Marcos Orellana, who conducted an 11-day investigative mission last month and says Mexico has become the U.S.’s “garbage sink,” citing pollution threats ranging from imported waste to dangerous pesticides, as well as lax environmental standards and lack of oversight. The Guardian  
The California Bay Area is a rotavirus hotspot, per the WastewaterSCAN Dashboard, which tracks levels in 40 states; every region but the Midwest showed high levels of the gastrointestinal illness. The Independent  IN FOCUS The âSakrâ ship, carrying ~4,000 tons of food, shelter, medical, and humanitarian aid prepared by the UAE for delivery to Gaza, arrives at northeastern Egypt's Port of Al-Arish. February 5. Stringer/Anadolu via Getty Food, Fuel, and Fertilizer Shortages Follow Iran War     Critical humanitarian supplies needed in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia are not moving because of war-caused shipping limitations in the Strait of Hormuz, NPR Global Health reports.      Major humanitarian efforts are running low on basic medications, food, fuel, and fertilizers, according to the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children, and other organizations.  

• The Médecins Sans Frontières team in Yemen has procured 100 tons of special foods to treat severe malnutrition in young children, but the supplies are languishing in Dubai's Jebel Ali Port.  

• IV fluids, malaria tests, antibiotics, and other supplies in the field are already running low, per Save the Children in Sudan. 

The Quote: "It’s extremely serious in countries that have very little resilience to shocks like this,” the International Rescue Committee’s Bob Kitchen told NPR. “Whenever one piece of the puzzle is missing or delayed, the consequences are very, very severe.”      Disease risks: The WHO has already documented increases in chickenpox, shigellosis, and influenza, in affected countries, per Devex.     An even greater concern: Concentrated attacks on desalination plants that Iran, Israel, and other countries rely on for drinking water could threaten countries whose water reserves would last only days or weeks.   
Related:     Iran’s Pasteur medical research centre ‘heavily damaged’ in strike – The Telegraph    Karl Blanchet, Sultan Barakat, Bernadette Kumar, and Paul Spiegel: Iran's humanitarian crisis: war, legality, and the erosion of population health – The Lancet Regional Health Europe (commentary)  PUBLIC HEALTH EDUCATION The exterior of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, on Wolfe Street, in Baltimore. Johns Hopkins Tops Rankings of U.S. Public Health Schools    The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health again ranks #1 among public health schools and programs in the U.S., based on peer-assessment ratings unveiled this morning by U.S. News & World Report.      Rank/School   1  Johns Hopkins University   2  Emory University   2  University of North Carolina—Chapel Hill    4  Harvard University   4  University of Michigan—Ann Arbor    6  Columbia University   6  University of California—Berkeley    6  University of California—Los Angeles   9  Boston University    9  University of Washington      This year’s rankings include 224 schools and programs of public health accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health.   
    U.S. News & World Report  DATA POINT

1 in 4
————
Black men in the UK will be diagnosed with prostate cancer at some point in their lives—2X the rate of white men—and 2,300+ men will die over the next decade of the disease, per Prostate Cancer UK; the UK government recently rejected proposals for a prostate cancer screening program for high-risk men, citing in part a lack of data on Black patients. —The Independent
  HIV/AIDS Eswatini’s Limited Access to a Livesaving Drug    The drug lenacapavir could make a huge difference in curbing HIV transmission in the small country of Eswatini—if clinics could get enough of the drug.     Background: Eswatini is home to one of the world’s highest prevalence rates of HIV, but in recent years it has steadily made progress in preventing new infections.     Game-changing drug: Lenacapavir injections began to arrive within the last few months, bringing fresh hope that the twice-yearly shots will make a major dent in transmission.     Limited supply: But only ~3,000 people have been able to start treatment, far below demand. With ~4,000 new infections annually, the supply is “not even a drop in the ocean,” said Nkululeko Dube, programme director for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation Eswatini.     The Guardian   Related:     Our LEN is here. Now for quality checks in Ireland – Bhekisisa    Congress gave money for global HIV work. The Trump administration isn't spending it – NPR    ‘We fear the epidemic will return’: Senegal’s harsh anti-gay law puts decades of HIV progress in jeopardy – The Guardian QUICK HITS

WHO calls for action: “Together for health. Stand with science.” to mark World Health Day – WHO 

  Trump’s Foreign Aid Overhaul Sent Millions More Dollars to Big U.S.-Based Contractors – The New York Times (gift link)    Trump administration's secrecy on health deals alarms experts, governments – The Washington Post (gift link)    A star scientist showed that better genetics lessons could reduce racism. It was the death knell for his career – STAT    Iodised salt has become uncool but many of us need to eat more iodine – New Scientist  Issue No. 2893
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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Scientists have demonstrated, for the first time, that several psychedelic drugs – including psilocybin, LSD, mescaline, DMT and ayahuasca – produce a common pattern of brain activity despite their distinct chemistries.

An international consortium led by a McGill University researcher pooled brain imaging data from labs across five countries, creating the largest study of its kind to date.

The findings, published in Nature Medicine, could help guide the design of future treatments for mental health disorders.

For 25 years, the world has made significant progress in advancing women’s right to health, particularly in sexual and reproductive care. Women are living longer than ever before – but they are not living better.

