Global Health NOW: Gradual, Vulnerable Vaccine Gains; and New Alzheimer’s Insights
July 16, 2026
TOP STORIESFrance’s parliament adopted an intensely debated right-to-die bill yesterday, supporting assisted dying for adults with incurable illnesses; the bill is slated to undergo review by France’s Constitutional Council before it can take effect. France24
More health workers in the DRC have gone on strike claiming a lack of pay amid the region’s ongoing Ebola outbreak, which has now exceeded ~2,000 cases and led to 754 deaths, per the AP; meanwhile a hospital in Uganda is set to discharge the country’s last known Ebola patient, triggering a 42-day countdown after which it could be declared free of the virus, reports Reuters.
The link between multiple sclerosis and the Epstein-Barr virus is becoming better understood, as researchers were able to show how the virus triggers the immune system in a study published today in Science Translational Medicine; researchers also demonstrated how an immunotherapy treatment can prevent relapses and slow disease progression. Nature
Reducing ultra-processed foods could help prevent thousands of heart disease deaths, finds a study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, which suggests between 23%–38% of heart disease deaths could be attributable to UPF consumption. The Guardian
IN FOCUSA nurse administers the cholera vaccine to a child in Sudan's Gedaref city on November 20, 2023. AFP via Getty Images
Gradual, Vulnerable Vaccine GainsGlobal childhood vaccination rates continue to gradually recover after their steep pandemic dropoff—but rates are still far off the pace needed to meet global immunization goals, and could further unravel under global health funding cuts, the annual WHO-UNICEF immunization report finds.
"Millions of vulnerable children are still being left unprotected due to conflict, displacement, and poverty,” said UNICEF executive director Catherine Russell.
Key takeaways: ~13.5 million children remained “zero-dose” in 2025, meaning they missed all routine vaccinations. That number is down ~750,000 from the previous year, but still well above pre-pandemic levels. And it is ~4 million off the 2025 milestone needed to meet the global goal of halving the number of unvaccinated children by 2030, reports The Independent.
Conflict, poverty, displacement, and rapid population growth are the key barriers, as more than half of zero-dose children live in fragile, conflict-affected and vulnerable settings.
Uneven progress: WHO also warned that growing numbers of children start vaccine schedules but fail to complete them, contributing to stalled measles coverage and renewed outbreaks, per Health Policy Watch.
Globally, 7.3 million infants are estimated to have received their first DTP dose, but dropped out before receiving their first measles dose.
Looming impact of aid cuts: The 2025 data sets also do not yet reflect major international funding cuts. Already, though, surveillance systems “are themselves showing strain,” the report found.
Sudan’s bright spot: Despite ongoing conflict, Sudan recorded the largest improvement globally last year, “demonstrating what is possible” when access is improved, per the report.
Meanwhile in the U.S.: Vaccine policy remained in focus on Capitol Hill as senators led by Sen. Bill Cassidy sharply questioned CDC director nominee Erica Schwartz, who sidestepped queries about whether the agency would maintain scientific independence under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., reports Reuters.
Cassidy also confronted Sean Kaufman, who has been tapped to lead the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response, over Kaufman’s previous vaccine-skeptical posts and doubts over mRNA research, reports CIDRAP.
New Alzheimer’s research is continuing to uncover new clues about the disease, as scientists seek more ways to understand risk, identify the disease sooner, and refine treatment routes.
The research, much of which was presented this week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in London, demonstrates the growing emphasis on earlier, more personalized approaches to preventing and slowing the disease.
Better understanding risk: A blood test measuring a biomarker called p-tau217 could help identify symptom-free older adults at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s years before cognitive problems appear, reports the AP. The study, which was published in JAMA, drew results from long-running studies of 2,684 older adults.
For now, researchers view the early test primarily as a way to recruit participants for prevention trials rather than as a routine screening tool.
New pathways to treatment: An experimental drug might help slow early Alzheimer’s disease by lowering levels of the brain protein tau, per another report by the AP. While further tests are needed, the Biogen drug, diranersen, could introduce a different approach than the medications lecanemab and donanebab, which clear buildup of the better-known amyloid protein.
Related: New WHO guidelines: up to 45% of dementia risk could be prevented or delayed – WHO
SURVEYWhat do you think of GHN’s frequency (Monday–Thursday)?
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Peanut Butter and LegacyIt’s hard enough spreading peanut butter evenly on a PB&J sandwich.
