96 Global Health NOW: Sierra Leone’s Mpox Surge; Climate and Kidney Disease; and Standing Up to Stigma View this email in your browser June 9, 2025 Forward Share Post A crowd of people at Dove Cot Market. Freetown, Sierra Leone, May 1. Patrick Meinhardt/AFP via Getty Sierra Leone’s Mpox Surge
Mpox infections are rapidly rising in Sierra Leone, overwhelming the nation’s health systems and raising fears of a wider spread in densely populated West Africa, reports Nature. 

Outbreak overview: In the past month, Sierra Leone has reported 15 deaths and 3,000+ mpox infections—more than half of Africa’s new cases.

• The actual number of infections may be 4X higher than reported, genomic analysis suggests.

Transmission: The virus is spreading among both men and women, and sexual contact appears to be the main means of transmission. Young people, including sex workers, are especially affected, finds one preprint study. 

• The outbreak is driven by clade IIb—the same strain behind the global outbreak that began in 2022, and separate from the clade Ib strain driving the outbreak in the DRC. 

Overload: Sierra Leone’s health system lacks capacity to control the spread, say epidemiologists there. 

• The country has received limited vaccine doses, and global funding cuts are further hampering research and response.

Meanwhile, Ethiopia is seeing a sharp spike in infections after the country logged its first mpox cases in late May, reports CIDRAP.

• 40 cases have now been reported, and one infant has died.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   HIV researchers have made a key breakthrough in their quest for a cure after finding a way to use mRNA to force the virus out of hiding inside white blood cells, per a study published in Nature Communications. The Guardian

Viral skincare routines aimed at teenagers on TikTok carry both dermatological and psychological risks and “offer little to no benefit,” finds a study in Pediatrics, which also found that content creators ages 7–18 apply an average of six skincare products daily. Newsweek

U.S. mothers’ mental health worsened between 2016 and 2023 across all socioeconomic groups, finds a study in JAMA Internal Medicine that analyzed self-reported mental health ratings from some 198,000 mothers. The Washington Post (gift link)

As global measles surveillance is threatened by U.S. funding cuts, philanthropies are trying to keep the Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network, known as Gremlin, afloat. STAT U.S. and Global Health Policy News In Axing mRNA Contract, Trump Delivers Another Blow to US Biosecurity, Former Officials Say – KFF Health News

He led George W. Bush's PEPFAR program to stop AIDS. Now he fears for its future – NPR Goats and Soda

How Trump Administration Can Tackle America's Addiction Problems: Experts – Newsweek

Who’s in charge? CDC’s leadership ‘crisis’ apparent amid new COVID-19 vaccine guidance – AP

NIH asks for proposals for $50M autism data project – Axios

Palantir’s Collection of Disease Data at C.D.C. Stirs Privacy Concerns – The New York Times (gift link) CLIMATE Climate and Kidney Disease
Since the late 1990s, researchers have been studying an epidemic of young, otherwise healthy workers suddenly struck with kidney failure—a condition dubbed chronic kidney disease of unknown cause, or CKDu. 

• First seen in El Salvador, CKDu is now known to affect laborers worldwide, especially in hot, humid regions.


• Tens of thousands have likely died from the disease, say researchers. 

Factors: Repeated heat exposure, dehydration, and hard labor appear to be key causes of kidney damage.

• “You’re having this acute kidney injury day after day,” said Catharina Giudice, an emergency medicine physician at Harvard University. 

And as global temperatures rise, researchers warn CKDu could become far more widespread.

Nature GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS Standing Up to Stigma
In Rwanda, where approximately 300,000 people live with HIV, stigma can lead to social isolation, especially in school-age children. But new protective measures are supporting students living with HIV. 

• The Rwanda Biomedical Centre has trained 383 school officials on supporting students who are HIV-positive. 139 officials will receive similar training in June. 


• Youth-driven anti-AIDS clubs that provide awareness and support, which have stalled in the past, are being revived.

Discrete support: Children are often mocked for taking HIV medication in class. One solution has been the use of discrete pill boxes. 4,000 boxes were distributed last year to at-risk youth, allowing them privacy to take medication, including PrEP.

