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Updated: 7 hours 49 min ago
96
Global Health NOW: Fighting Cholera Shame to Save Lives in Zambia; New Threats Hamper Game-Changing Malaria Gains; and Fieldwork and the Family
December 11, 2024
Mary Kapaipi鈥檚 husband concealed his symptoms before dying the next day. Lusaka, Zambia, November 6. Freddie Clayton
Fighting Cholera Shame to Save Lives in Zambia
LUSAKA鈥擬ary Kapaipi suspected that her husband might be suffering from cholera last January, amid a deadly outbreak in their neighborhood outside Zambia鈥檚 capital. But he insisted it was just a sore throat. By the time his symptoms worsened and she sent for help, it was too late to save his life.
Kapaipi later discovered signs of his illness鈥攕oiled underwear and patches of white vomit鈥攈idden around their house. If he hadn鈥檛 concealed his symptoms, he might have lived, she says.
This pattern of secrecy and shame is common among cholera patients, Kennedy Phiri and Freddie Clayton learned while reporting for this exclusive series that spotlights not only the need to improve water and sanitation infrastructure in the area, but the equally urgent need to address the stigma surrounding the disease.
Read their story to learn who is most affected by stigma and why鈥攁nd why some community members feel better prepared to face another potential outbreak as this year鈥檚 rainy season gets underway (hint: they are not relying on government interventions).
Ed. Note: This article is the second in a two-part series; read Part I,. The series is part of , made possible through the generous support of loyal GHN readers. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Dengue fever cases have tripled to a record high in Central and South America this year, with 12.6 million+ cases and 7,700 deaths; Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico were hit especially hard.
Women in Iran could face execution, long jail times, or flogging for defying new morality laws effective this week that seek to penalize women for 鈥減romoting nudity, indecency, unveiling or improper dressing.鈥
Human trafficking cases spiked 25% between 2019 and 2022, from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime; more children are being exploited, and forced labor cases have surged amidst conflict, poverty, and effects of the climate crisis.
Ultraprocessed foods account for more than half of calories consumed at home by U.S. adults, per a published in the Journal of Nutrition; the report highlights the 鈥減roliferation and ubiquity of ultraprocessed foods on grocery store shelves,鈥 said lead author Julia Wolfson. GHN鈥橲 BEST OF 2024: STAFF PICKS A sex worker waits for clients behind her window in the red-light district of Amsterdam, on December 8, 2008. Anoek De Groot/AFP via Getty Morgan鈥檚 Picks
You might call me GHN鈥檚 鈥渏ack of all trades.鈥 I write summaries for our newsletter and articles for our website, create our social media content, build web pages, collect metrics鈥攜ou name it. I am lucky enough to get to work on a publication that includes news as diverse as my skill set, and, in the face of a very uncertain future, I鈥檓 glad I鈥檓 helping get the health news that matters out there, to those who need it. 鈥Morgan Coulson, GHN Editorial Associate
Best GHN Exclusive Amsterdam is famous for its red-light districts, but many of the city鈥檚 thousands of sex workers lack access to health care. In this exclusive, journalist Gabriela Galvin investigates the web of immigration and labor policies, logistical hurdles, and stigma that obstructs workers鈥 pathway to care.
Best News Article Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are making many foods鈥攊ncluding global staples like rice and wheat鈥攍ess nutritious by reducing protein, vitamins, and critical micronutrients like zinc and iron. Writer Kellie Schmitt shows how these eroding nutritional values threaten millions with hidden hunger.
Best Commentary GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MALARIA New Threats Hamper Game-Changing Gains
The global fight against malaria remains stalled as new threats emerge and under-resourced regions fall behind, per the new .
When epidemiologist Kristen Aiemjoy鈥檚 son came down with a strange illness that turned out to be scrub typhus, she identified it before doctors did.
How? Scrub typhus happens to be Aiemjoy鈥檚 research focus, and she recognized the scab where the infected insect had bitten her son.
Aiemjoy hopes her research will help to develop a low-cost test to improve early diagnosis and care.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Africa: Decade-Long Study Reveals Key Drivers of Global Health Success 鈥
Medical misogyny leaves women in pain for years, say MPs 鈥
Genetic analysis finds H5N1 in California child most similar to cattle genotype 鈥
The Ten Americas: How Geography, Race, and Income Shape U.S. Life Expectancy 鈥
U.S. health panel draft recommendations would allow a self-testing option for cervical cancer 鈥
Coronavirus FAQ: I didn't get the latest COVID vaccine. Should I? And if so ... when? 鈥
A public health game plan grounded in the Golden Rule 鈥
Tokyo government gives workers 4-day workweek to boost fertility, family time 鈥 Issue No. 2828
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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
LUSAKA鈥擬ary Kapaipi suspected that her husband might be suffering from cholera last January, amid a deadly outbreak in their neighborhood outside Zambia鈥檚 capital. But he insisted it was just a sore throat. By the time his symptoms worsened and she sent for help, it was too late to save his life.
Kapaipi later discovered signs of his illness鈥攕oiled underwear and patches of white vomit鈥攈idden around their house. If he hadn鈥檛 concealed his symptoms, he might have lived, she says.
This pattern of secrecy and shame is common among cholera patients, Kennedy Phiri and Freddie Clayton learned while reporting for this exclusive series that spotlights not only the need to improve water and sanitation infrastructure in the area, but the equally urgent need to address the stigma surrounding the disease.
Read their story to learn who is most affected by stigma and why鈥攁nd why some community members feel better prepared to face another potential outbreak as this year鈥檚 rainy season gets underway (hint: they are not relying on government interventions).
Ed. Note: This article is the second in a two-part series; read Part I,. The series is part of , made possible through the generous support of loyal GHN readers. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Dengue fever cases have tripled to a record high in Central and South America this year, with 12.6 million+ cases and 7,700 deaths; Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Mexico were hit especially hard.
Women in Iran could face execution, long jail times, or flogging for defying new morality laws effective this week that seek to penalize women for 鈥減romoting nudity, indecency, unveiling or improper dressing.鈥
Human trafficking cases spiked 25% between 2019 and 2022, from the UN Office on Drugs and Crime; more children are being exploited, and forced labor cases have surged amidst conflict, poverty, and effects of the climate crisis.
Ultraprocessed foods account for more than half of calories consumed at home by U.S. adults, per a published in the Journal of Nutrition; the report highlights the 鈥減roliferation and ubiquity of ultraprocessed foods on grocery store shelves,鈥 said lead author Julia Wolfson. GHN鈥橲 BEST OF 2024: STAFF PICKS A sex worker waits for clients behind her window in the red-light district of Amsterdam, on December 8, 2008. Anoek De Groot/AFP via Getty Morgan鈥檚 Picks
You might call me GHN鈥檚 鈥渏ack of all trades.鈥 I write summaries for our newsletter and articles for our website, create our social media content, build web pages, collect metrics鈥攜ou name it. I am lucky enough to get to work on a publication that includes news as diverse as my skill set, and, in the face of a very uncertain future, I鈥檓 glad I鈥檓 helping get the health news that matters out there, to those who need it. 鈥Morgan Coulson, GHN Editorial Associate
Best GHN Exclusive Amsterdam is famous for its red-light districts, but many of the city鈥檚 thousands of sex workers lack access to health care. In this exclusive, journalist Gabriela Galvin investigates the web of immigration and labor policies, logistical hurdles, and stigma that obstructs workers鈥 pathway to care.
Best News Article Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels are making many foods鈥攊ncluding global staples like rice and wheat鈥攍ess nutritious by reducing protein, vitamins, and critical micronutrients like zinc and iron. Writer Kellie Schmitt shows how these eroding nutritional values threaten millions with hidden hunger.
Best Commentary GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MALARIA New Threats Hamper Game-Changing Gains
The global fight against malaria remains stalled as new threats emerge and under-resourced regions fall behind, per the new .
- Progress is being undermined by severe funding shortfalls, rising drug and insecticide resistance, and humanitarian disasters鈥攍eading to cases rising for the fifth consecutive year, .
- The overwhelming majority of fatalities occurred among children under age 5 in Africa, . Overall, ~95% of deaths occurred in the WHO African Region.
- 鈥淣o one should die of malaria; yet the disease continues to disproportionately harm people living in the African region, especially young children and pregnant women,鈥 said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
- 17 countries have introduced malaria vaccines, and new-generation nets are more widely available.
When epidemiologist Kristen Aiemjoy鈥檚 son came down with a strange illness that turned out to be scrub typhus, she identified it before doctors did.
How? Scrub typhus happens to be Aiemjoy鈥檚 research focus, and she recognized the scab where the infected insect had bitten her son.
- That scab, or eschar, appears on only 40%鈥60% of those infected, so many are not diagnosed.
Aiemjoy hopes her research will help to develop a low-cost test to improve early diagnosis and care.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Africa: Decade-Long Study Reveals Key Drivers of Global Health Success 鈥
Medical misogyny leaves women in pain for years, say MPs 鈥
Genetic analysis finds H5N1 in California child most similar to cattle genotype 鈥
The Ten Americas: How Geography, Race, and Income Shape U.S. Life Expectancy 鈥
U.S. health panel draft recommendations would allow a self-testing option for cervical cancer 鈥
Coronavirus FAQ: I didn't get the latest COVID vaccine. Should I? And if so ... when? 鈥
A public health game plan grounded in the Golden Rule 鈥
Tokyo government gives workers 4-day workweek to boost fertility, family time 鈥 Issue No. 2828
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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Support GHN鈥檚 Second Decade
Help us celebrate our 10th anniversary by supporting our future.
December 10, 2024
Girls in India gather around an illuminated globe, hoping for a better world.
Pranab Basak, Courtesy of Photoshare Dear GHN Reader,
Thank you for the many ways you support us every day鈥攊nspiring us, sharing stories and new perspectives, and spreading the word about GHN.
Over the last few years, many of you have also supported our mission in a new way鈥攂y making a gift. And this week, we鈥檙e asking you to consider .
Donations of any amount are welcome and will help us unlock a special $2,000 challenge gift from longtime GHN reader and supporter Ana Rita Gonzalez, ScD, CPA.
You can also help us by advocating for the campaign:
With sincere thanks,
Dayna Kerecman Myers Managing Editor Global Health NOW HELP US MEET THE CHALLENGE
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Pranab Basak, Courtesy of Photoshare Dear GHN Reader,
Thank you for the many ways you support us every day鈥攊nspiring us, sharing stories and new perspectives, and spreading the word about GHN.
Over the last few years, many of you have also supported our mission in a new way鈥攂y making a gift. And this week, we鈥檙e asking you to consider .
Donations of any amount are welcome and will help us unlock a special $2,000 challenge gift from longtime GHN reader and supporter Ana Rita Gonzalez, ScD, CPA.
You can also help us by advocating for the campaign:
- within your social networks.
- Inspire others with a or gift.
With sincere thanks,
Dayna Kerecman Myers Managing Editor Global Health NOW HELP US MEET THE CHALLENGE
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Shaken by Cholera Outbreak, Zambians Fear the Coming Rains; American 鈥楻age鈥 over Health Insurance; and 鈥淲itch Hunts鈥 in Kenya
December 10, 2024
A makeshift latrine built from wood and rags in the Garden House Compound in Lusaka. November 6. Freddie Clayton
Shaken by Cholera Outbreak, Zambians Fear the Coming Rains
LUSAKA鈥擜 visit to Garden House Compound, a sprawling maze of makeshift shelters on the outskirts of Zambia鈥檚 capital, reveals clues to for the cholera outbreak that killed at least 740 people earlier this year.
Lessons learned from the last cholera outbreak have led to some improvements by the government and NGOs鈥攂ut it鈥檚 hard to see that progress on the ground; massive water tanks haven鈥檛 been filled and few public toilets have been built.
Meanwhile, many of the largest investments focus on cholera treatment and research, rather than prevention. In the first part of a 2-part series, Phiri and Clayton delve into the reasons why鈥攍anding on the key missing ingredient that could determine whether this year鈥檚 rainy season will bring another outbreak.
Ed. Note: This article is part of , made possible through the generous support of loyal GHN readers. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners The EPA banned two known carcinogens yesterday: trichloroethylene (TCE), used in degreasing agents, furniture care, and auto repair products, and tetrachloroethylene (PERC), used in dry cleaning and auto repair, following decades of advocacy.
Alcohol-related e-scooter and e-bike injuries among U.S. adolescents tripled between 2019 and 2022, from ~23,000 to ~66,000, according to that points to a need for better enforcement of underage drinking laws.
Pediatricians in Pakistan report high knowledge related to antibiotic usage, but limited training in antibiotic stewardship, ; only 15% reported receiving training on antibiotic usage and AMR, and only 25.3% confirmed awareness of antimicrobial stewardship.
Few adults without biological children who underwent permanent contraception procedures reported regret in a ; additionally, 47% of respondents reported difficulty finding a physician willing to perform the procedure. GHN鈥檚 Best of 2024: Staff Picks A woman molds bricks for a kiln in Rajasthan鈥檚 Ajmer district on March 26, 2023. Shreya Raman Brian鈥檚 Picks My name may come first in the newsletter鈥檚 staff list, but in truth it鈥檚 my colleagues who take on the impossible daily task of finding and distilling global health鈥檚 essential news. They succeed because of their smarts, their commitment, and the help of loyal GHN readers like you.鈥擝rian Simpson, GHN Editor-in-Chief Best GHN Exclusive The thousands of women who work in India鈥檚 brick kilns migrate from state to state to find work and often face massive barriers to health care. A lack of state health documents and paid sick time make it difficult for them to get care they need. Journalist Shreya Raman introduces us to kiln workers like Nirmala, who was forced to return to work 15 days after giving birth by cesarean section.
Best News Article The U.S. FDA has a tough challenge: Regulate nicotine products while facing nearly two dozen former FDA lawyers now working for Big Tobacco. Their inside knowledge gives the industry a big advantage. Reporter Kathryn Kranhold illuminates this dark corner of regulation.
Best Commentary HEALTH SYSTEMS American 鈥楻age鈥 over Health Insurance
The man arrested in the killing of UnitedHealthcare鈥檚 chief executive was found carrying a manifesto 鈥渄ecrying the health care industry,鈥 .
The killing has sparked a swell of public anger鈥攏ot at the shooting, but at the American health insurance industry.
More than 250 murders of elderly women in Kenya between 2020 and 2022 have been linked to the increased use of 鈥渁nti-witchcraft鈥 laws.
The laws, which allow murder in 鈥渟elf-defense鈥 from witchcraft, primarily affect elderly widows, who are frequently accused by their late husbands鈥 families of trying to gain property. The women are then shunned and lynched.
However, behavior attributed to witchcraft may actually be symptoms of dementia鈥攁nd increased life expectancy has led to a rise in female-headed households and dementia cases.
Compounding factors: Kenya鈥檚 booming population and high unemployment rates often make elderly women targets for those seeking resources. Cultural beliefs about the evils of witchcraft mean that violators are rarely prosecuted.
QUICK HITS UN refugee chief urges patience as Syrian refugees weigh options 鈥
Lonely graves, scattered bones: the stark reality of one of the most overlooked and fastest-growing migration routes 鈥
Arizona confirms 2 avian flu infections as California probes second potential case in a child 鈥
Can Congo contain its exploding mpox epidemic鈥攁nd curtail its international spread? 鈥
Spying on Student Devices, Schools Aim to Intercept Self-Harm Before It Happens 鈥
Why India Must Keep Covid-Era Oxygen Plants Running 鈥
Safety Concerns Plague Humanitarian Aid Work 鈥
On the Frontline with Lebanese Midwives 鈥 Issue No. 2827
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
- Some 50,000 people live without clean water or toilets鈥攆orcing many to share makeshift latrines overflowing with human waste or defecate in the open.
- When the water levels rise, human feces pour into the neighborhood, contaminating the shallow wells people depend on for water.
Lessons learned from the last cholera outbreak have led to some improvements by the government and NGOs鈥攂ut it鈥檚 hard to see that progress on the ground; massive water tanks haven鈥檛 been filled and few public toilets have been built.
Meanwhile, many of the largest investments focus on cholera treatment and research, rather than prevention. In the first part of a 2-part series, Phiri and Clayton delve into the reasons why鈥攍anding on the key missing ingredient that could determine whether this year鈥檚 rainy season will bring another outbreak.
Ed. Note: This article is part of , made possible through the generous support of loyal GHN readers. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners The EPA banned two known carcinogens yesterday: trichloroethylene (TCE), used in degreasing agents, furniture care, and auto repair products, and tetrachloroethylene (PERC), used in dry cleaning and auto repair, following decades of advocacy.
Alcohol-related e-scooter and e-bike injuries among U.S. adolescents tripled between 2019 and 2022, from ~23,000 to ~66,000, according to that points to a need for better enforcement of underage drinking laws.
Pediatricians in Pakistan report high knowledge related to antibiotic usage, but limited training in antibiotic stewardship, ; only 15% reported receiving training on antibiotic usage and AMR, and only 25.3% confirmed awareness of antimicrobial stewardship.
Few adults without biological children who underwent permanent contraception procedures reported regret in a ; additionally, 47% of respondents reported difficulty finding a physician willing to perform the procedure. GHN鈥檚 Best of 2024: Staff Picks A woman molds bricks for a kiln in Rajasthan鈥檚 Ajmer district on March 26, 2023. Shreya Raman Brian鈥檚 Picks My name may come first in the newsletter鈥檚 staff list, but in truth it鈥檚 my colleagues who take on the impossible daily task of finding and distilling global health鈥檚 essential news. They succeed because of their smarts, their commitment, and the help of loyal GHN readers like you.鈥擝rian Simpson, GHN Editor-in-Chief Best GHN Exclusive The thousands of women who work in India鈥檚 brick kilns migrate from state to state to find work and often face massive barriers to health care. A lack of state health documents and paid sick time make it difficult for them to get care they need. Journalist Shreya Raman introduces us to kiln workers like Nirmala, who was forced to return to work 15 days after giving birth by cesarean section.
