Global Health Programs aggregator

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Hunger Grips Gaza; The Complex Quest for a Long-COVID Drug; and Cracking On

Thu, 24 Jul 2025 09:45:32 -0400

Global Health NOW: Hunger Grips Gaza; The Complex Quest for a Long-COVID Drug; and Cracking On

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July 24, 2025


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Yasmine, a 22-year-old Palestinian mother, holds her malnourished 2-month-old daughter Teen as they await treatment at the Nasser hospital, in Khan Yunis. Gaza Strip, July 24. AFP via Getty

Hunger Grips Gaza

Gazans are trapped in a deepening crisis of “man-made starvation,” the WHO’s chief said yesterday—joining 100+ humanitarian agencies warning that Israel’s blockade of food and aid supplies has led to “chaos, starvation, and death,” reports The Guardian.

111 people have now died from hunger, including 80 children, even as supplies remain stuck at borders.

The WHO estimates ~100,000 women and children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, while doctors have reported seeing record numbers of malnourished children and older people, reports the BBC.

Doctors and aid workers are also starving, as hospitals and humanitarian organizations report “witnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes,” per Health Policy Watch.

Medical staff are becoming too weak to treat patients—even as hospitals fill with people who are malnourished and injured, per another report from The Guardian.

Meanwhile, 1,000+ Palestinians have been killed trying to access food since the Israeli- and U.S.- backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation took over aid distribution in May, the UN said this week.

And a WHO staff member remains in Israeli detention following an attack on a WHO warehouse and facilities, per Health Policy Watch.

Related: Gaza has been at risk of famine for months, experts say. Here’s why they haven’t declared one. – AP

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

Editing mosquitoes' genome can make them highly resistant to spreading malaria by changing just one amino acid, finds a new study published in Nature—an adjustment that could be engineered to spread through an entire mosquito population. UC San Diego Today

Diet is the key driver of obesity, not lack of exercise, finds a new international study published in PNAS—which compared the daily total calorie burn for people from 34 different countries and cultures around the world. NPR

Immunity to seasonal flu is protective against severe illness from avian flu in ferrets, finds a study in Science Translational Medicine that looked at how the H1N1 virus that began circulating in 2009 lowered susceptibility to currently circulating H5N1. Medical Xpress

A €10 million stockpile of USAID-funded condoms, pills, and other contraceptives will be incinerated in France; the U.S. rejected NGO offers to buy up the supplies, warehoused in Belgium since the U.S. froze foreign aid programs in January. Euractiv

U.S. and Global Health Policy News

Michael R. Bloomberg: RFK Jr. Is Making America Sick Again. Republicans Need a Cure – Bloomberg News (commentary)

UK government shutters aid program to fight antimicrobial resistance – CIDRAP

U.S. Quietly Drafts Plan to End Program That Saved Millions From AIDS – The New York Times (gift link)

Trump's plan to slash global health spending rejected by key spending panel – Science

RFK Jr.'s Vaccine-Safety Analyst Has Already Disqualified Himself – The Atlantic

New EPA proposal aims to strike down landmark climate "endangerment finding" – Environmental Health News

COVID-19

The Complex Quest for a Long-COVID Drug

The failure of a once-promising long-COVID drug trial highlights the challenges of trying to treat the complex condition, and is prompting a reevaluation of how study design should work.

Background: Long-COVID patients and practitioners had been closely watching developments from German start-up Berlin Cures on its novel drug, called BC 007 (rovunaptabin). But phase II trials ended unsuccessfully last November.

Defects in design: While some participants did see improvement in their symptoms following BC 007 infusions, critics say failures in study design meant that such changes could not be adequately measured.

Participant problem: The trial also demonstrates the challenge of casting “too wide a net” for trial participants: The trial used a blood test to select participants—but long COVID includes a wide range of diseases and conditions, which may respond differently to treatments.

The Sick Times (published in cooperation with STAT)

Related:

From Long Flu to Long COVID: A Brief History of Postviral Illness – Think Global Health

COVID-19 cases are rising in these states amid summer wave, CDC data shows
CBS News

DATA POINT

82%
———

The percentage of the population of Tuvalu seeking a landmark climate visa to live in Australia; the low-lying Pacific nation is one of the “most climate-threatened corners of the planet.” —Radio France Internationale

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

A Sweet Success for Tuberculosis Medication

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) has risen among children globally from 1990 to 2019.

A key drug to treat MDR TB is moxifloxacin, an extremely bitter medication that young children often refuse to take due to the taste.

