96 Global Health NOW: Afghanistan’s ‘Catastrophic’ Hunger Plus: Birth Certificates for Bangladesh’s ‘Invisible’ Children View this email in your browser February 19, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Libya has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, the WHO has validated—the result of a decades-long effort that involved improved surveillance, expanded surgical care, and training and support for eye health workers that was “particularly notable given years of political instability and humanitarian challenges” that strained health services. WHO  
 
New FDA guidance for antibiotic use in food-producing animals seeks to add duration limits to medically important antibiotics; but critics say the guidance fails to adequately address the rise and spread of antibiotic resistance and the potential impacts on human health. CIDRAP 
 
Early prenatal care has declined in the U.S., with the share of births to women who had prenatal care in the first trimester dropping from 78.3% in 2021 to 75.5% in 2024, per newly released CDC data; while reasons for the decline were not cited, the decrease was higher for mothers in minority groups, and specialists pointed to the rise in maternity deserts as a likely factor. AP  
 
Greater air pollution exposure has been linked to heightened Alzheimer’s risk, per a new study published in PLOS Medicine, which found that air pollution affected the brain through direct effects rather than through other chronic conditions. Euronews IN FOCUS A malnourished child holding his mother’s hand inside the Médecins Sans Frontières therapeutic nutrition center at a hospital in Herat, Afghanistan, on January 8. Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Afghanistan’s ‘Catastrophic’ Hunger
Afghanistan faces a historic surge in malnutrition, as aid cuts, displacement, and drought leave two-thirds of the country’s population facing serious or crisis levels for acute malnutrition, reports the AP. 

• “We have a catastrophic nutritional crisis on our hands,” said John Aylieff, Afghanistan Country Director for the UN's World Food Program, noting that levels of malnutrition are the highest ever recorded in the country at 17.4 million people.  

Driving hunger: After the 2021 Taliban takeover, foreign aid plummeted and economic collapse left many without a lifeline for nutritional assistance. Since then, conditions have only worsened because of drought, earthquakes, and the return of 5.3 million Afghans expelled from Pakistan and Iran.    U.S. aid cuts last year delivered a devastating blow, and donors have since struggled to keep pace with the needs.    Most at risk:  

• Children: ~4 million children are acutely malnourished, and 500+ child deaths have been logged in recent months—likely an undercount.  

• Women: Prohibited from work, women are especially vulnerable. WFP has recorded a 30% rise in malnourished pregnant and breastfeeding women, and is seeing an uptick in suicidal calls from women with nowhere to turn.  

Fragility as Ramadan begins: “Many are beginning the fasting period without reliable incomes,” reports WFP. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HUMAN RIGHTS Birth Certificates for Bangladesh’s ‘Invisible’ Children
Hundreds of undocumented, “invisible” children born in brothels in Bangladesh now have birth certificates, opening the door to education and protections they previously could not access.     700+ children are newly documented after years of campaigning by activists with the Freedom Fund, who advocated for better documentation by pointing to a 2018 law that allows registration without a father’s details, and who worked to identify the children and collect their information.     Unlocking basic rights: The certificates will allow the children to enroll in school, acquire passports, and vote.  

• Documentation can also help protect children from trafficking.  

The quote: “These documents are not just a tool, it’s about survival,” said Khaleda Akhter, Bangladesh program manager for the Freedom Fund.     The Guardian ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION A Dog Has His Day
It’s safe to say that us non-athletes don’t spend most of our lives thinking about triple axels, frantically sweeping near a kettle-type-thing, or cross-country-skiing-really-far-then-shooting-something.  

But then for a few weeks every four years, we sink into our sofas and become winter sports dilettantes. We cry tears of joy and disappointment, lament scoring injustices, marvel at back stories—and wonder, popcorn in hand, if we might have stood a chance at Olympic greatness. 

• What we never considered: What if we just … joined in?  

Nazgul, a local Czechoslovakian wolfdog, did just that, leaping into the final stretch of the women’s cross-country skiing qualifying race at Milano-Cortina. Immediately disqualified on grounds of being male, a dog, and not even on skis, Nazgul was nevertheless the star of the event, The Guardian reports. 

A true sportsman, Nazgul congratulated fellow athletes with bum-sniffs at the finish line. Greek skier Konstantina Charalampidou welcomed the competition. 

“I wanted to pet him, but I didn’t have the time.”
 
 The sacrifices of an Olympian. QUICK HITS Measles cases in South Carolina rise by 12 to 962, state health department says – Reuters     NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya will take over leadership of CDC temporarily – NBC News     Why is the US targeting Cuba’s global medical missions? – Al Jazeera     FDA will drop two-study requirement for new drug approvals, aiming to speed access – AP     New Inhalable Tuberculosis Treatment Could Replace Months of Daily Pills – SciTech Daily    The most dangerous sport at the Winter Olympics? It’s not luge or ice skating – The Washington Post (gift link) Issue No. 2867
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Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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Scientists at McGill University and the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute have developed a new way to deliver cancer immunotherapy that caused fewer side effects compared to standard treatment in a preclinical study.

96 Global Health NOW: Forced Begging in Ethiopia; and Botswana’s Health Care Breakdown View this email in your browser February 18, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Five years into Ukraine’s war, more than a third of the country’s children—2,589,900—remain displaced, including 791,000+ children inside Ukraine and nearly 1.8 million children who are now refugees outside the country. UNICEF (news release) 
The UK government launched a vaccination campaign in response to a measles outbreak in North London; vaccine coverage with both doses of the MMR vaccine have now dropped to 89% across England, and below 65% for some areas. The Telegraph    Moderna’s flu vaccine will now be reviewed by the U.S. FDA after the agency reversed its decision last week to reject the application for the vaccine, which is made with mRNA technology. Reuters via Yahoo! Canada    The maker of Roundup, the weedkiller, has announced a proposed $7.25 billion settlement to resolve thousands of U.S. lawsuits which allege the chemical company, Bayer, failed to warn people that Roundup could cause cancer. AP  IN FOCUS People beg in the streets in central Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. November 16, 2010. Per-Anders Pettersson Forced Begging in Ethiopia     People with disabilities are frequently trafficked and forced to beg in Ethiopia’s major cities in an often overlooked form of human trafficking that researchers describe as a “crime hiding in plain sight,” per a new study from the Population Council that is among the first to focus on the specific form of trafficking.     Exploiting vulnerability: Children with disabilities from poor rural families are especially at risk, facing stigma, exclusion, and almost no access to school or social support. 

