涩里番

96 Global Health NOW: A 鈥楥ritical Phase鈥� in the Malaria Fight; and Solar Powering Maternal Survival in Nigeria April 27, 2026 TOP STORIES Algeria has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem after a decades-long effort that was accelerated in 2013 with particular focus on 12 highly affected provinces and intensive door-to-door screening and management; it is the 29th country globally to have eliminated the infection, which can cause blindness.     The first gene therapy for deafness has been approved by the FDA鈥攁 historic milestone in the treatment of hearing loss, though the treatment currently impacts only people born with a very rare form of genetic deafness; the manufacturer, Regeneron, will offer the treatment for free in the U.S.     Living in pesticide-heavy environments could heighten the risk of cancer by up to 150%鈥撯赌揺ven with chemicals considered 鈥渟afe鈥� on their own鈥� that examined the impact of complex mixtures of chemicals in real-world conditions, in contrast to previous research that has focused mostly on individual chemicals in controlled environments.  
70%+ of people globally believe at least one false or unproven health claim, like that vaccine risks outweigh benefits or that fluoride in water is harmful, 鈥攔esults that point to a potentially growing number of people questioning scientific evidence.   IN FOCUS Midwife Sarah Atim speaks to expectant mothers about malaria vaccination during an antenatal care session at a hospital in Uganda's Apac district. April 8, 2025. Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty A 鈥楥ritical Phase鈥� in the Malaria Fight    The global fight against malaria is at a pivotal juncture, as major scientific advances like vaccines, therapies, and diagnostics converge with rising threats like drug resistance and underfunded health systems鈥攁 set of opportunities and barriers 鈥渄efining a critical phase for malaria control,鈥� as is marked.     New tools, new hope: Artemether-lumefantrine, the first malaria treatment tailored for newborns and small infants, has been approved, closing a longstanding gap in care for 鈥渙ne of the most underserved patient groups,鈥� which is also the most vulnerable, .  

• Three new rapid diagnostic tests are also rolling out, designed to detect mutating parasite strains that previously slipped through standard testing. 

And new threats: There is increasing evidence that parasites are growing resistant to artemisinin鈥攖he 鈥渂ackbone鈥� of lifesaving therapies鈥�. This shift, along with insecticide-resistant mosquitoes and expanding mosquito habitats, is making it difficult to build on hard-won gains like the vaccine rollouts.     Ongoing toll of disruption: Meanwhile, malaria programs throughout Africa are still seeing the effects of the sudden USAID cuts last year, . In Zambia, for example, malaria hospitalizations are now increasing鈥攍ikely due to the lack of regular USAID-funded spraying, doctors say.  

• And even as bilateral agreements with the U.S. are formed to fund countries鈥� malaria programs, countries with high malaria burdens are struggling to regain lost traction.  

The Quote: 鈥淲e鈥檙e just running all the time, and the malaria parasite is catching up with us all the time,鈥� said Jane E. Carlton, director of the Malaria Research Institute at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.     Related:       How mosquitoes鈥攁nd malaria鈥攈elped shape the whereabouts of early humankind 鈥�    AI-powered drones slash malaria cases 鈥�   Can you stop malaria crossing borders? One nation鈥檚 bid to wipe out the disease 鈥�   Malaria rebound spurs AI-driven hunt for parasite genes linked to deadly cases 鈥� DATA POINT

379 million
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Malaria cases averted across 25 countries in sub-Saharan Africa attributable to the U.S. President鈥檚 Malaria Initiative investment from 2005 to 2024, from Imperial College London and the Malaria Atlas Project. 鈥撯赌�
  TECH & INNOVATION Solar Powering Maternal Survival in Nigeria    Electricity can be the difference between life and death for many maternity ward patients in Nigeria, where ~40% of primary health care centers lack reliable power.  

• Power interruptions lead to delayed surgeries, stalled oxygen flow, and nonworking incubators, and also hamper routine procedures that require light, like suturing.  

Lifesaving solar energy: Since Gombe State Specialist Hospital installed a solar-hybrid system in 2020, maternal deaths have dropped from 15鈥�20 per month to 1鈥�2, and neonatal deaths have fallen from 50+ per month to 20鈥�25.  

• 鈥淭here is no interruption. We can suture, we can operate, we can do everything,鈥� said Sarigamo Ibrahim, a nurse and midwife who manages the maternity unit. 

  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS South Carolina鈥檚 200-day measles outbreak is over. What it cost. 鈥�  
Measles Is Back. What Comes Next Will Be Worse. 鈥�  Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!  
What happened to Covid? 鈥�  
The Next Global Health Crisis Is Already Here: Childhood Trauma from War 鈥�  
Trump fires all 24 members of the U.S. National Science Foundation鈥檚 governing body 鈥�   

Untangling the complex relationship between HIV-exposure and tuberculosis in children: a narrative review 鈥�   
So, you got bit by a tick. Here鈥檚 exactly what to do next. 鈥�   Issue No. 2905
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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On a red running track in eastern Uganda, coach Zuena Cheptoek is doing more than training runners. For many girls in the Sebei subregion, she is also a confidante, a mentor and first line of protection against female genital mutilation, child marriage and abuse.