Best News Article The U.S. FDA has a tough challenge: Regulate nicotine products while facing nearly two dozen former FDA lawyers now working for Big Tobacco. Their inside knowledge gives the industry a big advantage. Reporter Kathryn Kranhold illuminates this dark corner of regulation.
Best Commentary HEALTH SYSTEMS American 鈥楻age鈥 over Health Insurance
The man arrested in the killing of UnitedHealthcare鈥檚 chief executive was found carrying a manifesto 鈥渄ecrying the health care industry,鈥 .
The killing has sparked a swell of public anger鈥攏ot at the shooting, but at the American health insurance industry.
- The reaction reflects 鈥渂oth the coarsening of public discourse and the degree of rage many Americans feel over the deficiencies of the U.S. health care system,鈥 writes Nicholas Florko for .
- Gallup polling shows that just 31% of Americans have a positive view of the health care industry.
- Costs, delays, payment denials, and prior authorization usage have all continued to rise, 鈥攍eading to delayed care and patients abandoning treatment, per the American Medical Association.
More than 250 murders of elderly women in Kenya between 2020 and 2022 have been linked to the increased use of 鈥渁nti-witchcraft鈥 laws.
The laws, which allow murder in 鈥渟elf-defense鈥 from witchcraft, primarily affect elderly widows, who are frequently accused by their late husbands鈥 families of trying to gain property. The women are then shunned and lynched.
However, behavior attributed to witchcraft may actually be symptoms of dementia鈥攁nd increased life expectancy has led to a rise in female-headed households and dementia cases.
Compounding factors: Kenya鈥檚 booming population and high unemployment rates often make elderly women targets for those seeking resources. Cultural beliefs about the evils of witchcraft mean that violators are rarely prosecuted.
QUICK HITS UN refugee chief urges patience as Syrian refugees weigh options 鈥
Lonely graves, scattered bones: the stark reality of one of the most overlooked and fastest-growing migration routes 鈥
Arizona confirms 2 avian flu infections as California probes second potential case in a child 鈥
Can Congo contain its exploding mpox epidemic鈥攁nd curtail its international spread? 鈥
Spying on Student Devices, Schools Aim to Intercept Self-Harm Before It Happens 鈥
Why India Must Keep Covid-Era Oxygen Plants Running 鈥
Safety Concerns Plague Humanitarian Aid Work 鈥
On the Frontline with Lebanese Midwives 鈥 Issue No. 2827
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Outbreak Investigation Launched in the DRC; Women on the Front Lines of Lymphatic Filariasis; and GHN鈥檚 Best of 2024: Staff Picks
December 9, 2024
Outbreak Investigation Launched in the DRC
The WHO has dispatched rapid response teams to the DRC鈥檚 remote Panzi region to investigate and respond to an undiagnosed illness with a worryingly high mortality rate, as epidemiologists worldwide eye the outbreak with concern.
Despite fears of a novel illness, suggests that the culprit is likely an 鈥渦nknown known鈥 like pneumonia, influenza, COVID-19, malaria, or measles鈥攐r some combination of illnesses鈥攅xacerbated by severe malnutrition, .
Outbreak details: 406 cases of an undiagnosed illness with 31 deaths鈥攁 7.6% fatality rate鈥攚ere reported between Oct. 24 and Dec. 5.
Hey Readers,
Last week, we quietly launched our third crowdfunding campaign in our 10-year history.
Today, we have an exciting announcement:
.
I hope you鈥檒l join me in contributing to GHN so we can continue to deliver essential global health news.
All best,
Brian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners U.S. agriculture officials have issued a federal order requiring the testing of the nation's milk supply in an effort to increase surveillance of bird flu.
A single mutation in the protein found on the surface of the H5N1 influenza strain circulating in U.S. dairy cows could enable 鈥渆asier transmission among humans,鈥 per published in Science.
Morocco is producing mpox tests for the first time鈥攁nother step in Africa鈥檚 quest for independence when it comes to sourcing medical supplies.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has reversed a policy that would have tied reimbursements for anesthesia to time limits, after widespread outcry from anesthesiologists. GHN鈥橲 BEST OF 2024: STAFF PICKS For our annual 鈥淏est of鈥 series running daily for the next couple weeks, GHN team members share their picks for 2024's most memorable work. GHN鈥檚 ace morning writer and trusted news adviser Kate Harrison Belz kicks off our series. A child at Nduru camp, Kisumu City, Kenya. August 16, 2024. Scovian Lillian Kate鈥檚 Picks I distill articles for GHN's newsletter summaries, which involves a lot of caffeine and curiosity. I have long been intrigued by the ways public health, environment, and infrastructure intersect鈥攁n interest that has intensified after living through the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Asheville, N.C., where I live. As we begin recovery here, I find myself often mulling over articles like the ones below. How can we better steward our natural and built environments to strengthen our shared health? 鈥Kate Harrison Belz, GHN writer Best GHN Exclusive: Deadly floods in Kenya this spring left behind a wake of cholera and other infectious diseases. In this exclusive, reporter Scovian Lillian explores how weather surveillance and disease surveillance can be more closely linked鈥攁nd potentially save lives. Best Must-Read: Planting trees in urban areas has well-established climate benefits: cooling, pollution control, and stormwater absorption. But trees鈥 impact on human health is becoming more clear, thanks to the University of Louisville鈥檚 Green Heart Louisville project: 鈥渁 clinical trial where trees are the medicine.鈥 鈥Bloomberg CityLab Best Commentary: NEGLECTED DISEASES Women on the Front Lines of Lymphatic Filariasis
The mosquito-borne disease lymphatic filariasis鈥攃ommonly known as elephantiasis for the severe swelling it causes鈥攖akes an especially heavy toll on women in India, where the disease is endemic.
More vulnerable: Women, especially in poor, rural regions, are more vulnerable due to daily outdoor chores.
Bigger barriers: Women have less access to health care, with 15.5% of rural women in India reporting that they struggle to get permission for medical treatment, and 24.7% struggling to obtain money for treatment.
Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous chemical in the U.S.鈥攁 鈥渨orkhorse鈥 of commercial enterprises ranging from making furniture to sterilizing food.
But it is incredibly toxic:
Hundreds more migrants have died in Rio Grande crossings than U.S., Mexico reported 鈥
鈥楳y right side was paralysed, I was so sick鈥: the pesticide poisonings in Brazil that lead back to the UK 鈥
Increases in U.S. life expectancy forecasted to stall by 2050, poorer health expected to cause nation鈥檚 global ranking to drop鈥
CTE Evident in Brains of Deceased Ice Hockey Players 鈥 Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe
How the Messy Process of Milking Cows Can Spread Bird Flu 鈥
Latin American journals are open-access pioneers. Now, they need an audience 鈥 Issue No. 2826
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 2024 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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You can or .
The WHO has dispatched rapid response teams to the DRC鈥檚 remote Panzi region to investigate and respond to an undiagnosed illness with a worryingly high mortality rate, as epidemiologists worldwide eye the outbreak with concern.
Despite fears of a novel illness, suggests that the culprit is likely an 鈥渦nknown known鈥 like pneumonia, influenza, COVID-19, malaria, or measles鈥攐r some combination of illnesses鈥攅xacerbated by severe malnutrition, .
Outbreak details: 406 cases of an undiagnosed illness with 31 deaths鈥攁 7.6% fatality rate鈥攚ere reported between Oct. 24 and Dec. 5.
- The illness primarily affects children under age 5, and symptoms include fever, headache, cough, runny nose, and body aches.
- The WHO convoy includes doctors, epidemiologists, lab technicians, and infection control experts to treat patients and collect data.
Hey Readers,
Last week, we quietly launched our third crowdfunding campaign in our 10-year history.
Today, we have an exciting announcement:
- Longtime GHN reader and supporter Ana Rita Gonzalez, ScD, CPA, is challenging us all: When another 100 subscribers make a gift, she will give $2,000 to support GHN!
.
I hope you鈥檒l join me in contributing to GHN so we can continue to deliver essential global health news.
All best,
Brian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners U.S. agriculture officials have issued a federal order requiring the testing of the nation's milk supply in an effort to increase surveillance of bird flu.
A single mutation in the protein found on the surface of the H5N1 influenza strain circulating in U.S. dairy cows could enable 鈥渆asier transmission among humans,鈥 per published in Science.
Morocco is producing mpox tests for the first time鈥攁nother step in Africa鈥檚 quest for independence when it comes to sourcing medical supplies.
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has reversed a policy that would have tied reimbursements for anesthesia to time limits, after widespread outcry from anesthesiologists. GHN鈥橲 BEST OF 2024: STAFF PICKS For our annual 鈥淏est of鈥 series running daily for the next couple weeks, GHN team members share their picks for 2024's most memorable work. GHN鈥檚 ace morning writer and trusted news adviser Kate Harrison Belz kicks off our series. A child at Nduru camp, Kisumu City, Kenya. August 16, 2024. Scovian Lillian Kate鈥檚 Picks I distill articles for GHN's newsletter summaries, which involves a lot of caffeine and curiosity. I have long been intrigued by the ways public health, environment, and infrastructure intersect鈥攁n interest that has intensified after living through the devastation of Hurricane Helene in Asheville, N.C., where I live. As we begin recovery here, I find myself often mulling over articles like the ones below. How can we better steward our natural and built environments to strengthen our shared health? 鈥Kate Harrison Belz, GHN writer Best GHN Exclusive: Deadly floods in Kenya this spring left behind a wake of cholera and other infectious diseases. In this exclusive, reporter Scovian Lillian explores how weather surveillance and disease surveillance can be more closely linked鈥攁nd potentially save lives. Best Must-Read: Planting trees in urban areas has well-established climate benefits: cooling, pollution control, and stormwater absorption. But trees鈥 impact on human health is becoming more clear, thanks to the University of Louisville鈥檚 Green Heart Louisville project: 鈥渁 clinical trial where trees are the medicine.鈥 鈥Bloomberg CityLab Best Commentary: NEGLECTED DISEASES Women on the Front Lines of Lymphatic Filariasis
The mosquito-borne disease lymphatic filariasis鈥攃ommonly known as elephantiasis for the severe swelling it causes鈥攖akes an especially heavy toll on women in India, where the disease is endemic.
More vulnerable: Women, especially in poor, rural regions, are more vulnerable due to daily outdoor chores.
Bigger barriers: Women have less access to health care, with 15.5% of rural women in India reporting that they struggle to get permission for medical treatment, and 24.7% struggling to obtain money for treatment.
- While annual mass drug administration campaigns aim to reduce transmission, mistrust and lack of awareness keep the preventive medicines out of women鈥檚 reach.
Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous chemical in the U.S.鈥攁 鈥渨orkhorse鈥 of commercial enterprises ranging from making furniture to sterilizing food.
But it is incredibly toxic:
- Formaldehyde causes more cancer than any other chemical air pollutant, and can increase risk of miscarriages, fertility problems, and asthma.
- It pollutes air even inside homes as it leaks from household products.
- The EPA was poised to make some initial reforms this year鈥攂ut those efforts will likely be suspended under the new presidential administration.
Hundreds more migrants have died in Rio Grande crossings than U.S., Mexico reported 鈥
鈥楳y right side was paralysed, I was so sick鈥: the pesticide poisonings in Brazil that lead back to the UK 鈥
Increases in U.S. life expectancy forecasted to stall by 2050, poorer health expected to cause nation鈥檚 global ranking to drop鈥
CTE Evident in Brains of Deceased Ice Hockey Players 鈥 Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe
How the Messy Process of Milking Cows Can Spread Bird Flu 鈥
Latin American journals are open-access pioneers. Now, they need an audience 鈥 Issue No. 2826
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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: When Famine Warnings Falter; SCOTUS Case Has 鈥楳ajor Implications鈥 for Transgender Care; and 鈥嬧嬧榊ou Know Who You Look Like鈥?鈥
Global famine warning system is often obstructed and undermined, a Reuters investigation found
December 5, 2024
Palestinians gather to receive food cooked by a charity kitchen amid the hunger crisis that continues in Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip, December 1. Saeed Jaras/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images
When Famine Warnings Falter
To prevent mass starvation in any country, alarms must be sounded early about food crises, and on-the-ground famine conditions monitored closely.
That鈥檚 the work of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)鈥攁n independent global partnership designed to issue warnings of impending food crises and activate interventions.
But increasingly, the effectiveness of this warning system is obstructed and undermined, finds an .
Obstacles include:
Conflict: Long and brutal fighting in places like Gaza and Sudan blocks the collection of critical malnutrition and mortality data.
Childhood exposure to lead in gasoline has been linked to 150 million+ excess psychiatric disorder cases over the last 75 years, estimates a published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, which analyzed childhood blood lead levels from 1940 to 2015.
Chikungunya outbreaks have become "explosive鈥 and 鈥渦npredictable" as climate change and urbanization enable its spread into new regions鈥攄isabling millions and costing billions, per a new in BMJ Global Health.
An Ebola vaccination campaign is launching in Sierra Leone, with 20,000 frontline health workers receiving a preventive vaccine a decade after the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.
Daytime TV ads for junk food and sugary snacks will be banned from daytime television in the UK, as the government tries to battle high rates of obesity and tooth decay among children. LGBTQ RIGHTS In SCOTUS Case, 鈥楳ajor Implications鈥 for Transgender Care
A case argued yesterday before the U.S. Supreme Court could shape the future of transition care for minors in the U.S.鈥攁nd shape other areas of health care policy across the country.
Background: The case, U.S. v. Skrmetti, challenges a 2023 Tennessee law that prohibits medical providers from prescribing puberty blockers, starting hormone therapy, or performing gender-affirming surgery for patients under 18, .
Wider ramifications: The Court鈥檚 decision could have 鈥渕ajor implications鈥 for transgender people of all ages in terms of states鈥 attempts to restrict other areas of health care, particularly reproductive health,
What鈥檚 next: The justices are expected to rule in the case next spring.
Related: For Families of Transgender Children, Tennessee鈥檚 Ban Forces Hard Choices GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS New Protections for Sex Workers in Belgium
Sex workers in Belgium will have new labor protections and rights under a law that goes into effect this week. The rules, which advocates described as a 鈥渞evolution,鈥 follow the country鈥檚 2022 decision to decriminalize sex work.
New protections include:
Low-stakes debates are a balm in unsettling times.
Today, it鈥檚 an onslaught of lookalike contests for Hollywood 鈥渋t鈥 boys like Timoth茅e Chalamet鈥攚ho showed up to his own lookalike contest, but somehow didn鈥檛 win.
Paltry prizes: Paul Mescal鈥檚 Dublin double raked in 鈧20, 鈥渙r three pints鈥; Jeremy Allen White鈥檚 lookalike got $50 and a pack of Marlboro Reds, the .
But lookalike life is a lucrative gig for some. This rakes in 拢30,000 a year when his doppelganger has an album out鈥攁nd much less when he doesn鈥檛.
The trend has inspired many a think piece about the contests鈥 genderedness, their value to society鈥 and who gets to participate. It鈥檚 all fun and games for cheek-boney A-listers, but 鈥淲here are the celebrity lookalike competitions for bald middle-aged men like me?鈥 one . QUICK HITS Report highlights danger of splash pads for waterborne diseases 鈥
The quest for a longer-lasting whooping cough vaccine 鈥
Middle-school student scientists discover cancer-fighting compound in goose poop 鈥
Tuberculosis Bacteria Vulnerable to Substances from Peat Bog Fungi 鈥
Britain drug-cost watchdog says it will recommend Lilly obesity drug 鈥
A few bursts of vigorous movement a day may cut women's heart risks, study says 鈥
Ancient Germanic Warriors Took Drugs When Preparing for Battle, Study Suggests 鈥 Issue No. 2825
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
To prevent mass starvation in any country, alarms must be sounded early about food crises, and on-the-ground famine conditions monitored closely.
That鈥檚 the work of the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC)鈥攁n independent global partnership designed to issue warnings of impending food crises and activate interventions.
But increasingly, the effectiveness of this warning system is obstructed and undermined, finds an .
Obstacles include:
Conflict: Long and brutal fighting in places like Gaza and Sudan blocks the collection of critical malnutrition and mortality data.
- 鈥淭he single largest driver of hunger in the world is conflict. This means that people who are most desperately in need are in the hardest-to-reach areas,鈥 said Deepmala Mahla, chief humanitarian officer for CARE.
Childhood exposure to lead in gasoline has been linked to 150 million+ excess psychiatric disorder cases over the last 75 years, estimates a published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, which analyzed childhood blood lead levels from 1940 to 2015.
Chikungunya outbreaks have become "explosive鈥 and 鈥渦npredictable" as climate change and urbanization enable its spread into new regions鈥攄isabling millions and costing billions, per a new in BMJ Global Health.
An Ebola vaccination campaign is launching in Sierra Leone, with 20,000 frontline health workers receiving a preventive vaccine a decade after the deadliest Ebola outbreak in history.
Daytime TV ads for junk food and sugary snacks will be banned from daytime television in the UK, as the government tries to battle high rates of obesity and tooth decay among children. LGBTQ RIGHTS In SCOTUS Case, 鈥楳ajor Implications鈥 for Transgender Care
A case argued yesterday before the U.S. Supreme Court could shape the future of transition care for minors in the U.S.鈥攁nd shape other areas of health care policy across the country.
Background: The case, U.S. v. Skrmetti, challenges a 2023 Tennessee law that prohibits medical providers from prescribing puberty blockers, starting hormone therapy, or performing gender-affirming surgery for patients under 18, .
