96
Global Health NOW: Sudan Hospital Attack Kills Children, Adults, Medics; Costs of Global Health Cuts; and A Swedish Town鈥檚 Fight Against PFAS
June 25, 2025
A man walks through a shrapnel-riddled hospital ward in Khartoum, Sudan, on April 28. AFP via Getty
Children, Civilians, Medics Killed in Sudan Hospital Attack
A strike on a hospital in Sudan killed 40+ people, including six children and five medics, , in an attack WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has condemned as 鈥渁ppalling.鈥
Details: The targeted Al-Mujlad Hospital in West Kordofan state, 鈥渢he only functioning healthcare facility in the area鈥 , was close to one of the frontlines of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces鈥攁 war .
Children in conflict: for Sudanese children this week, as a new finds that children worldwide suffered record levels of violence in conflict zones in 2024, . Findings documented:
Asia is warming ~2X as fast as the global average, by the World Meteorological Organization; last year, Asia endured its warmest or second-warmest year on record with widespread heatwaves and other extreme weather events.
National pandemic research output correlated most strongly with pre鈥憄andemic research activity鈥攎uch more so than with other country characteristics such as GDP, population, or case numbers鈥攑er an analysis of global publication and clinical trial data; the findings underscore national research capacity鈥檚 importance in health emergency preparedness.
Just 13% of Americans correctly identified testicular cancer as most commonly affecting men under 40, by the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, suggesting more can be done to educate the public about the disease. U.S. and Global Health Policy News In the face of anti-science politics, silence is not without cost 鈥
Trump admin cuts contracts with scientific publishing giant 鈥
Health Secretary RFK Jr. questioned about vaccine policy, transparency in House hearing on funding request 鈥
Federal budget cuts slow pace of breakthrough autoimmune therapies 鈥
The Trump administration is investigating the University of Michigan health system over a transgender care case. 鈥
She hoped key research could help save her eyesight. Then the Trump funding cuts came 鈥 FOREIGN AID Illustration by Dung Hoang The Costs of Global Health Funding Cuts
Though global health aid , it supports crucial systems around the world: conducting disease surveillance, training health workers, building public health infrastructure, and responding to outbreaks.
The U.S. withdrawal from the WHO and funding cuts to USAID and NIH are dismantling these systems and the decades of partnerships underpinning them, experts say.
Already halted or scaled back:
Related: What Remains of U.S.A.I.D. After DOGE's Budget Cuts? 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH One Swedish Town and the Global PFAS Fight
In 2013 residents of Ronneby, Sweden, received startling news: Their tap water, historically revered for its purity, had been contaminated with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that had seeped into the supply from firefighting foam used at a nearby air base.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS In the Gaza Strip, We are Dying Silently 鈥
Analysis highlights very low level of HPV vaccine uptake globally 鈥
Malaria Vaccines Free Up Clinics to Improve Child Health in Cameroon 鈥
Evictions are harmful to Black mothers鈥 health, their families and their communities 鈥
China Tightens Controls on Fentanyl but Calls It a U.S. Problem 鈥
Women approaching menopause drive GLP-1 boom 鈥
The disease-fighting farm robot helping to feed Africa 鈥
Can adult tummy time undo the dreaded 鈥榯ech neck鈥 that comes from hunching over a screen? 鈥 Issue No. 2747
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
A strike on a hospital in Sudan killed 40+ people, including six children and five medics, , in an attack WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has condemned as 鈥渁ppalling.鈥
Details: The targeted Al-Mujlad Hospital in West Kordofan state, 鈥渢he only functioning healthcare facility in the area鈥 , was close to one of the frontlines of the conflict between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces鈥攁 war .
- The doctors鈥 group blamed the army for the strike and said RSF fighters were stationed inside the hospital.
Children in conflict: for Sudanese children this week, as a new finds that children worldwide suffered record levels of violence in conflict zones in 2024, . Findings documented:
- 41,370 acts of violence against children in countries including Gaza, the DRC, Somalia, Nigeria, and Haiti.
- A 44% rise in attacks on schools, a 35% rise in sexual violence against children, and a 25% increase in incidents compared with 2023.
Asia is warming ~2X as fast as the global average, by the World Meteorological Organization; last year, Asia endured its warmest or second-warmest year on record with widespread heatwaves and other extreme weather events.
National pandemic research output correlated most strongly with pre鈥憄andemic research activity鈥攎uch more so than with other country characteristics such as GDP, population, or case numbers鈥攑er an analysis of global publication and clinical trial data; the findings underscore national research capacity鈥檚 importance in health emergency preparedness.
Just 13% of Americans correctly identified testicular cancer as most commonly affecting men under 40, by the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, suggesting more can be done to educate the public about the disease. U.S. and Global Health Policy News In the face of anti-science politics, silence is not without cost 鈥
Trump admin cuts contracts with scientific publishing giant 鈥
Health Secretary RFK Jr. questioned about vaccine policy, transparency in House hearing on funding request 鈥
Federal budget cuts slow pace of breakthrough autoimmune therapies 鈥
The Trump administration is investigating the University of Michigan health system over a transgender care case. 鈥
She hoped key research could help save her eyesight. Then the Trump funding cuts came 鈥 FOREIGN AID Illustration by Dung Hoang The Costs of Global Health Funding Cuts
Though global health aid , it supports crucial systems around the world: conducting disease surveillance, training health workers, building public health infrastructure, and responding to outbreaks.
The U.S. withdrawal from the WHO and funding cuts to USAID and NIH are dismantling these systems and the decades of partnerships underpinning them, experts say.
Already halted or scaled back:
- Outbreak surveillance programs for Ebola, mpox, measles, and H5N1.
- Famine monitoring systems.
- Support for HIV treatment through PEPFAR.
Related: What Remains of U.S.A.I.D. After DOGE's Budget Cuts? 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH One Swedish Town and the Global PFAS Fight
In 2013 residents of Ronneby, Sweden, received startling news: Their tap water, historically revered for its purity, had been contaminated with PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) that had seeped into the supply from firefighting foam used at a nearby air base.
- PFAS levels were the highest ever discovered in any municipal drinking water: .
- Children in the area had PFAS levels 37X higher than those of kids outside the contaminated zone.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS In the Gaza Strip, We are Dying Silently 鈥
Analysis highlights very low level of HPV vaccine uptake globally 鈥
Malaria Vaccines Free Up Clinics to Improve Child Health in Cameroon 鈥
Evictions are harmful to Black mothers鈥 health, their families and their communities 鈥
China Tightens Controls on Fentanyl but Calls It a U.S. Problem 鈥
Women approaching menopause drive GLP-1 boom 鈥
The disease-fighting farm robot helping to feed Africa 鈥
Can adult tummy time undo the dreaded 鈥榯ech neck鈥 that comes from hunching over a screen? 鈥 Issue No. 2747
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
Although nearly 92 per cent of the global population now has basic access to electricity, more than 666 million people still live without it, prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to urge greater financial support for renewable energy.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: North America鈥檚 Measles Problem; the Global Tobacco Control Efforts Gain Ground; and North Koreans Left on Their Own During COVID
June 24, 2025
North America鈥檚 Measles Problem
Measles outbreaks, fueled by low vaccination rates, continue to drive new cases across the U.S. and Canada.
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e been lied to,鈥 the father, Kiley Timmons, texted his wife, as his temperature hit 40掳 C (104掳 F). He treated himself with cod liver oil and vitamin D, as recommended by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
When his oxygen level fell to 85%, his wife drove him to the ER.
Low vaccination rates: U.S. measles vaccination coverage for children has fallen to 92%鈥攂elow the 95% coverage required to stop measles鈥 spread in a community.
Related:
Balkanization of vaccine policy raises concerns about vaccine uptake, insurance coverage, experts warn 鈥
How medical groups may preserve vaccine access 鈥 and bypass RFK Jr. 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Child abductions by an armed group linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) are surging in northern Mozambique鈥檚 Cabo Delgado province; most of the kidnapped children are being used for forced labor, forced marriages, or as child soldiers.
U.K. lawmakers voted last Friday to allow terminally ill adults over age 18 to end their lives through 鈥渁ssisted dying,鈥 with a majority of 23 (down from 55 in a debate last fall); the bill, which applies to England and Wales, but not Northern Ireland or Scotland, heads to the House of Lords next.
The combination of extreme heat and wildfire smoke may pose a particularly serious threat to human health, that examined 21,000+ deaths in the greater Vancouver area between 2010 and 2022.
Obesity drugs鈥攕pecifically liraglutide鈥攔educed headaches by almost half in a of 31 people in Italy with obesity who suffer from migraines, even with minimal weight loss鈥攕uggesting that the drug is impacting pain pathways and potentially justifying additional studies. COVID-19 North Koreans Forced to 鈥楩end for Themselves鈥 During Pandemic
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un declared a 鈥渂rilliant victory鈥 over COVID-19 in 2022, reporting just 74 deaths in the three months after the country鈥檚 first officially reported case earlier that year.
But interviews with 100 people inside the country tell a much different story, .
Key findings:
Related: 5 Years Later: America Looks Back at the Impact of COVID-19 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TOBACCO Control Efforts Gain Ground Worldwide
As tobacco control initiatives make strides worldwide鈥攑rotecting ~6.1 billion people鈥攊ndustry evolution threatens their momentum, released yesterday at the .
