The recent Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks demonstrate that the world is still vulnerable to rapidly spreading infectious diseases, Tedros Ghebreyesus, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO), warned on Saturday at the close of the 79th World Health Assembly in Geneva.

The UN is rushing emergency personnel, funding and supplies into eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to counter the fast-growing Ebola outbreak spreading through conflict-ravaged provinces.

96 Global Health NOW: The Race to Develop a New Ebola Vaccine; and Broadening HPV Vaccine Access to Boys View this email in your browser May 21, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Bangladesh officials ignored repeated warnings from UNICEF over several years about a shortage of measles vaccines that could lead to an outbreak, reports The Daily Star; the current outbreak has now killed 481, with six children dying over 24 hours as suspected cases reach 57,856, per the Dhaka Tribune.     The UN has voted to support a landmark ruling from the International Court of Justice which found countries have a legal obligation to address the “existential threat” of the climate crisis; 141 member states voted in favor, with eight voting no and 28 abstaining. Al Jazeera     Local transmission of malaria in the U.S. remains “a significant public health concern,” warns a new CDC report, which points to a 2023 outbreak in which 10 people across four states were locally infected, and highlights most U.S. residents’ lack protective immunity against the disease. CIDRAP    Common preservatives used in store-bought foods were linked to a 29% greater risk of elevated blood pressure and a 16% higher risk of heart attacks and stroke, per a new study published in European Heart Journal; the study found that even “natural” preservatives citric acid and ascorbic acid were linked to a 22% greater risk of high blood pressure. CNN  EDITORS' NOTE We're Taking a Long Weekend
Heads up, readers! We won’t be publishing Monday in observance of Memorial Day in the U.S. We’ll be back Tuesday with more news!—The Editors  IN FOCUS A border health officer at the Busunga crossing between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo checks a traveler's temperature on May 18. Badru Katumba/AFP/Getty The Race to Develop a New Ebola Vaccine    As the global health community mobilizes to respond to the Ebola outbreak centered in eastern DRC and Uganda that has now sickened ~600 ad killed ~139, a simultaneous effort is kicking into gear in labs worldwide: develop a vaccine for the Bundibugyo strain—fast.    But such a vaccine is still months away, reports The Washington Post (gift link). The Bundibugyo strain has no approved vaccine or targeted treatment, and WHO officials say producing doses for trials could take six to nine months.    Current status: There are two potential vaccine candidates, but neither is ready to move into human testing.  

• The leading vaccine candidate uses the same platform as Merck’s Ervebo shot, which protects against the Zaire strain of Ebola. Previous research identified a Bundibugyo-specific version of that shot protected monkeys, but it was never manufactured to human-testing standards.  

• A second candidate, built on technology similar to the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, could move into trials sooner, though there is not yet animal data to support safety and efficacy.  

• Meanwhile, an investigational monoclonal antibody treatment, called MBP134 and developed by Mapp Biopharmaceutical Inc., can protect against multiple strains of Ebola and has been through early human testing. 

Dire impact of American absence: Already, cuts to USAID and CDC programs have led to life-threatening surveillance gaps and delays in the movement of critical protective gear and testing supplies, global health experts tell The New York Times (gift link). Those gaps also slow and endanger future vaccine development and distribution models.  

• “In a time when hours matter, we’re delayed by weeks,” said Nicholas Enrich, the former top global health official for USAID.  

Related: Analysis of past Ebola outbreaks suggests 54% death rate, identifies hemorrhage as key risk factor – CIDRAP SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS Broadening HPV Vaccine Access to Boys     Researchers are urging South Africa to include boys in its HPV vaccination program, warning that men are increasingly affected by HPV-related cancers, too.     Prioritizing girls: South Africa’s soon-to-be-launched 2026-2030 cervical cancer elimination strategy aims to have girls vaccinated for HPV between ages 9–15. 

• The campaign does not include boys, who can’t get routine HPV-related cancer screening through public health care.  

The case for wider access: While women are especially at risk for developing cervical cancer from the human papillomavirus, men also face a substantial threat: One in five men globally carries a cancer-causing strain of HPV.  

• Experts say a gender-neutral HPV vaccination approach would improve overall cancer prevention. 

