With his new book 'Everything Is Tuberculosis,' celebrity author John Green is breathing new life into tuberculosis advocacy

96 黑料不打烊 Perspectives on Global Health: Feb 2025 Issue February 27, 2025  
NEWSLETTER

This February, we honor Black History Month鈥攃elebrating the resilience, contributions, and impact of Black leaders in global health. From groundbreaking research to advocacy for health equity, we highlight the voices and organizations driving change. Let鈥檚 recognize the past, engage with the present, and inspire a more inclusive future in healthcare.

Highlights of this Issue:

馃敼Perspectives on Global Health Award - Stand a chance to win prizes!
馃敼 Stories of Black pioneers in global health
馃敼 Organizations advancing health equity
馃敼 Research on racial disparities in healthcare

Thank you for being part of our community. Enjoy the read! 馃挋鉁�

-->  Selected Articles for this Month  鈥淭he youth remind the world that the future of vaccine equity lies in their hands. They are not just observers of systemic injustice; they are active participants in the fight for change.鈥�
- Author: Abia Chowdhury is a Kinesiology major at 黑料不打烊 University. --> ""The idea that some lives matter less is the root of all that is wrong with the world." 
 - Author: Erica Prager and Andrew Sun are Canadian students at 黑料不打烊 University in Tiohti脿:ke, Qu茅bec, Canada studying Anatomy & Cell Biology, and Computer Science & Biology, respectively. -->  Mission in Motion
  Get ready to be inspired! In this dynamic section, we spotlight global health organizations that are making waves and driving real change around the world. Each month, we showcase their innovative strategies and impactful initiatives as they tackle pressing health challenges and champion equity. 

We shine a spotlight on organizations spreading awareness about Black History Month.  Let鈥檚 celebrate their dedication and commitment as we highlight their vital contributions to research, advocacy, and awareness. --> image: https://blackmamasmatter.org/ : Black Mamas focuses on advancing maternal health equity by addressing systemic barriers that put Black mothers at risk. Through advocacy, community-led initiatives, and policy change, they work to ensure Black women receive respectful, quality, and culturally competent care. Their mission is to uplift Black maternal voices, fight medical racism, and create safer birthing experiences for Black mothers and their babies. --> Image: https://blackaids.org/ : Is a U.S.-based organization dedicated to ending the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Black communities through advocacy, education, and direct services. Rooted in a commitment to Black health equity, BAI provides culturally relevant resources, policy analysis, and capacity-building programs to empower individuals and institutions in the fight against HIV/AIDS. -->  In the News
  Stay up to date with news and opinions on Global Health Image: https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/science-and-medicine/otis-bobby-boykin/ Otis Boykin was an African American inventor whose work revolutionized electronic technology. He developed a more reliable and cost-effective resistor, which became a key component in pacemakers, computers, and other electronic devices. His innovations have helped save lives and improve modern technology worldwide. or more about his story! --> Image: https://reporter.mcgill.ca/remembering-the-father-of-blood-banking/ was a pioneering Black surgeon and medical researcher who revolutionized blood banking. His innovations in blood storage and plasma preservation led to the development of large-scale blood banks, saving countless lives during World War II and beyond. Despite facing racial discrimination, his work laid the foundation for modern transfusion medicine. Read more about his ! -->  New in Global Health Academic Literature
 
By: World Health Organization Image: https://images.app.goo.gl/7mxv7NUQpxyCeGE89 The World Health Organization (WHO) underscores the importance of strengthening primary health care (PHC) systems to combat these disparities. In their , WHO outlines 14 strategic and operational levers aimed at policymakers to enhance PHC, thereby addressing inequities faced by populations experiencing racial discrimination. --> Opportunities in Global Health
  Visit our to learn more about the award -->  Share your Perspective on Global Health
  We are excited to announce a Call for Papers in the following areas! 

• Indigenous Health
• Mental Health
• Refugee Health
• Immigrant Health
• Climate Change 

黑料不打烊 Global Health Perspectives welcomes contributions relevant to global health. Contributions to Global Health Perspectives should pertain to its mission and can include perspectives from your latest research, research experience, key issues in health policy governance, equity related challenges and strengths in global health to name a few. We want to represent a wide range of voices representing global health research, commentaries and opinions on current global health challenges and ideas on future direction of global health. Click  for submission guidelines.

You can submit your article, photo essay or article pitch to us by emailing us at: globalhealthblog@mcgill.ca. --> Subscribe to our weekly newsletter to stay up-to-date on the latest information and experiences in global health! Follow us on social media  --> Copyright 漏 2017 黑料不打烊 Global Health Programs, All rights reserved.

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96 Global Health NOW: The Macro Impacts of Microplastics; The Closure of a 鈥楥ritical鈥� Global Health Data Resource; and Birkenstocks Aren始t Art 鈥淭here are at least 16,000 chemicals in plastics. Nobody really knows.鈥� February 27, 2025 Volunteers remove plastic and other debris from a beach in Kedonganan, Indonesia, on December 31, 2024. Keyza Widiatmika/NurPhoto via Getty  The Macro Impacts of Microplastics
ATLANTA鈥擨nexpensive and convenient, plastics have become the building blocks of modern life, but they鈥檙e also a threat to human health.

• About 75% of 8鈥�10 billion tons of plastics produced since the mid-20th century are circulating in the environment, Philip Landrigan, director of Boston College鈥檚 Global Observatory on Planetary Health, told attendees at a Consortium of Universities for Global Health session last week.  

• 鈥淭here are at least 16,000 chemicals in plastics. Nobody really knows,鈥� Landrigan said. 鈥淎nd the real kicker is that more than 80% of the chemicals in plastic have never been tested for toxicity.鈥�

 
Tiny threats: Microplastics鈥攑lastic bits less than 5 millimeters long鈥攁re found across the globe from the snows of the Himalayas to the interior of individual human cells.

• Italian scientists discovered that heart disease patients who had microplastics in their carotid plaque had a 450% increased risk of heart attack, stroke, or death, according to a March 2024 . 

