涩里番

A new study finds that a high-salt diet triggers brain inflammation that drives up blood pressure.

The preventable but often deadly waterborne disease 鈥� cholera 鈥� continues to spread around the world, driven by conflict and poverty, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Friday. 

96 Global Health NOW: Global Surgery Unit Imperiled; A New World, Crises, and Opportunities Ahead of World Mosquito Day; and Out of Hibernation August 14, 2025 Volodymyr Horbachevskyi, a hospital medical director, looks into the window of an underground operating room where surgeons labor despite nearby Russian artillery fire on May 28 in Kherson, Ukraine. Ivan Antypenko/Suspilne Ukraine/JSC "UA:PBC"/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Global Surgery Unit Imperiled
A major UK-led initiative to improve and expand surgery worldwide may be shuttered by June 2026 due to projected UK government aid cuts鈥攋eopardizing critical progress in regions where lack of surgical access leads to millions of preventable deaths every year. 

Background: The Global Surgery Unit (GSU), launched in 2017, comprises 40,000 surgeons in 120 countries who conduct large-scale trials and tailor country-specific protocols to address surgical access, infection prevention, and antimicrobial resistance. 

• It has led to landmark studies like the trial, which improved infection prevention worldwide through improved sanitation, and the which advanced colorectal surgery outcomes.

The deep need for surgery: 4 million+ people die every year from conditions that could be treated by surgery; and such medical issues鈥攊ncluding obstetric problems, trauma wounds, infections, and blindness鈥攎ake up ~28% of the global disease burden.   

• 鈥淕lobal surgical care is probably the greatest world health challenge today and the one that we are currently failing to meet,鈥� said Dion Morton, GSU co-lead. 

Looming cuts: The UK鈥檚 Labour party has decided to cut its overseas aid budget by ~拢6 billion, including a 4% drop in health-related spending. 

  EDITOR'S NOTE No GHN Next Week: See You August 25!
GHN will be taking our annual summer publishing pause next week (August 18鈥�21) to rest and recharge鈥攂ut, as promised, we鈥檝e collected some suggestions of long reads and books to tide you over鈥攃ourtesy of a handful of GHN super readers. We asked, and you did not disappoint! Check them out at the end of this newsletter, just above the Quick Hits.

Thanks for reading, and we鈥檒l be back on Monday, August 25! 鈥�Dayna GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Atrocities at Myanmar鈥檚 detention facilities include 鈥渟ystematic torture鈥� and sexual assault, UN-mandated independent investigators have ; the violence at the military-run facilities has intensified nationwide, and includes beatings, electric shocks, strangulations, and gang rape.

Sudan launched a cholera vaccination campaign in Khartoum in an effort to stem a rapidly spreading outbreak; 83,000+ cholera cases and 2,100+ deaths have been reported amidst the country鈥檚 civil war and health care system collapse. 

The only COVID-19 vaccine for all children aged six months to four years may not receive reauthorization from the FDA, CDC emails reveal; the removal of the Pfizer vaccine could limit available vaccine supplies for the youngest children.

Quitting smoking is linked to 30% greater odds of recovery from other substance use disorders, that followed 2,600+ people over four years. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump Administration Scraps Research Into Health Disparities 鈥�

Trump鈥檚 efforts to defund Planned Parenthood threatens US healthcare system, study suggests 鈥�

How HIV funding cuts are undermining years of progress in Zimbabwe 鈥�

President Trump can continue to withhold billions in foreign aid, court rules 鈥嬧�嬧��

Judge tells NSF to reinstate suspended UCLA grants 鈥�

Before Trump's efforts to make kids healthier, there was Michelle Obama 鈥� GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A resting female Aedes aegypti mosquito. CDC/ Amy E. Lockwood, MS World Mosquito Day 2025: A New World, Crises, and Opportunities
Since 1897, when Ronald Ross discovered that malaria is transmitted by the 鈥渄apple-winged mosquito鈥� and not miasmatic 鈥渂ad air,鈥� efforts against the Anopheles malaria vectors have saved millions of lives鈥攁lbeit with recent gains threatened due to U.S. foreign aid cuts.
 