Bhekisisa (commentary) OPPORTUNITY Deadline Extended: Apply for the Heroes of Tomorrow UN SDG Awards  
The Changemaker Awards honor individuals leading collective action towards justice, equality, and peace in support of UN #SDGs. Successful changemakers demonstrate visionary leadership and the ability to make measurable, lasting impact within their communities and beyond—like Jîn Dawod (2025 Winner), a mental health visionary who transformed her experience as a Syrian refugee into life-changing support for displaced communities across 26 countries.   
In 2026, the UN SDG Action Campaign will bring together nine finalists from all over the world for a unique program of coaching and capacity building in advance of the Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards Ceremony, in Rome, Italy on October 29, 2026. 

• Extended deadline: May 31, 2026 

• Learn more about the Heroes of Tomorrow: UN SDG Action Awards 

• Changemaker (self-)nomination form 

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION The Rhythm Will Be Televised    It’s a grounding principle of democracy: Give the people what they want.     And if that’s more air guitar, so be it.     Hungary’s health-minister-to-be Zsolt Hegedűs went viral in April for his exuberant celebration of incoming prime minister Péter Magyar’s victory. Because how better to celebrate the ousting of Viktor Orbán after 16 years in power than with a rollicking medley of finger-points, raise-the-roofs, and snakey-arms?    Hegedűs saw his debut as a “singular, spur-of-the-moment outpouring of emotion,” The Guardian reports. But his base—now consisting of the entire internet—wasn’t having it. By the time he arrived at Maygar’s swearing in on May 9, “the audience had been waiting for this so eagerly” and he “didn’t want to let down the people,” he said.    Anti-virus, pro-viral: Hegedűs has been busy updating Hungarians about infectious disease threats, and touting the health benefits of throwing shapes:  “It’s not that I’m going to start dancing in parliament”—a real shame, actually—“but I want to use this popularity to encourage people to adopt a health-conscious lifestyle and focus on mental wellbeing,” he said.    Thanks for the tip, Barbara Benham!  QUICK HITS Gaza’s public health crisis deepens as rodent infestations, sewage overflow and soaring heat threaten civilians – International Rescue Committee (news release)    'Get off your phones': Surgeon general advisory calls on kids to cut screen time – ABC      Treating Superbugs With Litigation: Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria From Animal Agriculture As a Public Nuisance – Harvard Law Review    Immunotherapy could be used to treat depression, early trial suggests – The Guardian    U.S. researchers face new restrictions on publishing with foreign collaborators – Science    World Cup’s hidden health operation – Your Local Epidemiologist  Issue No. 2920
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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United Nations agencies have moved swiftly to support efforts to contain the latest Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), delivering emergency medical supplies, protective equipment and logistics support.

96 Global Health NOW: A ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Reset for Humanitarian Aid; and Nicotine Pouch Popularity Surges View this email in your browser May 20, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES The Ebola outbreak in DRC and Uganda could take months to contain, the WHO said today, reporting a current suspected death toll of 130+ and 600+ suspected cases, per the AP; meanwhile, challenges related to the region’s conflict and shortages of personnel, medical equipment, disinfectant, and protective gear are complicating the response, The New York Times reports (gift link). 
  Iran’s appeal for support against attacks on healthcare by the U.S. and Israel failed at the WHA yesterday, with 19 votes in favor and 30 against; a similar resolution from Lebanon, which asks the WHO to provide support through medications and supplies, passed with 95 votes in favor and two against. Geneva Solutions    Over half of U.S. teens are unaware of their right to independently access STI testing and treatment without a guardian’s consent, finds a new study published today by the American Academy of Pediatrics. CIDRAP    Undiagnosed ADHD may be linked to traffic-related injuries among adults, finds a new study presented at the American Psychiatric Association annual meeting; the study found that ~35% of 95 adults admitted to the hospital for traffic-related injuries screened positive on the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale and that high-risk driving behaviors were more common among adults who screened positive. MedPage Today Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!  IN FOCUS Residents gather to collect drinking water in the Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City on May 19. Ahmed Al Arini / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty A ‘Once-in-a-Generation’ Reset for Humanitarian Aid    The global humanitarian aid system is “no longer fit for purpose,” warns a major commission in a landmark report that calls for a total overhaul of aid systems rather than incremental reforms, reports the Middle East Eye.    Background: A rising number of conflict-driven deaths and forced displacement globally spurred the 2024 launch of the CHH-Lancet Commission on Health, Conflict and Forced Displacement—a collaboration between the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health and The Lancet.  

