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96 Global Health NOW: Hunger Grips Gaza; The Complex Quest for a Long-COVID Drug; and Cracking On July 24, 2025 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 鈥渕an-made starvation,鈥� the WHO鈥檚 chief said yesterday鈥攋oining that Israel鈥檚 blockade of food and aid supplies has led to 鈥渃haos, starvation, and death,鈥� . 

• 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, . 

Doctors and aid workers are also starving, as hospitals and humanitarian organizations report 鈥渨itnessing their own colleagues and partners waste away before their eyes,鈥� . 

• Medical staff are becoming too weak to treat patients鈥攅ven as hospitals fill with people who are malnourished and injured, . 

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,

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

Related: Gaza has been at risk of famine for months, experts say. Here鈥檚 why they haven鈥檛 declared one. 鈥�   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Editing mosquitoes' genome can make them highly resistant to spreading malaria by changing just one amino acid, 鈥攁n adjustment that could be engineered to spread through an entire mosquito population.

Diet is the key driver of obesity, not lack of exercise, 鈥攚hich compared the daily total calorie burn for people from 34 different countries and cultures around the world.

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

A 鈧�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.  U.S. and Global Health Policy News Michael R. Bloomberg: RFK Jr. Is Making America Sick Again. Republicans Need a Cure 鈥�
UK government shutters aid program to fight antimicrobial resistance 鈥�

U.S. Quietly Drafts Plan to End Program That Saved Millions From AIDS 鈥�

Trump's plan to slash global health spending rejected by key spending panel 鈥�

RFK Jr.'s Vaccine-Safety Analyst Has Already Disqualified Himself 鈥�

New EPA proposal aims to strike down landmark climate "endangerment finding" 鈥� 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 鈥渢oo wide a net鈥� for trial participants: The trial used a blood test to select participants鈥攂ut long COVID includes a wide range of diseases and conditions, which may respond differently to treatments. 



Related:

From Long Flu to Long COVID: A Brief History of Postviral Illness 鈥�

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

82%
鈥斺赌斺赌�
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 鈥渕ost climate-threatened corners of the planet.鈥� 鈥�
  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鈥攁n 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. 

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鈥檚 key bit of leverage鈥攚arning persistent knuckle-crackers that they are destined to have arthritis鈥攈as 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 鈥渃ommon question I get asked over the dinner table.鈥�

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

Single-handed study: One doctor鈥檚 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鈥�, and the ultimate 鈥渢oldja so.鈥�

QUICK HITS In Syria, Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance Haunt the Return Home 鈥�

Is Bird Flu Gone for Good? 鈥�

CDC says COVID-related emergency room visits climbing especially among young children 鈥�

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

Smoking avatars and online games: how big tobacco targets young people in the metaverse 鈥�

Researchers move closer to a universal cancer vaccine 鈥�

In Darfur鈥檚 displacement epicentre, community kitchens shoulder the load 鈥�

Talc Is Suddenly in the Spotlight. Is it Bad for You? 鈥� 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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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96 Global Health NOW Malaria鈥檚 Rebound; How Do the Amish Avoid Allergies?; and Swinging Toward Mobility July 23, 2025 A malaria warning sign. Mbire, Zimbabwe. May 15, 2021. Cynthia R Matonhodze/Bloomberg via Getty Malaria鈥檚 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鈥斺�渓eaving communities exposed and placing further strain on already stretched health systems,鈥� .

鈥楤ack with a vengeance鈥� 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, . 


• 鈥淲hen the supply of test kits and first-line treatments is disrupted, malaria cases and deaths will spiral,鈥� said Itai Rusike, director of Zimbabwe鈥檚 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 鈥榠nterconnectedness鈥�: 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鈥攑ointing to significant progress in countries like Cabo Verde and Egypt.

• 鈥淲e have just been disturbed, but our vision is to eliminate malaria by 2030,鈥� said Zimbabwe鈥檚 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.

People鈥檚 brains aged faster than expected during the pandemic鈥攅ven those of people who weren鈥檛 infected, per a 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.

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 .

Australia鈥檚 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%. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Small win for activists, but SA鈥檚 HIV projects won鈥檛 get reopened
&苍产蝉辫;鈥�

Viewpoints: Cuts To NIH And Global Health Research Are Dangerous And May Accelerate The Next Pandemic 鈥�

WHO鈥檚 Tedros: US Rejection of International Rules on Health Threats is Based on 鈥業naccuracies鈥� 鈥�

Kentucky鈥檚 campaign to improve rural cancer care is a national model. Federal cuts threaten its progress 鈥�

Disabled Americans fear what Medicaid cuts could do to them 鈥�

FDA taps biotech industry veteran as RFK Jr.鈥檚 top drug regulator 鈥� 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, .


• 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 鈥渢ime-honored and very stable鈥� environmental factors unique to the Amish, in hopes of developing more protective therapies and interventions.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES PARKINSON'S Swinging Toward Mobility 
The damage Parkinson鈥檚 disease does to a person鈥檚 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鈥檚 improve and maintain movement through capoeira鈥攁 blend of martial arts and a dance practiced for centuries by Afro-Brazilians that combines exercise, ritual, and music.

• The initiative, 鈥淧arkinson na ginga鈥� (鈥淧arkinson鈥檚 in the swing鈥�), started in 2018, and helps participants build strength and balance in a fun and social environment.

The Quote: 鈥淐apoeira gives me freedom to work on my body,鈥� said participant Teles de Freitas. 

NEW RESOURCE QUICK HITS A lifeline lies in ruins: Iranian missile destroys a rehab center for disabled kids 鈥�  Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! 

Russia Accused Of 'Stealing' Ukraine's Future With Forced Deportation Of Children 鈥�

A gut-wrenching problem we can solve 鈥�

Indonesian military鈥檚 new pharma role sparks fears of expanded powers 鈥�

Louisiana Upholds Its HIV Exposure Law as Other States Change or Repeal Theirs 鈥�

Austin Public Health finds measles in the water 鈥�  

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

The new strategy to restrict abortion nationwide 鈥� without saying 鈥榖an鈥� 鈥�

The optimistic brain: scans reveal thought patterns shared by positive thinkers 鈥�   Issue No. 2762
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: Asia鈥檚 Floods Highlight Need for Faster Warnings; Tracing New H5N1 Transmission Routes; and Two More Countries Now Trachoma-Free July 22, 2025 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鈥檚 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鈥檚 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, .


• Nearly 50,000 people living near the Marikina River in the Manila region and in the Quezon and Caloocan cities have been evacuated, . 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鈥檚 most populous province, have died in 鈥渆xceptional high鈥� floods since monsoon rains started June 26, .

A better warning system: World Meteorological Organization officials said yesterday that they are seeking to expand the  flood forecasting system worldwide by 2027, . 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 鈥� 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 鈥攊ndicating that war-related hospitalizations represent a distinct and urgent risk of antimicrobial-resistance, the researchers say. 

Over one-third of contributors to the development of 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on evaluating and treating children and adolescents with obesity鈥攚hich leaned toward the use of obesity medications鈥攈ad undisclosed financial ties to obesity drugmakers, . 

A million+ people in France have signed a petition against the so-called 鈥淒uplomb law鈥� adopted on July 8 permitting a return of a pesticide, acetamiprid, known to be toxic to pollinators such as bees and ecosystems. 

Switching to a four-day work week created happier, healthier, more productive workers鈥攔educing burnout and increasing job satisfaction,  of such an intervention that encompassed six countries: Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Ireland.  U.S. and Global Health Policy News ________________________________________________________________ Planned Parenthood wins partial victory in legal fight with Trump administration over funding cuts 鈥�

FDA Panel Takes Aim at SSRI Use During Pregnancy 鈥�

Advocates Fear US Agents Are Using 鈥榃ellness Checks鈥� on Children as a Prelude to Arrests 鈥�

States sue over citizenship curbs on Head Start, clinics 鈥�

GOP megabill鈥檚 final score: $3.4T in red ink and 10 million kicked off health insurance, CBO says 鈥�

The quick return of medical debt to credit reports is another blow to cancer patients 鈥� 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 鈥渕echanically鈥� acquire and move the virus. 

鈥淢颈濒办-蝉苍补迟肠丑颈苍驳鈥�: found that H5N1 may infect mammary glands via mouth-to-teat transmission through nursing, and via cows that 鈥渟teal milk鈥� through mutual nursing. 

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鈥�the first eliminated neglected tropical disease in Burundi鈥攃an lead to scarring, in-turned eyelids, and blindness, and primarily affects regions where clean water and sanitation are scarce, .


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


• 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 鈥�

Breaking the cycle of neglected diseases 鈥� OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Why England can learn from Scotland after first measles death in a decade 鈥�

High prevalence of colistin-resistant Klebsiella found in Africa 鈥�

Battling Lassa Fever: Liberia鈥檚 Strides in Preparedness and Response 鈥�

A creek with atomic waste from WWII is linked to increased cancer risk 鈥�

Air Pollution in Baltimore鈥檚 Curtis Bay Community Linked to Nearby Coal Terminal Activities and Wind 鈥�  

The potential gains of replenishing the Global Fund 鈥�

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

The New Sun Worship 鈥�

Engineers transform dental floss into needle-free vaccine 鈥� Issue No. 2761
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: As Measles Spreads, Strategies Shift; The Role of Reward in Quitting Meth; and Coverage When Temperatures Climb July 21, 2025 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鈥攎oving 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, . 

• 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鈥檚 Mennonite community, health workers are seeking to address language barriers, build trust, and 鈥渃hange how Low German鈥搒peaking families and the medical system interact with each other,鈥� writes a . 

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

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

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

• 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, .

Related: 

Measles Can Erase Your Immune System's Memory, Expert Says 鈥�

Bolivia stepping up efforts to tackle measles 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   49% of Black women in the UK who expressed concerns during labor didn鈥檛 receive adequate support, , which also found that 23% did not receive requested pain support.

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

A cholera case in Poland is the country鈥檚 first in six years; the country鈥檚 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.