And now, another type of mosquito鈥�Aedes aegypti, the vector for dengue, chikungunya, yellow fever, and Zika鈥攊s rapidly expanding, eclipsing Anopheles as our greatest mosquito challenge, ahead of World Mosquito Day (August 20).
 
While malaria still packs a major punch (~263 million malaria cases and 597,000 malaria deaths in 2023, per the WHO)鈥�Aedes mosquitoes exact a heavy, and growing, toll:

• 6.5 million+ dengue cases and 7,300 global deaths in 2023


• 14 million dengue cases and 10,000 deaths in 2024

Yet, unlike malaria, Aedes-borne viruses attract little funding鈥攚ith no Global Fund, no Presidential Initiative, and very little support from private foundations.
 
Cause for optimism: Better dengue surveillance, prevention, treatment, case management, and control efforts (recently described in an Asia Dengue Voice and Action Policy Working Group paper, ).
 
A key need: An all-society, bottom-up approach to guide malaria and dengue control efforts, led by a new generation of public health field entomologists grounded in new technologies as well as ecology, biology, and community engagement.

Related:

Pacific Islands race to contain 'largest dengue fever outbreak in a decade', as disease kills 18 people 鈥�
 
WHO recommends spatial emanators for malaria vector control and prequalifies first two products 鈥�
 

Malaria control in emergencies: field manual 鈥� 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES VIOLENCE Deadly Virality    Violence and femicide, such as the 2023 murder of Nizama Hecimovic, a Bosnian woman whose death was livestreamed, are part of an increasing trend of viral brutality against women.

Weaponizing online content to intimidate or silence women has become increasingly common, especially in areas like Afghanistan, where women鈥檚 rights are restricted.

• 73% of Gen Z social media users report seeing misogynistic media online.

An algorithmic issue: Platforms like Meta have AI and human moderators capable of removing violent content. Yet this content often remains due to algorithms that prioritize engagement. 
 
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Out of Hibernation 
Summer鈥檚 end is always a rude awakening鈥攐r several rude awakenings, depending on how many times you hit snooze. 

Slightly less rude, infinitely more cute, and much too squirrely to be snoozed: The early birds (and mammals) who have taken the wake-up task into their own claws, including: 

• The Brazilian cockatiel who recently went viral for of an iPhone alarm tune, . 


• Chico the rooster, who takes the Sisyphean quest of waking a teen , .


• The who smother their sleeping person in snuggles and a baffling number of shoes, . 

While GHN will be off next week, its own faithful, furry wake-up squad (Wolfie, Anoushka, and Greta), will be back on duty August 25. SUMMER READING RECS Tips from GHN Readers
Thanks to all the GHN readers who shared these excellent suggestions!
 
Dismissed: Tackling the Biases that Undermine Our Health Care by Angela Marshall
Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything by Lydia Kang
Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond
Madame Restell: The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Old New York's Most Fabulous, Fearless, and Infamous Abortionist by Jennifer Wright
鈥擟ourtesy of Hannah Schoon, Utah, USA
 
The Education of an Idealist and A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, both by Samantha Power
鈥�Courtesy of Lorina McAdam, Auradou, France
 
Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life by John Kaag
鈥�Courtesy of Lorenn Walker, Waialu, Hawaii, USA

Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio
鈥擟ourtesy of Michael Kowolik, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
 
Escape on the Pearl: The Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad by Mary Kay Ricks
鈥擟ourtesy of Stephan Gilbert, Bowie, Maryland, USA
 
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
鈥擟ourtesy of Caitlin Lavigne, Philadelphia, USA

And, to close us out, here are a few audio books on the free app Libby, suggested by Peter Kilmarx, of Bethesda, Maryland, USA: 
 
On Call by Tony Fauci (He narrates the book with his Brooklyn accent, which is wonderful. 鈥淕o figure.鈥�)
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides
Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Happy reading, all! We'll see you on Monday, August 25. QUICK HITS Gaza Malnutrition Deaths Rise, says WHO, while Israeli Hostage Mothers Make Fresh Appeal to ICRC 鈥�

Multidrug-resistant bacteria amid health-system collapse in Gaza 鈥�

Mines, Memory, and Migration on Bosnia鈥檚 Perilous Border 鈥�

Unsafe and substandard. Is that what public healthcare in SA looks like? 鈥�

Racial bias in clinician assessment of patient credibility: Evidence from electronic health records 鈥�

