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The global fertility slump isn鈥檛 down to young people turning their backs on parenthood 鈥� it鈥檚 due to social and economic pressures stopping them from having the children they want, says a new UN report. 

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

Outbreak overview: In the past month, Sierra Leone has reported 15 deaths and 3,000+ mpox infections鈥攎ore than half of Africa鈥檚 new cases.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Viral skincare routines aimed at teenagers on TikTok carry both dermatological and psychological risks and 鈥渙ffer little to no benefit,鈥� , which also found that content creators ages 7鈥�18 apply an average of six skincare products daily.

U.S. mothers鈥� mental health worsened between 2016 and 2023 across all socioeconomic groups, finds a that analyzed self-reported mental health ratings from some 198,000 mothers.

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

He led George W. Bush's PEPFAR program to stop AIDS. Now he fears for its future 鈥� 

How Trump Administration Can Tackle America's Addiction Problems: Experts 鈥�

Who鈥檚 in charge? CDC鈥檚 leadership 鈥榗risis鈥� apparent amid new COVID-19 vaccine guidance 鈥�

NIH asks for proposals for $50M autism data project 鈥�

Palantir鈥檚 Collection of Disease Data at C.D.C. Stirs Privacy Concerns 鈥� CLIMATE Climate and Kidney Disease
Since the late 1990s, researchers have been studying an epidemic of young, otherwise healthy workers suddenly struck with kidney failure鈥攁 condition dubbed chronic kidney disease of unknown cause, or CKDu. 

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


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

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

• 鈥淵ou鈥檙e having this acute kidney injury day after day,鈥� said Catharina Giudice, an emergency medicine physician at Harvard University. 

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

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

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


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

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

  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Gaza health system 鈥榚xtremely fragile鈥� as aid point killings increase: ICRC 鈥�

Monthly prescription rule blocks ADHD treatment for SA kids 鈥�

World must 鈥榮tart screening for prostate cancer to stop men being left behind鈥� 鈥�

Salmonella outbreak tied to eggs sickens dozens across 7 states 鈥�

Stigmatised for being deaf: Z茅nabou's story 鈥�

Local, organic, and bipartisan: How Vermont is challenging Big Food 鈥�

How a dog aging project can help pets and humans live healthier lives 鈥� Issue No. 2737
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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96 Global Health NOW: Europe鈥檚 Surge of Synthetic Drugs; Scotland始s Mission to Banish Cervical Cancer; and This Sausage Roll Tastes Like Wax New drugs report reveals 鈥渃onstantly evolving鈥� challenges, and a rise in synthetic drugs and cocaine June 5, 2025 The head of Section III of UDYCO Central, Alejandro Martin-Blass, explains the details of the operation to dismantle the largest cocaine base paste processing laboratory in Europe, at the Canillas Police Complex, on April 13, 2023, in Madrid, Spain. Eduardo Parra/Europa Press via Getty Europe鈥檚 Surge of Synthetic Drugs
A widespread influx of synthetic opioids and recreational designer drugs are putting European health care systems 鈥渦nder strain,鈥� finds 鈥攁s  a 鈥渃onstantly evolving" European drug market forces officials to overhaul response strategies, . 

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

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

• Cathinones, stimulants also known as 鈥渂ath salts,鈥� are increasingly being manufactured on the continent, with Poland emerging as a key hub. 

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

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

Polysubstance use鈥攖aking multiple drugs at once鈥攔emains the main cause of drug deaths. 

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

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

10.9 million
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
The number of Americans who would lose health insurance under Trump鈥檚 tax cut bill, per the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. 鈥� The Latest One-Liners
Haiti has been elected to the WHO Executive Board for the first time, with the nation鈥檚 health minister saying the country would be a 鈥渃ommitted voice鈥� in shaping global health policy even as the country grapples with its own public health crises, including gang-related violence and undermined health infrastructure.

Women using weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro are being after 40 women have reported becoming pregnant while taking the medications, a U.K. regulatory agency warns.

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

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

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

How do they do it?

Prioritize communication: 鈥淲e try to make sure that everybody has the same information 鈥� that will allow parents to make an informed decision鈥� about having their child vaccinated, Kirsty Roy, the study始s lead author, told GHN in an exclusive Q&A.