- But those same treatments are permitted for minors for other conditions. So the question at the core of the case is whether Tennessee鈥檚 ban on gender-affirming care for youth unconstitutionally discriminates against people on the basis of sex.
Wider ramifications: The Court鈥檚 decision could have 鈥渕ajor implications鈥 for transgender people of all ages in terms of states鈥 attempts to restrict other areas of health care, particularly reproductive health,
What鈥檚 next: The justices are expected to rule in the case next spring.
Related: For Families of Transgender Children, Tennessee鈥檚 Ban Forces Hard Choices GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS New Protections for Sex Workers in Belgium
Sex workers in Belgium will have new labor protections and rights under a law that goes into effect this week. The rules, which advocates described as a 鈥渞evolution,鈥 follow the country鈥檚 2022 decision to decriminalize sex work.
New protections include:
- Formal employment contracts.
- Regulated pay and hours.
- Health insurance, paid leave, maternity benefits, and pensions.
- The right to refuse clients and stop activities at any point.
- Background checks for human trafficking and sex assault convictions.
- Strict safety protocols including emergency buttons in workspaces and provision of hygiene products.
Low-stakes debates are a balm in unsettling times.
Today, it鈥檚 an onslaught of lookalike contests for Hollywood 鈥渋t鈥 boys like Timoth茅e Chalamet鈥攚ho showed up to his own lookalike contest, but somehow didn鈥檛 win.
Paltry prizes: Paul Mescal鈥檚 Dublin double raked in 鈧20, 鈥渙r three pints鈥; Jeremy Allen White鈥檚 lookalike got $50 and a pack of Marlboro Reds, the .
But lookalike life is a lucrative gig for some. This rakes in 拢30,000 a year when his doppelganger has an album out鈥攁nd much less when he doesn鈥檛.
The trend has inspired many a think piece about the contests鈥 genderedness, their value to society鈥 and who gets to participate. It鈥檚 all fun and games for cheek-boney A-listers, but 鈥淲here are the celebrity lookalike competitions for bald middle-aged men like me?鈥 one . QUICK HITS Report highlights danger of splash pads for waterborne diseases 鈥
The quest for a longer-lasting whooping cough vaccine 鈥
Middle-school student scientists discover cancer-fighting compound in goose poop 鈥
Tuberculosis Bacteria Vulnerable to Substances from Peat Bog Fungi 鈥
Britain drug-cost watchdog says it will recommend Lilly obesity drug 鈥
A few bursts of vigorous movement a day may cut women's heart risks, study says 鈥
Ancient Germanic Warriors Took Drugs When Preparing for Battle, Study Suggests 鈥 Issue No. 2825
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Global Aid 鈥極verstretched, Underfunded, Under Attack鈥; Valley Fever on the Rise; and Pork Pollution Poisoning Mexican Villages
December 4, 2024
Displaced Sudanese queue for food aid at a camp in the eastern city of Gedaref, on September 23. Ebrahim Hamid/AFP via Getty
Global Aid 鈥極verstretched, Underfunded, Under Attack鈥
As global crises compound and aid funding shrinks, a 鈥渞uthless鈥 reallocation of funds will be required to meet the most dire needs, warns the UN鈥檚 new humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, .
Shifting political landscape: Fletcher acknowledged the need to win over the incoming Trump administration in the U.S.鈥攖he UN鈥檚 biggest single donor鈥攁long with a 鈥渘umber of governments who will be more questioning鈥 of the UN.
Meanwhile: ~281 humanitarian workers have been killed in 2024, 鈥攎ore than in any other year.
Related: Live updates: Global Humanitarian Overview launch 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Children seen playing in hazardous floodwaters in Malaysia raised concerns that waterborne illnesses could spread following torrential floods that killed dozens and displaced thousands last week; relief centers have reported nearly 5,000 cases of infectious diseases so far.
Ambassador John Nkengasong, head of the U.S. President鈥檚 Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, said that as a political appointee, he will be obliged to offer his resignation when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated in January鈥攂ut he expressed hope that PEPFAR, a bipartisan program since its launch in 2003, will be reauthorized.
A U.S. House COVID-19 panel has released its final report on the pandemic, criticizing the public health response and common mitigation efforts, and concluding that the virus most likely emerged from a laboratory鈥攁 theory disputed by federal agencies.
Animals at a Wuhan market were infected with a virus around the time COVID-19 emerged, per a new analysis of genomic data collected from the market that has not yet been peer reviewed. DATA POINT INFECTIOUS DISEASES Valley Fever on the Rise
As more cases of the fungal infection Valley fever are being reported across the Southwest, researchers are looking at two key risk factors鈥攂oth impacted by climate change and land development.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Pork Pollution Poisoning Mexican Villages
Yucat谩n residents say hundreds of pig 鈥渕ega-farms鈥濃攈olding up to 50,000 pigs each鈥攑ollute the local water supply with waste, hormones, and antibiotics, contaminating drinking water and spreading harmful bacteria like E. coli.
ICYMI: The Many Costs of Cheap Chicken 鈥 OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS 鈥楳y screams went unheard鈥: Women and girls suffer in Kenya鈥檚 worst drought in 40 years 鈥
Beatriz v El Salvador: the abortion case that could set a precedent across Latin America 鈥
How Soweto is fighting ill health from gold mine dumps 鈥
Ferret study suggests connection between H5N1 shedding in air and transmissibility 鈥
Burning old TVs to survive: The toxic trade in electrical waste 鈥
Trump's immigration crackdown could reduce caregiving workforce 鈥
How a scandal over sanitary pads is shaping feminist activism in China 鈥
I got malaria on purpose and so can you 鈥 Issue No. 2824
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
As global crises compound and aid funding shrinks, a 鈥渞uthless鈥 reallocation of funds will be required to meet the most dire needs, warns the UN鈥檚 new humanitarian chief Tom Fletcher, .
- The humanitarian sector 鈥渋s overstretched, it鈥檚 underfunded and it鈥檚 literally under attack,鈥 Fletcher said, .
- But realistically, just ~190 million people can be reached with the $47.4 billion it is seeking.
- The UN鈥檚 funding appeal for 2024 was only 43% fulfilled.
Shifting political landscape: Fletcher acknowledged the need to win over the incoming Trump administration in the U.S.鈥攖he UN鈥檚 biggest single donor鈥攁long with a 鈥渘umber of governments who will be more questioning鈥 of the UN.
Meanwhile: ~281 humanitarian workers have been killed in 2024, 鈥攎ore than in any other year.
Related: Live updates: Global Humanitarian Overview launch 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Children seen playing in hazardous floodwaters in Malaysia raised concerns that waterborne illnesses could spread following torrential floods that killed dozens and displaced thousands last week; relief centers have reported nearly 5,000 cases of infectious diseases so far.
Ambassador John Nkengasong, head of the U.S. President鈥檚 Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, said that as a political appointee, he will be obliged to offer his resignation when President-elect Donald Trump is inaugurated in January鈥攂ut he expressed hope that PEPFAR, a bipartisan program since its launch in 2003, will be reauthorized.
A U.S. House COVID-19 panel has released its final report on the pandemic, criticizing the public health response and common mitigation efforts, and concluding that the virus most likely emerged from a laboratory鈥攁 theory disputed by federal agencies.
Animals at a Wuhan market were infected with a virus around the time COVID-19 emerged, per a new analysis of genomic data collected from the market that has not yet been peer reviewed. DATA POINT INFECTIOUS DISEASES Valley Fever on the Rise
As more cases of the fungal infection Valley fever are being reported across the Southwest, researchers are looking at two key risk factors鈥攂oth impacted by climate change and land development.
- Environment: With ramped-up development and increased drought from a rapidly warming climate, dust storms have intensified. Spores that lead to Valley fever can be inhaled with the dust, with construction and agriculture workers especially vulnerable.
- Animal hosts: As small mammals see their habitats disrupted and move into areas closer to humans, they could carry Valley fever鈥攊ncreasing the risk of zoonotic disease.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Pork Pollution Poisoning Mexican Villages
Yucat谩n residents say hundreds of pig 鈥渕ega-farms鈥濃攈olding up to 50,000 pigs each鈥攑ollute the local water supply with waste, hormones, and antibiotics, contaminating drinking water and spreading harmful bacteria like E. coli.
- Many of these farms operate without environmental permits and have caused significant deforestation and destruction of ecosystems important for local communities, particularly Maya villages.
ICYMI: The Many Costs of Cheap Chicken 鈥 OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS 鈥楳y screams went unheard鈥: Women and girls suffer in Kenya鈥檚 worst drought in 40 years 鈥
Beatriz v El Salvador: the abortion case that could set a precedent across Latin America 鈥
How Soweto is fighting ill health from gold mine dumps 鈥
Ferret study suggests connection between H5N1 shedding in air and transmissibility 鈥
Burning old TVs to survive: The toxic trade in electrical waste 鈥
Trump's immigration crackdown could reduce caregiving workforce 鈥
How a scandal over sanitary pads is shaping feminist activism in China 鈥
I got malaria on purpose and so can you 鈥 Issue No. 2824
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Who Controls U.S. Public Health?; A Major Shift in UK鈥檚 End-of-Life Legislation; and Cartels Recruiting Chemistry Students
December 3, 2024
A tour group lies on the decorative rotunda floor in the Nebraska State Capitol in Lincoln. June 13, 2019. Joel Sartore Photography/Design Pics Editorial/Universal Images Group via Getty
Who Controls U.S. Public Health鈥攖he Feds or the States?
The U.S. government鈥檚 approach to public health seems certain to change when the second Trump administration begins on January 20, 2025. But what powers do states have to act on their own public health priorities?
Reporter Joanne Silberner investigates the complicated, constantly evolving public health powers of states and the U.S. government, detailing:
EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE Celebrate 10 Years of GHN With a Gift Today
Hey Readers,
Today, we鈥檙e celebrating Giving Tuesday by announcing our . Your generosity in previous campaigns鈥攖he last was two years ago鈥攈as fueled incredible achievements: publishing 2,823 newsletter issues and launching the Local Reporting Initiative, which has delivered dozens of exclusive stories from around the globe.
Today, please help us launch the next decade of our newsletter and independent reporting on critical global public health challenges and solutions.
Please join me in supporting GHN.
All best,
Brian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners A mystery illness with flu-like symptoms killed 143 people in southwest DRC in November, and infections are still rising; the country鈥檚 public health ministry is investigating with WHO support.
Injections of benralizumab, a monoclonal antibody treatment for asthma and COPD patients, proved more effective than steroid tablets in a , cutting the need for further treatment by 30%鈥攁nd introducing the first asthma treatment breakthrough in 50 years.
Intra-abdominal fat in midlife can predict risk for Alzheimer鈥檚 disease in later years, per Washington University School of Medicine-led research that assessed the impact of different types of fat on amyloid levels in the brain (an early indicator of risk).
Depression significantly affects period pain, or dysmenorrhea, that also identified key genes and proteins involved, underlining the need for depression screening for women presenting with period pain. SUBSTANCE USE Cartels Recruiting Chemistry Students
As Mexican cartels seek to dominate the fentanyl market, they are increasingly turning to a new source for recruits: university chemistry labs.
The goal: Cartels are awarding chemistry students high salaries and other incentives in hopes of building a motivated workforce that can help make fentanyl more potent.
The bigger ambition: Cartels are trying to synthesize chemical compounds known as 鈥減recursors鈥 that are key to making fentanyl, which would free them from being dependent on China for production.
If they succeed: Mexico could control the fentanyl supply chain鈥攎aking it more difficult for law enforcement in both Mexico and the U.S. to stop the flow of the deadly drug.
British lawmakers have advanced legislation that gives some terminally ill patients a pathway to end their lives鈥攁 major shift in a years-long cultural debate, .
Details: In a 330 to 275 vote last Friday, the House of Commons approved a bill that would grant the option of assisted dying to people over 18 in England and Wales with a terminal diagnosis and a life expectancy of six months or less.
Background: The bill signals 鈥渙ne of the most profound social changes in the country in decades,鈥 . The last time an assisted dying bill came before the House in 2015, it was defeated 330 to 118.
Concerns: Bill opponents are worried that the legislation will lead to coercion of vulnerable people such as older people or people with disabilities.
What鈥檚 next: The measure goes to parliamentary committees before returning to the House of Commons for another vote.
Related:
How assisted dying has spread across the world and how laws differ 鈥嬧嬧
What It Means to Legalize Assisted Death 鈥 QUICK HITS Malaria vaccine rolled out in world's worst-affected country 鈥
Supreme Court justices question block on flavored vapes, but don鈥檛 appear convinced FDA was unfair 鈥
New Report: Life Expectancy Years Shorter in the United States Compared to the United Kingdom 鈥
En route to a 鈥渇unctional cure鈥 for HIV 鈥
Eliminating Rabies in Africa Must Begin with Quality Data 鈥
Why every medic needs to know basic sign language 鈥
Disability rights: UN chief calls for amplified leadership roles to shape more inclusive future 鈥
How a middle schooler found a new compound in a piece of goose poop 鈥 Issue No. 2823
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, Aliza Rosen, 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 2024 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 U.S. government鈥檚 approach to public health seems certain to change when the second Trump administration begins on January 20, 2025. But what powers do states have to act on their own public health priorities?
Reporter Joanne Silberner investigates the complicated, constantly evolving public health powers of states and the U.S. government, detailing:
- The USG鈥檚 immense power of the purse.
- The legal mandates and Congressional appropriations that could make it harder to cut CDC funding for state and local vaccination programs.
- States鈥 abilities to counterpunch against federal requirements with lawsuits.
EDITOR鈥橲 NOTE Celebrate 10 Years of GHN With a Gift Today
Hey Readers,
Today, we鈥檙e celebrating Giving Tuesday by announcing our . Your generosity in previous campaigns鈥攖he last was two years ago鈥攈as fueled incredible achievements: publishing 2,823 newsletter issues and launching the Local Reporting Initiative, which has delivered dozens of exclusive stories from around the globe.
Today, please help us launch the next decade of our newsletter and independent reporting on critical global public health challenges and solutions.
Please join me in supporting GHN.
All best,
Brian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners A mystery illness with flu-like symptoms killed 143 people in southwest DRC in November, and infections are still rising; the country鈥檚 public health ministry is investigating with WHO support.
Injections of benralizumab, a monoclonal antibody treatment for asthma and COPD patients, proved more effective than steroid tablets in a , cutting the need for further treatment by 30%鈥攁nd introducing the first asthma treatment breakthrough in 50 years.
Intra-abdominal fat in midlife can predict risk for Alzheimer鈥檚 disease in later years, per Washington University School of Medicine-led research that assessed the impact of different types of fat on amyloid levels in the brain (an early indicator of risk).
Depression significantly affects period pain, or dysmenorrhea, that also identified key genes and proteins involved, underlining the need for depression screening for women presenting with period pain. SUBSTANCE USE Cartels Recruiting Chemistry Students
As Mexican cartels seek to dominate the fentanyl market, they are increasingly turning to a new source for recruits: university chemistry labs.
The goal: Cartels are awarding chemistry students high salaries and other incentives in hopes of building a motivated workforce that can help make fentanyl more potent.
The bigger ambition: Cartels are trying to synthesize chemical compounds known as 鈥減recursors鈥 that are key to making fentanyl, which would free them from being dependent on China for production.
If they succeed: Mexico could control the fentanyl supply chain鈥攎aking it more difficult for law enforcement in both Mexico and the U.S. to stop the flow of the deadly drug.
- 鈥淚t would make us the kings of Mexico,鈥 said one chemistry student turned cook.
British lawmakers have advanced legislation that gives some terminally ill patients a pathway to end their lives鈥攁 major shift in a years-long cultural debate, .
Details: In a 330 to 275 vote last Friday, the House of Commons approved a bill that would grant the option of assisted dying to people over 18 in England and Wales with a terminal diagnosis and a life expectancy of six months or less.
Background: The bill signals 鈥渙ne of the most profound social changes in the country in decades,鈥 . The last time an assisted dying bill came before the House in 2015, it was defeated 330 to 118.
Concerns: Bill opponents are worried that the legislation will lead to coercion of vulnerable people such as older people or people with disabilities.
What鈥檚 next: The measure goes to parliamentary committees before returning to the House of Commons for another vote.
Related:
How assisted dying has spread across the world and how laws differ 鈥嬧嬧
What It Means to Legalize Assisted Death 鈥 QUICK HITS Malaria vaccine rolled out in world's worst-affected country 鈥
Supreme Court justices question block on flavored vapes, but don鈥檛 appear convinced FDA was unfair 鈥
New Report: Life Expectancy Years Shorter in the United States Compared to the United Kingdom 鈥
En route to a 鈥渇unctional cure鈥 for HIV 鈥
Eliminating Rabies in Africa Must Begin with Quality Data 鈥
Why every medic needs to know basic sign language 鈥
Disability rights: UN chief calls for amplified leadership roles to shape more inclusive future 鈥
How a middle schooler found a new compound in a piece of goose poop 鈥 Issue No. 2823
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: AIDS at a Juncture; November Recap; and Foodborne Pathogens Flourishing
December 2, 2024
Young children with face paint pose for a photo during the World AIDS Day program in Kolkata, India, on December 1, 2021. Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty
AIDS at a Juncture
The AIDS epidemic is at a 鈥渉istoric crossroads.鈥
The end of AIDS as a pandemic is in sight, with effective treatments and a revolutionary new vaccine on deck. Yet discrimination keeps lifesaving treatment out of reach for too many, and critical gains remain under threat.
Those are findings of the new released for World AIDS Day, which called for a 鈥渞ights-based approach鈥 to fighting the epidemic, .