Annually, there are 32,000 new cases of RR/MDR TB, a strain resistant to two first-line treatments in children under 14—an age range especially sensitive to taste.

Tasteful solutions: Sweeter, bitter-masked versions of drugs may help with medication adherence. In trials, children reported that sweeter or flavored drugs were easier to take than the original.

IPS

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

Cracking On

Between a quarter to half of all people pop their knuckles, which means there is a very large population who just really wants them to stop.

But the latter group’s key bit of leverage—warning persistent knuckle-crackers that they are destined to have arthritis—has been snapped:

Studies have repeatedly found that knuckle-cracking has no bearing on arthritis.

Knuckling down on research: When people crack their knuckles, they temporarily open up the tight space of the knuckle joint, leading to a drop in pressure and the formation of bubbles that then burst, causing the popping sound, explains a rheumatologist who called the arthritis query a “common question I get asked over the dinner table.”

Arthritis can be affected by genetics and joint trauma, but not popping.

Single-handed study: One doctor’s pursuit to prove his mother wrong on the matter led him to crack the knuckles on just one hand every day for 60+ years.

When he finally had both hands assessed, there were no signs of arthritis in either—netting him an Ig Nobel award, and the ultimate “toldja so.”

The Guardian

QUICK HITS

In Syria, Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance Haunt the Return Home – Inkstick

Is Bird Flu Gone for Good? – Public Health on Call

CDC says COVID-related emergency room visits climbing especially among young children – University of Nebraska Medical Center

Doctors are biased against higher-weight patients. Can nutrition education help them change? – STAT

Smoking avatars and online games: how big tobacco targets young people in the metaverse – The Guardian

Researchers move closer to a universal cancer vaccine – CNBC

In Darfur’s displacement epicentre, community kitchens shoulder the load – The New Humanitarian

Talc Is Suddenly in the Spotlight. Is it Bad for You? – TIME

Issue No. 2763

Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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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.

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Global Health Now: Global Health NOW Malaria’s Rebound; How Do the Amish Avoid Allergies?; and Swinging Toward Mobility

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 09:29:57 -0400

Global Health NOW Malaria’s Rebound; How Do the Amish Avoid Allergies?; and Swinging Toward Mobility

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July 23, 2025


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A malaria warning sign. Mbire, Zimbabwe. May 15, 2021. Cynthia R Matonhodze/Bloomberg via Getty

Malaria’s Rebound

Malaria is surging in southern Africa, as heavy rains drive mosquito activity and as USAID funding cuts disrupt access to critical tools like insecticide-treated bed nets—“leaving communities exposed and placing further strain on already stretched health systems,” reports the Africa CDC.

‘Back with a vengeance’ in Zimbabwe: Zimbabwe has reported 111,998 cases and 310 deaths compared to 29,031 cases with 49 deaths in the same period last year.

USAID cuts this year crippled the Zimbabwe Entomological Support Programme in Malaria and led to a shortfall of 600,000 insecticide-treated nets, reports The Guardian.

“When the supply of test kits and first-line treatments is disrupted, malaria cases and deaths will spiral,” said Itai Rusike, director of Zimbabwe’s Community Working Group on Health.

Botswana, Eswatini, and Namibia are also reporting significant outbreaks, as climate change expands the range of malaria-carrying mosquitoes and impacts people in high-risk livelihoods like mining and agriculture.

The issue of ‘interconnectedness’: Cross-border transmission occurs easily in southern Africa, highlighting the need for cooperation in surveillance and other efforts.

Pushing forward: Despite heavy setbacks, African health officials say they are still investing in elimination efforts—pointing to significant progress in countries like Cabo Verde and Egypt.

“We have just been disturbed, but our vision is to eliminate malaria by 2030,” said Zimbabwe’s deputy health minister, Sleiman Kwidini.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

A large chikungunya outbreak is spreading rapidly from three Indian Ocean islands to Africa, and parts of South East Asia are also experiencing outbreaks; prevention efforts center on avoiding mosquito bites, though the WHO said it will review trial data on two chikungunya vaccines not yet recommended for global use. Health Policy Watch

People’s brains aged faster than expected during the pandemic—even those of people who weren’t infected, per a Nature Communications study of nearly 1,000 people published yesterday; researchers found that the brains of people who had lived through the pandemic had aged 5.5 months faster than those of people in a control group. Nature

How to reduce the frequent E. coli outbreaks linked to romaine lettuce? Stop spraying leaves with untreated surface water and improve cold storage from field to produce delivery, write Cornell University researchers and colleagues in a recent Scientific Reports study. Cornell University via ScienceDaily

