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.

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Global demand for meat, dairy and fish is projected to climb steadily over the next decade, driven by rising incomes and urbanisation in middle-income countries.

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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A breakthrough HIV drug that only needs to be injected twice a year to offer near-total protection from the virus and developing AIDS should be made available “immediately” at pharmacies, clinics and via online consultations, the UN health agency said on Monday.

Face aux fascismes apocalyptiques, résistons collectivement pour créer de nouveaux mondes.

Emergency vaccination campaigns have slashed deaths from major infectious disease outbreaks by nearly 60 per cent since 2000, according to a new study published this week.

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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When Natalia Kanem reflects on her eight-year tenure at the helm of the UN reproductive health agency, she doesn’t begin with global statistics, boardroom breakthroughs, or even memories of her visits to refugee camps.

Devastating funding cuts from international donors are hitting countries hardest affected by HIV — but many are showing remarkable resilience and determination to keep progress alive. 

There are three Great Pyramids at Giza in Egypt - but imagine if there were 307 of the mighty edifices. And then imagine that they had dissolved into over two billion tons of sand and dust particles. 

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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As scores of people – including medical staff and their families – have reportedly been killed in the past week, UN health partners in Gaza continue to provide emergency care despite very limited resources.

Original article by The Neuro.

Career of breakthroughs in neuroimaging recognized with one of the nation’s highest honours 

A career that took an uncharted trajectory has been recognized with the Order of Canada, one of the country’s top honours.

Original article by The Neuro.

Career of breakthroughs in neuroimaging recognized with one of the nation’s highest honours 

A career that took an uncharted trajectory has been recognized with the Order of Canada, one of the country’s top honours.

Original article by The Neuro.

Career of breakthroughs in neuroimaging recognized with one of the nation’s highest honours 

A career that took an uncharted trajectory has been recognized with the Order of Canada, one of the country’s top honours.

Original article by The Neuro.

Career of breakthroughs in neuroimaging recognized with one of the nation’s highest honours 

A career that took an uncharted trajectory has been recognized with the Order of Canada, one of the country’s top honours.

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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Anaemia remains one of South Asia’s quietest but most pervasive health crises, disproportionately affecting the region’s poorest women and girls – and with 18 million more cases projected by 2030, experts say urgent, unified action is critical.