Global Health NOW: February Recap
96
Global Health NOW: February Recap
Funding cuts to AIDS programs amount to a ‘death sentence,’ plus a round-up of GHN's must-read news from February.
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March 3, 2025
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Client files are seen stacked on a table during an HIV clinic day at TASO Mulago service center. February 17, Kampala, Uganda. Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty
A ‘Death Sentence’ for AIDS Programs—and Patients
Organizations working with HIV and AIDS across Africa are laying off staff and shuttering services this week—a sea change that could translate to “a death sentence” for hundreds of thousands of people over the next decade, reports The Guardian.
Desperate attempts, dire end: There had been some hope that global HIV/AIDS efforts would be spared USAID cuts as part of waivers offered to “life-saving” projects.
Water contamination could be the cause of illness in northwestern Congo, which has caused the death of 60 people and sickened 1,000+ others, WHO officials say. PBS
As measles cases increase in Texas, U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged people to get vaccinated—while also emphasizing the “personal” nature of the choice, reports Axios; meanwhile, the case count grew to 146 people last week, per the AP.
States are easing licensing requirements for internationally trained physicians, meaning they may not have to repeat residencies in the U.S.; the shift could help alleviate physician shortages in rural areas. NPR Shots FEBRUARY MUST-READS Twice Bitten: Two Snakebite Deep Dives
The ‘Wild West’ of Antivenoms in Africa: In sub-Saharan Africa, a venomous snakebite is too often a death sentence: ~20,000 people in the region are killed each year, with rural populations especially impacted by severe antivenom shortages.
But even getting an antivenom is no guarantee of survival, as diluted and fraudulent antivenoms have flooded the poorly regulated market, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) reported.
U.S. foreign aid freeze imperils Eswatini’s hard-won success, according to another in-depth TBIJ report:
Gun Violence: Tales From Two Countries
Sweden’s Influx of Firearms: On February 4, Sweden suffered its worst mass shooting in history, at an adult education campus in Orebro that killed 11—forcing the country to reckon with a growing gun violence scourge, The Times reports.
When COVID-19 swept through Latin America, it exposed the region’s lack of coordinated public health response mechanisms—accounting for 10% of global COVID-19 cases and 25% of deaths, despite making up just 8.2% of the global population.
Today, Latin America remains structurally vulnerable to the next pandemic, write a trio of public health leaders from Mexico and Peru. Pointing to the Africa CDC Model, they argue that Latin America needs a similar regional agency that would work alongside PAHO to ensure faster, more efficient responses to health emergencies–-and detail what it would take to make the Latin America CDC a reality—a message they also brought to the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, February 20-23 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Patricia J. García, Jorge Saavedra, and Ariel García for Global Health NOW
Nota del editor: GHN ha publicado una versión en español del comentario.
CUGH exclusive coverage by Brian W. Simpson: FEBRUARY'S BEST NEWS How Guinea Stopped Sleeping Sickness
Twenty years ago, Guinea had the highest number of sleeping sickness cases in West Africa. But as of this year, the country managed to eliminate the NTD transmitted by the Trypanosoma parasite and spread by tsetse flies, the WHO announced.
What did it take? After elimination efforts including mass screening and treatment proved ineffective, the focus shifted to vector control.
Related: Niger’s historic triumph over river blindness is a beacon of hope for Africa – The Telegraph GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POPULATIONS A Future With Fewer Children
Declining fertility is a “near-universal phenomenon”—affecting countries across a wide spectrum of incomes and cultural backgrounds.
Still, long-term impacts remain a topic of debate, and government-led efforts to reverse the trend have proven elusive:
RFK Jr. moves to eliminate public comment on HHS decisions – STAT
CDC Staff Prohibited From Co-Authoring Papers With World Health Organization Personnel – HuffPost
Renowned geneticist Francis Collins retires from NIH, urging ‘respect’ for embattled workers – AP
Iowa has high cancer rates. Trump's cuts to CDC and NIH are already hitting the state - NPR Shots
A Study of Mint Plants. A Device to Stop Bleeding. This Is the Scientific Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.” – ProPublica
Scented products cause indoor air pollution on par with car exhaust – New Atlas Thanks for the tip, Xiaodong Cai! Issue No. 2684
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe
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SUPPORT US
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CONTACT US
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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Organizations working with HIV and AIDS across Africa are laying off staff and shuttering services this week—a sea change that could translate to “a death sentence” for hundreds of thousands of people over the next decade, reports The Guardian.
Desperate attempts, dire end: There had been some hope that global HIV/AIDS efforts would be spared USAID cuts as part of waivers offered to “life-saving” projects.
- But last week the State Department terminated 90% of foreign aid contracts issued by USAID—a death knell for many programs.
- At a press conference last week, clinicians and researchers in South Africa said programs were “being pushed off a cliff,” reports Science.
- “This will be a bloodbath. Millions will suffer as a result of these actions, and global health—and the very notion of solidarity—will be unrecognizable,” said Jirair Ratevosian, former chief of staff at PEPFAR.