Key points of the report:
COVID-19 pneumonia is more likely to develop in men than women, per a new in Scientific Reports that found that 12% of men in Mexico were likely to develop the condition during the early days of the pandemic, compared with 7% of women.
Trump鈥檚 pick for NIH head is health economist Jay Bhattacharya, who criticized pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates and promoted 鈥渉erd immunity,鈥 the idea that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection.
Indigenous groups are among the speakers at global negotiations to curb plastic pollution, saying the entire life cycle of plastic鈥攆rom oil production to pollution to microplastics in water鈥攑oses health threats to Indigenous communities worldwide. NOVEMBER鈥橲 MUST-READS Fading Fear of HIV Tied to Rise in STIs
In South Africa鈥檚 wealthy Gauteng province, HIV infections are falling鈥攚ith condoms, PrEP, PEP, and antiretroviral drugs credited for slashing new infections. But other sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis and gonorrhea, are on the rise amid an apparent false sense of security鈥攚ith sex workers reporting that younger clients in particular resist condoms, arguing they are safe because of anti-HIV treatments.
Superbugs Thriving in War
A 鈥済rowing and dire鈥 crisis of antimicrobial resistance is taking hold in Gaza, as attacks on hospitals and blockades leave doctors with few tools to fight infections. Critical antibiotics remain unavailable, and many infections are unresponsive to the limited antibiotics at hand鈥攔esulting in amputations and death. With so few drugs, 鈥渘urses have a bottle of vinegar on the wound-dressing shelf鈥 to treat infections, said Gaza physician Khaled al Shawwa.
LGBTQ Afghans Targeted by the Taliban
Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, LGBTQ citizens have endured 鈥渨idespread鈥 physical and sexual violence in detention centers, human rights groups report. One group, Roshaniya, has documented 825 instances of violence against LGBTQ people in Afghanistan, including beatings, arrests, and detention鈥攁nd emphasized the number was likely an undercount.
How 鈥楥lick鈥 Cigarettes Hook Latin American Teens
A dizzying array of cigarette flavors鈥攍emonade, apple, lollipop, strawberry鈥攁re enticing young people across Latin America to try smoking, and keeping them hooked. Despite promises to phase out traditional tobacco products, Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco have made these 鈥渇lavor capsule鈥 or 鈥渃lick鈥 cigarettes a staple in countries including Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia while fighting regional efforts to ban the products, a joint investigation by The Examination, Per煤鈥檚 Salud con lupa, and Chile鈥檚 LaBot news outlets reveals.
UnitedHealth鈥檚 Punishing Playbook
UnitedHealth Group, the U.S.鈥檚 biggest insurance conglomerate, has deployed algorithms and other strategies to identify those 鈥渙verusing鈥 mental health services鈥攁nd then limited or revoked coverage for some of the nation鈥檚 most vulnerable patients. This investigative story details the company鈥檚 playbook for coverage denials鈥攄espite a series of lawsuits, and regardless, therapists say, of the severity of their patients鈥 issues. NOVEMBER鈥橲 EXCLUSIVES An NG Biotech employee manufactures "Carba" tests, an antibiotic resistance test in Guipry, western France. April 6, 2020. Damien Meyer / AFP via Getty Report:
Rwanda鈥檚 rapid-fire efforts to contain its first-ever Marburg outbreak won praise as 鈥渦nprecedented.鈥
Key success factors:
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CLIMATE CRISIS Foodborne Pathogens Flourishing
Higher temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns are creating prime conditions for foodborne illnesses to proliferate, researchers are warning.
RESOURCES QUICK HITS Africa CDC launches continental blueprint to combat endemic, neglected tropical diseases 鈥
Long a 鈥楥rown Jewel鈥 of Government, N.I.H. Is Now a Target 鈥
Why Fluoride Is Necessary for Public Health 鈥
Starlink roll-out across Africa could transform digital health services 鈥
Dengue: a hidden threat in blood transfusions amidst Brazil's largest outbreak? 鈥
Measuring the Impact of Training the Trainers: Lessons From Pilots and Plastic Surgeons 鈥
What鈥檚 the secret to living to 100? Centenarian stem cells could offer clues 鈥
Ed Sheeran and Fuse ODG rebuke Band Aid charity song. We ask Kenyans to weigh in 鈥
Libraries are offering free health and wellness classes across the US 鈥 November 2024
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
The AIDS epidemic is at a 鈥渉istoric crossroads.鈥
The end of AIDS as a pandemic is in sight, with effective treatments and a revolutionary new vaccine on deck. Yet discrimination keeps lifesaving treatment out of reach for too many, and critical gains remain under threat.
Those are findings of the new released for World AIDS Day, which called for a 鈥渞ights-based approach鈥 to fighting the epidemic, .
Key points of the report:
- One-quarter of people living with HIV鈥9 million+ people鈥攍ack access to lifesaving treatment.
- LGBTQ+ people are underserved in 63 countries that still criminalize them.
- Women and girls are especially vulnerable, accounting for 62% of new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa last year.
- Children remain unreached, with just 57% of children with HIV and 65% of adolescents having access to antiretroviral therapy.
- The shot, lenacapavir, is already sold under the brand name Sunlenca to treat HIV infections, but Gilead is now seeking authorization to use it for prevention.
- And in the U.S., fear is especially acute that the incoming Trump administration will sow AIDS disinformation and denialism, writes Jason Rosenberg in a .
COVID-19 pneumonia is more likely to develop in men than women, per a new in Scientific Reports that found that 12% of men in Mexico were likely to develop the condition during the early days of the pandemic, compared with 7% of women.
Trump鈥檚 pick for NIH head is health economist Jay Bhattacharya, who criticized pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates and promoted 鈥渉erd immunity,鈥 the idea that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection.
Indigenous groups are among the speakers at global negotiations to curb plastic pollution, saying the entire life cycle of plastic鈥攆rom oil production to pollution to microplastics in water鈥攑oses health threats to Indigenous communities worldwide. NOVEMBER鈥橲 MUST-READS Fading Fear of HIV Tied to Rise in STIs
In South Africa鈥檚 wealthy Gauteng province, HIV infections are falling鈥攚ith condoms, PrEP, PEP, and antiretroviral drugs credited for slashing new infections. But other sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis and gonorrhea, are on the rise amid an apparent false sense of security鈥攚ith sex workers reporting that younger clients in particular resist condoms, arguing they are safe because of anti-HIV treatments.
Superbugs Thriving in War
A 鈥済rowing and dire鈥 crisis of antimicrobial resistance is taking hold in Gaza, as attacks on hospitals and blockades leave doctors with few tools to fight infections. Critical antibiotics remain unavailable, and many infections are unresponsive to the limited antibiotics at hand鈥攔esulting in amputations and death. With so few drugs, 鈥渘urses have a bottle of vinegar on the wound-dressing shelf鈥 to treat infections, said Gaza physician Khaled al Shawwa.
LGBTQ Afghans Targeted by the Taliban
Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, LGBTQ citizens have endured 鈥渨idespread鈥 physical and sexual violence in detention centers, human rights groups report. One group, Roshaniya, has documented 825 instances of violence against LGBTQ people in Afghanistan, including beatings, arrests, and detention鈥攁nd emphasized the number was likely an undercount.
How 鈥楥lick鈥 Cigarettes Hook Latin American Teens
A dizzying array of cigarette flavors鈥攍emonade, apple, lollipop, strawberry鈥攁re enticing young people across Latin America to try smoking, and keeping them hooked. Despite promises to phase out traditional tobacco products, Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco have made these 鈥渇lavor capsule鈥 or 鈥渃lick鈥 cigarettes a staple in countries including Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia while fighting regional efforts to ban the products, a joint investigation by The Examination, Per煤鈥檚 Salud con lupa, and Chile鈥檚 LaBot news outlets reveals.
UnitedHealth鈥檚 Punishing Playbook
UnitedHealth Group, the U.S.鈥檚 biggest insurance conglomerate, has deployed algorithms and other strategies to identify those 鈥渙verusing鈥 mental health services鈥攁nd then limited or revoked coverage for some of the nation鈥檚 most vulnerable patients. This investigative story details the company鈥檚 playbook for coverage denials鈥攄espite a series of lawsuits, and regardless, therapists say, of the severity of their patients鈥 issues. NOVEMBER鈥橲 EXCLUSIVES An NG Biotech employee manufactures "Carba" tests, an antibiotic resistance test in Guipry, western France. April 6, 2020. Damien Meyer / AFP via Getty Report:
- By Annalies Winny
- By Brian W. Simpson
- By Brian W. Simpson
- By Dayna Kerecman Myers
- Walter Orenstein:
- Kristi Saporito:
Rwanda鈥檚 rapid-fire efforts to contain its first-ever Marburg outbreak won praise as 鈥渦nprecedented.鈥
Key success factors:
- Extensive testing and contact tracing.
- Solid and well-connected health infrastructure and well-trained health professionals.
- Experimental vaccines and treatments.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CLIMATE CRISIS Foodborne Pathogens Flourishing
Higher temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns are creating prime conditions for foodborne illnesses to proliferate, researchers are warning.
- For every 1掳C rise in temperature, the risk of bacterial infection from Salmonella and Campylobacter increases by 5%, published in October in eBiomedicine.
- Extreme heat makes food supplies vulnerable to pathogens including Salmonella spp., E. coli, and Campylobacter jejuni, per a review published in June in Climatic Change.
- Meanwhile, runoff from more frequent flooding is contaminating agricultural produce meant to be consumed raw.
RESOURCES QUICK HITS Africa CDC launches continental blueprint to combat endemic, neglected tropical diseases 鈥
Long a 鈥楥rown Jewel鈥 of Government, N.I.H. Is Now a Target 鈥
Why Fluoride Is Necessary for Public Health 鈥
Starlink roll-out across Africa could transform digital health services 鈥
Dengue: a hidden threat in blood transfusions amidst Brazil's largest outbreak? 鈥
Measuring the Impact of Training the Trainers: Lessons From Pilots and Plastic Surgeons 鈥
What鈥檚 the secret to living to 100? Centenarian stem cells could offer clues 鈥
Ed Sheeran and Fuse ODG rebuke Band Aid charity song. We ask Kenyans to weigh in 鈥
Libraries are offering free health and wellness classes across the US 鈥 November 2024
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
A Strong Future for Global Health NOW
You鈥檙e among the first to know about this year鈥檚 fundraising campaign.
December 2, 2024
Students at a vaccination event Don Det, Laos, on April 27, 2023. Antoine Lassalle/Getty)
Dear Reader,
As one of our most loyal Global Health NOW subscribers and a valued donor, we want you to be among the first to know about this year鈥檚 fundraising campaign celebrating our 10th anniversary.
Tomorrow, we'll ask our readers to make a gift to support Global Health NOW.鈥
Your generosity in Global Health NOW鈥檚 previous campaigns鈥攖he last was two years ago鈥攈as helped us to publish 2,822 newsletter issues and launch the Local Reporting Initiative, which has published dozens of exclusive articles from all over the world.鈥 Please give today to support our next decade of important, independent reporting. We鈥檙e committed to keeping GHN free to all. With your support, we will embark on another 10 years of sharing critical, timely knowledge on a global scale and publishing articles and commentaries available nowhere else. I hope you鈥檒l in giving to Global Health NOW. With gratitude, Brian Brian W. Simpson, MPH Editor-in-Chief Global Health NOW bsimpso1@jhu.edu
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
As one of our most loyal Global Health NOW subscribers and a valued donor, we want you to be among the first to know about this year鈥檚 fundraising campaign celebrating our 10th anniversary.
Tomorrow, we'll ask our readers to make a gift to support Global Health NOW.鈥
Your generosity in Global Health NOW鈥檚 previous campaigns鈥攖he last was two years ago鈥攈as helped us to publish 2,822 newsletter issues and launch the Local Reporting Initiative, which has published dozens of exclusive articles from all over the world.鈥 Please give today to support our next decade of important, independent reporting. We鈥檙e committed to keeping GHN free to all. With your support, we will embark on another 10 years of sharing critical, timely knowledge on a global scale and publishing articles and commentaries available nowhere else. I hope you鈥檒l in giving to Global Health NOW. With gratitude, Brian Brian W. Simpson, MPH Editor-in-Chief Global Health NOW bsimpso1@jhu.edu
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: AIDS at a Juncture; November Recap; and Foodborne Pathogens Flourishing
December 2, 2024
Young children with face paint pose for a photo during the World AIDS Day program in Kolkata, India, on December 1, 2021. Avishek Das/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty
AIDS at a Juncture
The AIDS epidemic is at a 鈥渉istoric crossroads.鈥
The end of AIDS as a pandemic is in sight, with effective treatments and a revolutionary new vaccine on deck. Yet discrimination keeps lifesaving treatment out of reach for too many, and critical gains remain under threat.
Those are findings of the new released for World AIDS Day, which called for a 鈥渞ights-based approach鈥 to fighting the epidemic, .
Key points of the report:
COVID-19 pneumonia is more likely to develop in men than women, per a new in Scientific Reports that found that 12% of men in Mexico were likely to develop the condition during the early days of the pandemic, compared with 7% of women.
Trump鈥檚 pick for NIH head is health economist Jay Bhattacharya, who criticized pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates and promoted 鈥渉erd immunity,鈥 the idea that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection.
Indigenous groups are among the speakers at global negotiations to curb plastic pollution, saying the entire life cycle of plastic鈥攆rom oil production to pollution to microplastics in water鈥攑oses health threats to Indigenous communities worldwide. NOVEMBER鈥橲 MUST-READS Fading Fear of HIV Tied to Rise in STIs
In South Africa鈥檚 wealthy Gauteng province, HIV infections are falling鈥攚ith condoms, PrEP, PEP, and antiretroviral drugs credited for slashing new infections. But other sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis and gonorrhea, are on the rise amid an apparent false sense of security鈥攚ith sex workers reporting that younger clients in particular resist condoms, arguing they are safe because of anti-HIV treatments.
Superbugs Thriving in War
A 鈥済rowing and dire鈥 crisis of antimicrobial resistance is taking hold in Gaza, as attacks on hospitals and blockades leave doctors with few tools to fight infections. Critical antibiotics remain unavailable, and many infections are unresponsive to the limited antibiotics at hand鈥攔esulting in amputations and death. With so few drugs, 鈥渘urses have a bottle of vinegar on the wound-dressing shelf鈥 to treat infections, said Gaza physician Khaled al Shawwa.
LGBTQ Afghans Targeted by the Taliban
Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, LGBTQ citizens have endured 鈥渨idespread鈥 physical and sexual violence in detention centers, human rights groups report. One group, Roshaniya, has documented 825 instances of violence against LGBTQ people in Afghanistan, including beatings, arrests, and detention鈥攁nd emphasized the number was likely an undercount.
How 鈥楥lick鈥 Cigarettes Hook Latin American Teens
A dizzying array of cigarette flavors鈥攍emonade, apple, lollipop, strawberry鈥攁re enticing young people across Latin America to try smoking, and keeping them hooked. Despite promises to phase out traditional tobacco products, Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco have made these 鈥渇lavor capsule鈥 or 鈥渃lick鈥 cigarettes a staple in countries including Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia while fighting regional efforts to ban the products, a joint investigation by The Examination, Per煤鈥檚 Salud con lupa, and Chile鈥檚 LaBot news outlets reveals.
UnitedHealth鈥檚 Punishing Playbook
UnitedHealth Group, the U.S.鈥檚 biggest insurance conglomerate, has deployed algorithms and other strategies to identify those 鈥渙verusing鈥 mental health services鈥攁nd then limited or revoked coverage for some of the nation鈥檚 most vulnerable patients. This investigative story details the company鈥檚 playbook for coverage denials鈥攄espite a series of lawsuits, and regardless, therapists say, of the severity of their patients鈥 issues. NOVEMBER鈥橲 EXCLUSIVES An NG Biotech employee manufactures "Carba" tests, an antibiotic resistance test in Guipry, western France. April 6, 2020. Damien Meyer / AFP via Getty Report:
Rwanda鈥檚 rapid-fire efforts to contain its first-ever Marburg outbreak won praise as 鈥渦nprecedented.鈥
Key success factors:
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CLIMATE CRISIS Foodborne Pathogens Flourishing
Higher temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns are creating prime conditions for foodborne illnesses to proliferate, researchers are warning.
RESOURCES QUICK HITS Africa CDC launches continental blueprint to combat endemic, neglected tropical diseases 鈥
Long a 鈥楥rown Jewel鈥 of Government, N.I.H. Is Now a Target 鈥
Why Fluoride Is Necessary for Public Health 鈥
Starlink roll-out across Africa could transform digital health services 鈥
Dengue: a hidden threat in blood transfusions amidst Brazil's largest outbreak? 鈥
Measuring the Impact of Training the Trainers: Lessons From Pilots and Plastic Surgeons 鈥
What鈥檚 the secret to living to 100? Centenarian stem cells could offer clues 鈥
Ed Sheeran and Fuse ODG rebuke Band Aid charity song. We ask Kenyans to weigh in 鈥
Libraries are offering free health and wellness classes across the US 鈥 Issue No. 2822
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
The AIDS epidemic is at a 鈥渉istoric crossroads.鈥
The end of AIDS as a pandemic is in sight, with effective treatments and a revolutionary new vaccine on deck. Yet discrimination keeps lifesaving treatment out of reach for too many, and critical gains remain under threat.
Those are findings of the new released for World AIDS Day, which called for a 鈥渞ights-based approach鈥 to fighting the epidemic, .
Key points of the report:
- One-quarter of people living with HIV鈥9 million+ people鈥攍ack access to lifesaving treatment.
- LGBTQ+ people are underserved in 63 countries that still criminalize them.
- Women and girls are especially vulnerable, accounting for 62% of new HIV infections in sub-Saharan Africa last year.