Australia’s winter flu surge has led to a 50% increase in hospital admissions over two weeks, per new data that also show the national rate of influenza vaccine coverage to be below 30%. ABC Australia

U.S. and Global Health Policy News

Small win for activists, but SA’s HIV projects won’t get reopened
– Bhekisisa

Viewpoints: Cuts To NIH And Global Health Research Are Dangerous And May Accelerate The Next Pandemic – KFF Health News

WHO’s Tedros: US Rejection of International Rules on Health Threats is Based on ‘Inaccuracies’ – Health Policy Watch

Kentucky’s campaign to improve rural cancer care is a national model. Federal cuts threaten its progress – STAT

Disabled Americans fear what Medicaid cuts could do to them – The New York Times (gfit link)

FDA taps biotech industry veteran as RFK Jr.’s top drug regulator – CNBC

IMMUNOLOGY

How Do the Amish Avoid Allergies?

As rates of allergic diseases increase worldwide, one group remains largely immune: the Amish.

Just 7% of Amish children had a positive response to one or more common allergens, compared with more than half of the general U.S. population, a 2012 study found.

They also have fewer allergies than other traditional farming families worldwide.

Why? Researchers have found that childhood exposure to microbes such as those found in farm dust and farm animal exposure can contribute to the development of a healthy immune system.

But they are still trying to pinpoint “time-honored and very stable” environmental factors unique to the Amish, in hopes of developing more protective therapies and interventions.

The Washington Post (gift link)

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

PARKINSON'S

Swinging Toward Mobility

The damage Parkinson’s disease does to a person’s sense of balance and stability can often lead them to feel physically and mentally stuck.

But a physical therapist in Rio de Janeiro has helped dozens of people with Parkinson’s improve and maintain movement through capoeira—a blend of martial arts and a dance practiced for centuries by Afro-Brazilians that combines exercise, ritual, and music.

The initiative, “Parkinson na ginga” (“Parkinson’s in the swing”), started in 2018, and helps participants build strength and balance in a fun and social environment.

The Quote: “Capoeira gives me freedom to work on my body,” said participant Teles de Freitas.

AP

NEW RESOURCE

QUICK HITS

A lifeline lies in ruins: Iranian missile destroys a rehab center for disabled kids – The Times of Israel (from June 17) Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!

Russia Accused Of 'Stealing' Ukraine's Future With Forced Deportation Of Children – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

A gut-wrenching problem we can solve – Gates Notes

Indonesian military’s new pharma role sparks fears of expanded powers – Reuters via The Straits Times

Louisiana Upholds Its HIV Exposure Law as Other States Change or Repeal Theirs – MedPage Today

Austin Public Health finds measles in the water – Austin American Statesman

Flu vaccine averted up to 42% of US flu cases in 2022-23, despite lower uptake – CIDRAP

The new strategy to restrict abortion nationwide — without saying ‘ban’ – The 19th

The optimistic brain: scans reveal thought patterns shared by positive thinkers – Nature

Issue No. 2762

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�鶹ɫ��Ƭ Faculty of Medicine news: Youth at risk of suicide show early warning signs that adults often miss

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 09:22:33 -0400

Drawing on a landmark 25-year study that followed Quebec children into adulthood, �鶹ɫ��Ƭ researchers have identified two distinct patterns in how suicidal thoughts emerge and the early signs that are often missed.

Suicidal thoughts are increasingly common among youth, but how they begin and what mental health symptoms often precede them are poorly understood, the researchers said.

World Health Organization: Home is where the heart is – and where development begins

Wed, 23 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0400

When Denis Jobin, a senior evaluation specialist at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), visited a slum in Kenya in March as part of an ongoing evaluation, the smell was overwhelming.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Asia’s Floods Highlight Need for Faster Warnings; Tracing New H5N1 Transmission Routes; and Two More Countries Now Trachoma-Free

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 09:50:53 -0400

Global Health NOW: Asia’s Floods Highlight Need for Faster Warnings; Tracing New H5N1 Transmission Routes; and Two More Countries Now Trachoma-Free

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July 22, 2025


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A young boy pushes a tuk-tuk through a flooded street in Manila on July 22, after heavy rains caused flooding worsened by a monsoon. Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty

Asia’s Floods Highlight Need for Faster Warnings

As typhoons lash parts of Asia and cause flooding, evacuations, and hundreds of deaths, a UN agency says that current warning systems are inadequate against today’s more frequent, more intense storms.

