McGill announces 2025 cohort of Distinguished James McGill Professors, James McGill Professors and William Dawson Scholars 
Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi has named 31 McGill professors as Distinguished James McGill Professors, James McGill Professors or William Dawson Scholars. The internal awards recognize exceptional research achievements.

McGill announces 2025 cohort of Distinguished James McGill Professors, James McGill Professors and William Dawson Scholars 
Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi has named 31 McGill professors as Distinguished James McGill Professors, James McGill Professors or William Dawson Scholars. The internal awards recognize exceptional research achievements.

McGill announces 2025 cohort of Distinguished James McGill Professors, James McGill Professors and William Dawson Scholars 
Provost and Vice-President (Academic) Christopher Manfredi has named 28 McGill professors as Distinguished James McGill Professors, James McGill Professors or William Dawson Scholars. The internal awards recognize exceptional research achievements.

96 Global Health NOW: Underuse and Overuse Fuels AMR; Funding ‘Megafarms,’ Despite Pollution; and Heavy Caw-petition New studies highlight the dual crisis of antibiotic resistance View this email in your browser May 1, 2025 Forward Share Post Scanning electron micrograph of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, yellow) surrounded by cellular debris (red). NIH/NAID/IMAGE.FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Underuse, Overuse: The Dual Crisis of Antibiotic Resistance
As scientists continue to sound the alarm about antibiotic overuse driving antimicrobial resistance, new research shows how the crisis is also being exacerbated by the opposite problem: lack of antibiotic access.

Overuse: WHO data released this week show how globally just 52% of antibiotics prescribed fell under the “access” category of first and second-line antibiotics. That rate should be closer to 70%, per WHO targets, but many patients are receiving antibiotics for more severe infections, reports CIDRAP.

Underuse: Meanwhile, lack of access to the correct antibiotics is further driving the spread of superbugs, finds a new study published in the Lancet Infectious Diseases, which found that <7% of people with severe infections in poorer countries get the necessary antibiotics, reports The Guardian. 

Stewardship and innovation: The crisis must be addressed by improving both access to a wider spectrum of antibiotics, and by implementing stewardship policies, the WHO said in a news release. 

The authors of the underuse study said stewardship is not enough: Low- and middle-income countries need new drugs and antibiotic innovation.

• “We actually have to focus on both … , in all places,” said senior study author Jennifer Cohn. 

Related: National-level actions found to be effective at tackling antibiotic resistance – Medical Xpress GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
China is redoubling its claim that COVID-19 may have originated in the U.S., in a white paper about its own pandemic response released this week, following the Trump administration’s launch of a website that blames the pandemic on a lab leak in China. Reuters

Sierra Leone has launched a widespread mpox vaccination campaign as cases of the virus surge; the country has confirmed 763 cases, with 177 recorded in a two-day period last week. The Telegraph

Depression, schizophrenia and other mental health conditions could be linked to the body’s immune response, new research published in Molecular Psychiatry finds; the data could help in developing a range of more effective treatments, researchers say. Medical Xpress

Nicotine pouch usage nearly doubled among U.S. highschoolers between 2023–2024, per new research published in JAMA Network Open, which analyzed surveys of 10,000+ teens; the findings signal a “growing public health issue,” per the study’s lead author. News Medical CLIMATE Funding ‘Megafarms,’ Despite Pollution 
The U.K. government has subsidized industrial-scale poultry farms, despite growing alarm over the farms’ contribution to “spiraling” air and water pollution in the regions where they operate. 

Background: The “megafarms,” which can hold up to a million birds, have proliferated in the region near the Wye and Severn rivers. Already, the farms have been tied to pollution in the River Wye.  

Outcry over subsidies: At least £14m of public funds have been paid out over three years to poultry farm operators—a move that environmental advocates say undermines other ecological policies. 

• The funding exposes “any pretense of practicing effective environmental regulation in this country,” said Charles Watson, chairman of NGO River Action. 

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS Newly Vulnerable on the Road
Truck drivers who travel between Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo relied on a network of mobile community health workers to help deliver critical HIV medication while on the road. 

That network has broken down following U.S. cuts to foreign aid, leading to closures of clinics and HIV programs—and leaving truck drivers without access to their HIV medication. 

High risk: Long-haul truck drivers are nearly 6X as likely as the general adult population to be HIV positive, per a study published last year in BMJ Open.

Also vulnerable: Sex workers, who rely on the same health networks for HIV medication and PreP.

NPR Goats and Soda ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Heavy Caw-petition
If it looks like a gull, sounds like a gull, and dresses like a gull … itʼs probably a contestant in the European Gull Screeching Contest.

This past weekend, 70 participants from 13 countries descended on the Belgian coastal town of De Panne for the squawk-off designed to rehabilitate the reputation of the oft-maligned coastal birds, CNN reports.

• Seagull Boy, who GHN celebrated last year, took home a second victory in the youth category, BBC reports. 

• Newcomer Anna Brynald beaked out a victory in the adult category and captured our hearts with her sympatico with the seabirds. After all, both Anna and the gulls are misunderstood, and love fries, CBC reports.

The appreciation may not be mutual. “I worked with the seagulls. I went to the beach and I looked at many seagulls … And I screeched at them, but they became scared of me,” she said.

Ironically, a sense of nihilism keeps Brynald motivated: “If there isn't any meaning in life, that means I can do literally everything I want. I can make seagull sounds, because I don't care.” QUICK HITS Israeli wildfires could threaten Jerusalem, prime minister says – The Washington Post (gift link)

A WHO Director on the Future of Polio Eradication – Think Global Health

Wegovy Can Treat a Dangerous Liver Disease, Study Finds – The New York Times (gift link)

Diabetes deaths fall to lowest levels in years, in early CDC figures – CBS News

Myanmar earthquake one-month on: needs remain massive – IFRC (news release)

Indonesians are flourishing. People in the UK, Germany, and Spain? Not so much, global survey finds – Euronews

Indian Summit Showcases Solar and Innovative Cooling Methods as Pressure Mounts for Immediate Climate Solutions – Health Policy Watch 

Human Evolution Traded Fur for Sweat Glands—and Now, Our Wounds Take Longer to Heal Than Those of Other Mammals – Smithsonian Magazine Issue No. 2718
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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As sudden budget cuts severely impact global health funding, prolonged conflicts around the world are fuelling disease outbreaks and posing a serious threat to public health, the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday. 

An anthrax outbreak is compounding the worsening security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), driving up humanitarian needs and further limiting access to basic services. The escalating crisis is also widening critical gaps in healthcare and protection, amid a broader surge in infectious diseases.

96 Global Health NOW: Climate Report Frozen; Phthalates May Contribute to Heart Disease; and The Human Toll of Meta Moderation View this email in your browser April 30, 2025 Forward Share Post A view of a flipped tractor trailer in Asheville, North Carolina, after heavy rains and flooding from Hurricane Helene. September 30, 2024. Peter Zay/Anadolu via Getty Climate Report Frozen
Scientists working on the U.S.’s flagship climate report were dismissed this week by the Trump administration, which researchers say could impede critical planning and mitigation efforts at the national and community level, reports NPR.

The National Climate Assessment, mandated by Congress and produced by ~400 volunteer authors, is a comprehensive source of information about how climate change affects the U.S.—from how quickly sea levels are rising near cities to how to cope with wildfire smoke exposure.