- Children remain unreached, with just 57% of children with HIV and 65% of adolescents having access to antiretroviral therapy.
- The shot, lenacapavir, is already sold under the brand name Sunlenca to treat HIV infections, but Gilead is now seeking authorization to use it for prevention.
- And in the U.S., fear is especially acute that the incoming Trump administration will sow AIDS disinformation and denialism, writes Jason Rosenberg in a .
COVID-19 pneumonia is more likely to develop in men than women, per a new in Scientific Reports that found that 12% of men in Mexico were likely to develop the condition during the early days of the pandemic, compared with 7% of women.
Trump鈥檚 pick for NIH head is health economist Jay Bhattacharya, who criticized pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates and promoted 鈥渉erd immunity,鈥 the idea that people at low risk should live normally while building up immunity to COVID-19 through infection.
Indigenous groups are among the speakers at global negotiations to curb plastic pollution, saying the entire life cycle of plastic鈥攆rom oil production to pollution to microplastics in water鈥攑oses health threats to Indigenous communities worldwide. NOVEMBER鈥橲 MUST-READS Fading Fear of HIV Tied to Rise in STIs
In South Africa鈥檚 wealthy Gauteng province, HIV infections are falling鈥攚ith condoms, PrEP, PEP, and antiretroviral drugs credited for slashing new infections. But other sexually transmitted infections, including syphilis and gonorrhea, are on the rise amid an apparent false sense of security鈥攚ith sex workers reporting that younger clients in particular resist condoms, arguing they are safe because of anti-HIV treatments.
Superbugs Thriving in War
A 鈥済rowing and dire鈥 crisis of antimicrobial resistance is taking hold in Gaza, as attacks on hospitals and blockades leave doctors with few tools to fight infections. Critical antibiotics remain unavailable, and many infections are unresponsive to the limited antibiotics at hand鈥攔esulting in amputations and death. With so few drugs, 鈥渘urses have a bottle of vinegar on the wound-dressing shelf鈥 to treat infections, said Gaza physician Khaled al Shawwa.
LGBTQ Afghans Targeted by the Taliban
Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, LGBTQ citizens have endured 鈥渨idespread鈥 physical and sexual violence in detention centers, human rights groups report. One group, Roshaniya, has documented 825 instances of violence against LGBTQ people in Afghanistan, including beatings, arrests, and detention鈥攁nd emphasized the number was likely an undercount.
How 鈥楥lick鈥 Cigarettes Hook Latin American Teens
A dizzying array of cigarette flavors鈥攍emonade, apple, lollipop, strawberry鈥攁re enticing young people across Latin America to try smoking, and keeping them hooked. Despite promises to phase out traditional tobacco products, Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco have made these 鈥渇lavor capsule鈥 or 鈥渃lick鈥 cigarettes a staple in countries including Chile, Peru, Argentina, and Bolivia while fighting regional efforts to ban the products, a joint investigation by The Examination, Per煤鈥檚 Salud con lupa, and Chile鈥檚 LaBot news outlets reveals.
UnitedHealth鈥檚 Punishing Playbook
UnitedHealth Group, the U.S.鈥檚 biggest insurance conglomerate, has deployed algorithms and other strategies to identify those 鈥渙verusing鈥 mental health services鈥攁nd then limited or revoked coverage for some of the nation鈥檚 most vulnerable patients. This investigative story details the company鈥檚 playbook for coverage denials鈥攄espite a series of lawsuits, and regardless, therapists say, of the severity of their patients鈥 issues. NOVEMBER鈥橲 EXCLUSIVES An NG Biotech employee manufactures "Carba" tests, an antibiotic resistance test in Guipry, western France. April 6, 2020. Damien Meyer / AFP via Getty Report:
- By Annalies Winny
- By Brian W. Simpson
- By Brian W. Simpson
- By Dayna Kerecman Myers
- Walter Orenstein:
- Kristi Saporito:
Rwanda鈥檚 rapid-fire efforts to contain its first-ever Marburg outbreak won praise as 鈥渦nprecedented.鈥
Key success factors:
- Extensive testing and contact tracing.
- Solid and well-connected health infrastructure and well-trained health professionals.
- Experimental vaccines and treatments.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CLIMATE CRISIS Foodborne Pathogens Flourishing
Higher temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns are creating prime conditions for foodborne illnesses to proliferate, researchers are warning.
- For every 1掳C rise in temperature, the risk of bacterial infection from Salmonella and Campylobacter increases by 5%, published in October in eBiomedicine.
- Extreme heat makes food supplies vulnerable to pathogens including Salmonella spp., E. coli, and Campylobacter jejuni, per a review published in June in Climatic Change.
- Meanwhile, runoff from more frequent flooding is contaminating agricultural produce meant to be consumed raw.
RESOURCES QUICK HITS Africa CDC launches continental blueprint to combat endemic, neglected tropical diseases 鈥
Long a 鈥楥rown Jewel鈥 of Government, N.I.H. Is Now a Target 鈥
Why Fluoride Is Necessary for Public Health 鈥
Starlink roll-out across Africa could transform digital health services 鈥
Dengue: a hidden threat in blood transfusions amidst Brazil's largest outbreak? 鈥
Measuring the Impact of Training the Trainers: Lessons From Pilots and Plastic Surgeons 鈥
What鈥檚 the secret to living to 100? Centenarian stem cells could offer clues 鈥
Ed Sheeran and Fuse ODG rebuke Band Aid charity song. We ask Kenyans to weigh in 鈥
Libraries are offering free health and wellness classes across the US 鈥 Issue No. 2822
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Manila鈥檚 Massive Fire; How 鈥楥lick鈥 Cigarettes Hook Latin American Teens; and (Mostly) Defying Gravity
November 26, 2024
A man watches houses on fire at Tondo, in Manila, on November 24. Jam Sta Rosa/AFP via Getty
Manila鈥檚 Massive Fire
Fire raced through a crowded, informal settlement in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday, leaving up to 10,000 people homeless, .
Drone video shared by shows a wall of flame engulfing a large portion of the neighborhood and later, twisted black tin sheets and ash.
The Quote: 鈥淚 feel bad because we have no livelihood and no home. We don鈥檛 know how we can eat,鈥 resident Elvira Valdemoro told a reporter in the video.
No deaths have been reported from the fire, and the cause hasn鈥檛 been determined. EDITORS鈥 NOTE Thanksgiving Break
GHN will not be published from tomorrow, Wednesday, November 27, through Friday, November 29, for the observance of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
On the topic of thanks: We鈥檙e very thankful for all of our readers and the many ways you strengthen GHN. Special shout-out to all of you who submitted ideas for our Untold Stories contest; we hope to announce the winners within a couple of weeks.
We鈥檒l be back on Monday, December 2, with more news! 鈥The Editors DATA POINT The Latest One-Liners Pesticide-tainted food in small convenience shops in South Africa may be to blame for a spate of food poisoning deaths in recent months, including at least 23 children; the country has declared a national disaster to address the crisis.
Queensland, Australia is in the throes of its worst recorded whooping cough outbreak, with the death of one baby, 23X as many cases as this point last year, and rising hospital admissions鈥攑articularly among infants; vaccination rates among pregnant women plunged 6.5% between 2020 and 2023.
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday declined to hear a challenge by major tobacco sellers to an FDA rule mandating the inclusion of graphic anti-smoking images on cigarette packs and ads.
Drugmaker Cassava Sciences halted all ongoing studies of its controversial Alzheimer鈥檚 drug, simufilam, after it showed no signs of working in a phase 3 clinical trial. The Latest: US Trump Transition Health News
鈥榃e learned the hard way鈥: Samoa remembers a deadly measles outbreak and a visit from RFK Jr 鈥
How RFK Jr. could use levers of HHS to shape vaccine and drug outcomes 鈥
In the MAHA-verse, ex-Bernie die-hards and conservative moms find a political home 鈥
CDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes 鈥
Trump's Medical 'Contrarians' Herald New Era of Vaccine Scrutiny 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TOBACCO How 鈥楥lick鈥 Cigarettes Hook Latin American Teens
A dizzying array of cigarette flavors鈥攍emonade, apple, lollipop, strawberry鈥攁re enticing young people across Latin America to try smoking, and keeping them hooked.
Despite promises to phase out traditional tobacco products, Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco have made these 鈥渇lavor capsule鈥 or 鈥渃lick鈥 cigarettes a staple.
Crawford Moodie, a researcher with the University of Stirling in Scotland who studies flavored cigarettes, calls them 鈥渁 huge, global public health threat.鈥
Related: The huge stakes in a Supreme Court case about vaping 鈥 CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH Behind the Child Mortality Reversal
Child death rates in the U.S. dropped for decades due to medical advances and public health policies. But a sharp reversal occurred from 2019 to 2021, with the mortality rate surging more than 10%.
The driver: Injuries. Gun violence鈥攏ow the leading cause of death among children鈥攁ccounted for nearly half of the increase. Overdoses more than doubled, and fatal car accidents spiked 16%
Disproportionately affected: Black and Native American children, who have been dying at much higher rates than white children.
Behind the data: Studies into gun violence have stalled for years due to political interference. While congressional funding in 2019 brought about a resurgence of research, a shifting political climate could jeopardize that work.
THANKSGIVING DIVERSION (Mostly) Defying Gravity
This Thursday, 60-foot giants will once again stalk the streets of Manhattan鈥攁nd crowds of adoring fans will cheer them on.
The balloons of the annual Macy鈥檚 Thanksgiving Day Parade seem to amble through New York City without a care in the world. But walking on air takes tremendous groundwork, :
Floating numbers: Bringing the 17 鈥渃haracter balloons,鈥 15 鈥渉eritage and novelty balloons,鈥 and 22 parade floats to life requires 18 months of prep and 60 artisans working thousands of hours.
Related: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Boss Takes Us Behind the Scenes of This Year's Spectacle - QUICK HITS A triple emergency in Kenya amid malaria and measles outbreaks 鈥
It's a virus you may not have heard of. Here's why scientists are worried about it 鈥
In search of a vaccine for leishmaniasis 鈥
America's Alarming Bird-Flu Strategy: Hope for the Best 鈥
Drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic would be covered by Medicare, Medicaid under Biden proposal 鈥
A pathway for skin NTD diagnostic development 鈥
Could games help people stick to HIV treatment? 鈥
The disappearance of empathetic touch in medicine 鈥
Do not wash your turkey and other Thanksgiving tips to keep your food safe 鈥 Issue No. 2821
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Fire raced through a crowded, informal settlement in Manila, Philippines, on Sunday, leaving up to 10,000 people homeless, .
- News reports estimate 1,000 to 2,000 families are now homeless.
- Manila鈥檚 Mayor Honey Lacuna said the city would provide evacuees with 鈥渃ash aid, food, and materials for rebuilding their homes.鈥
Drone video shared by shows a wall of flame engulfing a large portion of the neighborhood and later, twisted black tin sheets and ash.
The Quote: 鈥淚 feel bad because we have no livelihood and no home. We don鈥檛 know how we can eat,鈥 resident Elvira Valdemoro told a reporter in the video.
No deaths have been reported from the fire, and the cause hasn鈥檛 been determined. EDITORS鈥 NOTE Thanksgiving Break
GHN will not be published from tomorrow, Wednesday, November 27, through Friday, November 29, for the observance of the U.S. Thanksgiving holiday.
On the topic of thanks: We鈥檙e very thankful for all of our readers and the many ways you strengthen GHN. Special shout-out to all of you who submitted ideas for our Untold Stories contest; we hope to announce the winners within a couple of weeks.
We鈥檒l be back on Monday, December 2, with more news! 鈥The Editors DATA POINT The Latest One-Liners Pesticide-tainted food in small convenience shops in South Africa may be to blame for a spate of food poisoning deaths in recent months, including at least 23 children; the country has declared a national disaster to address the crisis.
Queensland, Australia is in the throes of its worst recorded whooping cough outbreak, with the death of one baby, 23X as many cases as this point last year, and rising hospital admissions鈥攑articularly among infants; vaccination rates among pregnant women plunged 6.5% between 2020 and 2023.
The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday declined to hear a challenge by major tobacco sellers to an FDA rule mandating the inclusion of graphic anti-smoking images on cigarette packs and ads.
Drugmaker Cassava Sciences halted all ongoing studies of its controversial Alzheimer鈥檚 drug, simufilam, after it showed no signs of working in a phase 3 clinical trial. The Latest: US Trump Transition Health News
鈥榃e learned the hard way鈥: Samoa remembers a deadly measles outbreak and a visit from RFK Jr 鈥
How RFK Jr. could use levers of HHS to shape vaccine and drug outcomes 鈥
In the MAHA-verse, ex-Bernie die-hards and conservative moms find a political home 鈥
CDC chief urges focus on health threats as agency confronts political changes 鈥
Trump's Medical 'Contrarians' Herald New Era of Vaccine Scrutiny 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TOBACCO How 鈥楥lick鈥 Cigarettes Hook Latin American Teens
A dizzying array of cigarette flavors鈥攍emonade, apple, lollipop, strawberry鈥攁re enticing young people across Latin America to try smoking, and keeping them hooked.
Despite promises to phase out traditional tobacco products, Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco have made these 鈥渇lavor capsule鈥 or 鈥渃lick鈥 cigarettes a staple.
Crawford Moodie, a researcher with the University of Stirling in Scotland who studies flavored cigarettes, calls them 鈥渁 huge, global public health threat.鈥
- In Chile, flavored brands like Lucky Strike Fresh Wild account for 42% of cigarette sales.
- In Peru, flavored cigarettes make up more than half of sales.
- In Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, and M茅xico, more than a fifth of cigarettes sold contain flavor capsules.
Related: The huge stakes in a Supreme Court case about vaping 鈥 CHILD AND ADOLESCENT HEALTH Behind the Child Mortality Reversal
Child death rates in the U.S. dropped for decades due to medical advances and public health policies. But a sharp reversal occurred from 2019 to 2021, with the mortality rate surging more than 10%.
The driver: Injuries. Gun violence鈥攏ow the leading cause of death among children鈥攁ccounted for nearly half of the increase. Overdoses more than doubled, and fatal car accidents spiked 16%
Disproportionately affected: Black and Native American children, who have been dying at much higher rates than white children.
Behind the data: Studies into gun violence have stalled for years due to political interference. While congressional funding in 2019 brought about a resurgence of research, a shifting political climate could jeopardize that work.
THANKSGIVING DIVERSION (Mostly) Defying Gravity
This Thursday, 60-foot giants will once again stalk the streets of Manhattan鈥攁nd crowds of adoring fans will cheer them on.
The balloons of the annual Macy鈥檚 Thanksgiving Day Parade seem to amble through New York City without a care in the world. But walking on air takes tremendous groundwork, :
Floating numbers: Bringing the 17 鈥渃haracter balloons,鈥 15 鈥渉eritage and novelty balloons,鈥 and 22 parade floats to life requires 18 months of prep and 60 artisans working thousands of hours.
- Each new balloon creation takes about six months, and balloons are tested in New Jersey at the in the weeks before the parade.
Related: Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Boss Takes Us Behind the Scenes of This Year's Spectacle - QUICK HITS A triple emergency in Kenya amid malaria and measles outbreaks 鈥
It's a virus you may not have heard of. Here's why scientists are worried about it 鈥
In search of a vaccine for leishmaniasis 鈥
America's Alarming Bird-Flu Strategy: Hope for the Best 鈥
Drugs like Wegovy, Ozempic would be covered by Medicare, Medicaid under Biden proposal 鈥
A pathway for skin NTD diagnostic development 鈥
Could games help people stick to HIV treatment? 鈥
The disappearance of empathetic touch in medicine 鈥
Do not wash your turkey and other Thanksgiving tips to keep your food safe 鈥 Issue No. 2821
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Mpox Still an Emergency; Neglected Diseases Are Fierce, But So Is Monique Wasunna; A Multipronged Assault on Mosquitoes
November 25, 2024
Patients wait for consultations in the mpox isolation ward at the Kavumu hospital in DRC's South Kivu region. September 3. Arlette Bashizi/Bloomberg via Getty
Mpox Still an Emergency
Mpox is still a public health emergency of international concern, a WHO committee decided Friday, due to rising cases, continued geographic spread, and 鈥渙ngoing challenges in the field,鈥 .
Vaccine impact emerging: The decision comes as the agency confirmed that new cases appear to be 鈥減lateauing鈥 in the epicenter DRC since the first batch of vaccinations was rolled out鈥攂ut officials cautioned that the disease is still spreading across the continent, and that it remains too early to ascertain the vaccine鈥檚 overall impact, .
Fatal attacks on health workers in Lebanon have reached a 鈥渉igher percentage than in any active conflict today across the globe,鈥 鈥攚ith 47% of all attacks on health facilities causing the death of a health worker.
M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res has in Port-au-Prince for the first time in 30+ years after repeated attacks and violent threats against staff by the national police and armed vigilantes; the charity was one of the last health providers in the besieged city.
Scientists are bracing for the impact of president-elect Trump鈥檚 promised travel bans, which stand to stress an already shrinking academic workforce, stymie collaborations, and stall progress on research; at least two U.S. universities have advised international students to return to campus before Jan. 20, when Trump will be able to issue executive orders.
Smoking could cause ~300,000 cancer cases in the UK over the next five years, per a new analysis from Cancer Research UK, which said the 鈥渕agnitude of damage鈥 from smoking warrants further government intervention. GHN EXCLUSIVE Monique Wasunna delivering a keynote address at the ASTMH annual meeting in New Orleans, November 13. Brian W. Simpson Neglected Diseases Are Fierce, But So Is Monique Wasunna
NEW ORLEANS鈥擬onique Wasunna鈥檚 dramatic efforts as a young doctor in Kenya to save an 11-year-old boy with visceral leishmaniasis鈥攔acing him in her own car to a referral hospital鈥攕haped her career.
