Global drug use reaches record high as increasingly potent synthetic drugs spread
Deaths in US immigration custody must be investigated: UN rights chief
Global Health NOW: Mapping Childhood Adversity; and Lithuania’s Doctor Shortage
June 25, 2026
TOP STORIESIn Venezuela, a frantic rescue effort is underway after twin 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes yesterday killed at least 32 and injured 700; road closures, power outages, and communication disruptions are complicating the rescue effort in the country where the emergency response capacity and health system have been weakened by years of political and economic tumult. The New York Times (gift link)
Dengue is surging in Sri Lanka, where the military has been deployed to assist in mosquito control after 1,000+ cases were reported in a single day; ~19,000 cases have been reported in June so far, leading to fears that the caseload threatens to overwhelm hospitals and clinics. The Telegraph
Amid a flu outbreak of nearly 300 at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, flu vaccines are once again mandatory; after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s repeal of the vaccine mandate for the military in late April, only 40% of recruits at Lackland elected to get the shot. AP
$1.4 billion+ in emergency Ebola funding has been requested by the Trump administration to help combat the spiraling outbreak in Africa; the funding, described as a "national security measure,” is one of the most significant U.S. health-related spending initiatives on the continent since drastic cuts to aid programs, and will support infection control, contact tracing, and a quarantine center in Kenya for Americans. Business Insider
IN FOCUSVolunteer teachers lead morning lessons for children displaced by fighting at a Norwegian Refugee Council-supported school. Tawila, North Darfur, Sudan, February 22. Giles Clarke/Avaaz via Getty
Mapping Childhood AdversityMillions of children worldwide have their early years shaped by stress, trauma, or abuse. Such adverse childhood experiences, known as ACEs, can have lifelong detrimental effects on physical and mental health—and are associated with premature morbidity and mortality, per an editorial published in The Lancet Public Health.
With such widespread and varied childhood harm, what can be done to improve outcomes as kids grow up?
A new Lancet series seeks to help answer that question by more specifically mapping the global burden of ACEs, and by shining a light on the outsized impact of ACES among young people experiencing homelessness.
Together, the studies provide one of the most comprehensive pictures yet of how childhood adversity shapes health and social outcomes—and what policymakers can do to improve outcomes.
Key findings:
A meta-analysis of the global prevalence of ACEs led by researchers from the University of Calgary drew on 1,000+ studies involving 2.6 million adults across 102 countries. They found ACEs are widespread globally, with emotional abuse the most common experience (28%), followed by parental separation or divorce (24%), emotional neglect (22%), and household substance misuse (22%).
Another review on adversity faced by youth experiencing homelessness led by researchers at Charité – Universitätsmedisin Berlin, found nearly all youth reported at least one ACE, including disproportionate rates of physical abuse (62%) and sexual abuse (27%).
Guiding prevention: Such data must “guide where prevention efforts should focus,” argues an accompanying editorial—from parenting support and mental health services to violence prevention.
For youth experiencing homelessness, researchers call for integrated, trauma-informed models that combine housing, healthcare, social services, and “upstream prevention of child maltreatment,” per another commentary.
Related: Save the date: 2nd Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children – WHO and UNICEF
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HEALTHCARE WORKFORCELithuania’s Doctor Shortage DebateAs Lithuania grapples with a growing doctor shortage in rural areas, lawmakers and doctors are at odds about how best to address the crisis.
Background: By 2032, Lithuania is projected to have a deficit of 269 family doctors, 207 internal medicine doctors, and 146 pediatricians.
Lawmakers’ solution: Parliament has voted to fund 385 medical residencies—with a stipulation: Most doctors who complete the state-funded residency program will be required to work five years in a shortage-affected region.
Doctors’ opposition: Junior doctors plan to challenge the rule in court, calling it overly restrictive and saying it fails to address a more complex question: “Why do doctors choose, or choose not, to work in regional areas?” said Laurynas Maciulevičius, Lithuania’s Junior Doctors Association president.
Other European strategies to address shortages range from financial incentives to expanding career development opportunities, per a 2022 WHO report.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Now Hear ThisWe’ve all encountered our own version of the loudest person in the world: the woman talking on speakerphone on the train; the dad at the youth soccer game who insists that “I’M NOT YELLING!”; or our own baby wailing on a long-haul flight.