The New Times  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Gaza health system ‘extremely fragile’ as aid point killings increase: ICRC – Al Jazeera

Monthly prescription rule blocks ADHD treatment for SA kids – Bhekisisa

World must ‘start screening for prostate cancer to stop men being left behind’ – The Telegraph

Salmonella outbreak tied to eggs sickens dozens across 7 states – AP

Stigmatised for being deaf: Zénabou's story – UN News

Local, organic, and bipartisan: How Vermont is challenging Big Food – The Christian Science Monitor

How a dog aging project can help pets and humans live healthier lives – NPR’s Short Wave (audio) Issue No. 2737
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: Europe’s Surge of Synthetic Drugs; Scotlandʼs Mission to Banish Cervical Cancer; and This Sausage Roll Tastes Like Wax New drugs report reveals “constantly evolving” challenges, and a rise in synthetic drugs and cocaine View this email in your browser June 5, 2025 Forward Share Post The head of Section III of UDYCO Central, Alejandro Martin-Blass, explains the details of the operation to dismantle the largest cocaine base paste processing laboratory in Europe, at the Canillas Police Complex, on April 13, 2023, in Madrid, Spain. Eduardo Parra/Europa Press via Getty Europe’s Surge of Synthetic Drugs
A widespread influx of synthetic opioids and recreational designer drugs are putting European health care systems “under strain,” finds the European Union Drugs Agency's annual report—as  a “constantly evolving" European drug market forces officials to overhaul response strategies, reports Politico. 

The health risks of many synthetic drugs remain poorly understood due to their novelty and shifting composition, reports DW. Key synthetic drug trends include: 

• Nitazenes, synthetic opioids that can be stronger than heroin or fentanyl, have been linked to increasing overdose deaths.

• Cathinones, stimulants also known as “bath salts,” are increasingly being manufactured on the continent, with Poland emerging as a key hub. 

• Semi-synthetic cannabinoids: ~18 new semi-synthetic cannabinoids were detected in 2024; most are sold legally as their molecules are not explicitly banned. 

Cocaine market strengthening: Cocaine is becoming increasingly available, with officials reporting record cocaine seizures, mostly via ports in Belgium, Spain, and the Netherlands, reports Reuters. 

Polysubstance use—taking multiple drugs at once—remains the main cause of drug deaths. 

• 7,500 drug-induced deaths occurred in 2023, mostly from opioids.

Collective response: The EUDA is urging stronger monitoring and cross-border collaboration to counter escalating health and security threats. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DATA POINT

10.9 million
—————
The number of Americans who would lose health insurance under Trump’s tax cut bill, per the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. – USA Today The Latest One-Liners
Haiti has been elected to the WHO Executive Board for the first time, with the nation’s health minister saying the country would be a “committed voice” in shaping global health policy even as the country grapples with its own public health crises, including gang-related violence and undermined health infrastructure. The Haitian Times

Women using weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are being urged to use “effective contraception” after 40 women have reported becoming pregnant while taking the medications, a U.K. regulatory agency warns. The Guardian

Extended marriage and maternity leave will be offered in China's southwestern Sichuan province, as officials hope to create a “fertility-friendly society” in the face of flagging birth rates in China. Reuters

Childhood measles vaccination rates fell in ~80% of U.S. counties after the COVID-19 pandemic, per a new study published in JAMA Network Open; the findings reflect trends seen at both state and national levels. AP GHN EXCLUSIVE All school pupils in Scotland are offered the HPV vaccine in their first year of secondary school. Courtesy of Public Health Scotland Scotlandʼs Mission to Banish Cervical Cancer  
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally—but in Scotland, an observational study of a national, school-based HPV vaccination program launched in 2008 detected zero cases of the disease among women fully immunized against HPV at age 12 or 13.

The school-based program has consistently achieved HPV vaccination coverage of over 80% of Scottish pupils—well above the European average. 

How do they do it?

Prioritize communication: “We try to make sure that everybody has the same information … that will allow parents to make an informed decision” about having their child vaccinated, Kirsty Roy, the studyʼs lead author, told GHN in an exclusive Q&A.

Tackle vaccine inequalities: Roy says that the program is constantly trying to better understand gaps in vaccine coverage between the most and least deprived areas, from the “misperception that the vaccine only benefits girls” to school absenteeism that prevents some pupils from accessing the vaccine. 

Play the long game: While the program has seen successes, it still aims to go further: “We are working towards eliminating cervical cancer in Scotland, as per the WHOʼs definition,” says Roy.
 
Annalies Winny, Global Health NOW READ THE Q&A GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES SUBSTANCE USE Why Alcohol Needs a Cancer Warning Label
More than six in 10 Americans drink alcohol. But less than half of them know that they’re increasing their cancer risk while they’re doing it.