鈥淚 said to myself 鈥 I will do anything in my power to help other patients. I will be their advocate. My mind was made up. Leishmaniasis it was, NTDs it was,鈥 the DNDi Africa Ambassador told GHN in a . She reflected on her efforts to fight visceral leishmaniasis and other neglected diseases and shared insights on the work ahead, touching on:
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MALARIA A Multipronged Assault on Mosquitoes
At Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, researchers know there is no silver bullet for malaria.
That鈥檚 why scientists and engineers there are busy crafting an arsenal against the disease and the mosquitoes that carry it鈥攁ll from a network of labs that would 鈥渕ake James Bond鈥檚 Q green with envy.鈥
The inventory of interventions鈥攆rom the simple to highly sophisticated鈥攊ncludes:
UnitedHealth Group, the U.S.鈥檚 biggest insurance conglomerate, has deployed algorithms and other strategies to identify those 鈥渙verusing鈥 mental health services.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS CDC confirms H5N1 in California child as Hawaii details testing results 鈥
How recent flooding crisis could fuel neglected topical diseases in Kenya 鈥
Moscow bans adoption of Russian children to countries that allow gender transition 鈥
It took years for my Black son to be diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Then it happened to my family again 鈥
Fold paper. Insert lens. This $2 microscope changes how kids see the world 鈥
鈥楢 place of joy鈥: why scientists are joining the rush to Bluesky 鈥 Issue No. 2820
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Mpox is still a public health emergency of international concern, a WHO committee decided Friday, due to rising cases, continued geographic spread, and 鈥渙ngoing challenges in the field,鈥 .
Vaccine impact emerging: The decision comes as the agency confirmed that new cases appear to be 鈥減lateauing鈥 in the epicenter DRC since the first batch of vaccinations was rolled out鈥攂ut officials cautioned that the disease is still spreading across the continent, and that it remains too early to ascertain the vaccine鈥檚 overall impact, .
- The WHO will publish the emergency committee鈥檚 full report this week, along with its updated recommendations, .
- That could be changing, as a DRC immunization official said a vaccination plan for children has been drafted.
Fatal attacks on health workers in Lebanon have reached a 鈥渉igher percentage than in any active conflict today across the globe,鈥 鈥攚ith 47% of all attacks on health facilities causing the death of a health worker.
M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res has in Port-au-Prince for the first time in 30+ years after repeated attacks and violent threats against staff by the national police and armed vigilantes; the charity was one of the last health providers in the besieged city.
Scientists are bracing for the impact of president-elect Trump鈥檚 promised travel bans, which stand to stress an already shrinking academic workforce, stymie collaborations, and stall progress on research; at least two U.S. universities have advised international students to return to campus before Jan. 20, when Trump will be able to issue executive orders.
Smoking could cause ~300,000 cancer cases in the UK over the next five years, per a new analysis from Cancer Research UK, which said the 鈥渕agnitude of damage鈥 from smoking warrants further government intervention. GHN EXCLUSIVE Monique Wasunna delivering a keynote address at the ASTMH annual meeting in New Orleans, November 13. Brian W. Simpson Neglected Diseases Are Fierce, But So Is Monique Wasunna
NEW ORLEANS鈥擬onique Wasunna鈥檚 dramatic efforts as a young doctor in Kenya to save an 11-year-old boy with visceral leishmaniasis鈥攔acing him in her own car to a referral hospital鈥攕haped her career.
鈥淚 said to myself 鈥 I will do anything in my power to help other patients. I will be their advocate. My mind was made up. Leishmaniasis it was, NTDs it was,鈥 the DNDi Africa Ambassador told GHN in a . She reflected on her efforts to fight visceral leishmaniasis and other neglected diseases and shared insights on the work ahead, touching on:
- The NTD most likely to hit the global elimination milestone next (hint: the earlier treatment was an arsenic compound that patients said feels like 鈥渇ire in the veins鈥).
- Critical obstacles that donors are neglecting.
- The little-discussed ingredient needed to combat brain drain.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MALARIA A Multipronged Assault on Mosquitoes
At Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, researchers know there is no silver bullet for malaria.
That鈥檚 why scientists and engineers there are busy crafting an arsenal against the disease and the mosquitoes that carry it鈥攁ll from a network of labs that would 鈥渕ake James Bond鈥檚 Q green with envy.鈥
The inventory of interventions鈥攆rom the simple to highly sophisticated鈥攊ncludes:
- Mosquito-proof sandals: Simple leather sandals fitted with a woven strap treated with insecticide, which reduced mosquito landings by 48%.
- Eaves ribbons: Strips of insecticide-treated fabric created to hang at ventilation gaps in mud and brick housing.
- Genetic modification: Ifakara has launched an effort to modify mosquito genes so that the insects cannot transmit the malaria parasite.
UnitedHealth Group, the U.S.鈥檚 biggest insurance conglomerate, has deployed algorithms and other strategies to identify those 鈥渙verusing鈥 mental health services.
- It then limits or revokes coverage for some of the nation鈥檚 most vulnerable patients.
- Federal law blocks companies from making mental health care coverage harder to obtain than physical health coverage, but a regulatory patchwork allows UnitedHealth and other insurance companies to skirt scrutiny鈥攆orcing regulators into a 鈥淲hac-A-Mole鈥 scenario.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS CDC confirms H5N1 in California child as Hawaii details testing results 鈥
How recent flooding crisis could fuel neglected topical diseases in Kenya 鈥
Moscow bans adoption of Russian children to countries that allow gender transition 鈥
It took years for my Black son to be diagnosed with cystic fibrosis. Then it happened to my family again 鈥
Fold paper. Insert lens. This $2 microscope changes how kids see the world 鈥
鈥楢 place of joy鈥: why scientists are joining the rush to Bluesky 鈥 Issue No. 2820
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Taliban Targets LGBTQ Afghans; Better Road Safety Journalism; and A Human in Bear鈥檚 Clothing
LGBTQ people in Afghanistan face beatings, arrests, and detention.
November 21, 2024
Yahya, an Afghan who identifies as gay speaks during an interview at an undisclosed location, on September 28, 2021. AFP via Getty
LGBTQ Afghans Targeted by the Taliban
Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, LGBTQ citizens have endured 鈥渨idespread鈥 physical and sexual violence in detention centers, human rights groups report.
One group, Roshaniya, has documented 825 instances of violence against LGBTQ people in Afghanistan, including beatings, arrests, and detention鈥攁nd emphasized the number was likely an undercount.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
60% of Americans say they will 鈥減robably not鈥 get an updated COVID-19 vaccine, ; reasons given include concerns of potential side effects and belief that the booster is not necessary.
Poliovirus detected in Warsaw wastewater is prompting Poland鈥檚 health authorities to urge that children be vaccinated; about 86% of the country鈥檚 3-year-olds have been vaccinated against the virus.
Women with endometriosis or growths in their uterus have a slightly higher risk of dying before age 70, .
A new malaria vaccination strategy involves boosting immunity via genetically engineered parasites, ; the strategy protected ~90% of study participants from 鈥渃ontracting the disease after being bitten by malaria mosquitoes.鈥 GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY Police in Bogota conduct speeding checkpoints a key part of a comprehensive road safety strategy in 2022. Bogota Secretariat of Mobility Language Reform Drives Change in Road Safety Journalism
With a staggering global toll of deaths per year, road crashes are the leading cause of death for people age 鈥攁nd they are almost always preventable.
Yet many people consider road traffic crashes happenstances鈥撯揳nd media messaging reinforces that narrative, often depicting them as 鈥渁ccidents,鈥 鈥渂ad luck,鈥 and or the victim鈥檚 fault, writes Vital Strategies鈥 Kristi Saporito.
Framing crashes as isolated and inevitable 鈥渁ccidents鈥 beyond our control implies that they鈥檙e inevitable鈥攂ut solutions, including protective policies, exist.
Words matter: By communicating that road safety is a public health issue and that crashes are largely preventable, the media has the power to shift attitudes, Saporito writes.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES U.S. ELECTION What Does Dr. Oz鈥檚 Appointment Mean for Medicare?
Dr. Oz鈥攖he heart surgeon, turned TV star, turned Trump appointee to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services鈥攊s a familiar face for his daytime television persona as 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Doctor.鈥
Less familiar? His policy positions regarding the federal agency that oversees coverage for 145 million Americans, its $1 trillion budget, and what kind of influence he could bring to coverage decisions, drug price negotiations, and the Affordable Care Act, .
Puzzling positions:
It鈥檚 hard to be funny. But you know what鈥檚 even harder? Taking something objectively hilarious and pretending it isn鈥檛. So, a big GHN kudos to whoever does the press releases for the California Department of Insurance.
The staffer : Four suspects were arrested on charges of insurance fraud after claiming their luxury vehicles were vandalized by bears鈥斺渂ut it was actually a person in a bear costume.鈥
It bears (ahem) mentioning: Video footage effortlessly opening car doors and rifling about in a suspiciously sapiens manner.
Still, investigators needed to be sure, so they enlisted a biologist who 鈥渙pined it was clearly a human in a bear suit.鈥
Further confirming the obvious: A was found in a suspect鈥檚 home. QUICK HITS US CDC expects COVID and RSV levels to increase in coming weeks 鈥
New study finds climate change is increasing the power of hurricanes 鈥
鈥業ncreasing risk鈥 of tropical infections as new blood donor monitoring launched 鈥
Less-potent fentanyl pills may be playing a role in decrease of US overdose deaths, DEA says 鈥
Scientists taught rats to drive 鈥 now they love getting behind the wheel 鈥 Issue No. 2819
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Copyright 2024 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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Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, LGBTQ citizens have endured 鈥渨idespread鈥 physical and sexual violence in detention centers, human rights groups report.
One group, Roshaniya, has documented 825 instances of violence against LGBTQ people in Afghanistan, including beatings, arrests, and detention鈥攁nd emphasized the number was likely an undercount.
- And transgender and gender non-conforming people are being 鈥渃onsistently鈥 targeted at Taliban checkpoints.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
60% of Americans say they will 鈥減robably not鈥 get an updated COVID-19 vaccine, ; reasons given include concerns of potential side effects and belief that the booster is not necessary.
Poliovirus detected in Warsaw wastewater is prompting Poland鈥檚 health authorities to urge that children be vaccinated; about 86% of the country鈥檚 3-year-olds have been vaccinated against the virus.
Women with endometriosis or growths in their uterus have a slightly higher risk of dying before age 70, .
A new malaria vaccination strategy involves boosting immunity via genetically engineered parasites, ; the strategy protected ~90% of study participants from 鈥渃ontracting the disease after being bitten by malaria mosquitoes.鈥 GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY Police in Bogota conduct speeding checkpoints a key part of a comprehensive road safety strategy in 2022. Bogota Secretariat of Mobility Language Reform Drives Change in Road Safety Journalism
With a staggering global toll of deaths per year, road crashes are the leading cause of death for people age 鈥攁nd they are almost always preventable.
Yet many people consider road traffic crashes happenstances鈥撯揳nd media messaging reinforces that narrative, often depicting them as 鈥渁ccidents,鈥 鈥渂ad luck,鈥 and or the victim鈥檚 fault, writes Vital Strategies鈥 Kristi Saporito.
Framing crashes as isolated and inevitable 鈥渁ccidents鈥 beyond our control implies that they鈥檙e inevitable鈥攂ut solutions, including protective policies, exist.
Words matter: By communicating that road safety is a public health issue and that crashes are largely preventable, the media has the power to shift attitudes, Saporito writes.
- Journalism trainings in Colombia, supported by and the , advised reporters on neutral road-incident vocabulary and placing traffic crashes in the context of broader road safety issues鈥攁nd led to measurable improvements in reporting language.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES U.S. ELECTION What Does Dr. Oz鈥檚 Appointment Mean for Medicare?
Dr. Oz鈥攖he heart surgeon, turned TV star, turned Trump appointee to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services鈥攊s a familiar face for his daytime television persona as 鈥淎merica鈥檚 Doctor.鈥
Less familiar? His policy positions regarding the federal agency that oversees coverage for 145 million Americans, its $1 trillion budget, and what kind of influence he could bring to coverage decisions, drug price negotiations, and the Affordable Care Act, .
Puzzling positions:
- Oz has championed healthy lifestyle habits and criticized Big Pharma鈥攁nd he has also spread misinformation about Covid-19, promoted unproven supplements, and profited from the pharmaceutical industry he鈥檚 criticized.
- He has previously expressed support for Medicare privatization. He has not revealed his views on Medicaid鈥攖hough some Republicans in Congress have called for changes that shrink the program鈥檚 budget, .
It鈥檚 hard to be funny. But you know what鈥檚 even harder? Taking something objectively hilarious and pretending it isn鈥檛. So, a big GHN kudos to whoever does the press releases for the California Department of Insurance.
The staffer : Four suspects were arrested on charges of insurance fraud after claiming their luxury vehicles were vandalized by bears鈥斺渂ut it was actually a person in a bear costume.鈥
It bears (ahem) mentioning: Video footage effortlessly opening car doors and rifling about in a suspiciously sapiens manner.
Still, investigators needed to be sure, so they enlisted a biologist who 鈥渙pined it was clearly a human in a bear suit.鈥
Further confirming the obvious: A was found in a suspect鈥檚 home. QUICK HITS US CDC expects COVID and RSV levels to increase in coming weeks 鈥
New study finds climate change is increasing the power of hurricanes 鈥
鈥業ncreasing risk鈥 of tropical infections as new blood donor monitoring launched 鈥
Less-potent fentanyl pills may be playing a role in decrease of US overdose deaths, DEA says 鈥
Scientists taught rats to drive 鈥 now they love getting behind the wheel 鈥 Issue No. 2819
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, Aliza Rosen, 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 2024 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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Superbugs Thriving in War; Growing Older Solo鈥擶ith Support; and Envisioning Greener Health Care in SA
November 20, 2024
Superbugs Thriving in War
A 鈥済rowing and dire鈥 crisis of antimicrobial resistance is taking hold in Gaza, as attacks on hospitals and blockades leave doctors with few tools to fight infections, .
Open wounds: Amid a constant backlog of patient care, many patients鈥 wounds are left open for long periods of time, leading to acute infections, say researchers with M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res.
Meanwhile, an overconsumption crisis: Global antibiotic usage has climbed 20%+ globally since 2016鈥攄espite a pandemic-era disruption, a new of pharmaceutical sales published in PNAS finds, .
A second mpox vaccine has been granted emergency use designation ; Japan鈥檚 stockpiled doses of its LC16m8 mpox vaccine will be sent to the DRC and Burundi, and will be the first mpox vaccine available for children.
53 days post-Hurricane Helene, potable water has been restored in Asheville, North Carolina, after storm damage required extensive repair of the city鈥檚 water treatment and distribution system.
A new nasal vaccine to prevent whooping cough could help slow the disease鈥檚 spread; the vaccine, developed by Tulane University, works to clear bacteria from the upper respiratory tract, limiting contagion. WORLD CHILDREN'S DAY DATA POINT AGING Growing Older Solo鈥擶ith Support
As more Americans face aging alone and far from family, support networks are being redefined as neighbors, friends, and fellow 鈥渟olo agers鈥 step in to help with daily care needs.
Still a challenge: A 2022 AARP survey showed only 25% of solo agers had help with household tasks, and just 38% had support for ongoing care needs.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Envisioning Greener Health Care in SA
The environmental impact of South Africa鈥檚 health care system is massive鈥攂ut so are the opportunities for change.
Reconsidering single-use: Although manufacturers and regulators typically designate medical devices for single use, research shows that some could be safely sterilized and reused.
Smaller carbon footprints: Some new hospitals in SA have been designed with energy-efficient features like solar power, and energy-saving measures in Western Cape pilot projects have eliminated thousands of tons of CO2.
Big opportunity: South Africa could join the WHO鈥檚 Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health, which aims to help countries make health care greener.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Amid record year for dengue infections, study finds climate change responsible for 19% of rising dengue burden 鈥
Nationwide IV fluid shortage changing how hospitals manage patient hydration 鈥
California child tests positive for bird flu with no known exposure to infected animals 鈥
Djibouti experiments with GM mosquito against malaria 鈥
60% of Americans say they probably won't get an updated COVID-19 vaccine 鈥
New FDA rules for TV drug ads: Simpler language and no distractions 鈥
Elon Musk Asked People to Upload Their Health Data. X Users Obliged. 鈥 Issue No. 2818
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
A 鈥済rowing and dire鈥 crisis of antimicrobial resistance is taking hold in Gaza, as attacks on hospitals and blockades leave doctors with few tools to fight infections, .
Open wounds: Amid a constant backlog of patient care, many patients鈥 wounds are left open for long periods of time, leading to acute infections, say researchers with M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res.
- Critical antibiotics remain unavailable, and many infections are unresponsive to the limited antibiotics at hand鈥攔esulting in amputations and death.
- With so few drugs, 鈥渘urses have a bottle of vinegar on the wound-dressing shelf鈥 to treat infections, said Gaza physician Khaled al Shawwa.
Meanwhile, an overconsumption crisis: Global antibiotic usage has climbed 20%+ globally since 2016鈥攄espite a pandemic-era disruption, a new of pharmaceutical sales published in PNAS finds, .
- Higher consumption levels are largely being driven by LMICs, where weak health care and hygiene systems have exacerbated illnesses and 鈥渋ndiscriminate鈥 antibiotic use.
A second mpox vaccine has been granted emergency use designation ; Japan鈥檚 stockpiled doses of its LC16m8 mpox vaccine will be sent to the DRC and Burundi, and will be the first mpox vaccine available for children.