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

Play the long game: While the program has seen successes, it still aims to go further: 鈥淲e are working towards eliminating cervical cancer in Scotland, ,鈥� says Roy.
 
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES SUBSTANCE USE Why Alcohol Needs a Cancer Warning Label
More than . But know that they鈥檙e while they鈥檙e doing it.

Updating the U.S. alcohol health warning label鈥攚hich hasn鈥檛 changed since 1989鈥攃ould help to raise awareness, experts say. 

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

• In February, the WHO issued a . 

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

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

Alcohol consumption is the in the U.S., after tobacco and obesity, and leads to a higher risk of . 

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION This Sausage Roll Tastes Like Wax
Everyone knows there始s only one true sign of celebrity: Being cast in wax. 

Think David Attenborough, Beyonc茅, William Shakespeare 鈥� and now, some sausage wrapped up in pastry, .

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

How the sausage is made: The 鈥渙ne-of-a-kind replica Sausage Roll鈥� was handcrafted by studio artists who studied 鈥渄ozens鈥� of real-life rolls to capture its flaky layers and 鈥渦nmistakable golden glaze,鈥� . 

Following the science: 鈥淣ew research鈥濃�攚hich we couldn始t find a link to鈥攁pparently ranked the Greggs Sausage Roll among the country始s most beloved cultural icons. It even outranked the affable cast of Gavin & Stacey () and the .

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

The Spring Issue of HBPH Is Available

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

.

QUICK HITS Neglected tropical diseases further neglected due to ODA cuts 鈥�

Researchers warn of bird flu survival in raw milk 鈥�  

US valley fever cases may be 18 times higher than reported 鈥�

Call for experts to develop a WHO guideline on consumption of ultra-processed foods 鈥�

Measles Is Scary, Says Lubbock鈥檚 Top Health Official. So Is Government Upheaval. 鈥�

Baby saved by gene-editing therapy 'graduates' from hospital, goes home 鈥� Issue No. 2736
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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AIDS-related deaths have dropped to their lowest level since 2004, but progress remains precarious, with the disease still claiming one life every minute. The impact of funding cuts is severe, causing widespread disruption to HIV services and threatening hard-won gains. 

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

96 Global Health NOW: Assaults on Aid as Sudan鈥檚 Hunger Crisis Deepens; Scientific Journals Navigate New Challenges; and The Clay Floor Advantage June 4, 2025 Displaced people queue for food rations in a makeshift encampment near the town of Tawila, in Sudan's Darfur region. April 13. AFP via Getty Assaults on Aid as Sudan鈥檚 Hunger Crisis Deepens
A 15-truck convoy delivering lifesaving supplies to famine-stricken North Darfur was attacked in a 鈥渉orrendous鈥� ambush Monday night, killing five humanitarian workers, injuring others, and blocking desperately needed humanitarian supplies, . 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DATA POINT

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

The CDC official overseeing updates to the agency鈥檚 COVID-19 vaccine recommendations has resigned, saying she could no longer 鈥渉elp the most vulnerable members of our population鈥� after HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 order to change the agency鈥檚 vaccine guidance.

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

Misinformation around cancer care is leading to a rise in alternative treatments like coffee enemas, raw juice diets, and other potentially dangerous social media鈥揹riven trends, said doctors at the American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting, warning that such misinformation has 鈥渁cutely worsened in the past decade.鈥� U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump asks Congress to repeal $9 billion from NPR, PBS and global aid 鈥�

Research cuts conflict with MAHA's stated goals 鈥�

Kennedy has ordered a review of baby formula. Here鈥檚 what you should know 鈥�

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

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

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

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

• 鈥淚t鈥檚 been over 28 years of uncommitted and unaccountable governments,鈥� said survivor Mar铆a Elena Carbajal. 

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

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

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

鈥楥hilling effect鈥�: Though direct impact on other journals may end up being limited, the U.S.鈥檚 central role in publishing raises concerns about the 鈥渕oral impact鈥� on academic freedom, said Marcus Munaf貌, the former editor-in-chief of Nicotine & Tobacco Research.