Now imagine being asked to evenly spread 800 lbs of the stuff—enough for 15,000 sandwiches—across a 25-meter hexagon.
Punishment? Nay! An honor of the highest artistic order—and also “a lot of work,” admitted one PB-worker who helped to spread the piece on a museum floor in honor of its creator, the Dutch conceptual artist Wim T. Schippers, who died last month, AP reports.
To spread the love, Schippers left behind instructions for replicating Pindakaasvloer, or peanut butter floor: “No one is supposed to stand in, or lie down on the peanut butter,” he ordered. But visitors at the latest installation have already trodden on the work and dropped their phones in it, according to Dutch News.
Schippers’ Floor Covering Series also included one covered in glass shards and salt. A warning to vandals: If you step on that one, the joke’s on you.
QUICK HITSDengue outbreak complicates Bangladesh measles crisis response – The Telegraph
U.S. military will test service members’ testosterone levels, Pete Hegseth says – NBC News
Are Microplastics Linked To Higher Heart Attack Risk? – U.S. News & World Report
Parkinson’s drastically changed how they have sex. They're not alone. – USA Today
Lawmakers want to make daylight-saving time permanent — health experts say that's precisely the wrong idea – Business Insider
Medici family mystery may be solved after more than 400 years with new DNA analysis – CNN
Issue No. 2951
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Breaking the silence: Zimbabwean youth leader calls for urgent investment in mental health
WHO warns DR Congo Ebola outbreak is outpacing response as Uganda reaches milestone
‘Heat deaths are not inevitable’: WHO pushes Europe to heat‑proof its hospitals
Global Health NOW: Pushback Against Big Tobacco’s Political Boost; and Fun, Games, and Prevention
July 15, 2026
TOP STORIESMany of DRC’s newly reported Ebola deaths are people who died in their communities without ever receiving care—a “most alarming finding,” per the WHO, which warned that a majority of new cases are coming from “unknown chains of transmission,” as the toll for the fastest-growing outbreak ever approaches 2,000 confirmed cases and 700+ deaths. UN Wire
221 people have died in Nigeria’s Lassa fever outbreak, which has spread to 23 of the nation’s 36 states, per the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention; the case fatality rate of the outbreak is now 24%, with people ages 21–30 the most affected. CIDRAP
A tuberculosis outbreak at an ICE facility in Colorado has sickened ~12 people, and dozens of others have reportedly been placed in quarantine without air conditioning, per detainee accounts; another outbreak was reported in the same facility last spring. The Guardian
A U.S. appeals court has revived hundreds of lawsuits claiming links between acetaminophen usage during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental disorders; a lower court had previously thrown out the suits, which were filed against pharmacies and the manufacturer of Tylenol, as scientists and obstetrics groups repeatedly emphasize that there is no connection between the medication and such disorders. The Hill
IN FOCUSAn advertisement for Zyn smokeless nicotine pouches at a smoke shop in New York City on January 27, 2024. Bing Guan/Bloomberg via Getty
Pushback Against Big Tobacco’s Political BoostLongstanding efforts to curb youth tobacco use in the U.S. could be undermined in coming years, warn health advocates, as federal regulators loosen restrictions on vapes and nicotine products while also rolling back smoking prevention and cessation programs.
Eased federal guidance on newer tobacco products “helps the tobacco industry target kids and threatens the hard-won progress our nation has made in reducing youth tobacco use,” argued a coalition of public health groups, pediatricians, and parents who filed a lawsuit against the FDA yesterday, per Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids (news release).
Background: In May, the FDA released new guidance that rolled back restrictions on vaping—including the sale of flavored vapes—and fast-tracked the approval of nicotine pouches.
Meanwhile, a former FDA scientist told The Examination that the agency approved Zyn nicotine pouches without fully assessing or determining the composition of materials used in the pouches.
Diminished prevention efforts: At the same time, CDC’s office on smoking and health has been shuttered for more than a year, and a federal advisory panel set to issue updated guidance on helping young people quit tobacco has been stalled since last March, reports The Guardian.
The “broadly pro-tobacco agenda” is coming into play as President Trump increased his investments in major tobacco companies and as industry groups donated millions to Trump-aligned political committees, per an investigation by KFF Health News.