Marks of progress:
In the last 18 months, drastic cuts to Argentina鈥檚 health systems under President Javier Milei鈥檚 austerity measures have forced patients and their families to resort to desperate measures to access vital care, including turning to Facebook to obtain donated cancer drugs.
Before Milei, Argentina鈥檚 public health system ensured that health care was free for most who couldn鈥檛 afford private insurance.
Since the election: Milei has slashed the country鈥檚 health budget by 48% and laid off 2,000+ health ministry workers.
ICYMI: Disrupted but Determined: Lessons From Argentine Scientists 鈥 QUICK HITS 鈥楳an-eating鈥 screw worm turns hospital into horror show 鈥
Dangerous Heat Dome to Bring Record Temperatures to Much of the U.S. 鈥
Will Gates and other funders save massive public health database at risk from Trump cuts? 鈥 Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!
Cambodia logs fifth death from H5N1 avian flu as USDA weighs poultry vaccination 鈥
Tick risks vary by region. Here's where diseases have spread and how to stay safe 鈥
TikTok bans #SkinnyTok. But content promoting unhealthy eating persists 鈥
Why al dente pasta is better for your health 鈥 Issue No. 2746
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Measles outbreaks, fueled by low vaccination rates, continue to drive new cases across the U.S. and Canada.
- Confirmed U.S. cases have topped 1,200 this year, .
- North America鈥檚 longest outbreak began in Ontario, Canada, in mid-October, leading to 2,100+ cases and one death, .
- An outbreak in Alberta, Canada, has surpassed 1,000 cases, leading an Edmonton physician to warn, 鈥淭his is out of control,鈥 .
鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e been lied to,鈥 the father, Kiley Timmons, texted his wife, as his temperature hit 40掳 C (104掳 F). He treated himself with cod liver oil and vitamin D, as recommended by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
When his oxygen level fell to 85%, his wife drove him to the ER.
Low vaccination rates: U.S. measles vaccination coverage for children has fallen to 92%鈥攂elow the 95% coverage required to stop measles鈥 spread in a community.
- In parts of West Texas, coverage is below 80%.
Related:
Balkanization of vaccine policy raises concerns about vaccine uptake, insurance coverage, experts warn 鈥
How medical groups may preserve vaccine access 鈥 and bypass RFK Jr. 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Child abductions by an armed group linked to the Islamic State (ISIS) are surging in northern Mozambique鈥檚 Cabo Delgado province; most of the kidnapped children are being used for forced labor, forced marriages, or as child soldiers.
U.K. lawmakers voted last Friday to allow terminally ill adults over age 18 to end their lives through 鈥渁ssisted dying,鈥 with a majority of 23 (down from 55 in a debate last fall); the bill, which applies to England and Wales, but not Northern Ireland or Scotland, heads to the House of Lords next.
The combination of extreme heat and wildfire smoke may pose a particularly serious threat to human health, that examined 21,000+ deaths in the greater Vancouver area between 2010 and 2022.
Obesity drugs鈥攕pecifically liraglutide鈥攔educed headaches by almost half in a of 31 people in Italy with obesity who suffer from migraines, even with minimal weight loss鈥攕uggesting that the drug is impacting pain pathways and potentially justifying additional studies. COVID-19 North Koreans Forced to 鈥楩end for Themselves鈥 During Pandemic
North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un declared a 鈥渂rilliant victory鈥 over COVID-19 in 2022, reporting just 74 deaths in the three months after the country鈥檚 first officially reported case earlier that year.
But interviews with 100 people inside the country tell a much different story, .
Key findings:
- The virus鈥攁nd deaths鈥攚ere widespread as early as 2020.
- Citizens were left to 鈥渇end for themselves鈥 with no access to vaccines or medicine.
- The government enforced severe restrictions and lockdowns; violating protocols led to forced labor and execution.
- The pandemic led to a halt in trade and humanitarian aid, worsening food shortages.
Related: 5 Years Later: America Looks Back at the Impact of COVID-19 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TOBACCO Control Efforts Gain Ground Worldwide
As tobacco control initiatives make strides worldwide鈥攑rotecting ~6.1 billion people鈥攊ndustry evolution threatens their momentum, released yesterday at the .
Marks of progress:
- 110 countries now require graphic health warnings on tobacco products, up from just 9 in 2007.
- 36% of the global population now lives in countries that have run best-practice anti-tobacco campaigns, up from 19% in 2022.
- 79 countries have implemented smoke-free environments, impacting one-third of the world鈥檚 population.
- 60+ countries still lack laws regulating e-cigarettes.
- Cigarettes remain affordable in 134 countries, with minimal tax increases.
- Just 33% of people globally have access to cost-covered quit services.
In the last 18 months, drastic cuts to Argentina鈥檚 health systems under President Javier Milei鈥檚 austerity measures have forced patients and their families to resort to desperate measures to access vital care, including turning to Facebook to obtain donated cancer drugs.
Before Milei, Argentina鈥檚 public health system ensured that health care was free for most who couldn鈥檛 afford private insurance.
Since the election: Milei has slashed the country鈥檚 health budget by 48% and laid off 2,000+ health ministry workers.
- Defunded programs include early cancer detection services, free cancer medications, vaccine campaigns, HIV and TB testing, and reproductive health services.
ICYMI: Disrupted but Determined: Lessons From Argentine Scientists 鈥 QUICK HITS 鈥楳an-eating鈥 screw worm turns hospital into horror show 鈥
Dangerous Heat Dome to Bring Record Temperatures to Much of the U.S. 鈥
Will Gates and other funders save massive public health database at risk from Trump cuts? 鈥 Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!
Cambodia logs fifth death from H5N1 avian flu as USDA weighs poultry vaccination 鈥
Tick risks vary by region. Here's where diseases have spread and how to stay safe 鈥
TikTok bans #SkinnyTok. But content promoting unhealthy eating persists 鈥
Why al dente pasta is better for your health 鈥 Issue No. 2746
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
Nearly three months after Myanmar鈥檚 strongest earthquake in a century, more than six million people remain in urgent need of assistance, as the disaster compounds a humanitarian crisis driven by years of conflict, political turmoil and mass displacement.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: A Tipping Point in Iran; A Closer Look at Cheap Cigarettes in Laos; Ketamine in South Africa: Breakthrough or Blight?
June 23, 2025
Satellite imagery shows the ridge above Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant post-missile strike on June 22. Maxar Technologies
A Tipping Point in Iran
The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and the weekend strikes by the U.S. on Iranian nuclear facilities mark 鈥渁 perilous turn鈥 for a region already engulfed in conflict, at an emergency meeting of the Security Council yesterday, .
Widening safety concerns: The head of the UN鈥檚 atomic energy watchdog, (IAEA), said that while no radiation leaks have been reported that could cause health or environmental threats outside of struck sites, the attacks have triggered 鈥渁 sharp degradation in nuclear safety and security鈥 at targeted sites.
The U.S. government announced last week that it will end the national suicide hotline鈥檚 specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults鈥攚ho report higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their cisgender and heterosexual peers鈥攂eginning July 17. 鈥
Stem cell鈥揵ased treatment may have cured 10 out of 12 people with the most severe form of type 1 diabetes, with those 10 people no longer needing insulin a year after a single infusion, finds .
Excessive drinking has been linked to an uptick in high blood pressure deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, , which found the estimated average number of hypertension deaths from excessive alcohol use was 51.6% higher in 2020鈥2021 than in 2016鈥2017. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump Travel Restrictions Bar Residents Needed at U.S. Hospitals 鈥
Administration to phase out NIH support of HIV clinical guidelines 鈥
How doctors are preparing for RFK Jr.鈥檚 shifts on vaccine policy 鈥
The immigrants caring for the nation's elderly are losing their jobs 鈥 TOBACCO A Closer Look at Cheap Cigarettes in Laos
Cigarette prices in Laos are among some of the lowest in the world, contributing to some of the highest smoking rates in the region and smoking-related diseases that account for 1 in 7 deaths in the country.
Behind the low prices: a 2001 contract signed behind closed doors with Imperial Brands tobacco, which included a 25-year tax freeze.
The role of taxes: Raising cigarette taxes is among the most effective ways to reduce smoking, research shows.
Related:
Government of Viet Nam Approves Life-Saving Taxes on Tobacco and Sugar-sweetened Beverages 鈥
Supreme Court allows vape companies to pick courts to hear challenges 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MENTAL HEALTH Ketamine in South Africa: Breakthrough or Blight?
In South Africa, an increasing number of psychiatrists have been using ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. But the drug is also being administered off-label and in unregulated clinics鈥攚hich doctors say could lead to misuse and overuse.
Treatment guidelines: Ketamine has to be prescribed by a doctor and administered in IV form in the presence of a health care provider, .
Unregulated use: South Africa has become home to which provide the drug to people without the involvement of a medical professional鈥攁 trend that doctors say could lead to dangerous forms of consumption that carry the risk of seizure or death.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
The escalating conflict between Israel and Iran and the weekend strikes by the U.S. on Iranian nuclear facilities mark 鈥渁 perilous turn鈥 for a region already engulfed in conflict, at an emergency meeting of the Security Council yesterday, .