The Quote: 鈥淲e鈥檙e literally becoming part plastic,鈥� Amelia Meyer, a Stanford University research program manager, said in an interview with GHN. 鈥淲e鈥檙e only just discovering what could happen to people who have been exposed to plastics their whole lives.鈥�
 
Read the story for possible solutions.
 
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Influencers are 鈥渇earmongering鈥� on social media to promote health tests like genetic testing, MRIs, gut microbiome tests, and egg count tests, finds a published in ; such posts can be 鈥渙verwhelmingly misleading鈥� and carry a risk for overdiagnosis, researchers say.  

Satellite imagery of Sudan is providing researchers with clues about the scope of devastation in the Darfur region, as large parts of the country are inaccessible to humanitarian and data-gathering efforts amid intense conflict; data show 鈥渕ore people are dying of starvation and disease than bullets and bombs.鈥�

The CDC is investigating the hospitalizations of five people who received the chikungunya virus vaccine IXCHIQ, per a ; the people are all aged 65+ and were hospitalized for cardiac or neurologic events following recent vaccination.

Children with long COVID can experience 鈥渟ignificant鈥� lung injuries stemming from loss of blood flow in the lungs, per new published in Radiology; the condition can lead to severe chronic fatigue. Trump Administration News   Musk claims DOGE 鈥榬estored鈥� Ebola prevention effort. Officials disagree. 鈥�

C.D.C. Suggests Terms Like 鈥楻ace鈥� and 鈥楬ealth Equity鈥� Are Off-Limits, Then Backtracks 鈥�

U.S. will spend up to $1 billion to combat bird flu, USDA secretary says 鈥�

Trump Team Weighs Pulling Funds for Moderna Bird Flu Vaccine 鈥�

FDA cancels pivotal advisory meeting about next season's flu vaccine 鈥�

RFK Jr. Dismisses Measles Outbreak As 鈥楴ot Unusual鈥� After Child's Death 鈥�

Title 42 Isn鈥檛 About Public Health 鈥� It鈥檚 About Keeping Immigrants Out 鈥� FOREIGN AID FREEZE The Closure of a 鈥楥ritical鈥� Global Health Data Resource
A data collection program that provided 鈥渋ndispensable鈥� public health information to about half of the world鈥檚 nations will be shuttered following the Trump administration鈥檚 foreign aid freeze. 

The Demographic and Health Surveys have collected data in 90 low- and middle-income nations since 1984, and helped leaders to set health benchmarks at the local, national, and global levels鈥攊ncluding the UN鈥檚 2030 SDGs. 

• The surveys recorded 鈥渃ritical aspects鈥� of household health鈥攊ncluding mortality data, nutrition status, reproductive health and HIV status, as well as access to clean water.

• They were the only sources of information many countries had about some health indicators.

On Tuesday, the program鈥檚 administrators were told it was being 鈥渢erminated for the convenience of the U.S. Government.鈥� It remains unclear what will happen with the research collected in ongoing surveys鈥攐r what will happen with what has already been collected. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ORGAN DONATION A Kidney Black Market Takes Hold in Burma
An illegal kidney market has a growing list of Burmese sellers, as the country鈥檚 civil war has forced half of the nation鈥檚 population into poverty, a BBC investigation has found. 

One story: Reporters followed one Burmese man through the kidney sale process, which included using a broker to oversee medical testing, link him to a Burmese buyer, and forge documents that claimed the two were family members. 

• The seller explained he 鈥渃hose this desperate way鈥� as he was struggling with debt. 

India a transplant hub: The 鈥渄onor鈥� and the 鈥渞ecipient鈥� underwent the transplant in India鈥攚here concern around kidney sales has been rising. Last spring, a senior health ministry official wrote to Indian states warning of a surge in transplants among foreigners. 



Related: How Much Is Your Kidney Worth? 鈥� GUN VIOLENCE A Forever Teacher
It鈥檚 been seven years since the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School killed 17 people. The Parkland, Florida, school building was bulldozed last year. 

But former teacher Ivy Schamis remains deeply connected to her old classroom鈥擱oom 1214鈥攁nd the 30 surviving students who were with her on that day. 

In a must-read profile of Schamis, reporter Emily Baumgaertner Nunn recounts the ongoing toll the trauma has taken on the teacher and her students, and lengths to which Schamis continues to be a lifeline for her students: from connecting them with mental health resources to coaching them through life transitions. 

All the while, she has struggled with her own grief. 

• 鈥淓veryone talks about how the students feel, but no one really pays attention to the teachers,鈥� said former student Hannah Carbocci. 

EVENT Join GHN in D.C. 鈥� Or Online
For those in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area, we hope you始ll join GHN in person for a special live storytelling event spotlighting the remarkable experiences of refugees working in global health. But if you can始t attend in person, GHN will be livestreaming the event!

Bloomberg School graduates from Afghanistan, Myanmar, South Sudan, Sudan, and Syria will share firsthand accounts of living and working amid humanitarian crises, fleeing conflict, and shaping impactful roles in public health. 

All are welcome for this evening of inspiring stories, hosted by the Center for Humanitarian Health and Global Health NOW, at the Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C.

or . ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Birk Is It Art?  
No!
 
It took years of litigation鈥攄uring which copycat Birkenstocks multiplied across the globe鈥攂ut a German federal court has put its (probably cork-clad) foot down: Birkenstocks are not 鈥渃opyright-protected works of applied art.鈥�
 
The German shoemaker figured that if such status could be granted to Le Corbusier furniture and Bauhaus lighting, why not your Dad始s favorite bunion-proof sandals cum fashion item?
 
But Birkenstock始s loss is our win. The makers of the iconic yet divisive sandals sued three unnamed competitors and asked that knockoffs be recalled and destroyed鈥攁 request that, if enforced, would require an all-feet-on-deck, global seizure of counterfeit corkware. But fear not, your Target two-straps are safe!
 
Now that that matter is settled in court, we can return to the core question鈥攏ot whether Birks should be displayed in a gallery, but whether they deserve to be placed on a human foot.