Water contamination could be the cause of illness in northwestern Congo, which has caused the death of 60 people and sickened 1,000+ others, WHO officials say. PBS
As measles cases increase in Texas, U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged people to get vaccinated—while also emphasizing the “personal” nature of the choice, reports Axios; meanwhile, the case count grew to 146 people last week, per the AP.
States are easing licensing requirements for internationally trained physicians, meaning they may not have to repeat residencies in the U.S.; the shift could help alleviate physician shortages in rural areas. NPR Shots FEBRUARY MUST-READS Twice Bitten: Two Snakebite Deep Dives
The ‘Wild West’ of Antivenoms in Africa: In sub-Saharan Africa, a venomous snakebite is too often a death sentence: ~20,000 people in the region are killed each year, with rural populations especially impacted by severe antivenom shortages.
But even getting an antivenom is no guarantee of survival, as diluted and fraudulent antivenoms have flooded the poorly regulated market, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) reported.
U.S. foreign aid freeze imperils Eswatini’s hard-won success, according to another in-depth TBIJ report:
- Eswatini reported zero snakebite deaths last summer—an important first, as snakebites caused, at one point, more than 60 deaths a year in the country.
- But aid cuts forced the Luke Commission, a destination hospital for people with serious snakebites that led that progress, to close earlier this month to most patients.
Gun Violence: Tales From Two Countries
Sweden’s Influx of Firearms: On February 4, Sweden suffered its worst mass shooting in history, at an adult education campus in Orebro that killed 11—forcing the country to reckon with a growing gun violence scourge, The Times reports.
- The shooting highlights Sweden’s shift from a “peaceful, high-trust society” to one struggling with gang-related crime, right-wing nationalism, and easier firearm access as illegal firearms are being trafficked in from the Balkans.
- In a must-read profile of Schamis, reporter Emily Baumgaertner Nunn recounts the ongoing toll the trauma has taken on the teacher and her students, and how Schamis continues to be a lifeline for her students—all while struggling with her own grief.
When COVID-19 swept through Latin America, it exposed the region’s lack of coordinated public health response mechanisms—accounting for 10% of global COVID-19 cases and 25% of deaths, despite making up just 8.2% of the global population.
Today, Latin America remains structurally vulnerable to the next pandemic, write a trio of public health leaders from Mexico and Peru. Pointing to the Africa CDC Model, they argue that Latin America needs a similar regional agency that would work alongside PAHO to ensure faster, more efficient responses to health emergencies–-and detail what it would take to make the Latin America CDC a reality—a message they also brought to the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, February 20-23 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Patricia J. García, Jorge Saavedra, and Ariel García for Global Health NOW
Nota del editor: GHN ha publicado una versión en español del comentario.
CUGH exclusive coverage by Brian W. Simpson: FEBRUARY'S BEST NEWS How Guinea Stopped Sleeping Sickness
Twenty years ago, Guinea had the highest number of sleeping sickness cases in West Africa. But as of this year, the country managed to eliminate the NTD transmitted by the Trypanosoma parasite and spread by tsetse flies, the WHO announced.
What did it take? After elimination efforts including mass screening and treatment proved ineffective, the focus shifted to vector control.
- Researchers discovered that tsetse flies are attracted to the color blue, so they developed tiny blue fabric screens coated with insecticide to attract and kill tsetse—a so-called “tiny targets” approach that has made a massive dent in cases.
Related: Niger’s historic triumph over river blindness is a beacon of hope for Africa – The Telegraph GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POPULATIONS A Future With Fewer Children
Declining fertility is a “near-universal phenomenon”—affecting countries across a wide spectrum of incomes and cultural backgrounds.
- 2023 may have been the first year ever the world’s population dipped below the replacement threshold.
Still, long-term impacts remain a topic of debate, and government-led efforts to reverse the trend have proven elusive:
- “A theory of fertility is necessarily a theory of everything—gender, money, politics, culture, evolution,” writes Lewis-Kraus.
RFK Jr. moves to eliminate public comment on HHS decisions – STAT
CDC Staff Prohibited From Co-Authoring Papers With World Health Organization Personnel – HuffPost
Renowned geneticist Francis Collins retires from NIH, urging ‘respect’ for embattled workers – AP
Iowa has high cancer rates. Trump's cuts to CDC and NIH are already hitting the state - NPR Shots
A Study of Mint Plants. A Device to Stop Bleeding. This Is the Scientific Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.” – ProPublica
Scented products cause indoor air pollution on par with car exhaust – New Atlas Thanks for the tip, Xiaodong Cai! Issue No. 2684
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -->
ABOUT
SUPPORT US
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
CONTACT US
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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Categories: Global Health Feed
Global Health NOW: A ‘Death Sentence’ for AIDS Programs—and Patients; February Recap; and A Future With Fewer Children
96
Global Health NOW: A ‘Death Sentence’ for AIDS Programs—and Patients; February Recap; and A Future With Fewer Children
View this email in your browser
March 3, 2025
Forward
Share
Post
Client files are seen stacked on a table during an HIV clinic day at TASO Mulago service center. February 17, Kampala, Uganda. Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty
A ‘Death Sentence’ for AIDS Programs—and Patients
Organizations working with HIV and AIDS across Africa are laying off staff and shuttering services this week—a sea change that could translate to “a death sentence” for hundreds of thousands of people over the next decade, reports The Guardian.
