Food and medical aid are nearing total collapse in Gaza, as a blockade by Israel stretches into a second month, humanitarian groups are warning. The increasingly dire alerts come as hearings begin at the UN's top court in The Hague, with a Palestinian envoy accusing Israel of destroying the 鈥渇undamentals of life in Palestine,鈥 .
International hearings begin: In The Hague, Palestinian Ambassador to the Netherlands Ammar Hijazi accused Israel of breaching international law by blocking critical aid, attacking aid workers, and displacing citizens, .
-
Israel has criticized the case as 鈥渟ystematic persecution and delegitimization鈥 and denies deliberately targeting civilians and aid staff. The court will likely take months to rule.
鈥楤rink of catastrophe鈥: Aid groups say that food and critical supplies are nearly out and that essential bakeries and kitchens have shuttered across the enclave, .
-
The World Food Programme announced last week its stocks in Gaza are depleted, saying that since the ceasefire, conditions have 鈥渙nce again reached a breaking point,鈥 .
Meanwhile, pregnant women face growing dangers in Gaza, with miscarriages, premature births, complications, and deaths in childbirth all rising, .
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-LinersYellow fever poses a growing threat in the Asia-Pacific region due to expanded mosquito habitats, accelerated urbanization, and increased international travel, posits.
Uganda declared the end of its Ebola outbreak last Friday, with the last patient discharged March 14; ring vaccination, Remdesivir treatment, and border health measures were among the components of the country鈥檚 鈥渇ast, coordinated, and effective response.鈥
Mpox cases have declined in Africa over the past six weeks due to an 鈥渋ntensification鈥 of public health measures including increased surveillance and contact tracing, Africa CDC officials said last week; however, 17 of 24 countries still report active transmission, and the virus continues to show up in new countries.
The Trump administration is restoring funding to a major NIH-led women鈥檚 health research study; the reversal of last week鈥檚 defunding decision drew relief from scientists involved in the decades-long project, though they said they haven鈥檛 yet received official confirmation. U.S. and Global Health Cuts and Policy News: WHO, WFP announce cuts and layoffs after US withholds funding 鈥
Aid groups are erasing climate change from their websites 鈥
Health program for 9/11 illnesses faces uncertain future after federal staffing cuts 鈥
USDA withdraws a plan to limit salmonella levels in raw poultry 鈥
Researcher of 1918 flu virus takes over NIAID 鈥
Trump-appointed National Science Foundation leader resigns 鈥 INCLUSION The Struggle for Inclusive Care in Nigeria and Kenya
Despite Nigeria鈥檚 and Kenya鈥檚 commitment to health care accessibility for people with disabilities and national laws for inclusive health care, these rights have not been fully realized, and many of those affected are not aware of their primary care rights.
- 17% of Nigeria鈥檚 population, or 35 million people, have disabilities.
- 57% of the 6 million people with disabilities in Kenya are women.
Related:
Disability Protection Groups in Two States Pause Services After Missing Federal Funds 鈥
Supreme Court to hear school disability discrimination case 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING Japan鈥檚 Regenerative Medicine Revolution
Across Japan, biotechnology labs are proliferating as the country鈥檚 government continues to bet big on the future of regenerative medicine.
Background: In 2006, Japanese scientist Shinya Yamanaka discovered that adult cells could be reprogrammed into an embryonic-like state known as induced pluripotent stem cells (or iPS cells), allowing them to become any kind of tissue, from retinas to cardiac muscle.
Since then, the Japanese government has poured $760 million (110 billion yen) into regenerative medicine development.
- Of the 60+ iPS-cell clinical trials worldwide, nearly one-third are in Japan.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Sudan war: People eating charcoal and leaves to survive, aid agency warns 鈥
鈥楰iller Robots鈥 Threaten Human Rights During War, Peace: Urgent Need for Treaty on Autonomous Weapon Systems 鈥
More US adults willing to receive mpox vaccine now than in 2022 鈥
HMC launches first clinical study to help shisha smokers quit 鈥
WHO issues new recommendations to end the rise in 鈥渕edicalized鈥 female genital mutilation and support survivors 鈥
Huge reproducibility project fails to validate dozens of biomedical studies 鈥
Whooping cough cases are rising again in the US 鈥
Angie Murimirwa: From hiding in the bathroom to Time's most influential people list 鈥 Issue No. 2715
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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Bulletin d'information du R茅seau canadien pour les
Maladies Tropicales N茅glig茅es --> News and updates from the CNNTD
/ Nouvelles et mises 脿 jour de la RCMTN --> Niger and Guinea eliminate NTDs as a Public Health Problem on World NTD Day 2025/ Le Niger et la Guin茅e 茅liminent les MTN en tant que probl猫me de sant茅 publique 脿 l'occasion de la Journ茅e mondiale des MTN 2025 --> In 2025, Niger and Guinea have made significant strides in eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), with Niger becoming the first African country to eliminate onchocerciasis (river blindness) and Guinea eliminating Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT, or sleeping sickness). As of World NTD Day this year, we are more than half way towards the goal of eliminating at least one NTD in 100 countries, with 55 countries having done so! To learn more, please visit this .
......