But the world’s actual loudest person has officially made himself heard: 58-year-old Australian Joseph McGrail-Bateup has made the Guinness Book of World Records for bellowing the word “now”—sorry, “NOW!!!!”—at the ear- and record-splitting volume of 122.4 decibels. That’s within range of a chainsaw, a jet taking off, and a nearby ambulance siren.
Resounding success: While McGrail-Bateup told the AP you “can’t really practice” for such a feat, it seems like his role of being Canberra’s honorary town crier might have helped a smidge (Just turn your speaker volume down before sampling his jubilant “oyez”).
Still echoing: The previous longstanding record was set in 1994 by a Northern Ireland schoolteacher who, quite understandably, hollered the word “quiet.”
QUICK HITSThe Ebola Outbreak's Central Mystery: Where Did This Virus Come From? – The New York Times (gift link)
Life and death in an Ebola virus disease treatment center – The Lancet
Why are crisis pregnancy centers saying they can 'rule out' ectopic pregnancy? – NPR
Ukraine: The Hidden Battle to Protect Millions from Tuberculosis and Other Deadly Diseases – The Global Fund
Years without fluoridated water show pattern of tooth decay experts warned about– CBC
Pandemic pathogens, dengue, cholera were world’s largest emerging infectious disease burdens from 2000 to 2022 – CIDRAP
Vermont is the first state to ban paraquat, a weed killer linked to Parkinson’s disease – AP
Singing the Shopping List: How Music Can Rewire the Brain After Stroke – Knowable
Issue No. 2399
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Global Health NOW 062426
June 24, 2026
TOP STORIESThe use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in Sudan amounts to a war crime and possibly crimes against humanity, per a UN OHCHR report issued yesterday that documents such violence in 16 of Sudan’s 18 states; the report calls for immediate and long-term actions by parties in the conflict, Sudanese authorities, and the international community. UN News
500+ mothers and babies died or were harmed amid widespread substandard care at Nottingham University hospitals, finds an inquiry into the NHS trust; the 401-page report describes routine understaffing and dangerously poor and sometimes “cruel” treatment over a period of 13 years. The Guardian
A study on COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness blocked from publication in a CDC journal by the Trump administration has now been published in JAMA Network Open; the study found that the vaccine was ~55% effective against virus-associated hospitalizations and reduced related trips to EDs and urgent care clinics by 50%. AP
A U.S. federal judge blocked a Trump administration move to let states bar recipients from using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program money to purchase soda and candy, Politico reports; separately, according to a ProPublica analysis published last week, the number of U.S. children receiving food assistance has plummeted by at least 776,000 since the Trump administration rolled out changes to the federal food benefits.
IN FOCUSSwimmers sunbathe on the banks of the Canal Saint-Martin in Paris during a heat wave, on June 20. Arnaud Finistre/AFP via Getty
Europe’s Heat EmergencyAs Europe endures one of its most extreme early-summer heat waves on record, communities are closing schools, restricting outdoor activities and sports, mobilizing emergency responders, and struggling to maintain power, water, and transport systems under strain, reports the AP.
Intensifying toll: 350 million+ people—roughly two-thirds of Europe’s population—are seeing temperatures above 30°C (86°F), reports The Guardian.
The heat wave is being driven by an “Omega block”—a high-pressure weather pattern that is trapping a mass of hot air over Europe, reports Reuters via Yahoo.
This year’s risks fit a larger trend, as the continent warms at 2X+ the global average, leading to 200,000+ heat-related deaths over the past four years—including ~1,500 people in May’s heat wave, per the AP.
Dangers and disruptions:
In France, which recorded its hottest day on record yesterday (44.3°C/111.7°F), 40 drowning deaths have been reported as people seek relief in rivers and canals.
845 schools closed in France; in England, ~300 schools closed amid the nation’s failure to adapt for heat, per another Guardian report.
Scrambling to adapt: One billion more people worldwide now face at least one day of “extreme heat stress” annually compared to the 1970s, per a study published in Nature Climate Change, reports ABC News via WBAL. As dangers escalate, so does the body of research seeking adaptation strategies:
In Belgium and the Netherlands, researchers are studying how migrant communities experienced with heat can shape urban adaptation strategies, per Belga News Agency.