The report covers public health impacts and recommendations for addressing them, including planning for extreme heat in urban areas and bolstering food and water security. 

• “If I care about food or water or transportation or insurance or my health, this is what climate change means to me,” Texas Tech University climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe told The New York Times (gift link).

Mounting toll: The past 10 years have been the hottest on record, and last year alone, the U.S. experienced 27 weather and climate-related disasters costing the country $185 billion, reports the Los Angeles Times.

What’s next? The Trump administration said the scope of the report “is currently being reevaluated.” Researchers worry that a report that downplays risks or contradicts climate science could be published instead, reports Grist. 

Related: 

UK is not ready for coming climate ‘disaster,’ government advisers warn – The Independent

Trump’s first 100 days: US walks away from global climate action – Climate Home News

From subs to bases, "climate change crap" has consequences for U.S. military – Axios GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners  

One HPV vaccine dose provides similar protection to two doses in preventing infection, per data from an efficacy trial involving 20,000 girls, presented ahead of the June meeting of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. MedPage Today (free registration required)

Florida is poised to ban fluoride in public drinking water after state lawmakers approved the measure Tuesday; the bill now goes to Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose administration has supported ending fluoridation despite warnings from dentists and public health advocates. AP

In an Alzheimer’s breakthrough, U.K. scientists have used living human brain tissue to mimic the early stages of the disease, exposing healthy brain tissue from NHS patients to a toxic form of a protein linked to Alzheimer’s to demonstrate damage to brain cell connections in real time. The Guardian

Low emission zones in London significantly reduced harmful pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and particulate matter, per a new study that documented measurable public health and economic benefits, including an 18.5% drop in sick leave, following LEZ implementation. University of Bath via ScienceDaily

U.S. Health and Science Policy News CDC reinstates workers who screen coal miners for black lung disease – The Washington Post (gift link)

Trump’s Cuts to Science Funding Could Hurt U.S. Economy, Study Shows – The New York Times (gift link)

Exclusive: In conversation with FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary – Inside Medicine

RFK Jr.'s not-so-secret weapon: the moms – Axios

Here's how the Trump administration has changed health policy in its first 100 days – NPR’s Short Wave (audio) ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Phthalates May Contribute to Heart Disease
Daily exposure to di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP), a chemical used to make household plastic items, could be linked to more than 10% of all global mortality from heart disease in 2018, a new analysis of population surveys published in eBioMedicine shows.

While DEHP is used globally, Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East saw a much larger share of the more than 365,000 global deaths than other populations—nearly half the total.

• India had the highest death count at 39,677 deaths, followed by Pakistan and Egypt.

Consistent contact with DEHP has been shown to cause inflammation in the heart's arteries, which, over time, is associated with an increased risk of heart attack or stroke.

The study’s authors say the resulting economic burden from the deaths was ~$510 billion.

Medical Xpress GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MENTAL HEALTH The Human Toll of Meta Moderation
The people tasked with sifting through the most disturbing images flagged on Facebook and Instagram are underpaid and work in grueling conditions, a new report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism finds. 

Background: Meta keeps the identities of its content-moderation subcontractors a closely guarded secret, but TBIJ identified one as a French multinational company, Teleperformance, which operates out of Accra, Ghana. 

The toll: Moderators say they are held to strict performance targets, work under surveillance, and receive no psychological support for the difficult work, which involves reviewing images of extreme violence and abuse. 

• As a result, many are coping with depression and substance abuse; some have even attempted suicide. 

TBIJ

Related: How to keep violent porn out of your home and away from your kids – NPR OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Plague of rats and insects provide latest challenge for war-shattered Gazans – UN News

The Disappeared: Mexico’s Industrial-Scale Human Rights Crisis – IPS (commentary)

Winnie Byanyimax: Three ways to help the developing world survive the end of aid – The Guardian (commentary)

More and more older Americans want to know their Alzheimer's status, survey finds – NPR Shots

Top ten research priorities in global burns care: findings from the James Lind Alliance Global Burns Research Priority Setting Partnership – The Lancet Global Health

COVID vaccine works faster with both doses in the same arm – Nature 

‘Smart insoles’ could help diagnose dementia, other health problems – The Washington Post (gift link) Issue No. 2717
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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In the aftermath of the huge 7.7 magnitude earthquake that struck Myanmar on 28 March, life-saving aid efforts led by the UN are being hampered by damaged infrastructure, ongoing armed conflict and global aid funding cuts.

96 Global Health NOW: Peru’s Illegal Mining Surges… and Destroys; Autism Database Debate; and The Lingering Legacy of Agent Orange View this email in your browser April 29, 2025 Forward Share Post GHN EXCLUSIVE REPORT Illegal gold mining in Peru’s Madre de Dios department has destroyed an average of 21,000 hectares of rainforest per year. May 31, 2024. Ernesto Benavides/AFP via Getty Peru’s Illegal Mining Surges… and Destroys  
LIMA, Peru—Soaring gold prices and plunging U.S. government funds are pushing Peru’s southeastern jungle into a public health crisis.

• A longtime problem in the department of Madre de Dios, which borders Bolivia and Brazil, illegal mining is booming as gold prices top $3,000 per ounce.


• The gold rush requires a massive influx of workers and large amounts of mercury, which is used to extract gold from ore.

The result: Destroyed forests, mercury poisoning, and fast-spreading infectious diseases, says Juan Pablo Murillo, an infectious disease specialist with the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.
 
U.S. cuts: Canceled U.S.-supported projects had reforested devastated areas, traced how mercury poisoned people, and worked with communities on ways to avoid fish species with the highest mercury levels, says tropical ecologist Luis Fernández, who directs Wake Forest University’s Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation.

The Quote: “We need to understand much more about [mercury’s] impact because it is so contaminating,” says Eusebio Ríos, a leader of the Harakmbut Indigenous people. “It is a silent threat because you do not see it. We are consuming it without knowing it or how it will affect us in the future.”

Ed Note: This article was produced in collaboration with Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health magazine and is the first in a series that examines front-line impacts of cuts in U.S. funding. READ THE FULL STORY BY LUCIEN CHAUVIN GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Measles is surging in Europe and the Americas; the ECDC reports a 10-fold rise in Europe—with 87% of the cases in Romania—between 2023 and 2024, and the WHO reports an 11-fold increase in the Americas so far this year compared to the same period last year, with all related deaths (3) and the highest case count (900) in the U.S. CIDRAP

130+ pregnant women, new mothers, and children who fled Haiti to seek health care in the Dominican Republic were rounded up in hospitals and deported as part of a new crackdown on undocumented migrants. The Guardian

100 days into the Trump administration, 44% of Americans say they expect to lose trust in public health under new leadership, compared with 28% expecting greater trust, per a new poll of 3,000+ Americans that reflects a partisan divide, with 76% of Democrats reporting waning trust, and 57% of Republicans expressing more optimism. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and de Beaumont Foundation

The FDA confirmed yesterday that it will require Novavax to run a new clinical trial for its COVID-19 vaccine, which was previously updated annually to target current strains without the need for new clinical trials, prompting concern from former health officials that it’s part of an effort to weaken vaccine efforts. NBC U.S. Health Cuts and Policy News ‘No one can do what America does’: Sudanese refugees bear the brunt as US aid dries up – The Telegraph

Will US science survive Trump 2.0? – Nature

Reproductive health groups, ACLU sue Trump administration for withholding family planning grants – Fierce Health Care

Health of mothers and children at risk from loss of CDC data program, expert says – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

How this Limpopo NGO prepared itself for Trump funding cuts – Bhekisisa AUTISM Database Debate
Autism advocates and health privacy experts are raising concerns after the Trump administration announced plans to pursue wide-scale data collection in an effort to expedite autism research, reports The Washington Post (gift link). 