Typhoon Wipha struck the Philippines on Monday and early today with torrential rains that left parts of the country with knee- to waist-deep flooding, Reuters reports.

Nearly 50,000 people living near the Marikina River in the Manila region and in the Quezon and Caloocan cities have been evacuated, per Al Jazeera. At least five people are dead and seven missing.

Vietnam is bracing for 500mm (~20 inches) of rain as well as flooding and landslides caused by Wipha, now downgraded to a tropical storm.

More than 120 people in Punjab, Pakistan’s most populous province, have died in “exceptional high” floods since monsoon rains started June 26, UN News reports.

A better warning system: World Meteorological Organization officials said yesterday that they are seeking to expand the Early Warnings for All flood forecasting system worldwide by 2027, per another UN News article. The system, currently used in 70+ countries, draws on satellite data, radar, and weather modeling to provide hours of advance warning.

Related: Texas Lawmakers Largely Ignored Recommendations Aimed at Helping Rural Areas Like Kerr County Prepare for Flooding – ProPublica

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

War-wounded Ukrainian patients treated at Helsinki University Hospital in Finland showed a high rate of multidrug-resistant bacterial infection per a study in Clinical Microbiology and Infection—indicating that war-related hospitalizations represent a distinct and urgent risk of antimicrobial-resistance, the researchers say. CIDRAP

Over one-third of contributors to the development of 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on evaluating and treating children and adolescents with obesity—which leaned toward the use of obesity medications—had undisclosed financial ties to obesity drugmakers, per a new analysis in BMJ. STAT

A million+ people in France have signed a petition against the so-called “Duplomb law” adopted on July 8 permitting a return of a pesticide, acetamiprid, known to be toxic to pollinators such as bees and ecosystems. AFP via France24

Switching to a four-day work week created happier, healthier, more productive workers—reducing burnout and increasing job satisfaction, per the largest study to date of such an intervention that encompassed six countries: Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Ireland. Nature

U.S. and Global Health Policy News

________________________________________________________________

Planned Parenthood wins partial victory in legal fight with Trump administration over funding cuts – AP

FDA Panel Takes Aim at SSRI Use During Pregnancy – MedPage Today

Advocates Fear US Agents Are Using ‘Wellness Checks’ on Children as a Prelude to Arrests – Bloomberg CityLab

States sue over citizenship curbs on Head Start, clinics – Axios

GOP megabill’s final score: $3.4T in red ink and 10 million kicked off health insurance, CBO says – Politico

The quick return of medical debt to credit reports is another blow to cancer patients – STAT (commentary)

AVIAN FLU

Tracing New Routes of H5N1 Transmission

Scientists are gaining new insights into how H5N1 could spread among dairy cattle, particularly two potential routes: contamination from house flies, and from cows and calves nursing.

Background: When H5N1 first emerged in dairy cattle, researchers believed contaminated equipment and movement of infected cattle were key factors in virus spread.

But when outbreaks continued after addressing those issues, scientists expanded their investigation and found new insights:

Flies: Avian influenza detected in house flies leads scientists to believe that the insects can “mechanically” acquire and move the virus.

“Milk-snatching”: New research published in National Science Review found that H5N1 may infect mammary glands via mouth-to-teat transmission through nursing, and via cows that “steal milk” through mutual nursing.

CIDRAP

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

NEGLECTED DISEASES

Two Countries Validated as Trachoma-Free

Trachoma has officially been eliminated in Burundi and Senegal, making them the eighth and ninth countries in the African region to reach that public health milestone.

The disease—the first eliminated neglected tropical disease in Burundi—can lead to scarring, in-turned eyelids, and blindness, and primarily affects regions where clean water and sanitation are scarce, per the WHO.

In Senegal, trachoma is the second neglected tropical disease to be eliminated after being declared free of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease) transmission in 2004, per a separate WHO report.

90% of the global trachoma burden is in Africa.

93 million people live in at-risk areas as of April 2024.

Success in action: Both countries implemented WHO-recommended SAFE strategy elimination interventions for trachoma, which include surgery to treat the late-blinding stage of the disease, antibiotic mass drug administration of azithromycin, public awareness campaigns, and improved water supply and sanitation access.

