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Global Health NOW: The Rocky Response to Burma’s Earthquake; Revisiting Extraordinary Journeys; and The Dangerous Blights of Skin Bleaching
96
Global Health NOW: The Rocky Response to Burma’s Earthquake; Revisiting Extraordinary Journeys; and The Dangerous Blights of Skin Bleaching
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March 31, 2025
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A Buddhist monk walking near a collapsed pagoda after an earthquake in Mandalay, central Burma (Myanmar), on March 30. AP Photo/Thein Zaw shared via a Facebook post
The Rocky Response to Burma’s Earthquake
As the death toll in Burma rises from a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday, the difficulty of the disaster response is coming into focus, with the country’s ongoing civil war and recent upheaval in global aid complicating basic recovery efforts, reports the AP.
The latest: ~2,000 people have died in the earthquake devastation; “countless” remain buried under rubble as civilian-led efforts to dig out survivors—largely by hand—continue.
South Korea’s deadly fire that killed 30 people and destroyed ~4,000 structures is under investigation; a man is suspected of starting the fire while performing an ancestral rite by a family grave. BBC
The WHO, citing a $600 million budget gap for 2025, has proposed slashing its 2026–27 budget by 21%, to $4.2 billion, and signaled that job cuts are imminent; unconfirmed reports estimate that 20%–40% of the agency’s 9,000+ jobs globally could be eliminated. Geneva Health Files
Mexico will ban junk food in schools as a part of its redoubled efforts to mitigate its childhood obesity epidemic, with the guidelines forbidding sugary fruit drinks, packaged chips, and other processed snacks taking effect this week. AP U.S. Global Health Policy News The NIH’s Most Reckless Cuts Yet: Ending clinical trials with no warning can put patients at risk. – The Atlantic
The CDC Buried a Measles Forecast That Stressed the Need for Vaccinations – ProPublica
Tuberculosis is the world’s top infectious killer. Aid groups say Trump’s funding freezes will cause more deaths – CNN
‘We should have been hammered a long time ago’: African countries thank Trump for aid wake-up call – The Telegraph
RFK Jr. Expected To Lay Off Entire Office Of Infectious Disease And HIV/AIDS Policy – Forbes
How Trump is following Project 2025’s radical roadmap to defund science – Nature
Trump Slashed International Aid. Geneva Is Feeling the Impact. – Bloomberg CityLab GHN EXCLUSIVE Revisiting Extraordinary Journeys
If you werenʼt able to join GHN earlier this month for Extraordinary Journeys: Stories of Refugees Fleeing Conflict and Shaping Global Health, you can now view recordings of each story.
More urgent warnings are needed about skin lightening’s dangers, say physicians in Nigeria, as more people are being treated for skin damage and other health problems, and as more children are being harmed by bleaching products, reports NPR Goats and Soda.
Surging popularity: Sales of skin-lightening products across Africa are projected to nearly double to $15.7 billion by 2030. The practice is especially prevalent in Nigeria, where 77% of women use skin-lightening products, per the WHO.
Bodily toll: The ingredients in the products, which include acids and steroids, not only damage skin—they can “wreak havoc and damage internal organs,” said Lagos dermatologist Vivian Oputa.
Children at risk: Doctors say they are seeing more children—even babies—with burning and discoloration after their parents used bleaching products on them, often under social pressure, reports the BBC.
Calls for regulation: Doctors say government regulation is needed to limit access to potent pharmaceutical creams that should require prescriptions. QUICK HITS Israel-Gaza war: Wounded Palestinians dying for lack of supplies, surgeon says – BBC
WHO alert on US measles outbreak adds new genetic details – CIDRAP
How can Africa sustain its HIV response amid US aid cuts? – The Lancet HIV (commentary) Thanks for the tip, Elizabeth S. Rose!
Boosting advanced-stage clinical trial capacity in East and Central Africa to combat regional epidemic threats – CEPI
Morning-after pill to be made free in England pharmacies – Medical Xpress
How a ban on food dye in West Virginia has forged an unlikely alliance – The Guardian
New 3D technology could soon bring surgeons closer to patients in Africa’s most remote regions – AP Issue No. 2699
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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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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As the death toll in Burma rises from a 7.7 magnitude earthquake on Friday, the difficulty of the disaster response is coming into focus, with the country’s ongoing civil war and recent upheaval in global aid complicating basic recovery efforts, reports the AP.