Scientists have developed a strategy to boost the cancer-fighting power of natural killer (NK) cells, part of the immune system鈥檚 first line of defence. NK cells can detect and destroy cancer cells, but tumours often create a protective barrier that blocks them, allowing cancer to grow.

Researchers at 涩里番鈥檚 Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, in collaboration with the Research Institute of the 涩里番 Health Centre, found that suppressing two specific proteins helps NK cells overcome this blockage, turning them into more potent cancer killers.

Over the past 50 years, vaccines have saved more than 150 million lives, as ordinary people chose to protect themselves, their children and their communities from diseases like measles, diphtheria, pertussis, polio, and rotavirus. 

A growing share of global hunger is becoming entrenched in a small group of conflict-hit countries, with two-thirds of people facing acute food insecurity concentrated in just 10 nations, a major international report backed by UN agencies warns.

96 Global Health NOW: Europe鈥檚 鈥楴arrowing Window鈥� for Climate Action; and Burkina Faso鈥檚 Psychiatric Care Deficit Plus: Your Photos May Be Bad鈥擝ut Are They Bad Enough? April 23, 2026 TOP STORIES 21 African countries are battling measles outbreaks, and 493 deaths associated with the disease have been registered, reports the Africa CDC鈥攚hich highlighted that 72% of all cases and 95% of the deaths have occurred in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  

The CDC will not publish a report showing the effectiveness of COVID-19 vaccines; sources familiar with the blocked report say it showed the vaccines reduced hospitalizations and emergency department visits 鈥宎mong 鈦爃ealthy adults by about half this past winter.     A revamped suicide and crisis hotline, 988, has been associated with an 11% drop in suicides among adolescents and young adults in U.S. compared with projected rates since the shortened number was launched in 2022, ; states with the biggest increases in answered calls also saw the largest decline in suicide rates.    A UK generational smoking ban passed this week in Parliament following a yearslong campaign; the directive means that children born after Dec. 31, 2008, will be banned from ever buying cigarettes.   IN FOCUS Locals and forest firefighters try to battle a wildfire in the village of Veiga das Meas, in northwestern Spain, on August 16, 2025. Miguel Riopa/AFP via Getty Europe鈥檚 鈥楴arrowing Window鈥� for Climate Action
Extreme heat, drought, vector-borne illnesses, and other climate-driven health risks are rapidly escalating across Europe, 鈥攚hich warns that political action and public will are not keeping pace with the need for urgent interventions, .  

• 鈥淭he health impacts of climate change are intensifying faster than our response is keeping up,鈥� said Joacim Rockl枚v, co-director of the Lancet Countdown Europe. 

Heat-related harms: Compared with the 1990s, extreme heat alerts are up 318%, and nearly all monitored European regions saw an increase in deaths attributable to heat.  

• Heat is also exacerbating sleep disruption and complications in chronic diseases and birth outcomes. 

Accelerating disease: The overall average risk of dengue outbreaks in Europe has quadrupled over the last decade, and reported cases of West Nile virus, chikungunya, and Zika virus are also rising regionwide.  

Food insecurity: Meanwhile, drought is contributing to rising food prices, which pushed over a million more people into moderate or severe food insecurity in 2023 compared to past decades. 

Lagging political response: While Europe has been a global leader in climate policy progress, the report warns that political and public engagement are stalling, and urges further actions 鈥渘eed to be accelerated鈥� including:  

• Swifter transition away from fossil fuels to other energy sources.  

• Implementing early warning systems for heat and other climate dangers into health care.  

• Targeted adaptation measures including expanded green spaces. 

Related: Heatwaves, floods and wildfires pose rising threat to democracy, report finds 鈥�  

MENTAL HEALTH Burkina Faso鈥檚 Psychiatric Care Deficit     In Burkina Faso, access to mental health care is scarce, with just 11 psychiatrists available to a population of 20 million+ people.     Strained system: Mental health services were already fragile, but recent years of conflict and insecurity in the region have led to the withdrawal of NGOs that helped provide care.  

• Meanwhile, a key nurse training program has been suspended, and the country is dealing with an exodus of medical professionals to other countries.  

Cultural dynamics: A great deal of misinformation and stigma are still attached to mental health disorders, and families often turn to spiritual healers for help instead of medical care.    Hope on the horizon? The government has announced a plan to train and employ 60 psychiatrists over the next five years.      OPPORTUNITY Take a Load Off ... Your Eyes  
Prolonged screen use is a reality of daily life for many of us.     Students at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have launched a campaign鈥擳ake 60鈥攖o encourage 60-second hourly screen breaks to help reduce digital eye strain and support better focus and overall eye health.    We hope you鈥檒l give it a try ... after scrolling down to read the Thursday Diversion!    ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Gullfoss, a waterfall on the Hv铆t谩 River, in southwest Iceland, in November 2023. This photo was taken by GHN's Morgan Coulson, who spent just 24 hours in Iceland on her way to Ireland, and couldn't find a bad shot. Your Photos May Be Bad鈥擝ut Are They Bad Enough? 
Are you generally uninterested in photography, not good at it, and regularly disappointed with your own photos? Do you have no regard for composition and take portraits from below? Of people eating? Did you 
 
There鈥檚 a prize for that鈥攁nd it comes with 鈥減ossible worldwide recognition鈥� and a trip to Iceland.
 