• Their research period spanned the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID and other international funding shortfalls—demonstrating the politicization of aid that essentially functions as “rationing by design” driven by donor interests rather than human need.  

But failures have been decades in the making, the Commission argues, as seen in:  

• Rising harm: Conflict deaths nearly doubled between 2021 and 2024, and attacks on healthcare hit a record 3,663 incidents in 2024. 

• Need gaps: 239 million people are expected to need aid in 2026, but only ~87 million are likely to receive it.  

A need for a power shift: The pressures of the moment have created what lead author Paul Spiegel called a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” to remake systems, including:  

• Moving decision-making and funding control to affected communities.

• Financing to create pooled, independent funds that are channeled straight to local groups and healthcare and are insulated from donor politics. 

• Using health outcomes to create better accountability around violations of humanitarian law.  

• A single streamlined UN aid agency instead of fragmented groups. 

What’s next: The Commission aims to help form a Global Humanitarian Alliance, regional implementation forums, and accountability reports aimed at turning the recommendations into enforceable global standards.    Related: Rethinking Humanitarian Health – Public Health On Call  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TOBACCO Nicotine Pouch Popularity Surges     The WHO is raising alarm over a rapid uptake of nicotine pouch products among youth, as the small sachets containing flavored powdered nicotine are “being aggressively marketed” to young people worldwide, per News Medical.    Youth-targeting tactics include using sweet flavors and savvy social media campaigns to attract young users, who are especially susceptible to developing long-term nicotine addiction, finds the organization’s first-ever report on the products.  

• Sales topped 23 billion+ units in 2024—a 50% spike over the previous year—creating a ~$7 billion industry in 2025.  

Regulation is limited or absent in many countries, says the WHO, which urges “comprehensive” policymaking from advertising bans to taxation.  

• The regulatory debate is playing out across Europe, reports Politico—with Sweden taking a more permissive approach and France instituting a total ban. 

Related:    It’s maddeningly difficult to ban smoking – The Atlantic     WHO Member States Should Treat Fossil Fuels like Tobacco – as a Public Health Threat – Health Policy Watch    Fire and ‘sheer volume’: how Britain’s 6m-vape problem is putting recycling under strain – The Guardian  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS How measles unleashed a wave of suffering in Bangladesh – The Telegraph    CDC Director’s Nomination Is an Opportunity to Reconstitute the CDC – CSIS    She Was Finding Sources of Dangerous Water and Soil Pollution. The E.P.A. Canceled Her Grant – The New York Times (gift link)     Religious Anti-Abortion Center Finds Opportunity in Town Without OB-GYNs – KFF Health News    At least 80% responsibility for ill health in old age down to individual, says study – The Guardian    Can extra snoozing reverse the health hazards of a bad night’s sleep? – Science  Issue No. 2919
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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Facing a fast-moving Ebola outbreak caused by a rare strain of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) is relying on a rapid, community-centred response to halt transmission in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, a senior official has told UN News.

Before heading to strike sites in war-torn Lebanon, rescue workers and paramedics often say goodbye to one another – a ritual captured in widely shared videos reflecting the growing dangers faced by aid workers since hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel erupted on 2 March.

The deadly Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda does not represent a global pandemic emergency, although the risk is high at a regional and national level, the UN health agency chief said on Wednesday.

Researchers at McGill University have discovered a centuries-old genetic mutation that helps to explain why some French‑Canadians in Quebec are at an elevated risk of pancreatic cancer. Until quite recently, standard genetic tests have not been able to identify this “jumping gene” cause.

The findings, published in the Journal of Medical Genetics, suggest better-targeted genetic testing could help identify people at higher cancer risk who were previously missed.

