People experience the steepest increases in pain before age 55, rather than in later life as might be expected, a new study led by McGill University researchers has found.

Published in Nature Medicine, the study analyzed self-reported pain data from more than 6.1 million people across 118 countries and territories.

96 CNNTD Fall Newsletter |RCMTN Bulletin d'Automne Recent news and updates from CNNTD | Nouvelles et mises à jour récentes du RCMTN View this email in your browser October 8, 2026 / Octobre 8, 2026 Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases Newsletter /
Bulletin d'information du Réseau canadien pour les
Maladies Tropicales Négligées --> News and updates from the CNNTD
/ Nouvelles et mises à jour de la RCMTN --> 65 Countries have now eliminated at least one Neglected Tropical Disease / 65 pays ont désormais éliminé au moins une maladie tropicale négligée --> 65 countries and counting! More eliminations bring us closer to Roadmap targets
Since the start of 2026, 7 countries have eliminated at least 1 Neglected Tropical Disease. Most recently, Timor-Leste has eliminated Trachoma, and Bhutan has eliminated dog-mediated rabies as public health problems.  ......

65 pays, et ce n’est pas fini ! Chaque nouvelle élimination nous rapproche des objectifs de la Feuille de route

Depuis le début de l’année 2026, 7 pays ont éliminé au moins une maladie tropicale négligée. Tout récemment, le Timor-Leste a éliminé le trachome, et le Bhoutan a éliminé la rage transmise par les chiens en tant que problèmes de santé publique.

--> Learn more here!/ Pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici! --> PAHO and BHRI strengthen partnership to advance disease elimination and health equity in the Americas/ L'OPS et IRSB renforcent leur partenariat pour faire progresser l'élimination des maladies et l'équité en matière de santé dans les Amériques --> BHRI (the Bruyère Health Research Institute - secretariat to the CNNTD) and PAHO (the Pan American Health Organization) announce a formal 5 year partnership to support disease elimination across the Americas. This partnership supports health equity, ensuring people affected by neglected diseases are counted and included in national and regional health agendas. Learn more about this partnership here. ...... Le BHRI (Institut de recherche en santé Bruyère - - Secrétariat du RCMTN) et l'OPS (Organisation panaméricaine de la santé) annoncent la conclusion d'un partenariat officiel d'une durée de cinq ans visant à soutenir l'élimination des maladies dans l'ensemble des Amériques. Ce partenariat favorise l'équité en matière de santé, en veillant à ce que les personnes touchées par des maladies négligées soient prises en compte et intégrées dans les programmes de santé nationaux et régionaux. Pour en savoir plus sur ce partenariat, cliquez ici.  --> Apply to Our 2027 NTD Fellowship for Emerging Professionals! / Postulez à notre 2027 bourse NTD pour les professionnels émergents! --> We are recruiting our 2027 Emerging Leader Fellow to build visibility & action for NTDs within Canada! Submit a video or infographic on why NTDs matter for our shared global health security by October 30th, 2026 here. ...... Nous recherchons notre boursier « Emerging Leader » 2027 afin de renforcer la visibilité et l’action en faveur de la lutte contre les maladies tropicales négligées (MTN) au Canada! Soumettez d’ici le 30 octobre 2026, ici, une vidéo ou une infographie expliquant pourquoi les MTN sont importantes pour notre sécurité sanitaire mondiale commune.  --> Apply Here!/ Postulez ici! --> NTDs Around the World, Pathways to Youth Engagement/ Les maladies négligées dans le monde: comment mobiliser les jeunes --> Ever wondered how to get involved in the fight against Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) as a young person? Then join us for this special session of our Webinar series "NTDs around the world", which will explore pathways for youth engagement in NTDs. Our five speakers will share their experiences, their engagement in NTD Youth initiatives and possible entry points into NTD work. Come join us and ask your questions! We are looking forward to seeing you there, 12 November 2026, 11:00 am EST. -------- Vous êtes-vous déjà demandé comment, en tant que jeune, vous pourriez vous impliquer dans la lutte contre les maladies tropicales négligées (MTN)? Alors joignez-vous à nous pour cette séance spéciale de notre série de webinaires « Les MTN à travers le monde », qui explorera les moyens permettant aux jeunes de s’engager dans la lutte contre les MTN. Nos cinq conférenciers partageront leurs expériences, leur engagement dans des initiatives jeunesse liées aux MTN et les points d’entrée possibles pour s’impliquer dans ce domaine. Venez nous rejoindre et posez vos questions! Nous avons hâte de vous y retrouver le 12 novembre 2026 à 11 h HNE. --> Register Here/Inscrivez-vous ici --> International Day of the Girl Child/ Journée internationale de la petite fille -->

International Day of the Girl Child is October 11th! This day champions girls' rights, celebrates their potential, and raises awareness of the unique challenges they face worldwide. One such challenge that often remains hidden is Female genital schistosomiasis (FGS). This neglected disease is estimated to affect up to 56 million women and girls in many countries in Africa. However, it is entirely preventable and treatable if diagnosed early. But millions of girls are still being left behind because the disease is too often undiagnosed and untreated.

On the Day of the Girl Child, let's raise awareness, improve healthcare worker training, expand access to preventive treatment, and give every girl the chance to thrive.

Please see this new video on FGS by the FGS Integration Group (FIG) below. You can learn more about FIG here, and access a new FGS Advocacy Guide Here by the One Health Society Tanzania and the Global Schistosomiasis Alliance.

.......... La Journée internationale de la petite fille a lieu le 11 octobre ! Cette journée défend les droits des filles, célèbre leur potentiel et sensibilise le public aux défis particuliers auxquels elles sont confrontées à travers le monde. L’un de ces défis, qui reste souvent méconnu, est la bilharziose génitale féminine (BGF). On estime que cette maladie négligée touche jusqu’à 56 millions de femmes et de filles dans de nombreux pays d’Afrique. Elle est pourtant tout à fait évitable et traitable si elle est diagnostiquée à un stade précoce. Pourtant, des millions de filles sont encore laissées pour compte, car la maladie n’est trop souvent ni diagnostiquée ni traitée.

À l’occasion de cette Journée internationale de la petite fille, sensibilisons le public, améliorons la formation des professionnels de santé, élargissons l’accès aux traitements préventifs et donnons à chaque fille la chance de s’épanouir.

Découvrez ci-dessous cette nouvelle vidéo sur la FGS réalisée par le Groupe d'intégration de la FGS (FIG). Pour en savoir plus sur le FIG ici, et consulter ici le nouveau guide de plaidoyer sur la FGS, élaboré par la One Health Society Tanzania et la Global Schistosomiasis Alliance.

--> Watch the Video Here/Regardez la vidéo ici --> NTDs Meeting for Canadian-African Francophonie/ Rencontre MTNs Canada Afrique Francophonie Avril 2026 -->

In April this year, the Canadian Network for NTDs supported convening exploratory conversations around NTD research collaboration among Francophone Canadian-African stakeholders. Three complementary pillars of action were identified: 1) exchanges and networking, 2) capacity building and learning, 3) applied collaborations and projects. Please see this supplementary document to learn more.

......

En avril de cette année, le Réseau canadien pour les MTN a appuyé l’organisation de discussions exploratoires sur la collaboration en matière de recherche sur les MTN entre les intervenants francophones canadiens et africains. Trois piliers d’action complémentaires ont été identifiés : 1) les échanges et le réseautage, 2) le renforcement des capacités et l’apprentissage, 3) les collaborations et les projets appliqués. Veuillez consulter ce document complémentaire pour en savoir plus.