Icelandair is seeking the 鈥溾�� to prove that this supermodel of a country has no bad angles鈥攁 once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where 鈥渁 lack of skill makes you ideal for this task.鈥�
 
We admire Icelandair鈥檚 optimism, but suspect there鈥檚 someone out there that can still make a glacier look like a murky pond, a majestic volcano resemble an anthill, and give the Geysir a double chin. And we hope it鈥檚 us.
 

 
Thanks for the tip, Lindsay Smith Rogers!  QUICK HITS Why these treatments for one of the deadliest cancers are stirring such hope 鈥�      Residents in rural Sudan say the Iran war has made it harder to get medicines 鈥�     Pace of N.I.H. Funding Slows Further in Trump鈥檚 Second Year 鈥�     In hearings, RFK Jr claims no responsibility for measles spread 鈥�     Two common drugs may reverse fatty liver disease, study finds 鈥�      Britain鈥檚 拢8bn bet on the developing world 鈥�   Issue No. 2903
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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Despite significant funding cuts, the World Health Organization (WHO) was able to support significant national health gains for hundreds of millions of people in 2025, according to its annual Results Report released on Thursday.

96 Global Health NOW: The Civilian Impact of War in Iran; and A Disease-Busting House Design April 22, 2026 TOP STORIES Human rights violations are on the rise internationally at the hands of both states and non-state actors who largely face no accountability, ; despite the grim findings, the report praises the 鈥渕asterful work鈥� of diplomats and activists seeking to strengthen civil rights and liberties.     Nearly half of U.S. children breathe dangerous levels of air pollution, , which also warned that the Trump administration鈥檚 sweeping rollback of protections will worsen the outlook.      A major mRNA vaccine trial will launch soon in Britain as the country seeks to prepare for a potential bird flu pandemic; the trial, led by Moderna and the U.K. Health Security Agency, will recruit 3,000 participants to test the human vaccine鈥檚 effectiveness.      WHO-recommended antibiotics for neonatal sepsis are largely ineffective in low-resource nations, of antibiotic resistance, which found that antibiotics like ampicillin and gentamicin were active against only 25% of cases in which they were used and had 鈥渓imited coverage against locally prevalent, highly resistant pathogens.鈥�   IN FOCUS A woman looks out over Resalat Square, where photos of civilians killed in recent U.S.-Israeli strikes are displayed. Tehran, Iran, April 20, Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty The Civilian Impact of War in Iran   The war in Iran is taking a deepening toll on civilian life as widespread damage to the country鈥檚 already-fragile natural resources, infrastructure, and health systems is 鈥減ushing one of the world鈥檚 most environmentally vulnerable regions toward catastrophe,鈥� (CAP).     So far, 1,700+ civilians鈥攊ncluding at least 254 children鈥攈ave been killed, .  

• But the true toll is difficult to gauge due to restricted reporting, damage to hospitals, and widespread communications blackouts.  

Health systems hollowed out: Even before the war, Iran鈥檚 health care system was weakened by sanctions and violence from recent unrest. As of April 3, ~300 medical facilities had been damaged, further hampering care, per CAP.     Environmental emergency: Already strained by years of drought and climate impacts, the region now faces 鈥渃ompounding harms鈥� from strikes on oil facilities and industrial sites鈥攍eading to long-term ecological risks from air, water, and soilcontamination.     Water scarcity, 鈥渇ood catastrophe鈥�: Attacks on water infrastructure threaten access to drinking water across the region. Meanwhile, analysts say the conflict鈥檚 impact on global food prices could lead to 鈥渃atastrophe,鈥� as shipping disruptions lead to shortages in oil and fertilizer needed for agricultural production, .  

• Such impacts will be most deeply felt by low-income countries in Africa and Asia.  

Call for humanitarian intervention: The report calls for urgent aid, but also long-term remediation centered on environmental harm鈥攊ncluding surveillance for chronic disease, soil recovery, and investments in more resilient water systems. 

Related:  Geopolitics and Humanitarian Health in Iran, Cuba, and Ukraine 鈥�  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ARCHITECTURE A Disease-Busting House Design
Well-designed 鈥淪tar Homes鈥濃�攚hich promote airflow, block insects, and feature outdoor latrines and rainwater collection systems鈥攃an reduce child mortality, demonstrates a randomized controlled trial in southern Tanzania, .    Per the research, led by Lorenz von Seidlein of the Mahidol-Oxford Tropical Medicine Research Unit: 

• Children under 13 living in Star Homes were 44% less likely than those in the control group to suffer from malaria.

• Cases of diarrhea and respiratory infections were down by 30% and 18%, respectively.  

Drawbacks: The biggest barrier to broader application? The $8,800 price tag. But Seidlein says the goal wasn鈥檛 to prove that millions of Star Homes should be built. 

• The study showed that 鈥渋f you use better principles in building, you can probably achieve a massive effect,鈥� he said. 

