96 Global Health NOW: As Measles Spreads, Strategies Shift; The Role of Reward in Quitting Meth; and Coverage When Temperatures Climb View this email in your browser July 21, 2025 Forward Share Post A Southwestern Public Health sign advises patients who suspect they have measles to call ahead before seeking medical attention. St. Thomas, Ontario, July 9. Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty As Measles Spreads, Strategies Shift 
As countries continue to reckon with the worst measles outbreaks in years, many health practitioners say they are shifting mitigation tactics in real time—moving from a vaccine-centric approach to improved overall messaging and health care access. 

In Canada: 3,800 cases have been reported, nearly 3X the number of U.S. cases, reports the BBC. 

• Vaccine uptake has dropped significantly since the pandemic, researchers say. Vaccine opposition is a key contributor to that, but so are pandemic-related disruptions. 


• As clinics respond to an outbreak among Ontario’s Mennonite community, health workers are seeking to address language barriers, build trust, and “change how Low German–speaking families and the medical system interact with each other,” writes a mobile a clinic worker for Macleans. 

In England: 500+ cases have been reported this year, with 68% among children under 10, reports the BBC. 

• While vaccine hesitancy has driven lower MMR vaccine uptake, poverty-driven inequality is also contributing to missed appointments, say researchers calling for improved access, per The Guardian. 

In the U.S.: Infections have surpassed 1,300, with Texas alone logging 760+, reports CBS News. 

• Health workers in the state say that going forward, they may pivot from a vaccine-focused approach and emphasize better testing and offering additional treatments to build trust, reports The Texas Tribune.

Related: 

Measles Can Erase Your Immune System's Memory, Expert Says – ScienceAlert

Bolivia stepping up efforts to tackle measles – Merco Press GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   49% of Black women in the UK who expressed concerns during labor didn’t receive adequate support, finds a new report from maternal health organization Five X More, which also found that 23% did not receive requested pain support. The Guardian

~1,200 chikungunya cases have been reported in south China’s Guangdong province, prompting widespread mosquito control efforts and health alerts in nearby Hong Kong. South China Morning Post

A cholera case in Poland is the country’s first in six years; the country’s chief sanitary inspector said the disease was confirmed in an elderly woman in Stargard who had not left the country, and that 20 of her contacts were now in quarantine. Polskie Radio

Exposure limits to toxic airborne fungi indoors have been proposed for the first time via a new study from Korea University published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, which provides species-specific health risk estimates in an effort to address a “major gap in indoor air safety policy.” Korea University College of Medicine via Medical Xpress (news release) U.S. and Global Health Policy News US rejects amendments to WHO international health regulations – The Hill

Clawing back foreign aid is tied to 'waste, fraud and abuse.' What's the evidence? – NPR Goats and Soda
U.S. research community says new indirect cost model is still too complicated – Science

GOP tax law will increase overdose deaths by 1,000 each year, analysis finds – STAT

Trump administration pulls back on work combating human trafficking, long a top GOP priority – The 19th

​ACA health insurance will cost the average person 75% more next year, research shows – NPR Shots
‘A disaster for all of us’: US scientists describe impact of Trump cuts – The Guardian DATA POINT

$1.7 trillion
———————
Potential annual reduction in global economic output by 2050 if countries fail to contain drug resistance, per an AMR “fallout forecast” modeling study that showed China and the U.S. would lose the most, at $722 billion and $296 billion, respectively. —Center for Global Development SUBSTANCE USE The Role of Reward in Quitting Meth 
Treating meth addiction remains a critical challenge for many U.S. communities, as no effective medication is available to help manage dependence. 

• With few options, an innovative strategy is gaining traction: contingency management (CM), which rewards patients for abstaining from meth.

How it works: Patients who test negative for meth at a clinic receive vouchers or cash rewards that increase with continued abstinence—typically totaling ~$600 over three to six months. 

Outcomes: Research has shown that CM outperforms counseling or therapy for stimulant addiction; about half of patients who complete CM remain drug-free after one year.

Growth—but for how long? CM programs have expanded to 600+ sites nationwide, aided by federal support and private insurers. 

• But the Trump administration’s health overhauls may impact such programs’ future. 

The New York Times (gift link) GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HEAT Coverage When Temperatures Climb
A heat insurance program in India is offering new financial relief for daily wage workers who lose income or are forced to stop working during extreme heat.

• The coverage is “parametric,” which means payouts are triggered by a measurable event, like temperature exceeding a set threshold, and no claims are required. 

Background: Such plans are seen as critical as more regions face record heat waves. One in the city of Ahmedabad that now covers ~50,000 members was set up through collaboration of the Indian trade union Employed Women’s Association and the nonprofit Climate Resilience for All. 

Impact: The payouts not only help people avoid exploitative loans to pay bills; they also give workers a chance to rest or fund alternative business opportunities until they can resume work. 

NPR Goats and Soda OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Nearly 100 people killed seeking aid in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian officials say – NPR

South Korea flood death toll rises to 18 as southern regions battered by record rain – The Independent

FDA reverses ban on sale of Juul e-cigarettes – The Hill

Most Americans Support Limits on Guns in Bars, Stadiums, and Protests, New Study Finds – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

A Push for More Organ Transplants Is Putting Donors at Risk – The New York Times (gift link)

Fitness classes help elderly Ugandan women fight rising rates of obesity and diabetes – Reuters

Do Indoor Pools Really Need to Close for Lightning? – Undark Issue No. 2760
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: Accelerating Alzheimer’s Research; Replacing Aid With ‘Sin Taxes’; and Molar Express View this email in your browser July 17, 2025 Forward Share Post A nurse examines a patient living with Alzheimer's and dementia in Kathmandu, Nepal. October 5, 2023. Skanda Gautam/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Accelerating Alzheimer’s Research: A Gold Mine of Global Collaboration
Key insights in Alzheimer’s research are being fueled by a “massive” new trove of globally shared data—with breakthroughs showing the power and potential of multinational collaboration, per a new series published in Nature. 

Background: The Global Neurodegeneration Proteomics Consortium (GNPC), launched in 2023, is now the largest neurodegenerative disease data-sharing effort, including 40,000+ clinical samples and 250 million protein measurements that allow for “unprecedented” research—potentially speeding up the development of diagnostics and therapies by decades.

Discoveries include: 

• New insights about APOE4, a gene variant that most strongly increases risk for developing Alzheimer’s, and new proteins associated with the gene. 


• New evidence linking different neurodegenerative diseases with aging in other organs, including the liver, intestines, and muscles. 


• Identification of protein pathways shared across several neurodegenerative diseases.

Call to collaboration: “Some of the biggest medical discoveries of the past half-century were made possible through global partnerships,” wrote initiative co-founder Bill Gates in a commentary, warning that “the rising tides of nationalism and isolationism threaten to stop scientific progress in its tracks.” 

Other breakthroughs: Meanwhile, new research shows that Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers can be detected in the blood of adults as young as 41, per a Finnish study published in The Lancet’s Healthy Longevity—suggesting the disease could be identified decades before symptoms appear, reports The Independent. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The U.S. Senate approved the claw back of $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and other areas in an early morning vote today; to win necessary votes, Republican leaders agreed to preserve $400 million in funding for PEPFAR. The New York Times (gift link)

Nearly 500 tons of high-energy biscuits—emergency food intended for 27,000 starving children in Afghanistan and Pakistan—expired in a warehouse in Dubai this month and will be incinerated; a U.S. official said it was “a casualty of the shutdown of USAID.” Al Jazeera

COVID-19 hospitalization rates were highest among Black and Hispanic children during the pandemic, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open; from October 2021 to September 2022, cumulative hospitalization rates per 100,000 population were 113.2 for Black, 113.0 for Hispanic, 77.6 for white, and 64.8 for Asian or Pacific Islander children. CIDRAP

A Golden Retriever named Bumper and a Black Labrador called Peanut reliably identified Parkinson’s disease in patients based on their odor, per a new study in The Journal of Parkinson's Disease. University of Bristol via ScienceDaily U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump officials halt ‘dangerous’ research, overriding NIH career scientists – The Washington Post (gift link)

RFK Jr. shakes up top staff at health department – Axios

Do Doctors Profit Off Vaccines? Fact-Checking RFK Jr.'s Claims – The New York Times (gift link)

World’s Premier Cancer Institute Faces Crippling Cuts and Chaos – MedPage Today

Rio Grande Valley’s biggest free health clinic event of the year is canceled due to federal cuts – The Texas Tribune GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES Replacing Aid With ‘Sin Taxes’
The WHO has launched a major push to introduce ‘sin taxes’ in developing countries, with the aim of easing the burden of noncommunicable disease and filling the gap from slashed global aid spending.

The plan, called ‘3 by 35’, aims to raise the price of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks in developing countries by at least 50% by 2035.

The move comes as NCDs surge in the developing world, driven by rising incomes, booming populations, and skyrocketing rates of smoking, drinking, and the consumption of processed foods.

The concept: Higher prices mean people buy less of what makes them unhealthy. When people do buy alcohol, cigarettes, or junk food, the money goes to vital services related to HIV, nutrition, and maternal and child health that were once funded by foreign aid.

The WHO estimates that the price hike could prevent ~50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years across the developing world.

The Telegraph ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Molar Express
Some mornings, the tooth fairy has some explaining to do: A pillow is lifted, and a baby cuspid sits where a coin should be. Some panicked parents and crestfallen kids have gone straight to the source, dashing off queries to an official-sounding tooth fairy email address—not necessarily expecting a response. 

But for two decades they’ve gotten one.

Filling in the gaps: A Seattle dentist, Purva Merchant, has been voluntarily moonlighting as the tooth fairy ever since the email address—created to organize her dental school applications—received a desperate message entitled “Calum’s tooth.” It was a letter from a parent seeking to appease a forlorn child. Merchant wrote back that she was indeed on the case.
 
Crowning achievement: That was the first of ~6,000 missives Merchant has now written from the address, fielding questions that range from the fate of teeth that have slipped down drains (she can find them); about international exchange rates (she can do the math); and explaining what exactly she does with the teeth (building a castle). 

Drilling for the truth: Children’s emails range from fan mail (“I’m so sorry I swallowed my tooth. And I love you.”) to directional (“Don’t bump into the heater.”) Merchant always drafts a diplomatic response before reminding her gaptoothed correspondents to brush, floss, and be “happy growing up!” 

The New York Times (gift link) QUICK HITS An overlooked demographic has the highest suicide risk — and it’s been rising – STAT

Can US Measles Outbreaks Be Stopped? – WIRED

LGBTQ+ youth lose specialized 988 suicide line support – Axios

High prices, blackouts and half the money: Inside Puerto Rico’s stagnant food aid system – The 19th

‘Landmark’ study: three-person IVF leads to eight healthy children – Nature

A Venerable AIDS Activist Returns to Battle – The New York Times (gift link)

Review shows ethical considerations in infectious disease guidelines lacking – CIDRAP

Health trajectory of mothers of children with developmental disabilities shows a ‘wear-and-tear’ effect starting around age 65 – Waisman Center / University of Wisconsin – Madison Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! 

Meet the diabetes researcher behind Barbie’s new pink (insulin) pumps – Science Issue No. 2759
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: PEPFAR Preserved?; The Dramatic Impact of Emergency Immunizations; and A Hidden Health Crisis in South Asia View this email in your browser July 16, 2025 Forward Share Post A cyclist rides past a PEPFAR sign. Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, July 12. Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty PEPFAR Preserved? 
U.S. Senate Republicans and the White House have agreed to drop a proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR, the U.S. global HIV/AIDS program, in an effort to push forward a $9 billion rescissions bill—which still includes $8.3 billion in cuts to USAID, reports TIME. 

• Several key GOP senators had vocally opposed the cuts to PEPFAR, citing the historically bipartisan program’s success in saving 25 million+ lives since 2003.


• Other revisions to the bill reportedly include language to “protect” programs related to malaria, tuberculosis, maternal health, and food aid, per Politico. 

Ongoing disruption: While the program may be spared, it will still be impacted by deep cuts to foreign aid programs—most notably USAID, which was PEPFAR’s main implementing agency. 

Impact of misinformation: White House officials had previously justified PEPFAR cuts by claiming it was supporting abortion services, with budget director Russell Vought falsely saying the program funded abortions in Russia—where PEPFAR has not operated since 2012, reports The New York Times (gift link).  

What’s next: The full Senate is expected to vote on the modified bill by Thursday, and it will need to be reapproved by the House, where it passed by a narrow margin last month.

“A new era of austerity”: Meanwhile, a new study published in The Lancet Global Health warns that global health aid, largely driven by U.S. funding, has plunged to a 15-year low—threatening disease prevention efforts in vulnerable nations, reports AFP via France24. 

Related: On the Cusp of Eliminating HIV – Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   U.K. aid cuts have forced the closure of a major program to address antimicrobial resistance; the Fleming Fund has worked to combat AMR in the developing world for a decade. The Telegraph

Canadian hospitals are reporting an “exponential” increase in incidence of the drug-resistant carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) infection, per a study published last week in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control; the rate is still low, with transmission primarily occurring in hospitals. CIDRAP

Two Nipah virus vaccines are poised to enter human clinical trials in Bangladesh—with one showing potential for emergency use authorization; meanwhile, new monoclonal antibody drugs are showing promise for treating and preventing infection. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

The abortion access battle between U.S. states could be headed for a U.S. Supreme Court showdown after a New York county clerk rejected an effort by Texas to fine a New York-based doctor accused of shipping abortion pills across state lines. The Guardian U.S. and Global Health Policy News In Kenya, humanitarian workers ponder life after USAID – The Christian Science Monitor

HHS efficiency review blamed for delaying patient care at Indian Health Service – STAT

Trump team withholds $140 million budgeted for fentanyl fight – NPR

These States Now Allow OTC Ivermectin, and More May Follow – MedPage Today

Medical students could feel burn from Trump's new law – Axios THE QUOTE
  “The islands’ health security is being undermined, not by disease or poverty, but by bullets.” ——————————— —The Telegraph (From tourism to terror: The Caribbean island torn apart by gangs and guns, about Trinidad & Tobago.)  VACCINES The Dramatic Impact of Emergency Immunizations
Emergency vaccination campaigns conducted amid disease outbreaks have reduced deaths and infections by nearly 60% since 2000, finds a new study published in BMJ Global Health.