And the new South Asia Hub of the Global Heat Health Information Network finds that adaptations like cool roofs can reduce deaths and the burden on infrastructure, per the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Related:
How India’s heatwaves are shutting schools – and pushing women out of the workforce – The Guardian
New report documents Singapore’s multi-stakeholder approach to urban heat resilience – National University of Singapore, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine (news release)
THE LATEST: EBOLAAs Ebola cases surge over 1,000, experts say outbreak could be the worst ever – The Washington Post (gift link)
US releases experimental Ebola drug for DR Congo outbreak trials – RFI
France reports first Ebola case in doctor returning from Congo – The Independent
Construction of US-backed Ebola quarantine unit in Kenya is stopped – CIDRAP
Ebola Symptoms in Current Outbreak May Be Milder Than in Previous Ones – The New York Times (gift link)
ESSENTIAL READING STIsAustralia’s Syphilis ResurgenceOver the past decade, syphilis cases in Australia have nearly doubled, rising from 4,773 in 2015 to 8,993 in 2025 and leading health officials last year to declare the outbreak a “communicable disease incident of national significance.”
Impact on infants: The disease’s comeback has especially impacted newborns, with 130 cases of congenital syphilis reported in the last 10 years, resulting in 42 deaths, per the Australian CDC.
First Nations children accounted for 60% of those deaths.
Northern Territory nexus: Infection rates in the country’s Northern Territory are 7.5X the national average.
Especially high prevalence among Aboriginal communities has led health leaders to adopt culturally informed health worker training and expand community-led testing efforts.
US: Millions Lost Health Insurance When Subsidies Expired – Human Rights Watch
Treating Elephantiasis Cuts HIV Risk In Tanzania – Eurasia Review
The Covid Czar People Still Trust – The New York Times (commentary/gift link)
Cannabis increases the risk of psychotic episodes, but legalization does not always have the same consequences – El País
Does it seem easier to book a dermatologist for Botox than a mole check? You're not alone – CBC
How I used public radio to recruit 20,000 participants for a peer-reviewed study on walking breaks – STAT
Issue No. 2398
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Lives at risk in DR Congo as Ebola outbreak continues to outpace response
Global Health NOW: Filipino Youths Pulled to Vaping; and Bigger Vehicles, More American Deaths
June 23, 2026
TOP STORIESIndia is facing a drastic shortage of two critical chemotherapy drugs because of sharp increases in the price of platinum and supply chain problems; ~20% of cancer patients worldwide rely on platinum-based chemotherapy. The Telegraph
Australia will continue to allow the use of paraquat, an herbicide banned in 70 countries, because of its link to Parkinson’s disease; the pesticides regulatory board made the decision after a decades-long review found no causal link between the weedkiller and the disease. The Guardian
Dozens of Haitian medical students protested outside the prime minister’s residence in Musseau yesterday, demanding that the general hospital be reopened: “We are ready to serve the population. Unfortunately, the State is not providing the necessary infrastructure,” protesters said. Haitian Hearts
U.S. DEA officials didn’t intervene as hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills were distributed in New Mexico from 2023 to 2025; instead, the agency tracked shipments as federal prosecutors built criminal cases against traffickers. AP
IN FOCUSYoung Filipinos who participated in a focus group study believed that they were the main target of e-cigarette marketing. Institute for Global Tobacco Control
Filipino Youths Pulled to VapingAs adolescent vaping surges in the Philippines, young people say they are drawn to the products through a compelling range of marketing tactics: trendy product design, fun flavors, social media influencers, and endless online trends.
Those are just some of the findings from a study by the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which surveyed 171 Filipino participants ages 13–20.
The study was conducted as vaping prevalence among youths skyrocketed from 7.5% in 2021 to ~40% in 2023.
The surge followed passage of a July 2022 law allowing previously banned flavors and dropping the minimum purchase age from 21 to 18, per IGTC.
Sweet scents and social capital: Flavors—especially sweet, fruity, or candy-esque—and product design are appealing, but media portrayals of vaping as a symbol of an aspirational lifestyle are normalizing the products in “dangerous” ways, researchers told Inquirer.net.
“Vape promotion is reaching them at every turn,” said lead study author Tuo-Yen Tseng.
After decades of improvement, U.S. pedestrian fatalities have increased by ~75% since 2009. One key culprit, per an extensive New York Times analysis: The growing popularity of larger pickups and SUVs.