• Traffickers often convince parents to allow them to take their children to urban areas like Addis Ababa, Dire Dawa, and Mekelle—promising education or medical care. 

Extreme abuse: Once trafficked, the children are often forced to beg for long hours, often under “cruel and inhumane” conditions including near-starvation, minimal sleep, and constant threats of physical violence and abandonment.  

• “I would go out crawling on my hands since I didn’t have a wheelchair,” reported one female survivor with a physical disability, adding that if she returned with too few earnings her trafficker “insults me and hits me.” 

• Most were too afraid or dependent upon traffickers to seek help, and the police rarely provided a pathway out. 

Calls for intervention: Researchers say trafficking can be prevented and reduced through: 

• Stigma reduction, including inclusive education and jobs for those with disabilities. 

• Safer reporting mechanisms and tailored law enforcement response.  

• Support systems after rescue, informed by survivor experience. 

The Population Council   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HEALTH SYSTEMS Botswana’s Health Care Breakdown    Botswana's once-model health system is swiftly deteriorating amid a diamond trade slump that has drained national finances and exposed weaknesses in the country’s health funding structure.     Severe shortages: Medicine and supply stocks at hospitals have run out, forcing staff to buy supplies out-of-pocket, and leading to extensive wait times.  

• A public health emergency was declared six months ago, but an ombudsman’s new investigation reveals continued struggles, including the country’s largest hospital being reduced to an “old, heavily worn vehicle, overloaded with passengers.”  

Need for reform: While emergency measures are being implemented, including a $43 million infusion from The World Bank, officials are calling for deep systemic reform—like changes to drug procurement and health insurance.     The Telegraph  OPPORTUNITY Watch the Series, Host a Screening
The third and final installment in the Escape the Neglect: Stories from the Front Lines docuseries, following the innovation arc in the treatment of sleeping sickness in the DRC, is now live. 

• The docuseries, produced by Devex in partnership with the Gates Foundation, spotlights the human stories from the global effort to end neglected tropical diseases in Nigeria, India, and the DRC. 

Host a screening: These short films (5–10 minutes each) offer a simple, meaningful way to spark conversation. To make hosting easy, the creators of the series developed Screening‑in‑a‑Box, a flexible toolkit that provides everything you need to facilitate an in-person or hybrid event, including:  

• A facilitation guide with inclusive, action‑oriented discussion prompts. 

• An NTD factsheet with episode‑specific context. 

• Ready‑to‑use invitation and promotional language. 

QUICK HITS UK cuts aid further than any G7 country, including the US – The Telegraph    Vaccine Makers Curtail Research and Cut Jobs – The New York Times (gift link)     Chlorine Dioxide, Raw Camel Milk: The FDA No Longer Warns Against These and Other Ineffective Autism Treatments – ProPublica    Progress on family planning in Afghanistan is still possible – The Guardian (commentary)     The science influencers going viral on TikTok to fight misinformation – Nature    This form of mental exercise may cut dementia risk for decades – NPR's Short Wave Issue No. 2866
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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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La résistance anti-ICE au Minnesota et le devoir de mémoire de nos lignées solidaires.

96 Global Health NOW: Booming ‘Bootleg Cigarettes’ Down Under; and the Race for WHO Leadership Ramps Up View this email in your browser February 17, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Mortality among people who inject drugs and participated in a Stockholm, Sweden, needle and syringe program declined over a decade of harm reduction intervention expansion, including a take-home naloxone effort; the Karolinska Institutet study observed a marked reduction in opioid overdose deaths. Medical Xpress     Plastic water bottles contained more chemicals than glass: Ghent University researchers tested 37 Belgian brands and found 17 endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including bisphenol B and acetaminophen—and observed that higher price correlated with increased phthalate levels. Environmental Health News    The benefits of intermittent fasting “fail to match the hype,” concludes a Cochrane review of 22 studies that found little to no weight loss improvement compared to regular dietary advice or doing nothing at all for people who were overweight or obese. ABC Australia 
Ultra-processed food companies hijacked the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) “loophole” to let questionable ingredients slip into American food products, says U.S. health secretary RFK Jr., who pledged to act on a petition from former FDA chief David Kesler to address the issue. CBS IN FOCUS Pedestrians walk past signs outside a tobacconist and convenience store in central Sydney, Australia. March 27, 2025. David Gray/AFP via Getty Booming ‘Bootleg Cigarettes’ Down Under 
Australia’s aggressive taxes on cigarettes have driven down smoking rates and raised an average pack’s cost to US$40. But they’ve also unleashed a nationwide black market, The New York Times reports (gift article). 

• The tax on a single cigarette has tripled in a decade to about US$1.06.  

Unintended consequences: 

• The price spike has launched a huge demand for illegal cigarettes. A pack of under-the-counter cigarettes costs as little as US$7. 

• Illegal cigs are commonly sold at shops and via private sales, accounting for perhaps half of all tobacco sales.  

• Criminal gangs are smuggling in cigarettes from the Middle East or China.  

• “Tobacco wars” have spawned 100+ firebombings and hundreds of attacks on shopkeepers and others, as turf battles have erupted among gangs.  