The latest: ~2,000 people have died in the earthquake devastation; “countless” remain buried under rubble as civilian-led efforts to dig out survivors—largely by hand—continue.
- A UN assessment found that many health facilities had been damaged and warned that a “severe shortage of medical supplies is hampering response efforts.”
- The country’s civil war has displaced over 3 million people and has left many regions dangerous for aid groups to reach.
- The quake is “compounding an already dire humanitarian situation” for millions of children, warned UNICEF.
- But U.S. aid operations remain in chaos amid Trump administration cuts, reports The New York Times (gift link), as many of the systems needed to funnel American aid to Myanmar “have been shattered.”
- A Thai watchdog had previously flagged concerns about the building, reports The Straits Times.
South Korea’s deadly fire that killed 30 people and destroyed ~4,000 structures is under investigation; a man is suspected of starting the fire while performing an ancestral rite by a family grave. BBC
The WHO, citing a $600 million budget gap for 2025, has proposed slashing its 2026–27 budget by 21%, to $4.2 billion, and signaled that job cuts are imminent; unconfirmed reports estimate that 20%–40% of the agency’s 9,000+ jobs globally could be eliminated. Geneva Health Files
Mexico will ban junk food in schools as a part of its redoubled efforts to mitigate its childhood obesity epidemic, with the guidelines forbidding sugary fruit drinks, packaged chips, and other processed snacks taking effect this week. AP U.S. Global Health Policy News The NIH’s Most Reckless Cuts Yet: Ending clinical trials with no warning can put patients at risk. – The Atlantic
The CDC Buried a Measles Forecast That Stressed the Need for Vaccinations – ProPublica
Tuberculosis is the world’s top infectious killer. Aid groups say Trump’s funding freezes will cause more deaths – CNN
‘We should have been hammered a long time ago’: African countries thank Trump for aid wake-up call – The Telegraph
RFK Jr. Expected To Lay Off Entire Office Of Infectious Disease And HIV/AIDS Policy – Forbes
How Trump is following Project 2025’s radical roadmap to defund science – Nature
Trump Slashed International Aid. Geneva Is Feeling the Impact. – Bloomberg CityLab GHN EXCLUSIVE Revisiting Extraordinary Journeys
If you werenʼt able to join GHN earlier this month for Extraordinary Journeys: Stories of Refugees Fleeing Conflict and Shaping Global Health, you can now view recordings of each story.
- This special event, co-hosted by GHN and the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health, spotlighted the remarkable experiences of public health practitioners with lived experience as refugees.
- Storytellers from Afghanistan, Burma (Myanmar), South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria shared firsthand accounts of living and working amid humanitarian crises, fleeing conflict, and shaping impactful roles in public health.
More urgent warnings are needed about skin lightening’s dangers, say physicians in Nigeria, as more people are being treated for skin damage and other health problems, and as more children are being harmed by bleaching products, reports NPR Goats and Soda.
Surging popularity: Sales of skin-lightening products across Africa are projected to nearly double to $15.7 billion by 2030. The practice is especially prevalent in Nigeria, where 77% of women use skin-lightening products, per the WHO.
Bodily toll: The ingredients in the products, which include acids and steroids, not only damage skin—they can “wreak havoc and damage internal organs,” said Lagos dermatologist Vivian Oputa.
Children at risk: Doctors say they are seeing more children—even babies—with burning and discoloration after their parents used bleaching products on them, often under social pressure, reports the BBC.
Calls for regulation: Doctors say government regulation is needed to limit access to potent pharmaceutical creams that should require prescriptions. QUICK HITS Israel-Gaza war: Wounded Palestinians dying for lack of supplies, surgeon says – BBC
WHO alert on US measles outbreak adds new genetic details – CIDRAP
How can Africa sustain its HIV response amid US aid cuts? – The Lancet HIV (commentary) Thanks for the tip, Elizabeth S. Rose!