Related:
Making Americans Smokers Again: Trump Administration Cuts Anti-Tobacco Programs – Ms. Magazine (commentary)
Cola, Cotton Candy and ‘sweet-flavoured’ vapes to be banned to protect children – The Independent
Cigarettes are back in vogue. How did this happen? – The Washington Post (gift link)
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASESFun, Games, and PreventionTo combat the parasitic disease schistosomiasis, public health workers in Nigeria rely on an arsenal of interventions: testing, preventive drugs, and a rousing variation of the board game Chutes and Ladders.
“Schisto & Ladders,” developed by researchers more than a decade ago, shows kids how to navigate the complex quest of preventing and treating schistosomiasis:
On a colorful board, players slide down “Schisto worms” for risky behaviors, such as playing in an infected river. But they can also “climb ladders” for healthy choices, like taking preventative praziquantel at school or cutting vegetation around a river to discourage snails, the parasite’s host.
Interactive impact: One 2020 study found that after six months of gameplay, more than two-thirds of 275 students were familiar with praziquantel, and 65% consented to treatment.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITSThe new malaria vaccine helps in Africa but faces a test: Completing all 4 doses – AP
Americans in Congo barred from immediately returning home amidst Ebola outbreak – Politico
‘When she turns eight they will take her’: rising number of Afghan girls being sold into child marriage – The Guardian
The Dangerous Unraveling Of The United States’ Family Planning Safety Net – Health Affairs
What to watch for as senators question CDC nominee Erica Schwartz – The Washington Post (gift link)
Medieval plague survivors left us graffiti, court records and a lesson for COVID – The Conversation
The rise of evidence-based medicine and the ‘mavericks’ who championed it – Nature (book review) Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!
Going to museums, movies, and theater may help your body stay younger – BMJ Group via ScienceDaily
Issue No. 2950
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Copyright 2026 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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New guidance offers hope for reducing the global toll of dementia
Childhood vaccination rate increases slightly, but millions remain unprotected
Global Health NOW: A Swiftly Evolving Drug Crisis; and Why Global Health Needs a Planetary Health Strategy
July 14, 2026
TOP STORIESEl Salvador earned WHO validation for eliminating trachoma—the world's leading infectious cause of blindness—as a public health problem; El Salvador conducted targeted assessments between 2023–2026 and found no evidence of active trachoma transmission, detected no signs of the disease in children, and found no advanced cases capable of causing blindness in adults. WHO (news release)
First responders to the burgeoning Ebola outbreak in the DRC need better protective equipment and pay, per the Africa CDC; dozens of Ituri province health workers joined a strike yesterday demanding back pay. CIDRAP
After landslides in Bangladesh this month killed at least 13 Rohingya refugees and displaced 4,000+, Human Rights Watch warns that refugees “crammed into bamboo and tarp shelters ... on steep, deforested hillsides” are vulnerable to cyclones, floods, and landslides and called on the Bangladesh authorities, the UN, and donors to reduce overcrowding and restore aid for embankments, drainage, access routes, and emergency relocation sites. Human Rights Watch
Michigan health officials have tentatively linked salad greens or lettuce to the outbreak of explosive diarrhea that has topped 2,600 cases in the state, though other sources of cyclosporiasis cannot be ruled out. The Hill
IN FOCUSJaan Vaart, coordinator of the harm reduction service, stands inside a van equipped with syringes and emergency equipment. Tallinn, Estonia, November 18, 2019. Alessandro Rampazzo/AFP via Getty
A Swiftly Evolving Drug CrisisWhen Estonia cut fentanyl overdose deaths by a stunning 70%+ by 2018, there was little time to celebrate: Soon, even more dangerous synthetic opioids filled the void fentanyl left behind, driving overdoses up once again, reports The New York Times (gift link).
Mutating threats: Estonia’s crisis points to a new frontier in the global opioid epidemic, as potent, lab-manufactured opioids emerge faster than researchers, public health officials, or law enforcement can respond.
Nitazenes, which can be 40X stronger than fentanyl, have led to a dramatic uptick in overdoses in Estonia. This year, an even more lethal opioid, cychlorphine, has hit the streets.
“It’s changing too quickly,” said Katri Abel-Ollo, a researcher at Estonia’s National Institute for Health Development.
Cychlorphine is a growing concern in the U.S. too, per CBS—and many of the victims have skewed younger, according to Luis Agostini, a DEA public information officer. The overdose-reversing drug Narcan or naloxone can work to an extent, but it may take multiple doses, given cychlorphine’s strength.