QUICK HITS Life in the shadow of a toxic mountain of plastic waste 鈥�  

Tricky to spot and cumbersome to treat, visceral leishmaniasis turns deadly in arid east Africa 鈥�

You need to start taking airborne fungal outbreaks seriously 鈥�

South Korea birthrate rises for first time in nine years amid surge in marriages 鈥�  

Epigenetic echoes: Violence can leave genetic marks on future generations 鈥�

"Power of Joy": New Film on Childbirth During Ethiopia's Civil War 鈥� Issue No. 2683
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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Health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and experts from the World Health Organization (WHO) are carrying out further investigations to determine the cause of another cluster of illness and deaths in 脡quateur province, UN officials reported on Thursday.

Mapping immune cell diversity reveals dexamethasone鈥檚 impact on brain cancer immunotherapy

听

Swelling caused by brain cancer is a problem that can lead to serious side effects and even death. While controlling swelling is important, a new study shows that a commonly prescribed anti-swelling drug suppresses the immune system for weeks after dosage, inhibiting the body鈥檚 ability to fight the cancer.

96 Global Health NOW: A Medical Ground Zero; As Sports Betting Grows, So Do Addiction Concerns; and Could Labels Curb Canada鈥檚 Drinking Risks? February 26, 2025 A composite image showing al-Najjar Hospital in Rafah, Gaza, on December 27, 2023 (left), and January 19, 2025 (right). Abed Zagout, Hani Alshaer/Anadolu via Getty A Medical Ground Zero 
As Palestinians return to their homes amid a fragile ceasefire with Israel, they face a 鈥渄ecimated health system鈥濃�攗nable to find basic medical care or help for emergencies like heart attacks, per a .  

Infectious diseases 鈥渃ontinue to run rampant鈥� in the overcrowded, malnourished communities, which have little access to water and hygiene and no waste disposal. 

• 鈥淲e don鈥檛 count the people who have died as a result of the lack of medical services,鈥� said M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res鈥� Mohammed Abu Mughaiseeb. 鈥淎 lot of people who had cardiac problems died. A lot of people with renal failure died. A lot of people with cancer鈥攃hildren and adults鈥攄ied because of a lack of treatment and services.鈥�

But there is nowhere to turn for medical help鈥攚ith nearly all hospitals and clinics destroyed, along with most medical equipment. 1,000+ health care workers have been killed, and remaining workers are 鈥渂eyond burned out.鈥�

Meanwhile, cold conditions in the enclave have led to hypothermia deaths of 15 children, including six infants, . 

The ceasefire鈥檚 first phase ends on Saturday. If fighting resumes, the flow of humanitarian aid is expected to drop.

Related: Israelis bid farewell to a mother and her two young sons killed in captivity in Gaza 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
6,000+ people in Haiti have been displaced by 鈥渁 wave of extreme brutality鈥� by gangs over the course of a month, and the violence is also obstructing humanitarian efforts.

Kids vaccinated against COVID-19 had a 57%鈥�73% lower risk of long COVID symptoms, suggests a new CDC-led published in JAMA Network Open.

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to resume USAID payments by tomorrow; the funding was ordered to be reopened Feb. 13, but so far there is no evidence that the administration has complied, the judge said.

1.1 million people with HIV in South Africa will be put on treatment as a part of the country鈥檚 efforts to end AIDS as a public health threat by 2030. BEHAVIORAL HEALTH As Sports Betting Grows, So Do Addiction Concerns
A growing number of people in the U.S. are seeking help for gambling addiction, a published last week in JAMA Internal Medicine has found.

Background: Researchers sought to track the impact of the 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that eliminated a prohibition on online sports betting, which in 2024 was legal in .

• Sports wagers soared from $4.9 billion in 2017 to more than $121 billion in 2023. 

Study details: Researchers looked at internet search terms that indicated people are struggling with gambling disorder鈥攕uch as 鈥渉elp me find help with gambling addiction鈥濃�攁nd found that such terms increased ~23% nationally since the 2018 ruling. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ALCOHOL Could Labels Curb Canada鈥檚 Drinking Risks?
Canadian health officials are watching the effect of the warnings about alcohol use and cancer risk voiced by the former U.S. surgeon general鈥攁nd mulling the potential effect of stronger deterrents in their own country. 

Only about half of adults in Canada are aware of the link between alcohol and cancer.

• But a 2017 showed that after two months of labeling, public knowledge of the link increased 10%鈥攁nd that newly aware consumers were ~2X as likely to support alcohol taxation policies.

Legislative efforts: A bill to require warning labels on alcohol was introduced in 2022 but was paused in committee. The bill鈥檚 sponsor says 鈥済rowing momentum鈥� could lead to greater traction if it is reintroduced. 

OPPORTUNITY Calling All Filmmakers and Reviewers!  
The APHA 2025 Public Health Film Festival, which showcases local, national, and global public health films, is now accepting submissions and reviewers.
 
Criteria for films: Independent, community-created, or youth-created films from all disciplines of public health will be considered, but films related to the APHA 2025 theme 鈥淢aking the Public鈥檚 Health a National Priority鈥� are highly encouraged.
 
Reviewers: APHA is also seeking volunteers to serve as film reviewers. Become a reviewer for a chance to win one of 10 complimentary registrations to APHA 2025 (November 2鈥�5, 2025, in Washington, D.C.).

• Deadline to submit films: April 7, 2025
•    
•  

QUICK HITS China eyes opportunities as US scales back humanitarian aid 鈥�

Can we unplug global health education from The Matrix? 鈥�

South Africa faces HIV crisis as Trump鈥檚 aid freeze halts treatment and research 鈥�

What RFK Jr. has said about the ongoing measles outbreak 鈥�

CDC will no longer process transgender data 鈥�

Flu vaccine this season may be poorly matched, early CDC data suggests 鈥�

Researchers Study How Corporate Manipulation Impacts Health 鈥�

New paper examines why COVID-19 mortality was higher in the U.S. than in some East Asian countries 鈥�

How Cairo鈥檚 鈥淕arbage City鈥� became the envy of the world 鈥� Issue No. 2682
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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Shuttered clinics and health workers laid off around the world reflect the widespread, negative toll the United States funding freeze is taking on the global AIDS response, according to a new situation report released on Wednesday by the UN agency charged with responding to the disease.