• The efforts generated $32 billion in economic benefits from deaths and disabilities prevented.

The study, which was backed by the Gavi vaccine alliance, studied emergency immunization during 210 outbreaks in 49 low-income countries, and is the first of its kind “to comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms” of such campaigns, said Gavi chief Sania Nishtar.

Major impacts: Yellow fever deaths dropped by 99%, and Ebola deaths by 76% because of emergency vaccination campaigns.

AFP via ScienceAlert GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ANEMIA A Hidden Health Crisis in South Asia
Anemia is one the “quietest but most pervasive health crises” in South Asia, affecting 259 million women and girls, and 18 million more cases are projected by 2030, warns the UN. 

The toll: Anemia contributes to 40% of global low birth weight cases, and costs South Asia ~$32.5 billion annually, limiting women’s education and economic potential. It disproportionately affects the region’s poorest women and girls.

• “When half of all adolescent girls and women in South Asia are anemic, it is not only a health issue—it is a signal that systems are failing them,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF’S regional director.

Integrated efforts: Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, and Bhutan are making strides through targeted, community-based nutrition and maternal care programs.

UN News OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS A Crisis of Contagion and Collapse: Why Cholera Continues To Be a Problem in the DRC – IPS

A Revolutionary Drug For Extreme Hunger Transforms Life For Those With Prader-Willi – Disability Scoop Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! 

This fuel is 50% plastic — and it’s slipping through a loophole in international waste law – Grist

With fewer protections and more paperwork, LGBTQ+ Americans face a Medicaid coverage cliff – The 19th

Even grave errors at rehab hospitals go unpenalized and undisclosed – KFF Health News

Medical charlatans have existed through history. But AI has turbocharged them – The Guardian (commentary)

Amniotic stem cells can be collected from vaginal fluid rather than more invasive techniques – Medical Xpress
  FDA approves new blue food dye derived from gardenia fruit – CBS Issue No. 2758
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: Danish Study Finds Aluminum in Vaccines Safe; Abortion Access in Sicily; and Missed Flood Warnings in Texas and North Carolina View this email in your browser July 15, 2025 Forward Share Post Eleven-year-old Sarah Bülow Carlsen receives a vaccination against the novel coronavirus in Amagar, Denmark. November 28, 2021. Olafur Steinar Gestsson/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Large Danish Study Finds Aluminum in Vaccines Safe  
A new Danish study of vaccination and medical records from 1.2 million children over a 24-year period effectively quashes theories about the dangers of the use of aluminum salts in vaccines, STAT reports.

• The salts, which are added to vaccines to create a stronger immune response, do not lead to statistically significant increased risks of developing autism, asthma, or 48 other conditions, per the study published yesterday in Annals of Internal Medicine.

The takeaway: “We should not be concerned about aluminum used as an adjuvant in childhood vaccines,” Anders Hviid, the study’s senior author and head of epidemiology at Denmark’s Statens Serum Institut, told STAT. “I think that’s the core message.”
 
More vaccine news: Almost 20 million infants missed at least one dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine last year, UNICEF reported today. 

• In 2024, 89% of infants worldwide (about 115 million infants) got at least one DTP vaccine dose. And 85% received all three doses. Those percentages reflect an increase over 2023 of 171,000 infants receiving at least one DTP dose and one million getting all three doses.


• About 14.3 million children never received a single dose of any vaccine.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   One in ten children screened at UN-run health clinics in Gaza suffers from malnutrition, and malnutrition rates have been increasing since the intensifying of the siege in March, per the UN’s refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA). Middle East Eye

The WHO released new guidelines recommending use of the twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir as an additional option for HIV prevention, adding that it should be made available “immediately” at pharmacies, clinics, and via online consultations. UN News

Karolinska Institutet researchers identified 250+ blood proteins altered by malaria, in a mapping study in Immunity—a discovery that the authors say could predict which patients are most at risk and supports earlier, more targeted malaria treatment. via EurekAlert! (news release)
 
Candy-like nicotine pouches caused a 763% spike in child poisonings between 2020 and 2023 in the U.S.—even as ingestion rates for other nicotine products fell, per a study in Pediatrics that underscores the need for stronger regulations, a ban on flavored nicotine products, and secure storage practices. Nationwide Children's Hospital via ScienceDaily U.S. and Global Health Policy News _______________________________________________ Countries to budget more for HIV/AIDS measures as U.S. withdraws aid  – Science

NIH to dismiss dozens of grant reviewers to align with Trump priorities – Nature

A million veterans gave DNA for medical research. Now the data is in limbo – NPR Shots

A clinic blames its closing on Trump’s Medicaid cuts. Patients don’t buy it. –  The Washington Post (gift link) REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS Reframing Abortion Access in Sicily
Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978—but 80%+ of gynecologists in Sicily refuse to perform the procedure for moral or religious reasons. 

• As of 2022, abortions were available in only about half of Sicily's hospitals, compared to 70% in central and northern Italy.

A new law seeks to open up more access to Sicilian women: 

• In May, Sicily’s regional council passed a law requiring all public hospitals to establish dedicated abortion wards and hire staff willing to perform the procedure.

But staffing the wards may be difficult: Some doctors argue Sicily's hospital staff shortages and poor working conditions make it harder for gynecologists to provide abortions on top of other duties.

Reuters via AsiaOne GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DISASTERS Missed Flood Warnings in Texas and North Carolina
In the reckoning after the flash floods in central Texas, reactions from public officials echo those from western North Carolina in the days after Hurricane Helene: There was not enough warning for evacuations.

But both weather scenarios—while extreme—were forecasted; and accurate weather alerts were issued hours in advance. Some local officials acted, but others did not, leading to preventable tragedies.

Where’s the breakdown? Both disasters have exposed gaps in emergency communication, especially in rural areas where people may not receive alerts due to poor cell service and where flood warning systems are not in place.

Calls for accountability: While public outcry in Texas has led to a special legislative session on disaster readiness, North Carolina legislators have yet to deliberate on the matter. 

ProPublica

Related: Why older rural Americans can be hit hardest after floods and other disasters – PBS NewsHour OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS SA gets R520-million to buy the twice-a-year anti-HIV jab — but there’s a snag – Bhekisisa

CDC Says COVID-19 Cases Rise in 25 States – U.S. News & World Report

Leana S. Wen: Why it matters if the U.S. loses its measles elimination status – The Washington Post (gift link)

Study: Climate change helps diversify, increase transmissibility of West Nile virus – CIDRAP

Smart brain-zapping implants could revolutionize Parkinson’s treatment – Nature

WHO regional head placed on leave amid corruption allegations – The Telegraph

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: Loneliness and isolation: The hidden threat to global health we can no longer ignore – WHO (commentary)

AI is about to solve loneliness. That's a problem – The New Yorker Issue No. 2757
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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96 Global Health NOW: ‘Inescapable Pattern’ of Atrocities in Sudan; A Libyan Family’s Desperate Quest for Care; and U.S. vs. European Food Policies View this email in your browser July 14, 2025 Forward Share Post Najat Sharafadin Arbab Saboun, 5, from Darfur, West Sudan, who was shot in the leg by RSF soldiers, sits in an Ambelia camp shelter near Adre, Chad. April 23, 2024. Dan Kitwood/Getty An ‘Inescapable Pattern’ of Atrocities in Sudan
Both sides in Sudan’s civil war are committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians in Darfur, the International Criminal Court has told the UN Security Council—with atrocities including systemic rapes and sexual violence, kidnappings, attacks on aid convoys and medical facilities, and weaponized starvation, reports The Washington Post (gift link).

• Survivors are reporting an “inescapable pattern” of targeted sexual violence against women from specific ethnic communities, said ICC deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan, per UN News. 

‘To hell and back’: Meanwhile, hundreds of children reported stories of “terror and loss” after ~500,000 people—over half of them children—were displaced from Zamzam camp this spring, per Save the Children, which collected children’s accounts of family separation, sexual violence, and detentions in the new report, Children Caught in Conflict.  

Aid shortfalls: 30 million+ people need humanitarian assistance as famine conditions deepen and disease spreads. But aid groups warn that the void left by cuts to U.S. funding—which provided 44% of the world’s humanitarian funding for Sudan last year—cannot be filled, reports ABC. 

• And malnutrition and food insecurity are expected to escalate as the rainy season progresses, per Sudan INGO via ReliefWeb—leaving a “brief, urgent window” to deliver critical aid. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
A child in Liverpool died from measles at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, where 16 other children have been hospitalized with measles in recent weeks; the MMR uptake rate in Liverpool is just 73% by age 5, well below the 95% needed for herd immunity. The Times

A northern Arizona resident died of pneumonic plague, health officials confirmed July 11—noting that while plague is being investigated as the possible cause of a recent die-off of prairie dogs in the area, the case is unrelated; human deaths are rare from the illness, which is highly treatable with antibiotics when caught early enough. AZ Central

~1 in 3 U.S. youths have prediabetes, a new CDC estimate finds; but scientists questioned the release of the 600-word online summary, which did not include raw data or peer-reviewed research. AP

U.S. counties that endure severe climate-related disasters often experience reduced access to critical health care infrastructure in the years that follow, per a study in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The Washington Post (gift link)

The U.S. dropped charges against Michael Kirk Moore, the Utah doctor accused of destroying $28,000+ worth of government-provided COVID-19 vaccines and administering saline to children instead of the vaccine. The Guardian U.S. and Global Health Policy News US senators poised to reject Trump’s proposed massive science cuts – Nature

The potential impact of reductions in international donor funding on tuberculosis in low-income and middle-income countries: a modelling study – The Lancet Global Health

Making diphtheria great again? Why SA’s public health experts are worried about RFK Jr. – Bhekisisa

Trump administration’s NIH funding cuts threaten research on sickle cell disease – PBS NewsHour

Inside the Collapse of the F.D.A. – The New York Times (gift link) Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff! 

NIH suspends dozens of pathogen studies over ‘gain-of-function’ concerns – Science HEALTH SYSTEMS One Libyan Family’s Desperate Quest for Care
Libya’s failing health care system is in the spotlight after the perilous journey of a 7-year-old with cystic fibrosis and her family seeking care in Italy gained international attention. 

Background: Due to ongoing political instability in Libya, many critical care facilities there are not functional, and essential medicines are scarce.

Sohan’s story: Sohan Aboulsoud has been unable to access medical care there, despite her family’s exhaustive efforts. Finally, the family decided to take the dangerous journey by a smuggler’s boat to Italy. 

• “We didn’t leave because we wanted to migrate, it was because illness doesn’t wait,” said Sohan’s mother, who took a photo of her weary daughter that soon went viral and sparked protests in Tripoli demanding access to care for Sohan. 

DW GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CHRONIC DISEASES U.S. vs. European Health: More Than the Dye
In the MAHA movement’s quest to overhaul the U.S. food industry, leading voices regularly point to Europe as the model, citing European countries’ restrictions on food dyes, additives, and pesticides.

But that focus overlooks systemic reasons for Europeans’ lower chronic disease rates and longer life expectancy, scientists say. 

Rigorous regulation: To emulate European food policies, the U.S. would have to invest in a raft of regulation, including more review processes, warning labels, and taxes on products like soda. 

• Instead, the U.S. is cutting funding to regulatory agencies like the FDA. 

Broader factors: The movement also overlooks other key differences, such as the role of universal health care, walkable city design, pollution exposure, and poverty rates. 

STAT OPPORTUNITY Apply for Global Health Emerging Scholars Fellowship
The Global Health Emerging Scholars (GHES) Fellowship—a 12-month, NIH-supported, mentored training in global health research designed to address health inequities and improve population health—is now accepting applications for the 2026–27 fellowship year.
 
The fellowship, hosted by a consortium of Yale University, Stanford University, University of Arizona, and UC Berkeley, typically runs July–June and offers training opportunities in 16 countries.

• Deadline: Apply by October 1, 2025, 5 p.m. Eastern Time
• Learn more

QUICK HITS Nipah death in Palakkad leads to alert in six Kerala districts – The Hindu

Increased vaccine uptake in US kids linked to reduced antibiotic prescriptions – CIDRAP 

Men Might Be the Key to an American Baby Boom – The Atlantic

High rates hurt public healthcare – Bangkok Post (commentary) 

PrEParing for HIV prevention among men who have sex with men in China: challenges and solutions – The Lancet Global Health (commentary)

Why a new opioid alternative is out of reach for some pain patients – NPR Shots

How one elite rehab center is ‘obliterating’ all kinds of cravings with GLP-1s – STAT

Scientists hide messages in papers to game AI peer review – Nature Issue No. 2756
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: Northern Nigeria's Cash Incentives for Vaccines; The ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ of AIDS Shortfalls; and Up a Pole Without a Paddle View this email in your browser July 10, 2025 Forward Share Post GHN EXCLUSIVE REPORT A mother holds up the cash incentive she received at the Farfaru clinic upon vaccinating her child. Sokoto, Nigeria. April 2025. Abiodun Jamiu Fighting Infant Mortality With Vaccines and Cash in Northern Nigeria
SOKOTO, Nigeria—In the region surrounding Farfaru’s primary health care center, health workers often had to persuade women to vaccinate their children.
 
That began to change with the 2014 introduction of the New Incentives cash rewards program, which spurred a surge in mothers bringing their children in for childhood immunizations to protect against diseases such as diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis B, and polio. The clinic now sees ~30 to 40 babies a day.

• The initiative operates in government-run health facilities across 11 northern states—where vaccine hesitancy and misinformation run rampant, and missed vaccinations contribute to rising infant mortality rates.


• At least 41% of Nigeria’s deaths among children under 5 may have been prevented with vaccines, per a 2019 study.