Expanding access to a lifeline: In the U.S., momentum is growing to open up naloxone access to teens, who often face barriers obtaining and carrying it due to varying state laws and consent requirements, reports Eli Cahan in Rolling Stone.
A bipartisan bill in Congress, the School Access to Naloxone Act, seeks to fund naloxone supply and training for schools, and expand legal protections for those who administer the medication in emergencies.
The Quote: “I think it would be good if people realize that putting things in a lockbox and telling people no isn’t going to stop a teenager,” says Max Zimbron Martinez, a leader of the Bulldogs Against Overdose student group at Garfield High School in Seattle.
Related: Inside the push for a fentanyl vaccine – JAMA
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARYWhy Global Health Needs a Planetary Health StrategyIf you’re committed to advancing global health, it’s time to join the young, transdisciplinary field of planetary health, writes Samuel Myers in an exclusive commentary for Global Health NOW.
The field recognizes that Earth’s natural systems play a critical role in supporting human health, and the degradation of those systems is becoming a dominant driver of the global burden of disease, writes Myers, faculty director of the Planetary Health Alliance and the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health.
What can be done:
Medical and public health practitioners and researchers can break down silos to focus on different innovations, policies, and practices to protect the public’s health.
Researchers can work with nontraditional partners like urban planners, business leaders, material scientists, and others.
Nurses and physicians can advise patients to adopt a planetary health diet (high in plants and low in meat and dairy) and spend time in nature to improve their health.
These are just a few ways we can adapt our efforts to reflect the fact that the health of humanity and the state of the planet are inextricably connected, argues Myers.
Read the full commentary by Samuel Myers Read the full commentary by Samuel Myers OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITSSingapore bat colony could unlock the future of medicine – The Telegraph
Reforming WHO: Five Considerations for the Next Director General – Think Global Health
‘If a woman is killed, they say she fell, she took poison’: Pakistan’s devastating rise in ‘hidden’ sexual violence – The Guardian
Profound health inequalities between Sub-Saharan Africa and other world regions – Nature
Proximity to Golf Courses and Risk of Parkinson Disease – JAMA Network Open
How wearable tech such as watches or bracelets could help to detect Sepsis more quickly – The Independent
Is there a doctor on board? Yes, and airlines depend on it – Stat (commentary)
Issue No. 2949
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Copyright 2026 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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World Cup football’s other goal: Helping young people talk about mental health
‘This is a fire’: DRC Ebola outbreak is fastest-growing ever, warns WHO
Global Health NOW: The Race for a Bundibugyo Vaccine; and The Devastating Consequences of Vitamin K Rejections
July 13, 2026
TOP STORIESA growing cholera outbreak in Sudan has killed 114 people, per WHO officials, who also reported 1,330+ cases; the outbreak especially threatens vulnerable communities in conflict zones, where aid access continues to be hampered. African Press Agency
A group of NGOs allege rights abuses by wealthy countries that control much of the world’s pharmaceutical industry as pandemic agreement talks stall; countries including the EU, Norway, Japan, and Switzerland have opposed proposals that would require pharmaceutical companies to grant licenses for production in developing countries, and are “systematically resisting measures essential to realise the right to health” of other nations, per the complaint. Geneva Solutions
A U.S. outbreak of cyclosporiasis, the gastrointestinal affliction caused by the parasite Cyclospora, has reached 31 states, with 843 confirmed cases reported, per the CDC; however, the true number of infections is likely much higher, with Michigan alone reporting 1,562 cyclosporiasis cases as of Friday. NPR
A Legionnaires’ disease outbreak on Manhattan’s Upper East Side has widened, with reports of 50+ people diagnosed, but fewer than 20 remain hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported; more than two dozen buildings—including the Guggenheim museum—recently tested positive for the bacterium that causes the disease and have reportedly cleaned and disinfected their cooling towers in response. PBS
IN FOCUSA health worker dries gumboots and gloves under the sun at the Mulago National Referral Hospital isolation unit in Kampala, Uganda, on July 8. Badru Katumba/AFP via Getty
The Race for a Bundibugyo VaccineThe first human trial of an experimental vaccine for Bundibugyo will launch in Uganda in the coming weeks, a critical step as researchers rush to develop new protections to stem the rapidly spreading Ebola epidemic.
The trial: 110 volunteers are set to receive the vaccine in Masaka, Uganda, which is home to a large research outpost of the UK’s Medical Research Council and the Ugandan Virus Research Institute, reports The Telegraph.