--> Find the Supplementary Report Here/ Consultez le rapport complémentaire ici --> CNNTD's Pre-Budget Submission to FINA / Proposition prébudgétaire de CNNTD à la FINA --> Canada’s Moment to Lead: Investing in Neglected Tropical Diseases to Achieve Health for All/ Le Moment pour le Canada de montrer la voie : investir dans la lutte contre les maladies tropicales négligées pour garantir la santé pour tous --> Stronger Together to End Rabies/
Ensemble, plus forts pour éradiquer la rage --> On World Rabies Day, we shared a blog post: Stronger Together to End Rabies in Canada and Globally. This deadly zoonotic virus is an entirely preventable neglected tropical disease (NTD). For Canada, World Rabies Day is not only an opportunity to look outward. It is a reminder to protect the systems that keep Canadians safe, recognize the virus circulating in our own backyard and bring our knowledge and resources to the global effort. Read more here in our blog post. ..... À l’occasion de la Journée mondiale contre la rage, nous avons publié un article de blogue intitulé « Ensemble, plus forts pour éradiquer la rage au Canada et dans le monde ». Ce virus zoonotique mortel est une maladie tropicale négligée (MTN) qui peut être entièrement prévenue. Pour le Canada, la Journée mondiale contre la rage n’est pas seulement l’occasion de porter son regard vers l’extérieur. C’est aussi un rappel de la nécessité de protéger les systèmes qui assurent la sécurité des Canadiens, de reconnaître la présence du virus qui circule chez nous et de mettre nos connaissances et nos ressources au service de l’effort mondial. Pour en savoir plus, consultez notre article de blogue ici. --> Read More Here/ Pour en savoir plus, cliquez ici --> CNNTD Steering Committee News/ 
Nouvelles du comité directeur du RCMTN --> Our Steering Committee Members are reaching exceptional heights with their outstanding contributions to global health. Last year, Brenda Okorogba was awarded the Order of Canada for her contributions to health and equity here at home and globally! This year, Momar Ndao has been appointed President of the World Federation of Parasitologists, and Christopher Fernandez-Prada has been awarded the CIHR Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Integrative Parasitology. Congratulations to you all for these incredible achievements! We are proud to have you as part of the leadership of the Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. You continue to inspire your peers and the next generation of global health professionals to take action to end neglected tropical diseases. ...... Les membres de notre comité directeur se distinguent par leurs contributions exceptionnelles à la santé mondiale. L’année dernière, Brenda Okorogba a reçu l’Ordre du Canada pour ses contributions à la santé et à l’équité, tant au pays qu’à l’échelle mondiale! Cette année, Momar Ndao a été nommé président de la Fédération mondiale des parasitologues, et Christopher Fernandez-Prada s’est vu décerner la Chaire de recherche du Canada de niveau 1 des IRSC en parasitologie intégrative durable.  Félicitations à vous tous pour ces réalisations exceptionnelles! Nous sommes fiers de vous compter parmi les dirigeants du Réseau canadien pour les maladies tropicales négligées. Vous continuez d’inspirer vos pairs et la prochaine génération de professionnels de la santé mondiale à passer à l’action pour mettre fin aux maladies tropicales négligées. --> Want to get involved in leading our work?/Vous souhaitez vous impliquer dans la direction de nos travaux ? --> Apply to Our Steering Committee!/ Postulez pour faire partie de notre comité de pilotage ! --> Apply to our Sub-Committees Here/ Postulez ici pour rejoindre nos sous-comités --> CNNTD Member News/ Actualités des membres du RCMTN --> Welcome to the Canadian Chagas Network, our Newest Organizational Member! 
Bienvenue au Réseau canadien sur la maladie de Chagas, notre tout nouveau membre organisationnel!  --> The Canadian Chagas Network (CCN) is a national, multidisciplinary network officially established during its inaugural virtual meeting on May 29, 2026, which brought together 25 participants from across Canada. The CCN connects clinicians, researchers, and trainees to advance the recognition, screening, diagnosis, treatment, and study of Chagas disease in Canada. Its members represent institutions across Canada and have expertise in clinical care, epidemiology, biomarkers, cardiomyopathy, drug safety, clinical trials, vaccine and drug discovery, and global health. In it's inaugural year, the CCN engaged in global forums such as the WHO, and the United Nations Human Rights Council recognizing neglected tropical diseases as matters of health equity, dignity, and human rights. Please find their latest newsletter here. ...... Le Réseau canadien sur la maladie de Chagas (RCC) est un réseau national multidisciplinaire officiellement créé lors de sa réunion virtuelle inaugurale, le 29 mai 2026, qui a réuni 25 participants de partout au Canada. Le RCC met en relation des cliniciens, des chercheurs et des stagiaires afin de faire progresser la reconnaissance, le dépistage, le diagnostic, le traitement et l’étude de la maladie de Chagas au Canada. Ses membres représentent des établissements de partout au Canada et possèdent une expertise en soins cliniques, en épidémiologie, en biomarqueurs, en cardiomyopathie, en innocuité des médicaments, en essais cliniques, en découverte de vaccins et de médicaments, ainsi qu’en santé mondiale. Au cours de sa première année d’existence, le CCN a participé à des forums mondiaux tels que l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS) et le Conseil des droits de la personne des Nations Unies, où il a fait valoir que les maladies tropicales négligées constituent des enjeux liés à l’équité en matière de santé, à la dignité et aux droits de la personne. Vous trouverez leur dernier bulletin d’information ici. --> Take Action For NTDs / Agir contre les MTN --> Apply to our NTD Research Award 2026 ! / Inscrivez-vous à notre Prix de recherche sur les MTN 2026! --> The Canadian Network for NTDs is proud to launch its 2026 NTD Research Award. This Award recognizes an outstanding Canadian NTD partnership research contribution published in the scientific peer-reviewed literature in 2025. One paper will be selected by a CNNTD Selection Committee and will receive an award presented on World NTD Day 2027.

The deadline for submission is November 27th at noon EST. To learn more and apply, please follow the link below.  ..... Le Réseau canadien contre les maladies négligées (CNNTD) est fier de lancer son Prix de recherche sur les maladies négligées 2026. Ce prix récompense une contribution exceptionnelle à la recherche collaborative canadienne sur les maladies négligées, publiée dans la littérature scientifique évaluée par des pairs en 2025. Un article sera sélectionné par un comité de sélection du CNNTD et recevra un prix qui lui sera remis lors de la Journée mondiale contre les maladies négligées 2027.

La date limite de soumission est fixée au 27 novembre à midi (HNE). Pour en savoir plus et présenter une candidature, veuillez cliquer sur le lien ci-dessous.  --> Apply here/ Postulez ici --> World NTD Day Photo Competition 2027 / Concours de photographie de la Journée mondiale des MTNs --> The Canadian Network for NTDs is proud to support a World NTD Day 2027 Photography competition! From Africa to the Americas, from Europe to the Eastern Mediterranean, from Southeast Asia to the Western Pacific, we invite you to submit an original photo that tells an NTD story on the theme of  "NTDs Through the Lens: Stories of Risk, Resilience and Response." 

6 winners (one from each WHO region) selected by a special Jury will receive a prize! Their photos will be featured, among other submissions on World NTD Day 2027. The deadline to submit your photo is October 25th. To participate and to learn more, Please follow the link below for more information. ..... Le Réseau canadien contre les MTN est fier de soutenir le concours de photographie organisé à l’occasion de la Journée mondiale contre les MTN 2027! De l’Afrique aux Amériques, de l’Europe à la Méditerranée orientale, de l’Asie du Sud-Est au Pacifique occidental, nous vous invitons à soumettre une photo originale qui raconte une histoire liée aux MTN sur le thème « Les MTN à travers l’objectif : histoires de risques, de résilience et d’intervention ». 