En 2025, le Niger et la Guin茅e ont fait des progr猫s consid茅rables dans l'茅limination des maladies tropicales n茅glig茅es (MTN), le Niger devenant le premier pays africain 脿 茅liminer l'onchocercose (c茅cit茅 des rivi猫res) et la Guin茅e 脿 茅liminer la trypanosomiase humaine africaine (THA, ou maladie du sommeil). Cette ann茅e, 脿 l'occasion de la Journ茅e mondiale des MTN, nous avons parcouru plus de la moiti茅 du chemin vers l'objectif d'茅liminer au moins une MTN dans 100 pays, 55 pays l'ayant d茅j脿 fait ! Pour en savoir plus, consultez le site suivant . --> Advocating for Change on World NTD Day/ Plaidoyer pour le changement 脿 l'occasion de la Journ茅e mondiale des MTN --> On World Neglected Tropical Diseases Day 2025, we joined our members and partners around the world in calling for greater funding, resources, and political will to end NTDs and improve the lives of millions. Here are some of the videos we contributed on World NTD Day. Additionally, our very own Steering Committee Member Dr. Christopher Fernandez Prada supported the PAHO World NTD Day Event: Involving Communities: A Hands-On Approach to Neglected Diseases. PAHO calls on governments, health workers, cooperation agencies, and community and civil organizations to unite and take action to eliminate neglected Infectious Diseases in the Americas. To see the recording, To find out more about World NTD Day, please go to our . ...... 脌 l'occasion de la Journ茅e mondiale des maladies tropicales n茅glig茅es 2025, nous nous sommes joints 脿 nos membres et 脿 nos partenaires du monde entier pour r茅clamer davantage de fonds, de ressources et de volont茅 politique afin de mettre fin aux MTN et d'am茅liorer la vie de millions de personnes. Voici quelques-unes des vid茅os que nous avons produites 脿 l'occasion de la Journ茅e mondiale des MTN. En outre, le Dr Christopher Fernandez Prada, membre de notre comit茅 directeur, a apport茅 son soutien 脿 l'茅v茅nement organis茅 par l'OPS 脿 l'occasion de la Journ茅e mondiale des MTN : Impliquer les communaut茅s: Une approche pratique des maladies n茅glig茅es. L'OPS appelle les gouvernements, les professionnels de la sant茅, les agences de coop茅ration et les organisations communautaires et civiles 脿 s'unir et 脿 agir pour 茅liminer les maladies infectieuses n茅glig茅es dans les Am茅riques. Pour voir l'enregistrement, . Pour en savoir plus sur la Journ茅e mondiale des MTN, veuillez consulter notre . --> Spotlighting Canadian Efforts Against NTDs: WaterAid Canada Champions WASH and One Health to Take on NTDs in Rwanda/ Pleins feux sur les efforts canadiens contre les MTN : WaterAid Canada se fait le champion du programme WASH et One Health pour lutter contre les MTN au Rwanda --> One World NTD Day 2025, we featured a project shared by WaterAid Canada and partners on addressing NTDs in Rwanda. Funded by Global Affairs Canada, this project promotes water, sanitation and hygiene and a One Health approach. Check out this story . ...... 脌 l'occasion de la Journ茅e mondiale des MTN 2025, nous avons pr茅sent茅 un projet partag茅 par WaterAid Canada et ses partenaires sur la lutte contre les MTN au Rwanda. Financ茅 par Global Affairs Canada, ce projet promeut l'eau, l'assainissement et l'hygi猫ne ainsi qu'une approche 芦One Health禄 . --> Raising Awareness about the Integration of FGS on International Women's Day/ Sensibilisation 脿 l'int茅gration des BGF 脿 l'occasion de la Journ茅e internationale de la femme --> This 2025 International Women's Day webinar in partnership with the Female Genital Schistosomiasis Integration Group (FIG) explores how seven countries in Africa are Integrating FGS into existing health care programs to optimize women and girl's health in Africa. . -------- Ce webinaire organis茅 en partenariat avec le Groupe d'int茅gration de la bilharziose g茅nitale f茅minine (BGF) 脿 l'occasion de la Journ茅e internationale de la femme 2025 explore la mani猫re dont sept pays d'Afrique int猫grent la BGF dans les programmes de soins de sant茅 existants afin d'optimiser la sant茅 des femmes et des jeunes filles en Afrique. . --> World Health Day 2025/ Journ茅e mondiale de la sant茅 2025 --> The Chair of the Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, Alison Krentel, PhD, shares her reflections on this year鈥檚 World Health Day theme 鈥淗ealthy beginnings, hopeful futures,鈥 and what this means for NTDs in our . ..... La pr茅sidente du R茅seau canadien pour les maladies tropicales n茅glig茅es, Alison Krentel, PhD, partage ses r茅flexions sur le th猫me de la Journ茅e mondiale de la sant茅 de cette ann茅e 芦 d茅buts sains, avenirs pleins d'espoir 禄, et ce que cela signifie pour les MTN dans notre . --> World Chagas Day/ Journ茅e mondiale de la maladie de Chagas --> --> CNNTD Steering Committee News/
Nouvelles du comit茅 directeur du RCMNT --> Our Steering Committee Members are reaching exceptional heights this year, with 3 new appointments and awards for outstanding contributions to global health. Janet Hatcher Roberts has been awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for her decades of contributions to health and equity here at home and globally! Deborah Ola, has been appointed the Canada Youth Delegate to the WHA/PAHO, where she will be leading youth consultations and engagement at the 78th World Health Assembly this year! Dr. Kishor Wasan has been awarded the Distinguished Alumnus Award 2025 from the MD Anderson Center.
Congratulations Janet, Deborah and Kishor, we are proud to have you as part of the leadership of the Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. You continue to inspire your peers and the next generation of global health professionals to take action to end neglected tropical diseases. ...... Les membres de notre comit茅 directeur atteignent des sommets exceptionnels cette ann茅e, avec trois nouvelles nominations et r茅compenses pour leurs contributions exceptionnelles 脿 la sant茅 mondiale. Janet Hatcher Roberts a re莽u la M茅daille du Couronnement du Roi Charles III pour ses d茅cennies de contributions 脿 la sant茅 et 脿 l'茅quit茅 ici au pays et dans le monde ! Deborah Ola a 茅t茅 nomm茅e jeune d茅l茅gu茅e du Canada aupr猫s de l'AMS/OPS, o霉 elle dirigera les consultations et l'engagement des jeunes lors de la 78e Assembl茅e mondiale de la sant茅 cette ann茅e ! Le Dr Kishor Wasan a re莽u le Distinguished Alumnus Award 2025 du MD Anderson Center.
F茅licitations Janet, Deborah et Kishor, nous sommes fiers de vous compter parmi les dirigeants du R茅seau canadien pour les maladies tropicales n茅glig茅es. Vous continuez 脿 inspirer vos pairs et la prochaine g茅n茅ration de professionnels de la sant茅 mondiale 脿 agir pour mettre fin aux maladies tropicales n茅glig茅es. --> Welcome to UdeM, our Newest Organizational Member!
Bienvenue 脿 l'UdeM, notre plus r茅cent membre organisationnel! --> The , through its One Health Initiative, supports a research ecosystem that fosters the emergence of innovative solutions for neglected tropical diseases. This interdisciplinary framework brings together researchers addressing key issues such as zoonosis prevention, antimicrobial resistance and health system strengthening, in line with the . We look forward to a collaborative partnership that will bring visibility to neglected tropical diseases here in Canada and globally. ...... , par l鈥檌nterm茅diaire de son Initiative Une seule sant茅, soutient un 茅cosyst猫me de recherche favorisant l鈥櫭﹎ergence de solutions innovantes pour les maladies tropicales n茅glig茅es. Ce cadre interdisciplinaire r茅unit des chercheurs qui se penchent sur des questions cl茅s telles que la pr茅vention des zoonoses, la r茅sistance aux antimicrobiens et le renforcement des syst猫mes de sant茅, conform茅ment . Nous nous r茅jouissons 脿 l'id茅e d'un partenariat de collaboration qui apportera de la visibilit茅 aux maladies tropicales n茅glig茅es ici au Canada et dans le monde. --> Take Action For NTDs / Agir contre les MTN --> Sign onto our letter to G7 leaders, asking them to take action on NTDs/ Signez notre lettre aux dirigeants du G7 pour leur demander d'agir contre les MTN. --> The Canadian Network for NTDs has convened NTD civil society in G7 countries to develop a letter to G7 leaders, asking them to take action on NTDs and make a collective, multi-year financial commitment to end NTDs. This letter was presented to the Canadian G7 Sherpa on April 15 at the C7 Summit. Please sign onto our letter as an individual or an organization so that we can show our government that Canadians care about Canada鈥檚 role in the fight against NTDs. ..... Le R茅seau canadien pour les MTN a r茅uni la soci茅t茅 civile des pays du G7 pour r茅diger une lettre aux dirigeants du G7, leur demandant d'agir sur les MTN et de prendre un engagement financier collectif et pluriannuel pour mettre fin aux MTN. Cette lettre a 茅t茅 pr茅sent茅e au sherpa canadien du G7 le 15 avril lors du sommet du C7. Veuillez signer notre lettre en tant qu'individu ou organisation afin que nous puissions montrer 脿 notre gouvernement que les Canadiens se soucient du r么le du Canada dans la lutte contre les MTN. --> Join Our Steering Committee!/ Rejoignez notre Comit茅 directeur! --> Want to join an incredible group of individuals supporting the activities and future direction of the Canadian Network for NTDs? Then apply to become a Steering Committee Member! Applications are due May 30th, 2025. To learn more and to apply, please go to our dedicated webpage below. ...... Vous souhaitez rejoindre un groupe incroyable de personnes qui soutiennent les activit茅s et l'orientation future du R茅seau canadien pour les MTN? Alors posez votre candidature pour devenir membre du comit茅 directeur! Les candidatures sont attendues le 30 mai 2025. Pour en savoir plus et poser votre candidature, veuillez consulter notre page web d茅di茅e ci-dessous. --> Apply to our NTD Research Award 2025!/ Postulez 脿 notre Prix de recherche sur les MTN 2025! --> We are running our 3rd Neglected Tropical Diseases Research Award this year! Eligible submissions include NTD papers published in English, French or Spanish in a peer-reviewed journal in 2024 in partnership with a Canadian Institution. The deadline for submissions is April 27, 2025 at midnight EST.