200–400 deaths per year—or ~10% of pedestrian deaths—could have been avoided if vehicle sizes had remained similar to those of the early 2000s, found the investigation.
Why? Two key reasons:
Higher hoods: More vehicles’ hoods are now taller than the average American’s center of gravity, making them more likely to knock people to the ground and increasing the risk of fatal injuries.
Bigger blind zones: Blind spots have expanded substantially in popular truck models, making it much harder for drivers to spot pedestrians.
The New York Times (gift link)
QUICK HITSEbola outbreak in DR Congo tops 1,000 cases, at least 254 dead – CIDRAP
Displaced in Lebanon, Women Search for Water, Privacy and Dignity – More to Her Story
Who will lead the WHO after Trump's retreat? – Politico
‘The law is clear’: Sasha Stevenson fights back as vigilantes try to keep migrants out of clinics – Bhekisisa
‘Healed Healers Heal’: Inside the Push for an Indigenous Medical School – Native News Online
Indiana Takes On Powerful Hospitals by Capping Prices They Charge Employers – KFF Health News
A blood test that screens for multiple types of cancer? It may be available soon – NPR
Issue No. 2397
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Ebola in DR Congo: first month of outbreak sees record number of cases – UN humanitarians
Global Health NOW: Hantavirus and Ebola Raise Questions About Quarantine; and Sidelining the CDC in Global Health
June 22, 2026
TOP STORIESAI helped diagnose 18 children with rare diseases at Boston Children’s Hospital, finds a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine’s NEJM AI; the OpenAI o3 model was used to analyze patient genomes and helped identify new diagnoses for the patients, including rare neurodevelopmental diseases, neuromuscular disorders, early psychosis, and factors that led to sudden deaths. The Independent
A major flu outbreak has sickened ~160 U.S. troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, less than two months after Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth declared U.S. troops would no longer be required to receive the flu vaccine; since then, only ~40% of Air Force trainees have opted to get the vaccine. The New York Times (gift link)
The Department of Health and Human Services is proposing updates to testosterone replacement therapy labels after reviewing new data; the update could mean that more men with age-related low testosterone could access the therapy, as well as potential revisions to warnings on enlarged prostate and prostate cancer risk. Reuters
Uganda will require emission checks on vehicles after data showed that high air pollution levels in Kampala account for around one in five adult deaths from natural causes there; recent exhaust tests on the city’s aging fleet of vehicles showed nitrogen oxide emissions 9X+ higher than European limits. The Telegraph
IN FOCUSPassengers evacuated from the MV Hondius board UME buses, on May 11, in Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Europa Press Canarias via Getty Images
Hantavirus and Ebola Raise Questions About QuarantineToday has been dubbed ‘Freedom Day’ for quarantined passengers of the Dutch cruise ship the MV Hondius, whose release today in their home countries marks the close of an 80-day hantavirus outbreak that infected 13 people and claimed three lives, reports The Telegraph.
But the questions and debate surrounding outbreak response continue—especially regarding quarantine—and now take on fresh urgency as the struggle to contain Ebola in the DRC grows.
End of an outbreak: The quarantine period was six weeks—the maximum known incubation window for the Andes strain of the virus. No additional cases emerged during that time.
Isolation: protection or coercion? The outbreak exposed a spectrum of differences in how countries balanced public safety and individual liberty, reports the AFP via Yahoo!News.
Passengers in the UK were “voluntarily” isolated at home with daily well-being checks and grocery deliveries.
Others, such as U.S. passengers, faced mandatory quarantine measures, including one passenger whose initial medical clearance for release from quarantine last week was overruled by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Legal experts described the measure as “arbitrary” and “authoritarian,” and warned it could undermine public trust in future emergencies, reports The Guardian.
A multipronged crisis in DRC: Those concerns are now echoed in the DRC, where hungry Ebola patients have fled treatment centers in search of food, reports Bloomberg via The Straits Times.
Aid agencies say hunger and inadequate medical support have become major barriers to containment. More than 150 patients have reportedly fled Ebola treatment facilities.
“In this environment, isolation is seen [by Ebola patients] as a coercive mechanism that prioritizes abstract public health metrics over the welfare of individual patients, rather than a pathway to healing,” per a commentary published in The New England Journal of Medicine.