In Nigeria, Male Victims of Abuse Face Stigma and Silence 鈥�

How to thrive as a Latin American researcher abroad 鈥� Issue No. 2775
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: Renewed Outrage Over FGM in The Gambia; Burma鈥檚 Junta Restricts ART Access; and South Sudan鈥檚 Fragile Psychological Care System August 13, 2025 Protesters hold placards outside the National Assembly in Banjul, Gambia, while lawmakers inside debated a bill seeking to lift the ban on FGM. March 18, 2024. Muhamadou Bittaye/AFP via Getty Renewed Outrage Over FGM in The Gambia
A 1-month-old girl in Gambia died from severe bleeding after undergoing female genital mutilation (FGM), sparking national and international outrage about the practice, . 

Details: The baby girl was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital in Banjul after being 鈥渁llegedly subjected to circumcision,鈥� . Two women have been arrested in connection with the case.

Background: FGM鈥攖he cultural practice of deliberately removing external female genitalia to preserve so-called 鈥減urity鈥濃�攈as been banned in Gambia since 2015, but enforcement remains weak. 

• FGM rates in Gambia are among the highest in the world, with 73% of Gambian women and girls having undergone the practice鈥攎any before age 6, .

Progress threatened: And leaders in the country have continued efforts to overturn the ban over the past year, sparking condemnation from activists: 

• 鈥淐ulture is no excuse, tradition is no shield, this is violence, pure and simple,鈥� said Gambian advocacy organization Women In Leadership and Liberation.

Global impact: FGM affects millions worldwide鈥攊ncluding 42 million+ girls in Eastern and Southern Africa, where rates are highest, . 

• Experts warn that more girls may die without stronger enforcement and international support鈥攂ut that support has flagged as cuts to global aid have directly hit FGM-prevention programs. 

EDITOR'S NOTE GHN鈥檚 Summer Break
We鈥檒l be taking a weeklong publishing pause next week (August 18鈥�21) to give our team a chance to rest and gear up for the start of the school year.

Tomorrow, we鈥檒l share some suggestions of long reads and books to tide you over. Have you read (or listened to) any interesting books lately? If you have a good one to share with the GHN community, we鈥檇 love to hear from you鈥�please send me your suggestions before Thursday morning! 

As always, thanks for reading. 鈥挤补测苍补 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Women and girls are disproportionately affected by near-famine conditions in several parts of Sudan, where they make up about half of the population in need, , which also found that female-headed households are 3X times more likely to be food-insecure than male-led households.

Wildfires in Greece have spread as the region endures a staggering heatwave; 152+ new fires have broken out across the country in the last 24 hours alone, prompting thousands of evacuations.

U.S. drinking rates have fallen to a record low of 54%; the shift comes as the majority of Americans say for the first time that drinking one or two drinks a day is bad for one鈥檚 health.

A parasitic worm can suppress pain signals in the human body, allowing it to invade without triggering the immune system, ; the findings about the worm, Schistosoma mansoni, and its tactics for blocking neural pathways could lead to breakthroughs in pain management. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Gavin Yamey and Chris Beyrer: The dismantling of the U.S. vaccine regulatory framework 鈥�

Ghana approves breakthrough malaria drug for babies 鈥� but research is 鈥榦n ice鈥� amid US funding cuts 鈥�

Losing protection: The United States helped beat back malaria in Guinea. Now, the disease is set to soar 鈥�

MAGA rails against "pothead" culture as Trump weighs weed reform 鈥� HIV/AIDS Burma鈥檚 Junta Restricts ART Access
The junta-run health ministry in Burma is restricting the distribution of antiretroviral therapy (ART) for people with HIV/AIDS, ending NGO involvement and further limiting treatment access amid the country鈥檚 ongoing civil war. 

Background: Previously, ART was widely distributed to Burma鈥檚 ~280,000 HIV-positive residents through NGOs. 

• The junta said the sudden clampdown is a response to resistance-led seizure of vehicles transporting ART medicine. 

Immediate impact: The new policy will severely limit access to the medication in resistance-controlled areas.