......
Nous organisons cette ann茅e notre troisi猫me bourse de recherche sur les maladies tropicales n茅glig茅es! Les candidatures admissibles comprennent les articles sur les MTN publi茅s en anglais, en fran莽ais ou en espagnol dans une revue 脿 comit茅 de lecture en 2024, en partenariat avec une institution canadienne. La date limite de soumission est le 27 avril 2025 脿 minuit HNE. --> Measuring the Impact of USAID Cuts in Lives/
Mesurer l'impact des coupes dans les vies de l'USAID --> Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS) 2025 Report on Canada鈥檚 Role in Global Health/
Rapport 2025 de l'Acad茅mie canadienne des sciences de la sant茅 (ACSS) sur le r么le du Canada dans la sant茅 mondiale --> In The News / Dans la presse -->
L'OMS fournit du fexinidazole au Malawi et au Zimbabwe - Un traitement plus s没r contre la THA pour les MTN Le Canada lance sa premi猫re strat茅gie pour l'Afrique
Opinion: Pourquoi 2025 est un point de basculement pour les MTN Une menace latente pour la sant茅 des femmes et des filles: Combler le d茅ficit d'information sur la schistosomiase g茅nitale f茅minine
L'Afrique d茅pend trop de l'aide 茅trang猫re pour la sant茅 - 4 fa莽ons d'y rem茅dier
La science et la collaboration peuvent mettre fin 脿 la n茅gligence - Journ茅e mondiale des MTN 2025
Prot茅ger notre avenir collectif : Renouveler le r么le du Canada en sant茅 mondiale --> Research /Recherche
Canadian researchers are making a difference to NTDs. Listed are publications from Canadian-affiliated authors published since January 1st, 2025. Canadian-affiliated authors are bolded. Have we missed something? Let us know by sending an email.
......
Les chercheurs canadiens font une diff茅rence dans le domaine des MTN. Les publications des auteurs affili茅s au Canada publi茅es depuis 1er Janvier 2025. Les auteurs affili茅s au Canada sont en gras.
Avons-nous manqu茅 quelque chose? Faites-le nous savoir en nous envoyant un courriel.
Coomansingh-Springer, C.-M., de Queiroz, C., Kaplan, R., Macpherson, C.N.L., Carter, K., Fields, P., Gilleard, J.S. and Pinckney, R. (2025). Veterinary parasitology, regional studies and reports, [online] 59, p.101218. doi: .
Duguay, C., Thickstun, C., Mosha, J.F., Aziz, T., Manjurano, A., Krentel, A., Protopopoff, N. and Kulkarni, M.A. (2025). . PloS one, [online] 20(3), p.e0319603. doi: .
Fernandez-Prada, C., Moretti, N.S. and do Monte-Neto, R.L. (2024). The Lancet Microbe, p.100980. doi: .
Lindner, A.K., Veerle Lejon, Barrett, M.P., Blumberg, L., Bukachi, S.A., Chancey, R.J., Edielu, A., Matemba, L., Tihitina Mesha, Mwanakasale, V., Pasi, C., Tapunda Phiri, Seixas, J., Akl, E.A., Katrin Probyn, Villanueva, G., Simarro, P.P., Augustin Kadima Ebeja, Franco, J.R. and Priotto, G. (2024). . The Lancet Infectious Diseases. [online] doi: . Lo, N.C., Addiss, D.G., Buonfrate, D., Amor, A., Anegagrie, M., Bisoffi, Z., Bradbury, R.S., Keiser, J., Kepha, S., Khieu, V., Krolewiecki, A., Mbonigaba, J.B., Mu帽oz, J., Mutapi, F., Novela, V., Vaz Nery, S., Coffeng, L.E., de Vlas, S.J., Bartoszko, J. and Moja, L. (2025). . The Lancet. Infectious diseases, [online] 25(3), pp.e146鈥揺152. doi: .
Mohtasebi, S., Ahn, S., Rosa, B., Moyes, K., Kuzmina, T.A., Gilleard, J.S. and Poissant, J. (2025). 鈥. Journal of Helminthology, 99. doi: .
Onwah, S.S., Uzonna, J.E. and Ghavami, S. (2025). . Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.), [online] 2879, pp.207鈥217. doi: .
Tamarozzi, F., Mazzi, C., Antinori, S., Arsuaga, M., Becker, S.L., Bocanegra, C., Bottieau, E., Buonfrate, D., Bustinduy, A.L., Camprub铆-Ferrer, D., Caumes, E., Duvignaud, A., Grobusch, M.P., Huits, R., Jaureguiberry, S., Jordan, S., Mueller, A., Ndao, M., Neumayr, A. and Perez-Molina, J.A. (2025). . Travel medicine and infectious disease, [online] 64, p.102822. doi: .
Venkatesan, A., Chen, R., B盲r, M., Schneeberger, P.H.H., Reimer, B., H眉rlimann, E., Coulibaly, J.T., Ali, S.M., Sayasone, S., Soghigian, J., Keiser, J. and Gilleard, J.S. (2025). . Emerging Infectious Diseases, 31(1), pp.104鈥114. doi:. --> Save the date for upcoming events /
Gardez la date pour les 茅v茅nements 脿 venir 7 May 2025 -
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9-13 novembre 2025 - --> Join us! Rejoignez-nous! The Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases welcomes individual, organizational and international members. . --- Le R茅seau canadien des maladies tropicales n茅glig茅es accueille des membres individuels, organisationnels et internationaux. Copyright 漏 2025 Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, All rights reserved.
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Vaccine-preventable diseases are thriving in a global environment of health funding cuts, misinformation, and humanitarian crises, UN agencies and others are warning during World Immunization Week.
- The UN reports that global aid funding cuts are upending vaccination efforts almost as much as the pandemic did, .
- The cuts are 鈥渟everely limiting鈥 UNICEF鈥檚 efforts to vaccinate 15 million children against measles.
Disease updates:
- Measles cases topped 10.3 million cases in 2023, a 20% surge over the previous year, .