Next steps: Government officials have previously rebuffed any discussion of reducing the excise tax to stem the illegal trade, but last week finance minister Katy Gallagher acknowledged that all options are on the table, per The Guardian. 
Public health perspective: The illegal market has made prices so cheap that further tax increases wouldn’t do much good, said Becky Freeman, a University of Sydney tobacco expert.  

• “I only support tax increases if they are effective at reducing smoking,” Freeman said.  

Related:  
Smoking And Quitting Behaviors Vary by Socioeconomic Position – European Medical Journal       Exclusive: India sticks to e-cigarette ban in snub for Philip Morris – Reuters  DATA POINT

123 million
——————
Additional malaria cases in Africa by 2050 that could be triggered by climate change, driven mostly by extreme weather events, per a modeling study led by researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia and Curtin University. —Nature Medicine
  WHO Race for WHO Leadership Ramps Up    Diplomatic maneuvering has begun for the WHO's next director-general, as the nomination process opens in April for next year’s vote.     And while a list of rumored candidates is growing, the successor to current chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus faces an “existential convergence of crises” amid geopolitical rifts and major funding challenges.     An agency at a crossroads: The WHO’s next leader will have to steer the agency at a critical juncture that includes a $1 billion funding gap after the U.S. withdrawal, a 25% staff cut, and low morale.     Seeking a “unicorn”: The incoming chief will also need to balance demands for global equity with fiscal reform—all while trying to meet 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and prepare for potential pandemics in a post-COVID landscape.    Health Policy Watch  SPONSORED Cells to Society: The Building Blocks of a Public Health Career     Considering a career in public health? The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is now offering online, noncredit courses for adult learners who are thinking about a career change, are seeking ways to be more helpful in their local communities, or are simply curious about how public health works. Explore available courses and register today to get a preview into a formal public health education.       Explore the Courses  QUICK HITS Mexico Risks Losing Its Measles-Free Status, Months Before Millions Arrive for World Cup – The New York Times (gift link)    Doctors bear the burden as ‘medical freedom’ fuels worst US measles outbreak in 30 years – Reuters via Yahoo     Investment in Malaria Venture Yields 13x Health Benefits – Health Policy Watch     Indian Health Service to phase out use of dental fillings containing mercury by 2027 – AP    As More Schools Turn to AI Weapons Detection, Questions Persist – Undark 
As US presence wanes, China works to increase its influence through foreign aid – NPR 
The Karate Class Where Kenya’s Grandmothers Learn to Fight Back – More to Her Story  Issue No. 2865
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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Nearly two thirds of all maternal deaths worldwide occur in countries marked by conflict or fragility, according to a report released on Tuesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners.

96 Global Health NOW: Progress and Pushback on Polio Vaccination; and Peru’s Defective Cancer Drugs View this email in your browser February 16, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES A measles outbreak in London is spreading rapidly among children under age 10, per the U.K. Health Security Agency, which has reported 34 laboratory-confirmed cases over the last month linked to schools and nurseries in Enfield. The Guardian 
  A new recombinant mpox strain combining genomic elements of clades Ib and IIb of the virus has been identified in two cases—one in the U.K. and the other in India—per a detailed update from the WHO, which has urged continued genomic surveillance. UN News  
  Whooping cough cases in Australia have hit their highest level recorded in 35 years following a “potentially catastrophic” drop in vaccinations; 57,000+ cases were reported in 2024—mostly among children. ABC Australia 
  France will slash its funding for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by 58%+ for the next two-year cycle, from €1.6 billion to €660 million; French NGOs warned that the cuts—which could impact antiretroviral HIV treatments, malaria prevention, condom availability, and testing services—will cost lives. Radio France Internationale IN FOCUS Progress and Pushback on Polio Vaccination     The WHO is expanding the global arsenal for polio outbreak response by prequalifying an additional novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) aimed at curbing vaccine-derived outbreaks “more sustainably” in the ongoing quest to eradicate the virus.     But the progress comes as vaccination strategy is under threat in a new era of politicization—potentially endangering decades of gains.     The new nOPV2 vaccine is designed to be more genetically stable than older vaccines, reducing risk of vaccine-derived outbreaks while effectively curbing virus transmission, per the WHO.      Meanwhile in Malawi, health officials have launched a new oral polio vaccination campaign in schools and door-to-door, seeking to administer 1.7 million nOPV2 doses after detecting vaccine-derived type 2 virus in sewage in the southern city Blantyre last month, reports the AP.      “Polio endgame”: The WHO's SAGE Polio Working Group convened in Geneva this month to review global polio eradication strategies, including phasing out the two-strain oral vaccine (bOPV) while improving the nOPV2 and next-generation shots (IPV), per Vax Before Travel.     An uncertain future in the U.S.: Despite these global strides, the future of vaccine strategy in the U.S. is uncertain as allies of HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. form coalitions to roll back state-level school vaccine mandates—alarming public health experts who warn this could swiftly erode a century of protections against deadly childhood diseases, including polio, reports The New York Times (gift link).  DATA POINT

123 million
——————
Additional malaria cases in Africa by 2050 that could be triggered by climate change, driven mostly by extreme weather events, per a modeling study led by researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia and Curtin University. —Nature Medicine
  PHARMACEUTICALS Peru’s Defective Cancer Drugs     Ineffective and even dangerous cancer drugs have been repeatedly shipped to Peru health facilities amid an ongoing pattern of regulatory failures within the country.     Unfit for use: ~118,000 vials of chemo bought with government funds have been ordered destroyed since 2019, though some reached hospitals and even patients before they were scrapped.     Poor track records: Pharma companies with problematic track records have been awarded state contracts, even after their drugs have failed quality tests.     Exacerbating a crisis: 1 in 4 cancer patients in Peru experience treatment delays because of drug shortages.     The Bureau of Investigative Journalism, in partnership with Salud con Lupa  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Key US infectious-diseases centre to drop pandemic preparation – Nature    NSF’s flagship fellowship program is rejecting applicants without peer review – Science    RFK Jr. shakes up top health department staff – Axios    She was denied a legal abortion and sent to prison over an illegal one. Now she tells her story – AP    HIV made him expect to die at 40. At 73, Edwin Cameron asks: Who’s planning for our ageing survivors? – Bhekisisa    Photos: The flying doctors of Lesotho won’t let their wings be clipped – NPR Goats and Soda  Issue No. 2864
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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The detection of a newly identified recombinant mpox virus containing genetic material from two known strains underscores the need for continued genomic surveillance, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday, as the overall global public health risk assessment remains unchanged.