Pivot from initial plan: The administration initially announced it would create a new registry of people with autism, but retreated from the plan after intense backlash and privacy concerns.

• Still, the administration plans to collect and consolidate autism-related data, combining federal health data, medical records, insurance claims, and readouts from wearable devices to create a “real-world data platform,” reports Axios. 

Reactions: While some scientists have long pushed for a more comprehensive data source to improve research and treatments, others say it could lead to cherrypicking data to promote the view that vaccines cause autism. 

• Some health providers are reporting an uptick in patient requests to remove personal information from charts over privacy concerns. 

Related:

A severe autism advocate responds to RFK Jr.'s research initiative – NPR

‘This Is Not How We Do Science, Ever’ – The Atlantic

Fact-checking RFK Jr.’s claim that environmental toxins cause autism – PBS NewsHour

These autistic people struggled to make sense of others. Then they found AI. – The Washington Post (gift link) DATA POINT CONFLICT The Lingering Legacy of Agent Orange
The Vietnam War ended 50 years ago, but the fallout from the Agent Orange supply used in the country by U.S. troops continues to affect new Vietnamese generations.

• At Da Nang, the site of a U.S. air base, soil remains highly toxic, with dangerous chemicals like dioxin leaching into food and water supplies. 

The toll: Today, ~3 million people, including many children, still suffer serious health issues associated with exposure, ranging from cancer to birth defects. 

Clean-up in jeopardy: Vietnam continues decades-long, painstaking remediation efforts, but U.S. funds allocated for the effort have been called into question with the Trump administration’s cuts to foreign aid. 

AP GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS Climate change could increase global levels of antimicrobial resistance, study finds – CIDRAP 

U.S. maternal deaths doubled during COVID-19 pandemic, among other findings in new study – Brown University

The Disaster of School Closures Should Have Been Foreseen – The Atlantic

Eliminating Malaria in ASEAN: Lessons From Egypt – Think Global Health (commentary)

As a diversity grant dies, young scientists fear it will haunt their careers – NPR Shots

Weight loss pills could help tackle obesity in poorer countries, experts say – The Guardian

He had 2 months to live. Cancer research "that seemed like science fiction" saved his life. – CBS Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!

How bugs and beet juice could play roles in the race to replace artificial dyes in food – AP Issue No. 2716
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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After suffering almost 18 months of deadly bombardment, displacement and lack of access to basic services, the embattled people of Gaza face yet another challenge: the threat of insects and rodents.

96 Global Health NOW: Gaza Aid at a ‘Breaking Point’; The Struggle for Inclusive Care in Nigeria and Kenya; and Japan’s Regenerative Medicine Revolution View this email in your browser April 28, 2025 Forward Share Post Palestinians, mostly children, wait in long lines for food aid distributed by charity organizations at Nuseirat Refugee Camp, near Deir al-Balah, Gaza. April 28. Hassan Jedi/Anadolu via Getty Gaza Aid at a ‘Breaking Point’ 
  Food and medical aid are nearing total collapse in Gaza, as a blockade by Israel stretches into a second month, humanitarian groups are warning. The increasingly dire alerts come as hearings begin at the UN's top court in The Hague, with a Palestinian envoy accusing Israel of destroying the “fundamentals of life in Palestine,” reports The Guardian.

International hearings begin: In The Hague, Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands Ammar Hijazi accused Israel of breaching international law by blocking critical aid, attacking aid workers, and displacing citizens, reports the AP.

• Israel has criticized the case as “systematic persecution and delegitimization” and denies deliberately targeting civilians and aid staff. The court will likely take months to rule.

‘Brink of catastrophe’: Aid groups say that food and critical supplies are nearly out and that essential bakeries and kitchens have shuttered across the enclave, per another report by The Guardian.

• The World Food Programme announced last week its stocks in Gaza are depleted, saying that since the ceasefire, conditions have “once again reached a breaking point,” per UN News. 

Meanwhile, pregnant women face growing dangers in Gaza, with miscarriages, premature births, complications, and deaths in childbirth all rising, per another report by the AP.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Yellow fever poses a growing threat in the Asia-Pacific region due to expanded mosquito habitats, accelerated urbanization, and increased international travel, a new study published in npj Viruses posits. News Medical

Uganda declared the end of its Ebola outbreak last Friday, with the last patient discharged March 14; ring vaccination, Remdesivir treatment, and border health measures were among the components of the country’s “fast, coordinated, and effective response.” WHO

Mpox cases have declined in Africa over the past six weeks due to an “intensification” of public health measures including increased surveillance and contact tracing, Africa CDC officials said last week; however, 17 of 24 countries still report active transmission, and the virus continues to show up in new countries. CIDRAP

The Trump administration is restoring funding to a major NIH-led women’s health research study; the reversal of last week’s defunding decision drew relief from scientists involved in the decades-long project, though they said they haven’t yet received official confirmation. Axios U.S. and Global Health Cuts and Policy News: WHO, WFP announce cuts and layoffs after US withholds funding – Semafor

Aid groups are erasing climate change from their websites – The New Humanitarian

Health program for 9/11 illnesses faces uncertain future after federal staffing cuts – NBC

USDA withdraws a plan to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry – AP

Researcher of 1918 flu virus takes over NIAID – Science

Trump-appointed National Science Foundation leader resigns – Politico INCLUSION The Struggle for Inclusive Care in Nigeria and Kenya 
Despite Nigeria’s and Kenya’s commitment to health care accessibility for people with disabilities and national laws for inclusive health care, these rights have not been fully realized, and many of those affected are not aware of their primary care rights.

• 17% of Nigeria’s population, or 35 million people, have disabilities.


• 57% of the 6 million people with disabilities in Kenya are women.

Overlooked: While both Nigeria and Kenya allow at least one disabled person to sit on committees for community health, accessibility is often neglected. It is often difficult to confirm if people with disabilities sit on some committees, and some say their abilities are frequently underestimated. 

Nigeria Health Watch

Related:

Disability Protection Groups in Two States Pause Services After Missing Federal Funds – Mother Jones

Supreme Court to hear school disability discrimination case – NPR GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Japan’s Regenerative Medicine Revolution 
Across Japan, biotechnology labs are proliferating as the country’s government continues to bet big on the future of regenerative medicine. 

Background: In 2006, Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka discovered that adult cells could be reprogrammed into an embryonic-like state known as induced pluripotent stem cells (or iPS cells), allowing them to become any kind of tissue, from retinas to cardiac muscle. 

Since then, the Japanese government has poured $760 million (110 billion yen) into regenerative medicine development.

•  Of the 60+ iPS-cell clinical trials worldwide, nearly one-third are in Japan.

Now, Japan is on the cusp of becoming the first country to approve iPS-cell-based treatments for diseases like Parkinson’s. 

