96 Global Health NOW: Striking on New Antivenom Potential; April Recap; and Sweltering Conditions in Cambodia’s Sweatshops View this email in your browser May 5, 2025 Forward Share Post A Jameson's mamba, one of Kenya's 13 medically relevant snakes due to a significant rate of deadly snakebite cases, at the Kenya Snakebite Research and Intervention Centre. Nairobi, March 7. Tony Karumba/AFP via Getty Striking on New Antivenom Potential
Scientists have made a major breakthrough in antivenom development, thanks to an unusual research partner: an American snake collector who allowed himself to be bitten hundreds of times, per new research published in Cell. 

Background: In hopes of developing a universal antivenom, lead study author Jacob Glanville had wanted to study antibodies in a person exposed to multiple snake venoms, reports NPR. 

• He found his man in Tim Friede, a self-taught herpetologist who has allowed himself to be bitten ~200 times by more than a dozen venomous snakes over two decades.

The basics: After receiving approval from an ethics review board, researchers analyzed Friede’s blood and found two potent antibodies. 

• By combining them with an existing drug, they made a cocktail that allowed mice to survive venom from 19 species of dangerous elapid snakes, which include cobras, mamba, and taipans, reports Nature.


• Not covered: Venom from vipers, which make up about half of venomous snakes.

Great need: Venomous snakes kill tens of thousands of people every year, and disable several hundred thousand more, per the WHO.

• Developing effective antivenoms has long been a struggle, as most work for just one or a few snakes of one region, reports The Telegraph.

What’s next: The researchers plan to test the treatment in snakebitten dogs in Australia and to develop the antivenom for a wider array of snakes. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   An anthrax outbreak in the DRC has so far resulted in 16 suspected cases and one death, leading to a scaled-up response from health officials, per CIDRAP; meanwhile, Thailand has reported its first anthrax death in decades after a man was exposed to an infected cow, reports The Telegraph.

Ecuador has confirmed three yellow fever cases with a fourth case under investigation, per the nation’s health minister; yellow fever outbreaks continue to be reported across South America. Vax Before Travel

Men die younger across different global regions for a range of reasons often related to increased prevalence of diseases and risk factors and lower access to care, per a new article published in PLOS Medicine. News Medical

The animal sedative medetomidine is increasingly turning up in illegal drugs in the U.S., per the CDC; it is being mixed with other illicit drugs, primarily fentanyl, and has been reported in overdose clusters in Chicago, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. AP U.S. and Global Health Policy News Cuts have eliminated more than a dozen US government health-tracking programs – AP

RFK Jr. calls for CDC plan for alternative measles treatments – Axios

Trump's cuts to contraception will kill 'tens of thousands' of women – The Independent

NIH cuts baby 'Safe to Sleep' team. Here's what parents should know – NPR

Will America be “flying blind” on bird flu? A key wastewater-tracking program may soon end – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists

V.A. Mental Health Care Staff, Crowded into Federal Buildings, Raise Patient Privacy Alarms – The New York Times (gift link) APRIL RECAP: MUST-READS A Squirrel’s Link to Mpox
Scientists have identified the fire-footed rope squirrel as a potential mpox reservoir host—a discovery that could help researchers understand cross-species spillover. 

• DNA from the squirrel matched virus samples taken from mpox-infected sooty mangabey monkeys during an outbreak in Ivory Coast. Researchers believe the monkeys were infected after eating squirrels with the virus.

Implications: While more research is needed, the findings are “a landmark contribution to understanding mpox dynamics,” said an Africa CDC biologist.

Science 
Japan Ramps up Regenerative Medicine
Japan is rapidly expanding its biotechnology sector, investing heavily in regenerative medicine.

In 2006, Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka discovered that adult cells could be reprogrammed into an embryonic-like state known as iPS cells, allowing them to become any kind of tissue. 

• Since then, Japan has led the field globally, hosting nearly one-third of iPS-cell clinical trials—and may soon approve the first iPS-cell treatments for diseases like Parkinson’s.

Nature
Protective Paint in South Africa
In Cape Town, informal homes made of metal and wood can reach 95°F (35°C) and remain hot overnight—disrupting sleep and increasing stress levels.

In a simple intervention, researchers are testing UV-resistant reflective paint on roofs, a practice that has already been used to reduce temperatures in chicken coops.

• The study will measure potential temperature changes and effects on residents’ sleep and health.

The Telegraph APRIL'S TWO-PART EXCLUSIVE SERIES Millions of Indians celebrate Diwali with fireworks—without realizing the dangerous conditions for factory workers. Gurugram, India, October 31, 2024. Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty Fireworks and Heartbreak in a Hard-Hit Indian Village  
SIVAKASI, India—Explosions at fireworks factories are not uncommon in this Southern Indian city that produces nearly 90% of the country’s fireworks, writes Kamala Thiagarajan in Part I of a two-part series that describes the toll on the tens of thousands of workers employed by these factories.

• 91 workers were killed in the most recent year—but only those killed at the explosion site are counted—not those who die later.


• Employers typically pay only for injured workers’ initial care.

Of the 650 families who live in Surangudi village, most have lost either a limb or a loved one to fireworks, social activist Vijay Kumar tells Thiagarajan in Part II.

Ed. Note: Our thanks go to Padmavathy Krishna Kumar who shared the idea for this topic and received an honorable mention in the 2025 Untold Global Health Stories contest, co-sponsored by Global Health NOW and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. READ THE SERIES APRIL'S BEST NEWS Hope for Fistula Survivors in Nigeria  
Free fistula repair surgery will soon be available at clinics throughout Nigeria, health officials announced earlier this month—a “groundbreaking move” in a country that sees ~12,000 new cases a year of vesicovaginal fistula, which can be a debilitating and highly stigmatizing condition.

• In 2022, 600+ women with VVF were abandoned by their families in the state of Borno.


• Advocates say comprehensive counseling services are also needed to support VVF survivors with the psychological trauma associated with the condition. 

Nigeria Health Watch GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH Sweltering Conditions in Cambodia’s Sweatshops
Decades after promised reforms in Cambodian sweatshops that produce goods for companies like Nike, workers still frequently fainted and required medical intervention due to high heat and long hours, employees and medics say. 

Bigger picture: 57,000+ people produce Nike goods at garment factories in Cambodia. Fainting has been a commonly reported problem, with the Cambodian government reporting 4,500+ occurrences in factories between 2017 and 2019. 

• In one factory, Y&W Garment—which employed ~4,500 people making clothes in 2023—former employees reported two to three people fainting daily as temperatures inside soared above 100°F. 

Failed oversight: Workers say oversight groups like the U.N.-backed Better Factories Cambodia have little influence on conditions.

ProPublica OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Meet The Scientist Warning The World About The Next Pandemic –  Health Policy Watch

Chilean woman with muscular dystrophy becomes face of euthanasia debate as bill stalls in Senate – AP

How vaccine hesitancy may be driving a spike in pediatric flu deaths – PBS 

Cannabis Could Be Bad for Your Heart – Undark

Samoa becomes the first Pacific Island country to launch National Action Plan for Health Security – WHO (news release)

Well, That’s One Way to Address America’s Vaping Problem – The Atlantic

Woman's eyesight saved by cutting-edge test after mystery infection – BBC Issue No. 2719
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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Greater awareness and action are needed as Europe and parts of the Middle East grapple with fresh outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) which can have devastating impacts on both animal health and regional economies, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned on Monday. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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