96 Global Health NOW: The Topic Everyone Was Talking About at CUGH 2025; A Setback For Eswatini's Success; and Community Health Workers Forced to Adapt February 25, 2025 Hundreds of CUGH 2025 attendees gather on Feb. 22 for the annual great global health debate. Brian W. Simpson The Topic Everyone Was Talking About at CUGH 2025
ATLANTA鈥擨n hallways, sessions, keynotes, and receptions, last week鈥檚 2025 Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) conference.
 
No surprise: It was the rapid change in U.S. government research funding and support for keystone global health programs like PEPFAR.
 
Worry, wariness, and uncertainty mixed with resilient commitments to the global health mission as the 1,300+ conference attendees from 61 nations gathered to share the latest knowledge gleaned from research worldwide.
 
鈥淲hen many people feel bereft and are fearful of what the future may hold, CUGH 2025 provided an opportunity to provide a positive path forward [and] show that we have a robust community that will stick together, will support each other,鈥� said Keith Martin, CUGH executive director.
 
Related topics included:

• Viewing the funding crisis as an opportunity to improve an already 鈥渟haky鈥� global public health system.


• Doing more to engage with politicians.


• Fulfilling the moral imperative of continuing to deliver lifesaving antiretrovirals.

Timely debate: Nelson Sewankambo, former dean of Makerere Medical School in Uganda, and Judd Walson, chair of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, debated whether academia should engage in politics.
 
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   At least 160 health care workers from Gaza, including more than 20 doctors, are believed to be still imprisoned in Israel; the WHO expressed concern for their safety after previously detained doctors claimed they were subjected to abuse in Israeli facilities.
 
More than 50 people in northwestern Congo have died since January 21 of an undetermined illness that has progressed from onset of hemorrhagic fever symptoms to death within two days in many cases; tests have been negative for Ebola and Marburg, but some tests were positive for malaria.
 
Brewing tea naturally removes heavy metals like lead and cadmium from drinks, per new that showed the heavy metal ions stick to the surface of tea leaves; the researchers found that cellulose bags work best鈥攁nd don't release microplastics.

Swedish researchers found an association between the use of certain antidepressants and increased cognitive impairment in people with dementia, , though more research is needed; some experts cautioned that because the severity of depression in dementia patients wasn鈥檛 fully accounted for, it could bias the results. NEGLECTED DISEASES A Setback For Eswatini's Success
While snakebite is a lethal threat in many sub-Saharan countries, Eswatini has been an 鈥渆xtraordinary success story鈥�: 

• At its peak snakebites caused ~60+ deaths a year in the country. But last summer, zero snakebite deaths were recorded for the first time.

Those gains are now imperiled with the U.S. freeze to foreign aid:

• Leading Eswatini鈥檚 progress has been the Luke Commission鈥攁 destination hospital for people with serious snakebites, which has treated 1,000+ patients over the past six years.


• Earlier this month, the Luke Commission closed its doors to most patients following sudden USAID cuts, which had supported the hospital for 15 years. 

The Quote: 鈥淲e鈥檙e at risk of going back to the dark ages,鈥� said Thea Litschka-Koen, a snakebite expert in Eswatini.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CLIMATE CHANGE Community Health Workers Forced to Adapt
Bolivia is among the countries to climate change, which is disrupting health care access and hampering the efforts of promotores鈥攐r community health workers鈥攊n rural areas. 

• 鈥淲hen the weather is bad, we can鈥檛 do our job. Patients won鈥檛 visit our headquarters in heavy rain, and it鈥檚 also unsafe for us to visit people鈥檚 homes,鈥� said Mar铆a, a Bolivian promotora. 

Extreme measures in extreme weather: One clinic in the Amazon Basin created a zipline system to ensure that patients can reach it during times of flooding. 

Safeguarding care: CHWs need to be better equipped for climate resilience, advocates say鈥攊ncluding disaster preparedness training. They also need a seat at the table when it comes to shaping health care systems of the future. 

FUNDING OPPORTUNITY Attention LMIC Researchers
Cures Within Reach has reopened its ReGRoW funding opportunity for clinical repurposing trials led by underresourced researchers based in low- and lower-middle income countries.

• Researchers with eligible clinical repurposing trials may submit a brief Letter of Intent (LOI); select researchers will be invited to submit a full proposal.


• Proposed budgets of up to $65,000 are accepted from LMIC researchers (per the World Bank); CWR will provide up to $7,500 in additional funding for required community engagement.

Eligibility: 

• Projects can be related to any unsolved disease and must repurpose an existing off-patent drug, nutraceutical and/or Indigenous medicine in a new indication. 


• Projects that address a high disease burden are preferred.


• Eligible institutions must be 鈥渞esearch ready鈥� and have received previous external, third-party clinical research funding.

How to apply: To submit an LOI, visit , search for Cures Within Reach and submit using the 鈥淩epurposing Research in LMICs鈥� program.

• Deadline: LOI submissions due by March 28, 2025.

QUICK HITS Children as young as four among victims of gang-rape and ethnic cleansing in war-torn Sudan 鈥�

U.S. joins WHO-led flu vaccine meeting, despite planned withdrawal from agency 鈥�

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia confirms US $500 million commitment to global polio eradication effort 鈥�

Two people in US hospitalized with bird flu, CDC reports 鈥�

Utah close to fully banning fluoride in water, stripping cities鈥� ability to decide 鈥�
 
Dozens sickened and 12 dead in Listeria outbreak linked to frozen shakes 鈥�

Postdocs and PhD students hit hard by Trump鈥檚 crackdown on science 鈥�

During pandemic, ivermectin use rose 10-fold, hydroxychloroquine use doubled, study reveals 鈥�

A farewell to HPH readers 鈥�

A breath of fresh air: How Kigali鈥檚 car-free Sundays keep people moving 鈥� Issue No. 2681
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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Ongoing fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) between Rwanda-backed M23 rebels and Congolese troops has claimed more lives and forced even more families from their homes. 

A UN treaty that addresses the global tobacco epidemic has saved millions of lives over the past two decades, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. 