Widening safety concerns: The head of the UN鈥檚 atomic energy watchdog, (IAEA), said that while no radiation leaks have been reported that could cause health or environmental threats outside of struck sites, the attacks have triggered 鈥渁 sharp degradation in nuclear safety and security鈥 at targeted sites.
- Mounting risks stem not only from direct attacks, but also from 鈥渉urried transport and improper storage conditions鈥 of toxic materials, .
- While radioactivity outside the sites remains normal, the IAEA and neighboring countries are closely monitoring levels, .
- And Israel evacuated a key hospital in Beersheba last week that was targeted in Iranian airstrikes, .
The U.S. government announced last week that it will end the national suicide hotline鈥檚 specialized support for LGBTQ+ youth and young adults鈥攚ho report higher rates of suicidal thoughts and behaviors than their cisgender and heterosexual peers鈥攂eginning July 17. 鈥
Stem cell鈥揵ased treatment may have cured 10 out of 12 people with the most severe form of type 1 diabetes, with those 10 people no longer needing insulin a year after a single infusion, finds .
Excessive drinking has been linked to an uptick in high blood pressure deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic, , which found the estimated average number of hypertension deaths from excessive alcohol use was 51.6% higher in 2020鈥2021 than in 2016鈥2017. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump Travel Restrictions Bar Residents Needed at U.S. Hospitals 鈥
Administration to phase out NIH support of HIV clinical guidelines 鈥
How doctors are preparing for RFK Jr.鈥檚 shifts on vaccine policy 鈥
The immigrants caring for the nation's elderly are losing their jobs 鈥 TOBACCO A Closer Look at Cheap Cigarettes in Laos
Cigarette prices in Laos are among some of the lowest in the world, contributing to some of the highest smoking rates in the region and smoking-related diseases that account for 1 in 7 deaths in the country.
Behind the low prices: a 2001 contract signed behind closed doors with Imperial Brands tobacco, which included a 25-year tax freeze.
- The deal steered millions toward an in-law of the president at the time, Bounnhang Vorachit.
The role of taxes: Raising cigarette taxes is among the most effective ways to reduce smoking, research shows.
Related:
Government of Viet Nam Approves Life-Saving Taxes on Tobacco and Sugar-sweetened Beverages 鈥
Supreme Court allows vape companies to pick courts to hear challenges 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MENTAL HEALTH Ketamine in South Africa: Breakthrough or Blight?
In South Africa, an increasing number of psychiatrists have been using ketamine for treatment-resistant depression. But the drug is also being administered off-label and in unregulated clinics鈥攚hich doctors say could lead to misuse and overuse.
Treatment guidelines: Ketamine has to be prescribed by a doctor and administered in IV form in the presence of a health care provider, .
Unregulated use: South Africa has become home to which provide the drug to people without the involvement of a medical professional鈥攁 trend that doctors say could lead to dangerous forms of consumption that carry the risk of seizure or death.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS
Gaza: UN warns of 鈥榳eaponised hunger鈥 and growing death toll amid food chaos 鈥
The Workers, the Waste, and the Warnings from Bomb Country 鈥
HIV is surging in over-50s鈥擝ut campaigns still target the young 鈥
The number of abortions kept rising in 2024 because of telehealth prescriptions, report finds 鈥
New Israeli-developed bioengineered skin could heal burn wounds twice as fast 鈥
How E-Scooters Conquered (Most of) Europe 鈥
Early grant success attracts more funding: study of 100,000 applicants hints at why 鈥
For the first time, women scientists win $1 million climate research prize 鈥
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
Tobacco use still claims over seven million lives a year, the World Health Organization warned on Monday, calling for greater efforts to limit its use amid rising interference from the global tobacco industry.
Categories: Global Health Feed
In an age marked by conflicts, disease, dysfunction and mental health challenges, yoga offers a steady, time-trusted path to help find calm and harmony within 鈥 and without.
Categories: Global Health Feed
The world is facing a health financing emergency, according to Dr. Kalipso Chalkidou, Director for Health Financing and Economics for the World Health Organization (WHO).
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: UK Parliament Votes to Decriminalize Abortion; 鈥楪ardening始 in the Gut; Funding Disruptions Threaten Uganda鈥檚 HIV Fight
June 18, 2025
Pro-choice protestors gather near Parliament, where MPs were voting on the decriminalization of abortion. June 17. London, U.K. Alishia Abodunde/Getty
UK Parliament Votes to Decriminalize Abortion
The UK House of Commons voted 379鈥137 yesterday to decriminalize abortion in England and Wales鈥攖he most significant change to abortion law in ~60 years, .
Details: The amendment removes the threat of prosecution for women who seek to terminate pregnancies.
What鈥檚 next: The amendment is part of a broader crime bill expected to pass the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Related:
Ohio lawmakers to introduce bill banning abortion, criminalizing the procedure 鈥
A brain-dead Georgia woman is set to be taken off of life support after her baby was delivered 鈥
Abortion Bans Worsen Violence in Relationships, Study Finds 鈥 EDITORS鈥 NOTE No GHN Tomorrow, June 19 Please note that our office will be closed tomorrow in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. We鈥檒l be back with more news on Monday, June 23!
鈥擳he Editors GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Global conflict levels are the highest they鈥檝e been since the end of World War II, with 59 active conflicts in 35+ countries, according to the ; the report also shows declining geopolitical influence of the U.S., Russia, and China as smaller countries emerge as regional powers.
A group of bat viruses related to MERS could be one mutation away from being capable of spilling over into humans, that focuses on the virus group, known as HKU5.
U.S. alcohol guidance could be soon changed from recommending one or two drinks per day to a brief statement encouraging drinking in moderation, in what could be a major win for the alcohol industry; the updates to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines are still under development by the HHS and USDA.
Microplastics in coastal waters could heighten cardiometabolic disease risk among nearby residents, , which found 鈥渟ignificantly鈥 higher rates of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and stroke among U.S. residents living near highly polluted waters compared with people who lived near less-polluted waters. GHN EXCLUSIVE Q&A 622A_cecum: Section through a healthy mouse cecum stained with Haematoxylin-eosin. Courtesy of Emma Slack 鈥楪ardening始 in the Gut
The pipeline for new drugs to fight antibiotic-resistant infections is rife with challenges, but one promising solution offers a workaround: tackling drug-resistant bacteria in the gut.
The method combines oral vaccinations with harmless bacteria that outcompete the bacteria for food and 鈥渟tarve them out,鈥 Emma Slack, a professor at ETH Zurich and the University of Oxford鈥檚 Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, told GHN.
It may be five to 10 years from clinical use, but the method could one day be applied to 鈥渁nything where immunosuppression is one of the side effects,鈥 says Slack. Patients could be treated before transplant surgery, or during high-risk pregnancies to head off the risk of infection in premature babies.
The most exciting prospect: reversing the 鈥渁ntimicrobial resistance crisis for gut-colonizing, opportunistic pathogens,鈥 says Slack. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS Funding Disruptions Threaten Uganda鈥檚 HIV Fight
Since 1987, the Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP) in Uganda has achieved remarkable milestones. In areas it serves, the program has:
Related: 鈥楬IV-ending鈥 drug could be made for just $25 per patient a year, say researchers 鈥 OPPORTUNITY HUMAN RIGHTS The Oppressors at Home
In the Taliban鈥檚 Afghanistan, oppression against women has led to men being 鈥渇oot soldiers鈥 against their female relatives.
Vice and virtue laws, which include strict rules that women must cover themselves, not talk too loudly, or appear in public without a male escort, are meant to be enforced by 鈥渕orality police.鈥 But often, husbands and brothers take on this role.
Rising fear: Under the Taliban, male relatives could face fines or prison if women are caught breaking morality laws. This has led to a rise in domestic violence, isolation, and psychological damage to Afghan women.
Related: Over 400 health centers shut down in Afghanistan following US aid
suspension 鈥 ALMOST FRIDAY MINI DIVERSION QUICK HITS IOM Reports 60 Migrants Missing in Two Deadly Shipwrecks off Libya 鈥
How Trump's travel ban could disrupt the way knowledge about health is shared 鈥
Via the False Claims Act, NIH Puts Universities on Edge 鈥
Indonesia steps up efforts to eliminate malaria by 2030 鈥
Kraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes from U.S. products by end of 2027 鈥
Study: Early antibiotics tied to higher risk of childhood infections, antibiotic use, and asthma 鈥
Scientists uncover how ticks fight off and carry a virus deadly to humans 鈥
Threat in Your Medicine Cabinet: The FDA鈥檚 Gamble on America鈥檚 Drugs 鈥
Could the answer to the male fertility crisis be lurking in your cat鈥檚 litter tray? 鈥 Issue No. 2744
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
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The UK House of Commons voted 379鈥137 yesterday to decriminalize abortion in England and Wales鈥攖he most significant change to abortion law in ~60 years, .
Details: The amendment removes the threat of prosecution for women who seek to terminate pregnancies.
- However, the current legal framework for procuring an abortion remains, including requiring two doctors鈥 approval and a 24-week limit. Doctors who breach regulations can still face prosecution.
- UK medical groups and advocacy groups hailed the change as 鈥渁 victory for women,鈥 while anti-abortion groups argued it would open the door to abortion at any stage of pregnancy.