- 5,500 cases of meningitis have been reported in 22 countries in the first three months of 2025.
- WHO鈥檚 Americas region has seen 131 cases of yellow fever in four countries already this year.
The Quote: 鈥淰accines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,鈥 said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 鈥淔unding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy.鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Nearly a third of antibiotics consumed by people end up in rivers, from 黑料网 and One Health Trust researchers that estimates the distribution of chemical pollutants from untreated wastewater and wastewater treatment plants.
AI models outperformed PhD-level virologists in lab problem-solving, from MIT鈥檚 Media Lab, Brazil鈥檚 UFABC, and other groups, raising fears that non-experts could weaponize AI models to create bioweapons.
A trial of 21 adults with peanut allergy offers evidence that the same micro-dosing approach approved in the U.S. for children with the allergy could work for adults as well, .
The Research Council of Norway launched a 100 million kroner ($9.6 million) fund to attract top U.S. researchers yesterday, in response to the escalating pressure on academic freedom in America; the council will issue a call for proposals next month focused on topics including climate, health, energy, and AI. MATERNAL HEALTH Pregnant Women 2X Likelier to Die in Abortion-Ban States
Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, pregnant people living in states with abortion bans were nearly twice as likely to suffer pregnancy-related deaths compared to their counterparts in states without restrictions, .
- Black women face the highest risk and are 3.3X more likely to die than white women in states with bans.
- Maternal mortality fell 21% in states that preserved abortion access post-Dobbs.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS Kenya鈥檚 Push to Improve HIV Testing During Pregnancy
A high number of women in Kenya who are missing HIV screenings during pregnancy is contributing to a persistently high number of babies with the virus, researchers say.
A closer look: In 2023, 200,000+ pregnant women missed HIV screenings鈥斺渁 major challenge to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV,鈥 said Joab Khasewa, an officer with the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council, which conducted the research.
- That same year, 3,742 babies contracted the virus鈥7.3% of all births by women with HIV. The council says that rate needs to be brought below 5%.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Run, Run, Robots!
There始s long been concerns that robots could one day replace humans. But when it comes to running, we始re still beating the bots.
Running side-by-side half-marathons in Beijing recently, the fastest human beat the fastest humanoid robot by well over an hour. Of 21 robot competitors, only six finished the race, .
But rather than showcasing the limits of their development 鈥 their struggles in the race only underscore how very human robots have become.
Like so many who始ve tried to take up running, many were 鈥渇alling, trembling and struggling to stay upright,鈥 One 鈥渨alked a short distance and fell,鈥 . Another overheated and needed water to cool down.
And, as in the human world, some are just annoyingly good athletes. One robot that was 鈥渕ore like a gymnast鈥 also turned out to be a great runner.
Given all that androids have learned from us, there始s some traits we始d happily take from them. Like the ability to swap out a battery to regain our strength. Or to keep running when our head falls off. QUICK HITS In China, trade war with U.S. taking a toll on research labs 鈥
WHO launches new guidelines to tackle adolescent pregnancy and related health complications 鈥
Bowel cancer in young people is on the rise. Childhood toxin exposure could be the cause 鈥
Studies zoom in on clues to why Lyme disease persists and which antibiotic to prescribe 鈥
US fertility rate hovers near record low as Trump administration pushes for a baby boom 鈥
2025 State of the Air report: 46% of Americans breathe polluted, unhealthy air 鈥
Superbug-fighting paint promises cleaner hospitals and safer public spaces 鈥 Issue No. 2714
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 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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As measles cases climb across the U.S., Americans are encountering pervasive false claims about the disease and its vaccine鈥攁nd many are unsure what to believe, according to a .
The poll examined false claims that:
- Autism is linked to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.
- The MMR vaccine is more dangerous than measles.
- Vitamin A can prevent measles infections.
Other key findings:
- Despite rising misinformation, 78% of parents expressed confidence in the safety of the MMR vaccine.
- Parents who believed or were open to believing measles misinformation were more likely to delay or forgo vaccines for their children.
- Republicans and independents were at least twice as likely as Democrats to believe or lean toward believing the false claims.
But amid deep cuts to local public health funding, the agency is 鈥渟craping to find the resources鈥 to support states that are fighting outbreaks, said CDC senior scientist David Sugerman.
Related:
Montana has a measles outbreak with its first cases in 35 years. Here鈥檚 what you should know 鈥
Track the spread of measles in Texas 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Dialysis patients in Gaza are struggling to get treatment under the blockade; Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry said that 400+ patients, representing around 40% of all dialysis cases in the territory, have died over the last 18 months because of lack of proper treatment.
U.S. health officials announced plans to urge food makers to phase out petroleum-based artificial colors by the end of 2026鈥攂ut stopped short of promising a formal ban, largely relying on voluntary efforts from the industry.
The NIH has canceled the Women鈥檚 Health Initiative鈥攊ts first and largest project centered on women鈥檚 health, which enrolled tens of thousands in clinical trials of hormones and other medications and tracked the health of thousands more over three decades, yielding influential findings on disease prevention, aging, and cognitive decline.
Teenagers who went to bed earliest, slept the longest, and had the lowest sleeping heart rates outperformed others on cognitive tests, ; researchers found the impact of even small differences in sleep 鈥渟urprising.鈥 DEMOGRAPHICS A New Effort to Boost Turkey's Birth Rate
Turkey鈥檚 government has announced a raft of incentives designed to boost the nation鈥檚 flagging birth rate, .
The 鈥淵ear of the Family鈥 initiative includes:
- Financial support based on a household鈥檚 number of children.
- More flexible work policies, expanded childcare services, housing support, and enhanced medical services.
- Turkey鈥檚 fertility rates have fallen from 2.38 children per woman in 2001 to 1.51 today, 鈥渨ell below鈥 the 2.1 replacement rate.
- People are marrying and starting families later in life as living costs rise.
- The country鈥檚 older population has reached 10% for the first time, and the median age is now 34.
Related: The push for women to have more children has a powerful ally: Trump 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES BRAIN DRAIN Researchers Look Abroad Amid Science Cuts
U.S. researchers are seeking careers abroad as the Trump administration cuts science funding and workforce numbers, per an analysis of .
Comparing January鈥揗arch 2025 to the same period last year:
- U.S. scientists submitted 32% more applications for jobs abroad鈥撯攁nd views for positions abroad rose by 68% last month compared with March 2024.
- Applications from U.S. scientists seeking careers in Canada rose 41%.
The Quote: 鈥淲e felt it was our duty to do what we could to show scientists there was a little light in the south of France where they could do their research, be a lot freer and where they were wanted,鈥 said Aix-Marseille鈥檚 president, 脡ric Berton.
QUICK HITS HHS Plans to Cut the National Suicide Hotline鈥檚 Program for LGBTQ Youth 鈥
鈥楾aking the Side of Cancer鈥: The War on Medical Research Is Being Fought Through Contracts 鈥
New agreement geared toward universal avian flu vaccine 鈥
RFK Jr.鈥檚 autism study to amass medical records of many Americans 鈥
Hearing loss in older adults linked to nearly one-third of dementia cases 鈥
Researchers find immune system proteins involved in severe cases of schistosomiasis 鈥
The wholegrain revolution! How Denmark changed the diet 鈥 and health 鈥 of their entire nation 鈥 Issue No. 2713
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Cancer death rates in the U.S. decreased steadily from 2001鈥2021, although rates of new cancer diagnoses have increased for women, .