Related:

WHO plans trachoma elimination intervention in Nigeria, 19 others – The Guardian Nigeria

Breaking the cycle of neglected diseases – Nature (commentary)

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Why England can learn from Scotland after first measles death in a decade – The Telegraph

High prevalence of colistin-resistant Klebsiella found in Africa – CIDRAP

Battling Lassa Fever: Liberia’s Strides in Preparedness and Response – Front Page Africa

A creek with atomic waste from WWII is linked to increased cancer risk – NPR Shots

Air Pollution in Baltimore’s Curtis Bay Community Linked to Nearby Coal Terminal Activities and Wind – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

The potential gains of replenishing the Global Fund – The Lancet (commentary)

Birth control access: Scorecard evaluates family planning policies across the U.S. – NBC Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!

The New Sun Worship – The Atlantic

Engineers transform dental floss into needle-free vaccine – Science

Issue No. 2761

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World Health Organization: ‘Perfect storm’ of global crises drove years of food price surges: FAO

Tue, 22 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0400

The chief economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), Máximo Torero Cullen, previewed its annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report in a briefing on Tuesday to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: As Measles Spreads, Strategies Shift; The Role of Reward in Quitting Meth; and Coverage When Temperatures Climb

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 09:47:53 -0400

Global Health NOW: As Measles Spreads, Strategies Shift; The Role of Reward in Quitting Meth; and Coverage When Temperatures Climb

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July 21, 2025


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A Southwestern Public Health sign advises patients who suspect they have measles to call ahead before seeking medical attention. St. Thomas, Ontario, July 9. Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty

As Measles Spreads, Strategies Shift

As countries continue to reckon with the worst measles outbreaks in years, many health practitioners say they are shifting mitigation tactics in real time—moving from a vaccine-centric approach to improved overall messaging and health care access.

In Canada: 3,800 cases have been reported, nearly 3X the number of U.S. cases, reports the BBC.

Vaccine uptake has dropped significantly since the pandemic, researchers say. Vaccine opposition is a key contributor to that, but so are pandemic-related disruptions.

As clinics respond to an outbreak among Ontario’s Mennonite community, health workers are seeking to address language barriers, build trust, and “change how Low German–speaking families and the medical system interact with each other,” writes a mobile a clinic worker for Macleans.

In England: 500+ cases have been reported this year, with 68% among children under 10, reports the BBC.

While vaccine hesitancy has driven lower MMR vaccine uptake, poverty-driven inequality is also contributing to missed appointments, say researchers calling for improved access, per The Guardian.

In the U.S.: Infections have surpassed 1,300, with Texas alone logging 760+, reports CBS News.

Health workers in the state say that going forward, they may pivot from a vaccine-focused approach and emphasize better testing and offering additional treatments to build trust, reports The Texas Tribune.

Related:

Measles Can Erase Your Immune System's Memory, Expert Says – ScienceAlert

Bolivia stepping up efforts to tackle measles – Merco Press

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

49% of Black women in the UK who expressed concerns during labor didn’t receive adequate support, finds a new report from maternal health organization Five X More, which also found that 23% did not receive requested pain support. The Guardian

~1,200 chikungunya cases have been reported in south China’s Guangdong province, prompting widespread mosquito control efforts and health alerts in nearby Hong Kong. South China Morning Post

A cholera case in Poland is the country’s first in six years; the country’s chief sanitary inspector said the disease was confirmed in an elderly woman in Stargard who had not left the country, and that 20 of her contacts were now in quarantine. Polskie Radio

Exposure limits to toxic airborne fungi indoors have been proposed for the first time via a new study from Korea University published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, which provides species-specific health risk estimates in an effort to address a “major gap in indoor air safety policy.” Korea University College of Medicine via Medical Xpress (news release)

U.S. and Global Health Policy News

US rejects amendments to WHO international health regulations – The Hill

Clawing back foreign aid is tied to 'waste, fraud and abuse.' What's the evidence? – NPR Goats and Soda

U.S. research community says new indirect cost model is still too complicated – Science

GOP tax law will increase overdose deaths by 1,000 each year, analysis finds – STAT

Trump administration pulls back on work combating human trafficking, long a top GOP priority – The 19th

ACA health insurance will cost the average person 75% more next year, research shows – NPR Shots

‘A disaster for all of us’: US scientists describe impact of Trump cuts – The Guardian

DATA POINT

$1.7 trillion
———————

Potential annual reduction in global economic output by 2050 if countries fail to contain drug resistance, per an AMR “fallout forecast” modeling study that showed China and the U.S. would lose the most, at $722 billion and $296 billion, respectively. —Center for Global Development

SUBSTANCE USE

The Role of Reward in Quitting Meth

Treating meth addiction remains a critical challenge for many U.S. communities, as no effective medication is available to help manage dependence.