• And it will force patients to receive care only in government-controlled hospitals鈥攋eopardizing privacy and potentially leading to overcrowded facilities. 

Related: Fiji: Why a tropical paradise has the world鈥檚 fastest growing HIV epidemic 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MENTAL HEALTH South Sudan鈥檚 Fragile Psychological Care System
As renewed violence and displacement in South Sudan exacerbate mental health crises across the country, funding shortfalls are endangering the few mental health resources in place, advocates say. 

Gaps in care: 鈥淢ental health issues are a huge obstacle to the development of South Sudan,鈥� said Jacopo Rovarini, an official with Amref Health Africa鈥攚hich found that over a third of people screened showed psychological distress or mental health disorders.

• The country has one of Africa鈥檚 highest suicide rates, with internally displaced people most affected.

Few and shrinking resources: The few mental health services that exist are almost totally reliant on foreign aid鈥攁nd as more countries announce funding cuts, those services are imperiled.  

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS In Darfur, Sudan, kidnapping is now a weapon of war 鈥�

Doctors Step Up Against the Climate Health Emergency 鈥�

FDA grants priority review for new oral gonorrhea antibiotic 鈥�

I just packed Narcan for my daughter鈥檚 dorm room. Public health made it possible 鈥�

How lithium went from 7Up to treatment for mental illness 鈥� and maybe Alzheimer鈥檚 鈥�

As Trust in Public Health Craters, Idaho Charts a New Path 鈥�

How a Jamaican student invented a self-disinfecting door handle for hospitals: 鈥楧esign that fits reality鈥� 鈥�

Cleaner kitchens, healthier lives: Ghana鈥檚 cookstove revolution gains ground 鈥� Issue No. 2774
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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At least 100 children in Gaza have died from malnutrition and hunger, prompting humanitarians to underscore the need to speed up medical evacuations from the enclave while also allowing more food to enter.  

The Fogarty International Center within the National Institutes of Health has had a huge global footprint and impact, but it's on the chopping block.

96 Global Health NOW: U.S. FDA鈥檚 Slipshod Protection for Generics; Sierra Leone鈥檚 鈥楻ed Zone鈥�; and The Push for Phone-Free Schools August 12, 2025 Signage is displayed at the Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. headquarters in Mumbai, India. May 2, 2019. Kanishka Sonthalia/Bloomberg via Getty U.S. FDA鈥檚 Slipshod Protection for Generics
After eight years of warning an Indian pharmaceutical company it was grossly violating manufacturing standards, the U.S. FDA finally barred Sun Pharma from sending its drugs to the U.S. in 2022, per a .

But: The FDA exempted more than a dozen drugs, despite the risks to U.S. patients.
 
The problems:

• Basic protocols to prevent contamination of injectable drugs weren鈥檛 followed.


• Sun failed to determine whether 鈥渦nknown impurities鈥� in meds were toxic.


• Buckets collected water dripping from the ceiling in a sterile part of the factory.

Nearly 11 years after the , FDA inspectors found the same issues, despite Sun officials鈥� claims that they had fixed the problems.

FDA falls short: The agency didn鈥檛 explicitly warn U.S. patients about the risks and allowed the drugs into the U.S.

Worse still: 20+ other problematic factories received exemptions similar to Sun鈥檚, allowing them to ship 150 drugs, including antibiotics and chemotherapy treatments.

The Quote: 鈥淭he people on the other end have faith that the products they are taking are safe and effective,鈥� a senior FDA employee said. 鈥淚 think of the faces. I think of my parents. 鈥� I think of the consumers who are basically taking these drugs on blind faith.鈥�

Related: The FDA Let Substandard Factories Ship These Medications to the U.S. 鈥�  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
UK researchers discovered antibodies that appear to protect children in The Gambia against Strep A (Streptococcus pyogenes) infection, which kills 500,000 a year, mostly in LMICs; the research, , provides insights into immunity that could inform the development of a new vaccine.  

India鈥檚 top court ordered officials in Delhi to get all stray dogs off the streets and into animal shelters over rabies concerns; India, which accounts for 36% of the global rabies death toll, per the WHO, has millions of stray dogs. 