96 Global Health NOW; A Spiraling Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan; and China’s Expansive New Environmental Code View this email in your browser April 6, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES A measles outbreak in Bangladesh has led the country to launch an emergency vaccination campaign that aims to reach 1 million+ children; the outbreak so far has led to 17 confirmed deaths, 113 suspected deaths, and ~7,500 suspected infections nationwide. South China Morning Post    The CDC and other health organizations and businesses spent ~$37 million over four years advertising on 11 news websites that have spread health misinformation, finds a new study published in JAMA Network Open, which warned that such placements directly conflict with the health sector’s mission by financially supporting misinformation and could further “diminish trust” in the government or health organizations. CIDRAP    Childhood cancer is the eighth-leading cause of childhood mortality worldwide, leading to more deaths than TB, measles, or HIV/AIDS, per the Global Burden of Disease 2023 study published in The Lancet, which found that children in LMICs face the most severe outcomes. Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation 
Climate change will push venomous snakes toward densely populated coastlines, increasing the risk of deadly bites, per a global study that modeled the habitats of all 508 medically important venomous snake species; the research could inform antivenom stockpiling and resourcing of health facilities. The Independent  IN FOCUS Displaced Sudanese people sit in the shade amid the remains of a fire that broke out in their camp. Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan, February 11. AFP via Getty A Spiraling Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan 
As Sudan’s civil war enters its fourth year, the country faces “one of the gravest humanitarian and public health emergencies in the world today,” warned WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus—with 33.7 million+ people needing aid, women suffering under systemic violence, and a health system near total collapse amid relentless attacks and shortages, reports AllAfrica.    Health care under attack: 200+ attacks have targeted health care since the war began, per the WHO, including a series of deadly bombings and lootings across the country over the last several weeks.  

• A drone attack last week on a hospital in the White Nile province killed 10 people—including seven medical staffers, reports the AP.  

• That follows a drone strike on a hospital in East Darfur that killed ~70 people and injured 146. 

Doctors in dire conditions: Meanwhile, health workers at facilities like the El-Obeid Maternity Hospital describe being helpless to save patients amid shortages of basic supplies, reports UN News.     No safety for women: Women in Sudan have seen their rights pushed “hundreds of years backwards” amid pervasive sexual violence and repression, said Hala Al-Karib, regional director of the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa, per Radio Dabanga. 

• “There are no safe places for women and girls in Darfur,” concluded a recent report by Médecins Sans Frontières that documented 3,396 cases of sexual violence from 2024 to 2025. 

• The conflict has also led to a spike in child marriage and deprived millions of girls of education. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POLLUTION China’s Expansive New Environmental Code    China has passed a sweeping environmental law, aiming to further crack down on domestic pollution, streamline enforcement, and signal a deepening political commitment to climate issues.    The new legal code seeks to:   

• Restrict emergent sources of pollution instead of focusing only on post-pollution outcomes like smog.  

• Target microplastics and forever chemicals. 

• Regulate light pollution.  

But: Some activists warn the law may limit the public’s ability to challenge the government, as it states that environmental lawsuits can only be filed against companies and individuals—not against government entities.     Science   OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Iran: Military Stepping Up Child Recruitment: Campaign Lowers Minimum Age to 12 – Human Rights Watch    Slasher sequel: Trump again proposes major cuts to U.S. science spending – Science     H.H.S. Takes a First Step Toward Restoring Vaccine Advisory Committee – The New York Times (gift link)    Raw dairy farm recalls some cheese products as FDA investigates E. coli outbreak – CNN     ‘Wow!’ The eye surgery marathon that restored sight for some South Africans – AP     How your smart phone could help your motion sickness in moving vehicles – The Hill Issue No. 2892
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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As violence forces tens of thousands to flee Sudan’s South Kordofan state, doctors in a key maternity hospital are facing impossible choices – with too few supplies, too many patients, and lives slipping away.

Honorons la mémoire de Kimberly Gloade en luttant pour un système de soins de santé humain.

96 Global Health NOW: You're Invited! Join Us in DC April 9 for a Communications Workshop View this email in your browser April 2, 2026 Forward Share Post JOIN US IN DC FOR A FREE WORKSHOP! The sun sets over the Tidal Basin, with cherry blossoms in peak bloom in Washington, DC. March 30. Heather Diehl/Getty Media-Savvy Skills for Scientists
In today's complex information landscape, great research needs more than publication––it requires communication. Join us for an interactive, pre-conference workshop, Communications Skills That Transform Science Into Action, co-led by the CUGH Research Committee, the Pulitzer Center, and Global Health NOW, ahead of the 2026 CUGH Annual Conference in Washington, DC, on April. 9.

The full day of workshops will feature panel discussions with journalists and global health scholars as well as opportunities to sharpen your media skills:

From Evidence to Influence: What Actually Works: Featuring Molly Knight Raskin, Eli Cahan, Rupali Limaye, and Ananya Tina Banerjee.

How Is Misinformation in Global Health Produced, Amplified, and Legitimized? With Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman, Scott Ratzan, Rebecca Katherine Ivic, and Kenneth Rabin.

• Each panel will be followed by hands-on, practical workshops (focusing on op-ed writing, media interviews, and new media techniques).

Pre-conference sessions are free, in-person, and open to the public! 

• Thursday, April 9, 9 a.m.–4 p.m. EDT We’d love to see you for all or part of the day!  