The shot uses ChAdOx, a viral vector platform developed by Oxford researchers that was used to develop the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine as well as vaccines for malaria and the plague. The phase 1 study will focus on safety.
Other Bundibugyo vaccines in the pipeline include one from Moderna and another from biotech nonprofit IAVI, with researchers optimistic that at least one candidate could prove successful within a year.
The vaccine trials will join the emergency clinical trials of experimental antiviral and antibody-based therapies recently launched in eastern Congo, reports The Guardian.
Ever-heightening stakes: While DRC remains at the center of the crisis with 1,800+ infections and hundreds of deaths, health officials are increasingly concerned about cross-border spread in what is now the fastest-growing Ebola outbreak on record, reports The Economist.
In Uganda, which has reported 20 cases, bans around public gatherings and handshakes have been put in place.
And health leaders are keeping a close eye on South Sudan—where fragile health systems could swiftly become overwhelmed.
Related:
Congo’s Ebola Outbreak Spreads to Two More Provinces – Reuters via U.S. News & World Report
US citizen tests positive for Ebola in Congo – AP
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MISINFORMATIONThe Devastating Consequences of Vitamin K RejectionsAs more U.S. parents decline newborn vitamin K shots, doctors are seeing more babies arriving at the hospital with devastating hemorrhages.
“It’s not unusual anymore,” said pediatric emergency medicine physician Meghan Martin in St. Petersburg, Florida, whose department treats an infant hemorrhage every month or two.
Background: Vitamin K deficiency, which is common in infants, can cause life-threatening brain or abdominal hemorrhages. Since 1961, cases have been largely prevented through widespread adoption of newborn vitamin K shots.
Rising rejections: Vaccine hesitation has led to an uptick of refusals: In 2024, 5.2% of U.S. babies missed the shot, up from 2.9% in 2017, per a JAMA study.
Over the last five years, physicians have seen more cases, and severe outcomes—including lasting brain injury and death.
The New York Times (gift link)
Related:
Lawmakers Call for CDC to Track Vitamin K Shot Refusals, Cite ProPublica Report – ProPublica
ICYMI: The newborn vitamin K shot: What every parent needs to know – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITSLEN can stop HIV. But first people need to understand it – Bhekisisa
Malaria Surge in Urban Teens: Medics cite gaps in care – The Independent Uganda
Nearly half of ovarian cancer cases are diagnosed in ER, missing critical treatment window, study finds – ABC
World Bank drops climate funding target, raising fears for Africa – RFI
Federal funding and science doubled life expectancy. We can’t do more with less. – The Hill (commentary)
Graduating without a thesis: meet the people getting ‘practical’ PhDs in China – Nature
Issue No. 2948
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Copyright 2026 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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New cholera outbreak alert for Sudan’s war-weary communities
Global Health NOW: Cancer Outcomes Shaped by Income; and How the EMA’s Steffen Thirstrup Is ‘Standing Up for Science’
July 9, 2026
TOP STORIESAttacks on Ebola health care efforts continue in the DRC, as rumors and misinformation fuel violence that has included arson at treatment facilities, assaults on health workers, and repeated clashes over safe burial procedures. BBC
Gun suicides reached a record high of 27,593 in the U.S. in 2024, finds the latest annual firearm mortality report from the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions; the report, which determined ~45,000 people died by gun violence in 2024, also found that the firearm-related homicide rate dropped 15.8% from 2023. Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
NFL players are 4X more likely to die of neurodegenerative diseases like ALS, dementia, and Parkinson’s than the general population, finds a study of ~20,000 NFL players; the study, which was published in the Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine, is the largest of its kind to date to examine mortality in pro football players. Boston University
Catnip lotion is an effective mosquito repellent, finds a study presented at the Society for Experimental Biology conference last week; the study, based on trials carried out in Uganda, found the herb has insect-repelling properties “with performance equivalent to DEET.” The Guardian Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!
IN FOCUSA dermatologist screens a boy living with Albinism for skin cancer at the Thika School for the Blind. Thika, Kenya, June 13. Simon Maina/AFP via Getty
Cancer Outcomes Shaped by IncomeInequities in cancer care are widening worldwide, finds a global cancer report from the WHO, which warns that annual cancer cases could soar from ~20.6 million in 2024 to ~35 million by 2050 without “urgent” investment in prevention, early detection, and treatment—especially in lower-income countries, per UN News.