The Annals of Internal Medicine rejected a call from some readers and the U.S. health secretary RFK, Jr. to retract a  that found that aluminum salts in vaccines did not raise the risk of autism, asthma, and other disorders in children; the journal鈥檚 editor said there is no evidence of serious errors or scientific misconduct. 

An overhaul of UK road safety laws this fall could mandate eye tests for older drivers, lower the legal blood alcohol limit for drivers, and impose harsher penalties for uninsured drivers and rejecting seatbelts; last year, UK traffic incidents killed 1,633 people and seriously injured ~28,000.  U.S. and Global Health Policy News Vaccine sceptics appointed to advise Italian government on immunisation 鈥�

Canada plans a 15% budget cut. Scientists are alarmed 鈥�

Trump Orders State Department to Overlook International Human Rights Abuses 鈥�

Kennedy's Next Target: the Federal Vaccine Court 鈥�

Exclusive: NIH ponders overhauling HIV budget to capitalize on prevention breakthrough 鈥�

Trump's Foreign Aid Cuts Are Ruining Ethiopia's Progress on Maternal Mortality 鈥� MPOX Sierra Leone鈥檚 鈥楻ed Zone鈥� 
Sierra Leone has become home to the worst African outbreak of mpox, with 5,000+ cases and 47 deaths reported since the first case was reported at the end of 2024. 

• The cases have spanned all demographic groups, and included children鈥攍eading experts to fear that the virus鈥檚 reach could expand.   

Shifting strategies: The country is finally starting to curb infections since a major vaccination campaign, and after activating more beds at hospitals and treatment centers in 鈥渞ed zones鈥濃�攊solation wards where mpox patients are treated. 

• Previously, officials had encouraged infected patients to isolate at home鈥攁 strategy that failed, say health workers. 

Ongoing obstacles: Misinformation, stigma, and overcrowding remain challenges, and widespread vaccination will be critical to stemming chains of transmission, health workers say. 


Related: Neonatal mpox in Nigeria: a case of transplacental or postnatal transmission 鈥� DATA POINT

$11.44 billion
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
The annual economic burden of chronic Chagas disease in Brazil; the annual direct medical costs represent around 11% of the Ministry of Health budget. 鈥�
  ADOLESCENT HEALTH The Push for Phone-Free Schools
A fast-growing network of American parents is seeking to curb the influence of smartphones and social media on their children鈥檚 health鈥攁nd they are starting with schools.  

Bans and 鈥渂ell-to-bell鈥� policies: Much parent-led advocacy so far has focused on making schools smartphone-free environments. Once highly unpopular, such bans are quickly gaining traction:

• 74% of U.S. adults now support preventing students from using their phones during class, while 44% support all-day bans, .


• 37 states and D.C. have passed laws limiting classroom phone use, with about half passing all-day bans.

Just the beginning: 鈥淲e鈥檝e moved from arguing about whether there was a problem to arguing about what the solutions are,鈥� said Josh Golin, executive director of child advocacy organization Fairplay.



Related: Vermont just became the latest state to ban cellphones in the classroom. What does that mean for schools? 鈥� OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Public health officials face grim new reality after CDC shooting 鈥�

Influencers criticize birth control and push 'natural' methods. Here's what to know 鈥�  

Washington state malaria case prompts further study of region's mosquitoes 鈥� 

Why Young Children May Not Get Covid Shots This Fall 鈥�

Cancer Super-Survivors May Hold Keys to New Treatments 鈥�

The anti-sunscreen movement and what to know about its claims 鈥�

Americans Are All In on Cow-Based Wellness 鈥�

All Hail the Humble Speed Hump 鈥� Issue No. 2773
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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Public health conditions in Gaza are 鈥渃atastrophic鈥�, with hospitals operating far beyond capacity. Some life-saving medicines are totally out of stock, while deaths from malnutrition and disease are on the rise, the UN health agency warned on Tuesday.

96 Global Health NOW: CDC Attack Reflects Rising Hostilities; Health Tracking: Instructive or Invasive?; and Dispatches from 鈥楳olar City鈥� August 11, 2025 Law enforcement officers responding to the shooting near the CDC Global Headquarters in Atlanta. August 8. Elijah Nouvelage/Getty CDC Attack a 鈥楧ire Reflection鈥� of Rising Hostilities 
The shooting at CDC headquarters in Atlanta on Friday is being seen as an escalation of aggression against health workers鈥攁nd particularly against the CDC鈥攕ince the COVID-19 pandemic, . 