SIGN UP FOR THE WORKSHOP CUGH 2026 Special Event Update
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: The Deep Risks of Water Warfare; and Critical New Insights Into Noma Plus: What Would Jesus Think of a 10-Pound Chocolate Rabbit? View this email in your browser April 2, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES The CDC has paused lab testing for rabies, pox viruses, and dozens of other pathogens amid widespread layoffs and upheaval that have limited the number of qualified scientists who can perform the testing, which is designed to assist state and local labs. The New York Times (gift link)   A new GLP-1 pill, Eli Lilly’s once-daily medication Foundayo, has been approved by the FDA; the convenience of the once-daily pill widens access to weight loss medication and can be scaled worldwide, said the company’s CEO. CNBC    Methamphetamine use was reduced in adults who took the antidepressant mirtazapine, per a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Psychiatry; researchers found the drug was safe and effective for helping adults with methamphetamine use disorder curb intake of the drug—potentially opening new doors to treatment. MedPage Today    Exact digital replicas of patients’ diseased hearts have shown doctors how to more precisely treat actual hearts for an arrhythmia known as ventricular tachycardia, finds a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine; the “digital twin technology” is increasingly being explored in medical studies. AP  IN FOCUS Farm workers harvest crops as smoke billows after overnight airstrikes on oil depots, on March 8, in Tehran. Majid Saeedi/Getty Images The Deep Risks of Water Warfare     Ongoing conflict in Iran and surrounding Gulf states is laying bare the extreme vulnerability of the region’s most critical resource: Water.     Already, strikes to water facilities in Iran, Bahrain, and Kuwait have left communities struggling and demonstrate the catastrophic risks of targeting water infrastructure and desalination plants—the source of drinking water for much of the Gulf.    Dependence on desalination: Tens of millions of people regionwide rely on water from desalination plants, with some countries getting 90%-99% of all drinkable water from the facilities.  

• Major cities like Dubai, Doha, Kuwait City, and Riyadh rely entirely on desalination. 

• And Iran is already operating in a “water bankruptcy” after years of drought, with reservoirs that supply Tehran below 10% capacity as of last year.  

Water as a weapon: The recent attacks follow a long history of using water as a point of pain and leverage in regional warfare, from Babylon and Tyre in 6th century B.C. to the Gulf War in the 1990s. 

• “Water is both a weapon and a strategic consideration for all parties in the region,” said Naser Alsayed, a researcher at SOAS University of London. 

Catastrophic consequences: Most Gulf states hold just a few days of water reserves, meaning escalating attacks could rapidly trigger humanitarian crises, including widespread dehydration, disease risks, displacement, and further instability.     The Telegraph  NEGLECTED DISEASES Critical New Insights into Noma    In a breakthrough discovery for the fight against noma, researchers have pinpointed a previously unknown species of bacteria “strongly associated” with the disease.    Background: Noma is an infection that starts as gingivitis that rapidly progresses into a devastating and often fatal disease affecting children in extreme poverty.    The research: Working at the Noma Children’s Hospital in Sokoto, Nigeria, a team of researchers from Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine analyzed saliva from children with acute noma using metagenomic sequencing and machine learning, per a new study published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases.     New findings: The research identified a “consistent microbial signature,” Treponema bacteria.    Hopeful implications: Knowing the specific bacterial culprit could allow for earlier diagnosis and more effective interventions.  

• Plus: Treponema lacks antibiotic-resistance genes—meaning it can be treated with existing medications. 

Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine News    OPPORTUNITY Media-Savvy Skills for Scientists 
Join us for an interactive, pre-conference workshop, Communications Skills that Transform Science Into Action, co-led by the CUGH Research Committee, the Pulitzer Center, and Global Health NOW, ahead of the 2026 CUGH Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., on April 9. 

The full day of workshops will feature panel discussions with journalists and global health scholars as well as opportunities to sharpen your media skills: 

• From Evidence to Influence: What Actually Works: Featuring Molly Knight Raskin, Eli Cahan, Rupali Limaye, and Ananya Tina Banerjee. 

• How Is Misinformation in Global Health Produced, Amplified, and Legitimized? With Ridwan Karim Dini-Osman, Scott Ratzan, Rebecca Katherine Ivic, and Kenneth Rabin. 

Each panel will be followed by hands-on, practical workshops, focusing on op-ed writing, media interviews, and new media techniques. 

Pre-conference sessions are free, in-person, and open to the public!  

• Thursday, April 9, 9 a.m.–4 p.m., EDT. We’d love to see you for all or part of the day!   

• Sign up for the workshop 

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION What Would Jesus Think?  
For devotees of the bulk buying giant Costco, the mantra is less ‘go big or go home,’ and more ‘go big, then go home … and make space for the 6,000 paper towel rolls you just bought.’       Or, this Easter, the 10lb chocolate bunny named Pete for whose bulk “you are not prepared.”       Pete, with his warm smile, button nose, and cuddlable size, seems more friend than food. So, we were a bit disturbed that the instructions on the box demand that we destroy him and melt his remains into hot chocolate, USA Today reports.        “First he's admired, then he's cracked or cut,” the instructions explain. And you have options: “Wrap Pete in a towel and give one bold whack with a mallet, hammer, or rolling pin” to separate all 151 servings.      That may sound like a lot, unless you head over to Haux, France, where Easter Monday means making a single 4,500-egg omelet for 1,000+ people, Wanderlust reports.      We know one place you can buy that many eggs: Costco.  QUICK HITS ‘We’re failing newborns’: The global push to reduce infant deaths is losing steam – Science    Amid rising vaccine hesitancy, more parents reject vitamin K shots – CIDRAP     Kennedy sidelining of US advisory panel delays updates to cancer screening guidelines – Reuters via U.S. News    A slowdown in US visa processing is wreaking havoc on foreign doctors’ lives – Politico     Trippy tobacco? Plants engineered to make five psychedelics at once – Science    Struggling to focus on research when the world is ‘on fire’? Some ways to cope – Nature   Issue No. 2891
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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


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South Sudan is evolving into a catastrophic human rights and humanitarian crisis, UN Human Rights Council-appointed independent experts warned on Thursday.