Nature OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Sudan war: People eating charcoal and leaves to survive, aid agency warns – BBC

‘Killer Robots’ Threaten Human Rights During War, Peace: Urgent Need for Treaty on Autonomous Weapon Systems – Human Rights Watch

More US adults willing to receive mpox vaccine now than in 2022 – CIDRAP

HMC launches first clinical study to help shisha smokers quit – Doha News 

WHO issues new recommendations to end the rise in “medicalized” female genital mutilation and support survivors – WHO

Huge reproducibility project fails to validate dozens of biomedical studies – Nature

Whooping cough cases are rising again in the US – AP

Angie Murimirwa: From hiding in the bathroom to Time's most influential people list – NPR Goats and Soda Issue No. 2715
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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Female genital mutilation (FGM) is becoming less common worldwide, but when it does occur, it is increasingly performed by professional healthcare workers, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Monday.

96 CNNTD Spring Newsletter |RCMTN Bulletin de Printemps Recent news and updates from CNNTD | Nouvelles et mises à jour récentes du RCMTN View this email in your browser April 24, 2025 / Avril 24, 2025 Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases Newsletter /
Bulletin d'information du Réseau canadien pour les
Maladies Tropicales Négligées --> News and updates from the CNNTD
/ Nouvelles et mises à jour de la RCMTN --> Niger and Guinea eliminate NTDs as a Public Health Problem on World NTD Day 2025/ Le Niger et la Guinée éliminent les MTN en tant que problème de santé publique à l'occasion de la Journée mondiale des MTN 2025 --> In 2025, Niger and Guinea have made significant strides in eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), with Niger becoming the first African country to eliminate onchocerciasis (river blindness) and Guinea eliminating Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT, or sleeping sickness). As of World NTD Day this year, we are more than half way towards the goal of eliminating at least one NTD in 100 countries, with 55 countries having done so! To learn more, please visit this WHO webpage.
......
En 2025, le Niger et la Guinée ont fait des progrès considérables dans l'élimination des maladies tropicales négligées (MTN), le Niger devenant le premier pays africain à éliminer l'onchocercose (cécité des rivières) et la Guinée à éliminer la trypanosomiase humaine africaine (THA, ou maladie du sommeil). Cette année, à l'occasion de la Journée mondiale des MTN, nous avons parcouru plus de la moitié du chemin vers l'objectif d'éliminer au moins une MTN dans 100 pays, 55 pays l'ayant déjà fait ! Pour en savoir plus, consultez le site suivant la page web de l'OMS. --> Advocating for Change on World NTD Day/ Plaidoyer pour le changement à l'occasion de la Journée mondiale des MTN --> On World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2025, we joined our members and partners around the world in calling for greater funding, resources, and political will to end NTDs and improve the lives of millions. Here are some of the videos we contributed on World NTD Day. Additionally, our very own Steering Committee Member Dr. Christopher Fernandez Prada supported the PAHO World NTD Day Event: Involving Communities: A Hands-On Approach to Neglected Diseases. PAHO calls on governments, health workers, cooperation agencies, and community and civil organizations to unite and take action to eliminate neglected Infectious Diseases in the Americas. To see the recording, please visit this link. To find out more about World NTD Day, please go to our WNTD Day webpage. ...... À l'occasion de la Journée mondiale des maladies tropicales négligées 2025, nous nous sommes joints à nos membres et à nos partenaires du monde entier pour réclamer davantage de fonds, de ressources et de volonté politique afin de mettre fin aux MTN et d'améliorer la vie de millions de personnes. Voici quelques-unes des vidéos que nous avons produites à l'occasion de la Journée mondiale des MTN. En outre, le Dr Christopher Fernandez Prada, membre de notre comité directeur, a apporté son soutien à l'événement organisé par l'OPS à l'occasion de la Journée mondiale des MTN : Impliquer les communautés: Une approche pratique des maladies négligées. L'OPS appelle les gouvernements, les professionnels de la santé, les agences de coopération et les organisations communautaires et civiles à s'unir et à agir pour éliminer les maladies infectieuses négligées dans les Amériques. Pour voir l'enregistrement, veuillez consulter le lien suivant. Pour en savoir plus sur la Journée mondiale des MTN, veuillez consulter notre page web consacrée à la Journée mondiale des MTN. --> Spotlighting Canadian Efforts Against NTDs: WaterAid Canada Champions WASH and One Health to Take on NTDs in Rwanda/ Pleins feux sur les efforts canadiens contre les MTN : WaterAid Canada se fait le champion du programme WASH et One Health pour lutter contre les MTN au Rwanda --> One World NTD Day 2025, we featured a project shared by WaterAid Canada and partners on addressing NTDs in Rwanda. Funded by Global Affairs Canada, this project promotes water, sanitation and hygiene and a One Health approach. Check out this story here.  ...... À l'occasion de la Journée mondiale des MTN 2025, nous avons présenté un projet partagé par WaterAid Canada et ses partenaires sur la lutte contre les MTN au Rwanda. Financé par Global Affairs Canada, ce projet promeut l'eau, l'assainissement et l'hygiène ainsi qu'une approche «One Health» Lisez cette histoire ici.  --> Raising Awareness about the Integration of FGS on International Women's Day/ Sensibilisation à l'intégration des BGF à l'occasion de la Journée internationale de la femme --> This 2025 International Women's Day webinar in partnership with the Female Genital Schistosomiasis Integration Group (FIG) explores how seven countries in Africa are Integrating FGS into existing health care programs to optimize women and girl's health in Africa. Here is the recording.  -------- Ce webinaire organisé en partenariat avec le Groupe d'intégration de la bilharziose génitale féminine (BGF) à l'occasion de la Journée internationale de la femme 2025 explore la manière dont sept pays d'Afrique intègrent la BGF dans les programmes de soins de santé existants afin d'optimiser la santé des femmes et des jeunes filles en Afrique. Voici l'enregistrement. --> World Health Day 2025/ Journée mondiale de la santé 2025 --> The Chair of the Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Alison Krentel, PhD, shares her reflections on this year’s World Health Day theme “Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures,” and what this means for NTDs in our new blog. ..... La présidente du Réseau canadien pour les maladies tropicales négligées, Alison Krentel, PhD, partage ses réflexions sur le thème de la Journée mondiale de la santé de cette année « débuts sains, avenirs pleins d'espoir », et ce que cela signifie pour les MTN dans notre nouveau blog. --> World Chagas Day/ Journée mondiale de la maladie de Chagas --> --> CNNTD Steering Committee News/ 
Nouvelles du comité directeur du RCMNT --> Our Steering Committee Members are reaching exceptional heights this year, with 3 new appointments and awards for outstanding contributions to global health. Janet Hatcher Roberts has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her decades of contributions to health and equity here at home and globally! Deborah Ola, has been appointed the Canada Youth Delegate to the WHA/PAHO, where she will be leading youth consultations and engagement at the 78th World Health Assembly this year! Dr. Kishor Wasan has been awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award 2025 from the MD Anderson Center.