• 鈥淚t is a dire reflection of ever-escalating threats public health workers face in a climate increasingly shaped by misinformation, politicization, and inflammatory rhetoric,鈥� , in which he also criticized HHS secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for taking 18 hours to about the attack. 

Details: Investigators say the gunman blamed the COVID-19 vaccine for his mental health struggles, . 

• The attack killed a police officer on duty and damaged four buildings at the campus鈥攚here ~9,000 CDC workers are based and where labs of the highest biosecurity levels are housed. 


• Employees huddled in place for hours鈥攁s did 90 children at the daycare on campus. 

Larger pattern of violence: CDC workers the attack is unsurprising given ever-increasing vilification from the public and public officials. 

• Nearly a third of state and local public health workers reported facing workplace violence

Calls for security and support: The union that represents the CDC demanded stronger safety measures and that federal officials provide a 鈥渃lear and unequivocal stance鈥� denouncing vaccine disinformation to protect health workers and rebuild trust in science, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Dengue fatalities and cases are spiking in Bangladesh ahead of the disease鈥檚 peak season, with 101 deaths and 24,183 cases reported so far this year straining the health system; health officials are urging people to use mosquito repellents, sleep under nets, and eliminate stagnant water where mosquitoes breed.

Routine flu vaccines for children and adults were quietly endorsed by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. last month per a backdated notice on the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices鈥� , despite Kennedy鈥檚 previous calls for changes to the flu vaccine.

Women who have been stalked or who have obtained a restraining order were more likely to later experience a heart attack or stroke compared to those who did not, , which said such experiences warrant routine medical consideration alongside traditional risk factors.

Kenya has officially eliminated sleeping sickness, also known as human African trypanosomiasis, the WHO confirmed last Friday鈥攎aking Kenya the 10th country to eliminate the vector-borne disease caused by the blood parasite Trypanosoma brucei. U.S. and Global Health Policy News 'We're just over the moon!' Good news for factories that make food for malnourished kids 鈥�
Trump executive order gives politicians control over all federal grants, alarming researchers 鈥�  

Trump administration wants to defund watchdog groups for Navajo mental health 鈥�

鈥淲e Want to Save This Investment鈥�: Advocates Race to Secure Maternal Health Funding Before It Runs Out 鈥�

Top vaccine regulator returns to FDA after recent firing 鈥�

Trump has said abortion is a state issue. His judicial picks could shape it nationally for decades 鈥� DATA Federal Health Tracking System: Instructive or Invasive?  
The Trump administration announced the creation of a centralized health database late last month, saying the collaboration with Big Tech, health systems, and insurers will consolidate health records for use across various platforms and apps. 

Details: The database would be maintained through a hub with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and draw data from a range of medical records and health trackers. The goal is to launch in 2026. 

• Patients must opt in to have their records and data shared. 


• AI and apps would drive 鈥減ersonalized advice鈥� on nutrition and activity based on collected data.

Privacy concerns: Ethicists and patient advocates say such sensitive patient information may not be adequately protected and could be easily misused. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DENTAL CARE Dispatches from 鈥楳olar City鈥�
Los Algodones, Mexico, is home to ~5,500 residents鈥攁nd 1,000+ dentists. 

• Nicknamed 鈥淢olar City,鈥� the town has become known for its sprawling network of dental clinics, which draw over a million Americans seeking affordable dental care. 

Filling a gap: Over half of Americans skip dental visits each year due to poor insurance coverage and untenable prices for what are often critical procedures. 

• A root canal in Molar City can cost less than one-fifth of what it would across the border 10 minutes away, making the town 鈥減art Lourdes and part Costco鈥� for medical tourists, writes journalist Burkhard Bilger鈥攚ho details his own quest pursuing dental care there alongside other hopeful, and sometimes desperate, patients.

CORRECTION Linked-out
In our Thursday newsletter, we linked to the wrong Guardian article for this quick hit. This is the correct link: . 