96 Global Health NOW: Ebola Worries Loom Over #WHA79; and How AI is Accelerating Biosecurity Risks View this email in your browser May 19, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES A diphtheria outbreak in Australia’s Northern Territory—with 133 cases, including one likely death—has spread, with Western Australia, Queensland, and South Australia now reporting up to 90 cases; it’s now the biggest diphtheria outbreak the country has seen in decades, per the country’s health minister, Mark Butler. ABC Australia     As infectious disease outbreaks like hantavirus and Ebola grow more frequent, they are also becoming more damaging, exacerbated by the climate crisis and armed conflict, say the authors of the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) report published yesterday; they warn that the pandemic risk is outpacing investment in preparedness, which is undermined by “geopolitical fragmentation and commercial self-interest.” The Guardian   U.S. abortion bans appear to have made it harder for people experiencing miscarriages to receive appropriate—or even any—treatment, per a study in JAMA; as the Oregon Health & Science University-led study focused only on first trimester miscarriages among people with private insurance, the impact is likely an underestimate. The 19th    Nearly half of U.S. teens are on their phones between midnight and 4 a.m., losing critical sleep time on school nights, according to a study in JAMA Pediatrics that tracked 657 adolescents participating in the national Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study. The Washington Post (gift link) IN FOCUS WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus delivers a speech at the opening of the 79th World Health Organization assembly. Geneva, May 18. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Ebola Worries Loom Over #WHA79     The burgeoning Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda at once overshadowed yesterday’s opening of the 79th World Health Assembly and emphasized the importance of international cooperation. 

• “From conflicts to economic crises to climate change and aid cuts, we live in difficult, dangerous and divisive times,” WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said yesterday at the WHA's opening, per Health Policy Watch. 

Ebola latest:  

• The outbreak has caused 131 suspected deaths and 513 suspected cases, according to DRC health minister Samuel-Roger Kamba, per The New York Times (gift link). 

• 30 cases have been laboratory confirmed and linked to the outbreak in the DRC’s northeastern Ituri Province. 

• 2 cases have been confirmed in Uganda. 

• Tedros said today that he is “deeply concerned about the scale and speed” of the outbreak, Reuters reports. He expects numbers to increase as surveillance, contact tracing, and lab testing scale up. 

• The WHO's Emergency Committee is convening today to discuss the outbreak.  

#WHA79 highlights:  

• “We are witnessing the end of an era, and we must have the courage to build the next one,” Ghana’s President John Dramani Mahama said yesterday, noting that global health cuts could lead to 9 million preventable deaths by 2030, the Ghanian Times reports. His own country has lost $78 million in USAID funds, affecting programs in malaria, maternal and child health, HIV, and nutrition.  

• Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called for greater investment in global health in the face of “the pandemic of egotism and selfishness,” Health Policy Watch reports. Spain has boosted its official development aid by 30%, he said. Sánchez obliquely castigated the U.S., saying “the country that cut $18 billion from global public health and ODA [official development assistance] has spent more than $29 billion on war.” 

Related:  
  US bans travellers from DRC, Uganda and South Sudan amid major Ebola outbreak – The Telegraph     Your guide to events at the 79th World Health Assembly – WHA Guide 2026     Watch the World Health Assembly sessions – WHO  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HEALTH SECURITY How AI is Accelerating Biosecurity Risks    Advanced biological AI tools are powering a research revolution, allowing scientists to design proteins and viruses—and opening up access to bioengineering knowledge and tools to people outside of labs.     Promise and risk: This new era could pave the way to great medical discoveries—and, scientists fear, for bad actors to misuse in the creation of toxins, viruses, and other bioweapons that can evade detection.     A range of responses: Scientists say a series of safeguards are needed in response to increased risks, including better screening by companies that synthesize nucleic acids to order so they can better identify dangerous sequences.  

• Others say AI tools themselves must have more stringent access controls and flagging systems to prevent misuse.  

Nature    Related:      Q&A: Is AI democratizing global health or reinforcing old inequities? – Medical Xpress     FDA clears first AI-based early warning system for sepsis – CIDRAP  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Mpox infections may outnumber diagnosed cases 33 to 1, study suggests – CIDRAP     HHS withdraws amended vaccine advisory panel charter – The Hill     Steep drop in number of people with Affordable Care Act health coverage, analysis finds – NPR    Children’s Mental Health Visits Have Shot Up, Research Shows – The New York Times (gift link)    Thousands of U.S. countertop workers could have damaged lungs, safety expert says – NPR    Kazakhstan Sees Later Marriages and More Equal Partnerships, Study Finds – The Astana Times    RFK Jr. wants meat back on hospital trays, no matter what cardiologists think – The Independent   Issue No. 2918
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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A fast-spreading Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has health workers rushing to stop transmission while the roll out of any potential vaccine is months away, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. 