Stark survival gaps: The report highlights “persistent and widening” disparities between rich and poor countries, reports The Guardian. Some examples from the report:
Women diagnosed with breast cancer in high-income countries have five-year survival rates of ~87%, compared with ~42% in low-income nations.
Access to 20 priority cancer medicines ranges from 68% to 94% in high-income countries, compared with 9–54% in LMICs.
<1/3 of countries include comprehensive cancer care in universal health coverage.
“Far too many people are still being left behind,” says André Ilbawi, the WHO’s team lead for cancer control, per The Washington Post (gift link).
Powerful opportunities in prevention: Despite the report’s sobering findings, researchers emphasized that 4 in 10 cancers are preventable, with risk factors including tobacco and alcohol use, obesity, physical inactivity, and infections such as HPV and hepatitis, The Washington Post reports.
Already, interventions like smoking cessation and HPV vaccines are leading to major gains.
But that progress is uneven: In North America and Europe, cervical cancer has been reduced to “almost elimination”—while it is still a leading cancer in sub-Saharan Africa.
“ …We have become more aware of this challenge and the importance of us being out there, being transparent and providing information. We’re trying to re-establish trust in what we are doing, and first of all, standing up for science.
——————————
—Steffen Thirstrup, MD, PhD
As chief medical officer of the European Medicines Agency, the Amsterdam-based EU drug regulator, Steffen Thirstrup has grappled with the COVID-19 pandemic, anti-vaccine politics in Europe, and upheaval at the FDA, the EMA’s U.S. counterpart.
But now, other issues are keeping him up at night: health misinformation and anti-science politics.
Thirstrup explains why the EMA is taking on a more public role in fighting misinformation—and the risks of staying silent. Key takeaways:
On choosing battles wisely: “We cannot react to every mis- and disinformation that we by chance pick up, but if we see that there is a potential negative health impact, we try to push back.”
On tactics: Communicating at the eye level of the audience, and engaging with trusted influencers or content creators online—to push positive messages, and also tackle misinformation.
On challenges ahead: The speed of information flow and social media, where everybody can make themselves an expert; and political movements spreading information that questions science.
Read the full Q&A by Gabriela Galvin Read the full Q&A by Gabriela Galvin ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Turn the Cleat AroundWe’ve all seen some fancy footwork during this World Cup. But it’s unlikely that even the fanciest moves from the likes of Messi, Haaland, and Mbappe can stack up to the maneuvers described in this match in West Hollywood last week via The New York Times (gift link):
The players headed the ball — and shimmied to ABBA’s “Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (A Man After Midnight).” They dance-battled to “Car Wash.” They shot penalty kicks to Donna Summers’s “I Feel Love.” At one point, a goalie hung upside down from the goal frame, swinging to and fro.
These players are of course, cut from a different—perhaps lamé?—cloth than your standard soccer roster. That’s because they aren’t soccer players. They’re Discofoot players.
The beautiful game, further beautified: Invented in 2014 by Swedish choreographers, Discofoot is soccer-esque, with a few key distinctions:
Instead of dribbling, players must improvise dance moves. Goals matter, but judges also give points for artistic merit. Goals can be guarded by a Pas de Quatre from “Swan Lake.” The pregame national anthem is the Bee Gees’ “Stayin’ Alive.” And crucially: All players must wear shimmering gold shorts.
I fear a new HIV and Aids epidemic is coming – and the world won’t care, UN official warns – The Independent
An Italian region defies US pressure to end a Cuban doctors program – AP
Study dampens hope that meningitis vaccine can also prevent gonorrhea – Science
State IVF measures may reduce access to fertility care, docs say – Axios
My Search for a Psychiatric Bed in an Overburdened Health System – KFF Health News
Are Autonomous Vehicles Safer Than Human Drivers? – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
How to advance revolutionary science: high turnover, high risk and a license to fail – Nature
Issue No. 2947
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World must move faster on Ebola response for DR Congo: UN relief chief
Reducing vehicle emissions could prevent thousands of deaths in Canada
A shift to cleaner transportation could prevent more than 3,600 premature deaths in Montreal and Toronto by reducing ultrafine particle pollution, finds a new study led by McGill researchers.
Ultrafine particles (UFPs) are microscopic pollutants produced in large quantities by vehicle exhaust. Because of their small size, they can penetrate deep into the lungs and bloodstream and may contribute to serious health problems such as heart and lung disease.