96 Global Health NOW: The Hidden Perils of Poland’s ‘Ghost’ Poultry Farms; and India’s Coal Expansion Fuels a Health Crisis View this email in your browser April 1, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected a Colorado law that banned mental health professionals from using “conversion therapy” to try to change LGBTQ minors’ sexual orientation or gender identity; the ruling could impact such laws in 20+ states. The New York Times (gift link)    Requests for “unvaccinated” blood have increased among patients and parents of minor patients needing blood transfusions, per a new report published in Transfusion, which found the requests can lead to dangerous delays in care since blood donors are not asked about vaccination status. CIDRAP 

Lead lingering in the body increases the risk of heart disease, even years after exposure, per a new international study published in JAMA Network, which found that lead’s presence in the heart’s vital arteries can elevate blood pressure and injure blood vessels—making it one of the leading risk factors for death by coronary artery disease. STAT 
New American Heart Association guidelines prioritize plant-based protein over meat and suggest replacing full-fat dairy with low- or nonfat options; the advice, released yesterday, contrasts with U.S. government recommendations encouraging Americans to up their consumption of red meat and full-fat dairy. Reuters via Business Standard  IN FOCUS Chickens crowded together on an industrial poultry farm. Kondrajec Panski, Poland, October 1, 2019. Wojtek Radwanski/AFP via Getty The Hidden Perils of Poland’s ‘Ghost’ Poultry Farms     Hundreds of industrial poultry farms across Poland are operating without required environmental permits, allowing the farms to evade EU oversight and increasing threats of environmental pollution and disease throughout Europe.     Large loopholes: Poland is a major exporter of poultry meat to Europe, with ~2,000 megafarms in the country. Nearly half of those farms lack required environmental licenses.  

• Officials responsible for issuing permits and conducting inspections do not track unregistered operations, enabling these so-called ghost farms to operate unchecked for years.  

Widespread impact: Some of these operations have already contributed to unsafe waste disposal, air pollution, and water contamination, leading to bacterial infections in nearby communities. 

• But the risks extend beyond Poland, as the potentially compromised meat supply reaches millions of consumers.  

Antibiotic alarm: Poland’s packed industrial farms also rank among the highest users of veterinary antibiotics in the EU.  

• Chickens are often treated multiple times in their short lifespans, raising dangers of antimicrobial resistance. 

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! POLLUTION India’s Coal Expansion Fuels a Health Crisis    While India has committed to curbing fossil fuel usage in the long term, the short term looks much different as coal production rapidly expands to meet growing electricity demand.    At the center of this tension are towns like Jharia, home to open-pit mines that are key to the community’s livelihood—and central to residents’ suffering health.  

• Jharia’s air has the country’s highest concentration of coarse particulate matter, leading to high rates of respiratory illnesses including tuberculosis and asthma. 

India’s government has acknowledged the dangers, pledging to better manage the pollution and relocate residents to safer regions. But critics say it’s not happening fast enough.  

• Residents are “living on deathbeds,” said local doctor Sanjoy Mukherjee. “They should not be allowed to live here.” 

The Examination  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS After detainee dies at ICE detention center in California, Mexican officials call for investigation – Los Angeles Times via The Spokesman-Review    Evacuated from Gaza as newborns, a group of Palestinian toddlers returns to an uncertain future – AP     Is Trump killing the heralded U.S. effort to help the world battle HIV? – Science    Antidepressant Drug Fluvoxamine Reduces Fatigue in Long COVID Patients – Inside Precision Medicine    Are boys really in crisis? What the science says in the age of the manosphere – Nature    The wellness world is eager for RFK Jr.’s promised move on peptides – NPR    ‘Prosthetics aren’t made for people like us’: the brothers creating innovative artificial limbs for Africans – The Guardian  Issue No. 2890
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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McGill University has launched the Initiative for Transforming Healthcare (ITH) to apply a systems-based approach and advance technology-enabled solutions to drive change in Canadian healthcare.

Mounting pressures – from limited access to family doctors to surgical backlogs and emergency room crowding – are straining Canada’s health system. The Initiative will explore ways to resolve these growing challenges through cross-sector partnerships.