What鈥檚 next: The amendment is part of a broader crime bill expected to pass the House of Commons and the House of Lords.
Related:
Ohio lawmakers to introduce bill banning abortion, criminalizing the procedure 鈥
A brain-dead Georgia woman is set to be taken off of life support after her baby was delivered 鈥
Abortion Bans Worsen Violence in Relationships, Study Finds 鈥 EDITORS鈥 NOTE No GHN Tomorrow, June 19 Please note that our office will be closed tomorrow in observance of the Juneteenth holiday. We鈥檒l be back with more news on Monday, June 23!
鈥擳he Editors GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Global conflict levels are the highest they鈥檝e been since the end of World War II, with 59 active conflicts in 35+ countries, according to the ; the report also shows declining geopolitical influence of the U.S., Russia, and China as smaller countries emerge as regional powers.
A group of bat viruses related to MERS could be one mutation away from being capable of spilling over into humans, that focuses on the virus group, known as HKU5.
U.S. alcohol guidance could be soon changed from recommending one or two drinks per day to a brief statement encouraging drinking in moderation, in what could be a major win for the alcohol industry; the updates to the U.S. Dietary Guidelines are still under development by the HHS and USDA.
Microplastics in coastal waters could heighten cardiometabolic disease risk among nearby residents, , which found 鈥渟ignificantly鈥 higher rates of type 2 diabetes, coronary artery disease, and stroke among U.S. residents living near highly polluted waters compared with people who lived near less-polluted waters. GHN EXCLUSIVE Q&A 622A_cecum: Section through a healthy mouse cecum stained with Haematoxylin-eosin. Courtesy of Emma Slack 鈥楪ardening始 in the Gut
The pipeline for new drugs to fight antibiotic-resistant infections is rife with challenges, but one promising solution offers a workaround: tackling drug-resistant bacteria in the gut.
The method combines oral vaccinations with harmless bacteria that outcompete the bacteria for food and 鈥渟tarve them out,鈥 Emma Slack, a professor at ETH Zurich and the University of Oxford鈥檚 Sir William Dunn School of Pathology, told GHN.
- The pairing was significantly more effective than using vaccines or harmless bacteria on their own, testing the method in mice.
It may be five to 10 years from clinical use, but the method could one day be applied to 鈥渁nything where immunosuppression is one of the side effects,鈥 says Slack. Patients could be treated before transplant surgery, or during high-risk pregnancies to head off the risk of infection in premature babies.
The most exciting prospect: reversing the 鈥渁ntimicrobial resistance crisis for gut-colonizing, opportunistic pathogens,鈥 says Slack. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS Funding Disruptions Threaten Uganda鈥檚 HIV Fight
Since 1987, the Rakai Health Sciences Program (RHSP) in Uganda has achieved remarkable milestones. In areas it serves, the program has:
- Reduced new HIV infections by 90%.
- Extended anti鈥憆etroviral (ARV) coverage to 90% of people living with HIV.
- Medication access interruptions and clinic closures in January prompted HIV rebound fears; though services were quickly restored, experts warn that sustained disruptions could reverse hard-won gains.
- Uganda鈥檚 plan to shift HIV treatment from specialized rural clinics to primary care clinics could also disrupt access and medication adherence, as some patients may face longer travel.
Related: 鈥楬IV-ending鈥 drug could be made for just $25 per patient a year, say researchers 鈥 OPPORTUNITY HUMAN RIGHTS The Oppressors at Home
In the Taliban鈥檚 Afghanistan, oppression against women has led to men being 鈥渇oot soldiers鈥 against their female relatives.
Vice and virtue laws, which include strict rules that women must cover themselves, not talk too loudly, or appear in public without a male escort, are meant to be enforced by 鈥渕orality police.鈥 But often, husbands and brothers take on this role.
Rising fear: Under the Taliban, male relatives could face fines or prison if women are caught breaking morality laws. This has led to a rise in domestic violence, isolation, and psychological damage to Afghan women.
Related: Over 400 health centers shut down in Afghanistan following US aid
suspension 鈥 ALMOST FRIDAY MINI DIVERSION QUICK HITS IOM Reports 60 Migrants Missing in Two Deadly Shipwrecks off Libya 鈥
How Trump's travel ban could disrupt the way knowledge about health is shared 鈥
Via the False Claims Act, NIH Puts Universities on Edge 鈥
Indonesia steps up efforts to eliminate malaria by 2030 鈥
Kraft Heinz to remove artificial dyes from U.S. products by end of 2027 鈥
Study: Early antibiotics tied to higher risk of childhood infections, antibiotic use, and asthma 鈥
Scientists uncover how ticks fight off and carry a virus deadly to humans 鈥
Threat in Your Medicine Cabinet: The FDA鈥檚 Gamble on America鈥檚 Drugs 鈥
Could the answer to the male fertility crisis be lurking in your cat鈥檚 litter tray? 鈥 Issue No. 2744
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
Almost 4.5 million maternal, stillborn and newborn deaths were recorded in 2023. What if there was a clear path to saving 83 percent of these people? To saving 3.7 million mothers, unborn children and babies annually?
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: The Mystery of Chronic Mountain Sickness; Dogs as Weapons; and The Decline of Anti-Girl Bias
June 17, 2025
GHN EXCLUSIVE REPORT
The Andes mountain range between Lima and Cerro de Pasco east of Canta. DeAgostini/Getty
The Mystery of Chronic Mountain Sickness
HUAYLLAY, Peru鈥擜bout 5鈥10% of people who have lived their whole lives at high altitude eventually come down with the last illness they would expect: altitude sickness.
Research history: Scientists like Le贸n-Velarde have been trying to understand the cause of CMS since it was first described by Peruvian doctor Carlos Monge in 1925.
A U.S. judge ordered ~800 terminated NIH research projects, cited in a lawsuit by U.S. researchers and a coalition of 16 states, to be reinstated, calling the cuts discriminatory; the government will likely appeal the ruling.
Fewer than half of young men in the U.K.鈥46%鈥攂elieve that abortion should be legal, compared with 71% of the general population, per a new poll ahead of a parliamentary vote today on whether to decriminalize abortion.
Cornell University researchers have identified an antibiotic, rifampin, that is 99.9% effective against Salmonella Typhi, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever, ; drug-resistant strains of the bacterium claim 150,000+ lives a year. U.S. and Global Health Policy News South Africa Built a Medical Research Powerhouse. Trump Cuts Have Demolished It. 鈥
Rising Refugee Suicides in West Nile Linked to Food Shortages and Aid Cuts 鈥
Kenya's war on HIV, TB and malaria faces setback as funding drops sharply 鈥
Researchers warn U.S. is on the 鈥榩recipice鈥 of brain drain as Trump cuts federal grants 鈥 CONFLICT Dogs as Weapons
Military and police dogs are being utilized against civilians in Palestine, say human rights groups, who report the use of canines against Palestinians has led to injuries and deaths.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POPULATIONS The Decline of Anti-Girl Bias
In 鈥渙ne of the most important social shifts of our time,鈥 the long-held sex preference for boys at birth has dramatically shifted worldwide.
Over the past 25 years, the number of annual excess male births has fallen from a peak of 1.7 million in 2000 to ~200,000, a biologically standard birth ratio, .
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Nigerian agriculture ministry workers 鈥榯old to fast and pray鈥 to end hunger crisis 鈥
Ending nuclear weapons, before they end us 鈥
The cost of staying alive could become a lot more expensive for millions of Americans 鈥
Too often, Black patients get late diagnoses of deadly skin cancer 鈥
Eight things you need to know about the new 鈥淣imbus鈥 and 鈥淪tratus鈥 COVID-19 variants 鈥
How the cholera bacterium can outsmart a virus 鈥
New opioid testing techniques could lead to better therapies 鈥
How technology is helping African countries fight malaria from the skies 鈥 Issue No. 2743
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
HUAYLLAY, Peru鈥擜bout 5鈥10% of people who have lived their whole lives at high altitude eventually come down with the last illness they would expect: altitude sickness.
- While there are no exact numbers, ~7 million people living above 2,500 meters (~8,200 feet) are at risk of chronic mountain sickness (CMS), in the journal High Altitude Medicine & Biology.
- Characterized by low levels of oxygen saturation (hypoxia) and excessive amounts of hemoglobin (polycythemia), CMS can start with blue-tinged fingertips or lips.
- But the illness can progress to life-threatening pulmonary or cerebral edema.
Research history: Scientists like Le贸n-Velarde have been trying to understand the cause of CMS since it was first described by Peruvian doctor Carlos Monge in 1925.
- But recent research that led to a 2019 Nobel Prize may offer new insights into the origins of CMS.
A U.S. judge ordered ~800 terminated NIH research projects, cited in a lawsuit by U.S. researchers and a coalition of 16 states, to be reinstated, calling the cuts discriminatory; the government will likely appeal the ruling.
Fewer than half of young men in the U.K.鈥46%鈥攂elieve that abortion should be legal, compared with 71% of the general population, per a new poll ahead of a parliamentary vote today on whether to decriminalize abortion.