Scientists have identified a pattern of gene activity present in some female survivors of childhood abuse that is associated with an elevated risk of depression.

Scientists have identified a pattern of gene activity present in some female survivors of childhood abuse that is associated with an elevated risk of depression.

96 Global Health NOW: EPA Moves to Revoke Key Climate Health Warning Plus: Kenya Battles Kala-azar View this email in your browser February 12, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Life-threatening blood clots that have been a rare side effect of some COVID-19 vaccines, including those by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, are caused by an adenovirus protein used by both vaccines which triggered “rogue” antibodies in people with a particular genetic background, per research published in The New England Journal of Medicine. Science     The WHO director-general has called a U.S.-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau “unethical,” as the trial will deny half the children the vaccine despite its proven efficacy; instead of testing benefits or efficacy, the study appears focused on looking for adverse outcomes in children who receive a birth dose. STAT    Measles cases fell across Europe and Central Asia last year, dropping by 75% in 2025 compared to 2024 due to outbreak response measures and “the gradual decline in the number of people susceptible” to infection as the virus infected undervaccinated communities, per new UN data; still, outbreak risks remain. UN News    More than 70% of baby foods, drinks, and snacks sold in the U.S.—including crackers, yogurt, and puffs—are ultraprocessed and contain additives that have been linked to health issues, according to a study published yesterday in the journal Nutrients. CNN IN FOCUS Steam rises from the smoke stacks of the Ravenswood Generating Station, New York City's largest power plant, on January 26. Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty EPA Moves to Revoke Key Climate Health Warning
The EPA is poised to revoke its own 2009 scientific conclusion that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health and welfare—upending the legal foundation for a wide range of federal climate protections, reports NBC News.    Background: Known as "endangerment finding" the determination established wide-ranging health threats posed by greenhouse gases produced by oil, gas, and coal, and has since been invoked to set emissions limits for vehicles and power plants.     The long road to repeal: Members of President Trump’s administration have long worked to dismantle climate legislation they describe as unfounded and harmful to the economy, reports The New York Times, with White House officials lauding the rollback as “the largest deregulatory action in American history.”     Long-term impact: Ending the finding could block future presidents from using the EPA to limit emissions, allowing industries to fully abandon regulations, reports Politico.    Scientific backlash: Leading scientific and health organizations overwhelmingly oppose the rollback, saying it ignores vast and mounting scientific evidence that links pollution- and climate change-driven disasters to illness, higher medical costs, and premature deaths “beyond scientific dispute,” per the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.   

• Environmental groups have pledged to fight the EPA “every step of the way” with legal challenges that could stretch for years.

• “Communities across the country will bear the brunt of this decision—through dirtier air, higher health costs, and increased climate harm,” said Michelle Roos, executive director of the Environmental Protection Network, per Inside Climate News. 

  Related: Scientific analysis says climate change fueled conditions for Chile, Argentina wildfires – Buenos Aires Times DATA POINT

94 million+ 
—————––
The number of people worldwide who suffer from cataracts; half of them lack access to the corrective surgery, according to the WHO. —Japan Times
  NEGLECTED DISEASES  Kenya Battles Kala-azar 
An outbreak of kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, has surged in Kenya's dry regions over the last year.     By the numbers: Cases spiked from 1,575 in 2024 to 3,577 in 2025, and the disease has a 95% fatality rate if untreated.  

• Few facilities in Kenya have the capacity to diagnose or treat the illness, and more training to address the medical crisis is needed.  

Drought-driven spread: The parasitic disease is carried by sandflies, which have expanded their reach amid ongoing drought and dry conditions resulting from climate change and urbanization.     Mitigation efforts: Six African nations most affected by kala-azar adopted a framework in Nairobi in 2023 to eliminate the disease by 2030.    Medical Xpress ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION A Dozen Roaches
It’s been said that revenge is a dish best served cold. But it may actually be a dish best served to an armadillo, in the form of a cockroach named after your ex, Justin.    Thankfully, every February, a slew of zoos and wildlife conservation groups offer such a service, per The New York Post’s de facto guide to vengeful Valentines.    A sampling:    Bugs and hisses: The San Antonio Zoo’s annual “Cry Me a Cockroach” fundraiser, allows donors to pay $5 to name a cockroach after an ex, then have it fed to inhabitants, per Parade Pets.  

• Similarly, the “Love Hurts” campaign by Bird TLC lets donors revenge-name mealworms or rats which are then fed to birds of prey with “video proof of their revenge being swallowed whole.”  