96 Global Health NOW: The 鈥楬ollowing Out鈥� of Public Health; Reckoning With Forced Sterilization; and Renewed Focus on Road Safety February 24, 2025 Academic professionals, elected officials, and allies protest the Trump administration's freeze on public funding for science research. New York City, February 19. Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty The 鈥楬ollowing Out鈥� of Public Health
One month into the Trump presidency, the cuts to domestic and international health programs have been staggering, with ordered funding cuts in the billions and terminations in the thousands. 

But the deeper toll鈥攐n patient care, lifesaving research, and disease prevention efforts鈥攊s just beginning to be felt, , in an inventory of losses that spans from preventing maternal and infant deaths to keeping tobacco products out of children鈥檚 hands. 

• 鈥淲e are hollowing out our government in a way that is going to hurt people and is going to get people killed,鈥� said Amy Paris, who was fired while working on an initiative to overhaul the nation鈥檚 archaic organ donation system. 

Repercussions of halted research: The cancellation鈥攁nd even the temporary pause鈥攐f NIH-funded research imperils ongoing efforts to study diseases like cancer, Alzheimer鈥檚, and heart disease鈥攚ith consequences that will 鈥渞everberate for years,鈥� . 

• A judge extended a temporary block to NIH research funding cuts on Friday, . But many grants remain frozen, as review panels have been barred from scheduling necessary meetings, . 

Ideological shift: Scientists fear that the cuts signal a fundamental 鈥渄isintegration鈥� of the American view of science, long considered the 鈥渆ssential key鈥� to national health, security, and prosperity, . 

International impact: Worldwide, U.S.-funded health programs have shuttered, including a widely used famine warning system that has gone dark, .

• As of midnight Sunday, the Trump administration is putting nearly all of USAID's 4,700 full-time employees on paid administrative leave, and is terminating 1,600 of those positions, .

Related: 

Federal Funding Uncertainty Prompts Hiring Freezes 鈥�

US FDA asks fired scientists to return, including some reviewing Musk鈥檚 Neuralink 鈥�

鈥楧eath by ax.鈥� Fate of millions of research animals at stake in NIH payments lawsuit 鈥�

EDITORS鈥� NOTE Thank you, CUGH!
A big thanks to the Consortium of Universities for Global Health and host institutions the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Georgia, and Emory University for an excellent and inspiring conference, which wrapped up yesterday in Atlanta.
 
The opportunity to connect with passionate global health advocates from around the world provided a much-needed balm during a difficult time. For those of you who could not attend, look for GHN鈥檚 exclusive coverage of the conference in the coming days. 
 
We鈥檙e also delighted to welcome new readers from many countries鈥攊ncluding Cameroon, China, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Japan, Kenya, Lebanon, Liberia, Nigeria, Rwanda, St. Kitts, and Uganda. Thanks for signing up鈥攁nd, if you find GHN useful, please with your colleagues and friends back home! 鈥�Dayna & Brian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   A cholera outbreak in Kosti, Sudan, killed 58 people and sickened about 1,300 others last week; health officials blamed contaminated drinking water after an attack by a paramilitary group wiped out the city鈥檚 water supply facility and said that a vaccination campaign is underway in response.

India has banned the manufacture and export of two opioids, tapentadol and carisoprodol, after a BBC investigation exposed their role in a drug crisis in West Africa.

A preliminary paper suggesting a link between COVID-19 vaccines and symptoms associated with long COVID has been promoted by anti-vaccination proponents since its publication last week on preprint server medRxiv; the study authors emphasize that need further study and should not affect people鈥檚 vaccination decisions.

France will curb 鈥榝orever chemicals,鈥� with its parliament voting last week to limit the production and sale of items containing PFAS鈥攊ncluding cosmetics and clothing. HUMAN RIGHTS Reckoning With Forced Sterilization 
Nearly 30 years after forced sterilization ended in Japan, victims there are finally able to apply for government compensation. 

Background: Between 1948 and 1996, at least 16,500 people were forcibly sterilized in Japan under the country鈥檚 Eugenic Protection Law, and ~60,000 more underwent abortions without or with only dubious consent. 

• Most were people with intellectual disabilities or hereditary diseases, and a large number of the victims were children. 

Other countries like Peru and the U.S. are also grappling with recent histories of forced sterilization of Indigenous people and incarcerated women鈥攁nd advocates say the practice persists worldwide among ethnic minorities and those with intellectual disabilities. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES INJURIES Renewed Focus on Road Safety
World leaders are poised to adopt a new mandate declaring road safety 鈥渁n urgent public health and development priority鈥� needing increased attention, published last week by 15 heads of UN agencies. 

• The so-called Marrakech Declaration will be issued at the in Morocco鈥攚here participants are sharing strategies to reduce road deaths and create safe, sustainable transportation infrastructure, . 

Background: This year marks the halfway point in the 鈥攚hich aims to halve road deaths worldwide by 2030. 

Stakes: Road crashes kill ~1.2 million people each year, amid an 鈥渦nprecedented wave of motorization.鈥�

Good news: 10 countries鈥攊ncluding some LMICs鈥攈ave reduced road deaths by more than 50% in a decade, showing 鈥渢hat the target can be met,鈥� reports the WHO.  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS US measles outbreak leaves nearly 100 ill in Texas and New Mexico 鈥�

'Exceptionally rare' mutation on H5N1 virus in Canada tied to antiviral drug resistance 鈥�

Don鈥檛 like the idea of chlorinated chicken? You ain鈥檛 seen nothing yet 鈥�

HKU5-CoV-2, the new bat coronavirus in China sparks global concern 鈥�

Climate Change, Vaccine Hesitancy And Vector-borne Diseases Are Driving Encephalitis 鈥�

AI is impersonating human therapists. Can it be stopped? 鈥�

Improving the Distribution of Green Spaces in Barcelona Could Prevent 178 Premature Deaths Each Year 鈥�

How Street Art in Singapore Is Helping People With Dementia Get Around 鈥� Issue No. 2680
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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Breast cancer cases are expected to increase by 38 percent globally by 2050, with annual deaths from the disease projected to rise by 68 percent, according to a new report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialised branch of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Nous pouvons agir collectivement pour b芒tir un monde qui n鈥檈st pas celui imagin茅 par les milliardaires.