96 Global Health NOW: Is Mexico Missing the Target on Measles Response? and Surfers Turning the Tide on CPR Gender Gap View this email in your browser March 31, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Vaping is strongly linked to oral and lung cancer risk, per a comprehensive evidence review from Australian cancer researchers; there isn’t yet long-term vaping data to determine definitive risk, but they found evidence that vaping is associated with pre-carcinogenic changes, including DNA damage and inflammation. The Guardian
  Exposure to a common plastic additive may have contributed to 1.97 million preterm births in 2018 alone—8%+ of the global total—and 74,000 newborn deaths, per an eClinical Medicine study that showed similar risks with a common replacement phthalate, with the highest burden in South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. NYU Grossman School of Medicine and NYU Langone Health (news release)
  Armed conflict in Colombia has significantly impacted tuberculosis incidence and mortality, according to Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)-led research, with the most violent municipalities recording the highest TB case rates; the researchers note that conflict-fueled displacement creates poor living conditions––overcrowding, poor ventilation, and housing instability––that facilitate TB transmission and hamper treatment. News Medical
  U.S. cases of the “Cicada” COVID-19 variant, officially known as BA.3.2, are rising, though still at low levels; the variant, detected in at least 23 countries, has a highly mutated genetic sequence that could allow it to evade antibodies, per the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, highlighting the need for ongoing surveillance and vaccine effectiveness. Scientific American via Yahoo!  IN FOCUS Medical personnel in Mexico City administer measles vaccines to people attending the mass vaccination event at Parque de los Venados, on February 11. Gerardo Vieyra/NurPhoto via Getty Is Mexico Missing the Target on Measles Response?    The measles outbreak that spread throughout Mexico in the past year began when a child from Mexico’s Chihuahua state fell ill after returning from visiting relatives in Texas, NPR reports. From there, cases “ripped through” the Mennonite community, which is largely unvaccinated, and ultimately spread to all 32 Mexican states, per Outbreak News Today.

• Since January 2025, there have been 14,000+ confirmed cases and 35 deaths.

Mexico has responded with a broad vaccination campaign that generated long lines of all ages. But critics argue the approach needs more focus. Mexico vaccinated “broadly but not efficiently,” said Sergio Meneses Navarro, a researcher at Mexico's National Institute of Public Health, NPR reports. 
“We should be working in the most unprotected regions, with the most unprotected populations.” 
  Crucially: Migrant workers were a rare point of contact for the insular Mennonite communities where the outbreak began, reports Mexico Solidarity. The outbreak eventually broke through the contained communities to reach the migrant day laborer populations. The laborers—many of whom are Indigenous, are at high risk due to overcrowded living and working conditions and “years of neglect by the system,” said Andrés Castañeda Prado of the National Coordination of the National Public Security System.  
  Mexico's once-lauded vaccination system has deteriorated as the government stopped matching public health spending to population growth, NPR reports, while pandemic-era missed vaccines and growing hesitancy—particularly in hard-to-reach rural and Indigenous communities—created dangerous immunity gaps. 
  And even with a broad vaccination campaign, nurses are concerned many newly vaccinated patients won't return for second doses needed for full protection.   DATA POINT

250,000+
——————
People die from meningitis worldwide each year, per a Lancet Neurology report; children under 5 account for a third of all deaths. —CIDRAP
  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES EMERGENCY CARE  Surfers Turning the Tide on CPR Gender Gap    After learning that women are less likely than men to receive CPR or defibrillation in public emergencies, a group of surfers in Australia is advocating for more gender-equitable training.     Behind the disparity: A 2024 analysis by the New South Wales ambulance service found that women were 10% less likely than men to receive CPR from a public bystander, and 50% less likely to receive defibrillation—contributing to higher death rates during cardiac arrest.  

• Researchers say hesitation may stem from concerns about modesty, harm, or legal risks when chest exposure is required.  

Shifting the current: In response, the Yamba Surf Life Saving Club has launched the “CP-Her” initiative, advocating for more inclusive lifesaving training, including the use of female manikins.     Gaining momentum: Surf Life Saving Australia has already announced plans to update its lifesaver training guidelines to address the disparity.     ABC Australia  QUICK HITS First European case of H9N2 bird flu reported in Italy – what you need to know – The Conversation (commentary)     Gilead refuses to sell groundbreaking HIV prevention drug to MSF – MSF    These small African antelopes may help mpox spread – Science    How the next CDC director can win back America’s trust – STAT (commentary)    Radar device could help tackle growing number of prison deaths, scientists say – The Independent    Ordinary Lab Gloves May Have Skewed Microplastic Data – Nautilus

Paralysis in public health and policy: when evidence becomes an alibi – The Lancet Public Health (commentary)    What has happened to the people who lost their jobs in the aid cuts? – Devex (free registration required) Issue No. 2889
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: Listening to the Needs of India’s “Silent Village”; and The CDC’s Silence as U.S. Smoking Hits Historic Low View this email in your browser March 30, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES In a “logistical quagmire” caused by the Iran war, emergency cholera medical supplies bound for African countries are stranded in Dubai ahead of the high-risk rainy season; the kits create “mini field hospitals” equipped with rehydration and water treatments, and some were bound for Chad, which hosts Sudan war refugees. Reuters via KFGO
  Less than a quarter of LMICs meet the measles elimination target of at least 95% coverage for the first vaccine dose and several were deemed “critically low” with coverage below 50%, according to a new study underscoring the challenge of achieving herd immunity amid a global measles resurgence and ongoing barriers to vaccination. CIDRAP
  Physicians are warning of an emerging STI known as TMvii that is causing outbreaks in U.S. cities and can resemble other conditions; the infection, caused by Trichophyton mentagrophytes type VII, causes painful coin-sized rashes and has so far been seen primarily among sexually active gay men. Duke Global Health Institute
  Several U.S. states are moving toward requiring food makers to add folic acid to corn tortillas in an effort to prevent devastating neural tube defects in Hispanic newborns that could be caused by deficiency of the vitamin, which is required in other starchy staples; California was the first state to require fortification, and an Alabama law will take effect in June. AP IN FOCUS: GHN EXCLUSIVE A man works on a neighbor's house in Dhadkai, Jammu and Kashmir, India, on February 23. Safina Nabi Listening to the Needs of India’s “Silent Village”     DHADKAI, India––Dhadkai, nestled within Jammu and Kashmir, is often called the “Silent Village of India”––“known not only for its breathtaking landscape of steep hills and dense forests, but also for an unusually high number of residents who cannot hear or speak,” writes Safina Nabi. 