With few options, an innovative strategy is gaining traction: contingency management (CM), which rewards patients for abstaining from meth.

How it works: Patients who test negative for meth at a clinic receive vouchers or cash rewards that increase with continued abstinence—typically totaling ~$600 over three to six months.

Outcomes: Research has shown that CM outperforms counseling or therapy for stimulant addiction; about half of patients who complete CM remain drug-free after one year.

Growth—but for how long? CM programs have expanded to 600+ sites nationwide, aided by federal support and private insurers.

But the Trump administration’s health overhauls may impact such programs’ future.

The New York Times (gift link)

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

HEAT

Coverage When Temperatures Climb

A heat insurance program in India is offering new financial relief for daily wage workers who lose income or are forced to stop working during extreme heat.

The coverage is “parametric,” which means payouts are triggered by a measurable event, like temperature exceeding a set threshold, and no claims are required.

Background: Such plans are seen as critical as more regions face record heat waves. One in the city of Ahmedabad that now covers ~50,000 members was set up through collaboration of the Indian trade union Employed Women’s Association and the nonprofit Climate Resilience for All.

Impact: The payouts not only help people avoid exploitative loans to pay bills; they also give workers a chance to rest or fund alternative business opportunities until they can resume work.

NPR Goats and Soda

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Nearly 100 people killed seeking aid in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian officials say – NPR

South Korea flood death toll rises to 18 as southern regions battered by record rain – The Independent

FDA reverses ban on sale of Juul e-cigarettes – The Hill

Most Americans Support Limits on Guns in Bars, Stadiums, and Protests, New Study Finds – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

A Push for More Organ Transplants Is Putting Donors at Risk – The New York Times (gift link)

Fitness classes help elderly Ugandan women fight rising rates of obesity and diabetes – Reuters

Do Indoor Pools Really Need to Close for Lightning? – Undark

Issue No. 2760

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World Health Organization: Effective partnerships can stop the next pandemic

Mon, 21 Jul 2025 08:00:00 -0400

“There will be another pandemic, and it will not be 100 years from now.”

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Accelerating Alzheimer’s Research; Replacing Aid With ‘Sin Taxes’; and Molar Express

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 09:44:35 -0400

Global Health NOW: Accelerating Alzheimer’s Research; Replacing Aid With ‘Sin Taxes’; and Molar Express

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July 17, 2025


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A nurse examines a patient living with Alzheimer's and dementia in Kathmandu, Nepal. October 5, 2023. Skanda Gautam/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

Accelerating Alzheimer’s Research: A Gold Mine of Global Collaboration

Key insights in Alzheimer’s research are being fueled by a “massive” new trove of globally shared data—with breakthroughs showing the power and potential of multinational collaboration, per a new series published in Nature.

Background: The Global Neurodegeneration Proteomics Consortium (GNPC), launched in 2023, is now the largest neurodegenerative disease data-sharing effort, including 40,000+ clinical samples and 250 million protein measurements that allow for “unprecedented” research—potentially speeding up the development of diagnostics and therapies by decades.

Discoveries include:

New insights about APOE4, a gene variant that most strongly increases risk for developing Alzheimer’s, and new proteins associated with the gene.

New evidence linking different neurodegenerative diseases with aging in other organs, including the liver, intestines, and muscles.

Identification of protein pathways shared across several neurodegenerative diseases.

Call to collaboration: “Some of the biggest medical discoveries of the past half-century were made possible through global partnerships,” wrote initiative co-founder Bill Gates in a commentary, warning that “the rising tides of nationalism and isolationism threaten to stop scientific progress in its tracks.”

Other breakthroughs: Meanwhile, new research shows that Alzheimer’s-related biomarkers can be detected in the blood of adults as young as 41, per a Finnish study published in The Lancet’s Healthy Longevity—suggesting the disease could be identified decades before symptoms appear, reports The Independent.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

The U.S. Senate approved the claw back of $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and other areas in an early morning vote today; to win necessary votes, Republican leaders agreed to preserve $400 million in funding for PEPFAR. The New York Times (gift link)

Nearly 500 tons of high-energy biscuits—emergency food intended for 27,000 starving children in Afghanistan and Pakistan—expired in a warehouse in Dubai this month and will be incinerated; a U.S. official said it was “a casualty of the shutdown of USAID.” Al Jazeera

COVID-19 hospitalization rates were highest among Black and Hispanic children during the pandemic, according to a new study published in JAMA Network Open; from October 2021 to September 2022, cumulative hospitalization rates per 100,000 population were 113.2 for Black, 113.0 for Hispanic, 77.6 for white, and 64.8 for Asian or Pacific Islander children. CIDRAP