Boosting advanced-stage clinical trial capacity in East and Central Africa to combat regional epidemic threats – CEPI
Morning-after pill to be made free in England pharmacies – Medical Xpress
How a ban on food dye in West Virginia has forged an unlikely alliance – The Guardian
New 3D technology could soon bring surgeons closer to patients in Africa’s most remote regions – AP Issue No. 2699
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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Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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Categories: Global Health Feed
Global Health NOW: Gutting the Global Vaccine Effort; PEPFAR’s Precarious Future; and The Dog Days of Cinema
96
Global Health NOW: Gutting the Global Vaccine Effort; PEPFAR’s Precarious Future; and The Dog Days of Cinema
Documents reveal plans to withdraw U.S. funding for Gavi, the global vaccine alliance
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March 27, 2025
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A Somali mother holding a medical card waits for her baby to be given a pentavalent vaccine injection provided by Gavi, UNICEF, and WHO, at a medical clinic in Mogadishu, on April 24, 2013. Carl de Souza/AFP via Getty
Gutting the Global Vaccine Effort
The Trump administration has released its plans to withdraw U.S. funding for Gavi, the global alliance that helps provide essential vaccines for children in low-income countries, reports The New York Times (gift link).
Overview: Vaccinations via Gavi have saved ~19 million children’s lives over the past 25 years. The U.S. contributes 13% of its budget.
10,000 HHS employees will be cut from various U.S. health agencies, as part of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s continued overhauls, reports NBC News; meanwhile, health departments will see already-disbursed funding pulled back from their COVID- and infectious disease-related programs, reports the AP
A garden soil sample from a lab technician’s garden has led to a new antibiotic capable of killing drug-resistant bacteria by targeting the ribosome, while leaving human cells unharmed, per a new study published in Nature.
Influenza A antibodies have been detected in U.S. cattle, finds a large study published in the Journal of Virology—showing that cattle are susceptible to human seasonal flu strains as well as swine influenza viruses. CIDRAP
Male birth control that is hormone-free is slated to enter clinical trials after research published in Nature Communications found that the new drug, YCT-529, effectively lowered sperm count in male mice, and was 99% effective in preventing pregnancies. Medical Xpress HIV/AIDS PEPFAR’s Precarious Future
Congressional authorization for PEPFAR expired on Tuesday, further shrouding the global HIV/AIDS program’s future, reports Devex.
Technically still alive: PEPFAR has been allocated some funding through the end of the fiscal year. But its long-term survival remains in question with the dismantling of USAID—which administered the majority of PEPFAR services.
Immediate impact: Clinics are closing, prescriptions are not being refilled, per Health Policy Watch.
Further research cuts: Meanwhile, the NIH has eliminated funding for dozens of HIV-related research grants in the U.S., reports CNN—a move that will cause the country to “slide back on decades of progress,” said one researcher. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FUNGUS How Cats, Spores, and Pollution are Driving an Epidemic
Brazil is currently facing the world’s largest and “most persistent” epidemic of sporotrichosis, a fungal infection spread primarily through cats. And recent research sheds new light on how pollution is contributing to the spread.
Background: Sporotrichosis is a chronic disease that primarily affects the skin and lymphatic system and can spread to humans from animals.
New insights: A study published in Mycology revealed an “alarming genetic diversity” in the fungus, and found indicators to suggest that exposure to urban pollutants may be driving rapid adaptations.
Looking for solutions: Researchers also identified molecular markers that could enhance diagnostics and treatments, and pointed to an “urgent” need for enhanced fungal surveillance.
SciTechDaily ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION The Dog Days of Cinema
People seem to know everything about their dogs. Their DNA makeup. Their favorite treat, scratch, and spot to relieve themselves.
But what about their favorite movie? If you donʼt know … itʼs probably Flow, a Latvian film that took home an Oscar and won the hearts of pets everywhere.
The animated feature is a heartening tale of interspecies collaboration in a postapocalyptic world—and pets canʼt get enough. One TikTok video shows not one, but four cats rapt at the film. They donʼt even mind if itʼs on a tiny laptop screen.
Producer Matiss Kaza admits he hadnʼt considered pets “as a potential target audience,” according to The New York Times (gift article), but was amused when he heard folks were taking their cats to the theater to see the film, he told NPR.
But the movieʼs pet popularity also raises a question: While we canʼt get enough of animal videos, our petsʼ favorite film features no humans. Should we take that as a hint? QUICK HITS SA research grants potentially on hold, says leaked memo – Bhekisisa
Colorado is poised to pass some of the toughest gun laws in the country – NPR Surgeons transplant genetically modified pig liver into Chinese patient – The Guardian
Kansas measles cases double to 23 and new Ohio outbreak sickens 10 – AP
Zooming in on the structure of the lethal Ebola virus – Phys.org
FDA approves first new antibiotic for uncomplicated UTIs in nearly 30 years – Healio
'Grandpas' got together to help kids. Scientists say it boosts the elders' health, too – NPR Shots Issue No. 2698
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -->
ABOUT
SUPPORT US
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
CONTACT US
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
The Trump administration has released its plans to withdraw U.S. funding for Gavi, the global alliance that helps provide essential vaccines for children in low-income countries, reports The New York Times (gift link).