Exposure limits to toxic airborne fungi indoors have been proposed for the first time via , which provides species-specific health risk estimates in an effort to address a 鈥渕ajor gap in indoor air safety policy.鈥�  U.S. and Global Health Policy News US rejects amendments to WHO international health regulations 鈥� 

Clawing back foreign aid is tied to 'waste, fraud and abuse.' What's the evidence? 鈥�
U.S. research community says new indirect cost model is still too complicated 鈥�

GOP tax law will increase overdose deaths by 1,000 each year, analysis finds 鈥�

Trump administration pulls back on work combating human trafficking, long a top GOP priority 鈥�

鈥婣CA health insurance will cost the average person 75% more next year, research shows 鈥�
鈥楢 disaster for all of us鈥�: US scientists describe impact of Trump cuts 鈥� DATA POINT

$1.7 trillion
鈥斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺��
Potential annual reduction in global economic output by 2050 if countries fail to contain drug resistance, per an AMR 鈥渇allout forecast鈥� modeling study that showed China and the U.S. would lose the most, at $722 billion and $296 billion, respectively. 鈥� 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鈥攖ypically 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鈥攂ut for how long? CM programs have expanded to 600+ sites nationwide, aided by federal support and private insurers. 

• But the Trump administration鈥檚 health overhauls may impact such programs鈥� future. 

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 鈥減arametric,鈥� 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鈥檚 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. 

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Nearly 100 people killed seeking aid in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian officials say 鈥�

South Korea flood death toll rises to 18 as southern regions battered by record rain 鈥�

FDA reverses ban on sale of Juul e-cigarettes 鈥�

Most Americans Support Limits on Guns in Bars, Stadiums, and Protests, New Study Finds 鈥�

A Push for More Organ Transplants Is Putting Donors at Risk 鈥�

Fitness classes help elderly Ugandan women fight rising rates of obesity and diabetes 鈥�

Do Indoor Pools Really Need to Close for Lightning? 鈥� Issue No. 2760
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: Accelerating Alzheimer鈥檚 Research; Replacing Aid With 鈥楽in Taxes鈥�; and Molar Express July 17, 2025 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鈥檚 Research: A Gold Mine of Global Collaboration
Key insights in Alzheimer鈥檚 research are being fueled by a 鈥渕assive鈥� new trove of globally shared data鈥攚ith breakthroughs showing the power and potential of multinational collaboration, . 

Background: , 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 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� research鈥攑otentially 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鈥檚, 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: 鈥淪ome of the biggest medical discoveries of the past half-century were made possible through global partnerships,鈥� warning that 鈥渢he rising tides of nationalism and isolationism threaten to stop scientific progress in its tracks.鈥� 

Other breakthroughs: Meanwhile, new research shows that Alzheimer鈥檚-related biomarkers can be detected in the blood of adults as young as 41, 鈥攕uggesting the disease could be identified decades before symptoms appear, . 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. 

Nearly 500 tons of high-energy biscuits鈥攅mergency food intended for 27,000 starving children in Afghanistan and Pakistan鈥攅xpired in a warehouse in Dubai this month and will be incinerated; a U.S. official said it was 鈥渁 casualty of the shutdown of USAID.鈥� 

COVID-19 hospitalization rates were highest among Black and Hispanic children during the pandemic, according to  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. 

A Golden Retriever named Bumper and a Black Labrador called Peanut reliably identified Parkinson鈥檚 disease in patients based on their odor, per  in The Journal of Parkinson's Disease.  U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump officials halt 鈥榙angerous鈥� research, overriding NIH career scientists 鈥�

RFK Jr. shakes up top staff at health department 鈥�

Do Doctors Profit Off Vaccines? Fact-Checking RFK Jr.'s Claims 鈥�

World鈥檚 Premier Cancer Institute Faces Crippling Cuts and Chaos 鈥�

Rio Grande Valley鈥檚 biggest free health clinic event of the year is canceled due to federal cuts 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES Replacing Aid With 鈥楽in Taxes鈥�
The WHO has launched a major push to introduce 鈥榮in taxes鈥� 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 鈥�3 by 35鈥�, 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.

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鈥攏ot necessarily expecting a response. 

But for two decades they鈥檝e gotten one.

Filling in the gaps: A Seattle dentist, Purva Merchant, has been voluntarily moonlighting as the tooth fairy ever since the email address鈥攃reated to organize her dental school applications鈥攔eceived a desperate message entitled 鈥淐alum鈥檚 tooth.鈥� 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鈥檚 emails range from fan mail (鈥淚鈥檓 so sorry I swallowed my tooth. And I love you.鈥�) to directional (鈥淒on鈥檛 bump into the heater.鈥�) Merchant always drafts a diplomatic response before reminding her gaptoothed correspondents to brush, floss, and be 鈥渉appy growing up!鈥� 

QUICK HITS An overlooked demographic has the highest suicide risk 鈥� and it鈥檚 been rising 鈥�

Can US Measles Outbreaks Be Stopped? 鈥�

LGBTQ+ youth lose specialized 988 suicide line support 鈥�

High prices, blackouts and half the money: Inside Puerto Rico鈥檚 stagnant food aid system 鈥�

鈥楲andmark鈥� study: three-person IVF leads to eight healthy children 鈥�

A Venerable AIDS Activist Returns to Battle 鈥�

Review shows ethical considerations in infectious disease guidelines lacking 鈥�

Health trajectory of mothers of children with developmental disabilities shows a 鈥榳ear-and-tear鈥� effect starting around age 65 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! 

Meet the diabetes researcher behind Barbie鈥檚 new pink (insulin) pumps 鈥� Issue No. 2759
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: PEPFAR Preserved?; The Dramatic Impact of Emergency Immunizations; and A Hidden Health Crisis in South Asia July 16, 2025 A cyclist rides past a PEPFAR sign. Abidjan, C么te d鈥橧voire, 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鈥攚hich still includes $8.3 billion in cuts to USAID, . 

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


• Other revisions to the bill reportedly include language to 鈥減rotect鈥� programs related to malaria, tuberculosis, maternal health, and food aid, . 

Ongoing disruption: While the program may be spared, it will still be impacted by deep cuts to foreign aid programs鈥攎ost notably USAID, which was PEPFAR鈥檚 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鈥攚here PEPFAR has not operated since 2012, .  

What鈥檚 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.

鈥淎 new era of austerity鈥�: Meanwhile, warns that global health aid, largely driven by U.S. funding, has plunged to a 15-year low鈥攖hreatening disease prevention efforts in vulnerable nations, . 

Related: On the Cusp of Eliminating HIV 鈥�  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.

Canadian hospitals are reporting an 鈥渆xponential鈥� increase in incidence of the drug-resistant carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) infection, ; the rate is still low, with transmission primarily occurring in hospitals.

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

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. U.S. and Global Health Policy News In Kenya, humanitarian workers ponder life after USAID 鈥�

HHS efficiency review blamed for delaying patient care at Indian Health Service 鈥�

Trump team withholds $140 million budgeted for fentanyl fight 鈥�

These States Now Allow OTC Ivermectin, and More May Follow 鈥�

Medical students could feel burn from Trump's new law 鈥� THE QUOTE
  鈥淭he islands鈥� health security is being undermined, not by disease or poverty, but by bullets.鈥� 鈥斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺�斺�� 鈥擳he Telegraph (, 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, .

• 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 鈥渢o comprehensively quantify the benefit, in human and economic terms鈥� 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.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ANEMIA A Hidden Health Crisis in South Asia
Anemia is one the 鈥渜uietest but most pervasive health crises鈥� 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鈥檚 education and economic potential. It disproportionately affects the region鈥檚 poorest women and girls.

• 鈥淲hen half of all adolescent girls and women in South Asia are anemic, it is not only a health issue鈥攊t is a signal that systems are failing them,鈥� said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF鈥橲 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.

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS A Crisis of Contagion and Collapse: Why Cholera Continues To Be a Problem in the DRC 鈥�

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

This fuel is 50% plastic 鈥� and it鈥檚 slipping through a loophole in international waste law 鈥�

With fewer protections and more paperwork, LGBTQ+ Americans face a Medicaid coverage cliff 鈥�

Even grave errors at rehab hospitals go unpenalized and undisclosed 鈥�

Medical charlatans have existed through history. But AI has turbocharged them 鈥�

Amniotic stem cells can be collected from vaginal fluid rather than more invasive techniques 鈥�
  FDA approves new blue food dye derived from gardenia fruit&苍产蝉辫;鈥� Issue No. 2758
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: Danish Study Finds Aluminum in Vaccines Safe; Abortion Access in Sicily; and Missed Flood Warnings in Texas and North Carolina July 15, 2025 Eleven-year-old Sarah B眉low Carlsen receives a vaccination against the novel coronavirus in Amagar, Denmark. November 28, 2021. Olafur Steinar Gestsson/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Large Danish Study Finds Aluminum in Vaccines Safe  
A new Danish study of vaccination and medical records from 1.2 million children over a 24-year period effectively quashes theories about the dangers of the use of aluminum salts in vaccines, .

• The salts, which are added to vaccines to create a stronger immune response, do not lead to statistically significant increased risks of developing autism, asthma, or 48 other conditions, .

The takeaway: 鈥淲e should not be concerned about aluminum used as an adjuvant in childhood vaccines,鈥� Anders Hviid, the study鈥檚 senior author and head of epidemiology at Denmark鈥檚 Statens Serum Institut, told STAT. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 the core message.鈥�
 
More vaccine news: Almost 20 million infants missed at least one dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP)-containing vaccine last year,  today. 

• In 2024, 89% of infants worldwide (about 115 million infants) got at least one DTP vaccine dose. And 85% received all three doses. Those percentages reflect an increase over 2023 of 171,000 infants receiving at least one DTP dose and one million getting all three doses.


• About 14.3 million children never received a single dose of any vaccine.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   One in ten children screened at UN-run health clinics in Gaza suffers from malnutrition, and malnutrition rates have been increasing since the intensifying of the siege in March, per the UN鈥檚 refugee agency for Palestinians (UNRWA). 

The WHO released new guidelines recommending use of the twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir as an additional option for HIV prevention, adding that it should be made available 鈥渋mmediately鈥� at pharmacies, clinics, and via online consultations. 

Karolinska Institutet researchers identified 250+ blood proteins altered by malaria, 鈥攁 discovery that the authors say could predict which patients are most at risk and supports earlier, more targeted malaria treatment. 
 