• For years, the hearing impairments—affecting ~90 of the village’s ~2,000 residents—were attributed to fate, environment, or lack of medical care, but research published in 2017 identified multiple genes that could be responsible in some patients. 

• In geographically isolated Dhadkai, marriages often take place within extended kinship networks—allowing certain genetic traits to concentrate over time.  

Exploring interventions: Possible solutions include gene therapy—working directly at the level of the gene to correct the defect. But as such treatments are not yet widely available in India, some researchers say premarital genetic counseling is a more practical approach. 
  Broader public health issues: Dhadkai also raises pressing public health issues, including rural disability care gaps that allow conditions such as hearing impairment to persist largely unaddressed, writes Nabi. She underscores the community’s limited access to routine newborn screening, genetic counseling, and early hearing intervention services––“support systems that, in many countries, help families make informed decisions and provide children with assistive technologies or language support within the first months of life.” 
  The quote: “Science has offered clarity,” Nabi writes. “What remains uncertain is whether policy and public health will move quickly enough to meet the needs of people living with its consequences.”  READ THE FULL STORY BY SAFINA NABI GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TOBACCO The CDC’s Silence as U.S. Smoking Hits Historic Low 
Cigarette smoking among U.S. adults reached a historic low in 2024, dropping below 10% for the first time.    But that milestone was not reported by the CDC. While the agency released the data on smoking last fall, detailed analysis was lacking after funding cuts eliminated the agency’s Office of Smoking and Health (OSH).    Stepping into the gaps: The analysis was published in the new digital journal NEJM Evidence by Israel Agaku, a former OSH epidemiologist who ran the data via his independent research company.  

• Despite the findings’ significance, Agaku and others lament the CDC’s detachment from what has long been a public health priority.  

The quote: “Anyone can generate a report. Few have the resources or institutional leverage and respect the CDC once had to make that result count,” Agaku said.    STAT  QUICK HITS Measles spike in federal detention facility reaches the Texas public, records show – The Texas Tribune     The Horrors That Could Lie Ahead if Vaccines Vanish – ProPublica     70% female, 30% male students suffer GBV in tertiary institutions – Vanguard    Alemnew Dagnew: TB Risk Should not Depend on Where We Are Born – Modern Ghana (commentary)    Like ‘driving to San Francisco and back, every week’: In rural America, cancer patients face tall hurdles to get care – CNN    Drinking Raw Milk Is Risky. Should People Be Able to Buy It Anyway? – The New York Times (gift link) Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!    “Bodies aren’t a trend”: Body positivity fight endures in the GLP-1 era – Axios  Issue No. 2888
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: U.S. Policies Amount to a Global Public Health Emergency, Researchers Argue; and Lessons From Romania’s Rapid Abortion Shifts Plus: 'Homeward Bound' on Steroids View this email in your browser March 26, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES A health crisis is “unfolding in real time” across the Middle East, according to WHO’s director in the region; Hanan Balkhy warned that, in addition to potential hits on nuclear sites and damage to the water supply, hospital closures are disrupting chronic illness treatment, and there are deep concerns about maternal and mental health, and children orphaned by the conflict. The Guardian 

The UK has launched a billion-pound pandemic preparedness plan—its first since a 2011 effort that focused on flu—promising a new approach including a new contact tracing system and PPE stockpiles, and more adaptable emergency measures. The Telegraph 

In Cuba, many doctors grappling with the constant stress of rationing care, severe supply shortages, and long patient waitlists are burning out, leaving the country, or working without pay as the country’s health care system slips deeper into decline amid a failing economy and a U.S.-imposed oil blockade. Reuters via Investing.com 

The White House has delayed nominating a permanent CDC director, meaning Jay Bhattacharya, who has served as acting director, will continue his duties as the administration extends its search; about a half dozen candidates are being “seriously considered.” The Washington Post (gift link)  IN FOCUS A health care professional measures a vaccine dose. Riverside, California, on February 2, 2021. Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty U.S. Policies Amount to a Global Public Health Emergency, Researchers Argue  
A “public health emergency of international concern” has never been declared over a single country’s political actions—but the Trump administration’s moves, including the disruption of U.S. foreign aid and development work, and pandemic preparedness efforts, constitute a PHEIC under international law, argue Matthew Herder and colleagues in a new peer-reviewed analysis published in The BMJ.       The argument: A PHEIC is defined as an “extraordinary event” that creates a “public health risk to other states through the international spread of disease,” which Herder, of Canada’s Dalhousie University, and co-authors say U.S. policies and defunding of global health initiatives could drive, particularly in LMICs.    Would this help, or harm?  

• A PHEIC declaration from the WHO could prompt further U.S. backlash, but the authors stress that hundreds of thousands of people have already died due to U.S. actions, per Medical Xpress. 

• Declaring a PHEIC can mobilize funding and facilitate the use of compulsory licensing of essential medicines. 

• Furthermore, it’s “Important to publish articles that provoke debate and encourage different ways of thinking at problems,” says BMJ’s international editor, Jocalyn Clark, on Bluesky.   

The Quote: “ ... We should not wait to call the U.S. president and his administration for what it is—the worst public health emergency in the world—and act accordingly,” Herder and co-authors conclude.    Related: Why the expanded global gag rule is a deadly triple tripwire for recipients of US foreign aid – The BMJ  REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS  Lessons From Romania’s Rapid Abortion Shifts 
To see how abortion policy can dramatically impact maternal mortality, Romania’s history offers a stark picture.  