Cutting them off: Animal shelters from Canada to Ireland offer a certain kind of closure via “Neuter Your Ex” fundraisers, allowing donors to name a feral cat after a former flame before the cat is spayed or neutered through Trap-Neuter-Return programs.     Getting dumped: The Gulf Coast Humane Society in Corpus Christi, Texas, hosts a “Love Stinks” fundraiser, in which donors can have their ex’s name written on paper and placed in a litter box, where it will be … “emotionally processed.” QUICK HITS US to participate in meeting on influenza vaccine composition, WHO official says – Reuters  

Study supports shorter treatment regimens for TB prevention – CIDRAP

Four states sue Trump administration over cuts to public health funding – Reuters  

Nurses on strike in New York approve new contracts at 2 of 3 hospital systems – AP

Public health workers reflect on a year since mass layoffs at the CDC – Georgia Public Broadcasting 

‘At 2am, it feels like someone’s there’: why Nigerians are choosing chatbots to give them advice and therapy – The Guardian Issue No. 2863
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: Deteriorating Health Conditions in Immigration Detention; and The Struggle to Keep Mobile Crisis Teams in Action View this email in your browser February 11, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES At least nine people were killed and at least 25 injured yesterday in Canada’s deadliest mass shooting in decades; the shootings, at the hands of a suspect who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, took place in a home and a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia. CBC  
The U.S. FDA has refused to review Moderna’s application for a new mRNA flu vaccine, though no safety or efficacy concerns were identified; Moderna has requested an urgent meeting with the FDA, noting that it has submitted the vaccine for review in Europe, Canada, and Australia. AP 
  Aluminum exposure from dietary sources over the course of a 100-year lifespan is “orders of magnitude” higher than the cumulative lifetime exposure from all the recommended aluminum-containing vaccines, a study in JAMA estimates. CIDRAP 
Tanning companies are spreading harmful misinformation about suntanning beds—claiming a range of health benefits, from boosting energy to preventing colds and flu—on social media ads targeting young people, while cancer charities link the sunbeds to rising melanoma cases among youth in the UK. BBC  IN FOCUS Texas State Troopers prepare to disperse a crowd protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the South Texas Family Residential Center. January 28, Dilley, Texas. Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Deteriorating Health Conditions in Immigration Detention    As U.S. immigration detention centers expand under the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, detainees and health workers are reporting severe health and safety breakdowns—including among children.     In Dilley, Texas: Families are being held for weeks or months at facilities like the Dilley Detention Center, per an investigation by ProPublica. Despite legal limits on detaining minors, ~300 have been held for 20+ days.  

• Parents and children there report regular illness and limited medical attention. “Children with medical complaints frequently experience delays, dismissals, or lack of follow-up,” reported nonprofit advocacy organization RAICES, which has logged ~700 reports of insufficient medical care since August 2025.  

• Others describe worsening mental health, with many children struggling with depression and self-harm amid prolonged stays and lack of schooling.  

In Guantánamo Bay, Cuba: Health workers describe similarly bleak conditions at Guantánamo Bay, where hundreds of immigrants are held, ~90% of them deemed low-risk, reports KFF Health News. 

• U.S. Public Health Service officers describe inadequate care, overcrowding, and dark, windowless cells. Several have resigned, saying they cannot serve under such conditions.  

• “Public health officers are being asked to facilitate a man-made humanitarian crisis,” said nurse Rebekah Stewart, who resigned from the service. 

Related: “I Have Been Here Too Long”: Read Letters from the Children Detained at ICE’s Dilley Facility – ProPublica  DATA POINT

91%
———
Share of Americans across the political spectrum who agree it is important for the U.S. to be a global leader in science and technology; 63% expressed willingness to pay $1 more per week in taxes in support of medical and health research. —Research!America MENTAL HEALTH The Struggle to Keep Mobile Crisis Teams in Action     Over the last decade, U.S. communities have increasingly turned to mobile crisis teams to respond to psychiatric emergencies rather than dispatching law enforcement.  

• A 2024 survey found that there are ~1,800 mobile teams nationwide, providing people with therapeutic care and helping them avoid jail or the ER.  

But financial support remains tenuous: Many are funded by unreliable grants or insufficient Medicaid payments—forcing programs to shrink or close.     Seeking funding fixes: A handful of states now require private insurers to cover mobile crisis calls or have levied other fees to help cover the programs, but advocates warn closures will continue without reliable, long-term funding.  

• “A much-needed service is available and then not available, available and then not available,” said Sierra Riesberg, director of the Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana. 

NPR  SPONSORED Cells to Society: The Building Blocks of a Public Health Career    Explore public health at your own pace with the first four courses in a series of 12 non-credit learning experiences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Designed for those interested in public health careers, these flexible courses build foundational knowledge in key areas and deepen professional skillsets.     Explore the Courses CORRECTION IOU a Correction
We incorrectly spelled out IOM in our top story yesterday, about a refugee shipwreck off the coast of Libya; IOM stands for the International Organization for Migration. Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader for setting us straight!  QUICK HITS In Sudan, sick and starving children ‘wasting away’ – UN News  
India sticks to e-cigarette ban in snub for Philip Morris – Reuters via Yahoo    Landmark settlement could create new protections for harm reduction under disability law – STAT    Film series memorializing the AIDS epidemic provides 'chilling parallels' to today – NPR / WGLT (Illinois State University)    Dozens of researchers will move to France from US following high-profile bid to lure talent – Nature    Benjamin Korinek: Why global health shouldn’t be political – The Daily Nebraskan (commentary)     FDA to reassess the safety of BHA, a preservative used in popular snack foods – AP    Affordable microscope speeds up malaria diagnosis with AI – Medical Xpress Issue No. 2862
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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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Measles cases across Europe and Central Asia declined by 75 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024, according to preliminary data released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO), which warned of remaining outbreak risks.