Six gagnants (un par région de l’OMS) sélectionnés par un jury spécial recevront un prix! Leurs photos seront mises en vedette, parmi d’autres soumissions, lors de la Journée des MTNS 2027. La date limite pour soumettre votre photo est le 25 octobre. Pour participer et en savoir plus, veuillez cliquer sur le lien ci-dessous. --> Learn how to participate here /Découvrez ici comment participer --> In The News / Dans la presse --> El Salvador eliminates trachoma as a public health problem Le Salvador élimine le trachome en tant que problème de santé publique New £4.5m partnership to tackle neglected tropical diseases Un nouveau partenariat de £4.5m pour lutter contre les maladies tropicales négligées Global health research makes America richer and healthier La recherche en santé mondiale contribue à enrichir et à améliorer la santé des Américains Historic resolution on neglected tropical diseases adopted by the United Nations Human Rights Council Adoption d’une résolution historique sur les maladies tropicales négligées par le Conseil des droits de la personne des Nations Unies Experts urge neglected tropical disease status for ocular toxoplasmosis
Les experts préconisent que la toxoplasmose oculaire soit classée parmi les maladies tropicales négligées Farming technique could curb devastating tropical disease Une technique agricole pourrait endiguer une maladie tropicale dévastatrice ‘Astonishing’ discovery could help save children from deadly disfiguring condition Une découverte « étonnante » pourrait contribuer à sauver des enfants d’une maladie mortelle et défigurante Decades of data reveal who’s most at risk of snakebites, and how to prevent them Des données recueillies sur plusieurs décennies révèlent qui est le plus à risque de subir une morsure de serpent et comment s’en prémunir --> Research /Recherche  

Canadian researchers are making a difference to NTDs. Listed are publications from Canadian-affiliated authors published since June 1st, 2026. Canadian-affiliated authors are bolded. Have we missed something? Let us know by sending an email. 

......

Les chercheurs canadiens font une différence dans le domaine des MTN. Les publications des auteurs affiliés au Canada publiées depuis 1er juin 2026. Les auteurs affiliés au Canada sont en gras. 
Avons-nous manqué quelque chose? Faites-le nous savoir en nous envoyant un courriel.

Andrade, C.B.V., Bloise, E., Silva, N.L., Braga, J.R.S., Coelho, S.V.A., Nascimento, V.M.O., Imperio, G.E., Nunes, C.O.S., Cunha, A.J.L.A., Pascoal-Xavier, M.A., Arruda, L.B., Prata-Barbosa, A., Connor, K.L. and Ortiga-Carvalho, T.M. (2026). Virus-specific alterations in placental structure and transporter expression following maternal arbovirus infection. The Journal of physiology, [online] p.10.1113/JP289628. doi:10.1113/JP289628.

Babaee, E., Yousefzadeh Eshkoori, A., Eshrati, B., Nojomi, M., Shirzadi, M.R., Asadi-Aliabadi, M. and Moosazadeh, A. (2026). Nationwide registry-based analysis of rabies exposures in Iran: Epidemiological patterns and post-exposure prophylaxis adherence. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, [online] 20(9), p.e0014751. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0014751.

Barkhad, A., Lecours, N., Stevens-Uninsky, M. and Mbuagbaw, L. (2026). The relationships between the eco-bio-social determinants of Dengue Epidemiology in Latin America and the Caribbean: A scoping review of the literature. EcoHealth, [online] 23(2), pp.348–366. doi:10.1007/s10393-025-01764-4.

Bednar, D., Cheng, M., Salazar, S., Seigel, K. and Boggild, A.K. (2026). Epidemiology of imported cutaneous leishmaniasis: A narrative review. Microorganisms, [online] 14(8), p.1774. doi:10.3390/microorganisms14081774.

Bhowmik, A., Hasan, M., Saha, G. and Zhu, H. (2026). Two decades of dengue in Bangladesh (2001-2024): Epidemiologic trends, geographic spread and climatic drivers. Tropical medicine & international health : TM & IH, [online] 31(7), pp.772–795. doi:10.1111/tmi.70136.

Dunsmore, A., Dyer, K.E., Lock, L.R., Tu, W., Fenton, M.B., Simmons, N.B., Dumonteil, E., Becker, D.J. and Herrera, C.P. (2026). Vampire bats in Belize Harbor multiple trypanosoma cruzi genotypes: Implications for parasite transmission at the wildlife-domestic-human interface. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, [online] 20(9), p.e0013852. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0013852.

Dupper, A.C., Ramesh, B., Binkley, L., Cleveland, C.A., Haynes, E.K., Verocai, G.G., Saleh, M.N., Yabsley, M.J., Geary, T.G., Mackenzie, C. D, Torres-Velez, F., Elder, D.L., Najahi-Missaoui, W., Unterwegner, K., Zirimwabagabo, H., Sidouin, M.K., Tchindebet Oaukou, P., Richard Ngandolo, B.N., Weiss, A.J. and Garabed, R. (2026). Flubendazole 2.0: Designing a large field trial in dogs for a challenging setting. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, [online] 20(7), p.e0014482. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0014482.

Durrant, R., Dushoff, J., Arnold, M., Cobbold, C. and Hampson, K. (2026). Differences in codon usage between host-species-specific rabies virus clades are driven by non-GC3 nucleotide composition. Virus evolution, [online] 12(1), p.veag039. doi:10.1093/ve/veag039.

Firmino, F.T., Schmidt, P., de Almeida, M.O., Dolabella, S., Negrão-Corrêa, D., Emelko, M. and Graeff-Teixeira, C. (2026). Effect of variable and low analytical recovery on sensitivity of Kato-Katz, Lutz and Ritchie methods for diagnosis of schistosomiasis. Acta tropica, [online] 280, p.108157. doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.108157.

Garba, S.M., Diakite, I., Chen, Y.-H., Lang, J.C., Wang, D., Jackson, M.L.A., Drury, R. and Elbasha, E. (2026). Clinical impact of childhood and adolescence dengue vaccination in Indonesia: A dynamic transmission modeling study. Epidemics, [online] 56, p.100932. doi:10.1016/j.epidem.2026.100932.

Hamer, D.H., Loreau, J.M., Huits, R., Díaz-Menéndez, M., Grobusch, M.P., Barkati, S., Yansouni, C.P., Gobbi, F., Bottieau, E., Chen, L.H., Duvignaud, A., Malvy, D., Castelli, F., Odolini, S., De Pijper, C.A., Asgeirsson, H., Moro, L., Yamamoto, K., Sánchez-Montalvá, A., Zeana, C., Kelly, P., Piyaphanee, W., Bourque, D.L., McCarthy, A., Simon, F., Gautret, P., Mardon, J.B., Texier, G. and Javelle, E. (2026). Frequency and persistence of post-acute symptoms after chikungunya, dengue, Zika and malaria in travellers: A prospective multi-centre study. Journal of travel medicine, [online] 33(5), p.taag037. doi:10.1093/jtm/taag037.

Hempel, A., Hawley, G. D, Hewitt, J., Billick, M., Showler, A.J., Kain, K.C. and Boggild, A.K. (2026). Five hot topics in tropical medicine: 2025. Infectious disease reports, [online] 18(3), p.60. doi:10.3390/idr18030060.

Larose, C., Bollaro, L., Martin-Bertaux, A., Isabel, S., Mazeaud, C., Eschwege, P., Tourigny, R. and Fradet, V. (2026). Scrotal filariasis: A case report and clinical considerations. IJID regions, [online] 20, p.100936. doi:10.1016/j.ijregi.2026.100936.

Manda, S., Leyria, J., Orchard, I. and Lange, A.B. (2026). Tissue-specific serotonin receptors in Rhodnius prolixus: Potential roles in key vector processes. Acta tropica, [online] 283, p.108325. doi:10.1016/j.actatropica.2026.108325.