We regret the error, and thank the GHN readers who pointed it out to us!  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS A word is born 鈥� and critiqued: 'healthocide' 鈥�

Saudi Arabia Reports Eleven MERS Cases, Two Fatalities 鈥�

Sharp rise in Black youth suicide rates in California alarms mental health advocates 鈥�

More women get Alzheimer's than men. It may not just be because they live longer 鈥�  

Ivermectin's Potential in the Fight Against Malaria 鈥�

Red states lead push for MAHA soda bans 鈥�

Lessons for a Warming World From Kashmir鈥檚 Cooling Caves 鈥� Issue No. 2772
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: HIV Patients 鈥榠n Darkness鈥� as Aid Cuts Take Hold; Schools as Abortion Rights Battlegrounds; and The Brawl of the Wild August 7, 2025 Mosele Mothibi, 40, an unemployed textile factory worker, sits on her bed inside her one-room flat on July 4. Maseru, Lesotho. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty HIV Patients 鈥榠n Darkness鈥� as Aid Cuts Take Hold 
In the nearly eight months since the U.S. abruptly cut global aid funding, the fallout for HIV patients throughout Africa is widening as more people drop out of treatment and go without critical testing鈥攁nd lose hope that such programs will be restored. 

In South Africa, thousands of vulnerable HIV patients are falling out of antiretroviral therapy after U.S.-funded clinics shuttered, 鈥攁 potential harbinger of rising infections and deaths to come, advocates fear. 

• Clinics serving especially high-risk groups including sex workers, people who use drugs, and trans people closed suddenly, forcing patients to shift to public clinics.


• But a Cape Town audit found only 10 of 400 tracked patients made the switch.

In Lesotho, the sudden shutdown of the country鈥檚 Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission program left at-risk pregnant women without testing or counseling, .

• Many women say they do not know their or their children鈥檚 HIV status鈥攎eaning that even if lifesaving preventative medications are available, they cannot access them.  


• 鈥淲e are in darkness,鈥� said Matebello Khoahli, an HIV-positive mother who fears for the life of her 23-month-old. 

Related: 

Elton John AIDS Foundation plugging gaps in HIV funding 鈥�

The triple whammy: HIV, migration and climate change 鈥�

ICYMI: U.S. Funding Cuts Stop Crucial HIV Research Work in Its Tracks 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
1,500+ Sudanese civilians may have been massacred in Sudan鈥檚 Zamzam refugee camp during the RSF鈥檚 attack in April, per an investigation by The Guardian that found 鈥渞epeated testimony of mass executions and large-scale abductions.鈥�

Replenishing lithium in the brain may protect against and even reverse Alzheimer鈥檚 disease, that found a specific type of lithium supplement reversed neurological changes and memory loss in mice.

Indonesia will treat wounded Gazans at a medical facility on Galang Island in an initiative to provide medical care to 2,000 people from the enclave, who are expected to return to Gaza after treatment.

The Maui and LA fires have taken an ongoing toll on residents鈥� health, per a series of studies published yesterday showing effects including lung damage, depression, suicide, overdose, and interruptions of care. DATA POINT

1.4 million
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌� 
  African women and girls denied essential care by the U.S.鈥檚 destruction of $9.7 million in contraceptives earmarked for DRC, Kenya, Mali, Tanzania, and Zambia; the supplies could have prevented ~174,000 unintended pregnancies and ~56,000 unsafe abortions, according to the International Planned Parenthood Federation. 鈥� REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH Schools as Abortion Rights Battlegrounds
A growing number of American students taking sex education classes this fall will be required to watch videos of fetuses growing in the womb鈥攁 result of new 鈥渇etal development鈥� laws passed in state legislatures nationwide. 

• Six states now require such videos to be shown in sex ed; nearly 4 million students will see them this fall. 


• 20+ states have proposed similar bills since 2023.

Background: Showing such videos in schools is a key part of anti-abortion group Live Action鈥檚 strategy to influence young people. 

• Its main tool: 鈥淢eet Baby Olivia,鈥� a 3-minute video depicting the development of a fetus in utero, which has been frequently recommended in state legislation.


• But medical experts say the video is misleading about development and is emotionally manipulative rather than educational. 