  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS 鈥業t鈥檚 a powder keg鈥�: Romania leads EU measles cases as vaccination rates collapse 鈥�      As measles takes toll on kids, anti-vaxxers in US have change of heart 鈥�      Pentagon ends mandatory flu vaccines for service members 鈥�     鈥楾he next opioid epidemic鈥�: Gambling legalization outpaces public health response to addiction 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!    Priya Pal: If pregnancy centers get public money, they should meet   medical standards 鈥�      French activists sue 'deceptive' laughing gas suppliers 鈥�     A specialized tour at the Berlin Zoo brings joy to people living with dementia 鈥�   Issue No. 2903
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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More than 840,000 people die each year from health conditions linked to risks such as long working hours, job insecurity, workplace harassment and bullying, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). 

Extreme heat is pushing global food and farming systems to the brink, threatening the livelihoods of over a billion people as rising temperatures and more frequent heatwaves redefine how food is produced worldwide, a new UN report warns.

Projects focusing on MedTech and genomics cut across disciplines while mobilizing expertise at 涩里番 and other Quebec institutions to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow 聽

96 Global Health NOW: The Questions Surrounding Zambia鈥檚 Future HIV Fight; and Omaha鈥檚 Lag in Lead Testing April 21, 2026 TOP STORIES RSV vaccination of pregnant women lowered the risk of hospitalization of their infant children by 81%, per a study of 289,000+ babies born in England; the findings were shared at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases on April 18.         Blue monkeys, a crowned eagle, a Nile monitor lizard, a leopard, and six other species were caught on video eating Egyptian fruit bats鈥攚hich carry the Marburg virus; the video from a cave in Uganda demonstrates how intermediate animals could acquire and spread the fatal virus.       The Lancet is convening its first-ever commission focused on global skin health; the experts will set goals for reducing skin diseases, improving skin health, and training health workers.       President Trump directed $50 million on April 18 to increase availability of psychedelic drugs like psilocybin and ibogaine for mental health treatment and ordered the FDA to speed their review.    IN FOCUS A man learns AIDS prevention know-how during an event marking World AIDS Day in Lusaka, Zambia, on December 1, 2022. Peng Lijun/Xinhua via Getty The Questions Surrounding Zambia鈥檚 Future HIV Fight
As Zambia has achieved dramatic HIV gains through PEPFAR-supported efforts, its Southern Province has spearheaded efforts to become less dependent on NGOs, . 

• Since 2019, PEPFAR funds have been channeled directly to the provincial government, instead of being routed through NGOs.  

• These 鈥渃ooperative agreements鈥� allowed the public sector to gradually take ownership of the HIV response.  

The U.S. now points to this approach as a model for direct-to-government aid funding, and moving away from NGOs.    But this transition can鈥檛 be rushed, Zambian health leaders argue: The shift has been a long process that involved data-driven oversight and services integrated with NGO support.  

• 鈥淚f you speed up change, chances are that you may actually end up with an outcome that you didn鈥檛 desire,鈥� said Callistus Kaayunga, the health director of Southern Province.  

Meanwhile, Zambia is hesitating to agree to the new U.S. funding model, in which the U.S. is making aid contingent on access to Zambia鈥檚 mineral resources, .  

• The country reportedly has until May to decide whether to sign a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. or lose funding.  

Related: She used to run U.S. AIDS relief 鈥� now, foreign aid has changed 鈥�   DATA POINT

90%
鈥斺赌斺赌�
HPV vaccine uptake in girls in three European nations: Iceland, Norway, and Portugal, ; all EU countries now recommend HPV vaccination for both adolescent girls and boys, and report a decreased incidence of cervical cancer among vaccinated women since 2020. 鈥�  ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Omaha鈥檚 Lag in Lead Testing    The largest residential lead cleanup site in the U.S. is a 27-square-mile Superfund area in Omaha, Nebraska鈥攁 state that does not require lead testing during childhood. Instead, it is up to the doctor or a health system to test on a case-by-case basis.     The result: Currently, <50% of kids under age 7 who live in the area near the cleanup site are tested for lead, public health officials say. 
Elsewhere: 13 states have passed laws requiring all children to receive lead testing.    What鈥檚 next? The Douglas County Health Department plans to propose an ordinance requiring health workers to test all kids up to age 7 who live in the affected area.     Lasting stakes: If high blood lead levels go undetected, the federal government may not remediate tens of thousands of properties in Omaha.     GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS The real 鈥榥anny tax鈥�? Not being able to breastfeed your own baby 鈥�     After Decades of Quiet Rumbling, an Epidemic Is Erupting Among California Stoneworkers 鈥�     Where U.S. science has been hit hardest after Trump鈥檚 first year 鈥�     Microplastics: Brain Study Confirms Health Risks, Challenges Kennedy鈥檚 Claims 鈥�     Democrats Demand Trump Administration Halt Plan To Collect Federal Workers鈥� Health Data 鈥�     There's new evidence for how loneliness affects memory in old age 鈥�     鈥極scar of science鈥� awarded to team behind gene therapy that restores lost vision 鈥�   Issue No. 2902
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: Pakistan鈥檚 Infection Control Crisis; and The Hyperlocal Strategy to Curb Smoking April 20, 2026 TOP STORIES 9 out of 10 women in Liberia reported taking antibiotics monthly, per a survey of 109 women; many women said they used the antibiotics鈥攚hich are available without prescription鈥攖o 鈥渃leanse鈥� themselves after their menstrual cycle, a trend that has grown via widespread misinformation.     HIV testing in Russia should be expanded to one-third of the population each year in order to curb rapid rising infections, the nation鈥檚 health minister Mikhail Murashko said; the recommendation comes as Russia faces one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in Europe at 890 cases per 100,000 people.     A chikungunya therapy using monoclonal antibody technology has shown promise as both a treatment for the disease and as preexposure prophylaxis, say researchers who performed a first-in-human randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study presented at the ESCMID Global Congress.     Cerebral malaria and severe malarial anemia are tied to long-term cognitive impairment in children under 5, found a new prospective cohort study of 600 Ugandan children evaluated for overall cognitive ability, attention, and associative memory a year after hospitalization for severe malaria and then followed for another four to 15 years. IN FOCUS A Pakistani woman holds her HIV-positive child at a house at Wasayo village, in Rato Dero, in the southern Sindh province, on May 8, 2019. Rizwan Tabassum / Getty Pakistan鈥檚 Infection Control Crisis    At least nine people, including five newborns, have died in an mpox outbreak in Sindh province, Pakistan, as a burgeoning outbreak of the virus there tests a health system already failing to meet basic infection control standards, .     Mpox eruption: So far this year, health officials in the province have reported 122 suspected mpox cases. Until now, only sporadic, travel-related infections had been reported.  