Manuel, M., Pilotte, N., Timothy, J.W.S., Galagan, S.R., Israel, G.J., Connors, C.T., Omballa, V., Voss, M.P., Dadwal, U.C., Gonzalez, A.M., Ahlonsou, J., Chaima, D., Zondervenni Manoharan, Z., Rains, D., Ásbjörnsdóttir, K.H., Williams, S.A., Luty, A.J.F., Ibikounlé, M., Kalua, K., Bailey, R.L., Pullan, R.L., Walson, J.L. and Ajjampur, S.S.R. (2026). Determination of diagnostic cycle threshold cutoffs for qPCR-based prevalence surveys of soil-transmitted helminth infections. Microbiology spectrum, [online] p.e0036326. doi:10.1128/spectrum.00363-26.
  Martinov, M.N., Van Den Bergh, A., Jacoby, E., Kirov, I., Nashev, L.G., Herasymenko, O., Arrowsmith, C.H., Slater, J.W., Grell, T., Maksimchuk, K., Hack, M. D, Wu, Z., Ohadi, D., Borrenberghs, D., Van Loock, M., Mulakala, C. and Goethals, O. (2026). Quantum pharmacophore-based virtual screening enables prospective discovery of chemotype-diverse dengue NS5 inhibitors. Journal of chemical information and modeling, [online] 66(14), pp.8304–8317. doi:10.1021/acs.jcim.6c01051.

Mohamed, S.A.-A., Ahmad, A.A., Mustafa, F.E.-Z.A., Negm, E.A., Hassan, D., Mohammed, A., Hassan, A.K., Sabra, M.S., Abdel-Aleem, J.A., Abdelfattah, A. and Sayed, M.A. (2026). Integrated in vitro and in vivo evaluation of ivermectin hydrogel formulation for management of scabies with pharmacological assessment. Scientific reports, [online] 16(1), p.17327. doi:10.1038/s41598-026-53626-w.Norman, F.F., Brett-Major, D., Sepulcri, C., Bottieau, E., Sepulveda, T., Toscanini, F., Nicolini, L.A., Waggoner, J.J., Alcedo, S., Hamer, D.H., Huits, R., Libman, M., GeoSentinel Network, TropNet Network and O’Laughlin, K. (2026). Outbreak preparedness and response in a globalized world: Are we ready? Travel medicine and infectious disease, [online] 72, p.103002. doi:10.1016/j.tmaid.2026.103002.

Nyarko, E., Atubiga, I.A., Tchorly, F.S., Hamman, N.A.,Uppal, A., Mohammed, N., Kyei, L., Fernandez, E.A. and Baidoo, I. (2026a). Predictive modeling of Healthcare Workers” priorities of the WHO 2030 key activities for snakebite prevention and control in Ghana. Journal of tropical medicine, [online] 2026, p.7078381. doi:10.1155/jotm/7078381.

Nyarko, E., Uppal, A., Hamman, N.A., Agyekum, L., Antwi, P., Mohammed, N., Ampomah, O.-A., Atubiga, I.A. and Lang, T. (2026b). Predictive modeling of localized mobile app to improve snakebite management in Ghana. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, [online] 20(6), p.e0014435. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0014435.

Oborevwori, E., Ásbjörnsdóttir, K., Galagan, S., Sharrock, K., Aruldas, K., Kaliapan, S.P., Pullan, R., Bailey, R., Kalua, K., Simwanza, J., Witek-McManus, S., Ibikounlé, M., Luty, A.J.F., Ajjampur, S.S.R., Means, A. and Walson, J.L. (2026). Individual-level agreement between coverage surveys and treatment registers in mass drug administration: A secondary analysis of the multi-country DeWorm3 cluster randomized trial. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, [online] 20(9), p.e0014740. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0014740.

O’Brien, S.F., Goldman, M., Lewin, A., Uzicanin, S., Fan, W. and Drews, S.J. (2026). Chagas disease in Canadian blood donors: 15 Years of selective testing. Vox sanguinis, [online] 121(9), pp.1347–1355. doi:10.1111/vox.70299.

Régis, M., Sanchez Moreno, M.F., Germain, H., Mérindol, N. and Desgagné-Penix, I. (2026). Cross-family mechanistic analysis of plant alkaloids against neglected arboviruses and related RNA viruses. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), [online] 31(15), p.2728. doi:10.3390/molecules31152728.

Robertson, L.J., Minato, Y., Devleesschauwer, B., Di Bari, C., Vaes, L., Keddy, K.H., Sripa, B., Fernandez, K., Pires, S.M., Majowicz, S.E., Lake, R.J., Roberts, C., Nane, G.F., Kretzschmar, M.E., Mughini-Gras, L., Rostami, A., Carabin, H., Budke, C.M., Donadeu, M., Torgerson, P.R. and WHO Foodborne Disease Burden Epidemiology Reference Group for 2021–25 (2026). WHO estimates of the global, regional, and national foodborne burdens of 14 invasive parasitic diseases, 2000-21: an updated data synthesis. The Lancet. Global health, [online] 14(8), p.103982. doi:10.1016/j.langlo.2026.103982.

Sakeah, J.K., Addiss, D., Feng, C.X., Sakeah, E., Asaana, P., Gyapong, M., Colman, I. and Krentel, A. (2026). What does resilience and well-being mean to community health workers? An exploratory study in the upper east region, Ghana. BMJ public health, [online] 4(2), p.e003437. doi:10.1136/bmjph-2025-003437.

Souza, D.C.S., Tesser, P.E.H., Tirelli, E.F. da S., Jasim, R., Amaro, M.C., Cajas, R.A., Brocks, D.R., de Moraes, J. and Lago, J.H.G. (2026). A multidimensional evaluation of sakuranetin against schistosoma mansoni: From drug-likeness to in vivo efficacy. ACS omega, [online] 11(25), pp.38125–38133. doi:10.1021/acsomega.6c03820.

Torgerson, E.G., Adams, M., Lock, L.R., Simonis, M.C., Dyer, K.E., Vicente-Santos, A., Fenton, M.B., Simmons, N.B., Becker, D.J. and Achee, N.L. (2026). Neotropical bats as sentinels for emerging zoonoses in Central America: A case study identifying trypanosoma cruzi in bats from Belize using metagenomic next-generation sequencing. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, [online] 20(7), p.e0013851. doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0013851.

Vaughan, S. D, Rothenburger, J.L. and Kowalewska-Grochowska, K. (2026). Emergence of alveolar echinococcosis in Canada: A warning for the USA. Current opinion in infectious diseases, [online] 39(5), pp.378–386. doi:10.1097/QCO.0000000000001229.

Yuan, P., Wang, N., Liu, Q. and Zhu, H. (2026). Climate variability and COVID-19 non-pharmaceutical interventions shaped dengue transmission in Guangdong: An integrated modeling study. Scientific reports, [online] pp.10.1038/s41598–026–59584–7. doi:10.1038/s41598-026-59584-7.