96 Global Health NOW: Health Crisis in Gaza; and Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers in South Africa View this email in your browser February 10, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES 53 refugees and migrants from several African countries died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya’s coast last Friday; the International Office for Migration reports that at least 375 people have been reported dead or missing in January. UN News  
  The Trump administration plans to cut $600 million in public health funding in four Democrat-led states—California, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota; the programs, deemed “inconsistent with agency priorities,” include HIV prevention and surveillance and disease outbreak management. The New York Times (gift link)  
  Mexico state officials announced stepped-up health screening and face mask recommendations in schools for the area, which borders Mexico City, in response to a spreading measles outbreak; the country had 2,143 confirmed cases and nearly 6,000 suspected cases as of last Friday, with the western state of Jalisco hardest hit. AP 
  The U.S. National Cancer Institute is investigating ivermectin as a possible cancer treatment, despite the lack of new evidence of the antiparasitic drug’s anti-cancer potential; “I am shocked and appalled,” one NCI scientist said. KFF Health News  IN FOCUS Palestinian patients prepare for evacuation to Egypt at the Red Cross Hospital. Khan Yunis, Gaza, February 2. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Health Crisis in Gaza     Clashes over WHO reporting and the health situation in Gaza continue months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire raised hopes for reconstruction and improved health. 

• The WHO’s Executive Board voted down Israel’s proposal last week to consolidate the twice-annual health reports on the occupied Palestinian Territories, Health Policy Watch reports.   

The fierce debate exposed different perspectives on access to medical evacuation: 

• 18,000 patients, including 4,000 children, have life-threatening conditions and need evacuation, according to Saudi Arabia’s delegate.  

• Israel responded that it had approved the departure of thousands of Palestinians, but other countries weren’t accepting enough patients.  

Health situation:  

• Delegates described 90% of hospitals destroyed, 1,600 health workers killed, inadequate sanitation, and extensive disease risks.  

• Israel called such reports outdated and distorted. 

Older people at risk:   

• 68% of 400+ older Gazans surveyed said they had reduced or stopped chronic disease treatment because of access problems, per research by HelpAge International and Amnesty International.  

• 76% of respondents report living in tents. 

Individual stories: 

• A kidney disease patient writes in an Al-Jazeera commentary about the difficulty of getting medicines and care in Gaza.    

• An Israeli court on Feb. 8 turned down an appeal that would have allowed a 5-year-old cancer patient into Israel for treatment, per The Guardian. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASES   Nigeria’s Fatal Antivenom Shortfall     The death of a high-profile Nigerian singer from a snakebite has ignited widespread outrage over the country’s inadequate supply of antivenom and the need for a national snakebite strategy, reports The Guardian.    All-too-common tragedy: 26-year-old Nigerian singer Ifunanya Nwangene died at a hospital in the capital Abuja because the facility did not have the proper antivenom to treat her—a scenario public health experts say is disturbingly frequent in the country.  

• Nigeria records ~43,000 snakebites and ~1,900 related deaths each year. Meanwhile, ~50% of Nigerian health facilities lack the capacity to treat snakebite envenoming, reports The Star.  

• Supply chain breakdowns, high treatment costs, and inadequately trained personnel have contributed to a scourge of avoidable deaths, per an op-ed published in The Guardian.  

Call to action: Public health groups have urged government investment in antivenom stocks; free or subsidized antivenom; and local antivenom production to curb what the WHO describes as an “entirely preventable” crisis.  MATERNAL HEALTH   Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers in South Africa 
Women employed as domestic workers in South Africa often face a wrenching dilemma shortly after giving birth: Return to work at their employer’s home without their baby, or lose their job. 

• Many women in this position are unable to breastfeed their babies, which the WHO recommends for the first six months, depriving them of numerous health benefits. 

Untapped resource: South Africa’s Unemployment Insurance Fund could help with partially paid maternity leave for up to four months. But just 20% of people register their domestic workers for the fund.    Maternal grants? Maternal health advocates have been pushing for a monthly maternity payment for low-income pregnant women from mid-pregnancy to three months after birth.     Bhekisisa OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS By Slashing Foreign Aid, Trump Is Fueling the Spread of HIV in Uganda – The Intercept     First human trials of locally-developed HIV jab begin in South Africa – The Telegraph    South Korea will boost medical school admissions to tackle physician shortage – AP    Traditional food could help reverse Nepal’s ‘diabetes epidemic’, studies suggest – The Guardian    What Happens When Midwives Lead Abortion Care: Lessons from Sweden – International Confederation of Midwives     2 to 3 Cups of Coffee a Day May Reduce Dementia Risk. But Not if It’s Decaf. – The New York Times (gift link)    Olympic COVID restrictions are gone, but some athletes are still self-quarantining – NPR  Issue No. 2861
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: Life After Leprosy; and Few Resources for Migrating Minors View this email in your browser February 9, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES

Landmines and other explosives that are remnants of war in Afghanistan killed ~92 people and injured 379 others last year; more than two-thirds of the victims were children, per the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan. The Telegraph

A USAID division cut by the Trump administration, Development Innovation Ventures, was revived last week as an independent nonprofit: the DIV fund, which will continue the former program’s mission to fund and support international interventions, thanks to $48 million in private donor funding. AP

Burundi has signed a bilateral agreement with the U.S. as a part of the ongoing rollout of the America First Global Health Strategy, which will result in $129 million in funding from the U.S. State Department over five years to support HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives, and in Burundi increasing its domestic health funding by $26 million over the same time span. The Tanzania Times

After facing years of litigation, U.S. chemical company Corteva will stop producing Enlist Duo, an herbicide containing a “toxic cocktail” of the Agent Orange chemical 2,4-D and glyphosate—which have both been linked to cancer and ecological harm; Corteva will still use 2,4-D in another of its products, Enlist One. The Guardian

IN FOCUS A woman looks out of her living quarters in a leprosy colony in New Delhi, on March 11, 2015. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Life After Leprosy 
At leprosy colonies throughout India, people who have long been cured of the disease continue to live and thrive inside the communities—a testament to the support systems there, and to the stigma that persists outside, reports NPR.
  India is home to ~750 leprosy colonies today, where tens of thousands of former patients, their children, and grandchildren live.  

• The colonies have long been places of exile: People who contracted the disease were segregated and forced to live in deep poverty and isolation. 

