June 23, 2026
TOP STORIESIndia is facing a drastic shortage of two critical chemotherapy drugs because of sharp increases in the price of platinum and supply chain problems; ~20% of cancer patients worldwide rely on platinum-based chemotherapy. 听听
Australia will continue to allow the use of paraquat, an herbicide banned in 70 countries, because of its link to Parkinson鈥檚 disease; the pesticides regulatory board made the decision after a decades-long review found no causal link between the weedkiller and the disease. 听听
Dozens of Haitian medical students protested outside the prime minister鈥檚 residence in Musseau yesterday, demanding that the general hospital be reopened: 鈥淲e are ready to serve the population. Unfortunately, the State is not providing the necessary infrastructure,鈥� protesters said. 听
U.S. DEA officials didn鈥檛 intervene as hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills were distributed in New Mexico from 2023 to 2025; instead, the agency tracked shipments as federal prosecutors built criminal cases against traffickers.
IN FOCUSYoung Filipinos who participated in a focus group study believed that they were the main target of e-cigarette marketing. Institute for Global Tobacco Control
Filipino Youths Pulled to VapingAs adolescent vaping surges in the Philippines, young people say they are drawn to the products through a compelling range of marketing tactics: trendy product design, fun flavors, social media influencers, and endless online trends.听听
Those are just some of the findings from a at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which surveyed 171 Filipino participants ages 13鈥�20.
The study was conducted as vaping prevalence among youths skyrocketed from 7.5% in 2021 to ~40% in 2023.
The surge followed passage of a July 2022 law allowing previously banned flavors and dropping the minimum purchase age from 21 to 18, .
Sweet scents and social capital: Flavors鈥攅specially sweet, fruity, or candy-esque鈥攁nd product design are appealing, but media portrayals of vaping as a symbol of an aspirational lifestyle are normalizing the products in 鈥渄angerous鈥� ways, .听听
鈥淰ape promotion is reaching them at every turn,鈥� said lead study author Tuo-Yen Tseng.听听
After decades of improvement, U.S. pedestrian fatalities have increased by ~75% since 2009. One key culprit, per an extensive New York Times analysis: The growing popularity of larger pickups and SUVs.听
200鈥�400 deaths per year鈥攐r ~10% of pedestrian deaths鈥攃ould have been avoided if vehicle sizes had remained similar to those of the early 2000s, found the investigation.
Why? Two key reasons:
Higher hoods:听More vehicles鈥� hoods are now taller than the average American鈥檚 center of gravity, making them more likely to knock people to the ground and increasing the risk of fatal injuries.
Bigger blind zones: Blind spots have expanded substantially in popular truck models, making it much harder for drivers to spot pedestrians.听听
听
QUICK HITSEbola outbreak in DR Congo tops 1,000 cases, at least 254 dead 鈥�
Displaced in Lebanon, Women Search for Water, Privacy and Dignity 鈥�
Who will lead the WHO after Trump's retreat? 鈥�
鈥楾he law is clear鈥�: Sasha Stevenson fights back as vigilantes try to keep migrants out of clinics 鈥�
鈥楬ealed Healers Heal鈥�: Inside the Push for an Indigenous Medical School 鈥�
Indiana Takes On Powerful Hospitals by Capping Prices They Charge Employers 鈥�
A blood test that screens for multiple types of cancer? It may be available soon 鈥� 听
听Issue No. 2397
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Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Brian Simpson, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.
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June 22, 2026
TOP STORIESAI helped diagnose 18 children with rare diseases at Boston Children鈥檚 Hospital, ; the OpenAI o3 model was used to analyze patient genomes and helped identify new diagnoses for the patients, including rare neurodevelopmental diseases, neuromuscular disorders, early psychosis, and factors that led to sudden deaths.
A major flu outbreak has sickened ~160 U.S. troops at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, less than two months after Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth declared U.S. troops would no longer be required to receive the flu vaccine; since then, only ~40% of Air Force trainees have opted to get the vaccine. 听
The Department of Health and Human Services is proposing updates to testosterone replacement therapy labels after reviewing new data; the update could mean that more men with age-related low testosterone could access the therapy, as well as potential revisions to warnings on enlarged prostate and prostate cancer risk.
Uganda will require emission checks on vehicles after data showed that high air pollution levels in Kampala account for around one in five adult deaths from natural causes there; recent exhaust tests on the city鈥檚 aging fleet of vehicles showed nitrogen oxide emissions 9X+ higher than European limits.