Zoleko Manego, R., Endamne, L.R., Pahl, V., Díaz de León Derby, M., Mombo-Ngoma, G., Fletcher, D.A., Bogoch, I.I., Ramharter, M. and Davi, S.D. (2026). From the laboratory to the field: Assessing the usability of the NTDscope in the tropical rainforest region of Gabon. The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene, [online] 115(2), pp.316–321. doi:10.4269/ajtmh.25-0596. --> Save the date for upcoming events / 
Gardez la date pour les événements à venir October 25-28 2026 - 15th European Congress on Tropical Medicine and International Health
11-13 October 2026  - World Health Summit
16-18 October 2026 - Canadian Conference for Global Health
27–29 October 2026 - CUGH Virtual Global Health Week
29 October 2026 - Climate Change and Health Webinar Series: When Climate Adaptation Reaches the Home: Disability, Caregiving and Continuity of Care in a Warming World
3 November 2026 - ISNTD Climate and Health
6 November 2026 - Kalkis One Health Canada-Francophone Africa mini-conference 
12 Novembre 2026 - NTDs around the world - pathways to youth engagement 
18-22 November 2026 - ASTMH Annual Meeting
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6 December 2026 - Submit your research for MSF Scientific Days 2027 ---
25-28 octobre 2026 - 15e Congrès européen de médecine tropicale et de santé internationale
11-13 octobre 2026 - Sommet mondial de la santé
16-18 octobre 2026 - Conférence canadienne pour la santé mondiale
27-29 octobre 2026 - Semaine virtuelle de la santé mondiale du CUGH
29 octobre 2026 - Série de webinaires sur le changement climatique et la santé : Quand l’adaptation au changement climatique touche le foyer : Handicap, prise en charge et continuité des soins dans un monde en réchauffement
3 Novembre 2026 - ISNTD climat et santé
6 novembre 2026 – Mini-conférence Kalkis Une seule santé Canada-Afrique francophone
12 novembre 2026 - Les MTN dans le monde - voies vers l’engagement des jeunes 
18-22 novembre 2026 - Réunion annuelle de l'ASTMH
19-21 novembre 2026 - Forum Impact Diaspora 
6 Decembre 2026 - Soumettez vos travaux de recherche pour les Journées scientifiques de MSF 2027 --> Join us! Rejoignez-nous! The Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases welcomes individual, organizational and international members. Find out about the benefits of membership and join CNNTD.  --- Le Réseau canadien des maladies tropicales négligées accueille des membres individuels, organisationnels et internationaux. Découvrez les avantages de l'adhésion et rejoignez le RCMTN. Copyright © 2026 Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, All rights reserved.


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New federal investment launches Phase II of the Marathon of Hope Cancer Centres Network, building on McGill's leadership in genomics, data science and personalized cancer care.

96 Global Health NOW: Fighting Low Birth Weight in South Africa ; and Paving the Way for Peptides Plus: Parking, Unparalleled ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

October 8, 2026

NEWS IN BRIEF

Russian officials say no “emergency situations” occurred at the anti-plague research lab that employed a technician who died last week, and that the lab worker had been vaccinated against the pathogens she worked with, reports The New York Times (gift link); meanwhile, WHO officials updated their early evaluation to say the risk from the event was now undetermined due to a lack of clarity around the technician’s cause of death, per CNN.

Health and humanitarian needs in Darfur “far exceed the resources” available to respond, warned WHO officials, especially in the region around Tawila, where 700,000+ displaced people are facing severe deficits in food access, health care, and WASH services amid widespread displacement. WHO

Canada’s medical aid in dying law will indefinitely exclude people whose sole medical condition is mental illness, federal officials announced yesterday, with legislators tabling an ordinance that would have expanded eligibility; officials said the decision stemmed from concerns about people with "inadequate access to mental health services.” CTV News

Bangladesh is considering vaccine trials for dengue as the country battles an intensifying outbreak of the disease that has led to 281 deaths and 90,350 hospitalizations since the beginning of the year and is expected to worsen amid recent rainy conditions; all of the four dengue serotypes are circulating in the country, health officials said. Reuters via Sowetan

IN FOCUS: GHN EXCLUSIVE REPORT

A health worker measures a child’s upper arm with a nutritional screening tape in Johannesburg. Elna Schütz

Nutrition Granted: Fighting Low Birth Weight in South Africa 

JOHANNESBURG—Two-thirds of South Africans live below the poverty line, putting pregnant women at risk of undernourishment and delivering underweight babies.

• As many as 32% of the country’s 2-year-olds meet the criteria for stunting, “which is unbelievable and shockingly high for any country,” says Edzani Mphaphuli, executive director of Grow Great, a national NGO. The global average is ~23%, per UNICEF.

Proposed remedy: A proposed maternal support grant would give qualifying pregnant women a financial boost for six to nine months—~$34 a month.

• Advocates believe the money would improve maternal nutrition, reducing the number of babies born with low birth weight and other complications.

• Evidence on the effectiveness of the possible grant is building, including promising early results of a pilot food voucher program the government launched in 2025 for women in the Western Cape.

The math matters: ~$145 million spent on the grant could save the government ~$800 million in health costs. “Giving birth to a low-birth-weight baby is really expensive for the health system,” says Liezel Engelbrecht of Hold My Hand, another NGO advocating for the grant. 

Red-tape wringer: Development on the grant began 14 years ago, but it has endured continual delays in government processes.

Push for the policy: Advocates have days left to build political will before South Africa’s medium-term budget is tabled in Parliament at the end of this month.

Elna Schütz for Global Health NOW

POLICYPaving the Way for Peptides

As unregulated peptides continue to proliferate, the Trump administration is considering making some of the previously restricted products more widely available, even as they are under FDA review, according to anonymous sources familiar with the matter. The move is amplifying debate about whether such a change would increase risk by giving unproven products a stamp of legitimacy or bring some oversight to rapidly growing gray and black markets.

What’s on the table: The Trump administration is crafting ordinances to temporarily allow the sale of some restricted peptides through compounding pharmacies.

• While it is unclear which peptides would be included, FDA officials are currently weighing the safety and efficacy of seven peptides as health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. pushes for greater access.

The Washington Post (gift link)

OPPORTUNITYGlobal Health Governance Amid Declining American Leadership

The world faces an existential crossroads for global health amid an unprecedented decline of U.S. leadership, authority, and financing in global health governance.

This webinar hosted by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and featuring Benjamin Mason Meier, professor of global health policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, will examine the long evolution of American-led world order in global health, the U.S. political challenges that now threaten the world, and the early global response to this American decline.

• Friday, October 9, 2026, 11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. ET

• Register for the Zoom webinar

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

Philadelphia Parallel Parking Authority mascots Parallel Pete and Curbie (center), and competitors (from top left, clockwise) Mario Zucca, Mary Zheng, Mir, and Will Carr. WHYY

Parking, Unparalleled

Are you at one with your car? Here’s one way to find out: Join a parallel parking competition to celebrate the unique—and perhaps dying bond between car, curb, and human driver. No backup cameras or proximity sensors allowed.

Last weekend, the Philadelphia Parallel Parking Association (PPPA)—which sounds official, but isn’t—put 15 competitors bumper-to-bumper in the fight for curbside supremacy.

One of their missions: Parking “under duress.” For some of us, that means parallel parking in front of literally anyone. But in Philly, it apparently means securing a spot near a trash fire or rabid sports fans, reports The New York Times (gift link).  

Who are they trying to impress? A roaring crowd, and PPPA’s mascot, Parallel Pete: “a bucktoothed traffic cone with rear view mirror ears who lives in a pothole and likes eating traffic tickets,” explains Billy Penn at WHYY.

QUICK HITS

FDA says its safety review of abortion pill will continue into next year – AP

Gut microbes followed migrating humans across continents, new study suggests – NPR

Raw milk poses serious infection risks with no added health benefits, pediatrician group warns – CIDRAP

What Do Health and Wellness Influencers Post About? – Pew Research Center

 

Issue No. 2994

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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: Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.

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Montreal, October 8, 2026 – BMO has donated $200,000 to the McGill University Dementia Education Program, helping advance its mission to provide education, resources, and support to people living with dementia and the family members and friends who care for them.