• The deaths of infants in neonatal units have raised alarms about possible hospital-acquired transmission. 

Systemic lapses in safety: Health officials in Pakistan say health facilities across the country are failing to meet basic safety and hygiene standards, leading to further spread of HIV, typhoid, and other diseases, . 

• Health officials reported that HIV spiked 200% over the last decade, from 16,000 cases in 2010 to 48,000 by 2020.  

• 39% of HIV infections are now found in traditionally low-risk populations, including women and children, . 

鈥淚njection culture鈥�: Much of the HIV outbreak is being driven by unsafe medical practices, including syringe reuse by health care providers and unregulated clinics. Pakistan has one of the highest rates of therapeutic injections, with people receiving 8鈥�14 injections annually.    Related: San Francisco Reports Its First Clade I Mpox Case 鈥� What to Know and How to Find a Vaccine. 鈥�   THE QUOTE
  last Friday 鈥渟how us ... the deliberate unraveling of the elements of H.I.V. prevention and treatment service delivery that are essential to actually finish the job and defeat this pandemic,鈥� says Asia Russell, executive director of Health GAP.   鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺�斺�� New PEPFAR Data Show Worrying Declines in Testing and Treatment for H.I.V. 鈥�
  TOBACCO The Hyperlocal Strategy to Curb Smoking     Taking on Big Tobacco may seem like an uphill battle. But in Massachusetts, small-town health advocates are up for the challenge.     Grassroots push: Generational bans on tobacco sales鈥攚hich make it illegal for anyone born after a certain date to ever buy tobacco鈥攁re gaining traction in the state via local health ordinances that are harder for industry lobbyists to target.  

• In 2020, the city of Brookline passed such a ban, and similar ordinances have now spread to 21 towns, impacting 600,000+ residents.  

Massachusetts towns have a long history of pioneering anti-tobacco efforts: Brookline was among the first U.S. jurisdictions to ban smoking indoors, and Needham was the first U.S. town to raise the tobacco-buying age to 21.     Current target: Passing a statewide ban. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a long game,鈥� said longtime anti-tobacco advocate Maureen Buzby.       GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES Related: What Will Bring the Next Generation of Global Health Students Hope? 鈥� QUICK HITS Myanmar military regime widens sanitary towel ban, claiming rebels use them for first aid 鈥�     Humans may already have some immunity to H5N1 bird flu, study suggests 鈥�      Trump's new pick for CDC leader may face 鈥渢hreat to follow ideology over evidence,鈥� former surgeon general warns 鈥�  
RFK Jr. defends his health agenda and Trump鈥檚 proposed budget cuts in hearing 鈥�  
Politicians are using low teen birth rates to further restrict access to birth control, abortion 鈥�     Younger adult colon cancer deaths are concentrated in people with less education, study says 鈥�     The Great Ozempic Experiment 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!    KitKat, Gatorade or granola bars? What鈥檚 banned under new SNAP rules is mixed. 鈥�   Issue No. 2901
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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New data shows that nearly three in four countries in Europe now use Artificial Intelligence in their health services to make a diagnosis.

96 Global Health NOW Special Edition: Takeaways from CUGH In this special issue, we鈥檙e sharing some CUGH takeways that inspired us鈥攊ncluding this year鈥檚 Untold Global Health Stories Contest winners! April 17, 2026 SPECIAL ISSUE: CUGH 2026 TAKEAWAYS Panelists at the closing plenary of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health. Washington, D.C., April 12. Robb Cohen Photography & Video EDITORS鈥� NOTE A Memorable, and Inspiring, CUGH 
A big thank you to the Consortium of Universities for Global Health for an excellent conference last weekend in Washington, D.C. With this special edition of GHN, we鈥檙e sharing some of the takeways that inspired us鈥攊ncluding this year鈥檚 Untold Global Health Stories Contest winners! We鈥檒l be sharing interviews with our two grand prize winners soon, so keep an eye out for that.
 