Related: Ebola and hantavirus can start like the flu but turn deadly fast – ScienceDaily
THE QUOTE“The world’s policymakers are in Lisbon, yet here I am in Uganda, trying to explain to an embassy why I should have the right to travel. ... The WHO says we need ‘midwifery models of care’. I have a rare example of this, but I’ve been silenced.”
——————————–––
—Harriet Akello, from Uganda, who was among the eminent African and Asian midwives denied visas to attend a key maternal and child health conference in Lisbon last week.
The U.S. CDC’s role in global health programs will be drastically curtailed later this year, as the State Department assumes more control of such programs and funds following the dismantling of USAID.
Background: The CDC’s international offices and established partnerships have long helped administrate PEPFAR and related programs, including outbreak investigations, immunization campaigns, and disease surveillance in vulnerable countries.
But under the new structure, the State Department plans to offer transactional, country-by-country funding agreements, which include the option to choose from a “menu” of 34 itemized health-related services such as disease surveillance.
The overhaul is raising concerns that governments will scale back critical prevention programs—weakening laboratory networks, disrupting HIV care for millions, and undermining outbreak investigations.
“This is the end of autonomy and independence and long-term capacity at the CDC for work in global health,” said Atul Gawande, a former head of global health at USAID.
The New York Times (gift link)
Related: These 3 brothers lost their parents to AIDS. Now they struggle to make it on their own – NPR
QUICK HITSFederal grant delays could jeopardize essential disability services, research – STAT
China launches probe into baby diaper chemical safety concerns – Xinhua
FDA panel backs first-of-its-kind flu vaccine using mRNA technology – AP
Researchers caught in the crossfire as companies and governments grapple over AI safety – Science
Most sunscreen content on TikTok is accurate, but it’s the misinfo that goes viral – NBC News
Issue No. 2936
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Global Ebola cases top 1,000 as UN races to reach DR Congo’s most vulnerable
World at ‘perilous moment’ as leaders warn HIV gains are at risk
Ebola in DR Congo: One month on, scaled up response remains insufficient
DR Congo: Efforts ramp up as Ebola outbreak accelerates beyond borders
Global Health NOW: The Evolving Fight Against Malaria
June 18, 2026
TOP STORIESThe WHO has released Ebola and Marburg clinical care guidelines as the DRC outbreak grows, with the recommended response to such filovirus diseases including a focus on early treatment and close patient monitoring, per Devdiscourse; meanwhile, advocacy groups are urging the U.S. government to make an experimental antibody treatment available for trials and emergency use in the DRC, per CIDRAP.
Pakistan plans to abolish its “period tax” on sanitary products after young advocates took the government to court over the charges; commercial period products have historically been used by a minority of women in Pakistan because of their cost. The Guardian
The COVID-19 vaccine reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events linked to the virus by ~40%, finds a new study published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine; the findings, which showed reduced risk of strokes, heart attacks, and hospitalization from heart disease suggest such benefits have persisted years after the COVID vaccine’s initial introduction. The Washington Post (gift link)
No cervical cancer deaths in women 20–24 were recorded in England from 2020 to 2024, a result of the HPV vaccine being offered to girls 12–13 in the country since 2008, finds a new study in The Lancet; the findings are the first evidence that the vaccine prevents cervical cancer-related deaths in addition to dramatically reducing HPV infections. New Scientist
IN FOCUSPatrica Atim and her baby sit next to a treated mosquito net in Miciri A village in Apac District, Uganda
on April 7, 2025. Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty Images
The Evolving Fight Against MalariaThe fight against malaria in 2026 is full of ever-shifting front lines. Threats are evolving—from mosquitoes’ building resistance to insecticide, to the devastating disruption of sudden global aid cuts last year.
But the toolkit is growing too, as scientists discover innovative mosquito control methods and communities adopt new prevention strategies.
The bottom line is that there is no silver bullet in the malaria fight, researchers and public health leaders say. Instead, the arsenal must be diverse and adaptable—combining proven interventions, next-generation technologies, and most importantly, sustained investment to combat the disease that led to ~600,000 deaths in 2024.
Forced to adapt: After USAID funding was slashed last year, the impact was felt immediately in Nigeria’s Sokoto state. Available rapid diagnostic tests fell from ~21,000 per quarter to ~700, and stockouts of malaria medicines and tests reached 48% this spring, reports Forbes.