Takeaways:
- Cancer death rates decreased by 1.5% per year (2018鈥2022), representing a slowdown from the previous 2.1% average annual decline.
- Cancer incidence rates remained stable from 2013鈥2021 for men but increased 0.3% per year from 2003鈥2021 among women.
- Cancer incidence in 2020 fell compared to pre-pandemic levels across all demographic groups.
Details:
- Increases in breast cancer among women are likely driven by obesity, alcohol use, and increased age for giving birth for the first time, per .
- Racial disparities persist: Black women experience a 40% higher death rate from breast cancer and twice the death rate from uterine cancer, compared with white women.
Pandemic impact: Many Americans postponed cancer screenings for several months in 2020, but there wasn鈥檛 a major increase in late-stage diagnoses, which are typically harder to treat, .
Late-stage diagnoses in 2021 returned to prepandemic levels for most cancer types.
Meanwhile in the U.K.: Cancer patients are not getting access to lifesaving drugs or clinical trials because of post-Brexit cost increases and red tape, .
Related: Top cancer experts 鈥榖eing put off UK by politicians鈥 messaging on immigration鈥 鈥
DATA POINT The Latest One-Liners R茅union health officials are calling for urgent reinforcements to manage a chikungunya virus outbreak on the French Indian Ocean Island鈥攚ith six deaths and 5,000+ cases since January鈥攖hat is overwhelming hospitals.Intensive efforts to reduce high blood pressure鈥攅.g., through medication and health coaching鈥攃ould reduce the risk of dementia by 15%, involving 33,995+ people with uncontrolled high blood pressure in 326 villages in rural China.
Traditional risk models used by regulators likely underestimate air pollution health impacts, , measuring risk of simultaneous exposures to multiple chemicals on different parts of the body鈥攁nd found increased risks missed by traditional methods.
Health care worker burnout is starting to drop from peak levels at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but remains elevated compared to prepandemic times, assessing burnout and stress among Veterans Health Administration health care workers.
U.S. Policy and Science Cuts News: NIH moving to ban grants to universities with DEI programs, Israeli boycotts 鈥New NIH director defends grant cuts as part of shift to support MAHA vision 鈥
Trump Laid Off Nearly All the Federal Workers Who Investigate Firefighter Deaths 鈥
National Science Foundation cancels research grants related to misinformation and disinformation 鈥
Trump Administration's HHS Cuts: Creating Waste And Inefficiency, Not Eliminating Them 鈥
Gawande: Federal cuts could mean loss of life, harm to U.S. science enterprise 鈥
As Trump administration champions IVF, it cuts key CDC staff 鈥 REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS When Students are Forced to Take Pregnancy Tests
Across east Africa, girls are routinely subjected to pregnancy tests at school鈥攁 鈥渉umiliating, invasive and potentially unlawful鈥 process that can also result in expulsion if the girls are found to be pregnant, per a report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism.
While laws have been updated recently in countries like Uganda and Tanzania to prohibit such tests and expulsions as a violation of children鈥檚 rights, a number of schools in those countries continue the practice in breach of national guidelines.
- 鈥淲hat the teachers did, it was torturing her,鈥 said one Ugandan father, David Wafula, whose pregnant daughter was examined by teachers in front of her classmates.
Context: Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of adolescent pregnancies of any region in the world, per UN data.
While President Donald Trump has vowed to revitalize and expand coal mining in the U.S., advocates say they are dismayed by the administration鈥檚 simultaneous decision to gut the health protections in place for miners, .
Included in cuts: The federal division that provides free black lung screenings for coal miners fired roughly two-thirds of the staff this month, and there are now no employees left to run the screening program in the agency鈥檚 West Virginia office, or analyze x-rays already taken.
- The cut in services could have fatal consequences, a spokesperson for the Mine Workers of America : 鈥淭here鈥檚 not going to be anyone to work in the mines you are apparently reopening.鈥
Plus: The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has delayed enforcement of a rule imposed last year to limit miners鈥 exposure to toxic crystalline silica dust鈥攑rompting multiple miners鈥 groups to file litigation against the agency, .
QUICK HITS Wave of Earth Day protests as Americans mobilize against Trump 鈥China's Integrated Policies on Climate Change and Health 鈥
Asia鈥檚 megacities at a crossroads as climate and population challenges grow 鈥
Vietnam reports H5N1 avian flu case with encephalitis 鈥
U.S. Supreme Court appears likely to uphold ACA preventive care coverage mandate 鈥
The awful working conditions of factories that slaughter bird-flu-infected chickens 鈥
Why cameras are popping up in eldercare facilities 鈥
Melinda French Gates on what billionaires with 'absurd' wealth owe back to society 鈥嬧嬧 Issue No. 2712
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Federal websites once used for sharing information on vaccines, testing, and treatments for COVID-19 now focus on the theory that the pandemic originated in a Wuhan lab and criticize the Biden administration鈥檚 handling of the pandemic, .
The websites and redirect to a White House page entitled 鈥淟ab Leak: The True Origins of COVID-19,鈥 which includes:
- A five-point breakdown making the case for lab leak origins.
- Accusations that federal officials like former NIAID director Anthony Fauci engaged in 鈥渙bstruction鈥 of information.
- Criticisms of the Biden administration, the WHO, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for the pandemic response, including masks, lockdowns, and social distancing.
Scientists react: COVID researchers studying both theories said the new website includes inaccurate, oversimplified, and misleading information, with one virologist describing the page as 鈥減ure propaganda.鈥
- The overhaul reflects 鈥渁 broader practice of officials recently scrapping health websites that do not align with their views,鈥 .
CDC considers narrowing its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations 鈥
I Was There: A Public Health Worker's Response to the COVID.gov Rewrite 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Children in Burkina Faso have faced 2,483 documented rights violations amid escalating conflict in the country between 2022 and 2024, a ; violations include abductions, injuries from explosive devices, and recruitment into armed groups.
Mercury emissions near small-scale gold mines can be measured in wild fig trees鈥 growth rings, finds , the first to show hardwoods鈥 potential as a biomonitor of gaseous elemental mercury.
Receipt paper from many U.S. retailers contains high levels of bisphenol S, a chemical linked to cancer and reproductive problems; even brief contact with some receipts can result in enough chemical absorption to exceed safety standards laid out in California鈥檚 Proposition 65.
A U.S. attorney has sent letters to at least three medical journals accusing them of political bias and suggesting that the journals mislead readers, in a move scientists and doctors say could have a 鈥渃hilling effect鈥 on research publications. U.S. Health and Science Policy News Count the Dead by the Millions 鈥
Activists pile 200 coffins outside State Department to protest cuts to global AIDS relief 鈥
鈥楻ipple effect:鈥 In US, anti-immigrant policy strains child and eldercare 鈥
USAID cuts halt Yale-led efforts to build global health infrastructure 鈥
NIH freezes funds to Harvard and four other universities, but can鈥檛 tell them 鈥
Trump鈥檚 War on Measurement Means Losing Data on Drug Use, Maternal Mortality, Climate Change and More 鈥 GHN EXCLUSIVE UPDATE Another Deadly Fireworks Factory Explosion in India
A large fireworks factory explosion in southern India on April 13 killed eight people and injured seven others in Kailasapatnam village in Andhra Pradesh, .