96 Global Health NOW: Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern; and We Know How to Stop Disease Outbreaks. Will We? View this email in your browser May 18, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES The WHO should declare the global climate crisis a public health emergency of international concern, per a European climate and health commission; the WHO-convened commission delivered a report to European ministers yesterday on the eve of the World Health Assembly. The Guardian     LGBTIQ+ people are increasingly targeted for violence and discrimination, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said yesterday; consensual same-sex relations are criminalized in more than one-third of countries. UN News 
Mifepristone remains accessible via telehealth prescription and mail delivery after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a freeze on a lower court ruling that would have required in-person appointments for patients to acquire the drug; the underlying legal case remains unresolved and is expected to eventually return to the Supreme Court. Axios 
Hantavirus can survive in human sperm for up to six years, creating potential for sexual transmission even after recovery from the virus, per a 2023 study published in Viruses; while such transmission has not been documented, UK health officials say they were reviewing hantavirus research while monitoring British passengers from the MV Hondius. The Telegraph  IN FOCUS A CBCA Virunga Hospital staff member checks a visitor's temperature before allowing her access to the hospital. Goma, DRC, May 17. Jospin Mwisha/AFP via Getty Ebola Outbreak a Public Health Emergency of International Concern    The WHO has declared an Ebola outbreak centered in eastern DRC a public health emergency of international concern as cases rapidly mount and epidemiologists urgently seek to gauge the spread of the highly contagious virus that has likely been circulating undetected for weeks, reports The New York Times (gift link).  

• The announcement, made Saturday, came one day after the Africa CDC reported that the DRC outbreak was linked to dozens of suspected deaths, and after the confirmation of at least two cases in Uganda. 

Questions around count: 300+ suspected cases and 88 deaths have been reported, per the AP. But epidemiologists warn the scale of the outbreak could be far larger, with the WHO highlighting “significant uncertainties” about the number of infections and geographic spread. 

• The virus is centered in a mining corridor region that Africa CDC director general Jean Kaseya described as “a very vulnerable and fragile region” weakened by conflict and poor health infrastructure, reports NPR. 

• Cases have also been reported in heavily populated areas including Kinshasa, Goma, and Kampala, further complicating response.  

Rare strain, few tools: The outbreak is being driven by the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has only been reported twice before, reports the AP. 

• There are no approved vaccines or therapeutics for the strain, and WHO officials said existing rapid tests initially missed the virus. 

• The response is also impacted by USAID cuts, reduced CDC funding, and the U.S. withdrawal from the WHO, say global health experts, who pointed to a pivotal U.S. role in previous Ebola outbreaks.  

Americans exposed: A small number of Americans may have been exposed in Congo, including at least one symptomatic individual who is being considered for medical evacuation by the CDC, per The Washington Post (gift link).  DATA POINT

1.1 billion
——————
People live in slums, per the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat); how to house them in dignity is a question being discussed at the World Urban Forum in Baku, Azerbaijan, this week. —UN News
  GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY Using the 7-1-7 target, public health officials in El Salvador managed to stop the spread of imported malaria cases and maintain the nation’s malaria-free status. Courtesy of Resolve to Save Lives We Know How to Stop Disease Outbreaks. Will We? 
In December 2024, as cases of cholera were surging in South Sudan, the Ministry of Health recognized and curbed the outbreak in record time, with just six confirmed cases and no reported deaths.     Compare that to what we’re seeing with measles globally—as the disease has made a comeback in countries that had once eliminated it, like the U.S. 
  “The difference isn’t the disease; it’s the response and investment in prevention,” writes Amanda McClelland of Resolve to Save Lives. 
  One tool that’s helping to contain outbreaks—including in South Sudan––is the 7-1-7 target, developed by Resolve to Save Lives and adopted by dozens of communities, countries, and institutions around the world, based on three simple goals:  

• Detect an outbreak within seven days of the first case. 

• Notify public health authorities within one day of detection. 

• Complete early response actions within seven days of notification.   