Updating the U.S. alcohol health warning label—which hasn’t changed since 1989—could help to raise awareness, experts say. 

• On January 3, then-U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued a health advisory on the link between cancer and drinking and recommended that the warning label on alcohol containers be changed to reflect the connection. 

• In February, the WHO issued a similar call. 

Changing the label, however, would require an act of Congress, which experts say at this time is unlikely. 

Other countries have been more aggressive about their warnings: Beginning in 2026, Ireland will require prominent labels with red capital letters on all containers of beer, wine, and liquor sold in the country.

Alcohol consumption is the third-leading preventable cause of cancer in the U.S., after tobacco and obesity, and leads to a higher risk of at least seven types of cancer. 

Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION This Sausage Roll Tastes Like Wax
Everyone knows thereʼs only one true sign of celebrity: Being cast in wax. 

Think David Attenborough, Beyoncé, William Shakespeare … and now, some sausage wrapped up in pastry, Londonist reports.

Ahead of National Sausage Roll Day—a holiday that apparently exists—an iconic snack from the British bakery chain Greggs claimed a top spot at Madame Tussauds wax museum in London, where it is now lounging atop a blue velvet pillow.

How the sausage is made: The “one-of-a-kind replica Sausage Roll” was handcrafted by studio artists who studied “dozens” of real-life rolls to capture its flaky layers and “unmistakable golden glaze,” a press release gushed. 

Following the science: “New research”—which we couldnʼt find a link to—apparently ranked the Greggs Sausage Roll among the countryʼs most beloved cultural icons. It even outranked the affable cast of Gavin & Stacey (a GHN fave from James Corden) and the foul-mouthed brothers of Oasis.

But even a wax sausage roll has a limited shelf life. The exhibit expires at the end of June. OPPORTUNITY

The Spring Issue of HBPH Is Available

The new special issue of Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health magazine documents the broad and emerging impacts of U.S. government funding cuts on a wide range of research and projects in the U.S. and abroad, the scientists who conduct that work, and the people who benefit from it. It also highlights public health in action, and shares stories with lessons that can help us navigate the current moment. 

Read the special issue now.

QUICK HITS Neglected tropical diseases further neglected due to ODA cuts – WHO

Researchers warn of bird flu survival in raw milk – News Medical 

US valley fever cases may be 18 times higher than reported – CIDRAP

Call for experts to develop a WHO guideline on consumption of ultra-processed foods – PAHO

Measles Is Scary, Says Lubbock’s Top Health Official. So Is Government Upheaval. – Texas Monthly

Baby saved by gene-editing therapy 'graduates' from hospital, goes home – ABC News Issue No. 2736
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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AIDS-related deaths have dropped to their lowest level since 2004, but progress remains precarious, with the disease still claiming one life every minute. The impact of funding cuts is severe, causing widespread disruption to HIV services and threatening hard-won gains. 

As hostilities rage in Sudan, access constraints and devastating funding cuts are isolating rape survivors and pregnant women from essential health services, the UN sexual and reproductive health agency UNFPA said on Thursday. 

96 Global Health NOW: Assaults on Aid as Sudan’s Hunger Crisis Deepens; Scientific Journals Navigate New Challenges; and The Clay Floor Advantage View this email in your browser June 4, 2025 Forward Share Post Displaced people queue for food rations in a makeshift encampment near the town of Tawila, in Sudan's Darfur region. April 13. AFP via Getty Assaults on Aid as Sudan’s Hunger Crisis Deepens
A 15-truck convoy delivering lifesaving supplies to famine-stricken North Darfur was attacked in a “horrendous” ambush Monday night, killing five humanitarian workers, injuring others, and blocking desperately needed humanitarian supplies, reports Al Jazeera. 

Details: The convoy, led by World Food Programme and UNICEF contractors, would have been the first to reach El Fasher in over a year, as hundreds of thousands of people in the region face malnutrition and starvation amid Sudan’s ongoing conflict, per UN News. 

• It remains unclear who is behind the attack, with agencies calling for an investigation. 

Imperiled care: The attack follows multiple assaults on humanitarian and health facilities in the country last week, including bombings of the WFP office in El Fasher and a deadly drone strike on a hospital in Al Obeid. 

• Meanwhile, damage to civilian infrastructure has worsened a cholera outbreak. 