We also want to thank all of the new readers who signed up at CUGH鈥攍et us know what you think, and if you find GHN useful, please share with your friends and colleagues. We always love to expand our circle.

鈥�Dayna dkerecm1@jhu.edu 
鈥�Brian bsimpso1@jhu.edu 
  IN FOCUS: GHN EXCLUSIVE From Rupture to Renaissance    If the global health order is broken, some global health leaders are primed to chart a new way forward.      Gathered last Sunday for the Consortium of Universities for Global Health annual meeting in Washington, D.C., they shared their concerns about the irrevocable changes in the structure, norms, and rules governing international relations鈥攂ut devoted most of their time to discussing how to respond.     For Olusoji Adeyi, president of Resilient Health Systems and a senior associate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, global health funding cuts and disruptions to the field are an overdue opening to self-determination. Now, he said, global health groups should 鈥渟eize the opportunity and behave differently and do better.鈥�     Key takeaways:      A vision anchored by an African renaissance: 鈥淭here鈥檚 a huge opportunity here for Africa to take care of itself by raising resources, by strengthening the academic institutions on the continent, and by helping our government to plan better to prepare better for the future,鈥� said Nelson Sewankambo, former dean of Makerere University School of Medicine in Kampala, Uganda.     Building political will: Former NIH director Francis Collins challenged CUGH to 鈥渂ecome more of an activist organization,鈥� serving as incubator for bold initiatives and nurturing the next generation of global health scholars. 
An invigorated role for universities: 鈥淟et鈥檚 step forward and present ourselves to our governments and act as thinkers and advisers,鈥� Sewankambo said.

• Adeyi added that individual countries need to be encouraged to devise鈥攁nd debate鈥攖heir own plans. When global health experts 鈥渕eet in Washington or London or Brussels or Seattle and package things and expect them to just happen cleanly in Tanzania and Nepal and Sierra Leone,鈥� they deny those countries opportunities to shape their health systems.

As Teri Reynolds, the lead for the WHO鈥檚 Clinical Services and Systems Unit in the department of Integrated Health Services noted, 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of condescension embedded in the word 鈥榟elp.鈥欌��       UNTOLD STORIES CONTEST A young boy observes the entrance of the Tarajal beach, border between Morocco and Spanish territory of Ceuta. May 19, 2021. Diego Radames/Anadolu Agency via Getty A Banner Year for the Untold Global Health Stories Contest
Congrats to the winners of the Untold Global Health Stories contest, co-sponsored by CUGH and GHN! We鈥檒l be publishing interviews with the two grand prize winners in upcoming editions of GHN. 
Grand Prize Winners     A mental health crisis facing unaccompanied Moroccan boys in Ceuta, Spain Audrey Claire Benson, Barcelona Institute of Global Health / University of Pompeu Fabra / No Name Kitchen, Barcelona, Spain      Health disparities in widowhood: A global health blind spot Jackline Odhiambo, Maseno University, Kisumu, Kenya鈥傗��     Honorable Mentions 
Judicial experts as guardians of occupational health in Mexico Shaira Gabriela Camacho

Gaza鈥檚 alarming surge in Guillain鈥揃arr茅 Syndrome Yara Ashour
 
Health care abandonment of trans communities in the South and Appalachia Beau Morgan
 
Health care barriers for U.S. refugees with disabilities Mustafa Rfat
 
Modernizing medical education in the Balkans Timothy Gaul
 
The silent crisis of dengue in rural Bangladesh Amit Banik
 
Toxic heavy metal exposure among auto mechanics in Accra, Ghana Anushka Peer
  Thank you to everyone who contributed. The judging was harder than ever, given the caliber of ideas submitted. All of the stories deserve to be told.
  PULITZER CENTER 鈥� CUGH FILM FESTIVAL The Pulitzer Center upheld its tradition of hosting a film festival at CUGH, sharing a double feature of hard-hitting documentaries: An Atlanta News First documentary on a measles outbreak in Samoa, shared above, and a in central Kenya, by William Brangham and Molly Knight Raskin. THE QUOTE
  鈥淲hat gives me hope is the fact that people are willing to come together. They鈥檙e willing to convene, they鈥檙e willing to put their best foot forward. They鈥檙e willing to take their knowledge, capabilities, passions, and desires to be able to improve the health of people and the health of our planet.鈥� 鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺�斺赌斺赌斺�斺�� Keith Martin, MD, PC, executive director, CUGH, interviewed at CUGH for The Havey Institute for Global Health's OPPORTUNITY Next Stop for CUGH: Lima, Peru
It鈥檚 an exciting first: Next year, the CUGH Annual Conference will be held outside the U.S.鈥撯赌搃n Lima, Peru, February 25鈥�28, 2027. We hope you鈥檒l be there!  Issue No. 2900
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 2026 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: Africa鈥檚 Monumental Vaccination Gains; and South Korea鈥檚 Deadly 鈥楨R Runaround鈥� Plus: A Fandom for the Greatest Fans April 16, 2026 TOP STORIES $1.5 billion for humanitarian aid in Sudan was pledged this week as international leaders met in Berlin on the third anniversary of the country鈥檚 civil war; the meeting sought to increase aid support and revive negotiations to end the fighting.    A review of Alzheimer鈥檚 drug studies spanning a decade concluded the drugs had negligible clinical benefit; but many Alzheimer鈥檚 experts criticized , saying it unfairly put a range of dissimilar drugs鈥攊ncluding failed drugs and two recently approved treatments鈥攊n one category.     Drug-resistant Shigella infections are on the rise in the U.S., ; the bacterial infection, which causes diarrhea, increased 8.5% from 2011 to 2023 and is a 鈥減ublic health threat鈥� due to its easy spread and lack of FDA-approved treatment.     Former Deputy U.S. Surgeon General Erica Schwartz has received HHS support to be the next CDC director, sources say; the CDC has been without a permanent director since August.   EDITORS' NOTE Tomorrow: A Special CUGH Takeaways Edition    We usually don鈥檛 publish on Fridays, but tomorrow we鈥檒l be sending a special edition of GHN with exclusive coverage from the Consortium of Universities for Global Health meeting鈥攊ncluding the announcement of this year鈥檚 Untold Global Health Stories contest winners! 鈥擳he Editors   IN FOCUS A community health worker administers an oral vaccine during a door-to-door polio immunization campaign in Mbezi Makabe, Tanzania, on May 21, 2022. Ericky Boniphace/AFP via Getty Africa鈥檚 Monumental Vaccination Gains    The first-ever comprehensive analysis of immunization in Africa has found that 500 million+ children have accessed routine vaccination since 2000, preventing 4 million+ deaths each year, . 
Key breakthroughs detailed in :  