Candy-like nicotine pouches caused a 763% spike in child poisonings between 2020 and 2023 in the U.S.鈥攅ven as ingestion rates for other nicotine products fell,  that underscores the need for stronger regulations, a ban on flavored nicotine products, and secure storage practices.  U.S. and Global Health Policy News _______________________________________________ Countries to budget more for HIV/AIDS measures as U.S. withdraws aid  鈥�

NIH to dismiss dozens of grant reviewers to align with Trump priorities 鈥�

A million veterans gave DNA for medical research. Now the data is in limbo 鈥�

A clinic blames its closing on Trump鈥檚 Medicaid cuts. Patients don鈥檛 buy it. 鈥�   REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS Reframing Abortion Access in Sicily
Abortion has been legal in Italy since 1978鈥攂ut 80%+ of gynecologists in Sicily refuse to perform the procedure for moral or religious reasons. 

• As of 2022, abortions were available in only about half of Sicily's hospitals, compared to 70% in central and northern Italy.

A new law seeks to open up more access to Sicilian women: 

• In May, Sicily鈥檚 regional council passed a law requiring all public hospitals to establish dedicated abortion wards and hire staff willing to perform the procedure.

But staffing the wards may be difficult: Some doctors argue Sicily's hospital staff shortages and poor working conditions make it harder for gynecologists to provide abortions on top of other duties.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DISASTERS Missed Flood Warnings in Texas and North Carolina
In the reckoning after the flash floods in central Texas, reactions from public officials echo those from western North Carolina in the days after Hurricane Helene: There was not enough warning for evacuations.

But both weather scenarios鈥攚hile extreme鈥攚ere forecasted; and accurate weather alerts were issued hours in advance. Some local officials acted, but others did not, leading to preventable tragedies.

Where鈥檚 the breakdown? Both disasters have exposed gaps in emergency communication, especially in rural areas where people may not receive alerts due to poor cell service and where flood warning systems are not in place.

Calls for accountability: While public outcry in Texas has led to a special legislative session on disaster readiness, North Carolina legislators have yet to deliberate on the matter. 



Related: Why older rural Americans can be hit hardest after floods and other disasters 鈥� OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS SA gets R520-million to buy the twice-a-year anti-HIV jab 鈥� but there鈥檚 a snag 鈥�

CDC Says COVID-19 Cases Rise in 25 States 鈥�

Leana S. Wen: Why it matters if the U.S. loses its measles elimination status 鈥�

Study: Climate change helps diversify, increase transmissibility of West Nile virus 鈥�

Smart brain-zapping implants could revolutionize Parkinson鈥檚 treatment 鈥�

WHO regional head placed on leave amid corruption allegations 鈥�

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus: Loneliness and isolation: The hidden threat to global health we can no longer ignore 鈥�

AI is about to solve loneliness. That's a problem 鈥� Issue No. 2757
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: 鈥業nescapable Pattern鈥� of Atrocities in Sudan; A Libyan Family鈥檚 Desperate Quest for Care; and U.S. vs. European Food Policies July 14, 2025 Najat Sharafadin Arbab Saboun, 5, from Darfur, West Sudan, who was shot in the leg by RSF soldiers, sits in an Ambelia camp shelter near Adre, Chad. April 23, 2024. Dan Kitwood/Getty An 鈥業nescapable Pattern鈥� of Atrocities in Sudan
Both sides in Sudan鈥檚 civil war are committing war crimes and crimes against humanity against civilians in Darfur, the International Criminal Court has told the UN Security Council鈥攚ith atrocities including systemic rapes and sexual violence, kidnappings, attacks on aid convoys and medical facilities, and weaponized starvation, .

• Survivors are reporting an 鈥渋nescapable pattern鈥� of targeted sexual violence against women from specific ethnic communities, said ICC deputy prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan, . 

鈥楾o hell and back鈥�: Meanwhile, hundreds of children reported stories of 鈥渢error and loss鈥� after ~500,000 people鈥攐ver half of them children鈥攚ere displaced from Zamzam camp this spring, , which collected children鈥檚 accounts of family separation, sexual violence, and detentions in the new report, .  

Aid shortfalls: 30 million+ people need humanitarian assistance as famine conditions deepen and disease spreads. But aid groups warn that the void left by cuts to U.S. funding鈥攚hich provided 44% of the world鈥檚 humanitarian funding for Sudan last year鈥攃annot be filled, . 

• And malnutrition and food insecurity are expected to escalate as the rainy season progresses, 鈥攍eaving a 鈥渂rief, urgent window鈥� to deliver critical aid. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
A child in Liverpool died from measles at Alder Hey Children鈥檚 Hospital, where 16 other children have been hospitalized with measles in recent weeks; the MMR uptake rate in Liverpool is just 73% by age 5, well below the 95% needed for herd immunity.

A northern Arizona resident died of pneumonic plague, health officials confirmed July 11鈥攏oting that while plague is being investigated as the possible cause of a recent die-off of prairie dogs in the area, the case is unrelated; human deaths are rare from the illness, which is highly treatable with antibiotics when caught early enough.

~1 in 3 U.S. youths have prediabetes, ; but scientists questioned the release of the 600-word online summary, which did not include raw data or peer-reviewed research.

U.S. counties that endure severe climate-related disasters often experience reduced access to critical health care infrastructure in the years that follow, .

The U.S. dropped charges against Michael Kirk Moore, the Utah doctor accused of destroying $28,000+ worth of government-provided COVID-19 vaccines and administering saline to children instead of the vaccine. U.S. and Global Health Policy News US senators poised to reject Trump鈥檚 proposed massive science cuts 鈥�

The potential impact of reductions in international donor funding on tuberculosis in low-income and middle-income countries: a modelling study 鈥�

Making diphtheria great again? Why SA鈥檚 public health experts are worried about RFK Jr. 鈥�

Trump administration鈥檚 NIH funding cuts threaten research on sickle cell disease 鈥�

Inside the Collapse of the F.D.A. 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff! 

NIH suspends dozens of pathogen studies over 鈥榞ain-of-function鈥� concerns 鈥� HEALTH SYSTEMS One Libyan Family鈥檚 Desperate Quest for Care
Libya鈥檚 failing health care system is in the spotlight after the perilous journey of a 7-year-old with cystic fibrosis and her family seeking care in Italy gained international attention. 

Background: Due to ongoing political instability in Libya, many critical care facilities there are not functional, and essential medicines are scarce.

Sohan鈥檚 story: Sohan Aboulsoud has been unable to access medical care there, despite her family鈥檚 exhaustive efforts. Finally, the family decided to take the dangerous journey by a smuggler鈥檚 boat to Italy. 

• 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 leave because we wanted to migrate, it was because illness doesn鈥檛 wait,鈥� said Sohan鈥檚 mother, who took a photo of her weary daughter that soon went viral and sparked protests in Tripoli demanding access to care for Sohan. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CHRONIC DISEASES U.S. vs. European Health: More Than the Dye
In the MAHA movement鈥檚 quest to overhaul the U.S. food industry, leading voices regularly point to Europe as the model, citing European countries鈥� restrictions on food dyes, additives, and pesticides.

But that focus overlooks systemic reasons for Europeans鈥� lower chronic disease rates and longer life expectancy, scientists say. 

Rigorous regulation: To emulate European food policies, the U.S. would have to invest in a raft of regulation, including more review processes, warning labels, and taxes on products like soda. 

• Instead, the U.S. is cutting funding to regulatory agencies like the FDA. 

Broader factors: The movement also overlooks other key differences, such as the role of universal health care, walkable city design, pollution exposure, and poverty rates. 

OPPORTUNITY Apply for Global Health Emerging Scholars Fellowship
The Global Health Emerging Scholars (GHES) Fellowship鈥攁 12-month, NIH-supported, mentored training in global health research designed to address health inequities and improve population health鈥攊s now accepting applications for the 2026鈥�27 fellowship year.
 
The fellowship, hosted by a consortium of Yale University, Stanford University, University of Arizona, and UC Berkeley, typically runs July鈥揓une and offers training opportunities in 16 countries.

• Deadline:  by October 1, 2025, 5 p.m. Eastern Time

QUICK HITS Nipah death in Palakkad leads to alert in six Kerala districts 鈥�

Increased vaccine uptake in US kids linked to reduced antibiotic prescriptions 鈥�  

Men Might Be the Key to an American Baby Boom 鈥�

High rates hurt public healthcare 鈥�

PrEParing for HIV prevention among men who have sex with men in China: challenges and solutions 鈥�

Why a new opioid alternative is out of reach for some pain patients 鈥�

How one elite rehab center is 鈥榦bliterating鈥� all kinds of cravings with GLP-1s 鈥�

Scientists hide messages in papers to game AI peer review 鈥� Issue No. 2756
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: Northern Nigeria's Cash Incentives for Vaccines; The 鈥楾icking Time Bomb鈥� of AIDS Shortfalls; and Up a Pole Without a Paddle July 10, 2025 GHN EXCLUSIVE REPORT A mother holds up the cash incentive she received at the Farfaru clinic upon vaccinating her child. Sokoto, Nigeria. April 2025. Abiodun Jamiu Fighting Infant Mortality With Vaccines and Cash in Northern Nigeria
SOKOTO, Nigeria鈥擨n the region surrounding Farfaru鈥檚 primary health care center, health workers often had to persuade women to vaccinate their children.
 
That began to change with the 2014 introduction of the New Incentives cash rewards program, which spurred a surge in mothers bringing their children in for childhood immunizations to protect against diseases such as diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis B, and polio. The clinic now sees ~30 to 40 babies a day.

• The initiative operates in government-run health facilities across 11 northern states鈥攚here vaccine hesitancy and misinformation run rampant, and missed vaccinations contribute to rising infant mortality rates.


• At least 41% of Nigeria鈥檚 deaths among children under 5 may have been prevented with vaccines, .

More than just the cash: New Incentives also conducts a rapid assessment to survey the level of vaccine hesitancy, then reaches out to village leaders and locals to share information about immunizations and demystify deep-rooted misconceptions.
  Is it sustainable? The initiative is commendable, but only feasible as a short-term measure, says , a University of Ilorin professor, citing the risk of caregivers growing dependent on the incentives鈥攚hich are donor-dependent, with no guarantees in the current funding climate. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Lassa fever has killed 148 people and sickened 790 in Nigeria over the last 6 months by the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention; the virus, which causes hemorrhagic fever, has spread to 20 states.

U.S. measles cases have hit their highest level in 33 years; 1,288 cases have been reported this year鈥攖he highest total since the U.S. eliminated the disease in 2000.

Fungal infections are getting harder to treat as they become more drug-resistant, , which focused on infections caused by Aspergillus fumigatus鈥攐ne of the WHO鈥檚 top concerns on its .