53 days post-Hurricane Helene, potable water has been restored in Asheville, North Carolina, after storm damage required extensive repair of the city鈥檚 water treatment and distribution system.
A new nasal vaccine to prevent whooping cough could help slow the disease鈥檚 spread; the vaccine, developed by Tulane University, works to clear bacteria from the upper respiratory tract, limiting contagion. WORLD CHILDREN'S DAY DATA POINT AGING Growing Older Solo鈥擶ith Support
As more Americans face aging alone and far from family, support networks are being redefined as neighbors, friends, and fellow 鈥渟olo agers鈥 step in to help with daily care needs.
- In 2015, 15 million Americans ages 50+ had no nearby family; this number is expected to rise to 21 million by 2060.
Still a challenge: A 2022 AARP survey showed only 25% of solo agers had help with household tasks, and just 38% had support for ongoing care needs.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Envisioning Greener Health Care in SA
The environmental impact of South Africa鈥檚 health care system is massive鈥攂ut so are the opportunities for change.
Reconsidering single-use: Although manufacturers and regulators typically designate medical devices for single use, research shows that some could be safely sterilized and reused.
Smaller carbon footprints: Some new hospitals in SA have been designed with energy-efficient features like solar power, and energy-saving measures in Western Cape pilot projects have eliminated thousands of tons of CO2.
Big opportunity: South Africa could join the WHO鈥檚 Alliance for Transformative Action on Climate and Health, which aims to help countries make health care greener.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Amid record year for dengue infections, study finds climate change responsible for 19% of rising dengue burden 鈥
Nationwide IV fluid shortage changing how hospitals manage patient hydration 鈥
California child tests positive for bird flu with no known exposure to infected animals 鈥
Djibouti experiments with GM mosquito against malaria 鈥
60% of Americans say they probably won't get an updated COVID-19 vaccine 鈥
New FDA rules for TV drug ads: Simpler language and no distractions 鈥
Elon Musk Asked People to Upload Their Health Data. X Users Obliged. 鈥 Issue No. 2818
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Superbug Fight Needs a Better Business Model; Leading Cause of Maternal Deaths: Homicide; and Dr. ChatBot Is In鈥攁nd Often Right
November 19, 2024
GHN EXCLUSIVE REPORT
An NG Biotech employee manufactures "Carba" tests, an antibiotic resistance test in Guipry, western France. April 6, 2020. Damien Meyer / AFP via Getty
The Superbug Fight Needs a Better Business Model
Antimicrobial resistance is already a leading cause of death worldwide鈥攂ut as AMR deaths spiral, the pipeline for new antibiotics is drying up, not ramping up. As WHO marks , leading researchers explain why:
What鈥檚 the Solution?
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Approximately 1 in 6 war-wounded trauma patients treated at Bashair Teaching Hospital in south Khartoum, Sudan, so far in 2024 are children under 15; many arrive with wounds from gunshots, blasts, or shrapnel, x-rays show.
Genetic sequencing of the H5N1 bird flu virus that infected a British Columbia teenager reveals that the virus underwent mutational changes that would make it easier to infect humans; there鈥檚 no evidence the teen infected anyone else, but the source of infection is unclear.
President Putin signed a decree today to allow for Russia鈥檚 use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack by a nonnuclear actor backed by a nuclear power, days after U.S. President Biden reportedly gave Ukraine permission to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles on targets deep inside Russia.
A state judge struck down Wyoming's overall abortion ban, including an explicit ban (the nation鈥檚 first) on the use of pregnancy-ending medication. VIOLENCE Leading Cause of Maternal Deaths: Homicide
More pregnant women and new mothers in the U.S. die at the hands of intimate partners than from medical causes, published in in JAMA Network Open.
Going deeper: The study, which analyzed CDC data from 2018 to 2021, found that laws that restrict access to divorce and abortion during pregnancy can raise the risk of intimate partner violence.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TECH & INNOVATION Dr. ChatBot Is In鈥攁nd Often Right
ChatGPT outperformed human physicians in assessing a series of medical case histories, a published in JAMA Network Open found鈥攄emonstrating the power of A.I. systems to be 鈥渄octor extenders,鈥 providing niche insights or second opinions.
The study: 50 doctors and ChatGPT鈥攁nd some doctors equipped with ChatGPT鈥 were all fed the same medical case details and asked to provide a diagnosis. Each was graded on their ability to diagnose correctly, and on their ability to explain why they landed on potential diagnoses.
The results: The doctors operating alone had an average score of 74%. ChatGPT scored an average of 90%. Doctors using the chatbot got an average score of 76%鈥攗nderscoring how doctors are often wedded to their own conclusions, despite the chatbot鈥檚 suggestions.
CORRECTION The 鈥楴ever-Before-Seen Virus鈥 鈥 Except in 2019
We'd received a Google Alert about the MSN story that we shared in a one-liner yesterday, about a mysterious malaria-like illness in Peru caused by a previously unknown phlebovirus; the case, however, was detected in 2019 and reported in 2023. We aim to limit one-liners to news stories that are not more than a day or two old, so that definitely did not meet our editorial guidelines鈥攁nd we apologize for the oversight. Thanks to GHN reader Rebecca Wurtz for flagging our error! QUICK HITS
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Antimicrobial resistance is already a leading cause of death worldwide鈥攂ut as AMR deaths spiral, the pipeline for new antibiotics is drying up, not ramping up. As WHO marks , leading researchers explain why:
- For one, small antibiotic makers can鈥檛 stay in business. Governments and public health programs closely guard novel antibiotics, deploying them as little as possible to avoid resistance, says Kevin Outterson, executive director of CARB-X, a nonprofit that supports antibiotics R&D.
What鈥檚 the Solution?
- Invest in incentives: Countries are starting to get behind 鈥減ush鈥 incentives that fund antibiotics R&D, and 鈥減ull鈥 incentives designed to keep the makers of novel antibiotics afloat.
- Antibiotics for all: It鈥檚 key that these incentives be designed to ensure that research and new drugs reach high-risk populations in LMICs.
- Not just new drugs: Improving diagnostics and basic hospital hygiene are indispensable tools to protect antibiotics from resistance, says AMR researcher Caline Mattar.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Approximately 1 in 6 war-wounded trauma patients treated at Bashair Teaching Hospital in south Khartoum, Sudan, so far in 2024 are children under 15; many arrive with wounds from gunshots, blasts, or shrapnel, x-rays show.
Genetic sequencing of the H5N1 bird flu virus that infected a British Columbia teenager reveals that the virus underwent mutational changes that would make it easier to infect humans; there鈥檚 no evidence the teen infected anyone else, but the source of infection is unclear.
President Putin signed a decree today to allow for Russia鈥檚 use of nuclear weapons in response to an attack by a nonnuclear actor backed by a nuclear power, days after U.S. President Biden reportedly gave Ukraine permission to use U.S.-supplied long-range missiles on targets deep inside Russia.
A state judge struck down Wyoming's overall abortion ban, including an explicit ban (the nation鈥檚 first) on the use of pregnancy-ending medication. VIOLENCE Leading Cause of Maternal Deaths: Homicide
More pregnant women and new mothers in the U.S. die at the hands of intimate partners than from medical causes, published in in JAMA Network Open.
Going deeper: The study, which analyzed CDC data from 2018 to 2021, found that laws that restrict access to divorce and abortion during pregnancy can raise the risk of intimate partner violence.
- Researchers also emphasized a vital need for safe housing, protective orders, and additional resources for pregnant women in abusive relationships.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TECH & INNOVATION Dr. ChatBot Is In鈥攁nd Often Right
ChatGPT outperformed human physicians in assessing a series of medical case histories, a published in JAMA Network Open found鈥攄emonstrating the power of A.I. systems to be 鈥渄octor extenders,鈥 providing niche insights or second opinions.
The study: 50 doctors and ChatGPT鈥攁nd some doctors equipped with ChatGPT鈥 were all fed the same medical case details and asked to provide a diagnosis. Each was graded on their ability to diagnose correctly, and on their ability to explain why they landed on potential diagnoses.
The results: The doctors operating alone had an average score of 74%. ChatGPT scored an average of 90%. Doctors using the chatbot got an average score of 76%鈥攗nderscoring how doctors are often wedded to their own conclusions, despite the chatbot鈥檚 suggestions.
CORRECTION The 鈥楴ever-Before-Seen Virus鈥 鈥 Except in 2019
We'd received a Google Alert about the MSN story that we shared in a one-liner yesterday, about a mysterious malaria-like illness in Peru caused by a previously unknown phlebovirus; the case, however, was detected in 2019 and reported in 2023. We aim to limit one-liners to news stories that are not more than a day or two old, so that definitely did not meet our editorial guidelines鈥攁nd we apologize for the oversight. Thanks to GHN reader Rebecca Wurtz for flagging our error! QUICK HITS
They fled war in Sudan. Now, women in refugee camps say they鈥檙e being forced to have sex to survive 鈥
Urban mosquito sparks malaria surge in East Africa 鈥
Abortion pills may be FDA's first test under Trump 鈥
How Trump's reelection could impact reproductive health in low income countries 鈥
Effect of health education on knowledge, perception, and intended contraceptive use for family planning among university students in Pakistan 鈥
Falls, assaults, accidental poisoning among leading causes of injury hospitalisations and deaths in Australia 鈥
Biden administration backs away from plastic production limits in UN treaty 鈥
Over 4 tonnes of batteries collected to reduce environmental, health impacts 鈥
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: As Measles Cases Rise, Alarm Grows Over RFK鈥檚 Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric; A Memorable ASTMH; and 鈥楳entor Mothers鈥 in Rural Africa
November 18, 2024
Hawaii aid workers help out with MMR vaccinations on December 6, 2019, in Apia, Samoa. Yoshida/Getty
As Measles Cases Rise, Alarm Grows Over RFK鈥檚 Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric
Measles cases surged 20% globally last year鈥攁 trend health leaders worry will only continue if vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. takes the helm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
More than 4,000 scientists, researchers, practitioners, and other experts gathered in New Orleans last week through this weekend for the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene.
And GHN was there. We were honored to meet with so many professionals from so many countries (welcome, those of you who just signed up for GHN!) and sit in on so many informative sessions. , including briefs on mpox, Hansen鈥檚 disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and a walking tour through public health history. 鈥Brian and Dayna GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Kala-azar cases in Kenya are on the rise with 124 people sickened in the last month as doctors call for urgent interventions to constrain the disease鈥檚 spread.
Dengue deaths in Bangladesh have surpassed 400 as the country battles its worst outbreak in years; rising temperatures and a longer monsoon season have driven the surge in infections, with 78,595 patients hospitalized.
A never-before-seen virus that causes a malaria-like illness has been detected in Peru, doctors say; an investigation into an initial case revealed that the virus is a previously unknown phlebovirus.
61,000+ people in Sudan have died during the first 14 months of conflict in the country鈥攁 death toll 鈥渟ignificantly higher than reported,鈥 per a new wartime mortality by researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. WOMEN'S RIGHTS Iran to Open Clinic for Hijab Defiance
Officials in Iran have announced plans to open a 鈥渢reatment clinic鈥 for women who resist mandatory hijab laws鈥攁 move decried by human rights advocates.
In the OR Tambo district in the Eastern Cape, pregnant women and new moms living with HIV鈥攁nd their children鈥攁re healthier thanks to trusted peer support workers.
These 鈥渕entor mothers,鈥 who also have HIV, are trained and deployed to this remote area to encourage women to take and stay on antiretroviral treatments.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS US health officials report 1st case of new form of mpox in a traveler 鈥
Dengue fever spiked to record levels in 2024: Climate change will make it even worse 鈥
Jeddah conference closes with adoption of global pledges to tackle antimicrobial resistance 鈥
The Philippines will not intervene if Interpol arrests Duterte over 鈥榳ar on drugs鈥 鈥
E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots sickens people in 18 states 鈥
Jay Bhattacharya, an NIH critic, emerges as a top candidate to lead the agency 鈥
RFK Jr. isn't the only one. More than a billion people have parasitic worms 鈥嬧嬧
Study to look at why some people with aggressive cancer are 鈥榮uper-survivors鈥 鈥嬧嬧 Issue No. 2816
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Measles cases surged 20% globally last year鈥攁 trend health leaders worry will only continue if vaccine skeptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr. takes the helm of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
- Measles cases jumped from 8.6 million to 10.3 million between 2022 and 2023 鈥攄riven largely by a COVID-19 pandemic-era drop in vaccinations, .
- Most affected are the world鈥檚 poorest and conflict-riven countries, especially in Africa, where deaths from measles increased by 37%, .
- In Samoa, where a 2019 measles outbreak infected 5,700+ people and caused 83 deaths, health officials say misinformation spread by Kennedy鈥檚 nonprofit, Children鈥檚 Health Defense, worsened the crisis by contributing to vaccine hesitancy, .
More than 4,000 scientists, researchers, practitioners, and other experts gathered in New Orleans last week through this weekend for the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene.
And GHN was there. We were honored to meet with so many professionals from so many countries (welcome, those of you who just signed up for GHN!) and sit in on so many informative sessions. , including briefs on mpox, Hansen鈥檚 disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever, and a walking tour through public health history. 鈥Brian and Dayna GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Kala-azar cases in Kenya are on the rise with 124 people sickened in the last month as doctors call for urgent interventions to constrain the disease鈥檚 spread.
Dengue deaths in Bangladesh have surpassed 400 as the country battles its worst outbreak in years; rising temperatures and a longer monsoon season have driven the surge in infections, with 78,595 patients hospitalized.
A never-before-seen virus that causes a malaria-like illness has been detected in Peru, doctors say; an investigation into an initial case revealed that the virus is a previously unknown phlebovirus.
61,000+ people in Sudan have died during the first 14 months of conflict in the country鈥攁 death toll 鈥渟ignificantly higher than reported,鈥 per a new wartime mortality by researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. WOMEN'S RIGHTS Iran to Open Clinic for Hijab Defiance
Officials in Iran have announced plans to open a 鈥渢reatment clinic鈥 for women who resist mandatory hijab laws鈥攁 move decried by human rights advocates.
- The clinic will promote 鈥渟cientific and psychological treatment for hijab removal,鈥 per one Iranian official.
- Human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have reported torture and forced medication of dissidents in state-run psychiatric hospitals.
In the OR Tambo district in the Eastern Cape, pregnant women and new moms living with HIV鈥攁nd their children鈥攁re healthier thanks to trusted peer support workers.
These 鈥渕entor mothers,鈥 who also have HIV, are trained and deployed to this remote area to encourage women to take and stay on antiretroviral treatments.
- More than a third of pregnant women in the region have HIV, but they rarely pass it to their babies.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS US health officials report 1st case of new form of mpox in a traveler 鈥
Dengue fever spiked to record levels in 2024: Climate change will make it even worse 鈥
Jeddah conference closes with adoption of global pledges to tackle antimicrobial resistance 鈥
The Philippines will not intervene if Interpol arrests Duterte over 鈥榳ar on drugs鈥 鈥
E. coli outbreak linked to organic carrots sickens people in 18 states 鈥
Jay Bhattacharya, an NIH critic, emerges as a top candidate to lead the agency 鈥
RFK Jr. isn't the only one. More than a billion people have parasitic worms 鈥嬧嬧
Study to look at why some people with aggressive cancer are 鈥榮uper-survivors鈥 鈥嬧嬧 Issue No. 2816
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Copyright 2024 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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Rising Resistance Threatens a Key Malaria Drug; Uncontrolled Diabetes Reaches New Heights; and Fun, Games鈥攁nd Fame
The malaria parasite is acquiring partial resistance to a key medication used to care for children experiencing severe malaria.
November 14, 2024
Employees transfer barrels of artemisinin at a pharmaceutical company in southern China on Aug. 27. Huang Xiaobang/Xinhua via Getty Images
Rising Resistance Threatens a Key Malaria Drug
In yet another ominous sign for malaria treatment鈥檚 prospects, the malaria parasite is acquiring partial resistance to a key medication used to care for children experiencing severe malaria, according to a study and presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene.
Major findings:
EDITORS' NOTE GHN in NOLA
We鈥檙e thrilled to be in New Orleans this week for the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene annual meeting.
If you鈥檙e here too, please stop by GHN鈥檚 exhibit, #114. We鈥檙e right across from our friends at the DNDi/MSF booth, which you should also visit!
We鈥檇 also like to welcome new GHN subscribers who visited our booth and signed up last night鈥攆rom countries including Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Eswatini, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Zambia. Thanks for subscribing!
If you enjoy Global Health NOW, please share the with colleagues and friends. 鈥擠ayna Kerecman Myers, dkerecm1@jhu.edu; and Brian W. Simpson, bsimpso1@jhu.edu. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Weight loss drugs may help curb alcohol addiction, new published in JAMA Psychiatry suggests, with GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy cutting risk for hospitalization.
State medical boards almost never discipline doctors who spread misinformation about COVID-19, an from the University of North Carolina School of Law has found.
The bird flu infection that has left a Canadian teen in critical condition is not the version of H5N1 found in cows and currently circulating in the U.S., genetic sequencing has found; it is instead of a genotype found in wild birds.
A new diagnostic test uses genetic sequencing to ID pathogens from a range of possible culprits鈥攙iruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi鈥攚hich could help doctors more effectively diagnose and treat hard-to-identify infections like meningitis. NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES Uncontrolled Diabetes Reaches New Heights
The number of adults globally living with diabetes has soared 4X since 1990鈥攕urpassing 800 million, finds a released on World Diabetes Day, .
Extra troubling: 445+ million people with diabetes鈥59% of the global total鈥攁re not receiving treatment, .
Daily activities have come to a standstill in Pakistan鈥檚 populous Punjab province, as thick smog envelops the region, .