96 Global Health NOW: Russian Lab Death Draws International Scrutiny; and The Climate Crisis is a Girls’ Crisis ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

October 7, 2026

NEWS IN BRIEF

Today, on the third anniversary of the Oct. 7, 2023 attacks—the deadliest in Israel’s history—Israelis mourned at the sites of the attacks and bomb shelters, while “Palestinians in Gaza languish in ruins of the war it sparked.” AP

The WHO’s newly released guidelines to combat child and adolescent obesity—which has quadrupled since 1990, from 2% to 8%—emphasize diet, exercise, and other behavior-changing interventions over GLP-1 drugs, which it says should only be considered for adolescents ages 10–19 after other interventions have failed. UN News

A Tampa, Florida, woman’s death from dengue last month marks the state’s first fatality from the illness; seven Florida counties have reported 252 cases of locally acquired dengue so far this year as officials in the hardest-hit, Hillsborough County, step up education and treatment. CIDRAP

Flu season in the northern hemisphere could kick off “incredibly” early, signaled by cases already rising in the U.K., the U.S. West Coast, and Japan—prompting scientists to pay attention to a potentially concerning mutation in H1N1 and to reconsider optimal timing for flu vaccinations. Nature

More than a dozen CDC foreign offices are expected to close over the next few years, led by the closure of the agency’s Angola and South Sudan offices last week; anonymous officials indicate that CDC assistance will be increasingly conditional on deals countries sign with the Trump administration. Politico

IN FOCUS

A woman walks past the headquarters of Rospotrebnadzor, Russia's consumer and health watchdog agency. Moscow, October 5. Igor Ivanko/AFP via Getty

Russian Lab Death Draws International Scrutiny

A possible plague death at a Russian research institute is receiving intensifying international scrutiny, as health officials press for more clarity amid limited information from Russian authorities, reports Forbes.

The latest: Yesterday, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus wrote that the agency was “actively following up” on the case of a technician at Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Institute, who Russian officials say died Oct. 2 of “pneumonia of unknown etiology.” Early media reports claimed the technician died of pneumonic plague after a lab exposure and that ~200 people were under observation.

• Tedros stressed the need for “timely, complete and transparent information,” saying officials requested more details about the incident and reports of a second lab employee with pneumonia.

• U.S. State Department officials said they made official requests for additional information, reports France24; and the U.S. embassy advised citizens in the area to take extra precautions, reports the The Moscow Times.

• The European CDC said it’s “closely monitoring the situation,” though so far there was “no evidence of sustained human-to-human transmission.”

Understanding the threat: Pneumonic plague can spread between humans through tiny droplets that carry the bacterium Y. pestis. Antibiotics offer effective treatment, but left untreated, the disease has a high case-fatality ratio, reports Science.

• While geopolitical tensions and Russia’s history of biological weapons research heighten concerns, U.S. researchers say the institute was known and had valid reasons to be studying plague given the endemic nature of plague in animals.

• While any death suggests “a serious failure,” scientists say transparency and rapid response should contain further spread.

Related:

How airlines could help contain Russian plague using lessons from past outbreaks – The Washington Post (gift link)

Infectious disease expert: The mysterious pneumonia in Russia deserves attention, not panic – STAT

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTHThe Climate Crisis is a Girls’ Crisis

Climate shocks are increasingly becoming a health and rights crisis for girls, finds the 2026 State of the World’s Girls report, drawing on 30 years of global data and recent accounts from 5,000+ girls across five climate-impacted countries.

The scale: 9 in 10 girls from Bangladesh, Kenya, Peru, Senegal, and Zimbabwe say climate events strain their family’s survival, stability, and health.

Major vulnerabilities:

• 76% report struggles accessing sexual and reproductive health services; 36% report witnessing child marriage; and 33% report unintended pregnancies.

• 28% report violence against women after climate events.

Simple, significant solutions: Keeping girls in school and maintaining essential health services is “vital to protecting girls’ rights and wellbeing.”

Plan International

Related: As extreme heat worsens, pregnancy and birth are a new faultline in the global climate crisis – UNFCCC

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS

What Pennsylvania’s measles outbreak could mean for pregnancy care across America – The 19th

How climate extremes are shaping Kenya’s drug-resistant cholera threat – KFF Health News

Dying Patients Are Inundated by Misinformation. My Dad Was One of Them. – The New York Times Magazine

The pill: from symbol of women's liberation to subject of growing mistrust – Radio France Internationale

The generation raised on sugar rations – and what their health reveals 70 years later – The Guardian

Vanilla could help heal wounds – Popular Science

 

Issue No. 2993

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Health authorities in Russia say there is “no plague case” in Siberia following reports last week that a lab technician had died of pneumonia of an unknown origin in the region, World Health Organization (WHO) officials said on Wednesday.

Kenya’s first Ebola death has triggered a race to trace everyone the victim came into contact with, as the United Nations and partners provide full support, the World Health Organization’s (WHO) top official in the country has told UN News in her first interview on the case. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) warned that significantly more resources are required to scale up its response in Yemen amid escalating conflict and rising needs.

Child and adolescent obesity has quadrupled since 1990, rising from two per cent to around eight per cent of youngsters in the five-to-19 age group, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).  

96 Global Health NOW: In the Wake of Nepal's Flooding, Health Threats Surge; and Japan Reshaping Science Oversight ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

October 6, 2026

NEWS IN BRIEF

Russian officials have downplayed concerns over pneumonic plague and denied local media reports of a lab accident, per CBS; the WHO is working to learn more, but says that based on the unofficial information available, the risk to the general public appears to be low. Reuters

A person under treatment for the Ebola virus died Monday in Nairobi, marking Kenya’s first case imported from DRC, where the man had been living; Kenyan health authorities are monitoring 28 contacts of the patient and are tracing another 23 people who were on a flight with the patient from Uganda to Kenya. AP

New York state has declared a disaster emergency over measles, with 108 cases so far this year, as of October 3; New York Governor Kathy Hochul is temporarily expanding the ability of health professionals to administer measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccines in response. Al Jazeera

Women report suffering more pain than men, per a major new global study of 6 million people from 118 countries from 1990 to 2025—“one of the largest harmonization efforts in pain epidemiology to date”—published in Nature Medicine; the study adds to concerns that women are less likely than men to be prescribed the pain relief they need. The Guardian

IN FOCUS

A woman checks photos of missing people pasted on a wall of a hospital in Kathmandu, Nepal, on September 26. Subaas Shrestha/NurPhoto via Getty

In the Wake of Nepal's Flooding, Health Threats Surge

Survivors of Nepal’s apocalyptic August floods face a wide range of post-disaster public health hazards while relying on a devastated health care system, reports Think Global Health.

The toll: 1,400+ people died in the catastrophic flooding triggered by a glacier collapse on the border with China. 5,700+ are missing and 80,000+ are still in need of humanitarian assistance, per the latest Unicef assessment.

Health sector hit: At least seven health facilities were damaged, and ~12 health workers are missing.

Severed access: 69 kilometers/43 miles of roads were damaged, “cutting a lifeline” between health care and flood‑affected areas. Temporary clinics and air-delivered medicines are filling gaps, but supplies are limited.

Rising health risks: Health officials are warning of an uptick of water- and insect-borne diseases as they rush to reestablish critical medical services including chronic disease care.

Maternity care crisis: 5,000+ pregnant women are among those affected by the floods and ~550 are due to give birth next month, reports The Guardian.

Girls face added dangers: Advocates are calling for strengthened protection for girls, who are especially vulnerable at displacement sites and who face a compounding risk of trafficking and child marriage amid the disruption, per Save the Children.

Related: U.S. Global Health Funding Expires as Nepal Calls for Support – Think Global Health

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES RESEARCHJapan Reshaping Science Oversight

Japan is tightening government oversight of its national science academy, raising concerns about academic freedom and institutional independence.

The shift: On October 1, the Science Council of Japan (SCJ) became a public corporation subject to greater government scrutiny.

The reasoning: The government says the change will improve transparency and make scientific advice more useful and impactful for policymakers.

The concerns: While the scientific body will have control over selecting governing members, government evaluators will be able to review its activities and recommend improvements—a dynamic critics fear will lead to pressure on SCJ scientists to align with government priorities.

• “This undermines the SCJ’s independence and autonomy,” says Odanaka Naoki, a Tohoku University historian.