An initiative to boost taxes on tobacco, sugary drinks, and alcohol has been introduced by the WHO; the 鈥溾�� effort urges international governments to implement such taxes by at least 50% by 2035 in an effort to reduce noncommunicable disease. HIV/AIDS The 鈥楾icking Time Bomb鈥� of AIDS Shortfalls
Last year, the annual UNAIDS global update reported major progress: The number of people who died of AIDS represented the lowest levels seen in 30+ years, and more people than ever were getting access to lifesaving medications.

is far more sobering: The sudden U.S. decision to withdraw funding for AIDS programs worldwide has led to a 鈥渟ystemic shock鈥� to supply chains, clinics, health care staffing, testing, and medication access that, if not addressed, could lead to 4 million+ AIDS-related deaths and 6 million more HIV infections by 2029, . 

• 鈥淭his is not just a funding gap鈥攊t鈥檚 a ticking time bomb,鈥� said UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima.

Meanwhile, countries criminalizing same-sex sexual activity are increasing鈥攚ith key populations such as gay men and people who inject drugs especially vulnerable, . Countries cracking down on rights include Mali, Trinidad and Tobago, Ghana, and notably, Uganda: 
  Queer Ugandans Face More Tribulations
After Uganda passed the Anti-Homosexuality Act in 2023鈥攚hich includes the death penalty for 鈥渁ggravated homosexuality鈥濃�攎any queer Ugandans sought safety in nearby Kenya. 

But soon after the Ugandan act鈥檚 passage, Kenya introduced its Family Protection Bill, which not only prohibits same-sex relationships鈥攊f made law, it would ban pronouns, gender reassignment, and sex education.

• Kenya hosts ~1,000 LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers鈥攑rimarily from Uganda, per a 2021 UNHCR estimate.


• Most LGBTQ+ asylum seekers from Uganda are sent to Kakuma refugee camp, which is 鈥渕arked by hate crimes, discrimination and other human rights violations.鈥�

  ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Up a Pole Without a Paddle
It鈥檚 summertime in the Netherlands, which means long days, coastal picnics, and athletes using 4-stories-tall poles to fling themselves across canals. 

鈥楾is the season of fierljeppen: a sport that is equal parts pole vault, long jump, and cannon-balling into canals that is 鈥渞eally a typically Dutch sport," . 

Vaulting ambitions: Competitors sprint toward a 12-meter pole, launching themselves in a graceful arc over the canal, . They then hastily scale the pole in an effort to jump to a sandbank on the other side. 

• That鈥檚 the goal, anyway: All participants must be good swimmers. 

One-upmanship: The gravity-defying sport鈥檚 origins date back centuries, when farmers used poles to cross canals and ditches that separated fields. Legend has it that a series of bar bets led to an informal competition in 1767鈥攁nd eventually a formal sport that now involves ~600 athletes in organized leagues, . 

• But fierljeppen hasn鈥檛 caught on in other countries, observes De Groot: "I think because in the rest of the world there are not so many canals and also maybe the people are not so crazy.鈥� 

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS USAID Lost: Stories from Colombia, Kenya, and Nepal 鈥�

鈥榁ery limited time to react鈥�: Texas flash floods expose challenges in early warning 鈥�

Burkina Faso鈥檚 only eye doctor for children sees the trauma of both play and conflict 鈥�

Symbolic 鈥榮cience fair鈥� showcases research cut by Trump team 鈥�

Texas Overhauls Anti-Abortion Program That Spent Tens of Millions of Taxpayer Dollars With Little Oversight 鈥�

Do we think enough about parents who care for sick or disabled children 鈥� and how not to make things harder? 鈥�

The Indonesian doctor tackling tuberculosis via treatment, tweets and TikTok 鈥�

How German Cities Are Rethinking Women鈥檚 Safety 鈥� With Taxis 鈥� Issue No. 2755
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: 鈥楯udgment Day鈥� Scenes in Gaza; Kabul鈥檚 Looming Water Crisis; and America鈥檚 Insomnia Epidemic July 9, 2025 Palestinians gather to receive food aid distributed by a charity organization as the Israeli attacks continue in Deir al Balah, Gaza, on July 9. Hassan Jedi/Anadolu via Getty 鈥楯udgment Day鈥� Scenes as Gaza Crisis Deepens
As violence grows at food distribution sites in Gaza and the enclave鈥檚 medical system collapses, an Israeli defense minister鈥檚 plan to move all Palestinians in Gaza into a camp in Rafah is sparking legal and humanitarian concerns, . 

Details of plan: Israel's defense minister has instructed the military to establish a 鈥渉umanitarian city鈥� to initially house ~600,000 Palestinians, and eventually the whole 2.1 million population, . 

• Israeli human rights lawyer Michael Sfard described the relocation plan as 鈥渁n operational plan for a crime against humanity.鈥� 

Violence at new aid distribution sites is overwhelming doctors and humanitarian workers, who describe daily mass casualty incidents since the Israeli- and U.S.-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation began distributing food in May, . 

• The majority of incidents involve military gunfire, 鈥攊n scenes that 鈥渞esemble the horrors of judgment day,鈥� per one Palestinian nursing director.


• A journalist in Gaza seeking food described facing 鈥淚sraeli military fire, private U.S. contractors pointing laser beams at my forehead, crowds with knives fighting for rations, and masked thieves,鈥� . 

A doctor鈥檚 death leaves a void: Marwan al-Sultan鈥攐ne of Gaza鈥檚 two cardiologists and a hospital director鈥攚as killed in an Israeli airstrike, prompting widespread grief and outrage, . 

• 鈥淏y losing Dr. Marwan, thousands of people will lose and suffer,鈥� said another hospital director. 


• 1,500+ health care workers have died in the conflict, . 

Related: USAID review raised 鈥榗ritical concerns鈥� over Gaza aid group days before $30 million US grant 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for the Taliban鈥檚 supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, and Afghanistan鈥檚 chief justice, Abdul Hakim Haqqani, accusing them of crimes against humanity for the persecution of women and girls.

Climate change tripled the death toll of the latest European heatwave, , which attributed ~1,500 of the ~2,300 heat-related deaths over 10 days in 12 cities to climate change.

New vaccines for Marburg virus and Sudan ebolavirus have been announced for development by U.S. health officials; the vaccines aim to address 鈥渕aterial threats to national health security.鈥�

Breathing polluted air, even at low levels, may cause scarring in heart muscles, leading to heart failure over time, ; the damage occurred in both healthy individuals and people with heart conditions. WATER Kabul鈥檚 Looming Crisis 
Kabul鈥檚 groundwater could be depleted by 2030鈥攁 mounting crisis as the city of ~6 million contends with population growth, climate change, and poor water management. 

By the numbers: 

• Groundwater levels have dropped by 30 meters in a decade, and half the city鈥檚 boreholes have dried up, . 


• Already, ~80% of Afghans lack access to safe drinking water, and many rely on tanker trucks and arduous journeys to wells. 

Short- and long-term solutions needed: Several remediation projects were planned pre-Taliban takeover, including the construction of the Shahtoot dam and a Panjshir River pipeline. 

• They could still be effective, but their status is unclear鈥攁nd aid organizations say water solutions are needed now.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES SLEEP America鈥檚 Insomnia Epidemic
Insomnia can cause a cascade of health problems, including heart disease, diabetes, depression, and injury from accidents. Yet it remains underdiagnosed, undertreated, and poorly understood.

In a must-read narrative, Jennifer Senior chronicles her own struggle and her exhaustive efforts to find solutions: from medication to new forms of therapy to attending the annual conference for sleep study.

An alarming problem: ~12% of Americans ; 30%鈥�35% suffer from insomnia symptoms at least temporarily. 

• 鈥淭he public and private sectors alike are barely doing a thing to address what is essentially a national health emergency,鈥� writes Senior, who calls for broader cultural and structural changes to address the sleep crisis.

Related: RFK Jr. Is Noticeably Quiet About a MAHA Obsession 鈥� OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS South Sudan鈥檚 longest cholera outbreak enters critical stage 鈥�

The Texas Flash Flood Is a Preview of the Chaos to Come 鈥�

Dinesh Raj Neupane: When Youth Costs More: The Financial, Physical, and Emotional Toxicity of Being Young with Cancer 鈥�

Chagas in Bolivia: The Story of Luis and His 'Double Engine' That Inspires Hope in the Chaco 鈥�

Chagas disease transmission: Kissing bugs readily invade human dwellings to feed on humans and companion animals 鈥�

Just How Harmful Is Vaping? More Evidence Is Emerging. 鈥�

Blood Tests Predict Dementia in Down Syndrome 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! 

Stress is wrecking your health: how can science help? 鈥� Issue No. 2754
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:

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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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96 Global Health NOW: U.S. Children: Canaries in the Coal Mine for Health; DRC鈥檚 鈥楽cattershot鈥� Vaccine Efforts; and Child Safety in Pakistan July 8, 2025 A child plays in a splash pad on a hot day at the Earvin "Magic" Johnson Recreation Area. Los Angeles, May 20. Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times via Getty Children鈥檚 Health Declines in the U.S.: 鈥楥anaries in the Coal Mine鈥�
U.S. children's physical and mental health has deteriorated across a range of key indicators over 17 years, 鈥攆indings that one researcher described as 鈥渃anaries in the coal mine鈥� reflecting wider problems with Americans鈥� health, . 

Worsening health trends between 2007鈥�2023, : 

Chronic conditions: U.S. children ages 3鈥�17 are now 15鈥�20% more likely to have chronic conditions than in 2011, including obesity, anxiety, sleep apnea, autism, and ADHD.

• Early menstruation, poor sleep, and loneliness have also increased.


• Depressive symptoms among high schoolers rose from 26% in 2009 to ~40% in 2023.

Mortality: U.S. children were about 80% more likely to die than peers in 18 other high-income countries, with leading causes of death including firearms, car crashes, and substance abuse.

• Lack of health coverage also plays into the disparity, . 

The Quote: 鈥淚t's a huge wake-up call that we really are failing kids right now," lead study author Christopher Forrest , adding that 鈥渢he whole ecosystem that kids are growing up in" needs examination.