GHN Series: The GHN team learned of the explosion after publishing a two-part series on the dangerous conditions in fireworks factories in the southern Indian city of Sivakasi by freelance journalist Kamala Thiagarajan:
She also notes that a local charity has contributed to the purchase of a prosthetic leg for factory worker Muthukutti, whose story was shared in the series鈥 second article. His left leg had to be amputated after a February 12, 2021, explosion at Sree Mariyammal Fireworks Factory near Sivakasi. GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY Wajir girls reading together. 2021. icon (be one) K / Nicholas Oreyo The World鈥檚 Adolescent Girls Need Our Support
As global funding cuts and policy shifts disrupt health and development programs around the world, 鈥渢eenagers鈥攑articularly teenage girls鈥攁re especially vulnerable,鈥 , who lead the Population Council鈥檚 Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning Center.
- The U.S. foreign assistance freeze could deny access to contraceptive care for ~11.7 million women and girls this year鈥攗pping the risk of unintended pregnancies and maternal deaths.
Yet investing in teen girls pays off, making girls more likely to stay in school, secure stable jobs, and contribute to household income.
- Every dollar invested in adolescent girls鈥 empowerment in Africa by 2040, , can generate more than a tenfold return in economic impact.
In the years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, more than a dozen U.S. states have banned virtually all abortions, and more than 100 abortion clinics have closed.
To get training in providing abortions, a small but growing number of providers have sought opportunities in Mexico.
- In 2023, Fundaci贸n MSI trained nine American doctors to perform abortions at Mexican clinics.
- This year, it is on track to train more than 50鈥攁nd has the capacity to train up to 300 doctors a year, says MSI Latin America鈥檚 managing director.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Haiti 鈥榓wash鈥 with guns leaving population 鈥榓bsolutely terrified鈥 鈥
Why is tuberculosis, the world's deadliest infectious disease, on the rise in the UK? 鈥
ACA preventive care case reaches Supreme Court 鈥
What the Newest mRNA Vaccines Could Do Beyond COVID 鈥
Relieve the suffering: palliative care for the next decade 鈥
Rapid geographic expansion of local dengue community transmission in Peru 鈥
Nitrogen-fertilised grassland more likely to trigger hay fever, study suggests 鈥
A horse therapy program in Namibia brings joy to children with learning disabilities 鈥 Issue No. 2711
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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SIVAKASI, India鈥擮f the 650 families who live in Surangudi village, most have lost either a limb or a loved one to fireworks, says social activist Vijay Kumar.
Tens of thousands of workers in Sivakasi produce 50,000 tons of firecrackers annually鈥攎ost of India's fireworks.
But they also risk deadly fires and explosions in their work.
Deadly blast: A February 12, 2021, explosion killed 27 workers at the Sree Mariyammal Fireworks Factory and injured dozens more.
- Many of the killed and injured were from Surangudi village, including Muthukutti, 23, whose left leg had to be amputated.
- His aunt, Shanmugavadivu, also worked in the factory and had third-degree burns on her chest, stomach, arms, and legs.
The Quote: 鈥淔or most people, fireworks mean joy,鈥 says Kumar, , which aids fireworks factory victims in the Sivakasi area. 鈥淏ut for those whose lives are so closely associated with it, it鈥檚 a source of sorrow and heartbreak.鈥
Ed. Note: Our thanks go to Padmavathy Krishna Kumar who shared the idea for this topic and received an honorable mention in the , co-sponsored by Global Health NOW and the . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
The COVID-19 pandemic鈥檚 effect on measles is coming into focus, with published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases showing a steady decline in disease incidence over 30 years鈥攂ut a stark drop in vaccination in 2021.
The Alzheimer鈥檚 drug lecanemab has been approved for use in the EU; however, only a 鈥渧ery small portion鈥 of patients will be eligible for the drug, which is sold under the brand name Leqembi and is authorized in the U.S., U.K., and Japan.
Arsenic levels in paddy rice could significantly rise with climate change, finds a new study that showed increased temperatures coupled with rising carbon dioxide levels could lead to higher concentrations of inorganic arsenic in rice, potentially raising lifetime health risks for populations in Asia, where rice is a staple food, by 2050.
Limiting PPE to just N95 respirators late in the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore health facilities was effective in keeping staff safe while also lowering costs and curbing medical-related waste, finds a published in JAMA Network Open. U.S. POLICY Administration Seeks Data and Deep Cuts
As U.S. federal health agencies continue to see seismic shifts under the Trump administration, two key developments reported by The Washington Post give insight into some of the administration鈥檚 imminent objectives:
Deeper health cuts: A preliminary draft of the 2026 fiscal year budget reveals the Trump administration is seeking a $40 billion cut to HHS鈥檚 discretionary budget, roughly one-third of the agency鈥檚 discretionary spending, and is planning major reorganization and consolidation of agencies within the administration.
ICE seeks Medicare data: U.S. immigration officials and Elon Musk鈥檚 DOGE team are seeking 鈥渦nprecedented鈥 access to sensitive Medicare databases as a way to track down undocumented immigrants, , despite the fact that undocumented immigrants are barred from Medicare benefits.
Related:
In the middle of a hepatitis outbreak, U.S. shutters the one CDC lab that could help 鈥
RFK Jr. contradicts CDC on causes of autism 鈥
Top NIH nutrition researcher studying ultraprocessed foods departs, citing censorship under Kennedy 鈥
Women, minorities fired in purge of NIH science review boards 鈥
Exclusive: US consumer safety agency to stop collecting swaths of data after CDC cuts 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CAMBODIA Fifty Years After 鈥榊ear Zero鈥
Five decades have now passed since the declaration of 鈥淵ear Zero,鈥 when Pol Pot and the brutal Khmer Rouge regime seized power in Cambodia.
- From 1975 to 1979, 2 million+ people were killed in a wave of racial genocide, widespread famine, forced labor, and executions.
A legacy of trauma: among survivors and their descendants.
Ongoing need for justice: While a tribunal convicted three Khmer Rouge senior leaders for crimes against humanity in 2018, , critics say many key perpetrators were never held to account.
The next generation: The majority of Cambodia鈥檚 population is under 30鈥斺渨ith no more than an inkling鈥 of the genocide, leading survivors to start a storytelling initiative, .
Related:
Unsung No More, Cambodia鈥檚 Malaria Hero 鈥 (from August 2024)
Q&A: Patrick Heuveline on the Khmer Rouge鈥檚 long-term impact on Cambodia 鈥 ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Moose See TV
Forget high-octane car chases and whodunnit cliffhangers. The real formula for suspense TV? Not knowing when a moose might show up.
The megahit Swedish TV show 鈥溾 (鈥淭he Great Elk Trek鈥) began airing this Tuesday, serving up a must-see livestream of mostly nature scenery, occasionally punctuated by moose crossing the 脜ngerman River.
More than binge-worthy, some fans can始t seem to focus on anything else. But how does one consume 20 days of round-the-clock content? By rearranging their entire lives.