Overview: Vaccinations via Gavi have saved ~19 million children’s lives over the past 25 years. The U.S. contributes 13% of its budget.
- Loss of U.S. support could mean 75 million children do not get routine vaccinations in the next five years; and that 1.2 million+ children die as a result, per Gavi’s estimations.
- “This is not just a bureaucratic decision, there are children’s lives at stake, global health security will be at stake,” said Austin Demby, the health minister of Sierra Leone.
- It is unclear whether the Trump administration can legally end the programs unilaterally, reports The Guardian.
10,000 HHS employees will be cut from various U.S. health agencies, as part of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s continued overhauls, reports NBC News; meanwhile, health departments will see already-disbursed funding pulled back from their COVID- and infectious disease-related programs, reports the AP
A garden soil sample from a lab technician’s garden has led to a new antibiotic capable of killing drug-resistant bacteria by targeting the ribosome, while leaving human cells unharmed, per a new study published in Nature.
Influenza A antibodies have been detected in U.S. cattle, finds a large study published in the Journal of Virology—showing that cattle are susceptible to human seasonal flu strains as well as swine influenza viruses. CIDRAP
Male birth control that is hormone-free is slated to enter clinical trials after research published in Nature Communications found that the new drug, YCT-529, effectively lowered sperm count in male mice, and was 99% effective in preventing pregnancies. Medical Xpress HIV/AIDS PEPFAR’s Precarious Future
Congressional authorization for PEPFAR expired on Tuesday, further shrouding the global HIV/AIDS program’s future, reports Devex.
Technically still alive: PEPFAR has been allocated some funding through the end of the fiscal year. But its long-term survival remains in question with the dismantling of USAID—which administered the majority of PEPFAR services.
Immediate impact: Clinics are closing, prescriptions are not being refilled, per Health Policy Watch.
- Burkina Faso, Haiti, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, South Sudan, and Ukraine will likely run out of antiretroviral medicine within weeks, per the WHO.
- Studies on an HIV vaccine, long-acting pre-exposure prophylaxis, and tuberculosis have been halted.
Further research cuts: Meanwhile, the NIH has eliminated funding for dozens of HIV-related research grants in the U.S., reports CNN—a move that will cause the country to “slide back on decades of progress,” said one researcher. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FUNGUS How Cats, Spores, and Pollution are Driving an Epidemic
Brazil is currently facing the world’s largest and “most persistent” epidemic of sporotrichosis, a fungal infection spread primarily through cats. And recent research sheds new light on how pollution is contributing to the spread.
Background: Sporotrichosis is a chronic disease that primarily affects the skin and lymphatic system and can spread to humans from animals.
New insights: A study published in Mycology revealed an “alarming genetic diversity” in the fungus, and found indicators to suggest that exposure to urban pollutants may be driving rapid adaptations.
Looking for solutions: Researchers also identified molecular markers that could enhance diagnostics and treatments, and pointed to an “urgent” need for enhanced fungal surveillance.
SciTechDaily ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION The Dog Days of Cinema
People seem to know everything about their dogs. Their DNA makeup. Their favorite treat, scratch, and spot to relieve themselves.
But what about their favorite movie? If you donʼt know … itʼs probably Flow, a Latvian film that took home an Oscar and won the hearts of pets everywhere.
The animated feature is a heartening tale of interspecies collaboration in a postapocalyptic world—and pets canʼt get enough. One TikTok video shows not one, but four cats rapt at the film. They donʼt even mind if itʼs on a tiny laptop screen.
Producer Matiss Kaza admits he hadnʼt considered pets “as a potential target audience,” according to The New York Times (gift article), but was amused when he heard folks were taking their cats to the theater to see the film, he told NPR.