A model to follow: The latest installment of the just-published Epidemics That Didn’t Happen report shows 7-1-7 target success stories from countries that used the tool to identify and stop outbreaks quickly—including an Ebola outbreak in Uganda last year. Other countries can follow their lead, McClellan says, and adopt the 7-1-7 target to improve rapid outbreak detection and response.     “We have a choice,” McClellan writes. “We can wait for the next crisis and respond after lives are lost, or we can invest in prevention and stop outbreaks before they spread.”   READ THE FULL COMMENTARY BY AMANDA MCCLELLAN OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Top WHO official: I’m relieved it isn’t bird flu, but we’re in a ‘make or break’ phase for hantavirus – The Telegraph

A Danish Couple’s Maverick African Research Finds Its Moment in RFK Jr.’s Vaccine Policy – KFF Health News

Study reveals hidden trauma of unaccompanied Afghan refugee children brought to UK – The Independent

Efforts to understand America’s drugged-driving problem stalls under Trump – The Washington Post (gift link)

RFK Jr.’s department to make it easier to fire career staff – Politico

With a Friend in Trump, the Tobacco Industry Secures a Lucrative Win – The New York Times (gift link) Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!

How outbreaks at sea have been helping to shape the global health system since medieval times – The Conversation (commentary)

A revolutionary cancer treatment could transform autoimmune disease – Knowable  Issue No. 2917
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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From Ebola outbreaks in Central Africa to the complex evacuation of passengers aboard a hantavirus-stricken cruise ship, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) opened its annual assembly on Monday as countries grapple with disease outbreaks, deep funding cuts and growing geopolitical tension.

A day after the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the new Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo an international emergency, top global disease transmission experts stressed that the chances of another global pandemic similar to the 2019 coronavirus emergency are increasing all the time.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, citing rising cases, cross-border spread and significant uncertainties about the scale of the epidemic.

Brightly coloured nicotine pouches promoted through social media influencers, music festivals and youth-oriented advertising are driving a rapid rise in nicotine use among young people worldwide, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Friday.

At event honouring 116 winners of major awards, keynote speaker and SSHRC Gold Medal recipient Myriam Denov emphasized the importance of listening.

McGill celebrated more than 100 researchers at the 21st edition of Bravo, a gala event May 7 honouring the winners of major provincial, national and international research prizes and awards in 2025.

96 Global Health NOW: The Hunt for Hantavirus Origins; and The Paternal Mortality ‘Blind Spot’ Plus: In Chonkers’ Wake View this email in your browser May 14, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Global health progress is off-target and hard-won gains are being reversed, warns the WHO’s 2026 World Health Statistics report, which found that malaria incidence has increased, measles immunization coverage remains dangerously low, and the decline in maternal and child mortality rates is slowing. Scientific American    U.S. overdose deaths dropped by 14% last year, per new CDC data; but researchers caution that the number of deaths is still high (~70,000) and that cuts to harm reduction programs and the emergence of new illicit drugs could reverse progress. AP    Delayed diagnosis of travel-acquired malaria was common among U.S. children hospitalized for the disease between 2016 and 2023, per a new study published in Pediatrics, which found that malaria was not considered or tested for in 1 in 4 pediatric patients seeking initial clinical care; 51% of those children went on to develop severe symptoms. CIDRAP     Gene therapy was linked to a brain tumor in a boy years after receiving the treatment as a baby, per research presented at the annual meeting of American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy; while the mass was safely removed, it is the first time a gene therapy delivered by the adeno-associated virus has been linked to cancer, say researchers, who also said the rare outcome should not prevent the use of AAV in gene therapy. Science  IN FOCUS An aerial view of Ushuaia harbor in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina, on May 13. Edrien Esteves/AFP via Getty The Hunt for Hantavirus Origins
As passengers of MV Hondius quarantine in their home countries, international health officials are racing to pinpoint the origin and transmission patterns of the Andes strain of hantavirus that has sickened 11 people and sparked global alarm.    Epidemiological detective work: Scientists are retracing the route traveled by the virus’s first known victims, a Dutch couple who boarded the cruise ship after crisscrossing Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay, reports The New York Times (gift link).  

• Questions surrounding the initial source and incubation timeline have made it difficult to draw a clear line, resulting in some international finger-pointing between Argentina and Chile.   

• Scientists are also trapping rodents to determine whether the virus has spread into new regions beyond Patagonia. 