Call to action: In an , pediatric experts affirmed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 emphasis on children鈥檚 health, but they said administration actions like questioning vaccine safety and cuts to health agencies are further endangering kids.  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Malaria medicine for babies made by Novartis AG has secured Swiss regulatory approval; the drug, Coartem, is the first of its kind and can be used to treat infants weighing 2鈥�5 kilograms (4鈥�11 pounds).

741 patients died during clinical trials for stem cell therapy from 1999 to 2017 at India鈥檚 Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Center, per a report by the country鈥檚 Comptroller and Auditor General; the report also found that the therapy failed in 91% of cases.  

200+ kindergarteners in China were found to have elevated lead levels in their blood tied to food tainted with lead-containing decorative paint; canteen staff at the kindergarten have been detained on suspicion of 鈥減roducing toxic and harmful food.鈥�

The CDC has ended its H5N1 avian flu emergency response, citing declining animal infections and no human cases reported since February; it will combine future updates with seasonal influenza reports.  U.S. and Global Health Policy News 11,000 more TB patients died after Trump's USAID cuts. That number will rise. 鈥�

鈥業t鈥檚 a nightmare.鈥� U.S. funding cuts threaten academic science jobs at all levels 鈥�

US adults want the government to focus on child care costs, not birth rates, AP-NORC poll finds 鈥�

Defenders of Medicaid cuts are misunderstanding a study I worked on 鈥�

The CDC Got Caught Citing a Fake Study. Again. 鈥�

FDA Layoffs Could Compromise Safety of Medications Made at Foreign Factories, Inspectors Say 鈥� MPOX DRC鈥檚 鈥楽cattershot鈥� Vaccination Efforts
The Democratic Republic of the Congo鈥攖he country hardest hit by the mpox surge鈥攈as vaccinated 700,000+ people since October 2024. 

But a new WHO analysis suggests it has made little difference, due to a lack of targeted distribution.

Obstacles: The country has received a small vaccine supply鈥攂ut it lacks the surveillance capabilities needed to more effectively prioritize at-risk groups. 

The result: A 鈥渃onfetti strategy,鈥� said Ana Maria Henao-Restrepo, a WHO vaccine specialist who led the analysis. 鈥淵ou distribute a little bit everywhere. The possibility of having an impact is diminished substantially.鈥�

Key insights: African scientists welcomed the analysis, saying it was the first rigorous evaluation of the vaccination program鈥檚 impact in the continent. 



Related: 

Health officials encouraged by recent trends in Africa鈥檚 mpox outbreaks 鈥�

Mpox Surge in Sierra Leone: A Stress Test for National Readiness 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH Promoting Child Safety in Pakistan
Children in Pakistan are highly vulnerable, with ~3% involved in forced labor and 3,600+ abuse cases reported in 2024. 

But prevention efforts are difficult in many conservative communities, as abuse鈥攑articularly sexual abuse鈥攊s a taboo subject, meaning parents are reluctant to report incidents. 

Rozan鈥檚 role: Rozan, a nonprofit founded in 1998 to prevent domestic violence, has sought to overcome such stigma鈥攖raining 1,000+ volunteers to raise awareness among both parents and children in communities across Pakistan.

• The group also seeks to teach men to break the cycle of domestic violence. 

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Ordeal of Inuit girls from Greenland given birth control without consent 鈥�

Nipah virus infects 2 more in India, 1 fatally 鈥�  

Tiny nanobody shows big promise in fighting Nipah and Hendra viruses 鈥�  

The Neglected Crisis in Safe Blood Access 鈥�

If your cigarette box isn鈥檛 disgusting, it鈥檚 not doing its job 鈥�

The fight for a tobacco-free society is in peril 鈥�

Liverpool mobile greengrocer to reach 鈥榝ood deserts鈥� with aid of mapping tool 鈥�

454 Hints That a Chatbot Wrote Part of a Biomedical Researcher鈥檚 Paper 鈥�

New research shows Monday stress is etched into your biology 鈥� Issue No. 2753
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:

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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.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or . Issue No. 1864
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, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on 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 . -->

96 Global Health NOW: Tragedy in Texas and Your June Recap July 7, 2025 A K-9 Unit with the Texas Game Wardens conducts a search in flood damage area near Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, on July 5. Desiree Rios for The Washington Post via Getty Tragedy in Texas 
Flash floods in central Texas over the weekend killed at least 82 people, including 28 children鈥攁nd dozens remain missing as widespread search and rescue efforts continue, .

The disaster is prompting scrutiny of how flood warnings are handled in the flood-prone region, which is home to summer camps along the Guadalupe River, as forecasts call for more rain today. 

Sudden flooding: A severe early-morning storm dropped 12 inches of rain within hours across Texas Hill Country, leading to rapidly rising waters and a 

• Flash floods are the top storm-related cause of death in the U.S., killing an average of 127 people annually, . 

A reckoning over warnings: Many survivors said they received little to no warning, with text alerts that came in the middle of the night or not at all, .

• The disaster has renewed debates over flood preparedness, with officials and forecasters calling for improved warning systems and better public messaging, . 


• A flood monitoring and warning system along the river proposed eight years ago was never implemented due to a lack of funding. 

Related: Texas Hill Country Is Underwater, and America鈥檚 Emergency Lifeline Is Fraying 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE We'd Love To See More of You
Did you know that GHN publishes every Monday through Thursday?

If not, you鈥檙e missing out on the full GHN experience鈥攊ncluding essential news and commentaries, career advancement opportunities, and our ever-popular Almost Friday Diversions to end the week on a light note. 

• To try our 4-days-a-week version (or switch back if you鈥檝e just been on a break), just send me a note and let me know.

Either way, we appreciate all of our readers, and we鈥檙e always interested in hearing from you. Please send us any requests, story tips, or ideas to help improve GHN. Thanks for reading! 鈥� The Latest One-Liners
An Australian man has died after contracting a rare lyssavirus from a bat bite; closely related to rabies, the virus has killed four people in Australia since 1996.

Chikungunya is circulating in the south of France, per Sant茅 publique France; while ~712 imported cases of the virus were recorded May 1鈥揓uly 1, 14 locally acquired infections were reported in the same period.

The herbicide ingredient diquat, used as a replacement for glyphosate in products like Roundup, can kill gut bacteria and damage organs, ; while the substance is banned in the U.K., EU, and China, it is legal and increasingly used in the U.S.  

An oral rabies vaccine can be spread through vampire bat populations via the bats鈥� mutual grooming techniques, ; the 鈥渋nnovative鈥� vaccine was applied to the fur as a gel, then spread rapidly as the bats licked each other. JUNE RECAP: MUST-READS Argentina鈥檚 鈥楾idal Wave鈥� of Health Cuts
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; Milei has slashed the country鈥檚 health budget by 48% and laid off 2,000+ health ministry workers. 

Related: Milei took a chainsaw to Argentina鈥檚 health system. Now it鈥檚 鈥榖leeding to death鈥� 鈥�

ICYMI: Disrupted but Determined: Lessons From Argentine Scientists 鈥�
  North America鈥檚 Measles Problem
Eli Saslow chronicled a West Texas family鈥檚 measles odyssey that forced the father and four children to spend days in the hospital.

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.


A Closer Look at Cheap Cigarettes in Laos   
Cigarette prices in Laos are among the lowest in the world, contributing to some of the highest smoking rates in the region and smoking-related diseases, which account for 1 in 7 deaths in the country. 
 
Behind the low prices: A 2001 contract signed behind closed doors with Imperial Brands tobacco set a 25-year tax freeze鈥攁nd steered millions toward an in-law of then-president Bounnhang Vorachit. This Pulitzer Center鈥搒upported story surfaces the issue ahead of the contract鈥檚 set expiration next year.
 
JUNE EXCLUSIVES 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.

• Chronic mountain sickness (CMS), characterized by low levels of oxygen saturation and excessive amounts of hemoglobin, can progress to life-threatening pulmonary or cerebral edema.


• For a century, scientists have been trying to understand the cause of the 鈥渃omplex and insidious鈥� disease; research that led to a 2019 Nobel Prize may offer new insights. 

Ed. Note: We thank Dulce Alarc贸n-Yaquetto for sharing the idea for this story, which won a grand prize in the , co-sponsored by GHN and the . 
Zambia Drags Heels on Mercury Amalgam Ban  
LUSAKA, Zambia鈥擲ome nations鈥攊ncluding Tanzania, Uganda, and Gabon鈥攈ave already taken decisive steps to ban mercury amalgam in dental fillings, but in Zambia, despite the dangers, progress has stalled.
 
Just 0.6 grams of mercury, the average amount , can pollute 100,000 liters of water, about the size of a swimming pool鈥攁nd Zambia is especially vulnerable to harmful impacts of mercury due to inadequate disposal systems and mitigation processes. 

 

Ed. Note: Thanks to Michael Musenga for this story idea, which won an honorable mention in the , co-sponsored by GHN and the .  Q&A: 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 of ETH Zurich and the University of Oxford鈥檚 Sir William Dunn School of Pathology told GHN.

THE QUOTE
  鈥淭he tobacco industry鈥檚 tricks are constantly evolving; so too must our cities鈥� tactics.鈥� 鈥斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺�斺�� Michelle Morse, acting health commissioner and chief medical officer of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Daniel Soranz, secretary of health for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in an from Rio de Janeiro and New York City.
  JUNE'S GOOD NEWS 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.

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

Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!

More Solution Stories from June:
 
The floating clinics bringing healthcare to the banks of the Amazon 鈥�
 
Stigma in the schoolyard: How Rwanda is protecting HIV-positive students 鈥� 

As Federal Health Grants Shrink, Memory Cafes Help Dementia Patients and Their Caregivers 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS Measles cases hit highest level since it was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000 鈥�

Why has polio re-emerged in Angola? 鈥� 

Foreign medical residents fill critical positions at US hospitals, but are running into visa issues 鈥�

NIH restores grants to South Africa scientists, adds funding option for other halted foreign projects 鈥�

Farewell to USAID: Reflections on the agency that President Trump dismantled 鈥�

Wellcome CEO Urges Global Health Rethink: 'Science Alone Is Not Enough' 鈥�

This paint 鈥榮weats鈥� to keep your house cool 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!  Issue No. M-June 2025
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, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on 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 .

96 Global Health NOW: Tragedy in Texas and Your June Recap July 7, 2025 A K-9 Unit with the Texas Game Wardens conducts a search in flood damage area near Camp Mystic in Kerr County, Texas, on July 5. Desiree Rios for The Washington Post via Getty Tragedy in Texas 
Flash floods in central Texas over the weekend killed at least 82 people, including 28 children鈥攁nd dozens remain missing as widespread search and rescue efforts continue, .