- Kids are missing school during the migration. And 鈥淪leep? Forget it. I don鈥檛 sleep,鈥 said one viewer.
鈥淚 feel relaxed, but at the same time I鈥檓 like, 鈥極h, there鈥檚 a moose. Oh, what if there鈥檚 a moose? I can鈥檛 go to the toilet!鈥欌
QUICK HITS Haiti: Escalating Violence Puts Population at Grave Risk 鈥
Colombia declares health emergency after dozens die of yellow fever 鈥
Rising temperatures could cancel most outdoor school sports in summer by 2060s 鈥
Reconsidering Ebola virus nomenclature: a call for a stigma-free and precise terminology 鈥
CDC advisors broaden RSV vaccine recommendations to at-risk adults in their 50s 鈥
Immune system proteins involved in severe parasitic disease identified 鈥
What impact will driving at 17 have on road safety? 鈥
AI-boosted cameras help blind people to navigate 鈥 Issue No. 2710
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Around 2 a.m. today at the WHO鈥檚 Geneva headquarters鈥攁fter 3+ years of back-and-forth between 190 countries鈥攖he 32-page working draft of a global pandemic treaty was finally highlighted in one color: green.
鈥淚t's adopted,鈥 negotiations co-chair Anne-Claire Amprou said, 鈥渢o thundering applause,鈥 .
The approved pact sets guidelines for international collaboration in a future global health crisis, and is a victory for the WHO at a moment of geopolitical upheaval, .
- The agreement signals that 鈥渋n our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground and a shared response,鈥 said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Final sticking points related to the technology transfer clause, which governs how drug and vaccine manufacturers share information and tools for medicine and vaccine production.
- Such information will be shared on a 鈥渕utually agreed upon鈥 rather than mandatory basis, .
Notably absent: The U.S., which was barred from participating following President Trump鈥檚 January decision to withdraw from the WHO, and which is not expected to sign the treaty.
What鈥檚 next: Final adoption is pending approval by the World Health Assembly in May.
Related: WHO tests pandemic response with Arctic 鈥榤ammothpox鈥 outbreak 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
The UK Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law, a landmark decision following years of debate that could have significant implications for how sex-based rights and services apply across Scotland, England, and Wales.
A new antibiotic is effective against gonorrhea, ; if approved, it could become the first new class of antibiotic for the STI in 20+ years鈥攁 key tool as antibiotic resistance grows.
Children鈥檚 mattresses can emit toxic chemicals linked with developmental and hormonal disorders, two new studies have found; high levels of chemicals like phthalates and flame retardants were found near children鈥檚 beds, and a identified mattresses as a key source of exposure.
The autism diagnosis rate among U.S. 8-year-olds increased from 1 in 36 in 2020 to 1 in 31 in 2022, ; rates among boys remained higher than among girls, and, as in 2020, were higher among Asian, Black, and Hispanic children than among white children. ALZHEIMER始S A Brain Bank Hangs in the Balance
An NIH funding pause has disrupted one of the most expansive Alzheimer鈥檚 research programs in the U.S., with researchers especially worried about the fate of 4,000 donated brains being preserved for research.
- The Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Research Center at the University of Washington鈥攐ne of the public universities hardest hit by the freeze鈥攊s home to a range of decades-long studies, including one following 450 people until death.
- Even the temporary pause could upend long-term trials, therapy pipelines, and current patient care, researchers say.
Related: As dementia rates increase, experts warn hospital emergency rooms are underprepared 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FUNGAL INFECTIONS Spore-Driven Threats
In the wake of the of the need for more treatments and diagnostics for fungal pathogens, scientists are laying out evidence of a growing fungal threat:
- Perennial maladies like vaginal yeast infections and athlete鈥檚 foot are getting harder to treat, and antifungal-resistant pathogens like Candida auris have become a 鈥渟ilent pandemic鈥 in hospitals.
- Invasive fungal infections are killing ~2.5 million people each year鈥攖wice the global fatalities of tuberculosis.
- It also means an increase in disruptive weather events like dust storms, which lead to the spread of spore-driven diseases like Valley fever.
5% of US cancers may be caused by medical imaging radiation 鈥
Emergency rooms treat a gunshot wound every half-hour 鈥
Oropouche virus 鈥榤assively underdiagnosed鈥 in Latin America, new study suggests 鈥
Paris air pollution is down 50% after its radical bike-friendly transformation 鈥
We鈥檙e on the verge of a universal allergy cure 鈥
Africa needs innovative financing solutions to prevent health systems from collapsing, say experts 鈥 Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!
Exclusive: the most-cited papers of the twenty-first century 鈥 Issue No. 2709
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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黑料网 Cares: Building your team for unplanned life transitions
Join us on聽May 7th聽at noon for the next 黑料网 Cares webcast to support informal caregivers. During candid, interviews with leading experts, Claire Webster explores topics related to caring for a loved one with dementia.
黑料网 Cares: Building your team for unplanned life transitions
Join us on聽May 7th聽at noon for the next 黑料网 Cares webcast to support informal caregivers. During candid, interviews with leading experts, Claire Webster explores topics related to caring for a loved one with dementia.
黑料网 Cares: Building your team for unplanned life transitions
Join us on聽May 7th聽at noon for the next 黑料网 Cares webcast to support informal caregivers. During candid, interviews with leading experts, Claire Webster explores topics related to caring for a loved one with dementia.
SIVAKASI, India鈥擳he explosion shook the ground beneath the fireworks factory and threw him into the air.
The February 19 blast broke bones in both his legs and broke his right arm. His face is covered in scars from third-degree burns, and both his eyes have been badly damaged.
鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 see anything but darkness, and I couldn鈥檛 open my eyes,鈥 Palpandey, 31, said from his hospital room days after the explosion. 鈥淚鈥檝e never felt fear like that in my life.鈥
Fireworks鈥 Toll:
- Explosions like the one at Neerathilingam Fireworks are not uncommon in this city in Southern India that produces nearly 90% of the country鈥檚 fireworks and employs tens of thousands of workers like Palpandey (who uses only his first name).
- Employers typically pay for injured workers鈥 initial care, but then workers are often on their own in subsequent months and years.
- A 2023鈥2024 government report said 91 workers were killed in the most recent year, but only those killed at the site of an explosion are counted鈥攏ot those who die later.
Ed. Note: Our thanks go to Padmavathy Krishna Kumar, who shared the idea for this topic and received an honorable mention in the , co-sponsored by Global Health NOW and the .
Look for part II of the series tomorrow: 鈥淔ireworks and Heartbreak in a Hard-Hit Village.鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners Denmark could eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, the Danish Cancer Society says, as a national HPV vaccination campaign has brought the rate down to lower than 10 out of 100,000 women; the is lower than four per 100,000 women.
Female genital mutilation is linked to significant long-term health complications, including a 2X+ risk of prolonged or obstructed labor in childbirth and a 4.4 times higher likelihood of experiencing PTSD, that analyzes evidence from ~30 countries.
A group of national organizations representing America鈥檚 academic, medical, and independent research institutions announced a joint effort to develop a new indirect costs funding model for federal research grants to submit to the federal government.