Congratulations Janet, Deborah and Kishor, we are proud to have you as part of the leadership of the Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. You continue to inspire your peers and the next generation of global health professionals to take action to end neglected tropical diseases. ...... Les membres de notre comité directeur atteignent des sommets exceptionnels cette année, avec trois nouvelles nominations et récompenses pour leurs contributions exceptionnelles à la santé mondiale. Janet Hatcher Roberts a reçu la Médaille du Couronnement du Roi Charles III pour ses décennies de contributions à la santé et à l'équité ici au pays et dans le monde ! Deborah Ola a été nommée jeune déléguée du Canada auprès de l'AMS/OPS, où elle dirigera les consultations et l'engagement des jeunes lors de la 78e Assemblée mondiale de la santé cette année ! Le Dr Kishor Wasan a reçu le Distinguished Alumnus Award 2025 du MD Anderson Center.

Félicitations Janet, Deborah et Kishor, nous sommes fiers de vous compter parmi les dirigeants du Réseau canadien pour les maladies tropicales négligées. Vous continuez à inspirer vos pairs et la prochaine génération de professionnels de la santé mondiale à agir pour mettre fin aux maladies tropicales négligées. --> Welcome to UdeM, our Newest Organizational Member! 
Bienvenue à l'UdeM, notre plus récent membre organisationnel!  --> The Université de Montréal (UdeM), through its One Health Initiative, supports a research ecosystem that fosters the emergence of innovative solutions for neglected tropical diseases. This interdisciplinary framework brings together researchers addressing key issues such as zoonosis prevention, antimicrobial resistance and health system strengthening, in line with the One Health Joint Plan of Action. We look forward to a collaborative partnership that will bring visibility to neglected tropical diseases here in Canada and globally. ...... L’Université de Montréal (UdeM), par l’intermédiaire de son Initiative Une seule santé, soutient un écosystème de recherche favorisant l’émergence de solutions innovantes pour les maladies tropicales négligées. Ce cadre interdisciplinaire réunit des chercheurs qui se penchent sur des questions clés telles que la prévention des zoonoses, la résistance aux antimicrobiens et le renforcement des systèmes de santé, conformément au plan d'action conjoint One Health. Nous nous réjouissons à l'idée d'un partenariat de collaboration qui apportera de la visibilité aux maladies tropicales négligées ici au Canada et dans le monde. --> Take Action For NTDs / Agir contre les MTN --> Sign onto our letter to G7 leaders, asking them to take action on NTDs/ Signez notre lettre aux dirigeants du G7 pour leur demander d'agir contre les MTN. --> The Canadian Network for NTDs has convened NTD civil society in G7 countries to develop a letter to G7 leaders, asking them to take action on NTDs and make a collective, multi-year financial commitment to end NTDs. This letter was presented to the Canadian G7 Sherpa on April 15 at the C7 Summit. Please sign onto our letter as an individual or an organization so that we can show our government that Canadians care about Canada’s role in the fight against NTDs. ..... Le Réseau canadien pour les MTN a réuni la société civile des pays du G7 pour rédiger une lettre aux dirigeants du G7, leur demandant d'agir sur les MTN et de prendre un engagement financier collectif et pluriannuel pour mettre fin aux MTN. Cette lettre a été présentée au sherpa canadien du G7 le 15 avril lors du sommet du C7. Veuillez signer notre lettre en tant qu'individu ou organisation afin que nous puissions montrer à notre gouvernement que les Canadiens se soucient du rôle du Canada dans la lutte contre les MTN. Sign onto our Letter Here!/ Signez notre lettre ici! --> Join Our Steering Committee!/ Rejoignez notre Comité directeur! --> Want to join an incredible group of individuals supporting the activities and future direction of the Canadian Network for NTDs? Then apply to become a Steering Committee Member! Applications are due May 30th, 2025. To learn more and to apply, please go to our dedicated webpage below.  ...... Vous souhaitez rejoindre un groupe incroyable de personnes qui soutiennent les activités et l'orientation future du Réseau canadien pour les MTN? Alors posez votre candidature pour devenir membre du comité directeur! Les candidatures sont attendues le 30 mai 2025. Pour en savoir plus et poser votre candidature, veuillez consulter notre page web dédiée ci-dessous.  Apply Here!/ Postulez ici! --> Apply to our NTD Research Award 2025!/ Postulez à notre Prix de recherche sur les MTN 2025! --> We are running our 3rd Neglected Tropical Diseases Research Award this year! Eligible submissions include NTD papers published in English, French or Spanish in a peer-reviewed journal in 2024 in partnership with a Canadian Institution. The deadline for submissions is  April 27, 2025 at midnight EST.
......
Nous organisons cette année notre troisième bourse de recherche sur les maladies tropicales négligées! Les candidatures admissibles comprennent les articles sur les MTN publiés en anglais, en français ou en espagnol dans une revue à comité de lecture en 2024, en partenariat avec une institution canadienne.  La date limite de soumission est le 27 avril 2025 à minuit HNE. Apply Here!/ Postulez ici! --> Measuring the Impact of USAID Cuts in Lives/
Mesurer l'impact des coupes dans les vies de l'USAID Online tracking tool by Impact Counter/Outil de suivi en ligne par Impact Counter --> Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) 2025 Report on Canada’s Role in Global Health/
Rapport 2025 de l'Académie canadienne des sciences de la santé (ACSS) sur le rôle du Canada dans la santé mondiale Report/Rapport --> In The News / Dans la presse --> WHO delivers fexinidazole to Malawi and Zimbabwe - A safer Treatment for HAT 
L'OMS fournit du fexinidazole au Malawi et au Zimbabwe - Un traitement plus sûr contre la THA pour les MTN Canada Launches its First Africa Strategy Le Canada lance sa première stratégie pour l'Afrique Opinion: Why 2025 is a tipping point for NTDs 
Opinion: Pourquoi 2025 est un point de basculement pour les MTN A lurking threat to women and girls health: Closing the information gap on female genital schistosomiasis Une menace latente pour la santé des femmes et des filles: Combler le déficit d'information sur la schistosomiase génitale féminine Africa relies too heavily on foreign aid for health – 4 ways to fix this 
L'Afrique dépend trop de l'aide étrangère pour la santé - 4 façons d'y remédier Science and collaboration can end the neglect – World NTD Day 2025
La science et la collaboration peuvent mettre fin à la négligence - Journée mondiale des MTN 2025 Protecting Our Collective Future: Renewing Canada's Role in Global Health
Protéger notre avenir collectif : Renouveler le rôle du Canada en santé mondiale --> Research /Recherche  

Canadian researchers are making a difference to NTDs. Listed are publications from Canadian-affiliated authors published since January 1st,  2025. Canadian-affiliated authors are bolded. Have we missed something? Let us know by sending an email. 

......

Les chercheurs canadiens font une différence dans le domaine des MTN. Les publications des auteurs affiliés au Canada publiées depuis 1er Janvier 2025. Les auteurs affiliés au Canada sont en gras. 
Avons-nous manqué quelque chose? Faites-le nous savoir en nous envoyant un courriel.

Altcheh, J., Grossmann, U., Stass, H., Springsklee, M. and Garcia-Bournissen, F. (2025). Redefining the treatment of Chagas disease: a review of recent clinical and pharmacological data for a novel formulation of nifurtimox. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19(2), p.e0012849. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012849.

Coomansingh-Springer, C.-M., de Queiroz, C., Kaplan, R., Macpherson, C.N.L., Carter, K., Fields, P., Gilleard, J.S. and Pinckney, R. (2025). Prevalence of gastrointestinal parasites in small ruminants in Grenada, West Indies. Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports, [online] 59, p.101218. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vprsr.2025.101218.