The disaster is prompting scrutiny of how flood warnings are handled in the flood-prone region, which is home to summer camps along the Guadalupe River, as forecasts call for more rain today. 

Sudden flooding: A severe early-morning storm dropped 12 inches of rain within hours across Texas Hill Country, leading to rapidly rising waters and a 

• Flash floods are the top storm-related cause of death in the U.S., killing an average of 127 people annually, . 

A reckoning over warnings: Many survivors said they received little to no warning, with text alerts that came in the middle of the night or not at all, .

• The disaster has renewed debates over flood preparedness, with officials and forecasters calling for improved warning systems and better public messaging, . 


• A flood monitoring and warning system along the river proposed eight years ago was never implemented due to a lack of funding. 

Related: Texas Hill Country Is Underwater, and America鈥檚 Emergency Lifeline Is Fraying 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
An Australian man has died after contracting a rare lyssavirus from a bat bite; closely related to rabies, the virus has killed four people in Australia since 1996.

Chikungunya is circulating in the south of France, per Sant茅 publique France; while ~712 imported cases of the virus were recorded May 1鈥揓uly 1, 14 locally acquired infections were reported in the same period.

The herbicide ingredient diquat, used as a replacement for glyphosate in products like Roundup, can kill gut bacteria and damage organs, ; while the substance is banned in the U.K., EU, and China, it is legal and increasingly used in the U.S.  

An oral rabies vaccine can be spread through vampire bat populations via the bats鈥� mutual grooming techniques, ; the 鈥渋nnovative鈥� vaccine was applied to the fur as a gel, then spread rapidly as the bats licked each other. U.S. and Global Health Policy News NIH restores grants to South Africa scientists, adds funding option for other halted foreign projects 鈥�

Farewell to USAID: Reflections on the agency that President Trump dismantled 鈥�

Local health departments face rising workforce strains, report says 鈥�

Foreign medical residents fill critical positions at US hospitals, but are running into visa issues 鈥�

CDC Staff Dedicated to Birth Control Safety Eliminated by HHS 鈥� JUNE RECAP: MUST-READS Argentina鈥檚 鈥楾idal Wave鈥� of Health Cuts
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; Milei has slashed the country鈥檚 health budget by 48% and laid off 2,000+ health ministry workers. 

Related: Milei took a chainsaw to Argentina鈥檚 health system. Now it鈥檚 鈥榖leeding to death鈥� 鈥�

ICYMI: Disrupted but Determined: Lessons From Argentine Scientists 鈥�
  North America鈥檚 Measles Problem
Eli Saslow chronicled a West Texas family鈥檚 measles odyssey that forced the father and four children to spend days in the hospital.

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.


A Closer Look at Cheap Cigarettes in Laos   
Cigarette prices in Laos are among the lowest in the world, contributing to some of the highest smoking rates in the region and smoking-related diseases, which account for 1 in 7 deaths in the country. 
 
Behind the low prices: A 2001 contract signed behind closed doors with Imperial Brands tobacco set a 25-year tax freeze鈥攁nd steered millions toward an in-law of then-president Bounnhang Vorachit. This Pulitzer Center鈥搒upported story surfaces the issue ahead of the contract鈥檚 set expiration next year.
 
JUNE EXCLUSIVES 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.

• Chronic mountain sickness (CMS), characterized by low levels of oxygen saturation and excessive amounts of hemoglobin, can progress to life-threatening pulmonary or cerebral edema.


• For a century, scientists have been trying to understand the cause of the 鈥渃omplex and insidious鈥� disease; research that led to a 2019 Nobel Prize may offer new insights. 

Ed. Note: We thank Dulce Alarc贸n-Yaquetto for sharing the idea for this story, which won a grand prize in the , co-sponsored by GHN and the . 
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, but in Zambia, despite the dangers, progress has stalled.
 
Just 0.6 grams of mercury, the average amount , can pollute 100,000 liters of water, about the size of a swimming pool鈥攁nd Zambia is especially vulnerable to harmful impacts of mercury due to inadequate disposal systems and mitigation processes. 
 
Success stories: How other countries鈥攊ncluding Tanzania, Uganda, and Gabon鈥攐vercame resistance and banned mercury amalgam.


 
Ed. Note: Thanks to Michael Musenga for this story idea, which won an honorable mention in the , co-sponsored by GHN and the .  Q&A: 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 of ETH Zurich and the University of Oxford鈥檚 Sir William Dunn School of Pathology told GHN.

THE QUOTE
  鈥淭he tobacco industry鈥檚 tricks are constantly evolving; so too must our cities鈥� tactics.鈥� 鈥斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺�斺�� Michelle Morse, acting health commissioner and chief medical officer of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Daniel Soranz, secretary of health for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in an from Rio de Janeiro and New York City.
  JUNE'S GOOD NEWS 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.

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

Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!

More Solution Stories from June:
 
The floating clinics bringing healthcare to the banks of the Amazon 鈥�
 
Stigma in the schoolyard: How Rwanda is protecting HIV-positive students 鈥� 

As Federal Health Grants Shrink, Memory Cafes Help Dementia Patients and Their Caregivers 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS Measles cases hit highest level since it was declared eradicated in the U.S. in 2000 鈥�

Why has polio re-emerged in Angola? 鈥� 

The Hidden Human Cost of AI Moderation 鈥�

Wellcome CEO Urges Global Health Rethink: 'Science Alone Is Not Enough' 鈥�

Don鈥檛 let states interfere with medical school grading systems 鈥�

Are seed oils actually bad for your health? Here's the science behind the controversy 鈥�  

This paint 鈥榮weats鈥� to keep your house cool 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!  Issue No. 2752
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, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

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96 Global Health NOW: The Megabill鈥檚 Major Health Cuts; Hanoi鈥檚 Concrete-Driven Air Quality Crisis; and Medical Schools Dust Off Old Curriculum On the line with the 鈥淏ig Beautiful Bill鈥� passed by the U.S. Senate: Cuts to Medicaid, providers, rural hospitals, and more. July 2, 2025 Storm clouds hover over the U.S. Capitol shortly after the Senate passed its version of the "One Big Beautiful Bill" yesterday. Washington, DC. Chip Somodevilla/Getty The Megabill鈥檚 Major Health Cuts
The 鈥淏ig Beautiful Bill鈥� passed yesterday by the U.S. Senate includes massive rollbacks to health programs that could lead to lost coverage for ~17 million Americans over the next decade, . 

The cuts also threaten the viability of hospitals, nursing homes, and community health centers, as they face the prospect of absorbing more care costs and receiving less federal support, .

On the line: 

Cuts to Medicaid, and work requirements: Medicaid faces the largest cuts in the program鈥檚 history, , largely stemming from a work requirement that could end coverage for millions who do not meet new standards and that involves filing regular paperwork proving 80 hours of work a month.

• Medicaid enrollees could also face new out-of-pocket copays up to $35.

Stricter ACA enrollment: Automatic reenrollment will end for people with ACA marketplace coverage; instead, they will be required to update information annually within a shorter enrollment period.

Blows to providers鈥攁nd rural care: The bill ends a decades-long practice of state provider taxes, which health facilities pay to increase matching federal payments for state Medicaid plans, . 

• Loss of this funding could push 300+ hospitals toward service reductions or closure, . 

Abortion providers cut out: The legislation eliminates Medicaid funding entirely for any health service providers who offer abortion care, . 

What鈥檚 next: The bill now returns to the House, which passed an earlier version; some Republicans have raised objections to the Senate鈥檚 changes to that version of the bill. 

Related: Mayors, doctor groups sue over Trump鈥檚 efforts to restrict Obamacare enrollment 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES EDITORS' NOTE No GHN July 3鈥�4
We鈥檒l be on a short publishing break for the July 4 holiday in the U.S. We鈥檒l be back on Monday, July 7!
 
But for now, more news. 鈥�The Editors The Latest One-Liners   A fast-moving wildfire fueled by a European heat wave killed two farmers in northern Lleida, Spain, late Tuesday before a rainstorm helped firefighters bring the fire under control; European weather officials link the scorching temperatures鈥攗nprecedented for this early in the summer鈥攖o climate change. 

A 3-year-old in Burma has been paralyzed by polio after contracting vaccine-derived polio鈥攁n indication of reduced vaccination coverage as the country鈥檚 health care system continues to deteriorate amid its civil war.

Neighborhood segregation contributes to lung cancer development, per a new study of 71,634 participants that found that reduced residential segregation was 鈥渟ignificantly鈥� associated with fewer lung cancer cases among Black adults.

Women 65+ are more likely to have high-risk HPV infections and abnormal cervical cells than younger women, , suggesting that cervical screenings should be offered to over-65s, a population unlikely to have received HPV vaccinations. U.S. and Global Health Policy News USAID cancelled rape survivor kits for Congo as conflict erupted 鈥� 

Turmoil at US science academy as Trump cuts force layoffs 鈥�

HHS layoffs were likely unlawful and must be halted, US judge says 鈥�
  RFK Jr. singled out one study to cut funds for global vaccines. Is that study valid?&苍产蝉辫;鈥�   Tom Frieden: RFK Jr.鈥檚 intellectually dishonest excuse for defunding Gavi, the vaccine alliance 鈥�

Health and Science Diplomacy Protects Everyone 鈥� POLLUTION Hanoi鈥檚 Concrete-Driven Air Quality Crisis 
Over the last year, Hanoi repeatedly topped global air pollution charts as smog draped the city.

• In January, the average air quality index surpassed the 鈥渉azardous鈥� threshold, prompting warnings from health officials.


• And in March, the city recorded levels of harmful PM2.5 particle levels that were more than 24X the WHO鈥檚 recommended limits. 

What鈥檚 fueling the pollution? Urbanization in Vietnam has led to a rapid increase in development, which includes widespread use of concrete for highways, metro lines, and buildings.

• The creation and use of cement accounts for 8% of global carbon emissions. 


• Vietnam uses more cement per capita than any country except China, and almost 2X than the U.S.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES VACCINES Medical Schools Dust Off Old Curriculum
As vaccination rates in the U.S. fall, medical students and young physicians are getting more schooling on how to identify once-eliminated or rarely seen childhood diseases鈥攊ncluding measles, rotavirus, pertussis, and chicken pox. 