• Measles vaccinations halved deaths from the virus, saving ~20 million lives since 2000, . 

• The eradication of wild poliovirus in 2020 was a 鈥渉istoric milestone.鈥� 

• Meningitis deaths have fallen by nearly 40%. 

• Maternal and neonatal tetanus have been eliminated in most countries.  

• In 2024 alone, vaccines saved ~2 million lives.  

But these advances are fragile, and threatened: 鈥淧rogress is uneven, and even slowing, leaving too many children unprotected as key targets are still missed,鈥� said Mohamed Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, . 

• 10 countries account for 80% of children who haven鈥檛 received any vaccine in the region, said Janabi, calling it 鈥渁 profound equity issue鈥� in a press briefing, per the AP.  

• Meanwhile, health systems face growing vulnerability amid drastic funding cuts, particularly from the U.S; and global conflicts including the Iran war are disrupting critical supply chains. 

EMERGENCY CARE South Korea鈥檚 Deadly 鈥楨R Runaround鈥�  
Patients seeking emergency services in South Korea increasingly struggle to access care amid stringent hospital entry policies, with fatal delays becoming more frequent.     Policy constrains paramedics: South Korean law requires first responders to gain hospital permission before transporting patients to an ER. But amid a shortage of ER doctors and overcrowding, paramedics must often call dozens of hospitals before finding a bed鈥攁 crisis dubbed 鈥淓R runaround鈥� and 鈥渁mbulance pingpong.鈥� 

• In 1,000+ incidents last year, ambulances had to call 20+ hospitals before finding beds for their patients. 

• The average time for major trauma patients to be accepted by an ER has doubled since 2019.  

Officials have pushed for reforms, including giving paramedics more authority to designate emergency hospitals, but ER doctors worry about staffing and liability risks.      Related: For Many Patients Leaving the ICU, the Struggle Has Only Just Begun 鈥�  Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!   OPPORTUNITY Gain Skills to Respond to Humanitarian Emergencies 
Humanitarian workers and health professionals are invited to apply for the Health Emergencies in Large Populations (H.E.L.P.) course hosted virtually by the .    The H.E.L.P. course equips participants with practical knowledge and skills to respond to the health needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises, whether conflict, natural disasters, or complex emergencies.    Key areas covered: 

• Epidemiology 

• Communicable and noncommunicable disease control 

• Nutrition 

• Water and sanitation 

• Mental health and health systems in crises 

The course combines prerecorded lectures with interactive sessions and practical exercises, including crisis simulations.

• July 13鈥�24, 2026

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Kelsea Petersen/The Athletic; Jacob Kupferman/Getty, Icon Sportswire/Getty, Ric Tapia/Getty, Nur Photo/Getty A Fandom for the Greatest Fans  
Mascots have a weighty job. Their fuzzy, begloved hands carry the agony and ecstasy of fandom.  
 
But who is cheering them on? This month, it seems everybody is. 

One intense U.S. high school mascot tournament pitted animal, vegetable, mineral,  and  against each other in online voting, .     A more scientific approach: To predict which March Madness mascot would dominate in a real-world encounter, meteorologists, the staff of Chicago鈥檚 Lincoln Park Zoo, and other experts to judge a pool including 鈥渁 variety of dogs, Quakers, multiple birds, weather events, various historic military figures,鈥� and more.     Meanwhile, in mascot-saturated Pennsylvania, the governor鈥檚 office courted chaos by launching a tournament won by the Phillie Phanatic, : 鈥淲e are equal parts excited and terrified to see how  responds to this result.鈥�    Love to the moon and back: Leaving Artemis II鈥檚 beloved mini-moon plushie mascot behind was 鈥渘ot something I was going to do,鈥�  Flouting NASA鈥檚 post-splashdown checklist, he tucked the little guy in his pressure suit. The two have .  QUICK HITS Can you stop malaria crossing borders? One nation鈥檚 bid to wipe out the disease 鈥�     Two to three cups of coffee a day linked to lower risk of mental health disorders, study finds 鈥�      Black maternal mortality gap still persists in U.S. 鈥�      FDA to consider lifting restrictions on peptides touted by RFK Jr. 鈥�      After 'unprecedented' results, SF researchers get closer to HIV cure 鈥�      Would you save more lives or more years of life? A global study reveals how people really think 鈥�  Issue No. 2899
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 2026 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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涩里番 researchers have developed an artificial intelligence tool that can identify small groups of cells most responsible for driving aggressive cancers.