Health care collapse in Khartoum: In Sudan’s capital, none of the city’s ~100 medical facilities are operational after the widespread destruction of buildings and electrical infrastructure and disruption of medical supply access, reports NPR Goats and Soda. 

Rise of refugees in Chad: The number of Sudanese refugees in Chad has risen 3X+ in just over two years, per UN News, with 1.2 million people fleeing to the country.

• Over 9 million people have been displaced in the conflict. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DATA POINT

1.6 million
——————
People fall ill daily from unsafe food globally, warns the WHO. —Anadolu Agency
  The Latest One-Liners
Guidance requiring hospitals to provide emergency abortions for women needing medical stabilization has been revoked by the Trump administration; the Biden administration had issued the guidance to preserve emergency abortion care, even in states with near-total bans. AP

The CDC official overseeing updates to the agency’s COVID-19 vaccine recommendations has resigned, saying she could no longer “help the most vulnerable members of our population” after HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s order to change the agency’s vaccine guidance. CBS

Vietnam will end its longstanding policy limiting families to two children as the country aims to reverse a declining birth that has dropped below the replacement level for three consecutive years. South China Morning Post

Misinformation around cancer care is leading to a rise in alternative treatments like coffee enemas, raw juice diets, and other potentially dangerous social media–driven trends, said doctors at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, warning that such misinformation has “acutely worsened in the past decade.” The Guardian U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump asks Congress to repeal $9 billion from NPR, PBS and global aid – The Washington Post (gift link)

Research cuts conflict with MAHA's stated goals – NPR

Kennedy has ordered a review of baby formula. Here’s what you should know – AP

Dismantling CDC’s chronic disease center ‘looks pretty devastating’ to public health experts – STAT HUMAN RIGHTS Peru’s Forced Sterilization Victims Seek Justice
Peruvian women sterilized decades ago under the government’s forced sterilization campaign are finally having their day in court, as the Inter-American Court of Human Rights held its first public hearing on the abuses in the case Celia Ramos v. Peru. Ramos died 19 days after receiving an unwanted tubal ligation.

Background: Between 1996 and 2001, ~270,000 Peruvian women were sterilized under then-President Alberto Fujimori’s reproductive policy. 

• The women, who were mostly poor and Indigenous, faced coercion, threats, and physical violence when they resisted.

Calls for accountability: Human rights groups have long argued the program constituted a crime against humanity and are petitioning the court to hold the Peruvian state responsible.

• “It’s been over 28 years of uncommitted and unaccountable governments,” said survivor María Elena Carbajal. 

The Telegraph GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES RESEARCH Scientific Journals Navigate New Challenges
Researchers and editors of federally funded scientific journals say they are facing new challenges of interference, fear, self-censorship, and dissent due to the U.S. government’s crackdown on DEI language.

Confusion and cuts: Federal directives to remove specific words and data, followed by major research funding cuts, have created upheaval in standard procedures around publishing. 

• Journals overseen by federal agencies now face additional vetting, and federal researchers who publish in outside journals say they have received inconsistent guidance on what they are able to submit. 

‘Chilling effect’: Though direct impact on other journals may end up being limited, the U.S.’s central role in publishing raises concerns about the “moral impact” on academic freedom, said Marcus Munafò, the former editor-in-chief of Nicotine & Tobacco Research.

Undark

Related: US veterans agency orders scientists not to publish in journals without clearance – The Guardian ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH The Clay Floor Advantage
In Uganda, Rwanda, and Kenya, the nonprofit EarthEnable is reducing dust and parasites in homes by installing clay-based flooring—which delivers health and environmental benefits over dirt floors at less than half the price of concrete.

• Dirt floors are associated with poor hygiene, breathing irritations, pathogens, and the spread of parasitic fleas called jiggers.


• The clay floors, which are durable and sealed, also emit less carbon in production than concrete; the cement industry accounts for a large proportion of Uganda’s carbon emissions.