The latest round of a large-scale polio vaccination campaign in Gaza targeting nearly 600,000 young children got underway on Saturday.

Every day, almost one in five young women are married off while still children, according to the UN reproductive and sexual health agency, UNFPA, which is urging countries to say 鈥淚 don鈥檛鈥� to child marriage, an illegal practice that is almost universally condemned and yet remains widespread globally.

On the 3rd anniversary of Dr Paul Farmer's death, several leaders reflect on his lessons for dealing with the ongoing crisis in global health and development

96 Global Health NOW: A Deeper Look at Global Suicide; Why Latin America Needs Its Own CDC; and All Verklempt Over a Fish始s Ascent ~740,000 suicides are reported annually worldwide鈥攚hich equals one death every 43 seconds. February 20, 2025 A mother who lost her 19-year-old son gives a speech next to the "Silent Struggle" statue鈥攁n art project created to break the taboo surrounding suicide, in Nijmegen, Netherlands, November 4, 2024. Ana Fernandez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty A Deeper Look at Global Suicide 
Over the past 30 years, the global age-standardized suicide mortality rate fell ~40%鈥斺�漣ndicating that intervention and prevention are working,鈥� per the at the University of Washington鈥攚hich yesterday published 鈥渢he most comprehensive analysis of the global burden of suicide to date鈥� in . 

• But: ~740,000 suicides are reported annually worldwide鈥攚hich equals one death every 43 seconds. 

• And progress is not universal, with increases reported across Central Latin America, Andean Latin America, tropical Latin America, and high-income North America.

Background: The analysis draws from 204 countries and territories, and expands on previously published data spanning from 1990 to 2016. 

Key findings include: 

More deaths among men: The number of deaths for males was 2X+ that for females. 

Later in life: The mean age of death at the time of suicide has been steadily rising. Researchers posited that one reason may be suicide prevention efforts focused on younger people. 

The firearms factor: Firearms are considered the most lethal means of suicide, with the US, Uruguay, and Venezuela reporting the highest proportion of firearm-related suicide deaths. 

Related: Is suicide prevention finally working in India? Lancet study shows how suicide death rate went down by 30% from 1990 to 2021 鈥�   EDITORS始 NOTE Ready for CUGH!  
GHN has landed in Atlanta for the . If you鈥檙e here too, let us know鈥攚e鈥檇 love to hear from you!

• Stop by GHN鈥檚 exhibit booth (#20) to say hi, let us know what you鈥檙e up to, and share any story ideas.

• Find out who won this year鈥檚 Untold Global Health Story contest at the awards ceremony (Saturday, Feb. 22, 3鈥�4 p.m., Salon West and East at the Hilton Atlanta).

• Cap off your conference and practice pitching your ideas at the Pulitzer-GHN Communications Workshop (Sunday, Feb. 23, 1:30 p.m., Room 205鈥�207).

If you鈥檙e here, please give us a shout and send along any tips: bsimpso1@jhu.edu and dkerecm1@jhu.edu
 
All best,
Dayna and Brian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Mass polio vaccination in Gaza is set to continue next week, as health officials aim to reach 591,000+ children under age 10 in response to the recent detection of poliovirus in wastewater samples there.

Muscle-building supplement use has been associated with muscle dysmorphia among Canadian adolescents and young adults, per a new published in PLOS Mental Health; the study found that muscle dysmorphia symptoms increased as the number of supplements used grew.

Malaria susceptibility can vary among ethnic groups due to genetic and lifestyle factors that influence immune responses, finds a new published in the American Journal of Human Genetics, which compared immune cells of children from two West-African ethnic groups.

Cash rewards for mosquito captures are being offered by a village near Manila, as the Philippines faces a 40% increase in dengue cases in the country; health officials fear the move could backfire if people try to propagate mosquitos for the reward.   Trump Administration News   RFK Jr. targets transgender protections in one of first moves at HHS 鈥�

Administration Fires Border Health Inspectors Who Screen For Diseases 鈥�

Trump Administration Reverses Plan to End Free COVID Test Program 鈥�

What鈥檚 next for the World Health Organization? US exit could reshape agency 鈥�

Trump鈥檚 dismantling of USAid raises risk of mpox global emergency, experts warn 鈥� GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A nurse takes care of a dengue fever patient at the Sergio Bernales National Hospital, in the outskirts of Lima, Peru, on April 17, 2024. Juan Carlos CISNEROS/AFP via Getty Why Latin America Needs Its Own CDC鈥擭ow More Than Ever
Latin American governments must champion the creation of a regional CDC, recognizing that preparedness is essential for health security, three public health leaders from Mexico and Peru argue in an exclusive GHN commentary.

Pandemic lesson: When COVID-19 swept through Latin America, it exposed the region鈥檚 lack of coordinated public health response mechanisms.

• Despite being home to 8.2% of the world鈥檚 population, Latin America accounted for . 

But: Latin America today remains structurally vulnerable to the next pandemic, write Patricia J. Garc铆a, Jorge Saavedra, and Ariel Garc铆a.

• The  in the region over the past year have again exposed the limitations of fragmented national responses, they write.

The Africa CDC Model: Launched in 2017, the Africa CDC  during COVID the joint procurement of vaccines and medical supplies, coordinated emergency responses, and strengthened surveillance across the continent.

Latin America needs a similar regional agency that would work alongside PAHO to ensure faster, more efficient responses to health emergencies, according to the authors.

Read the full commentary for details on next steps required for making the Latin America CDC a reality.



Editor鈥檚 note: Drs. Garcia and Saavedra will discuss the challenges and benefits of creating a LATAM CDC during  at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health conference in Atlanta.

Nota del editor: GHN ha publicado . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES USAID Mass Health Care Layoffs Across Africa
In health systems across Africa, tens of thousands of doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and other health workers at U.S.-funded programs have been laid off, as the fallout continues from the Trump administration鈥檚 abrupt freeze on foreign funding.

In Uganda, ~3,000 doctors, nurses, and other health personnel have lost their jobs, per the Ugandan Medical Association. 