More than just the cash: New Incentives also conducts a rapid assessment to survey the level of vaccine hesitancy, then reaches out to village leaders and locals to share information about immunizations and demystify deep-rooted misconceptions.
  Is it sustainable? The initiative is commendable, but only feasible as a short-term measure, says Tanimola Akande, a University of Ilorin professor, citing the risk of caregivers growing dependent on the incentives—which are donor-dependent, with no guarantees in the current funding climate. READ THE FULL STORY BY ABIODUN JAMIU GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Lassa fever has killed 148 people and sickened 790 in Nigeria over the last 6 months per the latest situation report by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention; the virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever, has spread to 20 states. International Centre for Investigative Reporting 

U.S. measles cases have hit their highest level in 33 years; per a new CDC report 1,288 cases have been reported this year—the highest total since the U.S. eliminated the disease in 2000. NPR Shots

Fungal infections are getting harder to treat as they become more drug-resistant, per new research published in The Lancet Microbe, which focused on infections caused by Aspergillus fumigatus—one of the WHO’s top concerns on its list of priority fungi. NBC

An initiative to boost taxes on tobacco, sugary drinks, and alcohol has been introduced by the WHO; the “3 by 35” effort urges international governments to implement such taxes by at least 50% by 2035 in an effort to reduce noncommunicable disease. IPS HIV/AIDS The ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ of AIDS Shortfalls
Last year, the annual UNAIDS global update reported major progress: The number of people who died of AIDS represented the lowest levels seen in 30+ years, and more people than ever were getting access to lifesaving medications.

This year's report is far more sobering: The sudden U.S. decision to withdraw funding for AIDS programs worldwide has led to a “systemic shock” to supply chains, clinics, health care staffing, testing, and medication access that, if not addressed, could lead to 4 million+ AIDS-related deaths and 6 million more HIV infections by 2029, reports the AP. 

• “This is not just a funding gap—it’s a ticking time bomb,” said UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima.

Meanwhile, countries criminalizing same-sex sexual activity are increasing—with key populations such as gay men and people who inject drugs especially vulnerable, reports The Guardian. Countries cracking down on rights include Mali, Trinidad and Tobago, Ghana, and notably, Uganda: 
  Queer Ugandans Face More Tribulations
After Uganda passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023—which includes the death penalty for “aggravated homosexuality”—many queer Ugandans sought safety in nearby Kenya. 

But soon after the Ugandan act’s passage, Kenya introduced its Family Protection Bill, which not only prohibits same-sex relationships—if made law, it would ban pronouns, gender reassignment, and sex education.

• Kenya hosts ~1,000 LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers—primarily from Uganda, per a 2021 UNHCR estimate.


• Most LGBTQ+ asylum seekers from Uganda are sent to Kakuma refugee camp, which according to a 2023 report is “marked by hate crimes, discrimination and other human rights violations.”

 The Guardian ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Up a Pole Without a Paddle
It’s summertime in the Netherlands, which means long days, coastal picnics, and athletes using 4-stories-tall poles to fling themselves across canals. 

‘Tis the season of fierljeppen: a sport that is equal parts pole vault, long jump, and cannon-balling into canals that is “really a typically Dutch sport," farmer and fierljeppen record-holder Jacob De Groot told the AFP via France24. 

Vaulting ambitions: Competitors sprint toward a 12-meter pole, launching themselves in a graceful arc over the canal, per mesmerizing 2022 footage from Euronews. They then hastily scale the pole in an effort to jump to a sandbank on the other side. 

• That’s the goal, anyway: All participants must be good swimmers. 

One-upmanship: The gravity-defying sport’s origins date back centuries, when farmers used poles to cross canals and ditches that separated fields. Legend has it that a series of bar bets led to an informal competition in 1767—and eventually a formal sport that now involves ~600 athletes in organized leagues, per Reuters. 

• But fierljeppen hasn’t caught on in other countries, observes De Groot: "I think because in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy.” 

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS USAID Lost: Stories from Colombia, Kenya, and Nepal – Think Global Health (commentary)

‘Very limited time to react’: Texas flash floods expose challenges in early warning – UN News

Burkina Faso’s only eye doctor for children sees the trauma of both play and conflict – AP

Symbolic ‘science fair’ showcases research cut by Trump team – Nature

Texas Overhauls Anti-Abortion Program That Spent Tens of Millions of Taxpayer Dollars With Little Oversight – ProPublica

Do we think enough about parents who care for sick or disabled children – and how not to make things harder? – The Guardian

The Indonesian doctor tackling tuberculosis via treatment, tweets and TikTok – Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

How German Cities Are Rethinking Women’s Safety — With Taxis – Bloomberg CityLab Issue No. 2755
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: ‘Judgment Day’ Scenes in Gaza; Kabul’s Looming Water Crisis; and America’s Insomnia Epidemic View this email in your browser July 9, 2025 Forward Share Post Palestinians gather to receive food aid distributed by a charity organization as the Israeli attacks continue in Deir al Balah, Gaza, on July 9. Hassan Jedi/Anadolu via Getty ‘Judgment Day’ Scenes as Gaza Crisis Deepens
As violence grows at food distribution sites in Gaza and the enclave’s medical system collapses, an Israeli defense minister’s plan to move all Palestinians in Gaza into a camp in Rafah is sparking legal and humanitarian concerns, reports The Guardian. 

Details of plan: Israel's defense minister has instructed the military to establish a “humanitarian city” to initially house ~600,000 Palestinians, and eventually the whole 2.1 million population, reports the BBC. 

• Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard described the relocation plan as “an operational plan for a crime against humanity.” 

Violence at new aid distribution sites is overwhelming doctors and humanitarian workers, who describe daily mass casualty incidents since the Israeli- and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing food in May, reports The Guardian. 

• The majority of incidents involve military gunfire, per the International Committee of the Red Cross—in scenes that “resemble the horrors of judgment day,” per one Palestinian nursing director.


• A journalist in Gaza seeking food described facing “Israeli military fire, private U.S. contractors pointing laser beams at my forehead, crowds with knives fighting for rations, and masked thieves,” per NPR. 

A doctor’s death leaves a void: Marwan al-Sultan—one of Gaza’s two cardiologists and a hospital director—was killed in an Israeli airstrike, prompting widespread grief and outrage, reports the AP. 

• “By losing Dr. Marwan, thousands of people will lose and suffer,” said another hospital director. 


• 1,500+ health care workers have died in the conflict, reports TIME. 

Related: USAID review raised ‘critical concerns’ over Gaza aid group days before $30 million US grant – CNN GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the Taliban’s supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and Afghanistan’s chief justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, accusing them of crimes against humanity for the persecution of women and girls. The Guardian

Climate change tripled the death toll of the latest European heatwave, finds the first-ever rapid study of a heatwave, which attributed ~1,500 of the ~2,300 heat-related deaths over 10 days in 12 cities to climate change. Euronews

New vaccines for Marburg virus and Sudan ebolavirus have been announced for development by U.S. health officials; the vaccines aim to address “material threats to national health security.” The Independent

Breathing polluted air, even at low levels, may cause scarring in heart muscles, leading to heart failure over time, finds a new study using advanced MRI scanning published in Radiology; the damage occurred in both healthy individuals and people with heart conditions. ScienceDaily WATER Kabul’s Looming Crisis 
Kabul’s groundwater could be depleted by 2030—a mounting crisis as the city of ~6 million contends with population growth, climate change, and poor water management. 

By the numbers: 

• Groundwater levels have dropped by 30 meters in a decade, and half the city’s boreholes have dried up, per a recent study by the NGO Mercy Corps. 


• Already, ~80% of Afghans lack access to safe drinking water, and many rely on tanker trucks and arduous journeys to wells. 

Short- and long-term solutions needed: Several remediation projects were planned pre-Taliban takeover, including the construction of the Shahtoot dam and a Panjshir River pipeline. 

• They could still be effective, but their status is unclear—and aid organizations say water solutions are needed now.

Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES SLEEP America’s Insomnia Epidemic
Insomnia can cause a cascade of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, depression, and injury from accidents. Yet it remains underdiagnosed, undertreated, and poorly understood.

In a must-read narrative, Jennifer Senior chronicles her own struggle and her exhaustive efforts to find solutions: from medication to new forms of therapy to attending the annual conference for sleep study.

An alarming problem: ~12% of Americans suffer from chronic insomnia; 30%–35% suffer from insomnia symptoms at least temporarily. 

• “The public and private sectors alike are barely doing a thing to address what is essentially a national health emergency,” writes Senior, who calls for broader cultural and structural changes to address the sleep crisis.

The Atlantic (gift link)

Related: RFK Jr. Is Noticeably Quiet About a MAHA Obsession – The Atlantic OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS South Sudan’s longest cholera outbreak enters critical stage – UN News

The Texas Flash Flood Is a Preview of the Chaos to Come – ProPublica

Dinesh Raj Neupane: When Youth Costs More: The Financial, Physical, and Emotional Toxicity of Being Young with Cancer – Onco Daily

Chagas in Bolivia: The Story of Luis and His 'Double Engine' That Inspires Hope in the Chaco – ISGlobal – Barcelona Institute for Global Health

Chagas disease transmission: Kissing bugs readily invade human dwellings to feed on humans and companion animals – Medical Xpress

Just How Harmful Is Vaping? More Evidence Is Emerging. – The New York Times (gift link)

Blood Tests Predict Dementia in Down Syndrome – MedPage Today Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! 

Stress is wrecking your health: how can science help? – Nature Issue No. 2754
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: U.S. Children: Canaries in the Coal Mine for Health; DRC’s ‘Scattershot’ Vaccine Efforts; and Child Safety in Pakistan View this email in your browser July 8, 2025 Forward Share Post A child plays in a splash pad on a hot day at the Earvin "Magic" Johnson Recreation Area. Los Angeles, May 20. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Children’s Health Declines in the U.S.: ‘Canaries in the Coal Mine’
U.S. children's physical and mental health has deteriorated across a range of key indicators over 17 years, finds new research led by the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and published in JAMA—findings that one researcher described as “canaries in the coal mine” reflecting wider problems with Americans’ health, reports the AP. 

Worsening health trends between 2007–2023, per Axios: 

Chronic conditions: U.S. children ages 3–17 are now 15–20% more likely to have chronic conditions than in 2011, including obesity, anxiety, sleep apnea, autism, and ADHD.

• Early menstruation, poor sleep, and loneliness have also increased.


• Depressive symptoms among high schoolers rose from 26% in 2009 to ~40% in 2023.

Mortality: U.S. children were about 80% more likely to die than peers in 18 other high-income countries, with leading causes of death including firearms, car crashes, and substance abuse.

• Lack of health coverage also plays into the disparity, reports NPR. 

The Quote: “It's a huge wake-up call that we really are failing kids right now," lead study author Christopher Forrest told Science, adding that “the whole ecosystem that kids are growing up in" needs examination.

Call to action: In an accompanying editorial, pediatric experts affirmed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s emphasis on children’s health, but they said administration actions like questioning vaccine safety and cuts to health agencies are further endangering kids.  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Malaria medicine for babies made by Novartis AG has secured Swiss regulatory approval; the drug, Coartem, is the first of its kind and can be used to treat infants weighing 2–5 kilograms (4–11 pounds). SWI swissinfo.ch

741 patients died during clinical trials for stem cell therapy from 1999 to 2017 at India’s Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Center, per a report by the country’s Comptroller and Auditor General; the report also found that the therapy failed in 91% of cases. Times of India 

200+ kindergarteners in China were found to have elevated lead levels in their blood tied to food tainted with lead-containing decorative paint; canteen staff at the kindergarten have been detained on suspicion of “producing toxic and harmful food.” South China Morning Post

The CDC has ended its H5N1 avian flu emergency response, citing declining animal infections and no human cases reported since February; it will combine future updates with seasonal influenza reports. Axios U.S. and Global Health Policy News 11,000 more TB patients died after Trump's USAID cuts. That number will rise. – USA Today (commentary)

‘It’s a nightmare.’ U.S. funding cuts threaten academic science jobs at all levels – Science

US adults want the government to focus on child care costs, not birth rates, AP-NORC poll finds – AP

Defenders of Medicaid cuts are misunderstanding a study I worked on – STAT (commentary)

The CDC Got Caught Citing a Fake Study. Again. – VICE

FDA Layoffs Could Compromise Safety of Medications Made at Foreign Factories, Inspectors Say – ProPublica MPOX DRC’s ‘Scattershot’ Vaccination Efforts
The Democratic Republic of the Congo—the country hardest hit by the mpox surge—has vaccinated 700,000+ people since October 2024. 

But a new WHO analysis suggests it has made little difference, due to a lack of targeted distribution.

Obstacles: The country has received a small vaccine supply—but it lacks the surveillance capabilities needed to more effectively prioritize at-risk groups. 

The result: A “confetti strategy,” said Ana Maria Henao-Restrepo, a WHO vaccine specialist who led the analysis. “You distribute a little bit everywhere. The possibility of having an impact is diminished substantially.”

Key insights: African scientists welcomed the analysis, saying it was the first rigorous evaluation of the vaccination program’s impact in the continent. 

Science

Related: 

Health officials encouraged by recent trends in Africa’s mpox outbreaks – CIDRAP

Mpox Surge in Sierra Leone: A Stress Test for National Readiness – Think Global Health (commentary) GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH Promoting Child Safety in Pakistan
Children in Pakistan are highly vulnerable, with ~3% involved in forced labor and 3,600+ abuse cases reported in 2024. 

But prevention efforts are difficult in many conservative communities, as abuse—particularly sexual abuse—is a taboo subject, meaning parents are reluctant to report incidents. 

Rozan’s role: Rozan, a nonprofit founded in 1998 to prevent domestic violence, has sought to overcome such stigma—training 1,000+ volunteers to raise awareness among both parents and children in communities across Pakistan.

• The group also seeks to teach men to break the cycle of domestic violence. 

The Christian Science Monitor

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Ordeal of Inuit girls from Greenland given birth control without consent – The Observer

Nipah virus infects 2 more in India, 1 fatally – CIDRAP 

Tiny nanobody shows big promise in fighting Nipah and Hendra viruses – News Medical 

The Neglected Crisis in Safe Blood Access – Think Global Health (commentary)

If your cigarette box isn’t disgusting, it’s not doing its job – Bhekisisa

The fight for a tobacco-free society is in peril – The Baltimore Sun (free registration required)

Liverpool mobile greengrocer to reach ‘food deserts’ with aid of mapping tool – The Guardian

454 Hints That a Chatbot Wrote Part of a Biomedical Researcher’s Paper – The New York Times (gift link)

New research shows Monday stress is etched into your biology – The University of Hong Kong via ScienceDaily Issue No. 2753
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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Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. Issue No. 1864
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, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on X @GHN_News.