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

AP

Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff! OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS UK ‘not ready’ for major animal disease outbreak – The Telegraph

COVID vaccine changes confuse and upset some parents and families – NPR

Moderna will test new COVID shot against placebo, RFK Jr. says – Toronto Sun 

New mRNA vaccine is more effective and less costly to develop, study finds – Medical Xpress

Abortion laws are Victorian era, says grieving mum – BBC

Anorexia in Middle Age and Beyond – The New York Times (gift link)

How extreme heat affects America's most vulnerable – JHU Hub

Annual cost of insuring a family tops $35,000 –Axios Issue No. 2736
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: Zambia Drags Heels on Mercury Amalgam Ban; May Recap; and Cigarettes in France: From Romanticized to Restricted View this email in your browser June 3, 2025 Forward Share Post Zambia celebrated World Oral Health Day with a parade through Bauleni Compound, Lusaka, Zambia. March 20. Kennedy Phiri Zambia Drags Heels on Mercury Amalgam Ban
LUSAKA, Zambia—Some nations have already taken decisive steps to ban mercury amalgam in dental fillings—but in Zambia, despite the dangers, progress has stalled.
 
Health risks: Mercury amalgam, a common material used to fill cavities, consists of liquid mercury mixed with silver, tin, and copper, and emits low levels of mercury vapor, which, when inhaled, can be absorbed in the lungs and cause harm among some groups, including young children. 
 
Environmental risks: Just 0.6 grams of mercury—the average amount used in a single filling—can pollute 100,000 liters of water, about the size of a swimming pool, and make it unsafe to drink.
 
Zambia is especially vulnerable to harmful impacts of mercury on its limited resources due to inadequate mitigation processes such as improper disposal systems.

• ~10% of Zambia’s dentists still offer mercury fillings, though the real figure may be higher.


• Zambia signed the 2013 Minamata Convention on Mercury, which encourages replacement of mercury in dental amalgam with environmentally friendly alternatives, but has failed to implement an official ban.

Success stories: Authors Kennedy Phiri and Frederick Clayton share how other countries—including Tanzania, Uganda, and Gabon—overcame resistance and banned mercury amalgam.

Ed. Note: Thanks to Michael Musenga, of the Children’s Environmental Health Foundation in Livingstone, Zambia, for the idea for this story, which won an honorable mention in the Untold Global Health Stories Contest, co-sponsored by GHN and the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. READ THE FULL STORY GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners  

Cancer death rates in the UK have fallen by about a fifth since the early 1970s—from 326 per 100,000 people in 1971 to 254 per 100,000 in 2021—according to a new Cancer Research UK report that also found diagnoses are on the rise. The Independent

Younger generations are less likely to have dementia—at any age—than earlier groups, suggests a study in JAMA Network Open that compared eight birth cohorts; University of Queensland researchers also found that the trend is more pronounced in women. The Guardian

COVID-19 vaccination prevented the deaths of 12,800 Belgians ages 65 and older from January 2021 to January 2023, and reduced mortality by 54%, according to a new analysis published in Vaccine. CIDRAP

University of Warwick researchers have demonstrated a proof of concept for a new diagnostic assay to detect snake venom, per a new paper published in Biomacromolecules; the glycopolymer-based ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) test could be an inexpensive, quick alternative to current antibody assays. University of Warwick via ScienceDaily

MAY’S MUST-READS A Closer Look at a Dementia Cluster 
In Starr County, Texas, dementia affects about 1 in 5 adults on Medicare—more than 2X the national rate.
 
Why? Researchers say dementia risk factors—genetics, environment, and chronic health conditions—have accumulated in Starr County. 

• ~1 in 3 people live in poverty.


• The county is almost entirely Hispanic—a population that faces a significantly higher dementia risk.

Hope: In 2021, the National Institute on Aging designated a new Alzheimer’s research center in South Texas to better understand the dementia cluster and shift outcomes. 
 
The Atlantic (gift link)
The High Cost of Vietnam’s Cheap Cigarettes 
Vietnam’s tobacco products remain cheap and widely accessible compared to other countries, leading to high usage and health impacts. 

Low tax, high usage: Vietnam’s tobacco retail tax rate is just 36%, half WHO’s recommended rate of 70–75%. 

• Affordability means cigarettes are easily accessible to first-time users and even children. 

Health burden: Tobacco use causes ~104,000 deaths annually there.
 
Reform needed: Vietnam’s health leaders are urging regular tax hikes to align with international standards.
 
Vietnam News Agency via MSN

South Africa’s Backstreet Abortion Problem
Although abortion is legal in South Africa, unsafe abortion clinics are thriving because of scammers, social media misinformation, and a lack of knowledge about legal options. 16% of deaths from miscarriages were attributed to unsafe abortion, per a 2020–2022 report. But that’s likely an undercount. 

“Magic” solutions: Scammers and unlicensed clinics advertise “womb cleaning” and “sonar pills” that endanger pregnant people.
 
Real information: Science-based efforts on social media seek to flip the script. 