In Kenya, hundreds of layoffs have already taken effect at key hospitals; ~41,000 health workers in the country are employed with funding from USAID or PEPFAR, health officials estimate.

The Quote: 鈥淚t is the patients who will suffer the most,鈥� said Salome Kimani, a physician at Gikambura Hospital in Kenya, who said that despite a U.S. federal judge鈥檚 ruling to lift the freeze, health workers鈥� futures remain in limbo. 

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION All Verklempt Over a Fish始s Ascent
We usually advise readers to follow the science. Today we始re making an exception, choosing to believe that a humpback anglerfish made her way to the ocean始s surface not because she was sick, but because she wanted to take her last breath while basking in the sun.
 
The viral "," aka the fish with the lightbulb on its head, usually lives thousands of feet into the depths of the ocean.
 
Burying the lede almost as deep, CBS News celebrated the rare surface sighting in a run-of-the-mill 鈥�.鈥� Then TikTok got to the throbbing heart of the story, and now we can始t stop crying.
 
Much like the little anglerfish rising from the deep, TikTokkers始 tears welled up from their emotional depths, along with many theories. 
 
While one figured that the sick fish simply couldn鈥檛 鈥渕aintain zero buoyancy,鈥� others linked her ascent to magical feminine resilience. 鈥�,鈥� sobbed one user.

Who do you believe? QUICK HITS Three years of full-scale war in Ukraine roll back decades of progress for women鈥檚 rights, safety and economic opportunities 鈥�
 
mRNA vaccines show promise in pancreatic cancer in early trial 鈥�

Africa鈥檚 cholera resurgence exposes funding failures

Norovirus: UK cases reach record high as hospitals struggle with capacity 鈥�

Fog harvesting could provide water for arid cities 鈥�

The WHO's Funding Gap: Filling the Medical Diplomacy Void 鈥�

Is This Common Herbicide Harming Your Health? 鈥� Issue No. 2679
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: Measles Gains Ground in Texas; Online Daters Kept in the Dark; and Plastic Credits Predicament February 19, 2025 A road sign delineating the Texas state line and welcoming visitors to Gaines County, Texas. Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Measles Gains Ground in Texas 
A swiftly spreading measles outbreak in West Texas has grown to 58 cases, and an additional eight people in neighboring eastern New Mexico also have been diagnosed, . 

Escalation: Cases have ballooned since the first two cases were Jan. 30. Health officials suspect the true case count is much higher鈥攚ith 200鈥�300 people infected but untested, .

Texas health officials say the outbreak is the state鈥檚 largest in ~30 years and that 13 people have been hospitalized. 

• Most cases are among children who are unvaccinated, and have been concentrated in a 鈥渃lose-knit, undervaccinated鈥� Mennonite community and among children who attend small religious schools or are homeschooled.

Bigger picture: The U.S. saw , and with childhood vaccine hesitancy on the rise, the problem is likely to worsen:

• Last year, kindergarten vaccination rates fell below 93%鈥攂elow the necessary to prevent measles outbreaks.

Reprimanding RFK: The outbreak has sparked renewed criticism of newly confirmed health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has endorsed false claims of links between the MMR vaccine and autism, .

• Yesterday, Kennedy vowed to scrutinize the nation鈥檚 childhood vaccine schedule鈥攄espite a promise to a U.S. senator that he would not alter it, : 鈥淣othing is going to be off limits,鈥� Kennedy said.  

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The Rwanda-backed M23 armed group executed three children in Bukavu last week, the UN confirmed in an alert yesterday that also condemned attacks on hospitals and humanitarian warehouses.

All eight patients hospitalized in Uganda's Ebola Sudan outbreak have been released after testing negative for the virus twice in tests conducted 72 hours apart, the WHO regional office for Africa announced yesterday; the outbreak鈥檚 toll stands at nine cases and one death.

A surge in dengue infections in the Philippines鈥� capital region鈥攊ncluding 10 recent deaths in Quezon City鈥攕purred Addition Hills village officials to offer residents a token bounty for mosquitoes captured dead or alive.

President Trump issued an executive order aimed at expanding access to IVF yesterday; he directed his assistant for domestic policy to draft policy ideas to protect IVF access and 鈥渁ggressively鈥� reduce out-of-pocket and health plan costs for the treatment within 90 days. Health and Science Cuts: The Latest ______________________________________________ Mass firings decimate U.S. science agencies 鈥�

Amid layoffs at HHS, experts warn about impact on public health 鈥�

USDA says it accidentally fired officials working on bird flu and is trying to rehire them 鈥�

Trump cuts reach FDA workers focused on food safety and medical devices 鈥�

Former CDC director: Two programs reportedly on the chopping block must be saved 鈥�

Censored Science Can鈥檛 Save Lives 鈥�   SEXUAL VIOLENCE Online Daters Kept in the Dark 
Online romance titan Match Group, owner of over a dozen dating apps, first received reports of Stephen Matthews assaulting another member in September 2020. Numerous reports followed for three years鈥攗ntil he was finally arrested and sentenced to 158 years鈥� incarceration for offenses against 11 women. 
 
But why didn鈥檛 Match ban him after the first report?

• Users reported for assault are 鈥渂anned鈥� from all Match platforms鈥攂ut members can easily rejoin or switch apps.


• The company has concealed data on users reported for drugging, assaulting, or raping their dates since at least 2016, internal documents show鈥攁nd a transparency report on the offenses, which Match said would be released in 2020, has still not materialized.

  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Plastic Credits Predicament
The growing plastic credits sector is designed to address the tide of plastic waste. 

• Corporations pay for the collection and disposal of plastic waste as a way to offset their environmental footprint鈥攊deally in a process that will result in recycled material.

But far too much plastic is unrecyclable and is burned by industries like cement plants as alternative fuel, despite mounting concerns about health risks from toxic chemicals and carbon emissions.

Worst affected: Developing countries with limited waste management, like Cambodia. 

The bigger problem: The system does nothing to stop or incentivize buyers to cease producing or using unrecyclable plastic. 