Science

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS

Texas pediatricians face Paxton investigations for vaccinating children – The New York Times (gift link)

‘Defend our men!’: fears for women’s rights in Latin America over plans to counter gender violence laws – The Guardian

Nobel medicine prize goes to 3 scientists for research into brain activity – AP

How Trump’s homelessness crackdown became a sweeping retreat from disability rights – NBC

The Spark: The ‘Community Lighthouses’ Where Neighbors Help Neighbors – Reasons to Be Cheerful

 

Issue No. 2992

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Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.

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The death of a lab worker in Russia’s Siberia region has sparked concerns over a possible plague case, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday, adding that it was following the situation closely.  

The Ebola outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is robbing children of their loved ones – with some succumbing to the deadly disease themselves, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) reported on Tuesday.

96 Global Health NOW: Ongoing Obstacles in the Ebola Battle; and One Global Standard, Different Paths to PPH Care ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

October 5, 2026

NEWS IN BRIEF

~200 people in Russia’s Siberia region are under medical observation after the death of a lab worker who may have been exposed to pneumonic plague; the researcher, who worked at an anti-plague institute in Irkutsk, died of “pneumonia of unknown etiology,” per government reports. NBC

Critical shortages of HIV medicines and testing supplies due to aid cuts are impacting providers worldwide, finds a survey by the International Planned Parenthood Federation, which found that 55% of organizations providing HIV care in 40 countries reported a stockout in the past year. The Guardian  

The U.S. Cyclospora outbreak over the summer has been linked to lettuce from Taylor Farms de Mexico facilities, per the FDA, which said agents collected positive samples from onsite inspections; the agency says its investigation has closed and that all recalled lettuce associated with the outbreak is off the market. ABC  

Global life expectancy has nearly recovered to pre-pandemic levels, but recovery of years lived in good health has been slower, per the WHO; while life expectancy reached 73.3 years in 2023 compared to 73.4 in 2019, healthy life expectancy reached 62.8 years—still 0.4 years below 2019 levels. Anadolu

IN FOCUS

A hygiene worker writes a doctor's name on the back of his PPE suit before entering the Rwampara Ebola Treatment Centre in Bunia, DRC, on July 13. Benediction Murhabazi/AFP via Getty

Ongoing Obstacles in the Ebola Battle

The fight against Ebola in the DRC is at an inflection point: While the Bundibugyo outbreak shows signs of slowing transmission, sudden surges of violence and displacement are making it harder to sustain progress—and to ascertain the true state of the outbreak.  

The latest numbers: The death toll has now surpassed 4,000, with ~8,300 reported cases, per the AP.

• However, overall new cases have fallen since August, the Africa CDC said last week.

More gains: Response capacity is expanding, with a large increase in patient beds and growing safe-burial teams, per the WHO. Plus, the deployment of mobile labs has allowed for quicker testing.

Key setbacks: Violence is complicating containment and care, with a fire destroying a key Ebola transit center in Ituri last week, per UN News.

• Meanwhile, fighting has displaced ~3,000 people in Ituri since September 27, and disrupted patient transfers and humanitarian access. Recent case declines may partly reflect those access problems.

And some hotspots were left behind: In the town of Mangala, a lack of resources, distrust of authorities, and a poorly equipped—and often uncompensated—medical workforce mean that the fight is only just now ramping up, as this feature from The New York Times (gift link) reveals.

Related: MSF staff member tests positive for Ebola disease and is medically evacuated – Médecins Sans Frontières

DATA POINT

10%

—————

Greenhouse gas emissions caused by rotting food waste—5X more than the entire aviation sector produces. —UN Environment Programme

GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARYOne Global Standard, Different Paths to PPH Care

The leading cause of maternal death worldwide—postpartum hemorrhage (PPH), excessive bleeding after childbirth—kills nearly 43,000 people a year.

Yet it is fully preventable and treatable.

Today marks the second World PPH Day, launched last year by the WHO with the release of the first consolidated global guidelines for PPH. But the guidelines are just the beginning; the challenge now is to make that standard work everywhere—even where health systems have been weakened by crisis and conflict, write a trio of authors connected to the Safe Births in Crises project.

Through their work in Burkina Faso and South Sudan, they’ve seen what it takes to adapt PPH across two very different settings.

• Sometimes that means switching to more shelf-stable treatments or equipping lower-level facilities to act earlier.

• In other cases, countries may need to update national guidance and essential medicines lists and integrate new approaches into provider training.

The Quote: “The task is to build stronger systems without making women wait for them. As countries put the new PPH guidance into practice, how it will work in crisis-affected settings needs to be considered from the beginning … not addressed as an afterthought.”

Alicia Adler, Wole Taban Martin, and Claude Linda Traoré for Global Health NOW

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS

Doctors warn about the risks energy drinks pose to kids. What families need to know – AP

When Anesthesia Goes Wrong – The Atlantic

Clues to Why a Breakthrough Pancreatic Cancer Drug Eventually Stops Working – The New York Times (gift link)

Looking for vaccines? Vaccines.gov won’t help – CIDRAP

How to respond to hate speech without fuelling it further – Nature

From floating saunas to clinical trials: How heat might help mental health – NPR

 

Issue No. 2991

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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: Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.

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Pregnancy and childbirth have become a “new fault line in the global climate crisis” as extreme heat worsens, the head of the UN climate action body (UNFCCC) warned on Monday, calling for maternal and newborn health to be built into countries’ climate plans. 

People around the world are living longer again, with global life expectancy almost fully recovered from the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday.

Repeated delays in bringing lifesaving medicines, prosthetics and more from Israel into Gaza risk having devastating consequences on Palestinians who urgently need them in the war-torn enclave, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. 

96 Global Health NOW: MAHA’s Shifting Ground; and Shorter Chagas Treatment Shows Promise Plus: Autumn Leaves Us No Choice! ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

October 1, 2026

NEWS IN BRIEF

Zimbabwe will no longer receive U.S. health aid after it rejected an “America First” bilateral aid agreement, saying it risked undermining the country’s sovereignty; U.S. officials say there will be a short window to “responsibly close” U.S.-funded operations, which have historically included ~40% of the country’s HIV spending. The Washington Post (gift link)

The dengue outbreak in Bangladesh could worsen amid rainy conditions that could sustain ongoing transmission throughout October, one of the peak months for the disease; 245 people have died so far this year in the outbreak, with 148 deaths recorded in September alone. The Straits Times

Hundreds of thousands of U.S. immigrants with legal status could lose Medicaid coverage starting today under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act; those impacted include refugees, military interpreters, sex-trafficking victims, and others legally granted asylum. STAT

Chewing tobacco use led to ~251,000 deaths in 2023, finds a systematic analysis published in the Lancet Global Health, which also found usage of the product has remained high over 30+ years, especially in south Asia, where ~1 in 5 men and ~1 in 10 women chewed tobacco in 2023. The Telegraph

IN FOCUS

A Make America Healthy Again hat is seen on the floor during an event at the HHS headquarters on February 11, in Washington, D.C. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

MAHA’s Shifting Ground

Two years into President Trump’s second term, the Make America Healthy Again movement has become increasingly fragmented, as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. highlights tech and business partnerships while some original MAHA leaders say the cause has lost sight of its grassroots mission.

In back-to-back events this week, Kennedy pitched tech’s power to transform health.

A data push: At a MAHA Institute event Monday, Kennedy promoted a sweeping national health data system including detailed patient records from multiple agencies and AI analysis, particularly around vaccines, reports The Guardian.

An AI embrace: At Tuesday’s MAHA conference, he praised AI’s ability to “free us from medical tyranny” and to offer patients “a second opinion that is much better informed than any doctor in the country,” reports The New York Times (gift link).