Duguay, C., Thickstun, C., Mosha, J.F., Aziz, T., Manjurano, A., Krentel, A., Protopopoff, N. and Kulkarni, M.A. (2025). Fine scale mapping of water sources in low-income settings: A comparative study in Misungwi, Tanzania. PloS one, [online] 20(3), p.e0319603. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0319603.

Fernandez-Prada, C., Moretti, N.S. and do Monte-Neto, R.L. (2024). Critical loss: the effects of VEuPathDB defunding on global health. The Lancet Microbe, p.100980. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanmic.2024.100980.

Lindner, A.K., Veerle Lejon, Barrett, M.P., Blumberg, L., Bukachi, S.A., Chancey, R.J., Edielu, A., Matemba, L., Tihitina Mesha, Mwanakasale, V., Pasi, C., Tapunda Phiri, Seixas, J., Akl, E.A., Katrin Probyn, Villanueva, G., Simarro, P.P., Augustin Kadima Ebeja, Franco, J.R. and Priotto, G. (2024). New WHO guidelines for treating rhodesiense human African trypanosomiasis: expanded indications for fexinidazole and pentamidine. The Lancet Infectious Diseases. [online] doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/s1473-3099(24)00581-4. Lo, N.C., Addiss, D.G., Buonfrate, D., Amor, A., Anegagrie, M., Bisoffi, Z., Bradbury, R.S., Keiser, J., Kepha, S., Khieu, V., Krolewiecki, A., Mbonigaba, J.B., Muñoz, J., Mutapi, F., Novela, V., Vaz Nery, S., Coffeng, L.E., de Vlas, S.J., Bartoszko, J. and Moja, L. (2025). Review of the WHO guideline on preventive chemotherapy for public health control of strongyloidiasis. The Lancet. Infectious diseases, [online] 25(3), pp.e146–e152. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(24)00595-4.

Mohtasebi, S., Ahn, S., Rosa, B., Moyes, K., Kuzmina, T.A., Gilleard, J.S. and Poissant, J. (2025). ‘First record of Hsiungia pekingensis (Nematoda: Strongylidae) in North America: Morphological and molecular identification of a rare equine strongyle. Journal of Helminthology, 99. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0022149x25000185.

Onwah, S.S., Uzonna, J.E. and Ghavami, S. (2025). Assessment of Autophagy in Leishmania Parasites. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), [online] 2879, pp.207–217. doi:  https://doi.org/10.1007/7651_2024_517.

Tamarozzi, F., Mazzi, C., Antinori, S., Arsuaga, M., Becker, S.L., Bocanegra, C., Bottieau, E., Buonfrate, D., Bustinduy, A.L., Camprubí-Ferrer, D., Caumes, E., Duvignaud, A., Grobusch, M.P., Huits, R., Jaureguiberry, S., Jordan, S., Mueller, A., Ndao, M., Neumayr, A. and Perez-Molina, J.A. (2025). Landscape of guidance documents used at TropNet and GeoSentinel centres for the clinical management of schistosomiasis outside endemic areas: A systematic appraisal. Travel medicine and infectious disease, [online] 64, p.102822. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tmaid.2025.102822.

Venkatesan, A., Chen, R., Bär, M., Schneeberger, P.H.H., Reimer, B., Hürlimann, E., Coulibaly, J.T., Ali, S.M., Sayasone, S., Soghigian, J., Keiser, J. and Gilleard, J.S. (2025). Trichuriasis in Human Patients from Côte d’Ivoire Caused by Novel Trichuris incognita Species with Low Sensitivity to Albendazole/Ivermectin Combination Treatment. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 31(1), pp.104–114. doi:https://doi.org/10.3201/eid3101.240995. --> Save the date for upcoming events / 
Gardez la date pour les événements à venir 7 May 2025 - GLIDE application call deadline: 2025 Falcon Awards for Disease Elimination
7 May 2025 - FESTMIH Webinar: NTDs Around the World -
Burkina Faso
9 May 2025 - iCHORDS Knowledge Café: Sharing Principles- Persons Affected by NTDs in Operational Research
19-27 May 2025  - 78th World Health Assembly
22 May 2025 - MSF Scientific Day 2025
15 September 2025 - Fulbright Canada Research Chair in Health Law, Policy and Ethics, University of Ottawa (U.S. Scholar Program)
12-14 October 2025  - World Health Summit
24-28 October 2025 - Canadian Conference for Global Health
9-13 November 2025 - ASTMH Annual Meeting --- 7 mai 2025 - Appel à candidatures GLIDE : Prix Falcon 2025 pour l'élimination des maladies
7 mai 2025 - Webinaire FESTMIH : Les MTN dans le monde - Burkina Faso
9 mai 2025 - iCHORDS Knowledge Café : Partager les principes - Les personnes affectées par les MTN dans la recherche opérationnelle
19-27 mai 2025 - 78e Assemblée mondiale de la santé
22 mai 2025 - Journée scientifique MSF 2025
15 septembre 2025 - Chaire de recherche Fulbright Canada en droit, politique et éthique de la santé, Université d'Ottawa (U.S. Scholar Program)
12-14 octobre 2025 - Sommet mondial de la santé
24-28 octobre 2025 - Conférence canadienne pour la santé mondiale
9-13 novembre 2025 - Réunion annuelle de l'ASTMH --> Join us! Rejoignez-nous! The Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases welcomes individual, organizational and international members. Find out about the benefits of membership and join CNNTD.  --- Le Réseau canadien des maladies tropicales négligées accueille des membres individuels, organisationnels et internationaux. Découvrez les avantages de l'adhésion et rejoignez le RCMTN. Copyright © 2025 Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, All rights reserved.


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96 Global Health NOW: Global Vaccinations in Jeopardy; Kenya’s Push to Improve HIV Testing During Pregnancy; and Run, Run, Robots! UN: Global aid funding cuts upend vaccination efforts almost as much as the pandemic did View this email in your browser April 24, 2025 Forward Share Post A child receives a vaccination from a health care worker during national vaccination day in Vianí, Colombia, on September 25, 2021. Yair Suarez Salazar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Global Vaccinations in Jeopardy
Vaccine-preventable diseases are thriving in a global environment of health funding cuts, misinformation, and humanitarian crises, UN agencies and others are warning during World Immunization Week.

• The UN reports that global aid funding cuts are upending vaccination efforts almost as much as the pandemic did, per Reuters.

• The cuts are “severely limiting” UNICEF’s efforts to vaccinate 15 million children against measles.

Latest cut: The Global Vaccine Data Network, which has done the largest safety studies of COVID-19 vaccines, was terminated 13 months short of its end date by the U.S., The Guardian reports.
 
Disease updates:

• Measles cases topped 10.3 million cases in 2023, a 20% surge over the previous year, WHO notes.

• 5,500 cases of meningitis have been reported in 22 countries in the first three months of 2025.

• WHO’s Americas region has seen 131 cases of yellow fever in four countries already this year.

Mood update: The World Vaccine Congress is meeting this week in Washington, D.C., in a “political environment [that] has perhaps never been more fraught for attendees,” Politico reports.
 