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96 Global Health NOW: Tragedy in Texas and Your June Recap View this email in your browser July 7, 2025 Forward Share Post A K-9 Unit with the Texas Game Wardens conducts a search in flood damage area near Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, on July 5. Desiree Rios for The Washington Post via Getty Tragedy in Texas 
Flash floods in central Texas over the weekend killed at least 82 people, including 28 children—and dozens remain missing as widespread search and rescue efforts continue, reports the AP.

The disaster is prompting scrutiny of how flood warnings are handled in the flood-prone region, which is home to summer camps along the Guadalupe River, as forecasts call for more rain today. 

Sudden flooding: A severe early-morning storm dropped 12 inches of rain within hours across Texas Hill Country, leading to rapidly rising waters and a “pitch black wall of death.”

• Flash floods are the top storm-related cause of death in the U.S., killing an average of 127 people annually, per PBS News Hour. 

A reckoning over warnings: Many survivors said they received little to no warning, with text alerts that came in the middle of the night or not at all, reports The Texas Tribune.

• The disaster has renewed debates over flood preparedness, with officials and forecasters calling for improved warning systems and better public messaging, reports The New York Times (gift link). 


• A flood monitoring and warning system along the river proposed eight years ago was never implemented due to a lack of funding. 

Related: Texas Hill Country Is Underwater, and America’s Emergency Lifeline Is Fraying – The New York Times (commentary, gift link) GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES EDITOR’S NOTE We'd Love To See More of You
Did you know that GHN publishes every Monday through Thursday?

If not, you’re missing out on the full GHN experience—including essential news and commentaries, career advancement opportunities, and our ever-popular Almost Friday Diversions to end the week on a light note. 

• To try our 4-days-a-week version (or switch back if you’ve just been on a break), just send me a note and let me know.

Either way, we appreciate all of our readers, and we’re always interested in hearing from you. Please send us any requests, story tips, or ideas to help improve GHN. Thanks for reading! —Dayna The Latest One-Liners
An Australian man has died after contracting a rare lyssavirus from a bat bite; closely related to rabies, the virus has killed four people in Australia since 1996. ABC Australia

Chikungunya is circulating in the south of France, per Santé publique France; while ~712 imported cases of the virus were recorded May 1–July 1, 14 locally acquired infections were reported in the same period. The Telegraph

The herbicide ingredient diquat, used as a replacement for glyphosate in products like Roundup, can kill gut bacteria and damage organs, finds new research published in Frontiers; while the substance is banned in the U.K., EU, and China, it is legal and increasingly used in the U.S. The Guardian 

An oral rabies vaccine can be spread through vampire bat populations via the bats’ mutual grooming techniques, finds a preprint study; the “innovative” vaccine was applied to the fur as a gel, then spread rapidly as the bats licked each other. Science JUNE RECAP: MUST-READS Argentina’s ‘Tidal Wave’ of Health Cuts
Drastic cuts to Argentina’s health systems under President Javier Milei’s austerity measures have forced patients and their families to resort to desperate measures to access vital care, including turning to Facebook to obtain donated cancer drugs.

• Before Milei, Argentina’s public health system ensured that health care was free for most who couldn’t afford private insurance; Milei has slashed the country’s health budget by 48% and laid off 2,000+ health ministry workers. 

AP

Related: Milei took a chainsaw to Argentina’s health system. Now it’s ‘bleeding to death’ – The Telegraph

ICYMI: Disrupted but Determined: Lessons From Argentine Scientists – Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
  North America’s Measles Problem
Eli Saslow chronicled a West Texas family’s measles odyssey that forced the father and four children to spend days in the hospital.

“I feel like I’ve been lied to,” the father, Kiley Timmons, texted his wife, as his temperature hit 40°C (104°F). He treated himself with cod liver oil and vitamin D, as recommended by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

When his oxygen level fell to 85%, his wife drove him to the ER.

The New York Times (gift link)
A Closer Look at Cheap Cigarettes in Laos   
Cigarette prices in Laos are among the lowest in the world, contributing to some of the highest smoking rates in the region and smoking-related diseases, which account for 1 in 7 deaths in the country. 
 
Behind the low prices: A 2001 contract signed behind closed doors with Imperial Brands tobacco set a 25-year tax freeze—and steered millions toward an in-law of then-president Bounnhang Vorachit. This Pulitzer Center–supported story surfaces the issue ahead of the contract’s set expiration next year.
 
The Examination JUNE EXCLUSIVES The Andes mountain range between Lima and Cerro de Pasco east of Canta. DeAgostini/Getty The Mystery of Chronic Mountain Sickness
HUAYLLAY, Peru—About 5%–10% of people who have lived their whole lives at high altitude eventually come down with the last illness they would expect: altitude sickness.

• Chronic mountain sickness (CMS), characterized by low levels of oxygen saturation and excessive amounts of hemoglobin, can progress to life-threatening pulmonary or cerebral edema.


• For a century, scientists have been trying to understand the cause of the “complex and insidious” disease; research that led to a 2019 Nobel Prize may offer new insights. 

Lucien Chauvin for Global Health NOW

Ed. Note: We thank Dulce Alarcón-Yaquetto for sharing the idea for this story, which won a grand prize in the Untold Global Health Stories Contest, co-sponsored by GHN and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. 
Zambia Drags Heels on Mercury Amalgam Ban  
LUSAKA, Zambia—Some nations—including Tanzania, Uganda, and Gabon—have already taken decisive steps to ban mercury amalgam in dental fillings, but in Zambia, despite the dangers, progress has stalled.
 
Just 0.6 grams of mercury, the average amount used in a single filling, can pollute 100,000 liters of water, about the size of a swimming pool—and Zambia is especially vulnerable to harmful impacts of mercury due to inadequate disposal systems and mitigation processes. 

Kennedy Phiri and Frederick Clayton for Global Health NOW 

Ed. Note: Thanks to Michael Musenga for this story idea, which won an honorable mention in the Untold Global Health Stories Contest, co-sponsored by GHN and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health.  Q&A: ‘Gardeningʼ in the Gut 
The pipeline for new drugs to fight antibiotic-resistant infections is rife with challenges, but one promising solution offers a workaround: tackling drug-resistant bacteria in the gut.  

• The method combines oral vaccinations with harmless bacteria that outcompete the bacteria for food and “starve them out,” Emma Slack of ETH Zurich and the University of Oxford’s Sir William Dunn School of Pathology told GHN.

Annalies Winny, Global Health NOW THE QUOTE
  “The tobacco industry’s tricks are constantly evolving; so too must our cities’ tactics.” ——————————— Michelle Morse, acting health commissioner and chief medical officer of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Daniel Soranz, secretary of health for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in an exclusive commentary sharing anti-smoking strategies from Rio de Janeiro and New York City.
  JUNE'S GOOD NEWS The Clay Floor Advantage
In Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya, the nonprofit EarthEnable is reducing dust and parasites in homes by installing clay-based flooring—which delivers health and environmental benefits over dirt floors at less than half the price of concrete.

• So far, EarthEnable has installed 39,000+ floors in Rwanda, 5,000+ in Uganda, and 100+ in Kenya.

AP

Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!

More Solution Stories from June:
 
The floating clinics bringing healthcare to the banks of the Amazon – The Telegraph
 
Stigma in the schoolyard: How Rwanda is protecting HIV-positive students – The New Times 

As Federal Health Grants Shrink, Memory Cafes Help Dementia Patients and Their Caregivers – KFF Health News GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS Measles cases hit highest level since it was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000 – USA Today

Why has polio re-emerged in Angola? – BBC (audio)

Foreign medical residents fill critical positions at US hospitals, but are running into visa issues – AP

NIH restores grants to South Africa scientists, adds funding option for other halted foreign projects – Science

Farewell to USAID: Reflections on the agency that President Trump dismantled – NPR Goats and Soda

Wellcome CEO Urges Global Health Rethink: 'Science Alone Is Not Enough' – Health Policy Watch

This paint ‘sweats’ to keep your house cool – Science News Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!  Issue No. M-June 2025
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, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on X @GHN_News.

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96 Global Health NOW: Tragedy in Texas and Your June Recap View this email in your browser July 7, 2025 Forward Share Post A K-9 Unit with the Texas Game Wardens conducts a search in flood damage area near Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, on July 5. Desiree Rios for The Washington Post via Getty Tragedy in Texas 
Flash floods in central Texas over the weekend killed at least 82 people, including 28 children—and dozens remain missing as widespread search and rescue efforts continue, reports the AP.

The disaster is prompting scrutiny of how flood warnings are handled in the flood-prone region, which is home to summer camps along the Guadalupe River, as forecasts call for more rain today. 

Sudden flooding: A severe early-morning storm dropped 12 inches of rain within hours across Texas Hill Country, leading to rapidly rising waters and a “pitch black wall of death.”

• Flash floods are the top storm-related cause of death in the U.S., killing an average of 127 people annually, per PBS News Hour. 

A reckoning over warnings: Many survivors said they received little to no warning, with text alerts that came in the middle of the night or not at all, reports The Texas Tribune.

• The disaster has renewed debates over flood preparedness, with officials and forecasters calling for improved warning systems and better public messaging, reports The New York Times (gift link). 


• A flood monitoring and warning system along the river proposed eight years ago was never implemented due to a lack of funding. 

Related: Texas Hill Country Is Underwater, and America’s Emergency Lifeline Is Fraying – The New York Times (commentary, gift link) GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
An Australian man has died after contracting a rare lyssavirus from a bat bite; closely related to rabies, the virus has killed four people in Australia since 1996. ABC Australia

Chikungunya is circulating in the south of France, per Santé publique France; while ~712 imported cases of the virus were recorded May 1–July 1, 14 locally acquired infections were reported in the same period. The Telegraph

The herbicide ingredient diquat, used as a replacement for glyphosate in products like Roundup, can kill gut bacteria and damage organs, finds new research published in Frontiers; while the substance is banned in the U.K., EU, and China, it is legal and increasingly used in the U.S. The Guardian 

An oral rabies vaccine can be spread through vampire bat populations via the bats’ mutual grooming techniques, finds a preprint study; the “innovative” vaccine was applied to the fur as a gel, then spread rapidly as the bats licked each other. Science U.S. and Global Health Policy News NIH restores grants to South Africa scientists, adds funding option for other halted foreign projects – Science

Farewell to USAID: Reflections on the agency that President Trump dismantled – NPR Goats and Soda

Local health departments face rising workforce strains, report says – CIDRAP

Foreign medical residents fill critical positions at US hospitals, but are running into visa issues – AP

CDC Staff Dedicated to Birth Control Safety Eliminated by HHS – Undark JUNE RECAP: MUST-READS Argentina’s ‘Tidal Wave’ of Health Cuts
Drastic cuts to Argentina’s health systems under President Javier Milei’s austerity measures have forced patients and their families to resort to desperate measures to access vital care, including turning to Facebook to obtain donated cancer drugs.

• Before Milei, Argentina’s public health system ensured that health care was free for most who couldn’t afford private insurance; Milei has slashed the country’s health budget by 48% and laid off 2,000+ health ministry workers. 

AP

Related: Milei took a chainsaw to Argentina’s health system. Now it’s ‘bleeding to death’ – The Telegraph

ICYMI: Disrupted but Determined: Lessons From Argentine Scientists – Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health
  North America’s Measles Problem
Eli Saslow chronicled a West Texas family’s measles odyssey that forced the father and four children to spend days in the hospital.

“I feel like I’ve been lied to,” the father, Kiley Timmons, texted his wife, as his temperature hit 40°C (104°F). He treated himself with cod liver oil and vitamin D, as recommended by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

When his oxygen level fell to 85%, his wife drove him to the ER.

The New York Times (gift link)
A Closer Look at Cheap Cigarettes in Laos   
Cigarette prices in Laos are among the lowest in the world, contributing to some of the highest smoking rates in the region and smoking-related diseases, which account for 1 in 7 deaths in the country. 
 
Behind the low prices: A 2001 contract signed behind closed doors with Imperial Brands tobacco set a 25-year tax freeze—and steered millions toward an in-law of then-president Bounnhang Vorachit. This Pulitzer Center–supported story surfaces the issue ahead of the contract’s set expiration next year.
 
The Examination JUNE EXCLUSIVES The Andes mountain range between Lima and Cerro de Pasco east of Canta. DeAgostini/Getty The Mystery of Chronic Mountain Sickness
HUAYLLAY, Peru—About 5%–10% of people who have lived their whole lives at high altitude eventually come down with the last illness they would expect: altitude sickness.

• Chronic mountain sickness (CMS), characterized by low levels of oxygen saturation and excessive amounts of hemoglobin, can progress to life-threatening pulmonary or cerebral edema.


• For a century, scientists have been trying to understand the cause of the “complex and insidious” disease; research that led to a 2019 Nobel Prize may offer new insights. 

Lucien Chauvin for Global Health NOW

Ed. Note: We thank Dulce Alarcón-Yaquetto for sharing the idea for this story, which won a grand prize in the Untold Global Health Stories Contest, co-sponsored by GHN and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. 
Zambia Drags Heels on Mercury Amalgam Ban  
LUSAKA, Zambia—Some nations have already taken decisive steps to ban mercury amalgam in dental fillings, but in Zambia, despite the dangers, progress has stalled.
 
Just 0.6 grams of mercury, the average amount used in a single filling, can pollute 100,000 liters of water, about the size of a swimming pool—and Zambia is especially vulnerable to harmful impacts of mercury due to inadequate disposal systems and mitigation processes. 
 
Success stories: How other countries—including Tanzania, Uganda, and Gabon—overcame resistance and banned mercury amalgam.

Kennedy Phiri and Frederick Clayton for Global Health NOW
 
Ed. Note: Thanks to Michael Musenga for this story idea, which won an honorable mention in the Untold Global Health Stories Contest, co-sponsored by GHN and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health.  Q&A: ‘Gardeningʼ in the Gut 
The pipeline for new drugs to fight antibiotic-resistant infections is rife with challenges, but one promising solution offers a workaround: tackling drug-resistant bacteria in the gut.  