But the movieʼs pet popularity also raises a question: While we canʼt get enough of animal videos, our petsʼ favorite film features no humans. Should we take that as a hint? QUICK HITS SA research grants potentially on hold, says leaked memo – Bhekisisa
Colorado is poised to pass some of the toughest gun laws in the country – NPR Surgeons transplant genetically modified pig liver into Chinese patient – The Guardian
Kansas measles cases double to 23 and new Ohio outbreak sickens 10 – AP
Zooming in on the structure of the lethal Ebola virus – Phys.org
FDA approves first new antibiotic for uncomplicated UTIs in nearly 30 years – Healio
'Grandpas' got together to help kids. Scientists say it boosts the elders' health, too – NPR Shots Issue No. 2698
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -->
ABOUT
SUPPORT US
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
CONTACT US
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Global Health NOW: COVID-19 Research Canceled; Chikungunya Vaccines En Route to Réunion; and DOGE Cuts Harm Vulnerable Vets
96
Global Health NOW: COVID-19 Research Canceled; Chikungunya Vaccines En Route to Réunion; and DOGE Cuts Harm Vulnerable Vets
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March 26, 2025
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Colorized scanning electron micrograph of an apoptotic cell (blue) infected with SARS-COV-2 virus particles (green), isolated from a patient sample. NIH/NAID/IMAGE.FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty
COVID-19 Research Canceled
The NIH and CDC have begun widespread terminations of grants related to COVID-19 research and public health outreach, saying “the grant funds are no longer necessary,” per an internal NIH document, reports Nature.
The large-scale grant terminations, amounting to billions, are unprecedented and “dangerous for future pandemic preparedness,” said virologist Jason McLellan at the University of Texas, Austin, who was leading one of the canceled projects.
UK parenting charities and support groups are criticizing new guidance for postpartum women issued in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which recommended exercise and reduced screen time at night to improve physical and mental health; the parents’ groups say the guidance is “wildly optimistic” and could become “another stick to beat new mums with.” The Guardian
Healthy aging has been linked to a midlife diet rich in plant-based foods and low intake of ultra-processed foods, per a new study published in Nature Medicine that found that such a diet leads to higher likelihood of reaching age 70 without chronic disease. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (news release) Thanks for the tip, Xiaodong Cai!
New FDA and NIH leaders have been confirmed by the U.S. Senate; Marty Makary will lead the FDA, while Jay Bhattacharya will head the NIH; both gained prominence for criticizing the U.S. COVID-19 response, and both were confirmed along party lines. CBS Trump Administration News Researchers in limbo as Columbia bows to Trump’s demands in bid to restore $400M federal funding – AP
Vaccine skeptic hired to head federal study of immunizations and autism – The Washington Post (gift link)
5 high-level officials leave CDC – The Hill
Remedy Supported by Kennedy Leaves Some Measles Patients More Ill – The New York Times (gift link)
FDA commissioner's abortion pill minefield – Axios CHIKUNGUNYA OUTBREAK Vaccines En Route to Réunion
Chikungunya vaccines are being rushed to France’s Réunion island in the Indian Ocean, where an outbreak has killed two, hospitalized dozens, and infected thousands of people over the last few weeks.
40,000 doses of Ixchiq, a Valneva-produced vaccine, will be aimed at the most vulnerable—including those ages 65+, with severe comorbidities, or working in vector control.
The Telegraph GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MENTAL HEALTH DOGE Cuts Harm Vulnerable Vets
Veterans’ mental health services are in disarray amid sweeping changes ordered by President Trump and implemented by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Significant shifts: Thousands of mental health providers, including many fully remote employees, must work full-time from federal office space that often cannot accommodate their numbers or ensure patient privacy.
The New York Times (gift article) OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Thousands of women and girls in the West Bank exposed to gender based violence – The Telegraph
Guillain–Barré syndrome outbreak in Pune: a health emergency – The Lancet (commentary)
The toxic storm brewing in Soweto’s Snake Park – Bhekisisa
Botswana reports surge in malaria cases – Xinhua
Navigating US global health aid cuts: What can past donor exits teach us? – Brookings Institution (commentary)
‘Life and death’: Beshear vetoes GOP ‘clarification’ of Kentucky’s abortion ban – Kentucky Lantern
Can generative AI tackle global health problems? – Stanford Medicine’s SCOPE
As opposition to fluoride grows, rural America risks a new surge of tooth decay – NPR
The Liverpool team preparing for future pandemics – BBC
‘Huge brown eyes’: Irish farmer comes up with alpaca therapy for elderly patients, special-needs children – The Telegraph India Issue No. 2697
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -->
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SUPPORT US
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CONTACT US
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.