But today, leprosy is easily treated: The disease, also known as Hansen’s disease, can be cured with antibiotics; with attentive care, patients with nerve damage, amputations, and foot lesions are able to live fully. 

• ~173,000 new leprosy cases were reported globally in 2024, per the WHO.  

Communities of care: Meanwhile, conditions at the colonies have vastly improved over the years. Beyond medical care and housing, many also provide education and microfinancing systems.    But stigma remains strong, hampering reintegration efforts. Many former patients and their families still face job discrimination and social exclusion— “which can be more problematic than the disease itself,” said Yohei Sasakawa, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination.  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES Related: FGM Laws Protect Girls. Who Heals the Women? – More to Her Story (commentary) DATA POINT

4 million+
——————
Girls still at risk of female genital mutilation. —WHO HEALTH SURVEILLANCE Few Resources for Migrating Minors    Children and juveniles migrating north through Mexico live in “precarious and unsafe” conditions, both in their place of origin and on their journey—with ongoing barriers to medical care, finds a 2024 study of 200 minors.     A range of adversities: Many children experience deterioration in their physical and mental health during transit, as they encounter “persecution, coercion, violence, and discrimination, as well as unsanitary living and transit conditions, food insecurity, and exposure to environmental hazards,” per the study.     A need for interventions: Researchers described a need for sustainable health and psychological programs for children at migratory shelters–and called for more civil society-led mobile clinics.     The Journal of Migration and Health  QUICK HITS Newly obtained emails undermine RFK Jr.'s testimony about 2019 Samoa trip before measles outbreak – AP 
  ‘Take the vaccine, please,’ Dr Oz urges amid rising measles cases in US – The Guardian 
China criticizes U.S. for WHO pullout, accusing it of sidestepping international law – STAT    Argentina: No Withdrawal from Pan American Health Organization – Despite Leaving WHO – Health Policy Watch    Women’s Preferences for Home-Based Self-Sampling or Clinic-Based Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening – JAMA Network Open    Federal Vaccine Advisers Take Aim at Covid Shots – The New York Times (gift link)    CDC study highlights growing threat of invasive E coli – CIDRAP    Inside the quest to make a safer football helmet – Science   Issue No. 2860
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: Going on the Offensive Against Cholera; and Best in Show, First in Our Hearts View this email in your browser February 5, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES A South Sudan hospital has been hit by a government air strike, says Médecins Sans Frontières, which runs the facility; the attack in Lankien, Jonglei state, marks the tenth attack in 12 months on MSF-run medical facilities in the country amid a resurgence in fighting between soldiers and a coalition of opposition forces. Al Jazeera   
Raw milk has been linked to the listeria death of a newborn in New Mexico, per state officials, who say that “the most likely source of infection was unpasteurized milk” the mother consumed during pregnancy. AP     Researchers identified a genetic mutation that helps malaria-spreading Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes resist pyrethroids—the main insecticides used to treat bednets; the research, led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Cameroon’s Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, also developed a DNA test to track the mutation across West and Central Africa. Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News    A new rapid test can identify bacteria and effective antibiotics to use against them in just 36 minutes, per a study published in Nature Nanotechnology—a key tactic to fight antimicrobial resistance, say researchers. Phys.org  IN FOCUS A member of the Syria Immunization Team holds cholera vaccination ampoules in Sarmada, Syria, on March 7, 2023. Anas Alkharboutli/picture alliance via Getty Going on the Offensive Against Cholera 
Preventive cholera vaccination programs will restart globally after a ~4-year hiatus—a signal that the global supply has seen significant recovery after critical vaccine shortages, per a joint announcement from the WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.  

• “Global vaccine shortages forced us into a cycle of reacting to cholera outbreaks instead of preventing them. We are now in a stronger position to break that cycle,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.  

Depletion: Preventive campaigns paused in 2022 amidst a global cholera surge that drove up demand for oral cholera vaccine stocks.  

• That surge continues: 600,000+ cholera cases and ~7,600 deaths were reported to WHO last year—with children most at risk.  

• Last month alone, 11,965 new cholera cases, and 126 new deaths globally were reported by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control.  

Replenishment: Today, global supply of oral cholera vaccine has doubled from ~35 million doses in 2022 to ~70 million in 2025—a result of collaborative efforts by global agencies, manufacturers, and other stakeholders to expand production, reports CIDRAP.     Strategy: 20 million doses are being deployed at the outset, with 3.6 million doses delivered to Mozambique, where flooding has damaged water systems and heightened cholera risk for 700,000+ people, per MedPage Today.  

• 6.1 million doses have been sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 10.3 million to Bangladesh—other high-risk regions. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS A Lifesaving Drug—Soon Out of Reach   Thousands of people with HIV in Florida are expected to lose access to critical HIV medications after the state’s abrupt decision to severely restrict eligibility for its AIDS Drug Assistance Program on March 1. 

• The income cap for benefits will be drastically lowered, putting medication out of reach for ~16,000 people.  

Lost subsidies, big impact: Officials say the cuts are driven by rising costs, reduced federal funding, and this year’s expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies—which is already spiking patients’ insurance costs.     Doctors and advocates warn that the restrictions could lead to more patients falling through the cracks and further viral spread.  

• “It’s terrifying,” said Tori Samuel, a mother of three who has relied on the program for decades.  

The Washington Post (gift link)  CORRECTION A Key Distinction

In our summary yesterday about cancer prevention, the projected 50% rise reported by DW is in cancer cases, not rates. We regret the error.  

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Best in Show, First in Our Hearts     God loves a terrier. It is a truth immortalized in an anthem crooned by legendary Norwich terrier owner Cookie Fleck, played by Catherine O’Hara in the 2000 mockumentary Best in Show.     But before the terrier group was judged Tuesday night at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, all the love was focused on O’Hara herself, who died last week at 71—as organizers paid tribute to the actor with a video montage on the Madison Square Garden jumbotron, per The New York Times (gift link).    The tribute reflected just how beloved the film and O’Hara have become in that subculture, even though both “gently lampooned eccentricities and intensity” of dog shows.  