Old diseases, new tools: AI diagnostic aids and learning modules鈥攊ncluding how to identify a measles rash on different skin tones鈥攁re being called a 鈥済ame changer鈥� for medical training. 

The Quote: 鈥淲e鈥檙e having a [measles] resurgence, the highest in 25 years, and you might have not reviewed that since the first year of medical school,鈥� said Nicholas Cozzi, EMS medical director at Rush University Medical School.

MINI DIVERSION QUICK HITS Lethal heat is Europe鈥檚 new climate reality 鈥�

What therapists treating immigrants hear 鈥�

鈥楾he nurse told me I couldn鈥檛 keep my baby鈥�: how a controversial Danish 鈥榩arenting test鈥� separated a Greenlandic woman from her children 鈥�

What I Heard on a Suicide Hotline for Trans Kids 鈥�

Doctors don't get much menopause training. State lawmakers are trying to change that 鈥�

Decolonising global health: an essential conversation in medical education 鈥�

Should grant applicants judge competitors鈥� proposals? Unorthodox approach gets two real-world tests 鈥�

People are using AI to 'sit' with them while they trip on psychedelics 鈥� Issue No. 2751
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: The Loneliest Numbers: 100 Deaths an Hour; The DRC Aims to Eliminate AIDS in Children; and Using AI to Fight Ebola Misinformation July 1, 2025 Silhouette of a boy looking through the window of a colorful building in the Commonwealth of Dominica. June 13, 2019. Michael Melford/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty The Loneliest Numbers: 100 Deaths an Hour
Every year, 871,000+ people die of causes stemming from loneliness, , which named the issue as 鈥渁 defining challenge of our time.鈥�

Diagnosing loneliness: The WHO defines loneliness as the distress that comes from the lack of desired relationships, while social isolation is defined by the objective absence of social ties, .

• One in 6 people globally suffers from loneliness. Social isolation is estimated to affect up to 1 in 3 older adults, and 1 in 4 adolescents.

Health impacts: Loneliness is linked to chronic illness, depression, anxiety, and cognitive decline. 

Especially vulnerable: People in low- and middle-income countries, who report loneliness at 2X the rate in high-income countries; and young people, as ~20.9% of adolescents reported loneliness compared with 11.8% of those aged 60+, . 

• The loneliest group: Teenage girls, with 24.3% reporting the condition. 

Multiple factors contribute to a culture of loneliness, including low income and education, poor health, lack of community infrastructure, and use of digital technologies.

Roadmap for action: The WHO is urging countries to make loneliness a priority in research, including policy in areas like digital reform and community spaces, and public interventions like Sweden鈥檚 鈧�30 million loneliness initiative.

Related: The cost of loneliness can be death. Here鈥檚 how to find good friends 鈥� DATA POINT

14 million+
鈥斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺��
Preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues. 鈥� The Latest One-Liners   Civilian deaths and rights violations in Ukraine are increasing鈥攚ith a 37% increase in civilian casualties from December 2024 through May 2025 over the same period a year earlier, , fueled by a sharp rise in drone attacks. 

Suriname became the first country in the Amazon region to earn WHO malaria-free certification yesterday; strategies including universal access to diagnosis and treatment, an extensive community health worker network, and nationwide screening helped reach even high-risk mobile populations in remote mining areas.

Mpox can infect the brain and damage brain cells, , which found that as the virus spreads between neuronic cells it creates bead-like thickenings seen in neurodegenerative diseases.

Aging-related inflammation appears to be linked to industrialized lifestyles, and varies significantly across global populations, , which found that  among Indigenous populations, inflammation increased with infections鈥攂ut not with age. U.S. and Global Health Policy News The Impact of NIH Cuts Ripples Beyond U.S. Borders 鈥�
Why it鈥檚 so easy for the US to cut children鈥檚 access to healthcare: 鈥楾here鈥檚 no right to these programs鈥� 鈥�

EPA employees put names to 鈥榙eclaration of dissent鈥� over agency moves under Trump 鈥�  

How to Wreck the Nation鈥檚 Health, by the Numbers 鈥�

From Atlanta to C么te D'Ivoire: How the CDC Protects Americans Overseas 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS The DRC Aims to Eliminate AIDS in Children
The Democratic Republic of the Congo has launched a new national initiative to eliminate AIDS among children by 2030鈥攁 move the UNAIDS director for the DRC called a 鈥渁 breath of fresh air鈥� amid widespread cuts to global HIV services. 

Background: Despite significant gains in the country鈥檚 response to adult HIV, children still have 鈥渆xtremely limited鈥� access to HIV prevention and treatment services.

• Just 44% of DRC children living with HIV in the country currently receive lifesaving treatment. 


• And every year, thousands of Congolese children are born infected鈥攁s a lack of prenatal screening means opportunities are missed to prevent mother-to-child transmission. 

Details: The $18 million effort will include improving prevention, early detection, and treatment of HIV for children, adolescents, and pregnant women. 



Related: In a World with HIV Treatment, Why Are Teenagers Still Dying of AIDS? 鈥嬧�嬧�� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TECH & INNOVATION Using AI to Fight Ebola Misinformation
Scientists in Uganda have used AI to generate transcripts based on thousands of hours of radio broadcasts for a study to learn what the nation鈥檚 communities are hearing about Ebola outbreaks. 

• , meaning 36.5 million people are offline. 


• ~55% of the population relies on the radio for information. 

Analyzing what the public is hearing, scientists say, is the first step to countering misinformation, tailoring public health messaging, and shaping policy.

The study found that the radio conversations during Uganda's Ebola outbreak in 2022 were largely dominated by government officials and media personalities. The lack of input from scientists led many Ugandans to believe the outbreak was tied to political and financial interests and that it was fabricated.

CAREER DEVELOPMENT QUICK HITS Israeli bombing exposes critical shortages in Iran鈥檚 healthcare system 鈥�

From coop to cave: Inside the high-tech hunt for H5N1 and Disease X 鈥�

Infertility experts warn against 鈥榬estorative reproductive medicine,鈥� promoted by new Arkansas law 鈥�

A Texas boy needed protection from measles. The vaccine cost $1,400 鈥�

Maternal flu vaccine protects newborns, vaccination in kids also effective, studies show 鈥�

Study Links Health Center Closures to Higher County Mortality Rates 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe! 

New AI tool raises concerns over industry's ability to sow doubt on pollution research 鈥�

Obesity drugs made in China could power next wave of treatments 鈥�

Candy colors, THC inside: How cannabis edibles are tricking teen brains 鈥� Issue No. 2750
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: The Human Cost of Aid Cuts Comes Into Focus; Ensnared in Cambodia鈥檚 Scam Centers; and Captagon鈥檚 Continued Grip in Syria June 30, 2025 Baboia Sijen, 20, feeds Motakil Anas, 2, an RUTF packet at the Almanar feeding center in Mayo Mandala outside Omdurman, Sudan. May 25. Carolyn Van Houten/The Washington Post via Getty The Human Cost of Aid Cuts Comes Into Focus
Six months since U.S. officials slashed USAID funding for global aid and development, the toll is becoming evident on intimate and international scales. 

Malnourished families increasingly have nowhere to turn in places that depended heavily on U.S. aid like Sudan and Nepal. Studies project cuts could lead to 163,500 additional child deaths annually, . 

In Nepal, the sudden halt of food shipments has already led to deaths and threatens to undo years of work addressing childhood wasting and stunting.

In war-torn Sudan, the cuts have triggered a cascade of preventable deaths from bacterial infections, cholera, and starvation as soup kitchens close and clinics鈥� stockrooms grow bare, . 

• One Sudanese mother described trying to soothe her starving children: 鈥淪ometimes I boiled water on the fire and told them I am cooking and just to wait.鈥�


• Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of doses of lifesaving peanut paste supplements paid for by the U.S. government are sitting in warehouses.

The future of the Sustainable Development Goals hangs in the balance as global leaders convene in Seville today for the UN鈥檚 once-in-a-decade International Conference on Financing for Development, 鈥攚ith talks that may reconfigure how countries finance efforts to combat hunger, poverty, and health disparities.

• With aid shrinking and debt burdens rising, achieving the 17 SDGs by 2030 is increasingly unlikely, . 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DATA POINT

11.8 million
鈥斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺��
People in the U.S. estimated to lose health coverage by 2034 under the Senate version of the Trump administration鈥檚 budget bill, currently under debate. 鈥� The Latest One-Liners   A WHO-appointed expert panel鈥檚 , released Friday, failed to reach a conclusive answer; while most scientific data supports a zoonotic spillover, the panel said, it could not rule out a lab leak because China has withheld data needed to fully evaluate all hypotheses. 
 
A measles outbreak has been reported in a New Mexico jail, after five detainees tested positive for the virus; the state has now reported 86 cases in eight counties.

U.S. Black and Hispanic patients seeking medical care for issues stemming from opioid use are 鈥渟ignificantly less likely鈥� to receive buprenorphine or naltrexone, that suggests that while access to such medications has improved overall, racial disparities in treatment persist.

France鈥檚 smoking ban in public places such as parks, beaches, and bus shelters took effect yesterday; the new ban aims to protect children from passive smoking. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Vaccine, public health advocates warn of fallout from ACIP meeting 鈥�

Kennedy v. Braidwood: The Supreme Court Upheld ACA Preventive Services but That鈥檚 Not the End of the Story 鈥�

SCOTUS delivers gut punch to Planned Parenthood 鈥�

Arrests of scientists over smuggled samples add to US border anxiety 鈥�

'Where's our money?' CDC grant funding is moving so slowly layoffs are happening 鈥�

States Fear Critical Funding From FEMA May Be Drying Up 鈥�

At some federal beaches, the lifeguard chair is empty 鈥�   HUMAN RIGHTS Ensnared in Cambodia鈥檚 Scam Centers 
Across Cambodia, thousands of people are trapped in 鈥渉ellish鈥� jail-like compounds, forced to facilitate online scams for crime syndicates, while the Cambodian government is 鈥渄eliberately ignoring鈥� human trafficking, torture, and other abuses, . 

Background: Scam centers have proliferated across Southeast Asia in the last five years. Those running the schemes are often people lured through false job advertisements, then forced to work under threat of violence. 

Details: 

• In Cambodia alone, ~100,000 people鈥攊ncluding children鈥攈ave been trafficked into scam compounds. The report identified at least 53 scam centers.