Desperate attempts, dire end: There had been some hope that global HIV/AIDS efforts would be spared USAID cuts as part of waivers offered to “life-saving” projects.
Water contamination could be the cause of illness in northwestern Congo, which has caused the death of 60 people and sickened 1,000+ others, WHO officials say. PBS
As measles cases increase in Texas, U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged people to get vaccinated—while also emphasizing the “personal” nature of the choice, reports Axios; meanwhile, the case count grew to 146 people last week, per the AP.
States are easing licensing requirements for internationally trained physicians, meaning they may not have to repeat residencies in the U.S.; the shift could help alleviate physician shortages in rural areas. NPR Shots FEBRUARY MUST-READS Twice Bitten: Two Snakebite Deep Dives
The ‘Wild West’ of Antivenoms in Africa: In sub-Saharan Africa, a venomous snakebite is too often a death sentence: ~20,000 people in the region are killed each year, with rural populations especially impacted by severe antivenom shortages.
But even getting an antivenom is no guarantee of survival, as diluted and fraudulent antivenoms have flooded the poorly regulated market, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) reported.
U.S. foreign aid freeze imperils Eswatini’s hard-won success, according to another in-depth TBIJ report:
Gun Violence: Tales From Two Countries
Sweden’s Influx of Firearms: On February 4, Sweden suffered its worst mass shooting in history, at an adult education campus in Orebro that killed 11—forcing the country to reckon with a growing gun violence scourge, The Times reports.
When COVID-19 swept through Latin America, it exposed the region’s lack of coordinated public health response mechanisms—accounting for 10% of global COVID-19 cases and 25% of deaths, despite making up just 8.2% of the global population.
Today, Latin America remains structurally vulnerable to the next pandemic, write a trio of public health leaders from Mexico and Peru. Pointing to the Africa CDC Model, they argue that Latin America needs a similar regional agency that would work alongside PAHO to ensure faster, more efficient responses to health emergencies–-and detail what it would take to make the Latin America CDC a reality—a message they also brought to the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, February 20-23 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Patricia J. García, Jorge Saavedra, and Ariel García for Global Health NOW
Nota del editor: GHN ha publicado una versión en español del comentario.
CUGH exclusive coverage by Brian W. Simpson: FEBRUARY'S BEST NEWS How Guinea Stopped Sleeping Sickness
Twenty years ago, Guinea had the highest number of sleeping sickness cases in West Africa. But as of this year, the country managed to eliminate the NTD transmitted by the Trypanosoma parasite and spread by tsetse flies, the WHO announced.
What did it take? After elimination efforts including mass screening and treatment proved ineffective, the focus shifted to vector control.
Related: Niger’s historic triumph over river blindness is a beacon of hope for Africa – The Telegraph GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POPULATIONS A Future With Fewer Children
Declining fertility is a “near-universal phenomenon”—affecting countries across a wide spectrum of incomes and cultural backgrounds.
Still, long-term impacts remain a topic of debate, and government-led efforts to reverse the trend have proven elusive:
RFK Jr. moves to eliminate public comment on HHS decisions – STAT
CDC Staff Prohibited From Co-Authoring Papers With World Health Organization Personnel – HuffPost
Renowned geneticist Francis Collins retires from NIH, urging ‘respect’ for embattled workers – AP
Iowa has high cancer rates. Trump's cuts to CDC and NIH are already hitting the state - NPR Shots
A Study of Mint Plants. A Device to Stop Bleeding. This Is the Scientific Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.” – ProPublica
Scented products cause indoor air pollution on par with car exhaust – New Atlas Thanks for the tip, Xiaodong Cai! Issue No. 2684
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -->
ABOUT
SUPPORT US
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
CONTACT US
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
Organizations working with HIV and AIDS across Africa are laying off staff and shuttering services this week—a sea change that could translate to “a death sentence” for hundreds of thousands of people over the next decade, reports The Guardian.
Desperate attempts, dire end: There had been some hope that global HIV/AIDS efforts would be spared USAID cuts as part of waivers offered to “life-saving” projects.
- But last week the State Department terminated 90% of foreign aid contracts issued by USAID—a death knell for many programs.
- At a press conference last week, clinicians and researchers in South Africa said programs were “being pushed off a cliff,” reports Science.
- “This will be a bloodbath. Millions will suffer as a result of these actions, and global health—and the very notion of solidarity—will be unrecognizable,” said Jirair Ratevosian, former chief of staff at PEPFAR.
Water contamination could be the cause of illness in northwestern Congo, which has caused the death of 60 people and sickened 1,000+ others, WHO officials say. PBS
As measles cases increase in Texas, U.S. health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. urged people to get vaccinated—while also emphasizing the “personal” nature of the choice, reports Axios; meanwhile, the case count grew to 146 people last week, per the AP.