Community health leaders focused on continuing malaria chemoprevention programs for young children, but they warn that any gains could be lost without reliable infrastructure—calling the funding crisis a “clarion call” for more sustainable Nigeria-based programs.
Defenses needing reinforcement: While insecticide-treated bed nets remain highly effective at reducing malaria, their overall performance varies by region, finds a study published in Infectious Diseases.
Insecticide resistance, changing mosquito behavior, and uneven net use lead to varying outcomes across different communities, highlighting the need for close local monitoring and adaptability, per James Cook University (news release).
Introducing new tools: Meanwhile, researchers have identified a new ally in the fight against malaria: an orange yeast, Rhodotorula taiwanensis, that appears capable of both attracting and trapping malaria-carrying mosquitoes, per Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (news release).
The yeast could form the basis of low-cost, biodegradable mosquito traps, per a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Related: DNDi and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) pool regulatory expertise to accelerate access to lifesaving medicines – DNDi
VAPINGA New Generation of Nicotine Addiction in South AfricaSince electronic cigarettes were introduced in South Africa in 2012, they have remained entirely unregulated. Over a decade later, the impacts of such wide-open access are coming into focus, especially among young people, per a 2024 survey of 25,000 high schoolers published in eClinicalMedicine.
Toll on teens: ~17% of students responded that they were vape users, and of those, 61% showed signs of addiction, reporting that they couldn’t get through a day without their device.
Failure to act: A wide-ranging bill that aims to regulate most tobacco products, including vapes, has been stalled in the country’s parliament since 2018.
Advocates for regulation say a separate, more limited under-18 ban would be easier to pass—and is overdue.
The annual Canada Gairdner Awards celebrate the world’s best biomedical and global health researchers, including:
The Canada Gairdner International Awards ($250,000): a celebration of the original contributions that change our understanding of human biology and disease, aimed at recognizing the world’s brightest minds in medicine.
The Canada Gairdner Global Health Awards ($100,000): to recognize scientists making strides in addressing global health inequities through exceptional scientific research.
Deadline: Nominations for the 2027 International and Global Health Awards due by 11:59 p.m., PDT, October 1, 2026.
Visit the Gairdner awards website, join a webinar, submit a nomination, or connect with the awards team to learn more.
Many of us have been thrown off by cat interruptions, like a tail appearing mid-Zoom, or your colleague appearing to turn into one. But try playing dead Romeo in front of a live, cackling audience while a stray tabby swats at your face and eats your hair.
In a dazzling display of ‘show must go on-ness’ that deserves some kind of special award, Romeo remained very much dead while being accosted by the wayward feline during an amphitheater production of Romeo and Juliet by the Imperial Russian Ballet Company in Izmir, Turkey.
While it’s been widely read as a simple snafu, the cat’s behavior suggests a retelling of the romance involving two star-crossed lovers … and a jealous cat.
How else does one explain why the intrepid cat—now dubbed Romeow—“spent the final death scene trying to revive Romeo,” (by sticking its butt in his face), and then simply “groomed itself during Juliet’s final moments.” Stunning performances all around.
Cats and cast alike: We drink to thee.
QUICK HITSEbola and the US patient spotlight global health 'injustice' – DW
RFK Jr. announces $700M investment in addiction services, emphasizing faith-based organizations – The Hill
Scientists Find Intriguing Link Between Ozempic and Violent Behavior – Gizmodo
A Roadmap to Effective Gun Violence Policy – Think Global Health (commentary)
AI tool could speed antibiotic development – NIH
Dutch children are unusually happy and healthy. Is it because of this walking ritual? – The Guardian
Issue No. 2935
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Fermentation, flavour and the future of food: Making sustainability delicious
Prativa Baral awarded CIHR’s STEPS Team Grant
CIHR funded team will create a new blueprint for public health emergencies: a pan-Canadian Civilian Emergency Reserve
Global Health NOW: Ebola Response Struggles to Keep Pace; and Ad-hoc Adaptability in Informal Settlements
June 17, 2026
TOP STORIESU.S. infant mortality fell to an all-time low in 2025, preliminary CDC data show, dropping to 5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births from 5.5 in 2024—translating to hundreds fewer infant deaths per year; despite the decline, the U.S. continues to trail other high-income countries in infant mortality. AP
Drinking 0.85 ounces of alcohol per day increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 10%–30%, per a meta-analysis published in the International Journal of Alcohol and Drug Research; the analysis, led by researchers from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, controlled for potentially confounding factors like former drinker bias, age, and smoking history. Medical Xpress
Continued hantavirus quarantine has been ordered for one American passenger exposed to the virus on a cruise ship; despite CDC recommendations that she be allowed to quarantine in her home state of Florida, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed an updated order this week to keep her isolated at a federal facility in Nebraska. The Hill
A new STI global database was launched by the WHO this week; the “dynamic” open-source database will consolidate quality-assured information on STI prevalence in LMICs, drawing from published and unpublished sources from 2010 onward. European AIDS Treatment Group
IN FOCUSA member of the cleaning staff washes reusable boots and gloves and disinfects equipment at Rwampara General Referral Hospital. June 12. Jospin Mwisha / AFP via Getty
Ebola Response Struggles to Keep PaceThe Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC is spreading faster than responders can track it, Africa CDC officials warned this week—creating major gaps in surveillance efforts, reports Devex.