The Quote: “Vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,” said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “Funding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy.” GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Nearly a third of antibiotics consumed by people end up in rivers, per a PNAS modeling study from McGill University and One Health Trust researchers that estimates the distribution of chemical pollutants from untreated wastewater and wastewater treatment plants. CIDRAP
 
AI models outperformed PhD-level virologists in lab problem-solving, reveals a study from MIT’s Media Lab, Brazil’s UFABC, and other groups, raising fears that non-experts could weaponize AI models to create bioweapons. TIME
 
A trial of 21 adults with peanut allergy offers evidence that the same micro-dosing approach approved in the U.S. for children with the allergy could work for adults as well, according to early-stage trial results published in Allergy. NewScientist (free registration required)
 
The Research Council of Norway launched a 100 million kroner ($9.6 million) fund to attract top U.S. researchers yesterday, in response to the escalating pressure on academic freedom in America; the council will issue a call for proposals next month focused on topics including climate, health, energy, and AI. The Guardian MATERNAL HEALTH Pregnant Women 2X Likelier to Die in Abortion-Ban States  
Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, pregnant people living in states with abortion bans were nearly twice as likely to suffer pregnancy-related deaths compared to their counterparts in states without restrictions, per a new Gender Policy Equity Institute study.

• Black women face the highest risk and are 3.3X more likely to die than white women in states with bans. 

• Maternal mortality fell 21% in states that preserved abortion access post-Dobbs. 

Risky waits: Abortion bans do offer narrow exceptions if a mother's life is in danger, but confusing language leaves many providers unable to intervene until a patient is approaching death. 
 
The 19th GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS Kenya’s Push to Improve HIV Testing During Pregnancy 
A high number of women in Kenya who are missing HIV screenings during pregnancy is contributing to a persistently high number of babies with the virus, researchers say. 

A closer look: In 2023, 200,000+ pregnant women missed HIV screenings—“a major challenge to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV,” said Joab Khasewa, an officer with the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council, which conducted the research. 

• That same year, 3,742 babies contracted the virus—7.3% of all births by women with HIV. The council says that rate needs to be brought below 5%. 

Power of preventative screening: Early screening and antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive pregnant women can lower the risk of transmission from mother to baby to less than 5%. 

The Star ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Run, Run, Robots!  
Thereʼs long been concerns that robots could one day replace humans. But when it comes to running, weʼre still beating the bots. 

Running side-by-side half-marathons in Beijing recently, the fastest human beat the fastest humanoid robot by well over an hour. Of 21 robot competitors, only six finished the race, The Guardian reports.  
 
But rather than showcasing the limits of their development … their struggles in the race only underscore how very human robots have become.
 
Like so many whoʼve tried to take up running, many were “falling, trembling and struggling to stay upright,” according to the South China Morning Post. One “walked a short distance and fell,” Asia Times reports. Another overheated and needed water to cool down.
 
And, as in the human world, some are just annoyingly good athletes. One robot that was “more like a gymnast” also turned out to be a great runner.
 
Given all that androids have learned from us, thereʼs some traits weʼd happily take from them. Like the ability to swap out a battery to regain our strength. Or to keep running when our head falls off. QUICK HITS In China, trade war with U.S. taking a toll on research labs – Science

WHO launches new guidelines to tackle adolescent pregnancy and related health complications – News-Medical

Bowel cancer in young people is on the rise. Childhood toxin exposure could be the cause – The Independent

Studies zoom in on clues to why Lyme disease persists and which antibiotic to prescribe – STAT

US fertility rate hovers near record low as Trump administration pushes for a baby boom – CNN

2025 State of the Air report: 46% of Americans breathe polluted, unhealthy air – Healio

Superbug-fighting paint promises cleaner hospitals and safer public spaces – Phys.org Issue No. 2714
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 has raised concern over a growing number of vulnerable Haitians – particularly pregnant women, new mothers, and infants – being deported from the Dominican Republic. 

Although strong global collaboration has helped to save nearly 13 million lives from malaria over the past 25 years, more action is needed to stamp out the disease. 

96 Global Health NOW: Measles and the ‘Malleable Middleʼ; New Efforts to Boost Turkey's Birth Rate; and Science Cuts Leave Researchers Looking Abroad View this email in your browser April 23, 2025 Forward Share Post A measles vaccinations information booth offered by Harris Public Health on April 5, in Houston, Texas. Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty The Rise of Measles, Misinformation, and the ‘Malleable Middleʼ  
As measles cases climb across the U.S., Americans are encountering pervasive false claims about the disease and its vaccine—and many are unsure what to believe, according to a KFF poll taken earlier this month.
 
The poll examined false claims that:

• Autism is linked to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.


• The MMR vaccine is more dangerous than measles.


• Vitamin A can prevent measles infections.

It found that at least half of Americans fall into the “malleable middle” when it comes to measles misinformation, describing each of these claims as “probably true” or “probably false,” The Washington Post reports (gift link).
 
Other key findings:

• Despite rising misinformation, 78% of parents expressed confidence in the safety of the MMR vaccine.


• Parents who believed or were open to believing measles misinformation were more likely to delay or forgo vaccines for their children.


• Republicans and independents were at least twice as likely as Democrats to believe or lean toward believing the false claims. 

Growing outbreak: As U.S. measles cases top 800 nationwide, CDC officials now view cases across Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico as a single outbreak, making it the countryʼs largest since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, The New York Times reports (gift link).
 
But amid deep cuts to local public health funding, the agency is “scraping to find the resources” to support states that are fighting outbreaks, said CDC senior scientist David Sugerman.

Related:

Montana has a measles outbreak with its first cases in 35 years. Here’s what you should know – AP

Track the spread of measles in Texas – Texas Tribune GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Dialysis patients in Gaza are struggling to get treatment under the blockade; Gaza’s Health Ministry said that 400+ patients, representing around 40% of all dialysis cases in the territory, have died over the last 18 months because of lack of proper treatment. AP

U.S. health officials announced plans to urge food makers to phase out petroleum-based artificial colors by the end of 2026—but stopped short of promising a formal ban, largely relying on voluntary efforts from the industry. ABC
 
The NIH has canceled the Women’s Health Initiative—its first and largest project centered on women’s health, which enrolled tens of thousands in clinical trials of hormones and other medications and tracked the health of thousands more over three decades, yielding influential findings on disease prevention, aging, and cognitive decline. Science

Teenagers who went to bed earliest, slept the longest, and had the lowest sleeping heart rates outperformed others on cognitive tests, per a study of 3,222 adolescents in China; researchers found the impact of even small differences in sleep “surprising.” The Guardian DEMOGRAPHICS A New Effort to Boost Turkey's Birth Rate
Turkey’s government has announced a raft of incentives designed to boost the nation’s flagging birth rate, reports The New Arab. 

The “Year of the Family” initiative includes:

• Financial support based on a household’s number of children.


• More flexible work policies, expanded childcare services, housing support, and enhanced medical services. 

The measures are a response to demographic shifts that could have major social and economic consequences: 

• Turkey’s fertility rates have fallen from 2.38 children per woman in 2001 to 1.51 today, “well below” the 2.1 replacement rate. 


• People are marrying and starting families later in life as living costs rise. 


• The country’s older population has reached 10% for the first time, and the median age is now 34.

Meanwhile: Turkey has banned elective c-sections at private health facilities without a medical justification. The move has “sparked fury” from women’s rights groups, doctors, and politicians, reports AFP via France24. 