• In some cases, there has been 鈥渃oordination and possibly collusion鈥� between Chinese compound bosses and Cambodian authorities.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DRUG TRAFFICKING Captagon鈥檚 Continued Grip in Syria 
After the fall of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria, transitional leaders vowed to dismantle the government鈥檚 longstanding involvement in the production and trafficking of Captagon鈥攁n illicit synthetic drug similar to methamphetamine that reportedly generated billions for the Assad regime. 

Despite the crackdown, the country remains a hub for Captagon production and distribution as traffickers shift tactics, .

The Quote: 鈥淭hese groups have been managing Captagon for a long time, and production is not going to stop in a matter of days or weeks,鈥� said UNODC鈥檚 research and analysis chief, Angela Me. 

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Inside one of Gaza's last functioning hospitals: How staff in Nasser Hospital are fighting to keep people alive 鈥�

Too scared to go to hospital: the pregnant women in Dominican Republic dying because of deportation fears 鈥�

People whose lives were permanently altered by disease send a warning as vaccine opposition grows 鈥�

Amid alarm over a US 鈥榓utism registry鈥�, people are using these tactics to avoid disability surveillance 鈥�

The World Is Producing More Food than Ever鈥攂ut Not for Long 鈥�

Texas is getting older, and its child population is growing 鈥�

Click, speak, move: These brain implants are poised to help people with disabilities 鈥�

The Whimsy and Practicality of 鈥楽uperAdobe鈥� 鈥� Issue No. 2749
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: The 鈥楾ragedy鈥� of Faulty Chemotherapy Drugs; City Smarts Challenge Big Tobacco鈥檚 Sales Pitch; and The Italian Tow Job June 26, 2025 Illustrator: Anuj Shrestha, Courtesy of TBIJ The 鈥楾ragedy鈥� of Faulty Chemotherapy Drugs
A wide range of generic cancer drugs used in 100+ countries have failed quality tests, making them ineffective or dangerous, a .

Findings: , showing too little or too much active ingredient. Some pills from the same pack had inconsistent potency.

Global reach: Substandard drugs were found in both poor and rich nations, including Ethiopia, Nepal, Malawi, the U.S., the U.K., and Saudi Arabia. 

• Most failed drugs came from Indian manufacturers. 

Regulatory holes: The findings show how weak oversight within importing countries and flawed WHO certification systems have been exploited by manufacturers cutting corners. 

Patient harm: Doctors described seeing patients experience sudden treatment failures or severe side effects after starting drug regimens. 

• 鈥淲hen [cancer patients] end up with a medicine that won鈥檛 cure them, that鈥檚 another tragedy,鈥� said a cancer pharmacist in Ethiopia. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The NIH has paused cancellations of medical research grants, per a memo issued to agency staff members; the move comes after two court rulings that came down against the Trump administration鈥檚 widespread cuts to research grants.

Avoidable sepsis deaths are occuring in UK NHS facilities because doctors and nurses are too slow to spot the signs, warns the watchdog Health Services Safety Investigations Body.  

ADHD medication can reduce risks of injuries, traffic crashes, and crime, finds a study that tracked ~250,000 Swedish people for 14 years; however, its protective effects have diminished over time as prescription rates have risen and patient populations have shifted.

Latino neighborhoods across California experience ~23 more extreme-heat days per year than non-Latino white neighborhoods, from UCLA researchers that highlights 鈥渟ignificant鈥� environmental health disparities across 23 counties. GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY An image from Rio de Janeiro's new social media campaign. Image courtesy of Vital Strategies. City Smarts Challenge Big Tobacco鈥檚 Sales Pitch
A recent features a fashionable young woman applying makeup and impersonating a talking e-cigarette: 鈥淚 have so many looks! I use perfume!鈥� Smiling and playful at first, her expression suddenly turns sinister as she tells her Gen Z peers that they have been horribly fooled by e-cigarettes鈥� fun flavors, scents, and designs.

It鈥檚 an example of how cities like Rio de Janeiro and New York City鈥攎embers of the 鈥攁re fighting back against Big Tobacco. Traditional regulation and enforcement combined with targeted communication strategies鈥攆eaturing the voices of industry targets, like teens and young adults鈥攈as proven to be the best way to push back, Michelle Morse, the acting health commissioner and chief medical officer of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, and Daniel Soranz, the secretary of health for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, .

City strength: City governments have long been at the forefront of efforts to stem tobacco鈥檚 devastating health impacts, drawing on knowledge of their communities鈥� unique vulnerabilities and opportunities to strengthen protective factors, Morse and Soranz write.

鈥淭he tobacco industry鈥檚 tricks are constantly evolving; so too must our cities鈥� tactics,鈥� write Morse and Solanz, who share strategies to create targeted messaging that puts those most affected front and center and encourage other cities around the world to join their fight against Big Tobacco. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES VACCINES A Pivotal Moment for the Global Immunization Effort
It has been 50+ years since the WHO launched its global immunization program鈥攁n effort that has reached 4.4 billion people and saved 154 million lives, . 

But the program is at a critical juncture: Since 2010, progress has stalled or reversed in many countries. And funding cuts, misinformation, and conflict continue to threaten gains, . 

• "The world is going to have to pick a trajectory. Are we going to turn our backs on one of the most remarkable public health achievements that the world has ever seen?" said Jonathan Mosser, one of the study authors. 

Key gaps: More than half of the world鈥檚 15.7 million unvaccinated children live in just eight countries: Brazil, the DRC, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Somalia, and Sudan, . 

Cut funding for Gavi: HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. has said the U.S. will halt all contributions to the international vaccine alliance, Gavi, accusing it of not following scientific data鈥攁 criticism Gavi rejected, . 

• The U.K. will also cut its Gavi funding by 40% as it also reduces its aid budgets.

Revisiting norms: Meanwhile, Kennedy's newly appointed vaccine advisory board will review established vaccinations that are a standard part of the federal childhood vaccination schedule, including measles and Hepatitis B, . 

Related:

4 in 5 Americans support childhood vaccine requirements, poll finds 鈥�

Trump鈥檚 CDC pick treads carefully in Senate debut 鈥� ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION The Italian Tow Job 
When a hotel staffer first spotted a Mercedes-Benz A-Class sedan ker-thunking down Rome鈥檚 Spanish Steps around 4 a.m. last week, he thought a movie was being filmed.

鈥淭hen I realized, no, it was not like that,鈥� said the worker, Sowad Mujibulla, who filmed the incident, . 

It was not. The driver, an 80-year-old Roman resident who tested negative for drugs or alcohol, told police he had somehow taken a wrong turn in the predawn darkness. The fire department later used a crane to lift the car off the famed 18th century stairway.

The steps have endured their share of : In 2022, a man was charged with 鈥渁ggravated damage to cultural heritage鈥� after driving a rented Maserati down the 135 steps; and that same year, two American tourists were fined after damaging the travertine steps with their electric scooters, .

But joyriding isn鈥檛 always to blame: Errant drivers worldwide have increasingly found themselves wedged between buildings and marooned mid-staircase after placing too much trust in GPS, .  QUICK HITS Can Kenyan youth protests spark real police reform one year on? 鈥�

New Report Highlights U.S. 2023 Gun Deaths: Suicide by Firearm at Record Levels for Third Straight Year 鈥�

Saia Ma鈥檜 Piukala: From inequity to action: Eliminating cervical cancer in the Western Pacific 鈥�

'They're not breathing': Inside the chaos of ICE detention center 911 calls 鈥�

He sued for marriage equality and won. 10 years later, he fears for LGBTQ+ rights 鈥� 

Indonesia to be vaccine self-sufficient by 2037, says health minister 鈥�  

Rising Temperatures, Rising Inequalities: How a New Insurance Protects India鈥檚 Poorest Women 鈥�

Congress Is Pushing for a Medicaid Work Requirement. Here鈥檚 What Happened When Georgia Tried It. 鈥�

Brace Yourself for Watery Mayo and Spiky Ice Cream 鈥� Issue No. 2748
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: 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 .  

• The doctors鈥� group blamed the army for the strike and said RSF fighters were stationed inside the hospital. 

The attack is just the latest in a series of devastating blows to Sudan鈥檚 fragile health networks, 鈥攊ncluding an attack on a hospital in January that killed 70 in El Fasher, and an attack on an aid convoy a few weeks ago that killed five. 

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.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   1.3 million Haitians have been displaced by ongoing violence, and human rights abuses continue to rise despite efforts of the UN鈥檚 Multinational Security Support mission, which has been beset by personnel, funding, and equipment shortfalls.

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.

A world at risk: The loss of these and other programs threatens global and U.S. national security by creating vulnerabilities to both familiar pathogens and novel outbreaks.



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.

Legal battle, global spotlight: In 2016, residents sued the municipally owned water company for failing to protect them in a case watched by environmental law experts worldwide. In 2022, Sweden鈥檚 supreme court ruled that PFAS blood contamination is a compensable personal injury.

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 .

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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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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.

• 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� .

Must-read (gift link): New York Times writer Eli Saslow that forced the father and four children to spend days in the hospital.

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%.

Other vaccine news: U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy said yesterday that the next meeting of the CDC鈥檚 Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices should be postponed until it has more members with greater experience in microbiology, epidemiology, and immunology, .

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. 

Gaps: 

• 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. 

HEALTH SYSTEMS Argentina鈥檚 鈥楾idal Wave鈥� of Health Cuts
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.

The toll: 60+ cancer patients have reportedly died due to cessation of treatment, and 1,500+ still await medications, per a lawsuit filed by patient advocacy groups.

 

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:

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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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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. 

• 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, . 

Health systems under strain: Meanwhile, health workers in Tehran say facilities have been overwhelmed with civilian injuries and that medical shortages have hampered response efforts, .

• And Israel evacuated a key hospital in Beersheba last week that was targeted in Iranian airstrikes, . 

Rising human toll: 430 Iranian civilians and 25 Israelis have been killed in the conflict.  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The U.S. FDA has approved lenacapavir鈥攁 twice-yearly HIV prevention shot that stopped almost all new infections in clinical trials last year; however, amid broad cuts to U.S. public health agencies and foreign aid, it鈥檚 not clear how many people will be able to access the new option.
 
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.

What now? The contract is set to expire next year, and Laos鈥� current prime minister has said the government will not renew it.

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�

Issue No. 2745
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:

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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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