Maternal mortality fell steadily across Europe from 1965–1985. But in Romania over that period, the rate surged ~150%.  

Why? Abortion was readily accessible in Romania from 1957 to 1966, when Nicolae Ceaușescu abruptly restricted the practice, along with contraception. After that, births nearly doubled within a year.  

• With the rise of pregnancies came a spike in abortions from untrained providers. By the 1980s, over 80% of maternal deaths were linked to unsafe abortions.  

About-face: When legalization quickly resumed in 1989, deaths dropped again.  

Our World in Data 

OPPORTUNITY Apply by April 1 for a Travel Award to Attend ASTMH 2026  
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene is accepting applications for travel grants to attend the ASTMH 2026 Annual Meeting, November 18–22, 2026, at Gaylord National Harbor, Maryland, in the U.S. 

• The 2026 Annual Meeting Travel Award is available to all qualified students, early-career investigators, and scientists actively working in tropical medicine and global health. 

• ASTMH members and non-members are eligible to apply, especially those from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.   

• Recipients receive complimentary meeting registration, round-trip coach airfare, and a stipend to offset travel costs. 

How to apply: Applicants must submit an online application for the travel award and submit an abstract.

1) Apply for an Annual Meeting Travel Award 

2) Submit an Abstract 

• Deadline to Apply: April 1, 2026 

• View the Guidelines 

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Homeward Bound on Steroids 
When we first saw a viral video of seven dogs traveling together on a highway in China’s Jilin province, the first thought was: We’re not falling for this AI slop!

Extraordinarily, the video is actually real. The backstory we’re less sure about.

But the internet never lets the truth get in the way of a good story. Legions of netizens are choosing to believe that a Corgi named Dapang—or “big fatty”—really did lead a group of wayward dog friends 17km back to their village after they allegedly chewed through the cages of a meat truck, as South China Morning Post reports. Chinese state media’s claim that they were local dogs on a routine walkabout—not so fun.

The return of one missing pet feels miraculous enough. When seven missing dogs—all close friends—vanish from a village, and not one, not three, but all of them return home safe? The internet “literally just burst into tears,” and started demanding Pixar movies. 

Not to be greedy, but we now also need to see the look on Dapang’s mom's face when, just as she was losing hope, the heroic Corgi trotted back into her home like nothing had happened.

We’d settle for AI-generated.

QUICK HITS Scientists call out health-harming corporations driving rise in chronic disease – University of Sydney via EurekAlert

Means’ surgeon general nomination is stalled as senators question her experience and vaccine stance – AP 
 
Yep, a mom's COVID shot during pregnancy protects her baby, a large study finds – NPR  
 
Why do some viruses linger for life? A 900,000-person study maps viral loads – Harvard Medical School via Medical Xpress 
 
The Problem With Promoting 'Gold Standard Science'  – Undark (commentary) Issue No. 2887
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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

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96 Global Health NOW: Nigeria’s Transformative Focus on Fistula Surgery; and The Shifting Frontier of Fecal Transplants View this email in your browser March 25, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES A landmark verdict against Meta from a New Mexico jury determined that the company knowingly harmed children’s mental health and concealed child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms in violation of state law; the case is among the first in a wave of such lawsuits filed in U.S. states against Meta. NPR 
 
A Thai court has ruled that an Australian-owned mine is responsible for toxic runoff and its health effects in a decade-old case filed by hundreds of villagers in northern Thailand; the court has ordered compensation for affected residents in the verdict, which could set a precedent for future environmental litigation in the country. AP 
 
Global maternal mortality numbers reflect policy shifts between U.S. presidential administrations, with countries heavily reliant on U.S. aid seeing a 10.5% increase in maternal mortality following a switch from a Democratic to a Republican administration—when family planning and reproductive aid is typically revoked under the Mexico City Policy. BMJ Global Health 
 
Drought conditions may lead to elevated antibiotic resistance in soil microbes, per new research published in Nature Microbiology, which found that lower water content favored the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in soil microbial communities—the source of many antibiotics used in clinical medicine. CIDRAP   IN FOCUS Nigeria Health Watch Nigeria’s Transformative Focus on Fistula Surgery     
Women living with vesicovaginal fistula in Nigeria not only endure physical suffering and incontinence; they often face profound stigma and isolation, describing their lives as “dead.”  

• “I suffered silently for years, afraid to go anywhere, afraid to be seen,” said survivor Victoria Ifeanyichukwu.  

Reparative surgery can be life-changing, but it’s financially out of reach for many women in Nigeria, where most health expenses are paid out of pocket. 
 
Insurance intervention: Nigeria’s National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is providing access to the procedure with a coverage program geared toward fistula patients. 

• 17 facilities across Nigeria providing fistula surgery are now being funded by the NHIA and state health insurance agencies—covering women’s out-of-pocket expenses for the surgery. 

• These patients are then additionally enrolled into broader health insurance programs, ensuring continuity of care.  

• In Kano state, 2,157 women have benefited from the fistula program, and in Ebonyi State, ~79 women have been enrolled into ongoing health insurance. 

Nigeria Health Watch  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES PHARMACEUTICALS The Shifting Frontier of Fecal Transplants    Within the last five years, the FDA has approved fecal microbiota transplant drugs for hard-to-treat C. diff infections, creating more standard prescription protocols for what has long been a treatment practiced at hospitals’ discretion.     New frontiers, narrowed access: Yet this new approval has led to stricter prescription rules, high drug costs, and regulations on suppliers of fecal transplant material—limiting access for many. 