Related: The push for women to have more children has a powerful ally: Trump – Axios GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES BRAIN DRAIN Researchers Look Abroad Amid Science Cuts
U.S. researchers are seeking careers abroad as the Trump administration cuts science funding and workforce numbers, per an analysis of Nature’s jobs-board data.

Comparing January–March 2025 to the same period last year:

• U.S. scientists submitted 32% more applications for jobs abroad–—and views for positions abroad rose by 68% last month compared with March 2024.


• Applications from U.S. scientists seeking careers in Canada rose 41%.

Some European institutions are rolling out a welcome mat—including Aix-Marseille University in France.

The Quote: “We felt it was our duty to do what we could to show scientists there was a little light in the south of France where they could do their research, be a lot freer and where they were wanted,” said Aix-Marseille’s president, Éric Berton.

Nature QUICK HITS HHS Plans to Cut the National Suicide Hotline’s Program for LGBTQ Youth – Mother Jones

‘Taking the Side of Cancer’: The War on Medical Research Is Being Fought Through Contracts – Splinter

New agreement geared toward universal avian flu vaccine – CIDRAP

RFK Jr.’s autism study to amass medical records of many Americans – CBS

Hearing loss in older adults linked to nearly one-third of dementia cases – Medical Xpress

Researchers find immune system proteins involved in severe cases of schistosomiasis – News Medical

The wholegrain revolution! How Denmark changed the diet – and health – of their entire nation – The Guardian Issue No. 2713
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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Vaccines have saved around 150 million lives over the past 50 years, but that progress is now under threat. 

Teenage pregnancy remains the leading cause of death for girls aged 15 to 19, which countries could help prevent by allowing them to remain in school and ending child marriage, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.  

96 Global Health NOW: U.S. Cancer Death Rates Falling; Students Forced to Take Pregnancy Tests; and Promoting Mines, While Undermining Protections View this email in your browser April 22, 2025 Forward Share Post Claudia Tellez, MD, helps Nataly Arboleda off the exam table at the Lurie Cancer Center, in Chicago, on November 2, 2023. Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty U.S. Cancer Death Rates Falling
Cancer death rates in the U.S. decreased steadily from 2001–2021, although rates of new cancer diagnoses have increased for women, according to a new study in the journal Cancer.

Takeaways:

• Cancer death rates decreased by 1.5% per year (2018–2022), representing a slowdown from the previous 2.1% average annual decline.
   
• Cancer incidence rates remained stable from 2013–2021 for men but increased 0.3% per year from 2003–2021 among women.
   
• Cancer incidence in 2020 fell compared to pre-pandemic levels across all demographic groups.

Details:

• Increases in breast cancer among women are likely driven by obesity, alcohol use, and increased age for giving birth for the first time, per CNN.
   
• Racial disparities persist: Black women experience a 40% higher death rate from breast cancer and twice the death rate from uterine cancer, compared with white women.

Pandemic impact: Many Americans postponed cancer screenings for several months in 2020, but there wasn’t a major increase in late-stage diagnoses, which are typically harder to treat, the AP reports.

Late-stage diagnoses in 2021 returned to prepandemic levels for most cancer types.

Meanwhile in the U.K.: Cancer patients are not getting access to lifesaving drugs or clinical trials because of post-Brexit cost increases and red tape, according to The Guardian.
 

Related: Top cancer experts ‘being put off UK by politicians’ messaging on immigration’ – The Guardian

DATA POINT The Latest One-Liners   Réunion health officials are calling for urgent reinforcements to manage a chikungunya virus outbreak on the French Indian Ocean Island—with six deaths and 5,000+ cases since January—that is overwhelming hospitals. France24
 

Intensive efforts to reduce high blood pressure—e.g., through medication and health coaching—could reduce the risk of dementia by 15%, according to a study in Nature Medicine involving 33,995+ people with uncontrolled high blood pressure in 326 villages in rural China. The Guardian
 

Traditional risk models used by regulators likely underestimate air pollution health impacts, per Johns Hopkins University and Aerodyne Research Inc. research, measuring risk of simultaneous exposures to multiple chemicals on different parts of the body—and found increased risks missed by traditional methods. Environmental Health News
 

Health care worker burnout is starting to drop from peak levels at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but remains elevated compared to prepandemic times, per a six-year survey in JAMA Network Open assessing burnout and stress among Veterans Health Administration health care workers. McKnights Long-Term Care News

U.S. Policy and Science Cuts News: NIH moving to ban grants to universities with DEI programs, Israeli boycotts – CNN

New NIH director defends grant cuts as part of shift to support MAHA vision – Science

Trump Laid Off Nearly All the Federal Workers Who Investigate Firefighter Deaths – ProPublica

National Science Foundation cancels research grants related to misinformation and disinformation – Nieman Lab 

Trump Administration's HHS Cuts: Creating Waste And Inefficiency, Not Eliminating Them – Health Affairs (commentary)

Gawande: Federal cuts could mean loss of life, harm to U.S. science enterprise – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (commentary)

As Trump administration champions IVF, it cuts key CDC staff – Axios REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS When Students are Forced to Take Pregnancy Tests
Across east Africa, girls are routinely subjected to pregnancy tests at school—a “humiliating, invasive and potentially unlawful” process that can also result in expulsion if the girls are found to be pregnant, per a report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. 

While laws have been updated recently in countries like Uganda and Tanzania to prohibit such tests and expulsions as a violation of children’s rights, a number of schools in those countries continue the practice in breach of national guidelines.  

• “What the teachers did, it was torturing her,” said one Ugandan father, David Wafula, whose pregnant daughter was examined by teachers in front of her classmates. 

Context: Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of adolescent pregnancies of any region in the world, per UN data.
 

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES COAL Promoting Mines, While Undermining Protections
While President Donald Trump has vowed to revitalize and expand coal mining in the U.S., advocates say they are dismayed by the administration’s simultaneous decision to gut the health protections in place for miners, reports The Washington Post (gift link). 

Included in cuts: The federal division that provides free black lung screenings for coal miners fired roughly two-thirds of the staff this month, and there are now no employees left to run the screening program in the agency’s West Virginia office, or analyze x-rays already taken.

• The cut in services could have fatal consequences, a spokesperson for the Mine Workers of America explained to The Guardian: “There’s not going to be anyone to work in the mines you are apparently reopening.” 

Plus: The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has delayed enforcement of a rule imposed last year to limit miners’ exposure to toxic crystalline silica dust—prompting multiple miners’ groups to file litigation against the agency, per Gizmodo. 

QUICK HITS Wave of Earth Day protests as Americans mobilize against Trump – The Guardian 

China's Integrated Policies on Climate Change and Health – Think Global Health (commentary)

Asia’s megacities at a crossroads as climate and population challenges grow – UN News

Vietnam reports H5N1 avian flu case with encephalitis – CIDRAP 

U.S. Supreme Court appears likely to uphold ACA preventive care coverage mandate – AP

The awful working conditions of factories that slaughter bird-flu-infected chickens – Japan Today (commentary)

Why cameras are popping up in eldercare facilities – KFF Health News

Melinda French Gates on what billionaires with 'absurd' wealth owe back to society ​​– NPR’s Fresh Air Issue No. 2712
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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ABOUT
SUPPORT US
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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