• The method combines oral vaccinations with harmless bacteria that outcompete the bacteria for food and “starve them out,” Emma Slack of ETH Zurich and the University of Oxford’s Sir William Dunn School of Pathology told GHN.

Annalies Winny, Global Health NOW THE QUOTE
  “The tobacco industry’s tricks are constantly evolving; so too must our cities’ tactics.” ——————————— Michelle Morse, acting health commissioner and chief medical officer of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Daniel Soranz, secretary of health for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in an exclusive commentary sharing anti-smoking strategies from Rio de Janeiro and New York City.
  JUNE'S GOOD NEWS The Clay Floor Advantage
In Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya, the nonprofit EarthEnable is reducing dust and parasites in homes by installing clay-based flooring—which delivers health and environmental benefits over dirt floors at less than half the price of concrete.

• So far, EarthEnable has installed 39,000+ floors in Rwanda, 5,000+ in Uganda, and 100+ in Kenya.

AP

Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!

More Solution Stories from June:
 
The floating clinics bringing healthcare to the banks of the Amazon – The Telegraph
 
Stigma in the schoolyard: How Rwanda is protecting HIV-positive students – The New Times 

As Federal Health Grants Shrink, Memory Cafes Help Dementia Patients and Their Caregivers – KFF Health News GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS Measles cases hit highest level since it was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000 – USA Today

Why has polio re-emerged in Angola? – BBC (audio)

The Hidden Human Cost of AI Moderation – Jacobin

Wellcome CEO Urges Global Health Rethink: 'Science Alone Is Not Enough' – Health Policy Watch

Don’t let states interfere with medical school grading systems – STAT (commentary)

Are seed oils actually bad for your health? Here's the science behind the controversy – NPR 

This paint ‘sweats’ to keep your house cool – Science News Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!  Issue No. 2752
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, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on X @GHN_News.

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96 Global Health NOW: The Megabill’s Major Health Cuts; Hanoi’s Concrete-Driven Air Quality Crisis; and Medical Schools Dust Off Old Curriculum On the line with the “Big Beautiful Bill” passed by the U.S. Senate: Cuts to Medicaid, providers, rural hospitals, and more. View this email in your browser July 2, 2025 Forward Share Post Storm clouds hover over the U.S. Capitol shortly after the Senate passed its version of the "One Big Beautiful Bill" yesterday. Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty The Megabill’s Major Health Cuts
The “Big Beautiful Bill” passed yesterday by the U.S. Senate includes massive rollbacks to health programs that could lead to lost coverage for ~17 million Americans over the next decade, reports The Washington Post (gift link). 

The cuts also threaten the viability of hospitals, nursing homes, and community health centers, as they face the prospect of absorbing more care costs and receiving less federal support, reports NPR Shots.

On the line: 

Cuts to Medicaid, and work requirements: Medicaid faces the largest cuts in the program’s history, reports The Hill, largely stemming from a work requirement that could end coverage for millions who do not meet new standards and that involves filing regular paperwork proving 80 hours of work a month.

• Medicaid enrollees could also face new out-of-pocket copays up to $35.

Stricter ACA enrollment: Automatic reenrollment will end for people with ACA marketplace coverage; instead, they will be required to update information annually within a shorter enrollment period.

Blows to providers—and rural care: The bill ends a decades-long practice of state provider taxes, which health facilities pay to increase matching federal payments for state Medicaid plans, reports CNBC. 

• Loss of this funding could push 300+ hospitals toward service reductions or closure, per KFF Health News. 

Abortion providers cut out: The legislation eliminates Medicaid funding entirely for any health service providers who offer abortion care, reports TIME. 

What’s next: The bill now returns to the House, which passed an earlier version; some Republicans have raised objections to the Senate’s changes to that version of the bill. 

Related: Mayors, doctor groups sue over Trump’s efforts to restrict Obamacare enrollment – AP GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES EDITORS' NOTE No GHN July 3–4
We’ll be on a short publishing break for the July 4 holiday in the U.S. We’ll be back on Monday, July 7!
 
But for now, more news. —The Editors The Latest One-Liners   A fast-moving wildfire fueled by a European heat wave killed two farmers in northern Lleida, Spain, late Tuesday before a rainstorm helped firefighters bring the fire under control; European weather officials link the scorching temperatures—unprecedented for this early in the summer—to climate change. The Hill

A 3-year-old in Burma has been paralyzed by polio after contracting vaccine-derived polio—an indication of reduced vaccination coverage as the country’s health care system continues to deteriorate amid its civil war. The Telegraph

Neighborhood segregation contributes to lung cancer development, per a new study of 71,634 participants that found that reduced residential segregation was “significantly” associated with fewer lung cancer cases among Black adults. JAMA Network Open

Women 65+ are more likely to have high-risk HPV infections and abnormal cervical cells than younger women, finds a large-scale observational study published in Gynecology and Obstetrics Clinical Medicine, suggesting that cervical screenings should be offered to over-65s, a population unlikely to have received HPV vaccinations. The Guardian U.S. and Global Health Policy News USAID cancelled rape survivor kits for Congo as conflict erupted – Reuters

Turmoil at US science academy as Trump cuts force layoffs – Nature

HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted, US judge says – AP
  RFK Jr. singled out one study to cut funds for global vaccines. Is that study valid? – NPR Goats and Soda   Tom Frieden: RFK Jr.’s intellectually dishonest excuse for defunding Gavi, the vaccine alliance – STAT (commentary)

Health and Science Diplomacy Protects Everyone – Think Global Health (commentary) POLLUTION Hanoi’s Concrete-Driven Air Quality Crisis 
Over the last year, Hanoi repeatedly topped global air pollution charts as smog draped the city.

• In January, the average air quality index surpassed the “hazardous” threshold, prompting warnings from health officials.


• And in March, the city recorded levels of harmful PM2.5 particle levels that were more than 24X the WHO’s recommended limits. 

What’s fueling the pollution? Urbanization in Vietnam has led to a rapid increase in development, which includes widespread use of concrete for highways, metro lines, and buildings.

• The creation and use of cement accounts for 8% of global carbon emissions. 


• Vietnam uses more cement per capita than any country except China, and almost 2X than the U.S.

NBC GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES VACCINES Medical Schools Dust Off Old Curriculum
As vaccination rates in the U.S. fall, medical students and young physicians are getting more schooling on how to identify once-eliminated or rarely seen childhood diseases—including measles, rotavirus, pertussis, and chicken pox. 

Old diseases, new tools: AI diagnostic aids and learning modules—including how to identify a measles rash on different skin tones—are being called a “game changer” for medical training. 

The Quote: “We’re having a [measles] resurgence, the highest in 25 years, and you might have not reviewed that since the first year of medical school,” said Nicholas Cozzi, EMS medical director at Rush University Medical School.

Axios MINI DIVERSION QUICK HITS Lethal heat is Europe’s new climate reality – Politico

What therapists treating immigrants hear – The New Yorker

‘The nurse told me I couldn’t keep my baby’: how a controversial Danish ‘parenting test’ separated a Greenlandic woman from her children – The Guardian

What I Heard on a Suicide Hotline for Trans Kids – The New York Times (commentary; gift link)

Doctors don't get much menopause training. State lawmakers are trying to change that – NPR

Decolonising global health: an essential conversation in medical education –The BMJ (commentary)

Should grant applicants judge competitors’ proposals? Unorthodox approach gets two real-world tests – Science

People are using AI to 'sit' with them while they trip on psychedelics – MIT Technology Review Issue No. 2751
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: The Loneliest Numbers: 100 Deaths an Hour; The DRC Aims to Eliminate AIDS in Children; and Using AI to Fight Ebola Misinformation View this email in your browser July 1, 2025 Forward Share Post Silhouette of a boy looking through the window of a colorful building in the Commonwealth of Dominica. June 13, 2019. Michael Melford/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty The Loneliest Numbers: 100 Deaths an Hour
Every year, 871,000+ people die of causes stemming from loneliness, finds a new report by the WHO’s Commission on Social Connection, which named the issue as “a defining challenge of our time.”

Diagnosing loneliness: The WHO defines loneliness as the distress that comes from the lack of desired relationships, while social isolation is defined by the objective absence of social ties, per UN News.

• One in 6 people globally suffers from loneliness. Social isolation is estimated to affect up to 1 in 3 older adults, and 1 in 4 adolescents.

Health impacts: Loneliness is linked to chronic illness, depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. 

Especially vulnerable: People in low- and middle-income countries, who report loneliness at 2X the rate in high-income countries; and young people, as ~20.9% of adolescents reported loneliness compared with 11.8% of those aged 60+, reports Euronews. 

• The loneliest group: Teenage girls, with 24.3% reporting the condition. 

Multiple factors contribute to a culture of loneliness, including low income and education, poor health, lack of community infrastructure, and use of digital technologies.

Roadmap for action: The WHO is urging countries to make loneliness a priority in research, including policy in areas like digital reform and community spaces, and public interventions like Sweden’s €30 million loneliness initiative.

Related: The cost of loneliness can be death. Here’s how to find good friends – CNN DATA POINT

14 million+
———————
Preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues. —IS Global - Barcelona Institute for Global Health The Latest One-Liners   Civilian deaths and rights violations in Ukraine are increasing—with a 37% increase in civilian casualties from December 2024 through May 2025 over the same period a year earlier, per a new UN human rights office report, fueled by a sharp rise in drone attacks. UN News

Suriname became the first country in the Amazon region to earn WHO malaria-free certification yesterday; strategies including universal access to diagnosis and treatment, an extensive community health worker network, and nationwide screening helped reach even high-risk mobile populations in remote mining areas. PAHO

Mpox can infect the brain and damage brain cells, finds a new Switzerland-based study published in Nature Communications, which found that as the virus spreads between neuronic cells it creates bead-like thickenings seen in neurodegenerative diseases. Swiss Info

Aging-related inflammation appears to be linked to industrialized lifestyles, and varies significantly across global populations, per a study published in Nature Aging, which found that  among Indigenous populations, inflammation increased with infections—but not with age. Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health U.S. and Global Health Policy News The Impact of NIH Cuts Ripples Beyond U.S. Borders – Undark
Why it’s so easy for the US to cut children’s access to healthcare: ‘There’s no right to these programs’ – The Guardian

EPA employees put names to ‘declaration of dissent’ over agency moves under Trump – AP 

How to Wreck the Nation’s Health, by the Numbers – The New York Times (commentary; gift link)

From Atlanta to Côte D'Ivoire: How the CDC Protects Americans Overseas – American Foreign Service Association GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS The DRC Aims to Eliminate AIDS in Children
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has launched a new national initiative to eliminate AIDS among children by 2030—a move the UNAIDS director for the DRC called a “a breath of fresh air” amid widespread cuts to global HIV services. 

Background: Despite significant gains in the country’s response to adult HIV, children still have “extremely limited” access to HIV prevention and treatment services.

• Just 44% of DRC children living with HIV in the country currently receive lifesaving treatment. 


• And every year, thousands of Congolese children are born infected—as a lack of prenatal screening means opportunities are missed to prevent mother-to-child transmission. 

Details: The $18 million effort will include improving prevention, early detection, and treatment of HIV for children, adolescents, and pregnant women. 

UN News

Related: In a World with HIV Treatment, Why Are Teenagers Still Dying of AIDS? ​​– Harvard Medicine GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TECH & INNOVATION Using AI to Fight Ebola Misinformation
Scientists in Uganda have used AI to generate transcripts based on thousands of hours of radio broadcasts for a study to learn what the nation’s communities are hearing about Ebola outbreaks. 

• Uganda’s internet penetration rate is ~27%, meaning 36.5 million people are offline. 


• ~55% of the population relies on the radio for information. 

Analyzing what the public is hearing, scientists say, is the first step to countering misinformation, tailoring public health messaging, and shaping policy.

The study found that the radio conversations during Uganda's Ebola outbreak in 2022 were largely dominated by government officials and media personalities. The lack of input from scientists led many Ugandans to believe the outbreak was tied to political and financial interests and that it was fabricated.

Nature CAREER DEVELOPMENT QUICK HITS Israeli bombing exposes critical shortages in Iran’s healthcare system – The New Humanitarian

From coop to cave: Inside the high-tech hunt for H5N1 and Disease X – The Telegraph

Infertility experts warn against ‘restorative reproductive medicine,’ promoted by new Arkansas law – Arkansas Advocate

A Texas boy needed protection from measles. The vaccine cost $1,400 – KFF Health News

Maternal flu vaccine protects newborns, vaccination in kids also effective, studies show – CIDRAP

Study Links Health Center Closures to Higher County Mortality Rates – Community Health Forum Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! 

New AI tool raises concerns over industry's ability to sow doubt on pollution research – Environmental Health News

Obesity drugs made in China could power next wave of treatments – Nature

Candy colors, THC inside: How cannabis edibles are tricking teen brains – Washington State University via ScienceDaily Issue No. 2750
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: The Human Cost of Aid Cuts Comes Into Focus; Ensnared in Cambodia’s Scam Centers; and Captagon’s Continued Grip in Syria View this email in your browser June 30, 2025 Forward Share Post Baboia Sijen, 20, feeds Motakil Anas, 2, an RUTF packet at the Almanar feeding center in Mayo Mandala outside Omdurman, Sudan. May 25. Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty The Human Cost of Aid Cuts Comes Into Focus
Six months since U.S. officials slashed USAID funding for global aid and development, the toll is becoming evident on intimate and international scales. 

Malnourished families increasingly have nowhere to turn in places that depended heavily on U.S. aid like Sudan and Nepal. Studies project cuts could lead to 163,500 additional child deaths annually, reports Science. 

In Nepal, the sudden halt of food shipments has already led to deaths and threatens to undo years of work addressing childhood wasting and stunting.

In war-torn Sudan, the cuts have triggered a cascade of preventable deaths from bacterial infections, cholera, and starvation as soup kitchens close and clinics’ stockrooms grow bare, reports The Washington Post (gift link). 