• The event’s corporate sponsors, including major AI companies, Walmart, and pharmaceutical company Grail, drew criticism from supporters who say MAHA is abandoning concerns over toxins, food, water, and pharmaceutical overreach.

Meanwhile, waiting for impact: 68% of rural MAHA supporters say Trump’s health policies have had no positive impact or have made things worse locally, finds a new AP-KFF poll—findings that “signal an apparent disconnect between the Trump administration’s MAHA-branded policy priorities and rural America’s perception of their reach and effectiveness,” reports the AP.

NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASESShorter Chagas Treatment Shows Promise

A once-daily, shorter-course Chagas treatment could make therapy safer and easier to complete, finds a randomized trial published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Key finding: In 450 adults in Bolivia, 30 days of benznidazole cut drug-related side effects to 37% versus 60% with the standard 60-day, 2X-daily regimen of either benznidazole or the drug nifurtimox.

Meanwhile, 83% of patients completed the shorter course without interruption, compared with 60% completion of the standard course with similar efficacy—creating potential to “substantially increase the proportion of patients who complete treatment,” said co-author Joaquim Gascón of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health.

Long-term impact: The DNA of the Chagas-causing parasite, Trypanosoma cruzi, remained undetectable after three years in 94% of the 30-day group.

Medical Xpress

OPPORTUNITYThe Link Between Zoonotic Disease Risk and Violent Conflict

The next pandemic will likely be caused by a zoonotic pathogen and will likely emerge in a region affected by conflict and violence.  

As such, disease spillover and spread will likely be affected by population displacement, distrust between people and governmental authorities, and failing health and disease surveillance systems.

Where do we go from here? Join medical anthropologist Lauren Carruth for a virtual talk exploring lessons learned from interdisciplinary research on zoonotic disease risk among pastoralists in eastern Ethiopia, as well as collecting feedback on remaining questions and potential next steps.

• Friday, October 30, 2026, 11 a.m.–12 p.m. EDT

• Location: Online

• Learn more and register

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Autumn Leaves Us No Choice!

Why does autumn awaken our ritualistic side? Perhaps it’s ancestral attunement to harvest. Maybe we’re sensitive to mortality as leaves turn: “a beautiful reminder that even in death, foliage will do anything to make a situation all about them,” per this classic 2018 ode to autumn (gift link). Maybe we just love exploding pumpkins.

A roundup of kooky, spooky festivities offer clues:

More memento mori: From dust we came and to dust we return—but not before we thumb noses at the Grim Reaper in coffin races in Manitou Springs, Colorado, or the zombie bike parade in Davis, California.

Wooly up for winter: At least two towns celebrate the winter-predicting fuzzy caterpillar, the “woolybear” in Vermilion, Ohio, and the “woolyworm” in Banner Elk, NC.

Squashing squash: In Ludwigsburg, Germany’s “Kürbisausstellung,” ~450,000 pumpkins become works of art. Conversely, at Brasstown, NC’s “Punkin Chunkin,” they become pulp.

QUICK HITS

Measles disaster in Florida might not be far off, analysis finds – CIDRAP

New Cost Estimate Tool to Aid U.S. Measles Outbreak Response – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health

Mauritius is the first country to show it is reversing the type 2 diabetes epidemic using gold-standard testing – Medical Xpress

States That Ban Abortion Challenge Shield Laws for Providers Who Mail Pills – The New York Times (gift link)

How Kwanele Asante’s 20-year fight for patients’ voices reached the UN – Bhekisisa via Daily Maverick

Travel plans? Here's what to know as measles exposures reach trains and games – NPR

 

Issue No. 2990

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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: Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.

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The enormous challenge of halting the spread of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) just became even harder after a key transit centre for patients requiring treatment burned down in Ituri province.

96 Global Health NOW: Fighting Fuels Yemen’s Health Crisis; and Bolstering Menopause Care Behind Bars ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌     ͏ ‌    ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

September 30, 2026

NEWS IN BRIEF

Medication prices in Iran have spiked as the U.S. blockade and increased sanctions pressure the country’s pharmaceuticals industry; prices for some medicines have risen 3X+ and others are becoming scarce. AP

Pooled TB testing could halve costs and help identify millions of missing cases, finds a new study published in The Lancet Global Health; the strategy involves testing combined samples from multiple patients and individually retesting only if a pooled test is positive. The Telegraph  

1 in 8 cancer cases worldwide are caused by viral and bacterial infections such as Helicobacter pylori and HPV, finds a new study published in The Lancet Oncology, which linked infections to ~2.3 million new cancer cases in 2024. CBC  

The CDC has confirmed two measles deaths in the U.S. this year from 3,659 confirmed cases; the CDC did not specify the states where the deaths occurred, but so far Pennsylvania has reported four deaths. Al Jazeera

IN FOCUS

Salama Saeed (R), an internally displaced person, walks with liquid containers at an IDP camp. Khokha, Yemen, September 8. Khaled Ziad / AFP via Getty

Fighting Fuels Yemen’s Health Crisis

Renewed fighting in Yemen is battering the country’s already fragile health system, as health workers warn that cholera, measles, and dengue are all on the rise and that hunger is reaching critical levels among children amid widespread displacement, reports UN News.

The latest: 180,000+ people have been displaced in recent weeks as clashes escalate between government forces and Houthi opposition fighters.

• Among those displaced, UNICEF is tracking “a very visible increase in ⁠acute malnutrition among children,” with more than a quarter of the ~2,900 children screened acutely malnourished, reports Al Jazeera.

Cholera risk rises: Yemen already has ~7,800 suspected cholera cases and 22 deaths this year, while overcrowded displacement sites, unsafe water, and strained health services create conditions for wider transmission.

• The country has also seen 37 dengue-linked deaths and 22,000+ cases of measles.

Where cholera thrives: Global cholera deaths rose 30% in 2025 to 7,870—the highest total since 1999—even as reported cases fell 20% to ~451,500, the latest WHO figures show.

• Yemen was one of the seven countries that account for 90% of reported cases and deaths, reports CIDRAP. The others—Angola, Bangladesh, DRC, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Sudan—similarly experienced widespread displacement related to conflict or disasters this year.

Related: Micaela Serafini: Why we could not stop cholera in Sudan – Arab News (commentary)

DATA POINT

Nearly 40%

———————

Share of global population exposed to dangerous ozone pollution so far in 2026 —Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service analysis (news release)

WOMEN’S CARCERAL HEALTHBolstering Menopause Care Behind Bars 

As more incarcerated women enter menopause, advocates say prisons are failing to provide adequate care.

• Women ages 50+ now make up 18% of U.S. prison populations, up from 8% in 2008.

• Yet only five states explicitly mention menopause in prison policies, per a Prison Policy Initiative briefing.

Grassroots response: Menopause education has been spearheaded by people behind bars, including Kwaneta Harris, who has advocated for menopause care inside her Texas prison and beyond.

• “It does help to know that you’re not suffering alone,” said Harris.

New efforts: Impact Justice has launched a new education initiative, Menopause Project, which has already reached 600+ incarcerated women in California.

The 19th

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS

Travel plans? Here’s what to know as measles exposures reach trains and games – NPR

Trump’s shift from ‘Housing First’ is causing upheaval for homelessness programs and many they serve – AP

A Girl Nearly Died After Drinking Raw Milk. The State Did Little to Punish the Unlicensed Farmer Who Sold It. – ProPublica

Invasive malaria-carrying mosquito widens spread in Africa – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

French women face growing obstacles to abortion despite constitutional right – Radio France International

One in Nine Older Adults Who Use Cannabis Meet Criteria for Cannabis Use Disorder – UC San Diego Today

How vaccines and antibiotics can beat some cancers – The Telegraph

Chinese-owned science journal created to rival the best – Nature

 

Issue No. 2989

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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: Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.

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