The NIH and CDC have begun widespread terminations of grants related to COVID-19 research and public health outreach, saying “the grant funds are no longer necessary,” per an internal NIH document, reports Nature.
The large-scale grant terminations, amounting to billions, are unprecedented and “dangerous for future pandemic preparedness,” said virologist Jason McLellan at the University of Texas, Austin, who was leading one of the canceled projects.
- The virus has killed 7 million+ people globally, including 1.2+ million people in the U.S. Hundreds of people still die every week, and millions suffer debilitating long COVID symptoms.
- A program designing antiviral drugs for a range of pandemic-potential viruses.
- Research to develop improved COVID-19 vaccines and to address long COVID.
- At least two Serological Sciences Centers of Excellence set up to study virus transmission and immune response.
- The funds were largely being used for testing, surveillance, vaccination, modernizing disease data systems, and addressing disparities.
UK parenting charities and support groups are criticizing new guidance for postpartum women issued in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, which recommended exercise and reduced screen time at night to improve physical and mental health; the parents’ groups say the guidance is “wildly optimistic” and could become “another stick to beat new mums with.” The Guardian
Healthy aging has been linked to a midlife diet rich in plant-based foods and low intake of ultra-processed foods, per a new study published in Nature Medicine that found that such a diet leads to higher likelihood of reaching age 70 without chronic disease. Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (news release) Thanks for the tip, Xiaodong Cai!
New FDA and NIH leaders have been confirmed by the U.S. Senate; Marty Makary will lead the FDA, while Jay Bhattacharya will head the NIH; both gained prominence for criticizing the U.S. COVID-19 response, and both were confirmed along party lines. CBS Trump Administration News Researchers in limbo as Columbia bows to Trump’s demands in bid to restore $400M federal funding – AP
Vaccine skeptic hired to head federal study of immunizations and autism – The Washington Post (gift link)
5 high-level officials leave CDC – The Hill
Remedy Supported by Kennedy Leaves Some Measles Patients More Ill – The New York Times (gift link)
FDA commissioner's abortion pill minefield – Axios CHIKUNGUNYA OUTBREAK Vaccines En Route to Réunion
Chikungunya vaccines are being rushed to France’s Réunion island in the Indian Ocean, where an outbreak has killed two, hospitalized dozens, and infected thousands of people over the last few weeks.
40,000 doses of Ixchiq, a Valneva-produced vaccine, will be aimed at the most vulnerable—including those ages 65+, with severe comorbidities, or working in vector control.
- Chikungunya, spread by Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, is rarely fatal but causes symptoms including fever, headaches, and debilitating joint pain.
- No specific antibody treatments exist, but the vaccine is highly effective at preventing infection.
The Telegraph GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MENTAL HEALTH DOGE Cuts Harm Vulnerable Vets
Veterans’ mental health services are in disarray amid sweeping changes ordered by President Trump and implemented by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
Significant shifts: Thousands of mental health providers, including many fully remote employees, must work full-time from federal office space that often cannot accommodate their numbers or ensure patient privacy.
- Clinicians say the changes, as well as the layoffs of ~2,000 probationary employees, will degrade mental health treatment at the Department of Veterans Affairs, which was already experiencing severe staffing shortages.
The New York Times (gift article) OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Thousands of women and girls in the West Bank exposed to gender based violence – The Telegraph
Guillain–Barré syndrome outbreak in Pune: a health emergency – The Lancet (commentary)
The toxic storm brewing in Soweto’s Snake Park – Bhekisisa
Botswana reports surge in malaria cases – Xinhua
Navigating US global health aid cuts: What can past donor exits teach us? – Brookings Institution (commentary)
‘Life and death’: Beshear vetoes GOP ‘clarification’ of Kentucky’s abortion ban – Kentucky Lantern
Can generative AI tackle global health problems? – Stanford Medicine’s SCOPE
As opposition to fluoride grows, rural America risks a new surge of tooth decay – NPR
The Liverpool team preparing for future pandemics – BBC
‘Huge brown eyes’: Irish farmer comes up with alpaca therapy for elderly patients, special-needs children – The Telegraph India Issue No. 2697
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -->
ABOUT
SUPPORT US
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
CONTACT US
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