Global Health NOW: Pandemic-Era Push for PPE Stalls; and Long Road of Autism Advocacy in Guinea
July 8, 2026
TOP STORIESAn Egyptian court has sentenced a doctor and filmmaker for drawing attention to a pattern of obstetric violence at an Alexandria public hospital—including widespread physical, sexual, and verbal abuse and medical negligence; the doctor was charged with “spreading false news,” fined, and given a six-month suspended prison sentence. Human Rights Watch
A public health emergency in Venezuela is growing as already-strained health systems struggle to meet surging medical needs following the country’s twin earthquakes; 20 health facilities are facing “severe shortages of vital medical supplies,” and just 1,038 healthcare workers are available for a population of 1.7 million+ people. International Rescue Committee
Nearly 1 in 4 adults in five states with high rates of alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) tested positive for alpha-gal antibodies, suggesting that the presence of the molecule that triggers AGS could be more common than AGS itself, per a new study in CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report; the researchers recommend that testing be reserved for patients with clinical symptoms to avoid overdiagnosis. CIDRAP
Average testosterone levels in men declined by 54% between 1972 and 2019, according to data presented this week at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in London; researchers say rising obesity and diabetes are the key drivers but also highlighted endocrine-disrupting chemicals and climate change as potential factors. The Guardian
IN FOCUSNurses pull on gloves before administering COVID-19 vaccinations to children at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles. June 21, 2022. Wesley Lapointe/Los Angeles Times via Getty
Pandemic-Era Push for PPE StallsA U.S. effort to rebuild domestic medical glove manufacturing during the COVID-19 pandemic has largely fallen short six years later—a saga that underscores the struggle to sustain the pandemic-era priority of achieving medical supply independence, reports Bloomberg.
Background: In the face of dire COVID-era PPE shortages, ~$850 million in government funding was allocated to six American companies for nitrile glove manufacturing.
That included an effort to kickstart production of butadiene, a key glove ingredient which has long been imported—a vulnerability highlighted this year as the Iran war led to glove price hikes, per Reuters.
Drained investments: None of those funded companies are producing medical gloves today, and the U.S. still relies heavily on imports.
Companies say federal funding was not sustained as they were hit by rising construction costs and struggled with a lack of buyers, since domestic gloves can cost ~2X as much as imported ones.
“It is frustrating to watch because value chains for any medical product take a while to establish and take root,” said Prashant Yadav, a senior fellow for global health at the Council on Foreign Relations.
Future focus: The Trump administration is shifting from manufacturing investment to procurement policies that direct federal agencies to buy American-made nitrile gloves whenever possible.
Meanwhile, as another outbreak grows: The Africa CDC is working with manufacturers to scale up domestic PPE production to ensure ~60% of PPE is Africa-produced by 2040, reports New Vision.
Related:
‘Monumental failure of government’ led to lost £11bn for Covid PPE – The Times
The fight for PPE that fits – Royal College of Nursing
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES AUTISM Long Road of Advocacy in GuineaFamilies of children with autism face an uphill battle in Guinea, where a range of obstacles stand between them and support services:
Unclear picture of need: Guinea does not track autism cases, making it harder to train health workers to diagnose the condition and build out support systems.
Stigma: The condition is often misunderstood and sometimes attributed to evil spirits.
Few facilities: Only a few schools serve children with autism, and they are prohibitively expensive for most families.
Advocates press forward: In 2023, the Salim Foundation for Children with Autism opened as a free school for autistic children and as a support hub for families.
“These children deserve acceptance, understanding, education and unconditional love,” said founder Mariam Aisha Barry.
What do you think about GHN’s length today?
QUICK HITSAd hoc organization relies on creativity, ‘scrappy’ funding to monitor public health during World Cup – CIDRAP
Waiver or not, US places no gag rule conditions on Global Fund funding – Devex (free registration required)
Liberia’s abortion law reform: A new front in the global culture wars – The New Humanitarian
What can France learn from Spain's heatwave protection for workers? – Radio France Internationale
What to know about Legionnaires’ disease making people sick on New York’s Upper East Side – AP
Americans May Be Smarter About Vaccines Than You Think – KFF Health News
Issue No. 2946
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Copyright 2026 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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Restoring dignity: Senegalese surgeon and Burundian foundation win reproductive health awards
Cancer cases could nearly double by 2050 without urgent action, WHO warns
122 McGill research projects awarded $30 million in NSERC Discovery Grants funding
Funding supports bold ideas across natural sciences and engineering disciplines at McGill, in fields ranging from ophthalmology and physics to music research and electrical engineering.