A Golden Retriever named Bumper and a Black Labrador called Peanut reliably identified Parkinson’s disease in patients based on their odor, per a new study in The Journal of Parkinson's Disease. University of Bristol via ScienceDaily

U.S. and Global Health Policy News

Trump officials halt ‘dangerous’ research, overriding NIH career scientists – The Washington Post (gift link)

RFK Jr. shakes up top staff at health department – Axios

Do Doctors Profit Off Vaccines? Fact-Checking RFK Jr.'s Claims – The New York Times (gift link)

World’s Premier Cancer Institute Faces Crippling Cuts and Chaos – MedPage Today

Rio Grande Valley’s biggest free health clinic event of the year is canceled due to federal cuts – The Texas Tribune

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES

Replacing Aid With ‘Sin Taxes’

The WHO has launched a major push to introduce ‘sin taxes’ in developing countries, with the aim of easing the burden of noncommunicable disease and filling the gap from slashed global aid spending.

The plan, called ‘3 by 35’, aims to raise the price of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks in developing countries by at least 50% by 2035.

The move comes as NCDs surge in the developing world, driven by rising incomes, booming populations, and skyrocketing rates of smoking, drinking, and the consumption of processed foods.

The concept: Higher prices mean people buy less of what makes them unhealthy. When people do buy alcohol, cigarettes, or junk food, the money goes to vital services related to HIV, nutrition, and maternal and child health that were once funded by foreign aid.

The WHO estimates that the price hike could prevent ~50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years across the developing world.

The Telegraph

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

Molar Express

Some mornings, the tooth fairy has some explaining to do: A pillow is lifted, and a baby cuspid sits where a coin should be. Some panicked parents and crestfallen kids have gone straight to the source, dashing off queries to an official-sounding tooth fairy email address—not necessarily expecting a response.

But for two decades they’ve gotten one.

Filling in the gaps: A Seattle dentist, Purva Merchant, has been voluntarily moonlighting as the tooth fairy ever since the email address—created to organize her dental school applications—received a desperate message entitled “Calum’s tooth.” It was a letter from a parent seeking to appease a forlorn child. Merchant wrote back that she was indeed on the case.

Crowning achievement: That was the first of ~6,000 missives Merchant has now written from the address, fielding questions that range from the fate of teeth that have slipped down drains (she can find them); about international exchange rates (she can do the math); and explaining what exactly she does with the teeth (building a castle).

Drilling for the truth: Children’s emails range from fan mail (“I’m so sorry I swallowed my tooth. And I love you.”) to directional (“Don’t bump into the heater.”) Merchant always drafts a diplomatic response before reminding her gaptoothed correspondents to brush, floss, and be “happy growing up!”

The New York Times (gift link)

QUICK HITS

An overlooked demographic has the highest suicide risk — and it’s been rising – STAT

Can US Measles Outbreaks Be Stopped? – WIRED

LGBTQ+ youth lose specialized 988 suicide line support – Axios

High prices, blackouts and half the money: Inside Puerto Rico’s stagnant food aid system – The 19th

‘Landmark’ study: three-person IVF leads to eight healthy children – Nature

A Venerable AIDS Activist Returns to Battle – The New York Times (gift link)

Review shows ethical considerations in infectious disease guidelines lacking – CIDRAP

Health trajectory of mothers of children with developmental disabilities shows a ‘wear-and-tear’ effect starting around age 65 – Waisman Center / University of Wisconsin – Madison Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!

Meet the diabetes researcher behind Barbie’s new pink (insulin) pumps – Science

Issue No. 2759

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Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: PEPFAR Preserved?; The Dramatic Impact of Emergency Immunizations; and A Hidden Health Crisis in South Asia

Wed, 16 Jul 2025 09:30:34 -0400

Global Health NOW: PEPFAR Preserved?; The Dramatic Impact of Emergency Immunizations; and A Hidden Health Crisis in South Asia

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July 16, 2025


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A cyclist rides past a PEPFAR sign. Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, July 12. Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty

PEPFAR Preserved?

U.S. Senate Republicans and the White House have agreed to drop a proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR, the U.S. global HIV/AIDS program, in an effort to push forward a $9 billion rescissions bill—which still includes $8.3 billion in cuts to USAID, reports TIME.

Several key GOP senators had vocally opposed the cuts to PEPFAR, citing the historically bipartisan program’s success in saving 25 million+ lives since 2003.