Cornell University researchers have identified an antibiotic, rifampin, that is 99.9% effective against Salmonella Typhi, the bacterium that causes typhoid fever, ; drug-resistant strains of the bacterium claim 150,000+ lives a year. U.S. and Global Health Policy News South Africa Built a Medical Research Powerhouse. Trump Cuts Have Demolished It. 鈥
Rising Refugee Suicides in West Nile Linked to Food Shortages and Aid Cuts 鈥
Kenya's war on HIV, TB and malaria faces setback as funding drops sharply 鈥
Researchers warn U.S. is on the 鈥榩recipice鈥 of brain drain as Trump cuts federal grants 鈥 CONFLICT Dogs as Weapons
Military and police dogs are being utilized against civilians in Palestine, say human rights groups, who report the use of canines against Palestinians has led to injuries and deaths.
- Euro Med Human Rights Monitor has documented 146 cases of attack dogs being used against civilians since October 2023.
- The UN has also decried the use of military dogs against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli detention, citing .
- Israel鈥檚 specialist canine unit, Oketz, has said that the dogs are only deployed in anti-terrorism campaigns.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POPULATIONS The Decline of Anti-Girl Bias
In 鈥渙ne of the most important social shifts of our time,鈥 the long-held sex preference for boys at birth has dramatically shifted worldwide.
Over the past 25 years, the number of annual excess male births has fallen from a peak of 1.7 million in 2000 to ~200,000, a biologically standard birth ratio, .
- The reduction in female infanticide and sex-selective abortions has led to the survival of ~7 million girls, the analysis found.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Nigerian agriculture ministry workers 鈥榯old to fast and pray鈥 to end hunger crisis 鈥
Ending nuclear weapons, before they end us 鈥
The cost of staying alive could become a lot more expensive for millions of Americans 鈥
Too often, Black patients get late diagnoses of deadly skin cancer 鈥
Eight things you need to know about the new 鈥淣imbus鈥 and 鈥淪tratus鈥 COVID-19 variants 鈥
How the cholera bacterium can outsmart a virus 鈥
New opioid testing techniques could lead to better therapies 鈥
How technology is helping African countries fight malaria from the skies 鈥 Issue No. 2743
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
UN Aid Cuts Force 鈥楬yper-prioritized始 Plan; Deaths on the Street in Portland; and Memory Cafes Bridge a Gap
鈥淏rutal funding cuts leave us with brutal choices,鈥 said Tom Fletcher, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs.
June 16, 2025
Tents serve as temporary shelters for displaced Palestinians along the coastline of Gaza City, on June 10. Majdi Fathi/NurPhoto/Getty Images
UN Aid Cuts Force 鈥楬yper-prioritized始 Plan
The UN has slashed its 2025 humanitarian aid appeal from $44 billion to $29 billion, as the agency contends with to the aid sector, .
Only $5.6 billion (13%) has been raised so far after severely reduced contributions from the U.S. and others.
Existing aid under attack: Meanwhile, a UN expert is urging the General Assembly to authorize the deployment of armed peacekeepers to protect humanitarian transport and distribution, as aid workers continue to be targeted in areas including Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, and Central African Republic, .
COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 could now make up more than 1 in 3 cases across the U.S., the ; the variant has been linked to a surge of hospitalizations in parts of Asia, and the CDC's airport surveillance program detected cases of it in arriving international travelers last month.
The U.S. health care workforce has recovered from widespread job losses of early 2020, with employment now matching pre-pandemic projections, ; but recovery is uneven, with doctors鈥 offices exceeding pre-pandemic employment growth while skilled nursing facilities contend with understaffing.
Dengue survivors face an elevated risk for post-infection multi-organ complications, hospitalization, and death, that analyzed 55,870 cases of adults infected between 2017 and 2023.
The FDA has expanded approval of Moderna鈥檚 RSV vaccine mResvia to include adults ages 18鈥59 who are at high risk of severe illness from the virus; previously the vaccine was licensed for use only in adults 60+. HOMELESSNESS Increased Deaths on the Street in Portland
As the homeless population in Portland grew during the pandemic, the city responded with a $1.3 million plan to 鈥渞eprioritize public health and safety among homeless Portlanders.鈥
Across the U.S., 600+ memory cafes offer low-cost social support for dementia patients and caregivers, helping alleviate isolation and stress through regular gatherings.
And with $11 billion in federal health funding for state and local health departments now on the chopping block, grassroots-led memory cafes may soon play a critical role for families needing help navigating the struggles of dementia care.
Growing need: U.S. Alzheimer鈥檚 cases are projected to double from 6.9 million now to 13.8 million by 2060, while the number of family caregivers is declining.
SUICIDE Curbing Pesticides to Save Lives
Suriname has one of the world's highest suicide rates, largely due to the pesticide paraquat鈥攚hich is lethal even in tiny doses and is widely available in homes across the country.
Global perspective: Pesticides are one of the leading means of suicide in agricultural areas of developing nations, leading to 100,000+ suicides annually.
Banning paraquat and other pesticides has led to dramatic drops in suicide rates in other countries including Sri Lanka (70%+), South Korea (~50%), and China (60%).
Ongoing efforts: The charity Open Philanthropy funded the launch in 2017 of the , and the was formed in 2023 to phase out use of the deadliest pesticides in agricultural areas where risks have not been managed.
QUICK HITS As mpox escalates in Sierra Leone, activity in other countries reflects mixed picture 鈥
An oral cholera vaccination campaign aims to reach more than 2.6 million people in Sudan鈥檚 Khartoum State 鈥
US pharma bets big on China to snap up potential blockbuster drugs 鈥
Small towns are growing fast across Ghana 鈥 but environmental planning isn鈥檛 keeping up 鈥 (commentary)
Ancient miasma theory may help explain Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine moves 鈥
How Covid-19 Changed Hideo Kojima鈥檚 Vision For Death Stranding 2 鈥 Issue No. 2742
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
The UN has slashed its 2025 humanitarian aid appeal from $44 billion to $29 billion, as the agency contends with to the aid sector, .
Only $5.6 billion (13%) has been raised so far after severely reduced contributions from the U.S. and others.
- 鈥淏rutal funding cuts leave us with brutal choices,鈥 said Tom Fletcher, undersecretary-general for humanitarian affairs.
Existing aid under attack: Meanwhile, a UN expert is urging the General Assembly to authorize the deployment of armed peacekeepers to protect humanitarian transport and distribution, as aid workers continue to be targeted in areas including Gaza, Sudan, Haiti, and Central African Republic, .
- A record 360+ humanitarian workers were killed last year, as aid restrictions and starvation are increasingly used as weapons of war.
COVID-19 variant NB.1.8.1 could now make up more than 1 in 3 cases across the U.S., the ; the variant has been linked to a surge of hospitalizations in parts of Asia, and the CDC's airport surveillance program detected cases of it in arriving international travelers last month.
The U.S. health care workforce has recovered from widespread job losses of early 2020, with employment now matching pre-pandemic projections, ; but recovery is uneven, with doctors鈥 offices exceeding pre-pandemic employment growth while skilled nursing facilities contend with understaffing.
Dengue survivors face an elevated risk for post-infection multi-organ complications, hospitalization, and death, that analyzed 55,870 cases of adults infected between 2017 and 2023.
The FDA has expanded approval of Moderna鈥檚 RSV vaccine mResvia to include adults ages 18鈥59 who are at high risk of severe illness from the virus; previously the vaccine was licensed for use only in adults 60+. HOMELESSNESS Increased Deaths on the Street in Portland
As the homeless population in Portland grew during the pandemic, the city responded with a $1.3 million plan to 鈥渞eprioritize public health and safety among homeless Portlanders.鈥
- And yet: Deaths of homeless people quadrupled from 113 in 2019 to 450+ in 2023.
- One 2023 showed that such sweeps raise the risk of overdose by up to 22% for people who inject drugs.
Across the U.S., 600+ memory cafes offer low-cost social support for dementia patients and caregivers, helping alleviate isolation and stress through regular gatherings.
And with $11 billion in federal health funding for state and local health departments now on the chopping block, grassroots-led memory cafes may soon play a critical role for families needing help navigating the struggles of dementia care.
Growing need: U.S. Alzheimer鈥檚 cases are projected to double from 6.9 million now to 13.8 million by 2060, while the number of family caregivers is declining.
SUICIDE Curbing Pesticides to Save Lives
Suriname has one of the world's highest suicide rates, largely due to the pesticide paraquat鈥攚hich is lethal even in tiny doses and is widely available in homes across the country.
Global perspective: Pesticides are one of the leading means of suicide in agricultural areas of developing nations, leading to 100,000+ suicides annually.
Banning paraquat and other pesticides has led to dramatic drops in suicide rates in other countries including Sri Lanka (70%+), South Korea (~50%), and China (60%).
Ongoing efforts: The charity Open Philanthropy funded the launch in 2017 of the , and the was formed in 2023 to phase out use of the deadliest pesticides in agricultural areas where risks have not been managed.