States are easing licensing requirements for internationally trained physicians, meaning they may not have to repeat residencies in the U.S.; the shift could help alleviate physician shortages in rural areas. NPR Shots FEBRUARY MUST-READS Twice Bitten: Two Snakebite Deep Dives
The ‘Wild West’ of Antivenoms in Africa: In sub-Saharan Africa, a venomous snakebite is too often a death sentence: ~20,000 people in the region are killed each year, with rural populations especially impacted by severe antivenom shortages.
But even getting an antivenom is no guarantee of survival, as diluted and fraudulent antivenoms have flooded the poorly regulated market, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) reported.
U.S. foreign aid freeze imperils Eswatini’s hard-won success, according to another in-depth TBIJ report:
- Eswatini reported zero snakebite deaths last summer—an important first, as snakebites caused, at one point, more than 60 deaths a year in the country.
- But aid cuts forced the Luke Commission, a destination hospital for people with serious snakebites that led that progress, to close earlier this month to most patients.
Gun Violence: Tales From Two Countries
Sweden’s Influx of Firearms: On February 4, Sweden suffered its worst mass shooting in history, at an adult education campus in Orebro that killed 11—forcing the country to reckon with a growing gun violence scourge, The Times reports.
- The shooting highlights Sweden’s shift from a “peaceful, high-trust society” to one struggling with gang-related crime, right-wing nationalism, and easier firearm access as illegal firearms are being trafficked in from the Balkans.
- In a must-read profile of Schamis, reporter Emily Baumgaertner Nunn recounts the ongoing toll the trauma has taken on the teacher and her students, and how Schamis continues to be a lifeline for her students—all while struggling with her own grief.
When COVID-19 swept through Latin America, it exposed the region’s lack of coordinated public health response mechanisms—accounting for 10% of global COVID-19 cases and 25% of deaths, despite making up just 8.2% of the global population.
Today, Latin America remains structurally vulnerable to the next pandemic, write a trio of public health leaders from Mexico and Peru. Pointing to the Africa CDC Model, they argue that Latin America needs a similar regional agency that would work alongside PAHO to ensure faster, more efficient responses to health emergencies–-and detail what it would take to make the Latin America CDC a reality—a message they also brought to the Consortium of Universities for Global Health, February 20-23 in Atlanta, Georgia.
Patricia J. García, Jorge Saavedra, and Ariel García for Global Health NOW
Nota del editor: GHN ha publicado una versión en español del comentario.
CUGH exclusive coverage by Brian W. Simpson: FEBRUARY'S BEST NEWS How Guinea Stopped Sleeping Sickness
Twenty years ago, Guinea had the highest number of sleeping sickness cases in West Africa. But as of this year, the country managed to eliminate the NTD transmitted by the Trypanosoma parasite and spread by tsetse flies, the WHO announced.
What did it take? After elimination efforts including mass screening and treatment proved ineffective, the focus shifted to vector control.
- Researchers discovered that tsetse flies are attracted to the color blue, so they developed tiny blue fabric screens coated with insecticide to attract and kill tsetse—a so-called “tiny targets” approach that has made a massive dent in cases.
Related: Niger’s historic triumph over river blindness is a beacon of hope for Africa – The Telegraph GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POPULATIONS A Future With Fewer Children
Declining fertility is a “near-universal phenomenon”—affecting countries across a wide spectrum of incomes and cultural backgrounds.
- 2023 may have been the first year ever the world’s population dipped below the replacement threshold.
Still, long-term impacts remain a topic of debate, and government-led efforts to reverse the trend have proven elusive:
- “A theory of fertility is necessarily a theory of everything—gender, money, politics, culture, evolution,” writes Lewis-Kraus.
RFK Jr. moves to eliminate public comment on HHS decisions – STAT
CDC Staff Prohibited From Co-Authoring Papers With World Health Organization Personnel – HuffPost
Renowned geneticist Francis Collins retires from NIH, urging ‘respect’ for embattled workers – AP
Iowa has high cancer rates. Trump's cuts to CDC and NIH are already hitting the state - NPR Shots
A Study of Mint Plants. A Device to Stop Bleeding. This Is the Scientific Research Ted Cruz Calls “Woke.” – ProPublica
Scented products cause indoor air pollution on par with car exhaust – New Atlas Thanks for the tip, Xiaodong Cai! Issue No. 2684
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -->
ABOUT
SUPPORT US
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
CONTACT US
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
Categories: Global Health Feed
John Green Tackles An Injustice Called Tuberculosis
With his new book 'Everything Is Tuberculosis,' celebrity author John Green is breathing new life into tuberculosis advocacy
Categories: Global Health Feed
McGill Perspectives on Global Health: Feb 2025 Issue
96
McGill Perspectives on Global Health: Feb 2025 Issue
February 27, 2025
View this email in your browser
NEWSLETTER
- Author: Abia Chowdhury is a Kinesiology major at McGill University. --> A Vision of Tomorrow: Vaccine Equity ""The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world."