• The FDA-approved drugs are not approved for children, or for people who are immunocompromised.  

• The nonprofit stool bank OpenBiome, which had sent ~72,000 treatments to hospitals over a decade, had its shipments halted by the FDA in 2024. 

A complex quest for care: Caught in a gap, many people ineligible for the drugs now must embark on a “torturous journey” to find alternative transplant options.     STAT  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS New therapies are transforming treatment for drug-resistant TB – so why aren’t people getting them? – The Telegraph

Tuberculosis Cases and Deaths Averted by PEPFAR – New England Journal of Medicine (commentary)

Infertility Is A Public Health Issue – Health Affairs     ‘A Mass Disaster Nonstop’: Inside the Turmoil at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s C.D.C. – The New York Times (gift link)     Trump health vacancies offer chances to change course – Axios     Navigating vaccine hesitancy as a woman recently arrived in Canada: a journey of building trust – CMAJ  

New COVID variant with immune escape potential confirmed in US, 22 other countries – CIDRAP

Cuba sends doctors on medical missions. The U.S. isn't a fan – NPR  Issue No. 2886
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: A New Form of Diabetes Comes for the Undernourished; and Curbing Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan View this email in your browser March 24, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Pfizer will seek regulatory approval for a Lyme disease vaccine candidate that it says shows strong efficacy—reducing the risk of developing the infection by more than 70% in people who received the vaccine versus placebo; Pfizer acknowledged, though, that not enough participants contracted the disease for conclusive confidence, potentially complicating the path to approval. CNBC
  NIH grant terminations over the last year affected women scientists more than men, per a paper in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences that shows that women had, on average, 57.9% of their grant affected, compared to ~48.2% for men; early career women were disproportionately affected despite receiving less NIH funding in general. STAT
  Suriname confirmed a significant rise in chikungunya cases in an outbreak declared in January with 1,357+ confirmed infections, one confirmed death and another under investigation; health officials say the actual caseload may be 3X higher. Outbreak News Today 
  Four U.S. states that mandated more frequent syphilis screening during pregnancy and at delivery saw a 26% rise in case detection, per an observational study in JAMA Health Forum, but the effect faded in the year after the mandates began, indicating the measures may require complementary supports for clinicians and patients, the researchers posit. MedPage Today  IN FOCUS A New Form of Diabetes Comes for the Undernourished    Across Africa, diabetes now poses a mortality threat that rivals infectious diseases like malaria and HIV—but is far less recognizable. 

• An estimated 54 million Africans have diabetes—which can cause blindness, amputations, and death. But many cases go undiagnosed. 

In Cameroon, 75% of people with diabetes are unaware they have the disease. Only a third of diagnosed patients receive treatment, and cost is a devastating barrier.     While infectious disease programs targeting malaria and HIV provide free treatment, there is no such support for diabetes care. Diagnostic tests are unaffordable for most, and a month's insulin supply costs an entire month's wages for basic laborers.    The crisis is compounded by a newly recognized form of the disease—Type 5 diabetes—believed to be caused by malnutrition that prevents normal pancreas development. This “insidious form” is particularly overlooked because diabetes is not typically associated with underweight, undernourished patients.    There are hopes that a growing drug industry in Cameroon will start to produce both insulin and other drugs and supplies, and that the growing domestic market will help bring down prices.     But in the meantime, with “few resources for research and even less time,” physicians are focusing their resources on screening and prevention, including equipping primary health workers with blood glucose meters and blood pressure machines.    The New York Times (gift link)  DATA POINT

More than 1 in 5
————————  

Number of new tuberculosis cases in Europe that are unreported by health services––a critical detection gap revealed in the TB Surveillance and Monitoring in Europe 2026 report published today by the WHO/Europe and the ECDC, marking World Tuberculosis Day. —WHO

Related: New Tongue-Swab TB Test Could Help Eradicate the Disease, WHO Says – Forbes

HUMAN RIGHTS Curbing Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan    In 1990s Kyrgyzstan, domestic violence was rarely discussed openly and few legal or social resources were in place to support survivors.     But after three decades of dedicated work, advocates have made steady progress from silence to support, including: 

• Laws addressing family abuse. 

• A growing number of crisis centers and hotlines. 

• An increase in trained psychologists.  

• Work with international groups to stop sex trafficking.  

The quote: “If even one person who has suffered remains without protection, then we still haven’t done everything we must,” said Bübyusara Ryskulova, who founded the Sezim crisis center in 1998 to support survivors.    
UN Wire  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS ‘The whole country is doing it’: how illegal kidney traders target Pakistan’s desperate brick kiln workers – The Guardian   Trump's visa freeze sidelines immigrant doctors – Axios     "We've Been in Famine for Months": Life in Post-Ceasefire Gaza – Think Global Health (commentary)     Africa Rejects New Draft Text – Health Policy Watch     How the term ‘neurodivergent’ moved from activists to pop culture — and politics – The 19th

By finding 'bright spots' in the opioid crisis, VCU researchers are mapping a path to better outcomes – VCU News / Virginia Commonwealth University  Issue No. 2885
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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

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


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The World Health Organization (WHO) called on Tuesday for countries to step up action to end tuberculosis (TB) – one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers – by expanding access to new diagnostic tools that can help save lives.