QUICK HITS As mpox escalates in Sierra Leone, activity in other countries reflects mixed picture 鈥
An oral cholera vaccination campaign aims to reach more than 2.6 million people in Sudan鈥檚 Khartoum State 鈥
US pharma bets big on China to snap up potential blockbuster drugs 鈥
Small towns are growing fast across Ghana 鈥 but environmental planning isn鈥檛 keeping up 鈥 (commentary)
Ancient miasma theory may help explain Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s vaccine moves 鈥
How Covid-19 Changed Hideo Kojima鈥檚 Vision For Death Stranding 2 鈥 Issue No. 2742
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
Since conflict erupted in Sudan, more than a million people have fled to neighbouring South Sudan, seeking refuge from escalating violence that has displaced 12.4 million people and plunged over half the Sudanese population into food insecurity.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Escalating gang violence in Haiti has displaced a record 1.3 million people, UN human rights chief Volker T眉rk said on Friday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW Mercury Rising in World始s Rivers; RFK Jr.鈥檚 New Committee Picks; and Who Squashed the Veg Sculpture Competition?
Mercury increase poses a growing risk to people living near affected waterways, study warns.
June 12, 2025
A child in a canoe near a home on a tributary of the Amazon River near Breves, Para state, Brazil, on Sept. 21, 2022. Jonne Roriz/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Mercury Rising
Mercury carried downstream by rivers has increased nearly 3X worldwide since the Industrial Revolution, surging from 390 to 1,000 megagrams annually due to coal combustion, mining, and manufacturing, .
The mercury increase poses a growing risk to people living near affected waterways, as the neurotoxin has been linked to cancer, heart disease, and developmental harm in children, .
The study: Researchers used computer models and sediment data to establish a pre-industrial mercury baseline before 1850 and simulate mercury transport in rivers, .
Key findings: The data show the most dramatic increases in mercury pollution occurred in North and South America, contributing to 41% of the global increase in riverine mercury since 1850, followed by Southeast Asia (22%) and South Asia (19%).
Last month was the world鈥檚 second warmest May on record, per the EU鈥檚 Copernicus Climate Change Service鈥攃reating especially dry conditions across Europe as drought concerns rise.
Unethical experiments conducted on Black inmates were used in the development of the antimalarial primaquine in the 1950s and 60s, particularly around genetics鈥 role in adverse drug reactions, by an ethicist-led research team.
A bill to protect the privacy of women鈥檚 reproductive health data, including tracking apps around menstruation, pregnancy, and abortion, has been introduced by three Democratic members of Congress who say such a measure is necessary to protect women in the post-Roe v. Wade era.
Fetuses more exposed to certain air pollutants experience changes in the size of specific brain structures, especially during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, that drew from data collected from 754 mother-fetus pairs between 2018 and 2021. U.S. POLICY RFK Jr.鈥檚 New Committee Picks
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed eight new members to the CDC鈥檚 independent vaccine advisory committee after removing all 17 previous members earlier this week.
What鈥檚 next: It is unclear if Kennedy plans to appoint any more members to new ACIP. The panel will meet June 25-27 to review recommendations on vaccines, including for HPV and COVID-19 shots.
More U.S. Policy News:
Kennedy鈥檚 ouster of US vaccine advisors puts pharma ties under scrutiny 鈥
Vaccine board purge stokes talk of CDC alternatives 鈥
Top RFK Jr. aide attacks US health system while running company that promotes wellness alternatives 鈥
RFK Jr. to tell medical schools to teach nutrition or lose federal funding 鈥
A promising new HIV vaccine was set to start trials. Then came Trump's latest cuts 鈥
Senators press NIH director on killed grants and proposal to slash agency鈥檚 funding 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES WEAPONS The Physical Toll of 鈥楲ess-Lethal鈥 Force
Tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray like those used against demonstrators in Los Angeles this past week may not be designed to kill, but they can cause serious injuries, health problems, and even death.
Tear gas and pepper spray can have both short- and long-term effects, ranging from eye and skin irritation and vomiting to extreme respiratory distress and damage to vision or the nervous system.
Rubber bullet risks: Often made of hard plastic or metal, rubber bullets have caused blindness, brain injury, and death in some cases.
Research gaps: Much existing research into tactics like tear gas is limited to military research of young men in the 1950s-70s, and doesn鈥檛 account for modern weapons technology or potential health effects on a broader civilian population.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Who Squashed the Competition?
Last week we celebrated a wax .
Now, another installment of England-making-things-look-like-other-things: a cornucopia of vegetable likenesses.
At the Lambeth Country Show, held last weekend in London始s Brockwell Park, revelers to enjoy sheep shearing, livestock competitions, and most of all: vegetable sculptures and vegetable puns.
鈥淓very year, this is what we get so excited about,鈥 .
Voting is now closed, but you can still pick your favorite.
Will it be ? Or its Vatican-themed rival, Butternut squash channeling ? ? Broccoli-based ?
All are healthy choices. QUICK HITS Scientists mapped what happens if a crucial system of ocean currents collapses. The weather impact would be extreme 鈥
Global action needed as progress stalls on disability-inclusive development goals 鈥 UN News 鈥
Journalist, advocate, policy adviser? My strange role in the fight against superbugs 鈥
As a health crisis looms in Vietnam, now is the time for a sugary drink tax: WHO 鈥
36% of Jamaicans tested for NCDs in health ministry campaign present 鈥榓bnormal result鈥 鈥
World Food Safety Day : Putting Science into Action to Improve Nutrition and Protect Health in Africa 鈥
Homicide Rates Near Supervised Consumption Sites: A Study from Canada 鈥
Word of the Week: how a bacterium unrelated to fish got its name 'salmonella' 鈥 Issue No. 2740
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Mercury carried downstream by rivers has increased nearly 3X worldwide since the Industrial Revolution, surging from 390 to 1,000 megagrams annually due to coal combustion, mining, and manufacturing, .
The mercury increase poses a growing risk to people living near affected waterways, as the neurotoxin has been linked to cancer, heart disease, and developmental harm in children, .
The study: Researchers used computer models and sediment data to establish a pre-industrial mercury baseline before 1850 and simulate mercury transport in rivers, .
Key findings: The data show the most dramatic increases in mercury pollution occurred in North and South America, contributing to 41% of the global increase in riverine mercury since 1850, followed by Southeast Asia (22%) and South Asia (19%).
- In the Amazon region, mercury levels have soared due to both increased mining activities and soil erosion from deforestation.
Last month was the world鈥檚 second warmest May on record, per the EU鈥檚 Copernicus Climate Change Service鈥攃reating especially dry conditions across Europe as drought concerns rise.
Unethical experiments conducted on Black inmates were used in the development of the antimalarial primaquine in the 1950s and 60s, particularly around genetics鈥 role in adverse drug reactions, by an ethicist-led research team.
A bill to protect the privacy of women鈥檚 reproductive health data, including tracking apps around menstruation, pregnancy, and abortion, has been introduced by three Democratic members of Congress who say such a measure is necessary to protect women in the post-Roe v. Wade era.
Fetuses more exposed to certain air pollutants experience changes in the size of specific brain structures, especially during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, that drew from data collected from 754 mother-fetus pairs between 2018 and 2021. U.S. POLICY RFK Jr.鈥檚 New Committee Picks
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has appointed eight new members to the CDC鈥檚 independent vaccine advisory committee after removing all 17 previous members earlier this week.
- The new appointees to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) include some who have been critics of vaccines鈥攅specially COVID-19 vaccines and mRNA technology鈥攁nd pandemic lockdowns.
What鈥檚 next: It is unclear if Kennedy plans to appoint any more members to new ACIP. The panel will meet June 25-27 to review recommendations on vaccines, including for HPV and COVID-19 shots.
More U.S. Policy News:
Kennedy鈥檚 ouster of US vaccine advisors puts pharma ties under scrutiny 鈥
Vaccine board purge stokes talk of CDC alternatives 鈥
Top RFK Jr. aide attacks US health system while running company that promotes wellness alternatives 鈥
RFK Jr. to tell medical schools to teach nutrition or lose federal funding 鈥
A promising new HIV vaccine was set to start trials. Then came Trump's latest cuts 鈥
Senators press NIH director on killed grants and proposal to slash agency鈥檚 funding 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES WEAPONS The Physical Toll of 鈥楲ess-Lethal鈥 Force
Tear gas, rubber bullets, and pepper spray like those used against demonstrators in Los Angeles this past week may not be designed to kill, but they can cause serious injuries, health problems, and even death.
Tear gas and pepper spray can have both short- and long-term effects, ranging from eye and skin irritation and vomiting to extreme respiratory distress and damage to vision or the nervous system.
Rubber bullet risks: Often made of hard plastic or metal, rubber bullets have caused blindness, brain injury, and death in some cases.
Research gaps: Much existing research into tactics like tear gas is limited to military research of young men in the 1950s-70s, and doesn鈥檛 account for modern weapons technology or potential health effects on a broader civilian population.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Who Squashed the Competition?
Last week we celebrated a wax .
Now, another installment of England-making-things-look-like-other-things: a cornucopia of vegetable likenesses.
At the Lambeth Country Show, held last weekend in London始s Brockwell Park, revelers to enjoy sheep shearing, livestock competitions, and most of all: vegetable sculptures and vegetable puns.
鈥淓very year, this is what we get so excited about,鈥 .
Voting is now closed, but you can still pick your favorite.
Will it be ? Or its Vatican-themed rival, Butternut squash channeling ? ? Broccoli-based ?