- Author: Erica Prager and Andrew Sun are Canadian students at McGill University in Tiohtià:ke, Québec, Canada studying Anatomy & Cell Biology, and Computer Science & Biology, respectively. --> Mission in Motion
Get ready to be inspired! In this dynamic section, we spotlight global health organizations that are making waves and driving real change around the world. Each month, we showcase their innovative strategies and impactful initiatives as they tackle pressing health challenges and champion equity.
We shine a spotlight on organizations spreading awareness about Black History Month. Let’s celebrate their dedication and commitment as we highlight their vital contributions to research, advocacy, and awareness. --> Black Mamas Matter Alliance image: https://blackmamasmatter.org/ Black Mamas Matter Alliance: Black Mamas focuses on advancing maternal health equity by addressing systemic barriers that put Black mothers at risk. Through advocacy, community-led initiatives, and policy change, they work to ensure Black women receive respectful, quality, and culturally competent care. Their mission is to uplift Black maternal voices, fight medical racism, and create safer birthing experiences for Black mothers and their babies. --> Black AIDS Institute Image: https://blackaids.org/ Black AIDS Institute (BAI): Is a U.S.-based organization dedicated to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black communities through advocacy, education, and direct services. Rooted in a commitment to Black health equity, BAI provides culturally relevant resources, policy analysis, and capacity-building programs to empower individuals and institutions in the fight against HIV/AIDS. --> In the News
Stay up to date with news and opinions on Global Health Otis Boykin - The man who invented the Pacemaker Image: https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/science-and-medicine/otis-bobby-boykin/ Otis Boykin was an African American inventor whose work revolutionized electronic technology. He developed a more reliable and cost-effective resistor, which became a key component in pacemakers, computers, and other electronic devices. His innovations have helped save lives and improve modern technology worldwide. Read or watch more about his story! --> Charles Richard Drew - Father of the Blood Bank Image: https://reporter.mcgill.ca/remembering-the-father-of-blood-banking/ Dr. Charles Drew was a pioneering Black surgeon and medical researcher who revolutionized blood banking. His innovations in blood storage and plasma preservation led to the development of large-scale blood banks, saving countless lives during World War II and beyond. Despite facing racial discrimination, his work laid the foundation for modern transfusion medicine. Read more about his story! --> New in Global Health Academic Literature
Strengthening primary health care to tackle racial discrimination, promote intercultural services and reduce health inequitiess
By: World Health Organization Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/7mxv7NUQpxyCeGE89 The World Health Organization (WHO) underscores the importance of strengthening primary health care (PHC) systems to combat these disparities. In their research brief, WHO outlines 14 strategic and operational levers aimed at policymakers to enhance PHC, thereby addressing inequities faced by populations experiencing racial discrimination. Read Now --> Opportunities in Global Health
Perspectives on Global Health Spotlight Awards Visit our website to learn more about the award --> Share your Perspective on Global Health
We are excited to announce a Call for Papers in the following areas!
You can submit your article, photo essay or article pitch to us by emailing us at: globalhealthblog@mcgill.ca. --> Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest information and experiences in global health! Subscribe Follow us on social media --> Copyright © 2017 McGill Global Health Programs, All rights reserved.
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McGill Perspectives in Global Health Blog · McIntyre Medical Building, Room 633 · 3655 Promenade Sir William Osler · Montreal, Qc H3G 1Y6 · Canada
NEWSLETTER
This February, we honor Black History Month—celebrating the resilience, contributions, and impact of Black leaders in global health. From groundbreaking research to advocacy for health equity, we highlight the voices and organizations driving change. Let’s recognize the past, engage with the present, and inspire a more inclusive future in healthcare.
Highlights of this Issue:🔹Perspectives on Global Health Award - Stand a chance to win prizes!
🔹 Stories of Black pioneers in global health
🔹 Organizations advancing health equity
🔹 Research on racial disparities in healthcare
Thank you for being part of our community. Enjoy the read! 💙✨
--> Selected Articles for this Month Inspiring Hope for the Future: Youth as Catalysts for Vaccine Equity “The youth remind the world that the future of vaccine equity lies in their hands. They are not just observers of systemic injustice; they are active participants in the fight for change.”- Author: Abia Chowdhury is a Kinesiology major at McGill University. --> A Vision of Tomorrow: Vaccine Equity ""The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world."
- Author: Erica Prager and Andrew Sun are Canadian students at McGill University in Tiohtià:ke, Québec, Canada studying Anatomy & Cell Biology, and Computer Science & Biology, respectively. --> Mission in Motion
Get ready to be inspired! In this dynamic section, we spotlight global health organizations that are making waves and driving real change around the world. Each month, we showcase their innovative strategies and impactful initiatives as they tackle pressing health challenges and champion equity.