QUICK HITS UN rights office warns of 鈥榙angerous tipping point鈥� as abuses surge in Sudan 鈥�

U.S. reverses plan to shut down free covid test program 鈥�  

The wind may be partly to blame for bird flu spread between farms, a new study suggests 鈥�

Japanese encephalitis virus 鈥� JEV 鈥� detected at two Queensland piggeries 鈥�

Landmark Study of Chagas Disease in Paraguay Supports Use of Rapid Tests to Improve Access to Diagnosis 鈥�

Meet the 鈥榣epers鈥� of Somerset - battling stigma from the West Country 鈥�

The Pandemic Treaty's True Cost 鈥�

Influencers to urge young people to not vape as part of UK government campaign 鈥� Issue No. 2678
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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The UN World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that the mass polio vaccination campaign in Gaza which began successfully last year, will continue in the coming days.

96 Global Health NOW: Stifled Oxygen Access; Gaps at Planned Parenthood; and 鈥楨gg-Harvesting Scheme鈥� Shocks Surrogacy Sector February 18, 2025 Babies receiving oxygen at Damascus Hospital on January 28 in Damascus, Syria. Spencer Platt/Getty Stifled Oxygen Access
COVID-19 laid bare the need for medical oxygen鈥攁nd inequities in access, , leading to the formation of a Lancet Global Health Commission on medical oxygen security.
 
Now鈥攚eeks after the Trump administration freeze on aid programs, including some that could have improved oxygen access鈥�, detailing stark disparities:

• Fewer than 1 in 3 people who need medical oxygen鈥攆or respiratory diseases, surgical complications, trauma, and maternal and child health emergencies鈥攔eceive it, .


• Most of the ~5 billion people without oxygen access鈥攏early 82%鈥攍ive in LMICs; coverage gaps are even higher in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia.

Rising need: Oxygen demand is rising, driven by a growing and aging population and air pollution, the committee authors note. 
 
Call for investment: Medical oxygen is as cost-effective as routine childhood immunization, and if access is expanded, it could 鈥渂enefit many health goals simultaneously,鈥� the committee found. 
 
The collection includes articles detailing innovative solutions鈥攊ncluding one pointing to and another on . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Noncommunicable diseases will cause more deaths in sub-Saharan Africa than infectious diseases by 2030, researchers announced at the recent 4th Global NCD Alliance Forum in Kigali, Rwanda; NCDs are linked to 74% of global deaths, per .
 
Confirmed illnesses caused by contaminated food in the U.S. rose to 1,392 last year, a 25% increase over 2023, ; almost all of the cases involved either Listeria, Salmonella, or Escherichia coli.

A U.S. pain management company called Pain MD engaged in a long-term fraud scheme that generated millions of dollars in revenue by giving patients 700,000 expensive, unnecessary injections; company president Michael Kestner was convicted of 13 health care fraud felonies in October.

An apparent spillover from wild birds to dairy cattle has made Arizona the 17th U.S. state in which H5N1 has been detected in dairy herds; the virus has been found in nearly 970 herds nationwide since March 2024. Trump Administration News __________________________________________________
  South Africa has more people living with HIV than any other country. Trump鈥檚 aid freeze has hit hard 鈥�

鈥嬧�婼罢础罢 is backing up and monitoring CDC data in real time: See what's changing 鈥�

N.I.H. Research Grants Lag $1 Billion Behind Last Year鈥檚 鈥�

Health agencies lose staff in key areas as Trump firings set in 鈥�

Trump鈥檚 Plan to Defund the NIH Will Ruin a National Treasure 鈥�

The Erasing of American Science 鈥� REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE Gaps at Planned Parenthood
Many Planned Parenthood clinics are in crisis, as funding shortages have led to a 鈥渄ire need鈥� of upgrades, employee turnover, and lapses in patient care, an investigation by The New York Times has found. 

Lack of resources: The organization has seen its funding strained as its patient population declines, and as state governments block its clinics from receiving Medicaid payments.

• Despite a fundraising boom since Roe v. Wade was overturned in 2022, most of that money is spent on legal and political battles. 

Impacts: Employee turnover is hovering around 50% annually because of 鈥渞ock-bottom salaries.鈥� And a growing number of patients have filed malpractice suits, alleging botched procedures and misdiagnoses.

And yet: Employees say they are hesitant to speak out due to the threat facing American reproductive rights: 鈥淲e鈥檙e afraid of damaging the mission,鈥� said Damien Hamblin, a former Planned Parenthood medical assistant. 

 

Related: 

Republican States Claim Zero Abortions. A Red-State Doctor Calls That 鈥楲udicrous.鈥� 鈥�

Prayer and prosecutions: the US 鈥榟ate group鈥� waging war over Britain鈥檚 abortion clinic buffer zones 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HUMAN RIGHTS 鈥楨gg-Harvesting Scheme鈥� Shocks Surrogacy Sector
The Georgian Interior Ministry has launched an investigation into human trafficking after several women who sought work there as surrogates reported being forced to have their eggs removed. 

Background: Last month, three Thai women were reportedly rescued from a house in Tbilisi. Thai police said the women were brought to Georgia by a Chinese criminal syndicate under the pretense of surrogacy鈥攁nd were then forced to have their eggs removed for others鈥� IVF procedures. 

Impact: The accusations have sent 鈥渟hockwaves鈥� through the international surrogacy industry in Georgia, which has seen a boom since Russia鈥檚 2022 invasion of Ukraine. 

QUICK HITS With 10 Days Of Talks Left, It's 'Now Or Never' For Pandemic Agreement 鈥�
 
Guillain Barre Syndrome cases rise to 207: Over half of cases are in 5-km radius from Sinhagad Road, shows health dept data 鈥�
 
Updated bird flu vaccine for poultry gets license 鈥�

Woman in cancer remission for record 19 years after CAR-T immune treatment 鈥�
 
The Lingering Trauma of COVID Coverage for Italian Journalists 鈥�

The Coming Democratic Baby Bust 鈥�

Report Recommends States Adopt Firearm Purchaser Licensing Laws That Include Five Core Components 鈥�

How an Abba classic raised millions and saved thousands of children from abuse 鈥�

What are the best AI tools for research? Nature鈥檚 guide 鈥� Issue No. 2677
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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