All are healthy choices. QUICK HITS Scientists mapped what happens if a crucial system of ocean currents collapses. The weather impact would be extreme 鈥
Global action needed as progress stalls on disability-inclusive development goals 鈥 UN News 鈥
Journalist, advocate, policy adviser? My strange role in the fight against superbugs 鈥
As a health crisis looms in Vietnam, now is the time for a sugary drink tax: WHO 鈥
36% of Jamaicans tested for NCDs in health ministry campaign present 鈥榓bnormal result鈥 鈥
World Food Safety Day : Putting Science into Action to Improve Nutrition and Protect Health in Africa 鈥
Homicide Rates Near Supervised Consumption Sites: A Study from Canada 鈥
Word of the Week: how a bacterium unrelated to fish got its name 'salmonella' 鈥 Issue No. 2740
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
With over half of the Sudanese population in need of aid and lean season rapidly approaching, the UN Chief for Humanitarian Affairs once again sounded the alarm about the crisis unfolding in Sudan on Thursday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Two counties in the Upper Nile State of South Sudan are sliding into famine, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned in a new report released Thursday.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Declining 鈥楻eproductive Agency鈥 and Fertility Rates; Rescripting Traumatic Memories; Meth Smuggling in the Golden Triangle
June 11, 2025
A doll on a stroller is pictured on a playground in Bicentennial Park, in the commune of Vitacura. Santiago, Chile, September 5, 2024. Raul Bravo/AFP via Getty
A Lack of 鈥楻eproductive Agency鈥 as Global Fertility Declines
The 鈥渦nprecedented鈥 drop in global fertility stems from social and economic barriers鈥攏ot a rejection of parenthood鈥.
Key finding: 1 in 5 adults say they expect to have fewer children than they want due to financial barriers and insecurity about the future.
Key factors preventing people from starting families, :
Related:
China to make all hospitals offer epidurals to incentivise childbirth 鈥
Advocates, Clinics Anxiously Ask: When Will Trump Release IVF Recommendations? 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Louisiana lawmakers have passed a bill targeting out-of-state doctors and activists who prescribe, mail, or 鈥渃oordinate the sale of鈥 abortion pills to residents within the state, where abortion is banned with few exceptions.
Childhood trauma has been linked to a 20% increased risk of developing endometriosis later in life, , which included hundreds of thousands of women in Sweden.
Dementia risk can be tied to vascular risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, or smoking, , which suggests that up to 44% of dementia cases could be attributed to such preventable factors in mid- and late life.
The FDA will use AI to 鈥渞adically increase efficiency鈥 in approving new drugs and devices, per a ; the adoption of the technology comes after the agency cut nearly 2,000 employees. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Vaccine board purge stokes talk of CDC alternatives 鈥
White House says it will spare some AIDS programs that were on the chopping block 鈥
Big changes are being proposed for a US food aid program 鈥
Science鈥檚 reform movement should have seen Trump鈥檚 call for 鈥榞old standard science鈥 coming, critics say 鈥
NIH chief stands by funding cuts to 鈥榩oliticized science鈥 at tense hearing 鈥
The Bleach Community Is Ready for RFK Jr. to Make Their Dreams Come True 鈥 DATA POINT
1 in 5
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌
Afghans live in areas littered with landmines and unexploded ordnance. 鈥 MENTAL HEALTH Rescripting Memories to Treat PTSD
Finding effective treatments for PTSD in veterans is an ongoing quest for psychologists and one with high stakes, as veterans with the condition .
One therapy getting more attention: Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM), a structured process that aims to reduce PTSD symptoms by visualizing trauma as a movie, 鈥渞ewinding鈥 and adjusting elements to lessen emotional impact over time.
The process differs from the dominant treatment, prolonged exposure therapy, by approaching memories less directly, thereby lessening distress and leading to a higher completion rate.
Further study needed: Initial data are promising, with ~70% of those receiving RTM therapy no longer meeting PTSD criteria. But critics say the studies are limited and need more rigor.
Related: Mental healthcare reform 2.0: learning from the global south 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DRUG TRAFFICKING Meth Smuggling Crisis in the Golden Triangle
Thai authorities are struggling to stem a flood of synthetic illicit drugs coming into the country from neighboring war-torn Burma, where drug production is surging.
Meth on the rise: Thailand intercepted 130 tons of meth in 2024, 鈥攏early half of the 236 tons seized in East and Southeast Asia.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Motsoaledi鈥檚 big HIV treatment jump: Is it true? 鈥
Arizona confirms first measles cases as totals rise in other states 鈥
Why Texas is spending millions to research an illegal psychedelic 鈥
Vi峄噒 Nam confirms global family planning commitment through 2030 鈥
How to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what works 鈥
How Composting Protects Public Health and Our Planet 鈥
Music festivals have become more open to harm reduction initiatives. How far will it go? 鈥
Word of the Week: how a bacteria unrelated to fish got its name 鈥渟almonella鈥 鈥 Issue No. 2739
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
The 鈥渦nprecedented鈥 drop in global fertility stems from social and economic barriers鈥攏ot a rejection of parenthood鈥.
Key finding: 1 in 5 adults say they expect to have fewer children than they want due to financial barriers and insecurity about the future.
- 鈥淭he issue is lack of choice, not desire,鈥 UNFPA head Natalia Kanem .
Key factors preventing people from starting families, :
- Economic insecurity: 39% of respondents cited financial limitations including high housing and childcare costs as the main reason for having fewer children.
- Fear for the future: 19% cited worries around climate change and conflict.
- Gender and labor dynamics: 13% of women cited unequal division of labor as a barrier to having children.
Related:
China to make all hospitals offer epidurals to incentivise childbirth 鈥
Advocates, Clinics Anxiously Ask: When Will Trump Release IVF Recommendations? 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Louisiana lawmakers have passed a bill targeting out-of-state doctors and activists who prescribe, mail, or 鈥渃oordinate the sale of鈥 abortion pills to residents within the state, where abortion is banned with few exceptions.
Childhood trauma has been linked to a 20% increased risk of developing endometriosis later in life, , which included hundreds of thousands of women in Sweden.
Dementia risk can be tied to vascular risk factors including hypertension, diabetes, or smoking, , which suggests that up to 44% of dementia cases could be attributed to such preventable factors in mid- and late life.
The FDA will use AI to 鈥渞adically increase efficiency鈥 in approving new drugs and devices, per a ; the adoption of the technology comes after the agency cut nearly 2,000 employees. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Vaccine board purge stokes talk of CDC alternatives 鈥
White House says it will spare some AIDS programs that were on the chopping block 鈥
Big changes are being proposed for a US food aid program 鈥
Science鈥檚 reform movement should have seen Trump鈥檚 call for 鈥榞old standard science鈥 coming, critics say 鈥
NIH chief stands by funding cuts to 鈥榩oliticized science鈥 at tense hearing 鈥
The Bleach Community Is Ready for RFK Jr. to Make Their Dreams Come True 鈥 DATA POINT
1 in 5
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌
Afghans live in areas littered with landmines and unexploded ordnance. 鈥 MENTAL HEALTH Rescripting Memories to Treat PTSD
Finding effective treatments for PTSD in veterans is an ongoing quest for psychologists and one with high stakes, as veterans with the condition .
One therapy getting more attention: Reconsolidation of Traumatic Memories (RTM), a structured process that aims to reduce PTSD symptoms by visualizing trauma as a movie, 鈥渞ewinding鈥 and adjusting elements to lessen emotional impact over time.
The process differs from the dominant treatment, prolonged exposure therapy, by approaching memories less directly, thereby lessening distress and leading to a higher completion rate.
Further study needed: Initial data are promising, with ~70% of those receiving RTM therapy no longer meeting PTSD criteria. But critics say the studies are limited and need more rigor.
Related: Mental healthcare reform 2.0: learning from the global south 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DRUG TRAFFICKING Meth Smuggling Crisis in the Golden Triangle
Thai authorities are struggling to stem a flood of synthetic illicit drugs coming into the country from neighboring war-torn Burma, where drug production is surging.
Meth on the rise: Thailand intercepted 130 tons of meth in 2024, 鈥攏early half of the 236 tons seized in East and Southeast Asia.
- 鈥淚n the past, to catch like 100,000 methamphetamine tablets was a big deal. Now we catch more than a million pills, and it鈥檚 just a normal day,鈥 said one Thai military official.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Motsoaledi鈥檚 big HIV treatment jump: Is it true? 鈥
Arizona confirms first measles cases as totals rise in other states 鈥
Why Texas is spending millions to research an illegal psychedelic 鈥
Vi峄噒 Nam confirms global family planning commitment through 2030 鈥
How to speak to a vaccine sceptic: research reveals what works 鈥
How Composting Protects Public Health and Our Planet 鈥
Music festivals have become more open to harm reduction initiatives. How far will it go? 鈥
Word of the Week: how a bacteria unrelated to fish got its name 鈥渟almonella鈥 鈥 Issue No. 2739
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
With 2024 confirmed as the hottest year on record, the World Health Organization (WHO) has issued a stark warning: the climate crisis is also a health crisis 鈥 and it鈥檚 already claiming lives.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: RFK Jr. Clears Out Vaccine Experts; Argentina鈥檚 Scientists Struggle; and Lesotho Mothers on the Front Lines
June 10, 2025
A paramedic administers a dose of the measles vaccine at a health center. Lubbock, Texas. February 27. Ronald Schemidt/AFP via Getty
RFK Jr. Clears Out Vaccine Experts
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. yesterday removed all experts on a vaccine advisory committee that guides the CDC鈥攁nd will replace them with members he selects.