We shine a spotlight on organizations spreading awareness about Black History Month. Let’s celebrate their dedication and commitment as we highlight their vital contributions to research, advocacy, and awareness. --> Black Mamas Matter Alliance image: https://blackmamasmatter.org/ Black Mamas Matter Alliance: Black Mamas focuses on advancing maternal health equity by addressing systemic barriers that put Black mothers at risk. Through advocacy, community-led initiatives, and policy change, they work to ensure Black women receive respectful, quality, and culturally competent care. Their mission is to uplift Black maternal voices, fight medical racism, and create safer birthing experiences for Black mothers and their babies. --> Black AIDS Institute Image: https://blackaids.org/ Black AIDS Institute (BAI): Is a U.S.-based organization dedicated to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black communities through advocacy, education, and direct services. Rooted in a commitment to Black health equity, BAI provides culturally relevant resources, policy analysis, and capacity-building programs to empower individuals and institutions in the fight against HIV/AIDS. --> In the News
Stay up to date with news and opinions on Global Health Otis Boykin - The man who invented the Pacemaker Image: https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/science-and-medicine/otis-bobby-boykin/ Otis Boykin was an African American inventor whose work revolutionized electronic technology. He developed a more reliable and cost-effective resistor, which became a key component in pacemakers, computers, and other electronic devices. His innovations have helped save lives and improve modern technology worldwide. Read or watch more about his story! --> Charles Richard Drew - Father of the Blood Bank Image: https://reporter.mcgill.ca/remembering-the-father-of-blood-banking/ Dr. Charles Drew was a pioneering Black surgeon and medical researcher who revolutionized blood banking. His innovations in blood storage and plasma preservation led to the development of large-scale blood banks, saving countless lives during World War II and beyond. Despite facing racial discrimination, his work laid the foundation for modern transfusion medicine. Read more about his story! --> New in Global Health Academic Literature
Strengthening primary health care to tackle racial discrimination, promote intercultural services and reduce health inequitiess
By: World Health Organization Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/7mxv7NUQpxyCeGE89 The World Health Organization (WHO) underscores the importance of strengthening primary health care (PHC) systems to combat these disparities. In their research brief, WHO outlines 14 strategic and operational levers aimed at policymakers to enhance PHC, thereby addressing inequities faced by populations experiencing racial discrimination. Read Now --> Opportunities in Global Health
Perspectives on Global Health Spotlight Awards Visit our website to learn more about the award --> Share your Perspective on Global Health
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Global Health NOW: The Macro Impacts of Microplastics; The Closure of a ‘Critical’ Global Health Data Resource; and Birkenstocks Arenʼt Art
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Global Health NOW: The Macro Impacts of Microplastics; The Closure of a ‘Critical’ Global Health Data Resource; and Birkenstocks Arenʼt Art
“There are at least 16,000 chemicals in plastics. Nobody really knows.”
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February 27, 2025
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Volunteers remove plastic and other debris from a beach in Kedonganan, Indonesia, on December 31, 2024. Keyza Widiatmika/NurPhoto via Getty
The Macro Impacts of Microplastics
ATLANTA—Inexpensive and convenient, plastics have become the building blocks of modern life, but they’re also a threat to human health.
Tiny threats: Microplastics—plastic bits less than 5 millimeters long—are found across the globe from the snows of the Himalayas to the interior of individual human cells.
Read the story for possible solutions.
Brian W. Simpson for Global Health NOW GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Influencers are “fearmongering” on social media to promote health tests like genetic testing, MRIs, gut microbiome tests, and egg count tests, finds a study published in JAMA Network Open; such posts can be “overwhelmingly misleading” and carry a risk for overdiagnosis, researchers say. The Guardian
Satellite imagery of Sudan is providing researchers with clues about the scope of devastation in the Darfur region, as large parts of the country are inaccessible to humanitarian and data-gathering efforts amid intense conflict; data show “more people are dying of starvation and disease than bullets and bombs.” Science
The CDC is investigating the hospitalizations of five people who received the chikungunya virus vaccine IXCHIQ, per a notice posted Tuesday; the people are all aged 65+ and were hospitalized for cardiac or neurologic events following recent vaccination. CNN
Children with long COVID can experience “significant” lung injuries stemming from loss of blood flow in the lungs, per new findings published in Radiology; the condition can lead to severe chronic fatigue. CIDRAP Trump Administration News Musk claims DOGE ‘restored’ Ebola prevention effort. Officials disagree. – The Washington Post (gift article)
C.D.C. Suggests Terms Like ‘Race’ and ‘Health Equity’ Are Off-Limits, Then Backtracks – The New York Times (gift article)
U.S. will spend up to $1 billion to combat bird flu, USDA secretary says – NBC News
Trump Team Weighs Pulling Funds for Moderna Bird Flu Vaccine – Bloomberg via Yahoo! News
FDA cancels pivotal advisory meeting about next season's flu vaccine – ABC News
RFK Jr. Dismisses Measles Outbreak As ‘Not Unusual’ After Child's Death – HuffPost
Title 42 Isn’t About Public Health — It’s About Keeping Immigrants Out – The Intercept FOREIGN AID FREEZE The Closure of a ‘Critical’ Global Health Data Resource
A data collection program that provided “indispensable” public health information to about half of the world’s nations will be shuttered following the Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze.