Scrambling to understand spread: Researchers are also working to grasp the transmission patterns of the Andes strain—the only hantavirus known to spread between humans, reports The Telegraph.  

• That means defining the conditions needed for the virus’s spread: incubation timing, respiratory droplet size, type of contact needed for spread, and the infectious dose needed to overcome immune defenses. 

Risk and response: While American cruise passengers are being quarantined and monitored, the CDC said Wednesday the threat to the public remains low, per Reuters.  

• Laboratories, including the University of Nebraska Medical Center, are rapidly developing diagnostic tests, reports Wired, and refining containment protocols as scientists study possible mutations.  

Misinformation contagion: Meanwhile, COVID-era conspiracy theories are resurging online—but this time, AI is an accelerant, per another New York Times report (gift link). 

• “The conspiracy theories from COVID-19 never really died,” said University of Buffalo misinformation researcher Yotam Ophir. “They lay dormant for a few years.” 

POPULATIONS The Paternal Mortality ‘Blind Spot’ 
New insights are emerging into the understudied crisis of paternal mortality in the U.S., in which new fathers are dying from preventable causes like accidental injuries, homicide, suicide, and overdose in their children’s early childhood, per SciTech Daily.   

• While maternal health and mortality are well-tracked in the U.S., paternal mortality has received little attention, despite its adverse effects on children and families. 

Illuminating the issue: Northwestern University researchers tracked ~130,000 babies born in Georgia in 2017 to see if their fathers died over the following five years, per the study published in JAMA Pediatrics. 

• Among 796 fathers who died, 60% of the deaths were preventable—pointing to “a huge blind spot” in public health. 

Need for more data—and intervention: Researchers are unpacking the factors driving the deaths; however, in an interview with Nautilus, the study’s lead author said birth-related health care visits provide a key opportunity to connect with fathers and provide them with support.   OPPORTUNITY Last Call to Submit for Open Forum Conference! 
There are a few more days to submit abstracts and awardee nominations for the 2026 Open Forum: Next Generation Conference.    Hosted by the National Network of Public Health Institutes, the annual public health workforce development gathering will be held August 24–26 in Nashville, Tennessee. 

• Abstract submissions are open for a variety of presentation formats for five conference tracks including performance improvement, data modernization, public health challenge navigation, and more. 

• Nominate your colleagues, friends, and mentors for this year’s Open Forum Awards, celebrating new and emerging leaders in the public health field. 

Abstract and award nominations are due by Sunday, May 17.  ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION In Chonkers’ Wake
Swim on, Moby Dick: There’s a new white whale in our lives, and his name is Chonkers.    Chonkers is not a whale. But the 1,500+-lb. Steller sea lion brought his own chonky mythos to San Francisco Bay this spring, dwarfing the resident sea lions and drawing “bonkers for Chonkers” crowds to Pier 39, per SFGate—including some who made cross-country pilgrimages “looking for the big one,” as one Atlanta visitor told CBS San Francisco.     We are all drawn to Chonkers—but what drew Chonkers to us? Relatably, he was “very food-motivated,” one expert told the New York Times (gift link); and the easy pickings of anchovies, herring, and rockfish in the bay probably spurred Chonkers to make the unusual 30+ mile trek shoreward. Now that he’s dined, it appears that he’s ditched us, reports Discover.      What now? Bereaved Chonkers-watchers may hope for another visit from the Steller sea lion; but the local harbormaster Sheila Chandor says the Pier 39 docks and their typical dainty, 700-lb. denizens aren’t exactly fit to host him, as this startling video demonstrates.     “He makes them all look like little kittens,” Chandor said.  QUICK HITS It’s Time to Blow Up the Public Health Events Model – Why Should I Trust You?

‘We will not denounce people in distress’: Luxembourg doctors balk at EU migration proposals – Luxembourg Times

French authorities to release millions of sterile tiger mosquitoes – Connexion Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!

Tunisia validated by WHO as having eliminated trachoma as a public health problem – WHO

White House threatens to withhold Medicaid money from states over fraud – The Hill

On Monday morning it was a busy South Sudan hospital. By Tuesday night it was a bombed-out shell – The Guardian

Want to keep aging at bay? Get some arts and culture every day, study finds – Euronews   Issue No. 2916
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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