ICYMI: What Do American Kids Learn About Sex? It Depends Who You Ask. 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CORRECTION We Botched a Link
In our U.S. and Global Health Policy news section yesterday, we linked a KFF Health News article to the wrong story. Here鈥檚 the correct link: . Thanks to multiple GHN readers who alerted us to the error!  ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION The Brawl of the Wild
Home, home on the range
Where the deer and the antelope play
Where seldom is heard
A discouraging word 鈥�

鈥� unless it is one of the bone-rattling insults hurled by Adam Driver鈥檚 and Scarlett Johansson鈥檚 characters during their in the divorce drama Marriage Story.

• The Oscar-nominated actors鈥� emotionally devastating (and spat is now a tool in USDA-supervised 鈥渨olf hazing鈥濃�攁 tactic deployed in Oregon to protect livestock without culling the endangered canines. 

Drive-ing wolves away: 鈥淒rone cowhands鈥� detect wolves with thermal technology鈥攖hen terrify them with Driver hollering, 鈥淗ow dare you compare me to my father!鈥� at full blast via speakers. It鈥檚 unnervingly effective. 

• 鈥淚 need the wolves to respond and know that, hey, humans are bad,鈥� explained an Oregon-based USDA district supervisor.

Other (less therapy-inducing) options on the playlist: The sound of fireworks and AC/DC鈥檚 鈥淭hunderstruck.鈥�

QUICK HITS STDs are rampant in Mississippi. This one is now considered an epidemic. 鈥�  

With $1K in cash aid, he built a life-changing barbershop. Now cash aid is under fire 鈥嬧�嬧��

Chemical pollution a threat comparable to climate change, scientists warn 鈥�

Anah铆 Ruderman: Feeding Community When Government Aid Runs Dry 鈥�

Americans get more than half their calories from ultra-processed foods, CDC report says 鈥�

Medical students must be able to voice ethical concerns during clinical rotations 鈥�

Giant virus with record-long tail discovered in Pacific Ocean 鈥� Issue No. 2771
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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New evidence suggests mistreatment remains common in maternal and newborn care, with new research across four countries finding that 60 per cent of vaginal exams were done without consent, according to the UN World Health Organization (WHO).  

Study has implications beyond medical education, suggesting other fields could benefit from AI-enhanced training

听

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful new tool in training and education, including in the field of neurosurgery. Yet a new study suggests that AI tutoring provides better results when paired with human instruction.

Study has implications beyond medical education, suggesting other fields could benefit from AI-enhanced training

听

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful new tool in training and education, including in the field of neurosurgery. Yet a new study suggests that AI tutoring provides better results when paired with human instruction.

Study has implications beyond medical education, suggesting other fields could benefit from AI-enhanced training

听

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful new tool in training and education, including in the field of neurosurgery. Yet a new study suggests that AI tutoring provides better results when paired with human instruction.

Study has implications beyond medical education, suggesting other fields could benefit from AI-enhanced training

听

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful new tool in training and education, including in the field of neurosurgery. Yet a new study suggests that AI tutoring provides better results when paired with human instruction.

Study has implications beyond medical education, suggesting other fields could benefit from AI-enhanced training

听

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful new tool in training and education, including in the field of neurosurgery. Yet a new study suggests that AI tutoring provides better results when paired with human instruction.

Study has implications beyond medical education, suggesting other fields could benefit from AI-enhanced training

听

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful new tool in training and education, including in the field of neurosurgery. Yet a new study suggests that AI tutoring provides better results when paired with human instruction.

Study has implications beyond medical education, suggesting other fields could benefit from AI-enhanced training

听

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful new tool in training and education, including in the field of neurosurgery. Yet a new study suggests that AI tutoring provides better results when paired with human instruction.

Study has implications beyond medical education, suggesting other fields could benefit from AI-enhanced training

听

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful new tool in training and education, including in the field of neurosurgery. Yet a new study suggests that AI tutoring provides better results when paired with human instruction.

Study has implications beyond medical education, suggesting other fields could benefit from AI-enhanced training

听

Artificial intelligence (AI) is becoming a powerful new tool in training and education, including in the field of neurosurgery. Yet a new study suggests that AI tutoring provides better results when paired with human instruction.