The Demographic and Health Surveys have collected data in 90 low- and middle-income nations since 1984, and helped leaders to set health benchmarks at the local, national, and global levels—including the UN’s 2030 SDGs.
The New York Times (gift link) GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ORGAN DONATION A Kidney Black Market Takes Hold in Burma
An illegal kidney market has a growing list of Burmese sellers, as the country’s civil war has forced half of the nation’s population into poverty, a BBC investigation has found.
One story: Reporters followed one Burmese man through the kidney sale process, which included using a broker to oversee medical testing, link him to a Burmese buyer, and forge documents that claimed the two were family members.
BBC
Related: How Much Is Your Kidney Worth? – Noēma GUN VIOLENCE A Forever Teacher
It’s been seven years since the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School killed 17 people. The Parkland, Florida, school building was bulldozed last year.
But former teacher Ivy Schamis remains deeply connected to her old classroom—Room 1214—and the 30 surviving students who were with her on that day.
In a must-read profile of Schamis, reporter Emily Baumgaertner Nunn recounts the ongoing toll the trauma has taken on the teacher and her students, and lengths to which Schamis continues to be a lifeline for her students: from connecting them with mental health resources to coaching them through life transitions.
All the while, she has struggled with her own grief.
For those in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area, we hope youʼll join GHN in person for a special live storytelling event spotlighting the remarkable experiences of refugees working in global health. But if you canʼt attend in person, GHN will be livestreaming the event!
Bloomberg School graduates from Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria will share firsthand accounts of living and working amid humanitarian crises, fleeing conflict, and shaping impactful roles in public health.
All are welcome for this evening of inspiring stories, hosted by the Center for Humanitarian Health and Global Health NOW, at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C.
Register here to attend the event or watch the livestream here. ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Birk Is It Art?
No!
It took years of litigation—during which copycat Birkenstocks multiplied across the globe—but a German federal court has put its (probably cork-clad) foot down: Birkenstocks are not “copyright-protected works of applied art.”
The German shoemaker figured that if such status could be granted to Le Corbusier furniture and Bauhaus lighting, why not your Dadʼs favorite bunion-proof sandals cum fashion item?
But Birkenstockʼs loss is our win. The makers of the iconic yet divisive sandals sued three unnamed competitors and asked that knockoffs be recalled and destroyed—a request that, if enforced, would require an all-feet-on-deck, global seizure of counterfeit corkware. But fear not, your Target two-straps are safe!
Now that that matter is settled in court, we can return to the core question—not whether Birks should be displayed in a gallery, but whether they deserve to be placed on a human foot.
ArtNews QUICK HITS Life in the shadow of a toxic mountain of plastic waste – The Telegraph
Tricky to spot and cumbersome to treat, visceral leishmaniasis turns deadly in arid east Africa – Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance
You need to start taking airborne fungal outbreaks seriously – Vox
South Korea birthrate rises for first time in nine years amid surge in marriages – The Guardian
Epigenetic echoes: Violence can leave genetic marks on future generations – Medical Xpress
"Power of Joy": New Film on Childbirth During Ethiopia's Civil War – Think Global Health Issue No. 2683
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -->
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SUPPORT US
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CONTACT US
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
ATLANTA—Inexpensive and convenient, plastics have become the building blocks of modern life, but they’re also a threat to human health.
- About 75% of 8–10 billion tons of plastics produced since the mid-20th century are circulating in the environment, Philip Landrigan, director of Boston College’s Global Observatory on Planetary Health, told attendees at a Consortium of Universities for Global Health session last week.
- “There are at least 16,000 chemicals in plastics. Nobody really knows,” Landrigan said. “And the real kicker is that more than 80% of the chemicals in plastic have never been tested for toxicity.”
Tiny threats: Microplastics—plastic bits less than 5 millimeters long—are found across the globe from the snows of the Himalayas to the interior of individual human cells.
- Italian scientists discovered that heart disease patients who had microplastics in their carotid plaque had a 450% increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or death, according to a March 2024 New England Journal of Medicine article.
Read the story for possible solutions.