Participants of a study in Tanzania who were cured of infection with Wuchereria bancrofti worms鈥攚hich cause lymphatic filariasis鈥攕howed a ~60% reduction in HIV infections in a follow-up comparison of two study periods . U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump plan would slash State Dept. funding by nearly half, memo says 鈥
Trump eyes huge climate research cuts at NOAA 鈥
Federal government to remove gender dysphoria from protected disabilities list 鈥
Free US family planning clinics face financial ruin after White House freezes funds 鈥
Impact of CDC Hepatitis Lab Closure on US Public Health 鈥
EPA Plans to Stop Collecting Emissions Data From Most Polluters 鈥 CLIMATE CHANGE Keeping Warm Is Killing Thousands in Mongolia
Some 7,000 people in Mongolia have died this winter due to air pollution, caused by the coal that provides 70% of the nation鈥檚 energy and warms most homes.
Raw coal smoke contains carcinogenic particles, and the briquettes introduced by Mongolia鈥檚 government can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
- Citizens regularly suffer from respiratory diseases, liver and lung cancers, asthma, and flu.
- By February, there had been 811 deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning.
There they construct gers: circular tents with central stoves that feed out through a chimney in the roof. More than 50% of Mongolia鈥檚 population live in gers; each household burns ~50 pounds of coal daily in winter.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TECH & INNOVATION An Extra Coat of Coolness in Cape Town
South Africa鈥檚 summer sun can quickly make informal dwellings unbearably hot. The homes鈥攐ften made of corrugated metal sheets and wood鈥攃an reach temperatures of 95掳F / 35掳C during the day, and barely budge at night.
The heat takes a heavy toll on the millions of South Africans who live in such settlements, preventing sleep and compounding stress.
A paint-related program aims to bring relief: Researchers are investigating the effect of painting roofs with reflective, UV-resistant paint鈥攚hich manufacturers say can dramatically reduce temperatures.
- The study will track buildings鈥 internal temperatures, and also potential impacts on inhabitants鈥 sleep and physiology.
Starved in jail 鈥
'Parkinson's is a man-made disease' 鈥
Stopping gonorrhoea's descent towards untreatability 鈥
Why 3.5 Billion People Lack Basic Oral Care鈥攁nd What Needs To Change 鈥
Young Children鈥檚 Exposure to Chemicals of Concern in Their Sleeping Environment: An In-Home Study 鈥
The Fly That Ruined the World Record (A Metaphor for Chagas Disease) 鈥
Europe deplores America's 'chlorinated chicken.' How safe is our poultry? 鈥 Issue No. 2708
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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The last medical clinic in Sudan鈥檚 famine-gripped Zamzam camp in Darfur came under fire this weekend, with Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries killing the entire clinical staff, .
- Nine clinic employees were killed in the attacks, , which runs the facility.
- The broader assault has killed 100+ people, including ~20 children at the camp, home to ~500,000.
Even before the attacks, conditions at Zamzam camp were 鈥渃atastrophic,鈥 the UN鈥檚 Sudan humanitarian coordinator .
The attacks come at the two-year mark of Sudan鈥檚 conflict, which has led to the world鈥檚 largest humanitarian crisis and 鈥渟uffering of industrial proportions,鈥 .
- ~150,000 Sudanese have been killed, and ~13 million have been displaced. There have been 156 confirmed attacks on health, per the WHO.
- ~25 million people now face extreme hunger. And sexual violence is pervasive, .
Related:
Children of war: six orphans鈥 1,000-mile journey across Sudan in search of safety 鈥
Sudanese Refugees鈥 Lives at Risk as UNHCR Suspends Medical Help 鈥
Sudan needs $2.2 bln for first year of health sector rehab, minister says 鈥 GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners 3 million+ children worldwide died from antimicrobial resistance-related infections in 2022, per new research presented at in Vienna; deaths were highest in Southeast Asia and Africa.
New mpox cases are averaging ~3,000 per week in African countries, with Uganda accounting for 50% of those in the past week; the region has received 1 million+ vaccine doses but needs 6.4 million doses over the next six months to slow the virus鈥檚 spread.
More than a dozen cases of invasive meningococcal disease, a life-threatening bacterial infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis, have been linked to religious pilgrimages to Mecca in Saudi Arabia amid declining compliance with vaccination requirements over the past two years.
Whooping cough cases have surged 1,500%+ in the U.S. since hitting a low in 2021; there were 10 pertussis-related deaths last year, compared with two to four in previous years. Health, Foreign Aid, and Science Cuts USDA鈥檚 $1B bird flu plan uses money intended for schools, food banks 鈥
NOAA Scientists Are Cleaning Bathrooms and Reconsidering Lab Experiments After Contracts for Basic Services Expire 鈥
Dozens of USAID contracts were canceled last weekend. Here's what happened 鈥
Why CDC cuts are being called 鈥榯he greatest gift to tobacco industry in the last half-century鈥 鈥
After Trump grant cuts, some universities give researchers a lifeline 鈥
OCHA, the UN鈥檚 emergency aid coordination arm, to cut staff by a fifth 鈥
Fearing paper on evolution might get them deported, scientists withdrew it 鈥
Hopkins trailblazer scrambles to protect cancer research as Trump cuts hit home 鈥 MENINGITIS Ghana Grapples With a Deadly Outbreak
A lethal meningitis outbreak is escalating in Ghana鈥檚 Upper West region, upending an already strained health system.
A closer look:
- The region has reported 200+ cases and ~17 deaths.
- Ghana is in Africa鈥檚 鈥渕eningitis belt鈥濃攁 stretch of 26 countries where dry seasonal winds allow further bacterial spread.
- Ghana faces a $156 million funding shortfall due to the aid freeze鈥攁 major setback to the country鈥檚 health programs.
- There is no vaccine for the rare Streptococcus strain causing the outbreak, and officials say economic turmoil means that hopes for developing one have dimmed.
As India increasingly grapples with punishing heat waves, scientists are puzzling over a strange phenomenon: The country is warming more slowly than many others鈥攁mounting to half the global average over the last decade.
Why? Scientists aren鈥檛 sure. But theories include:
- The shroud of air pollution: India鈥檚 air pollution may be reflecting solar radiation, which could help with cooling.
- Shifting winds: Warming over the Middle East has pulled monsoon winds northward, leading to an increase in extreme rains鈥攁nd, potentially, cooling.
- Impact of irrigation: The expansion of irrigation in northern India could also be a factor; as water evaporates, it absorbs heat from the air, reducing warming.
Related: India races to beat the smog with an electric mobility revolution in Kashmir 鈥 OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Somalia: Frontline hospitals under pressure as fighting escalates 鈥
Measles outbreaks spark concern over rare 'horrific' neurological disorder 鈥
Africa's Plan to Fill Health Funding Gaps Amidst Declining Coffers 鈥
Tuberculosis could end if there鈥檚 more US public health funding, experts say 鈥
Educate to Empower: Protecting Reproductive Rights in Texas 鈥
CDC denies Milwaukee's request for help with unsafe lead levels in public schools 鈥
Recent hospital violence fuels effort to create workplace protections 鈥
Dogs could help predict valley fever spread in humans 鈥 Issue No. 2707
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
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Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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You can or .