Outdoor activities have been banned, schools closed, and markets shuttered as the debilitates millions of residents living in Lahore, Multan, and surrounding areas.
Most vulnerable: 鈥淚t鈥檚 poor people that are facing the brunt of the air pollution crisis because they have no means to protect themselves from it,鈥 environmental lawyer Ahmad Rafay Alam told NPR. ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Fun, Games鈥攁nd Fame
You might have thought a toy鈥檚 value is measured by asking: 鈥淒o I like playing with it?鈥
But you鈥檇 be wrong.
This week, anyway, the question is: Is it among the elite?
No longer a bridesmaid: The honor was 鈥渆xtra validating鈥 for seven-time finalist My Little Pony, .
Kenya's new health insurance rollout sparks challenges and concerns 鈥
Scientific breakthrough to prevent negative side effects of weight loss drugs like Ozempic 鈥
The Making Of A New American Epidemic 鈥
The people cracking the world's toughest climate words 鈥 Issue No. 2815
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
In yet another ominous sign for malaria treatment鈥檚 prospects, the malaria parasite is acquiring partial resistance to a key medication used to care for children experiencing severe malaria, according to a study and presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene.
Major findings:
- The study, led by Ugandan researchers Ruth Namazzi and Robert Opoka from Makerere University in Kampala, found partial resistance to the malaria drug artemisinin in 11 of 100 children treated for severe malaria.
- They found that 10 patients 鈥渃ured鈥 of severe malaria experienced a resurgence of the same strain of the parasite within 28 days of the original infection鈥攚hich implies the first treatment didn鈥檛 fully eliminate the parasite, said study coauthor Chandy John.
- They also noted that it took more than 72 hours to clear the parasites in two children鈥攁 duration that the WHO defines as early treatment failure.
EDITORS' NOTE GHN in NOLA
We鈥檙e thrilled to be in New Orleans this week for the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene annual meeting.
If you鈥檙e here too, please stop by GHN鈥檚 exhibit, #114. We鈥檙e right across from our friends at the DNDi/MSF booth, which you should also visit!
We鈥檇 also like to welcome new GHN subscribers who visited our booth and signed up last night鈥攆rom countries including Austria, Bangladesh, Brazil, Eswatini, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Sri Lanka, Uganda, and Zambia. Thanks for subscribing!
If you enjoy Global Health NOW, please share the with colleagues and friends. 鈥擠ayna Kerecman Myers, dkerecm1@jhu.edu; and Brian W. Simpson, bsimpso1@jhu.edu. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Weight loss drugs may help curb alcohol addiction, new published in JAMA Psychiatry suggests, with GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy cutting risk for hospitalization.
State medical boards almost never discipline doctors who spread misinformation about COVID-19, an from the University of North Carolina School of Law has found.
The bird flu infection that has left a Canadian teen in critical condition is not the version of H5N1 found in cows and currently circulating in the U.S., genetic sequencing has found; it is instead of a genotype found in wild birds.
A new diagnostic test uses genetic sequencing to ID pathogens from a range of possible culprits鈥攙iruses, bacteria, parasites, and fungi鈥攚hich could help doctors more effectively diagnose and treat hard-to-identify infections like meningitis. NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES Uncontrolled Diabetes Reaches New Heights
The number of adults globally living with diabetes has soared 4X since 1990鈥攕urpassing 800 million, finds a released on World Diabetes Day, .
Extra troubling: 445+ million people with diabetes鈥59% of the global total鈥攁re not receiving treatment, .
- The problem is most acute in LMICs, where treatment rates are as low as 10%, . India, Pakistan, and Indonesia have especially high rates of untreated diabetes.
- Tedros called for countries to 鈥渦rgently take action鈥濃攑articularly to equip health systems to meet the crisis.
- The WHO also launched new guidance on today.
Daily activities have come to a standstill in Pakistan鈥檚 populous Punjab province, as thick smog envelops the region, .
Outdoor activities have been banned, schools closed, and markets shuttered as the debilitates millions of residents living in Lahore, Multan, and surrounding areas.
- Air quality index readings have surpassed ~1,000; 300+ is considered hazardous to health, per .
- that 11+ million children are at risk. In January, 240+ children in Punjab province .
Most vulnerable: 鈥淚t鈥檚 poor people that are facing the brunt of the air pollution crisis because they have no means to protect themselves from it,鈥 environmental lawyer Ahmad Rafay Alam told NPR. ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Fun, Games鈥攁nd Fame
You might have thought a toy鈥檚 value is measured by asking: 鈥淒o I like playing with it?鈥
But you鈥檇 be wrong.
This week, anyway, the question is: Is it among the elite?
- Three 1980s icons鈥擯hase 10, Transformers, and My Little Pony鈥攈ave joined the in Rochester, New York.
No longer a bridesmaid: The honor was 鈥渆xtra validating鈥 for seven-time finalist My Little Pony, .
- But how did lush-maned mini ponies鈥攚hose chief function is hairstyling鈥攅dge out the humble stick horse behind ? Why were balloons and trampolines bounced out of the running?
Kenya's new health insurance rollout sparks challenges and concerns 鈥
Scientific breakthrough to prevent negative side effects of weight loss drugs like Ozempic 鈥
The Making Of A New American Epidemic 鈥
The people cracking the world's toughest climate words 鈥 Issue No. 2815
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Haiti Isolated and Imperiled; Stopping Polio in Gaza and Why It Matters; and STIs Slow Down in the U.S.
Hospitals in Haiti face 鈥渋ndescribable鈥 surge of traumatic injuries
November 13, 2024
After being injured in a tanker truck explosion, people recover in a hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on September 17. Clarens Siffroy/AFP via Getty
Haiti Isolated and Imperiled
A surge of gang violence in Haiti puts the country at further risk of isolation, as airlines halt flights to the country and as hospitals and medical groups like M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res describe untenable working conditions.
No flights: Haiti鈥檚 main international airport in Port-au-Prince remains closed after three U.S. commercial passenger planes were hit by suspected gang gunfire, and the FAA has now banned all U.S. airlines from operating in Haiti for 30 days, .
Hospitals are struggling to cope with an 鈥渋ndescribable鈥 surge of traumatic injuries, as doctors and medical facilities buckle under the pressures of an already devastating year, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Global temperatures may be closer to the 鈥渃rucial鈥 1.5C warming threshold than previously thought, according to of Antarctic ice cores suggesting that, in 2023, human-driven warming reached 1.49C above pre-industrial levels.
Children in Somalia face perilously high rates of pneumonia and diarrhea鈥攖wo leading killers of children under age 5 globally鈥攁s well as the added risk of low immunization rates, per a by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Pathogens on microplastics can survive wastewater treatment and can quickly form protective microbial biofilms鈥攁llowing them to form colonies of 鈥減lastispheres鈥 that pose a threat to human and environmental health, finds a new from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
鈥嬧媁omen are stockpiling emergency contraception pills in the week since Donald Trump was re-elected as U.S. president, with one company鈥檚 sales of morning-after pills rising 966% as of Friday compared with three days before the election. GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A child is vaccinated during the polio vaccination campaign in Deir al Balah, Gaza, on September 1. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images Stopping Polio in Gaza and Why It Matters
Last week鈥檚 conclusion of a two-month effort to protect over half a million children from polio was an important advance for Gaza鈥攁nd the world, writes vaccine expert Walter Orenstein in an exclusive commentary for GHN.
Gaza鈥檚 challenge: The polio strain circulating in Gaza is type 2 variant poliovirus, which 31 countries are currently battling.
The vaccine used in Gaza is the . It鈥檚 less likely than a previous version of the oral polio vaccine to revert to a form that can cause paralysis.
Encouraging record: Over the three and half years of nOPV2鈥檚 use, the number of type 2 variant poliovirus cases has been reduced, providing hope that the end of type 2 variant polio is in sight, writes Orenstein.
The future: Polio anywhere is a risk to communities everywhere. All children everywhere need to be fully vaccinated against polio. This will require overcoming hurdles like war, climate disasters, political instability, and vaccine misinformation.
We鈥檝e seen the result of such commitment in Gaza. It鈥檚 now essential to get the same cooperation, resources, and determination everywhere.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH STIs Slow Down in the U.S.
Some good news for sexually active Americans: The STI epidemic lost steam in 2023, according to .
Mpox vaccination shortage delays Kinshasa's drive against outbreak 鈥
WikiGuidelines group publishes first new UTI guidance in 14 years 鈥
This scientist treated her own cancer with viruses she grew in the lab 鈥 Issue No. 2814
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
A surge of gang violence in Haiti puts the country at further risk of isolation, as airlines halt flights to the country and as hospitals and medical groups like M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res describe untenable working conditions.
No flights: Haiti鈥檚 main international airport in Port-au-Prince remains closed after three U.S. commercial passenger planes were hit by suspected gang gunfire, and the FAA has now banned all U.S. airlines from operating in Haiti for 30 days, .
- Even UN helicopters are unable to land in the capital, and the closure has raised questions about the arrival of 600 Kenyan police officers, deployed to reinforce a UN-backed security mission.
Hospitals are struggling to cope with an 鈥渋ndescribable鈥 surge of traumatic injuries, as doctors and medical facilities buckle under the pressures of an already devastating year, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Global temperatures may be closer to the 鈥渃rucial鈥 1.5C warming threshold than previously thought, according to of Antarctic ice cores suggesting that, in 2023, human-driven warming reached 1.49C above pre-industrial levels.
Children in Somalia face perilously high rates of pneumonia and diarrhea鈥攖wo leading killers of children under age 5 globally鈥攁s well as the added risk of low immunization rates, per a by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Pathogens on microplastics can survive wastewater treatment and can quickly form protective microbial biofilms鈥攁llowing them to form colonies of 鈥減lastispheres鈥 that pose a threat to human and environmental health, finds a new from the Norwegian University of Life Sciences.
鈥嬧媁omen are stockpiling emergency contraception pills in the week since Donald Trump was re-elected as U.S. president, with one company鈥檚 sales of morning-after pills rising 966% as of Friday compared with three days before the election. GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A child is vaccinated during the polio vaccination campaign in Deir al Balah, Gaza, on September 1. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Images Stopping Polio in Gaza and Why It Matters
Last week鈥檚 conclusion of a two-month effort to protect over half a million children from polio was an important advance for Gaza鈥攁nd the world, writes vaccine expert Walter Orenstein in an exclusive commentary for GHN.
Gaza鈥檚 challenge: The polio strain circulating in Gaza is type 2 variant poliovirus, which 31 countries are currently battling.
The vaccine used in Gaza is the . It鈥檚 less likely than a previous version of the oral polio vaccine to revert to a form that can cause paralysis.
Encouraging record: Over the three and half years of nOPV2鈥檚 use, the number of type 2 variant poliovirus cases has been reduced, providing hope that the end of type 2 variant polio is in sight, writes Orenstein.
The future: Polio anywhere is a risk to communities everywhere. All children everywhere need to be fully vaccinated against polio. This will require overcoming hurdles like war, climate disasters, political instability, and vaccine misinformation.
We鈥檝e seen the result of such commitment in Gaza. It鈥檚 now essential to get the same cooperation, resources, and determination everywhere.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH STIs Slow Down in the U.S.
Some good news for sexually active Americans: The STI epidemic lost steam in 2023, according to .
- Overall, syphilis increased by only 1% after years of double-digit increases.
- Cases of the most infectious stages of syphilis fell 10% from 2022.
- Gonorrhea cases dropped 7%, falling below pre-COVID levels.
- Growing use of the antibiotic doxycycline as a 鈥渕orning-after pill鈥 to reduce the risk of bacterial STIs.
- Changes in sexual behavior and testing habits among high-risk populations after the 2022 mpox outbreak.
- More funding into health departments following the pandemic, meaning more health workers conducting testing and contact tracing and connecting people to treatment.
Mpox vaccination shortage delays Kinshasa's drive against outbreak 鈥
WikiGuidelines group publishes first new UTI guidance in 14 years 鈥
This scientist treated her own cancer with viruses she grew in the lab 鈥 Issue No. 2814
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Malaria in Children Surges in South Sudan; Seeking Suicide Intervention in Japan; and America鈥檚 Covid-19 Hangover
November 12, 2024
Malaria in Children Surges in South Sudan
An upsurge in malaria cases in South Sudan, fueled by recent floods, is overwhelming the country鈥檚 health system, .
Years of unprecedented flooding have left large swaths of South Sudan鈥檚 Unity State submerged, allowing pollution from mismanaged oil production facilities to seep into drinking water sources鈥攃ausing digestive illnesses and birth defects, .
No recourse: Reliance on the oil industry means little has been done to hold companies accountable, advocates say鈥攚ith one former oil engineer describing the spreading oil as a 鈥渟ilent killer.鈥 DATA POINT The Latest One-Liners
Refugees and asylum seekers are nearly 3X as likely to be colonized or infected with drug-resistant bacteria as the host-country population, that explored case studies in nine current humanitarian settings.
Dengue death rates are 2X higher for women (1.86%) than men (0.61%) in Chattogram, Bangladesh, this year; doctors say delayed hospitalization, anemia, and low blood pressure鈥攁ll more common among women鈥攅xplain the disparity.
The American Stroke Association鈥檚 on stroke prevention鈥攖he first in 10 years鈥攔ecommend that doctors consider a new class of drugs that can drastically reduce weight, and screen for non-medical risk factors like economic stability and racism.
Online e-cigarette retailers are failing to comply with restrictions on sales for minors, including regulations on age verification, shipping methods, and flavor restrictions ; delivery services only scanned IDs for 1% of buyers. MENTAL HEALTH Seeking Suicide Intervention in Japan
Advocates in Japan are calling for a greater focus on youth mental health after suicides among schoolchildren in the country remained 鈥渁larmingly high鈥 in 2023.
Drinking in the U.S. increased sharply during the pandemic and still hasn鈥檛 returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, .
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Rwanda discharges last patient of Marburg virus disease: WHO 鈥
Paxlovid cuts COVID hospitalization, death risk and speeds symptom relief, studies find 鈥
US FDA lifts clinical hold on Novavax's combo COVID-flu shot 鈥
Mpox Cases Plateau in Congo's Epicenter But Rise in Other Countries 鈥
'More mortality, more illness': Global health community braces for impact of U.S. election 鈥
No Pandemic Agreement By December As Negotiators Need 'More Time' 鈥
More young people are surviving cancer. Then they face a life altered by it 鈥
Easy-fit prosthetics offer hope to thousands of Gaza amputees 鈥 Issue No. 2813
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
An upsurge in malaria cases in South Sudan, fueled by recent floods, is overwhelming the country鈥檚 health system, .
- Pediatric patients with severe malaria have swamped a M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res-supported hospital in Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, , forcing doctors to treat some patients in halls.
- 400 children with severe malaria are admitted weekly鈥2X last year鈥檚 numbers.
Years of unprecedented flooding have left large swaths of South Sudan鈥檚 Unity State submerged, allowing pollution from mismanaged oil production facilities to seep into drinking water sources鈥攃ausing digestive illnesses and birth defects, .
No recourse: Reliance on the oil industry means little has been done to hold companies accountable, advocates say鈥攚ith one former oil engineer describing the spreading oil as a 鈥渟ilent killer.鈥 DATA POINT The Latest One-Liners
Refugees and asylum seekers are nearly 3X as likely to be colonized or infected with drug-resistant bacteria as the host-country population, that explored case studies in nine current humanitarian settings.
Dengue death rates are 2X higher for women (1.86%) than men (0.61%) in Chattogram, Bangladesh, this year; doctors say delayed hospitalization, anemia, and low blood pressure鈥攁ll more common among women鈥攅xplain the disparity.
The American Stroke Association鈥檚 on stroke prevention鈥攖he first in 10 years鈥攔ecommend that doctors consider a new class of drugs that can drastically reduce weight, and screen for non-medical risk factors like economic stability and racism.
Online e-cigarette retailers are failing to comply with restrictions on sales for minors, including regulations on age verification, shipping methods, and flavor restrictions ; delivery services only scanned IDs for 1% of buyers. MENTAL HEALTH Seeking Suicide Intervention in Japan
Advocates in Japan are calling for a greater focus on youth mental health after suicides among schoolchildren in the country remained 鈥渁larmingly high鈥 in 2023.
- 513 deaths were reported in Japan last year鈥攎arking the second consecutive year above 500, per Japan鈥檚 Ministry of Health, and a sharp increase from 300 in 2010.
- 鈥淥ne of the biggest problems among young people today is that they find it difficult to be optimistic about their future,鈥 said Izumi Tsuji, a sociologist at Chuo University and member of the Japan Youth Study Group.
Drinking in the U.S. increased sharply during the pandemic and still hasn鈥檛 returned to pre-COVID-19 levels, .
- Americans who reported drinking heavily increased to 6.29% in 2022, up from 5.1% in 2018.
- 69.3% said they had consumed alcohol in the past year, up from 66.34% in 2018.
- 6.45% of women reported having drunk heavily, while the men鈥檚 reported rate was 6.12%.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Rwanda discharges last patient of Marburg virus disease: WHO 鈥
Paxlovid cuts COVID hospitalization, death risk and speeds symptom relief, studies find 鈥
US FDA lifts clinical hold on Novavax's combo COVID-flu shot 鈥
Mpox Cases Plateau in Congo's Epicenter But Rise in Other Countries 鈥
'More mortality, more illness': Global health community braces for impact of U.S. election 鈥
No Pandemic Agreement By December As Negotiators Need 'More Time' 鈥
More young people are surviving cancer. Then they face a life altered by it 鈥
Easy-fit prosthetics offer hope to thousands of Gaza amputees 鈥 Issue No. 2813
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, Aliza Rosen, 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:
Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->
Copyright 2024 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