Brian W. Simpson for Global Health NOW GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Influencers are “fearmongering” on social media to promote health tests like genetic testing, MRIs, gut microbiome tests, and egg count tests, finds a study published in JAMA Network Open; such posts can be “overwhelmingly misleading” and carry a risk for overdiagnosis, researchers say. The Guardian
Satellite imagery of Sudan is providing researchers with clues about the scope of devastation in the Darfur region, as large parts of the country are inaccessible to humanitarian and data-gathering efforts amid intense conflict; data show “more people are dying of starvation and disease than bullets and bombs.” Science
The CDC is investigating the hospitalizations of five people who received the chikungunya virus vaccine IXCHIQ, per a notice posted Tuesday; the people are all aged 65+ and were hospitalized for cardiac or neurologic events following recent vaccination. CNN
Children with long COVID can experience “significant” lung injuries stemming from loss of blood flow in the lungs, per new findings published in Radiology; the condition can lead to severe chronic fatigue. CIDRAP Trump Administration News Musk claims DOGE ‘restored’ Ebola prevention effort. Officials disagree. – The Washington Post (gift article)
C.D.C. Suggests Terms Like ‘Race’ and ‘Health Equity’ Are Off-Limits, Then Backtracks – The New York Times (gift article)
U.S. will spend up to $1 billion to combat bird flu, USDA secretary says – NBC News
Trump Team Weighs Pulling Funds for Moderna Bird Flu Vaccine – Bloomberg via Yahoo! News
FDA cancels pivotal advisory meeting about next season's flu vaccine – ABC News
RFK Jr. Dismisses Measles Outbreak As ‘Not Unusual’ After Child's Death – HuffPost
Title 42 Isn’t About Public Health — It’s About Keeping Immigrants Out – The Intercept FOREIGN AID FREEZE The Closure of a ‘Critical’ Global Health Data Resource
A data collection program that provided “indispensable” public health information to about half of the world’s nations will be shuttered following the Trump administration’s foreign aid freeze.
The Demographic and Health Surveys have collected data in 90 low- and middle-income nations since 1984, and helped leaders to set health benchmarks at the local, national, and global levels—including the UN’s 2030 SDGs.
- The surveys recorded “critical aspects” of household health—including mortality data, nutrition status, reproductive health and HIV status, as well as access to clean water.
- They were the only sources of information many countries had about some health indicators.
The New York Times (gift link) GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ORGAN DONATION A Kidney Black Market Takes Hold in Burma
An illegal kidney market has a growing list of Burmese sellers, as the country’s civil war has forced half of the nation’s population into poverty, a BBC investigation has found.
One story: Reporters followed one Burmese man through the kidney sale process, which included using a broker to oversee medical testing, link him to a Burmese buyer, and forge documents that claimed the two were family members.
- The seller explained he “chose this desperate way” as he was struggling with debt.
BBC
Related: How Much Is Your Kidney Worth? – Noēma GUN VIOLENCE A Forever Teacher
It’s been seven years since the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School killed 17 people. The Parkland, Florida, school building was bulldozed last year.
But former teacher Ivy Schamis remains deeply connected to her old classroom—Room 1214—and the 30 surviving students who were with her on that day.
In a must-read profile of Schamis, reporter Emily Baumgaertner Nunn recounts the ongoing toll the trauma has taken on the teacher and her students, and lengths to which Schamis continues to be a lifeline for her students: from connecting them with mental health resources to coaching them through life transitions.
All the while, she has struggled with her own grief.
- “Everyone talks about how the students feel, but no one really pays attention to the teachers,” said former student Hannah Carbocci.
For those in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area, we hope youʼll join GHN in person for a special live storytelling event spotlighting the remarkable experiences of refugees working in global health. But if you canʼt attend in person, GHN will be livestreaming the event!
Bloomberg School graduates from Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria will share firsthand accounts of living and working amid humanitarian crises, fleeing conflict, and shaping impactful roles in public health.
All are welcome for this evening of inspiring stories, hosted by the Center for Humanitarian Health and Global Health NOW, at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C.
Register here to attend the event or watch the livestream here. ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Birk Is It Art?
No!
It took years of litigation—during which copycat Birkenstocks multiplied across the globe—but a German federal court has put its (probably cork-clad) foot down: Birkenstocks are not “copyright-protected works of applied art.”
The German shoemaker figured that if such status could be granted to Le Corbusier furniture and Bauhaus lighting, why not your Dadʼs favorite bunion-proof sandals cum fashion item?
But Birkenstockʼs loss is our win. The makers of the iconic yet divisive sandals sued three unnamed competitors and asked that knockoffs be recalled and destroyed—a request that, if enforced, would require an all-feet-on-deck, global seizure of counterfeit corkware. But fear not, your Target two-straps are safe!
Now that that matter is settled in court, we can return to the core question—not whether Birks should be displayed in a gallery, but whether they deserve to be placed on a human foot.
ArtNews QUICK HITS Life in the shadow of a toxic mountain of plastic waste – The Telegraph
Tricky to spot and cumbersome to treat, visceral leishmaniasis turns deadly in arid east Africa – Gavi, The Vaccine Alliance
You need to start taking airborne fungal outbreaks seriously – Vox
South Korea birthrate rises for first time in nine years amid surge in marriages – The Guardian
Epigenetic echoes: Violence can leave genetic marks on future generations – Medical Xpress
"Power of Joy": New Film on Childbirth During Ethiopia's Civil War – Think Global Health Issue No. 2683
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -->
ABOUT
SUPPORT US
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
CONTACT US
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
Categories: Global Health Feed
DR Congo: WHO tracks deadly mysterious illness
Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) are carrying out further investigations to determine the cause of another cluster of illness and deaths in Équateur province, UN officials reported on Thursday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