• “The first time I watched it, I was highly insulted,” said David Fitzpatrick, this year’s best in show judge. “Then I watched it again and I started thinking, ‘Oh my God, they really have some of us pegged.’” 

This year’s top dog was Penny the Doberman pinscher—whose owner listed her favorite snacks as “everything,” per The Guardian. We love a relatable winner.  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS ‘We are dying’: Gaza’s cancer patients plead for a way out – UN News    New Nipah-like bat virus in Bangladesh is becoming more deadly, scientists warn – The Independent    Study ties particle pollution from wildfire smoke to 24,100 US deaths per year – ABC     RIP Nick White, 1951-2026 – Wellcome Thanks for the tip, Michael Macdonald!    How the new dietary guidelines could impact school meals – NPR    New York City partners with WHO as U.S. withdraws from global effort – The New York Times (gift link)    Texas jails have more than 400 pregnant inmates monthly. The state is trying to understand what happens to them. – Texas Public Radio    Open-source AI program can answer science questions better than humans – Science   Issue No. 2859
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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The UN agency leading the global effort to end HIV/AIDS worldwide welcomed legislative approval from the United States on Thursday for a $6 billion spending package to help tackle the disease, following nearly a year of sharp aid cuts.

Friday February 13 2026 • 3pm to 5pm
McIntyre Building, room 330, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal QC, H3A 1A3

 

Friday February 13 2026 • 3pm to 5pm
McIntyre Building, room 330, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal QC, H3A 1A3

 

96 Global Health NOW: New Insights into Cancer Prevention; and Could Fish Farming Help Fight Schistosomiasis View this email in your browser February 4, 2026 Forward Share Post TOP STORIES Serious side effects and high cost have hindered the rollout of the first chikungunya vaccine, IXCHIQ, produced by French manufacturer Valneva, and shifted focus to a newer vaccine, Vimkunya, produced by Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic, which is expected to be safer for vulnerable groups. Science    Long COVID in children will be studied more closely in three clinical trials launching this year, including the largest pediatric long COVID trial to date—which will recruit 1,300 children, teens, and young adults for a randomized placebo-controlled trial of low-dose naltrexone to treat fatigue. The 19th / The Sick Times    The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has recommended that surgeons delay “gender-related breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery” until a patient is 19 years old, per a new position statement, saying that there is “low certainty” in the risk-benefit ratio for such surgical interventions for children and adolescents. The Hill    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a $100 million pilot program to address homelessness and addiction in eight cities this week, including expanded funding for faith-based substance use treatment. The New York Times (gift link)  IN FOCUS: WORLD CANCER DAY A health worker administers an HPV vaccine to a girl during a HPV vaccination drive against cervical cancer in Karachi, Pakistan. September 24, 2025. Rizwan Tabassum/AFP via Getty New Insights into Cancer Prevention    Nearly 4 in 10 cancer cases worldwide are potentially preventable, finds a comprehensive global analysis published in Nature Medicine ahead of World Cancer Day today, reports Nature.     What that means: ~7.1 million cancer cases in 2022 were linked to preventable causes per the analysis by the WHO and its International Agency for Research on Cancer, which looked at dozens of cancer types in ~200 countries and considered 30 modifiable risk factors including tobacco, alcohol, air pollution, and occupational exposure to toxins, per the WHO.      Leading risk factors: Tobacco smoking was the leading contributor to cases (15%), followed by infections like HPV (10%) and alcohol (3%).     Zooming in: Preventable cancers were more common in men (45%) than women (30%), reports the BBC.  

• In men, smoking was the leading risk factor, accounting for ~25% of the 4.3 million preventable cancer cases, and was the leading cause of cancer in men living in both low- and high-income regions.  

• In women, infections such as HPV were leading drivers, especially in low- and middle-income regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa.  

Key takeaways: Tailoring interventions—like tobacco control or vaccination campaigns—to regional risk patterns could significantly cut global cancer rates, which have been projected to rise 50%+ by 2045, reports DW. 

• “Addressing these preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden,” senior study author Isabelle Soerjomataram told the BBC. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASES Fish Farming to Help Fight Schistosomiasis?   Researchers are testing a new approach to curb the parasitic disease schistosomiasis through a new intervention: snail-eating fish.     Background: Each year, 250 million+ people globally are treated for schistosomiasis, a disease transmitted through water contaminated by a parasite carried by snails. 

• In places like Senegal, rice farmers are especially vulnerable, as they work in flooded fields where snails thrive.  

Sustainable solution? A pilot project led by Stanford University researchers will help rice farmers integrate native African catfish aquaculture as a potential way to curb the snail population.  

• The hope is that catfish will help with snail control—and provide an added food source.  

Stanford Sustainability Accelerator  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS ‘Biblical Diseases’ Could Resurge in Africa, Health Officials Fear – The New York Times (gift link)

A Year of Disruption: 5 Resources to Understand Foreign Aid Cuts – Partners In Health

'Efficacy will be secondary': RFK Jr.'s vaccine advisers have a new mission – Politico

US government concerns over key vaccine ingredient are not based on science – Médecins Sans Frontières

Nigerian women and contraceptives: study finds big gaps between the haves and the have-nots – The Conversation

Why scientists are so excited about a nasal spray vaccine for bird flu – The Telegraph    The Secret Weapon in Canada’s Sewers: As America takes an axe to its health data, expanding wastewater surveillance could save lives – Maclean’s    ‘Clean air should not be a privilege’: how Bogotá is tackling air pollution in its poorest areas – The Guardian  Issue No. 2858
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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