We have 鈥榩ost-vaccination syndrome.鈥 We are tired of being used to score anti-vax points 鈥
FDA Review of Novavax鈥檚 COVID-19 Vaccine鈥擱egulatory Integrity and Deviations From Standard Practice 鈥
Widespread Decline Seen in MMR Vaccination Rates After COVID-19 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners The WHO has extended its designation of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern amid a recent surge of cases in West Africa; the emergency, first confirmed in August 2024, now affects 25 countries in Africa.
Youth firearm deaths rose considerably in U.S. states that passed more lenient gun laws after a 2010 Supreme Court ruling limited local governments鈥 capacity to limit gun ownership, ; in states with stricter laws, gun deaths held steady or even fell鈥攁nd dipped significantly in four: California, Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island.
Canadian wildfires have forced 27,000+ Canadians in three provinces to evacuate, while smoke from the fires is causing 鈥榲ery unhealthy鈥 conditions in the American Midwest and even reaching Europe; in Minnesota, hospitals are reporting more patients with respiratory symptoms.
A new celiac disease blood test could be a game-changer, that found the test highly accurate鈥攚hile sparing people from weeks of potentially painful and debilitating tests that require them to consume gluten. U.S. and Global Health Policy News NIH walks back ban on new grants for universities with DEI programs or Israel boycotts 鈥
Trump budget proposes killing nursing research institute 鈥
鈥楾he cartels and clans are ecstatic鈥: How USAID cuts have emboldened Colombia鈥檚 narcos 鈥
Domestic abusers could have easier path to getting gun rights back under Trump proposal 鈥
Trump Bill鈥檚 Caps on Grad School Loans Could Worsen Doctor Shortage 鈥 POLICY Argentina鈥檚 Scientists Struggle
After decades of cyclical crises, extreme currency fluctuations, and sky-high inflation, Argentine scientists have had to learn to be creative with limited funds: They bargain with suppliers, recycle materials, and look for cheaper alternatives when the equipment they want is too expensive.
But even their ingenuity is becoming insufficient after a year and a half of aggressive government cuts to public spending.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS How Misoprostol Transformed Abortion in Latin America
In the 1990s, abortion activism in Latin America was revolutionized by the word-of-mouth spread of a safe, new self-managed abortion method: the drug misoprostol.
Strict anti-abortion laws were in place throughout the region, but underground networks of activists soon found ways to get misoprostol in the hands of women, and to instruct them how to use it.
Related: A Day With One Abortion Pill Prescriber 鈥 SUBSTANCE USE Lesotho Mothers on the Front Lines
In Lesotho, alarming trends in youth drug use are spurring mothers to push for greater interventions.
鈥楬otspotting鈥 takes hold: As crystal meth usage has grown, more young people are participating in 鈥渉otspotting鈥 or 鈥渂luetoothing鈥濃攖he practice of drawing blood from a drug-intoxicated person, then injecting it in others in order to spread the high.
Related: Drug deaths plummet among young Americans as fentanyl carnage eases 鈥 OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Measles holiday warning as cases rise in Europe 鈥
A Palestinian doctor in Israel helps people on both sides 鈥
These Gazan families came to Quebec for safety. Now, they face life without health coverage 鈥
Two Women Faced Chemo. The One Who Survived Demanded a Test to See if It Was Safe. 鈥 Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!
Suicidal ideation across three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark 鈥 identifying vulnerable subgroups using COH-FIT data 鈥
Eliminating malaria in Nigeria: insights from Egypt's success and pathways to sustainable eradication 鈥
Open-access revolution is squeezing scientific societies鈥 budgets, survey shows 鈥
What does it mean for workplaces to treat COVID-19 like the common flu 鈥 Issue No. 2738
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. yesterday removed all experts on a vaccine advisory committee that guides the CDC鈥攁nd will replace them with members he selects.
- Kennedy argued in that the 17-member committee 鈥渉as been plagued with persistent conflicts of interest and has become little more than a rubber stamp for any vaccine.鈥
- The next meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will be held June 25-27, though it鈥檚 not clear when new members will be announced, .
- 鈥淭his is one of the darkest days in modern public health history," said Michael Osterholm, director of the University of Minnesota's Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy (CIDRAP), . 鈥淪cience does not matter to Mr. Kennedy.鈥
- 鈥淲e鈥檒l look back at this as a grave mistake that sacrificed decades of scientific rigor, undermined public trust, and opened the door for fringe theories rather than facts,鈥 said Tom Frieden, Resolve to Save Lives president and CEO, and former CDC director, per AP.
- 鈥淲ith a refigured committee of like-minded individuals to the secretary, doctors, nurses, pharmacists who provide advice are going to be in big trouble,鈥 Richard Besser, former CDC acting director, .
We have 鈥榩ost-vaccination syndrome.鈥 We are tired of being used to score anti-vax points 鈥
FDA Review of Novavax鈥檚 COVID-19 Vaccine鈥擱egulatory Integrity and Deviations From Standard Practice 鈥
Widespread Decline Seen in MMR Vaccination Rates After COVID-19 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners The WHO has extended its designation of mpox as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern amid a recent surge of cases in West Africa; the emergency, first confirmed in August 2024, now affects 25 countries in Africa.
Youth firearm deaths rose considerably in U.S. states that passed more lenient gun laws after a 2010 Supreme Court ruling limited local governments鈥 capacity to limit gun ownership, ; in states with stricter laws, gun deaths held steady or even fell鈥攁nd dipped significantly in four: California, Maryland, New York, and Rhode Island.
Canadian wildfires have forced 27,000+ Canadians in three provinces to evacuate, while smoke from the fires is causing 鈥榲ery unhealthy鈥 conditions in the American Midwest and even reaching Europe; in Minnesota, hospitals are reporting more patients with respiratory symptoms.
A new celiac disease blood test could be a game-changer, that found the test highly accurate鈥攚hile sparing people from weeks of potentially painful and debilitating tests that require them to consume gluten. U.S. and Global Health Policy News NIH walks back ban on new grants for universities with DEI programs or Israel boycotts 鈥
Trump budget proposes killing nursing research institute 鈥
鈥楾he cartels and clans are ecstatic鈥: How USAID cuts have emboldened Colombia鈥檚 narcos 鈥
Domestic abusers could have easier path to getting gun rights back under Trump proposal 鈥
Trump Bill鈥檚 Caps on Grad School Loans Could Worsen Doctor Shortage 鈥 POLICY Argentina鈥檚 Scientists Struggle
After decades of cyclical crises, extreme currency fluctuations, and sky-high inflation, Argentine scientists have had to learn to be creative with limited funds: They bargain with suppliers, recycle materials, and look for cheaper alternatives when the equipment they want is too expensive.
But even their ingenuity is becoming insufficient after a year and a half of aggressive government cuts to public spending.
- Projects studying rare diseases and RNA-based therapeutics are stalled or dramatically scaled back, while scientists face dwindling supplies and collapsing purchasing power due to inflation exceeding 300% since late 2023.
- International collaborations, once a safety net, are also at risk as U.S. science budgets tighten. Argentine scientists are used to 鈥渂rain drain鈥濃攕eeing their colleagues emigrate when funding gets scarce鈥攁 possibility that is now raising alarms in the U.S.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS How Misoprostol Transformed Abortion in Latin America
In the 1990s, abortion activism in Latin America was revolutionized by the word-of-mouth spread of a safe, new self-managed abortion method: the drug misoprostol.
Strict anti-abortion laws were in place throughout the region, but underground networks of activists soon found ways to get misoprostol in the hands of women, and to instruct them how to use it.
- Groups like Las Libres in Mexico and Socorristas en Red in Argentina offered free pills, guidance, and support. Activists in Ecuador and Argentina started hotlines and published widely read manuals.
Related: A Day With One Abortion Pill Prescriber 鈥 SUBSTANCE USE Lesotho Mothers on the Front Lines
In Lesotho, alarming trends in youth drug use are spurring mothers to push for greater interventions.
鈥楬otspotting鈥 takes hold: As crystal meth usage has grown, more young people are participating in 鈥渉otspotting鈥 or 鈥渂luetoothing鈥濃攖he practice of drawing blood from a drug-intoxicated person, then injecting it in others in order to spread the high.
- The practice increases the risk of HIV and other infections in a country already facing one of the world鈥檚 highest HIV rates.
Related: Drug deaths plummet among young Americans as fentanyl carnage eases 鈥 OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Measles holiday warning as cases rise in Europe 鈥
A Palestinian doctor in Israel helps people on both sides 鈥
These Gazan families came to Quebec for safety. Now, they face life without health coverage 鈥
Two Women Faced Chemo. The One Who Survived Demanded a Test to See if It Was Safe. 鈥 Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!
Suicidal ideation across three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Denmark 鈥 identifying vulnerable subgroups using COH-FIT data 鈥
Eliminating malaria in Nigeria: insights from Egypt's success and pathways to sustainable eradication 鈥
Open-access revolution is squeezing scientific societies鈥 budgets, survey shows 鈥
What does it mean for workplaces to treat COVID-19 like the common flu 鈥 Issue No. 2738
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .
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