• One Sudanese mother described trying to soothe her starving children: “Sometimes I boiled water on the fire and told them I am cooking and just to wait.”


• Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of doses of lifesaving peanut paste supplements paid for by the U.S. government are sitting in warehouses.

The future of the Sustainable Development Goals hangs in the balance as global leaders convene in Seville today for the UN’s once-in-a-decade International Conference on Financing for Development, reports France24—with talks that may reconfigure how countries finance efforts to combat hunger, poverty, and health disparities.

• With aid shrinking and debt burdens rising, achieving the 17 SDGs by 2030 is increasingly unlikely, reports Al Jazeera. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DATA POINT

11.8 million
———————
People in the U.S. estimated to lose health coverage by 2034 under the Senate version of the Trump administration’s budget bill, currently under debate. —Georgetown University McCourt School of Public Policy The Latest One-Liners   A WHO-appointed expert panel’s final COVID-19 pandemic origin report, released Friday, failed to reach a conclusive answer; while most scientific data supports a zoonotic spillover, the panel said, it could not rule out a lab leak because China has withheld data needed to fully evaluate all hypotheses. AP
 
A measles outbreak has been reported in a New Mexico jail, after five detainees tested positive for the virus; the state has now reported 86 cases in eight counties. CIDRAP

U.S. Black and Hispanic patients seeking medical care for issues stemming from opioid use are “significantly less likely” to receive buprenorphine or naltrexone, per a new study published in JAMA Network Open that suggests that while access to such medications has improved overall, racial disparities in treatment persist. STAT

France’s smoking ban in public places such as parks, beaches, and bus shelters took effect yesterday; the new ban aims to protect children from passive smoking. France24 U.S. and Global Health Policy News Vaccine, public health advocates warn of fallout from ACIP meeting – CIDRAP

Kennedy v. Braidwood: The Supreme Court Upheld ACA Preventive Services but That’s Not the End of the Story – KFF

SCOTUS delivers gut punch to Planned Parenthood – The Hill

Arrests of scientists over smuggled samples add to US border anxiety – Nature

'Where's our money?' CDC grant funding is moving so slowly layoffs are happening – NPR Shots

States Fear Critical Funding From FEMA May Be Drying Up – ProPublica

At some federal beaches, the lifeguard chair is empty – The Washington Post (gift link)  HUMAN RIGHTS Ensnared in Cambodia’s Scam Centers 
Across Cambodia, thousands of people are trapped in “hellish” jail-like compounds, forced to facilitate online scams for crime syndicates, while the Cambodian government is “deliberately ignoring” human trafficking, torture, and other abuses, per a report released by Amnesty International. 

Background: Scam centers have proliferated across Southeast Asia in the last five years. Those running the schemes are often people lured through false job advertisements, then forced to work under threat of violence. 

Details: 

• In Cambodia alone, ~100,000 people—including children—have been trafficked into scam compounds. The report identified at least 53 scam centers.


• In some cases, there has been “coordination and possibly collusion” between Chinese compound bosses and Cambodian authorities.

The Telegraph GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DRUG TRAFFICKING Captagon’s Continued Grip in Syria 
After the fall of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria, transitional leaders vowed to dismantle the government’s longstanding involvement in the production and trafficking of Captagon—an illicit synthetic drug similar to methamphetamine that reportedly generated billions for the Assad regime. 

Despite the crackdown, the country remains a hub for Captagon production and distribution as traffickers shift tactics, finds the new World Drugs Report from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The Quote: “These groups have been managing Captagon for a long time, and production is not going to stop in a matter of days or weeks,” said UNODC’s research and analysis chief, Angela Me. 

UN News OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Inside one of Gaza's last functioning hospitals: How staff in Nasser Hospital are fighting to keep people alive – ABC

Too scared to go to hospital: the pregnant women in Dominican Republic dying because of deportation fears – The Guardian

People whose lives were permanently altered by disease send a warning as vaccine opposition grows – AP

Amid alarm over a US ‘autism registry’, people are using these tactics to avoid disability surveillance – The Conversation (podcast)

The World Is Producing More Food than Ever—but Not for Long – WIRED

Texas is getting older, and its child population is growing – The Texas Tribune 

Click, speak, move: These brain implants are poised to help people with disabilities – NPR Shots

The Whimsy and Practicality of ‘SuperAdobe’ – Reasons to be Cheerful Issue No. 2749
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: The ‘Tragedy’ of Faulty Chemotherapy Drugs; City Smarts Challenge Big Tobacco’s Sales Pitch; and The Italian Tow Job View this email in your browser June 26, 2025 Forward Share Post Illustrator: Anuj Shrestha, Courtesy of TBIJ The ‘Tragedy’ of Faulty Chemotherapy Drugs
A wide range of generic cancer drugs used in 100+ countries have failed quality tests, making them ineffective or dangerous, a major study published in The Lancet has found.

Findings: One in five of 189 tested samples failed tests, showing too little or too much active ingredient. Some pills from the same pack had inconsistent potency.

Global reach: Substandard drugs were found in both poor and rich nations, including Ethiopia, Nepal, Malawi, the U.S., the U.K., and Saudi Arabia. 

• Most failed drugs came from Indian manufacturers. 

Regulatory holes: The findings show how weak oversight within importing countries and flawed WHO certification systems have been exploited by manufacturers cutting corners. 

Patient harm: Doctors described seeing patients experience sudden treatment failures or severe side effects after starting drug regimens. 

• “When [cancer patients] end up with a medicine that won’t cure them, that’s another tragedy,” said a cancer pharmacist in Ethiopia. 

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The NIH has paused cancellations of medical research grants, per a memo issued to agency staff members; the move comes after two court rulings that came down against the Trump administration’s widespread cuts to research grants. The New York Times (gift link)

Avoidable sepsis deaths are occuring in UK NHS facilities because doctors and nurses are too slow to spot the signs, warns the watchdog Health Services Safety Investigations Body. The Guardian 

ADHD medication can reduce risks of injuries, traffic crashes, and crime, finds a study that tracked ~250,000 Swedish people for 14 years; however, its protective effects have diminished over time as prescription rates have risen and patient populations have shifted. JAMA Psychiatry

Latino neighborhoods across California experience ~23 more extreme-heat days per year than non-Latino white neighborhoods, finds a new data tool from UCLA researchers that highlights “significant” environmental health disparities across 23 counties. Medical Xpress GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY An image from Rio de Janeiro's new social media campaign. Image courtesy of Vital Strategies. City Smarts Challenge Big Tobacco’s Sales Pitch
A recent Rio de Janeiro social media campaign features a fashionable young woman applying makeup and impersonating a talking e-cigarette: “I have so many looks! I use perfume!” Smiling and playful at first, her expression suddenly turns sinister as she tells her Gen Z peers that they have been horribly fooled by e-cigarettes’ fun flavors, scents, and designs.

It’s an example of how cities like Rio de Janeiro and New York City—members of the Partnership for Healthy Cities—are fighting back against Big Tobacco. Traditional regulation and enforcement combined with targeted communication strategies—featuring the voices of industry targets, like teens and young adults—has proven to be the best way to push back, Michelle Morse, the acting health commissioner and chief medical officer of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Daniel Soranz, the secretary of health for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, write in this commentary.

City strength: City governments have long been at the forefront of efforts to stem tobacco’s devastating health impacts, drawing on knowledge of their communities’ unique vulnerabilities and opportunities to strengthen protective factors, Morse and Soranz write.

“The tobacco industry’s tricks are constantly evolving; so too must our cities’ tactics,” write Morse and Solanz, who share strategies to create targeted messaging that puts those most affected front and center and encourage other cities around the world to join their fight against Big Tobacco. READ THE FULL COMMENTARY BY MICHELLE MORSE AND DANIEL SORANZ GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES VACCINES A Pivotal Moment for the Global Immunization Effort
It has been 50+ years since the WHO launched its global immunization program—an effort that has reached 4.4 billion people and saved 154 million lives, finds a new analysis and forecast published in The Lancet. 

But the program is at a critical juncture: Since 2010, progress has stalled or reversed in many countries. And funding cuts, misinformation, and conflict continue to threaten gains, reports NPR Goats and Soda. 

• "The world is going to have to pick a trajectory. Are we going to turn our backs on one of the most remarkable public health achievements that the world has ever seen?" said Jonathan Mosser, one of the study authors. 

Key gaps: More than half of the world’s 15.7 million unvaccinated children live in just eight countries: Brazil, the DRC, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan, reports the AP. 

Cut funding for Gavi: HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has said the U.S. will halt all contributions to the international vaccine alliance, Gavi, accusing it of not following scientific data—a criticism Gavi rejected, reports NPR Goats and Soda. 

• The U.K. will also cut its Gavi funding by 40% as it also reduces its aid budgets.

Revisiting norms: Meanwhile, Kennedy's newly appointed vaccine advisory board will review established vaccinations that are a standard part of the federal childhood vaccination schedule, including measles and Hepatitis B, reports Axios. 

Related:

4 in 5 Americans support childhood vaccine requirements, poll finds – CIDRAP

Trump’s CDC pick treads carefully in Senate debut – The Hill ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION The Italian Tow Job 
When a hotel staffer first spotted a Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan ker-thunking down Rome’s Spanish Steps around 4 a.m. last week, he thought a movie was being filmed.

“Then I realized, no, it was not like that,” said the worker, Sowad Mujibulla, who filmed the incident, per The New York Times (gift link). 

It was not. The driver, an 80-year-old Roman resident who tested negative for drugs or alcohol, told police he had somehow taken a wrong turn in the predawn darkness. The fire department later used a crane to lift the car off the famed 18th century stairway.

The steps have endured their share of wannabe Michael Caines: In 2022, a man was charged with “aggravated damage to cultural heritage” after driving a rented Maserati down the 135 steps; and that same year, two American tourists were fined after damaging the travertine steps with their electric scooters, reports CNN.

But joyriding isn’t always to blame: Errant drivers worldwide have increasingly found themselves wedged between buildings and marooned mid-staircase after placing too much trust in GPS, reports The Guardian.  QUICK HITS Can Kenyan youth protests spark real police reform one year on? – RFI

New Report Highlights U.S. 2023 Gun Deaths: Suicide by Firearm at Record Levels for Third Straight Year – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Saia Ma’u Piukala: From inequity to action: Eliminating cervical cancer in the Western Pacific – The Jakarta Post (commentary / gift link)

'They're not breathing': Inside the chaos of ICE detention center 911 calls – WIRED

He sued for marriage equality and won. 10 years later, he fears for LGBTQ+ rights – NPR

Indonesia to be vaccine self-sufficient by 2037, says health minister – The Telegraph 

Rising Temperatures, Rising Inequalities: How a New Insurance Protects India’s Poorest Women – IPS

Congress Is Pushing for a Medicaid Work Requirement. Here’s What Happened When Georgia Tried It. – ProPublica

Brace Yourself for Watery Mayo and Spiky Ice Cream – The Atlantic Issue No. 2748
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: Sudan Hospital Attack Kills Children, Adults, Medics; Costs of Global Health Cuts; and A Swedish Town’s Fight Against PFAS View this email in your browser June 25, 2025 Forward Share Post A man walks through a shrapnel-riddled hospital ward in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 28. AFP via Getty Children, Civilians, Medics Killed in Sudan Hospital Attack 
A strike on a hospital in Sudan killed 40+ people, including six children and five medics, reports the BBC, in an attack WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has condemned as “appalling.” 

Details: The targeted Al-Mujlad Hospital in West Kordofan state, “the only functioning healthcare facility in the area” per the Sudan Doctors Network, was close to one of the frontlines of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces—a war that the UN has called the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.  

• The doctors’ group blamed the army for the strike and said RSF fighters were stationed inside the hospital. 

The attack is just the latest in a series of devastating blows to Sudan’s fragile health networks, reports The Guardian—including an attack on a hospital in January that killed 70 in El Fasher, and an attack on an aid convoy a few weeks ago that killed five. 

Children in conflict: The head of UNICEF warned of a “worsening crisis” for Sudanese children this week, as a new “wake-up call” of a UN report finds that children worldwide suffered record levels of violence in conflict zones in 2024, reports The Guardian. Findings documented: 

• 41,370 acts of violence against children in countries including Gaza, the DRC, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti.


• A 44% rise in attacks on schools, a 35% rise in sexual violence against children, and a 25% increase in incidents compared with 2023.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   1.3 million Haitians have been displaced by ongoing violence, and human rights abuses continue to rise despite efforts of the UN’s Multinational Security Support mission, which has been beset by personnel, funding, and equipment shortfalls. Human Rights Watch

Asia is warming ~2X as fast as the global average, finds the new State of the Climate in Asia 2024 report by the World Meteorological Organization; last year, Asia endured its warmest or second-warmest year on record with widespread heatwaves and other extreme weather events. The Times of India

National pandemic research output correlated most strongly with pre‑pandemic research activity—much more so than with other country characteristics such as GDP, population, or case numbers—per an analysis of global publication and clinical trial data; the findings underscore national research capacity’s importance in health emergency preparedness. Annals of Global Health 

Just 13% of Americans correctly identified testicular cancer as most commonly affecting men under 40, per a new survey by the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, suggesting more can be done to educate the public about the disease. Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center via ScienceDaily U.S. and Global Health Policy News In the face of anti-science politics, silence is not without cost – Nature (commentary)
 
Trump admin cuts contracts with scientific publishing giant – Axios

Health Secretary RFK Jr. questioned about vaccine policy, transparency in House hearing on funding request – PBS NewsHour

Federal budget cuts slow pace of breakthrough autoimmune therapies – The Hub (Johns Hopkins University)

The Trump administration is investigating the University of Michigan health system over a transgender care case. – Michigan Public

She hoped key research could help save her eyesight. Then the Trump funding cuts came – NPR Shots FOREIGN AID Illustration by Dung Hoang The Costs of Global Health Funding Cuts 
Though global health aid makes up less than 1% of the U.S. federal budget, it supports crucial systems around the world: conducting disease surveillance, training health workers, building public health infrastructure, and responding to outbreaks. 

The U.S. withdrawal from the WHO and funding cuts to USAID and NIH are dismantling these systems and the decades of partnerships underpinning them, experts say. 