The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has awarded 122 McGill research projects funding from its Discovery Grants competition for a total investment of $30 million.
Global Health NOW: Pakistan’s Pediatric HIV Outbreak; and Overheated Europe Looks to an Air-Conditioned Future
July 7, 2026
TOP STORIESHealth workers at the center of the Ebola outbreak in DRC’s Ituri province threatened to strike if the government fails to pay them and improve their working conditions; they say they have not been paid benefits since the outbreak began and they lack adequate equipment and supplies. AP
Thousands of women in India are murdered or driven to take their own lives over dowry disputes each year—yet the cases no longer spark public outrage or debate, according to a new study, despite a rise in cases (from 1,841 in 1988 to 6,516 in 2022); dowries were officially banned in 1961 but remain widespread. The Guardian
Armed conflict is tied to a higher measles burden through missed vaccinations, weakened healthcare systems, displacement, and socioeconomic decline, per a study in PLOS Medicine led by King's College London and New York University researchers who analyzed and modeled data on battle-related deaths, displacement, economic factors, life expectancy, and education from 193 countries from 2000 to 2023. CIDRAP
China-based fentanyl manufacturers are profiting from US online sales of peptides, which are popular with influencers and are currently blocked from being mixed by compounding pharmacies in the U.S. because of a lack of studies on their health effects. Axios
IN FOCUSA paramedic takes a blood sample from a baby for an HIV test at a state-run hospital. Rato Dero, Pakistan, May 9, 2019. Rizwan Tabassum/AFP via Getty
Pakistan’s Pediatric HIV OutbreakPakistan’s government has two weeks to explain how at least 78 children were infected with HIV at a Sindh province hospital.
The Sindh High Court ordered a report last week on the outbreak in Kulsoom Bai Valika Hospital after months of government inaction and mounting outrage from the children’s families.
Tariq Mansoor, the petitioner before the court, said the children were infected by contaminated disposable syringes that had been reused.
Justice delayed: After the HIV cases were reported last November, the families requested the government initiate an independent inquiry. After the government took no action, they petitioned the High Court.
“We have been running from pillar to post in search of justice, but the government has offered us no hope,” Mansoor said.
Wider outbreak: The Pakistan Medical Association warned in April of an increase in HIV infection among children in Sindh province. It said the increase was caused by serious infection control failures.
History: The country’s worst pediatric HIV outbreak emerged in Sindh in April 2019 when 800+ children tested positive for HIV. Private clinics’ reuse of syringes and needles in IV treatment was blamed.
Related:
As Pakistan’s monsoon arrives, people with HIV worry – Dawn
Cambodia's HIV model the region cannot ignore – Lowy Institute
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES EXTREME HEATOverheated Europe Looks to an Air-Conditioned FutureAir conditioning usage is rapidly growing across Europe, as intensifying heat waves strain infrastructure built for cooler climates.
~20% of European homes have AC units; but adoption is expanding even in historically cooler countries like the U.K., where homes with AC doubled over the past three years; and Germany, where AC adoption jumped 6% between 2023–2024.
Prioritizing health care: Britain’s Climate Change Committee warned that air conditioning is becoming urgently needed in hospitals. This week, medical machines broke down in sweltering UK hospital wards even as heat-related admissions surged.
The cost of cooling: Higher electricity prices and aging power grids make widespread AC adoption especially challenging.
Climate experts say Europe requires more efficient AC technology alongside better building design, shade, and urban greenery.
Related:
June heatwave may have killed around 20,000 people in Europe – NewScientist
At least 25 people die in US as record heatwave scorches swaths of country – The Guardian
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITSSan Francisco Celebrates Morning-After Pill for STIs. Other Countries Warn of Antibiotic Resistance – KQED
Medicaid funding is resuming for Planned Parenthood after being cut off for most of a year – AP
How easy is it to get weight-loss drugs online? Secret shoppers from Yale found out – The Washington Post (gift link)
Decline of Ph.D. admissions could imperil a ‘generation of new talent’ – The New York Times (gift link)
After Certification: How El Salvador and Belize Remain Malaria-Free – Inter-American Development Bank
Exposure to everyday chemicals can add up – a toxicologist offers simple steps to reduce your dose – The Conversation
Issue No. 2945
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Copyright 2026 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.
Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Brian Simpson, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.
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