Other revisions to the bill reportedly include language to “protect” programs related to malaria, tuberculosis, maternal health, and food aid, per Politico.

Ongoing disruption: While the program may be spared, it will still be impacted by deep cuts to foreign aid programs—most notably USAID, which was PEPFAR’s main implementing agency.

Impact of misinformation: White House officials had previously justified PEPFAR cuts by claiming it was supporting abortion services, with budget director Russell Vought falsely saying the program funded abortions in Russia—where PEPFAR has not operated since 2012, reports The New York Times (gift link).

What’s next: The full Senate is expected to vote on the modified bill by Thursday, and it will need to be reapproved by the House, where it passed by a narrow margin last month.

“A new era of austerity”: Meanwhile, a new study published in The Lancet Global Health warns that global health aid, largely driven by U.S. funding, has plunged to a 15-year low—threatening disease prevention efforts in vulnerable nations, reports AFP via France24.

Related: On the Cusp of Eliminating HIV – Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

U.K. aid cuts have forced the closure of a major program to address antimicrobial resistance; the Fleming Fund has worked to combat AMR in the developing world for a decade. The Telegraph

Canadian hospitals are reporting an “exponential” increase in incidence of the drug-resistant carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) infection, per a study published last week in Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control; the rate is still low, with transmission primarily occurring in hospitals. CIDRAP

Two Nipah virus vaccines are poised to enter human clinical trials in Bangladesh—with one showing potential for emergency use authorization; meanwhile, new monoclonal antibody drugs are showing promise for treating and preventing infection. Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance

The abortion access battle between U.S. states could be headed for a U.S. Supreme Court showdown after a New York county clerk rejected an effort by Texas to fine a New York-based doctor accused of shipping abortion pills across state lines. The Guardian

U.S. and Global Health Policy News

In Kenya, humanitarian workers ponder life after USAID – The Christian Science Monitor

HHS efficiency review blamed for delaying patient care at Indian Health Service – STAT

Trump team withholds $140 million budgeted for fentanyl fight – NPR

These States Now Allow OTC Ivermectin, and More May Follow – MedPage Today

Medical students could feel burn from Trump's new law – Axios

THE QUOTE

“The islands’ health security is being undermined, not by disease or poverty, but by bullets.”

———————————

—The Telegraph (From tourism to terror: The Caribbean island torn apart by gangs and guns, about Trinidad & Tobago.)

VACCINES

The Dramatic Impact of Emergency Immunizations

Emergency vaccination campaigns conducted amid disease outbreaks have reduced deaths and infections by nearly 60% since 2000, finds a new study published in BMJ Global Health.

The efforts generated $32 billion in economic benefits from deaths and disabilities prevented.

The study, which was backed by the Gavi vaccine alliance, studied emergency immunization during 210 outbreaks in 49 low-income countries, and is the first of its kind “to comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms” of such campaigns, said Gavi chief Sania Nishtar.

Major impacts: Yellow fever deaths dropped by 99%, and Ebola deaths by 76% because of emergency vaccination campaigns.

AFP via ScienceAlert

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

ANEMIA

A Hidden Health Crisis in South Asia

Anemia is one the “quietest but most pervasive health crises” in South Asia, affecting 259 million women and girls, and 18 million more cases are projected by 2030, warns the UN.

The toll: Anemia contributes to 40% of global low birth weight cases, and costs South Asia ~$32.5 billion annually, limiting women’s education and economic potential. It disproportionately affects the region’s poorest women and girls.

“When half of all adolescent girls and women in South Asia are anemic, it is not only a health issue—it is a signal that systems are failing them,” said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF’S regional director.

Integrated efforts: Nepal, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives, and Bhutan are making strides through targeted, community-based nutrition and maternal care programs.

UN News

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

A Crisis of Contagion and Collapse: Why Cholera Continues To Be a Problem in the DRC – IPS

A Revolutionary Drug For Extreme Hunger Transforms Life For Those With Prader-Willi – Disability Scoop Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!

This fuel is 50% plastic — and it’s slipping through a loophole in international waste law – Grist

With fewer protections and more paperwork, LGBTQ+ Americans face a Medicaid coverage cliff – The 19th

Even grave errors at rehab hospitals go unpenalized and undisclosed – KFF Health News

Medical charlatans have existed through history. But AI has turbocharged them – The Guardian (commentary)

Amniotic stem cells can be collected from vaginal fluid rather than more invasive techniques – Medical Xpress

FDA approves new blue food dye derived from gardenia fruit – CBS

Issue No. 2758

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