Of ~33,000 people who have been exposed to confirmed Ebola patients, only ~4,100 are currently being monitored.
The swiftly moving outbreak has the potential to become the worst the continent has seen, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said yesterday, per Al Jazeera.
827 cases and 194 deaths have been reported, with containment uncontrolled in several provinces. Red Cross officials say the epidemic could take up to a year to bring under control.
Mounting pressures: The economic toll in the outbreak’s epicenter is affecting everyone from taxi drivers to travel agents, reports The Guardian. Meanwhile, medical teams face dire shortages of protective equipment and critically needed burial personnel.
International support is slowly increasing, however, with the European Commission announcing a $572 million aid package this week, reports Reuters via Yahoo!News Canada.
Complications of misinformation and tradition: Containment efforts continue to be hampered by distrust of health officials, and by reliance on both traditional healers and Christian pastors who continue to hold gatherings and lay hands on patients, reports the AP.
Health workers have also faced threats and attacks amid conspiracies claiming they profit from the disease.
Signs of hope: Recoveries at treatment centers are building trust among communities, per the BBC. Even clinics that were set ablaze in Mongbwalu and Rwampara have since resumed care and gained support.
“We have seen a huge difference in the community since the first patient recovered and returned home,” said Richard Lukodu, Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital’s medical director.
Related:
What will it take to get a Bundibugyo vaccine? – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
At the frontline of trust: a day with Julienne Anoko WHO's Ebola Community Engagement Officer in DRC – WHO Regional Office for Africa
THE QUOTE“A nonscientific, political process for determining what is scientifically sound has not worked in the past and will not work now. ... When science becomes politicized, everyone loses.”
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—The New England Journal of Medicine (editorial)
Extreme weather is set to impact 2 billion people living in informal settlements in the future—a quarter of the global population.
Heat alone will cause an additional ~6 million deaths per year by 2100—mostly in the poorest countries, where people living in slums or informal settlements are already suffering.
Floor-to-ceiling cooling: The India-based Roof Over Our Heads project pairs people living in slums with architects and engineers to develop climate-resilient, affordable homes—think floor tiles made of recycled plastic collected by informal garbage collectors, and heat-reflective roofing.
Simplified sewers in Kenya: A low-cost scheme connects homes in Mukuru, an informal settlement, to Nairobi’s sewage system—and pre-completion, it’s already significantly reduced cholera.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITSUNC School of Medicine: A new HIV vaccine study reveals new hope – UNC School of Medicine (news release)
Shingles vaccine may protect against dementia – CIDRAP
Sierra Leone’s first lady refuses to condemn FGM without ‘reliable data’ on harms – The Guardian
How an Addictive Gas Station Drug Found Allies in Trump’s Cabinet – The New York Times (gift link) Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!
Atul Gawande explains why U.S. leadership in global health matters more than ever – Scientific American via Yahoo! News
How a simple screening approach tweak is quietly dismantling TB stigma in India – The South First
Issue No. 2934
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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.
Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Brian Simpson, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.