Already halted or scaled back:

• Outbreak surveillance programs for Ebola, mpox, measles, and H5N1.


• Famine monitoring systems.


• Support for HIV treatment through PEPFAR.

A world at risk: The loss of these and other programs threatens global and U.S. national security by creating vulnerabilities to both familiar pathogens and novel outbreaks.

Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health

Related: What Remains of U.S.A.I.D. After DOGE's Budget Cuts? – The New York Times (gift link) GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH One Swedish Town and the Global PFAS Fight 
In 2013 residents of Ronneby, Sweden, received startling news: Their tap water, historically revered for its purity, had been contaminated with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that had seeped into the supply from firefighting foam used at a nearby air base. 

• PFAS levels were the highest ever discovered in any municipal drinking water: 2,450X the safety threshold introduced in 2023. 


• Children in the area had PFAS levels 37X higher than those of kids outside the contaminated zone.

Legal battle, global spotlight: In 2016, residents sued the municipally owned water company for failing to protect them in a case watched by environmental law experts worldwide. In 2022, Sweden’s supreme court ruled that PFAS blood contamination is a compensable personal injury.

The Guardian OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS In the Gaza Strip, We are Dying Silently – Inkstick (commentary)

Analysis highlights very low level of HPV vaccine uptake globally – CIDRAP

Malaria Vaccines Free Up Clinics to Improve Child Health in Cameroon – Nigeria Health Watch via Medium (commentary)

Evictions are harmful to Black mothers’ health, their families and their communities – The 19th

China Tightens Controls on Fentanyl but Calls It a U.S. Problem – The New York Times (gift link)

Women approaching menopause drive GLP-1 boom – Axios

The disease-fighting farm robot helping to feed Africa – The Telegraph

Can adult tummy time undo the dreaded ‘tech neck’ that comes from hunching over a screen? – The Guardian Issue No. 2747
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: North America’s Measles Problem; the Global Tobacco Control Efforts Gain Ground; and North Koreans Left on Their Own During COVID View this email in your browser June 24, 2025 Forward Share Post North America’s Measles Problem
Measles outbreaks, fueled by low vaccination rates, continue to drive new cases across the U.S. and Canada.

• Confirmed U.S. cases have topped 1,200 this year, AP reports.


• North America’s longest outbreak began in Ontario, Canada, in mid-October, leading to 2,100+ cases and one death, per Public Health Ontario.


• An outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has surpassed 1,000 cases, leading an Edmonton physician to warn, “This is out of control,” per the CBC.

Must-read (gift link): New York Times writer Eli Saslow chronicled a West Texas family’s measles odyssey that forced the father and four children to spend days in the hospital.

“I feel like I’ve been lied to,” the father, Kiley Timmons, texted his wife, as his temperature hit 40° C (104° F). He treated himself with cod liver oil and vitamin D, as recommended by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
When his oxygen level fell to 85%, his wife drove him to the ER.

Low vaccination rates: U.S. measles vaccination coverage for children has fallen to 92%—below the 95% coverage required to stop measles’ spread in a community.

• In parts of West Texas, coverage is below 80%.

Other vaccine news: U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy said yesterday that the next meeting of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices should be postponed until it has more members with greater experience in microbiology, epidemiology, and immunology, NBC reports.

Related:

Balkanization of vaccine policy raises concerns about vaccine uptake, insurance coverage, experts warn – STAT

How medical groups may preserve vaccine access — and bypass RFK Jr. –  The Washington Post (gift link) GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Child abductions by an armed group linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) are surging in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province; most of the kidnapped children are being used for forced labor, forced marriages, or as child soldiers. Human Rights Watch
 
U.K. lawmakers voted last Friday to allow terminally ill adults over age 18 to end their lives through “assisted dying,” with a majority of 23 (down from 55 in a debate last fall); the bill, which applies to England and Wales, but not Northern Ireland or Scotland, heads to the House of Lords next. AP

The combination of extreme heat and wildfire smoke may pose a particularly serious threat to human health, suggests a new study from University of British Columbia researchers that examined 21,000+ deaths in the greater Vancouver area between 2010 and 2022. CTV

Obesity drugs—specifically liraglutide—reduced headaches by almost half in a small preprint study of 31 people in Italy with obesity who suffer from migraines, even with minimal weight loss—suggesting that the drug is impacting pain pathways and potentially justifying additional studies. Nature COVID-19 North Koreans Forced to ‘Fend for Themselves’ During Pandemic
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un declared a “brilliant victory” over COVID-19 in 2022, reporting just 74 deaths in the three months after the country’s first officially reported case earlier that year. 

But interviews with 100 people inside the country tell a much different story, per a report conducted by the U.S.-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. 

Key findings: 

• The virus—and deaths—were widespread as early as 2020.


• Citizens were left to “fend for themselves” with no access to vaccines or medicine.


• The government enforced severe restrictions and lockdowns; violating protocols led to forced labor and execution. 


• The pandemic led to a halt in trade and humanitarian aid, worsening food shortages. 

The Telegraph

Related: 5 Years Later: America Looks Back at the Impact of COVID-19 – The Pew Charitable Trusts GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TOBACCO Control Efforts Gain Ground Worldwide
As tobacco control initiatives make strides worldwide—protecting ~6.1 billion people—industry evolution threatens their momentum, finds the WHO’s Global Tobacco Epidemic 2025 report released yesterday at the World Conference on Tobacco Control in Dublin. 

Marks of progress: 

• 110 countries now require graphic health warnings on tobacco products, up from just 9 in 2007.


• 36% of the global population now lives in countries that have run best-practice anti-tobacco campaigns, up from 19% in 2022.


• 79 countries have implemented smoke-free environments, impacting one-third of the world’s population. 

Gaps: 

• 60+ countries still lack laws regulating e-cigarettes.


• Cigarettes remain affordable in 134 countries, with minimal tax increases. 


• Just 33% of people globally have access to cost-covered quit services. 

WHO HEALTH SYSTEMS Argentina’s ‘Tidal Wave’ of Health Cuts
In the last 18 months, drastic cuts to Argentina’s health systems under President Javier Milei’s austerity measures have forced patients and their families to resort to desperate measures to access vital care, including turning to Facebook to obtain donated cancer drugs.

Before Milei, Argentina’s public health system ensured that health care was free for most who couldn’t afford private insurance.

Since the election: Milei has slashed the country’s health budget by 48% and laid off 2,000+ health ministry workers.

• Defunded programs include early cancer detection services, free cancer medications, vaccine campaigns, HIV and TB testing, and reproductive health services.

The toll: 60+ cancer patients have reportedly died due to cessation of treatment, and 1,500+ still await medications, per a lawsuit filed by patient advocacy groups.

AP 

ICYMI: Disrupted but Determined: Lessons From Argentine Scientists – Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health QUICK HITS ‘Man-eating’ screw worm turns hospital into horror show – The Telegraph

Dangerous Heat Dome to Bring Record Temperatures to Much of the U.S. – Wall Street Journal (gift link) 

Will Gates and other funders save massive public health database at risk from Trump cuts? – Nature Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff! 

Cambodia logs fifth death from H5N1 avian flu as USDA weighs poultry vaccination – CIDRAP

Tick risks vary by region. Here's where diseases have spread and how to stay safe – NPR

TikTok bans #SkinnyTok. But content promoting unhealthy eating persists – NPR Shots

Why al dente pasta is better for your health – Axios Issue No. 2746
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: A Tipping Point in Iran; A Closer Look at Cheap Cigarettes in Laos; Ketamine in South Africa: Breakthrough or Blight? View this email in your browser June 23, 2025 Forward Share Post Satellite imagery shows the ridge above Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant post-missile strike on June 22. Maxar Technologies A Tipping Point in Iran 
The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and the weekend strikes by the U.S. on Iranian nuclear facilities mark “a perilous turn” for a region already engulfed in conflict, said UN Secretary-General António Guterres at an emergency meeting of the Security Council yesterday, per UN News.

Widening safety concerns: The head of the UN’s atomic energy watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said that while no radiation leaks have been reported that could cause health or environmental threats outside of struck sites, the attacks have triggered “a sharp degradation in nuclear safety and security” at targeted sites. 

• Mounting risks stem not only from direct attacks, but also from “hurried transport and improper storage conditions” of toxic materials, per the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. 


• While radioactivity outside the sites remains normal, the IAEA and neighboring countries are closely monitoring levels, reports NPR. 

Health systems under strain: Meanwhile, health workers in Tehran say facilities have been overwhelmed with civilian injuries and that medical shortages have hampered response efforts, reports Middle East Eye.

• And Israel evacuated a key hospital in Beersheba last week that was targeted in Iranian airstrikes, per El País. 

Rising human toll: 430 Iranian civilians and 25 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The U.S. FDA has approved lenacapavir—a twice-yearly HIV prevention shot that stopped almost all new infections in clinical trials last year; however, amid broad cuts to U.S. public health agencies and foreign aid, it’s not clear how many people will be able to access the new option. AP
 
The U.S. government announced last week that it will end the national suicide hotline’s specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults—who report higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their cisgender and heterosexual peers—beginning July 17. ​ABC

Stem cell–based treatment may have cured 10 out of 12 people with the most severe form of type 1 diabetes, with those 10 people no longer needing insulin a year after a single infusion, finds a small trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The New York Times (gift link)

Excessive drinking has been linked to an uptick in high blood pressure deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, per a new CDC study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which found the estimated average number of hypertension deaths from excessive alcohol use was 51.6% higher in 2020–2021 than in 2016–2017. CBS U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump Travel Restrictions Bar Residents Needed at U.S. Hospitals – The New York Times (gift link)

Administration to phase out NIH support of HIV clinical guidelines – The Washington Post (gift link)

How doctors are preparing for RFK Jr.’s shifts on vaccine policy – The 19th

The immigrants caring for the nation's elderly are losing their jobs – Axios TOBACCO A Closer Look at Cheap Cigarettes in Laos 
Cigarette prices in Laos are among some of the lowest in the world, contributing to some of the highest smoking rates in the region and smoking-related diseases that account for 1 in 7 deaths in the country. 

Behind the low prices: a 2001 contract signed behind closed doors with Imperial Brands tobacco, which included a 25-year tax freeze. 

• The deal steered millions toward an in-law of the president at the time, Bounnhang Vorachit.

What now? The contract is set to expire next year, and Laos’ current prime minister has said the government will not renew it.

The role of taxes: Raising cigarette taxes is among the most effective ways to reduce smoking, research shows.

The Examination

Related: 

Government of Viet Nam Approves Life-Saving Taxes on Tobacco and Sugar-sweetened Beverages – Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (news release)

Supreme Court allows vape companies to pick courts to hear challenges – The Washington Post (gift link) GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MENTAL HEALTH Ketamine in South Africa: Breakthrough or Blight? 
In South Africa, an increasing number of psychiatrists have been using ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. But the drug is also being administered off-label and in unregulated clinics—which doctors say could lead to misuse and overuse. 

Treatment guidelines: Ketamine has to be prescribed by a doctor and administered in IV form in the presence of a health care provider, per South African Society of Psychiatrists guidelines.

Unregulated use: South Africa has become home to many “cowboy clinics,” which provide the drug to people without the involvement of a medical professional—a trend that doctors say could lead to dangerous forms of consumption that carry the risk of seizure or death. 

Bhekisisa OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS

Gaza: UN warns of ‘weaponised hunger’ and growing death toll amid food chaos – UN News

The Workers, the Waste, and the Warnings from Bomb Country – Inkstick

HIV is surging in over-50s—But campaigns still target the young – University of the Witwatersrand via ScienceDaily

The number of abortions kept rising in 2024 because of telehealth prescriptions, report finds – AP

New Israeli-developed bioengineered skin could heal burn wounds twice as fast – The Jerusalem Post

How E-Scooters Conquered (Most of) Europe – Bloomberg CityLab

Early grant success attracts more funding: study of 100,000 applicants hints at why – Nature

For the first time, women scientists win $1 million climate research prize – Science

Issue No. 2745
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: UK Parliament Votes to Decriminalize Abortion; ‘Gardeningʼ in the Gut; Funding Disruptions Threaten Uganda’s HIV Fight View this email in your browser June 18, 2025 Forward Share Post Pro-choice protestors gather near Parliament, where MPs were voting on the decriminalization of abortion. June 17. London, U.K. Alishia Abodunde/Getty UK Parliament Votes to Decriminalize Abortion
The UK House of Commons voted 379–137 yesterday to decriminalize abortion in England and Wales—the most significant change to abortion law in ~60 years, reports The Guardian. 

Details: The amendment removes the threat of prosecution for women who seek to terminate pregnancies. 

• However, the current legal framework for procuring an abortion remains, including requiring two doctors’ approval and a 24-week limit. Doctors who breach regulations can still face prosecution. 

Driving factors: The Labour MP who introduced the amendment said such protections were needed as 100+ women have been investigated and several prosecuted for suspected illegal abortions over the past five years, reports the AP. 

• UK medical groups and advocacy groups hailed the change as “a victory for women,” while anti-abortion groups argued it would open the door to abortion at any stage of pregnancy.

U.S. a ‘cautionary tale’: British lawmakers sought to frame the measure as a “narrow, common-sense” measure in contrast to polarized U.S. abortion politics, while also pointing to the current rollback of reproductive rights in the U.S. as a warning, reports Politico. 

What’s next: The amendment is part of a broader crime bill expected to pass the House of Commons and the House of Lords. 

Related: 

Ohio lawmakers to introduce bill banning abortion, criminalizing the procedure – ABC 

A brain-dead Georgia woman is set to be taken off of life support after her baby was delivered – The 19th

Abortion Bans Worsen Violence in Relationships, Study Finds – TIME EDITORS’ NOTE No GHN Tomorrow, June 19   Please note that our office will be closed tomorrow in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. We’ll be back with more news on Monday, June 23!