The tool, called SIDISH, offers scientists a clearer path to designing targeted therapies by showing which cells inside a tumour are most strongly linked with poor patient outcomes, rather than treating all cancer cells as if they behave the same way.

96 Global Health NOW: Expanding Access to Lenacapavir; and Micromobility, and Major Injuries April 15, 2026 TOP STORIES Antisemitic attacks killed 20 Jews in 2025, the highest number in 30 years, ; the report also found that the total number of antisemitic incidents in every Western country remained significantly higher than in 2022, the year before the war in Gaza began.     The HPV vaccine can cut cancer risk in men by about half, , which involved 510,000 boys and men vaccinated between January 2016 and December 2024, ; the new findings support the case for widening sex-neutral HPV vaccination programs, which have historically prioritized protecting women and girls against cervical cancer, .     Taking Tylenol during pregnancy has no effect on later autism diagnoses, , which tracked 1.5 million+ children 鈥宐orn between 1997 and 2022 in Denmark鈥檚 national health registry; autism was diagnosed in 1.8% of children exposed to acetaminophen and 3% of those who weren鈥檛.     UK emergency rooms are 鈥渂eing clogged鈥� with women seeking emergency treatment after having to wait too long for routine procedures, as women still face 鈥渕edical misogyny鈥� and are deprioritized within the NHS, says the UK鈥檚 top gynecologist ahead of today鈥檚 release of a new government health plan for women.   IN FOCUS People march during the launch of lenacapavir, a long-acting HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) drug in Nakuru, Kenya, on March 26. James Wakibia/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Expanding Access to Lenacapavir   The long-acting HIV prevention drug lenacapavir will reach 3 million people in 24 lower-income countries over the next three years, up 50% from earlier targets, .  

• 鈥淚f we really want to make the most of this, we have to go bigger, and we have to go bigger faster,鈥� said Peter Sands, executive director of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, which detailed the rapid expansion in a joint announcement with the U.S. State Department.  

So far: ~135,000 people in nine African countries have received the twice-yearly injection.     Path to wider access: Twelve additional countries will also receive the medicine soon, : Benin, Botswana, Dominican Republic, Fiji, Georgia, Haiti, Honduras, Indonesia, Morocco, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, and Thailand.     Generics on the horizon: Lenacapavir鈥檚 maker, Gilead, has licensed six generic manufacturers to supply 120 low-income countries, with rollout by mid-2027.     But limits remain: Advocates warn that the drug has remained unavailable in many middle-income countries and in those experiencing humanitarian crises.  

• They also warn that the current U.S. focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission could overlook key populations, such as people who inject drugs and men who have sex with men.  

The stakes are high at this juncture, . The advocacy group鈥檚 list of recommendations includes ensuring that appropriated funds for AIDS, TB, and malaria are spent for global health as Congress has specified, even as aid funding models shift.  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ROAD SAFETY Micromobility, and Major Injuries     As e-bikes and e-scooters proliferate on the streets of Canada鈥檚 large cities, emergency rooms are filling with patients being treated for concussions, fractures, and other traumatic injuries from crashes: 

• In Toronto, St. Michael鈥檚 Hospital saw e-scooter admissions rise 600% from 2020 to 2024, while SickKids pediatric hospital in treated 46 such cases in 2024, up from just one in 2020. 

• Montreal Children's Hospital reported a 10X increase in such injuries in one year. 

Outpacing regulation: The 鈥渕icromobility revolution鈥� has arrived more swiftly than lawmakers have been able to pass regulations for age limits, helmets, and traffic safety.       OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Idaho Cut Services for People With Schizophrenia. Then the Deaths Began. 鈥�      B.C. declared toxic drugs a public health emergency 10 years ago. Has it made a difference? 鈥�   
Indonesia orders food companies to label products high in sugar, salt, fat 鈥�  
Vaccine skepticism now the norm for many Americans 鈥�     Trump's budget hawk is still trying to slash medical research. Congress is saying no. 鈥�     How I harness research to inform humanitarian relief efforts 鈥�

You should be more freaked out by shingles 鈥� Issue No. 2898
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 2026 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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Measles vaccinations have saved nearly 20 million lives in Africa since the year 2000 and more than 500 million children were protected through routine immunisation, but the continent remains offtrack in the fight against vaccine-preventable diseases. 

New funding fuels 涩里番-led breakthroughs on how gut viruses influence childhood health and how engineered proteins can prevent damaging oral bacterial biofilms.聽