• On TikTok, Marie Stopes South Africa posts videos like “how to put on a condom” and “how to avoid getting scammed” by illegal abortion providers.

Bhekisisa MAY’S EXCLUSIVE HIGHLIGHTS A local woman and her child stand by the remains of an illegal gold mining area of La Pampa, in the Madre de Dios southern Peruvian jungle. July 14, 2015. Ernesto Benavides / AFP via Getty To support Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health magazine’s special issue examining the current challenges to U.S. and global public health, GHN reached out to its network of journalists and sought stories on the impact of USAID funding cuts. The following articles offer snapshots of research halted and prevention and treatment suspended.—Brian
  U.S. Funding Cuts Stop Crucial HIV Research in Its Tracks by Elna Schütz JOHANNESBURG—U.S. government research funding cuts stopped a seminal mRNA HIV vaccine study, part of the BRILLIANT consortium, mere days before its planned start in March 2025. Instead, vaccine doses sit unused. Such a vaccine could fundamentally change the HIV burden for South Africa and the world.
Tuberculosis Prevention Cuts in India by Cheena Kapoor DELHI, India—The Karnataka Health Promotion Trust, in the country’s south, supported a “TB buddy” system of guides who help tuberculosis patients with documentation, offer emotional support, and ensure patients complete their treatment. Continuing support for the TB buddy project ended with USAID funding cuts.
Mosquito Nets and Geopolitical Bets by Paul Adepoju IBADAN, Nigeria—Nigeria bears the world’s highest malaria burden, accounting for a quarter of all cases globally. A steady flow of donor‑funded supplies meant that Nigerians could receive free rapid tests and artemisinin‑based combination therapy (ACT) malaria medications. Those supplies were made possible by a finely tuned supply chain. But withdrawal of U.S. funding could endanger the country’s successes against the disease, including a 13% reduction in mortality rates since 2017.
Peru’s Illegal Mining Surges … and Destroys by Lucien Chauvin LIMA, Peru—Soaring gold prices and plunging U.S. government funds have set off a gold rush in Peru that has led to destroyed forests, mercury poisoning, and fast-spreading infectious diseases. U.S.-supported efforts had sought to limit illegal mining and its impacts on the environment and human health. Projects also reduced illicit activities intertwined with illegal mining, such as drug and wildlife trafficking. MAY’S BEST NEWS Scaling Up Desalination  
Millions of people in the Arabian Gulf now have access to a stable source of safe drinking water, as innovations in desalination lower barriers. 

Solar-powered reverse osmosis and other technologies have lowered costs from $5 to under $0.50 per cubic meter over a decade. 

• Some Gulf nations now rely on desalination for up to 90% of their drinking water.

Health impacts: Access to clean water has significantly reduced waterborne diseases in Oman.

The Telegraph SMOKING Cigarettes in France: From Romanticized to Restricted
France, long the home of glamorized smoking, will soon usher in a sweeping smoking ban as cultural attitudes shift around tobacco use.

New rules: Starting July 1, France will ban smoking in most outdoor public areas where children may gather, including parks, beaches, bus stops, and sports venues. Fines may reach €135 ($153).

• Freedom to smoke “stops where children’s right to breathe clean air starts,” said health minister Catherine Vautrin. 

Tobacco-entwined identity: Long a fixture in French fashion and cinema, smoking remains a “stubbornly embedded” habit—but rates have dipped to a historic low, with >25% French adults smoking daily. 

• ~75,000 people die from tobacco-related illnesses in France each year.

AP OPPORTUNITY A local woman and her child stand by the remains of an illegal gold mining area of La Pampa, in the Madre de Dios southern Peruvian jungle. July 14, 2015. Ernesto Benavides / AFP via Getty QUICK HITS Nigeria maternal mortality: The world's worst country to give birth – BBC

WHO resolution helps reframe skin diseases as a 'global public health priority,' not a 'cosmetic issue' – El País

At least 20 Planned Parenthood clinics shutter amid political turbulence – The Guardian

Gates To Direct Majority Of $200 Billion Pledge To Africa – Health Policy Watch

Investigating generics: They say their ADHD meds aren't working. They're not imagining it – MedShadow

Ending the HIV epidemic among adolescents in southern Africa – The Lancet Global Health (commentary)

Virus Hunter Peter Piot: How a Chance Encounter Sparked His Life Mission – Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies / Stanford University Issue No. 2735
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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