—The Editors GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Global conflict levels are the highest they’ve been since the end of World War II, with 59 active conflicts in 35+ countries, according to the 2025 Global Peace Index; the report also shows declining geopolitical influence of the U.S., Russia, and China as smaller countries emerge as regional powers. The Telegraph

A group of bat viruses related to MERS could be one mutation away from being capable of spilling over into humans, finds a new study published in Nature Communications that focuses on the virus group, known as HKU5. Washington State University via ScienceDaily

U.S. alcohol guidance could be soon changed from recommending one or two drinks per day to a brief statement encouraging drinking in moderation, in what could be a major win for the alcohol industry; the updates to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines are still under development by the HHS and USDA. Reuters via Yahoo!

Microplastics in coastal waters could heighten cardiometabolic disease risk among nearby residents, per a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, which found “significantly” higher rates of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and stroke among U.S. residents living near highly polluted waters compared with people who lived near less-polluted waters. American Heart Association (news release) GHN EXCLUSIVE Q&A 622A_cecum: Section through a healthy mouse cecum stained with Haematoxylin-eosin. Courtesy of Emma Slack ‘Gardeningʼ in the Gut   
The pipeline for new drugs to fight antibiotic-resistant infections is rife with challenges, but one promising solution offers a workaround: tackling drug-resistant bacteria in the gut.  
 
The method combines oral vaccinations with harmless bacteria that outcompete the bacteria for food and “starve them out,” Emma Slack, a professor at ETH Zurich and the University of Oxford’s Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, told GHN.  

• The pairing was significantly more effective than using vaccines or harmless bacteria on their own, found a recent Science study testing the method in mice.

The approach is like weeding a garden, says Slack. “If you pull out all the weeds, you go back three days later and all the weeds are there again. If you don’t want that to happen, you’ve got to put something in the place where the weeds would grow.”

It may be five to 10 years from clinical use, but the method could one day be applied to “anything where immunosuppression is one of the side effects,” says Slack. Patients could be treated before transplant surgery, or during high-risk pregnancies to head off the risk of infection in premature babies.
 
The most exciting prospect: reversing the “antimicrobial resistance crisis for gut-colonizing, opportunistic pathogens,” says Slack. READ THE FULL Q&A BY ANNALIES WINNY GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS Funding Disruptions Threaten Uganda’s HIV Fight
Since 1987, the Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP) in Uganda has achieved remarkable milestones. In areas it serves, the program has:

• Reduced new HIV infections by 90%.


• Extended anti‑retroviral (ARV) coverage to 90% of people living with HIV.

But recent U.S. budget cuts—including halts to pediatric ARVs, male circumcision programs, and PrEP, and missed deadlines for reauthorizing PEPFAR funding —threaten this progress.

• Medication access interruptions and clinic closures in January prompted HIV rebound fears; though services were quickly restored, experts warn that sustained disruptions could reverse hard-won gains.


• Uganda’s plan to shift HIV treatment from specialized rural clinics to primary care clinics could also disrupt access and medication adherence, as some patients may face longer travel.

Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health

Related: ‘HIV-ending’ drug could be made for just $25 per patient a year, say researchers – The Guardian OPPORTUNITY HUMAN RIGHTS The Oppressors at Home
In the Taliban’s Afghanistan, oppression against women has led to men being “foot soldiers” against their female relatives. 

Vice and virtue laws, which include strict rules that women must cover themselves, not talk too loudly, or appear in public without a male escort, are meant to be enforced by “morality police.” But often, husbands and brothers take on this role. 

Rising fear: Under the Taliban, male relatives could face fines or prison if women are caught breaking morality laws. This has led to a rise in domestic violence, isolation, and psychological damage to Afghan women. 

The Guardian

Related: Over 400 health centers shut down in Afghanistan following US aid 
suspension – Ariana News ALMOST FRIDAY MINI DIVERSION QUICK HITS IOM Reports 60 Migrants Missing in Two Deadly Shipwrecks off Libya – IOM 

How Trump's travel ban could disrupt the way knowledge about health is shared – NPR

Via the False Claims Act, NIH Puts Universities on Edge – Undark

Indonesia steps up efforts to eliminate malaria by 2030 – Xinhua

Kraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes from U.S. products by end of 2027 – CNBC

Study: Early antibiotics tied to higher risk of childhood infections, antibiotic use, and asthma – CIDRAP

Scientists uncover how ticks fight off and carry a virus deadly to humans – Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

Threat in Your Medicine Cabinet: The FDA’s Gamble on America’s Drugs – ProPublica

Could the answer to the male fertility crisis be lurking in your cat’s litter tray? – The Telegraph Issue No. 2744
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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96 Global Health NOW: The Mystery of Chronic Mountain Sickness; Dogs as Weapons; and The Decline of Anti-Girl Bias View this email in your browser June 17, 2025 Forward Share Post GHN EXCLUSIVE REPORT The Andes mountain range between Lima and Cerro de Pasco east of Canta. DeAgostini/Getty The Mystery of Chronic Mountain Sickness
HUAYLLAY, Peru—About 5–10% of people who have lived their whole lives at high altitude eventually come down with the last illness they would expect: altitude sickness.

• While there are no exact numbers, ~7 million people living above 2,500 meters (~8,200 feet) are at risk of chronic mountain sickness (CMS), according to a 2016 article in the journal High Altitude Medicine & Biology.


• Characterized by low levels of oxygen saturation (hypoxia) and excessive amounts of hemoglobin (polycythemia), CMS can start with blue-tinged fingertips or lips.


• But the illness can progress to life-threatening pulmonary or cerebral edema.

The Quote: “CMS is complex and insidious. The drop in oxygen levels produces a symphony of physiological and molecular responses as the person ages,” says Fabiola León-Velarde, a physiologist and CMS researcher.
 
Research history: Scientists like León-Velarde have been trying to understand the cause of CMS since it was first described by Peruvian doctor Carlos Monge in 1925.

• But recent research that led to a 2019 Nobel Prize may offer new insights into the origins of CMS. 

Ed. Note: Our thanks go to Dulce Alarcón-Yaquetto who shared the idea for this issue and was a grand prize winner in the Untold Global Health Stories Contest, co-sponsored by Global Health NOW and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health.  READ THE FULL STORY BY LUCIEN CHAUVIN GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   War-weary Yemen has seen nearly 3,900 cases of dengue fever—including 14 deaths—so far this year in the governorates of Aden and Lahj, per the WHO, which has launched a response including awareness campaigns, management of mosquito breeding sites, and target fogging. Yemen Monitor
 
A U.S. judge ordered ~800 terminated NIH research projects, cited in a lawsuit by U.S. researchers and a coalition of 16 states, to be reinstated, calling the cuts discriminatory; the government will likely appeal the ruling. Nature

Fewer than half of young men in the U.K.—46%—believe that abortion should be legal, compared with 71% of the general population, per a new poll ahead of a parliamentary vote today on whether to decriminalize abortion. The Independent 

Cornell University researchers have identified an antibiotic, rifampin, that is 99.9% effective against Salmonella Typhi, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever, per research published in eBioMedicine; drug-resistant strains of the bacterium claim 150,000+ lives a year. Cornell Chronicle U.S. and Global Health Policy News South Africa Built a Medical Research Powerhouse. Trump Cuts Have Demolished It. – The New York Times (gift article)

Rising Refugee Suicides in West Nile Linked to Food Shortages and Aid Cuts – Nile Post

Kenya's war on HIV, TB and malaria faces setback as funding drops sharply – The Eastleigh Voice

Researchers warn U.S. is on the ‘precipice’ of brain drain as Trump cuts federal grants – PBS NewsHour CONFLICT Dogs as Weapons
Military and police dogs are being utilized against civilians in Palestine, say human rights groups, who report the use of canines against Palestinians has led to injuries and deaths.

• Euro Med Human Rights Monitor has documented 146 cases of attack dogs being used against civilians since October 2023.


• The UN has also decried the use of military dogs against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention, citing testimonies of attacks reported to Physicians for Human Rights. 


• Israel’s specialist canine unit, Oketz, has said that the dogs are only deployed in anti-terrorism campaigns. 

Calling for cross-border regulation: Most of the dogs used by Oketz are exported from European countries, prompting organizations like Amnesty International to argue for those countries to further regulate such sales.  

The Guardian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POPULATIONS The Decline of Anti-Girl Bias
In “one of the most important social shifts of our time,” the long-held sex preference for boys at birth has dramatically shifted worldwide.

Over the past 25 years, the number of annual excess male births has fallen from a peak of 1.7 million in 2000 to ~200,000, a biologically standard birth ratio, per an analysis by The Economist. 

• The reduction in female infanticide and sex-selective abortions has led to the survival of ~7 million girls, the analysis found. 

The changing preference can be attributed to decreased discrimination in the workplace and in school, leading to girls excelling at school and to a shrinking gender pay gap; but could also be driven by sexist stereotypes that women will be better caretakers for aging parents. 

Vox OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Nigerian agriculture ministry workers ‘told to fast and pray’ to end hunger crisis – The Telegraph

Ending nuclear weapons, before they end us – The Medical Journal of Australia (commentary)

The cost of staying alive could become a lot more expensive for millions of Americans – The Independent

Too often, Black patients get late diagnoses of deadly skin cancer – The Washington Post (gift link)

Eight things you need to know about the new “Nimbus” and “Stratus” COVID-19 variants – Gavi

How the cholera bacterium can outsmart a virus – Labmate Online

New opioid testing techniques could lead to better therapies – Brown University

How technology is helping African countries fight malaria from the skies – RFI Issue No. 2743
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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  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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96 UN Aid Cuts Force ‘Hyper-prioritizedʼ Plan; Deaths on the Street in Portland; and Memory Cafes Bridge a Gap “Brutal funding cuts leave us with brutal choices,” said Tom Fletcher, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs. View this email in your browser June 16, 2025 Forward Share Post Tents serve as temporary shelters for displaced Palestinians along the coastline of Gaza City, on June 10. Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/Getty Images UN Aid Cuts Force ‘Hyper-prioritizedʼ Plan
The UN has slashed its 2025 humanitarian aid appeal from $44 billion to $29 billion, as the agency contends with what it described as the “deepest funding cuts ever” to the aid sector, reports Al Jazeera. 

Only $5.6 billion (13%) has been raised so far after severely reduced contributions from the U.S. and others. 

• “Brutal funding cuts leave us with brutal choices,” said Tom Fletcher, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs. 

‘Triage of human survival’: The UN said it will prioritize the most urgent emergencies afflicting regions like the DRC, Sudan, Gaza, and Burma; but the agency said the cuts will lead to “heartbreaking” consequences including lost aid and eroded human rights protections.

Existing aid under attack: Meanwhile, a UN expert is urging the General Assembly to authorize the deployment of armed peacekeepers to protect humanitarian transport and distribution, as aid workers continue to be targeted in areas including Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, and Central African Republic, reports The Guardian. 

• A record 360+ humanitarian workers were killed last year, as aid restrictions and starvation are increasingly used as weapons of war. 

If such attacks continue, more aid work will cease—creating a “dystopia,” said Michael Fakhri, the UN’s special rapporteur on the right to food. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 could now make up more than 1 in 3 cases across the U.S., the CDC projected last week; the variant has been linked to a surge of hospitalizations in parts of Asia, and the CDC's airport surveillance program detected cases of it in arriving international travelers last month. CBS News

The U.S. health care workforce has recovered from widespread job losses of early 2020, with employment now matching pre-pandemic projections, finds new research published in JAMA Network; but recovery is uneven, with doctors’ offices exceeding pre-pandemic employment growth while skilled nursing facilities contend with understaffing. University of Michigan via News Medical

Dengue survivors face an elevated risk for post-infection multi-organ complications, hospitalization, and death, finds a study published in Clinical Microbiology and Infection that analyzed 55,870 cases of adults infected between 2017 and 2023. CIDRAP

The FDA has expanded approval of Moderna’s RSV vaccine mResvia to include adults ages 18–59 who are at high risk of severe illness from the virus; previously the vaccine was licensed for use only in adults 60+. STAT  HOMELESSNESS Increased Deaths on the Street in Portland
As the homeless population in Portland grew during the pandemic, the city responded with a $1.3 million plan to “reprioritize public health and safety among homeless Portlanders.”

• And yet: Deaths of homeless people quadrupled from 113 in 2019 to 450+ in 2023.

Why? The strategy involved increased encampment sweeps and a pivot from investing in permanent housing in favor of expanding temporary shelter. Researchers say this has perpetuated the problem, especially for medically vulnerable people.

• One 2023 study published in JAMA showed that such sweeps raise the risk of overdose by up to 22% for people who inject drugs.

ProPublica GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MENTAL HEALTH Memory Cafes Bridge a Gap 
Across the U.S., 600+ memory cafes offer low-cost social support for dementia patients and caregivers, helping alleviate isolation and stress through regular gatherings.

And with $11 billion in federal health funding for state and local health departments now on the chopping block, grassroots-led memory cafes may soon play a critical role for families needing help navigating the struggles of dementia care. 

Growing need: U.S. Alzheimer’s cases are projected to double from 6.9 million now to 13.8 million by 2060, while the number of family caregivers is declining.

KFF Health News SUICIDE Curbing Pesticides to Save Lives
Suriname has one of the world's highest suicide rates, largely due to the pesticide paraquat—which is lethal even in tiny doses and is widely available in homes across the country. 

Global perspective: Pesticides are one of the leading means of suicide in agricultural areas of developing nations, leading to 100,000+ suicides annually. 

Banning paraquat and other pesticides has led to dramatic drops in suicide rates in other countries including Sri Lanka (70%+), South Korea (~50%), and China (60%). 

Ongoing efforts: The charity Open Philanthropy funded the launch in 2017 of the Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention, and the Global Alliance on Highly Hazardous Pesticides was formed in 2023 to phase out use of the deadliest pesticides in agricultural areas where risks have not been managed.

The New York Times (gift link) QUICK HITS As mpox escalates in Sierra Leone, activity in other countries reflects mixed picture – CIDRAP

An oral cholera vaccination campaign aims to reach more than 2.6 million people in Sudan’s Khartoum State – WHO

US pharma bets big on China to snap up potential blockbuster drugs – Reuters

Small towns are growing fast across Ghana – but environmental planning isn’t keeping up – The Conversation (commentary)

Ancient miasma theory may help explain Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine moves – NPR Shots

How Covid-19 Changed Hideo Kojima’s Vision For Death Stranding 2 – WIRED Issue No. 2742
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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