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

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


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

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



Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff! OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS UK 鈥榥ot ready鈥� for major animal disease outbreak 鈥�

COVID vaccine changes confuse and upset some parents and families 鈥�

Moderna will test new COVID shot against placebo, RFK Jr. says 鈥�  

New mRNA vaccine is more effective and less costly to develop, study finds 鈥�

Abortion laws are Victorian era, says grieving mum 鈥�

Anorexia in Middle Age and Beyond 鈥�

How extreme heat affects America's most vulnerable 鈥�

Annual cost of insuring a family tops $35,000 鈥� Issue No. 2736
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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96 Global Health NOW: Zambia Drags Heels on Mercury Amalgam Ban; May Recap; and Cigarettes in France: From Romanticized to Restricted June 3, 2025 Zambia celebrated World Oral Health Day with a parade through Bauleni Compound, Lusaka, Zambia. March 20. Kennedy Phiri Zambia Drags Heels on Mercury Amalgam Ban
LUSAKA, Zambia鈥擲ome nations have already taken decisive steps to ban mercury amalgam in dental fillings鈥攂ut in Zambia, despite the dangers, progress has stalled.
 
Health risks: Mercury amalgam, a common material used to fill cavities, consists of liquid mercury mixed with silver, tin, and copper, and emits low levels of mercury vapor, which, when inhaled, can be absorbed in the lungs and cause harm among some groups, including young children. 
 
Environmental risks: Just 0.6 grams of mercury鈥攖he average amount 鈥攃an pollute 100,000 liters of water, about the size of a swimming pool, and .
 
Zambia is especially vulnerable to harmful impacts of mercury on its limited resources due to inadequate mitigation processes such as improper disposal systems.

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


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

Success stories: Authors Kennedy Phiri and Frederick Clayton share how other countries鈥攊ncluding Tanzania, Uganda, and Gabon鈥攐vercame resistance and banned mercury amalgam.

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

Cancer death rates in the UK have fallen by about a fifth since the early 1970s鈥攆rom 326 per 100,000 people in 1971 to 254 per 100,000 in 2021鈥� that also found diagnoses are on the rise. 

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

COVID-19 vaccination prevented the deaths of 12,800 Belgians ages 65 and older from January 2021 to January 2023, and reduced mortality by 54%, . 

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

MAY鈥橲 MUST-READS A Closer Look at a Dementia Cluster 
In Starr County, Texas, dementia affects about 1 in 5 adults on Medicare鈥攎ore than 2X the national rate.
 
Why? Researchers say dementia risk factors鈥攇enetics, environment, and chronic health conditions鈥攈ave accumulated in Starr County. 

• ~1 in 3 people live in poverty.


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

Hope: In 2021, the National Institute on Aging designated a new Alzheimer鈥檚 research center in South Texas to better understand the dementia cluster and shift outcomes. 
 

The High Cost of Vietnam鈥檚 Cheap Cigarettes 
Vietnam鈥檚 tobacco products remain cheap and widely accessible compared to other countries, leading to high usage and health impacts. 

Low tax, high usage: Vietnam鈥檚 tobacco retail tax rate is just 36%, half WHO鈥檚 recommended rate of 70鈥�75%. 

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

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

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

鈥淢agic鈥� solutions: Scammers and unlicensed clinics advertise 鈥渨omb cleaning鈥� and 鈥渟onar pills鈥� that endanger pregnant people.
 
Real information: Science-based efforts on social media seek to flip the script. 

• On TikTok,  posts videos like 鈥渉ow to put on a condom鈥� and 鈥渉ow to avoid getting scammed鈥� by illegal abortion providers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Freedom to smoke 鈥渟tops where children鈥檚 right to breathe clean air starts,鈥� said health minister Catherine Vautrin. 

Tobacco-entwined identity: Long a fixture in French fashion and cinema, smoking remains a 鈥渟tubbornly embedded鈥� habit鈥攂ut rates have dipped to a historic low, with >25% French adults smoking daily. 

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

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

WHO resolution helps reframe skin diseases as a 'global public health priority,' not a 'cosmetic issue' 鈥�

At least 20 Planned Parenthood clinics shutter amid political turbulence 鈥�

Gates To Direct Majority Of $200 Billion Pledge To Africa 鈥�

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

Ending the HIV epidemic among adolescents in southern Africa 鈥�

Virus Hunter Peter Piot: How a Chance Encounter Sparked His Life Mission 鈥� Issue No. 2735
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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