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Ebola treatment capacity expands in DR Congo as WHO issues new guidelines
Global Health NOW: ‘A Race Against Time’: A New Blueprint for Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage; and Colombia Bans FGM
June 16, 2026
TOP STORIES~1.1 billion children in the world are threatened by three or more overlapping climate hazards, per a new UNICEF climate report published today; nearly every child on earth is at risk of least one climate hazard such as coastal flooding, droughts, riverine floods, extreme heat, etc. UN News
The U.S. is paying $5,000 per month to store nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives that USAID had planned to distribute in Africa; “about $8 million worth of hormonal contraceptives, injectable contraceptives and other family planning commodities” cannot be used because they were removed from climate-controlled storage. The Hill
~The U.K. announced yesterday that it would ban children under 16 from using social media apps such as TikTok and YouTube; the ban will take effect early next year. AP
Fatalities in alcohol-related crashes fell significantly more in Utah than in neighboring states after it adopted a lower legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 g/dL, per a new study published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine; international studies have documented an 11% or greater reduction in alcohol-related crash injuries and fatalities following adoption of 0.05 BAC. Medical Xpress
IN FOCUSA senior midwife at the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri sutures a woman who has just given birth. Borno State, Nigeria, October 13, 2018. Lynsey Addario/Getty
‘A Race Against Time’: A New Blueprint for Preventing Postpartum HemorrhageEach year, 27 million women worldwide experience excessive bleeding after childbirth—a highly dangerous complication that leads to ~43,000 deaths annually, making it the leading cause of maternal death.
And yet postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is highly preventable, and the use of simple tools could save thousands of lives, finds a sweeping three-part series published in the Lancet that frames “a fundamental shift in PPH response,” per the WHO.
Some key takeaways, per NPR:
A vast survival gap: While PPH occurs at similar rates globally, outcomes differ dramatically, with mortality rates 200 times lower in well-resourced countries compared to under-resourced countries.
Better detection, swifter treatment: A simple plastic drape placed beneath women during and after childbirth can help health workers track blood loss far more accurately than visual estimates, which miss about half of hemorrhage cases.
If 300 ml of blood loss is recorded alongside abnormal vital signs, researchers recommend starting a treatment bundle dubbed MOTIVE—which includes uterine massage, oxytocic drugs, tranexamic acid, intravenous fluids, and examination for bleeding source.
This can reduce progression to life-threatening hemorrhage by ~60%, per a 2023 WHO-led study involving 200,000+ women across Africa.
Prevent hemorrhage before it starts: Treating anemia in pregnancy, avoiding medically unnecessary c-sections, and administering uterotonic medicines after birth can improve overall outcomes.
“Women should not be dying from PPH in this day and age, given what we know,” said study co-author Olufemi Oladapo.
4.3 million
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Lives that could be saved each year by reversing the shortage of ~980,000 midwives across 181 countries. —International Confederation of Midwives
HUMAN RIGHTSColombia Bans FGMColombia has become the first Latin American country to approve nationwide legislation banning female genital mutilation (FGM) after a yearslong effort to stop the practice.
Colombia is the only Latin American nation where FGM is currently recorded, mostly in Embera communities.
Secrecy obscures scale: 98 cases were recorded between 2024–2026, with 70% involving infants.
But officials say that is likely a dramatic undercount, as the tradition is secretive and mostly practiced in remote areas.
Next steps: The new law gives Colombia officials a year to create a national policy for eradicating FGM, with a focus on training, awareness, and improved medical care rather than criminal penalties.
“We are talking about something very intimate,” said bill co-author Jennifer Pedraza. “It requires support, not persecution.”
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITSWe’re entering a golden age of Alzheimer’s research – Gates Notes
The midlife habits that could make or break your brain health long-term – The Washington Post (gift link)
Opioid deaths dropped 23% in 2025––bringing ‘cautious optimism’ from Canada’s top doctor – CBC
Pacific island nation Palau asks UN to classify nicotine as a controlled substance – The Examination
New documentary follows researchers’ increasingly fraught career path – Science
The latest benefit of obesity drugs: boosting testosterone and sperm quality – Nature
Issue No. 2933
Share This Email | Support Our Work
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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.
Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Brian Simpson, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.
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You can update your preferences or unsubscribe.
‘Some question if Ebola is real’: how trust is central in fighting DRC outbreak
Feeling poorer than peers linked to lower wellbeing, even when incomes are similar
New research is shedding light on how comparing ourselves to others affects happiness and life satisfaction.
Led by McGill University researchers, the study shows that people who feel worse off financially than their peers are more likely to report signs of languishing, even when their actual income is similar.