IN FOCUSPassengers evacuated from the MV Hondius board UME buses, on May 11, in Granadilla de Abona, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain. Europa Press Canarias via Getty Images
Hantavirus and Ebola Raise Questions About QuarantineToday has been dubbed 鈥楩reedom Day鈥� for quarantined passengers of the Dutch cruise ship the MV Hondius, whose release today in their home countries marks the close of an 80-day hantavirus outbreak that infected 13 people and claimed three lives, . 听
But the questions and debate surrounding outbreak response continue鈥攅specially regarding quarantine鈥攁nd now take on fresh urgency as the struggle to contain Ebola in the DRC grows. 听
End of an outbreak: The quarantine period was six weeks鈥攖he maximum known incubation window for the Andes strain of the virus. No additional cases emerged during that time.
Isolation: protection or coercion? The outbreak exposed a spectrum of differences in how countries balanced public safety and individual liberty, .
Passengers in the UK were 鈥渧oluntarily鈥� isolated at home with daily well-being checks and grocery deliveries.
Others, such as U.S. passengers, faced mandatory quarantine measures, including one passenger whose initial medical clearance for release from quarantine last week was overruled by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Legal experts described the measure as 鈥渁rbitrary鈥� and 鈥渁uthoritarian,鈥� and warned it could undermine public trust in future emergencies,
A multipronged crisis in DRC: Those concerns are now echoed in the DRC, where hungry Ebola patients have fled treatment centers in search of food, .
Aid agencies say hunger and inadequate medical support have become major barriers to containment. More than 150 patients have reportedly fled Ebola treatment facilities.
鈥淚n this environment, isolation is seen [by Ebola patients] as a coercive mechanism that prioritizes abstract public health metrics over the welfare of individual patients, rather than a pathway to healing,鈥� .
Related: Ebola and hantavirus can start like the flu but turn deadly fast 鈥�
THE QUOTE鈥淭he world鈥檚 policymakers are in Lisbon, yet here I am in Uganda, trying to explain to an embassy why I should have the right to travel. ... The WHO says we need 鈥榤idwifery models of care鈥�. I have a rare example of this, but I鈥檝e been silenced.鈥�
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌撯赌撯赌�
鈥�Harriet Akello, from Uganda, who was among to attend a key maternal and child health conference in Lisbon last week.
The U.S. CDC鈥檚 role in global health programs will be drastically curtailed later this year, as the State Department assumes more control of such programs and funds following the dismantling of USAID.
Background: The CDC鈥檚 international offices and established partnerships have long helped administrate PEPFAR and related programs, including outbreak investigations, immunization campaigns, and disease surveillance in vulnerable countries.
But under the new structure, the State Department plans to offer transactional, country-by-country funding agreements, which include the option to choose from a 鈥渕enu鈥� of 34 itemized health-related services such as disease surveillance.
The overhaul is raising concerns that governments will scale back critical prevention programs鈥攚eakening laboratory networks, disrupting HIV care for millions, and undermining outbreak investigations.
鈥淭his is the end of autonomy and independence and long-term capacity at the CDC for work in global health,鈥� said Atul Gawande, a former head of global health at USAID.
Related: These 3 brothers lost their parents to AIDS. Now they struggle to make it on their own 鈥�
QUICK HITSFederal grant delays could jeopardize essential disability services, research 鈥�
China launches probe into baby diaper chemical safety concerns 鈥�
FDA panel backs first-of-its-kind flu vaccine using mRNA technology 鈥�
Researchers caught in the crossfire as companies and governments grapple over AI safety 鈥�
Most sunscreen content on TikTok is accurate, but it鈥檚 the misinfo that goes viral 鈥�
听Issue No. 2936
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Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Brian Simpson, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.
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June 18, 2026
TOP STORIESThe WHO has released Ebola and Marburg clinical care guidelines as the DRC outbreak grows, with the recommended response to such filovirus diseases including a focus on early treatment and close patient monitoring, ; meanwhile, to make an experimental antibody treatment available for trials and emergency use in the DRC, . 听
Pakistan plans to abolish its 鈥減eriod tax鈥� on sanitary products after young advocates took the government to court over the charges; commercial period products have historically been used by a minority of women in Pakistan because of their cost. 听
The COVID-19 vaccine reduced the risk of major cardiovascular events linked to the virus by ~40%, ; the findings, which showed reduced risk of strokes, heart attacks, and hospitalization from heart disease suggest such benefits have persisted years after the COVID vaccine鈥檚 initial introduction.
No cervical cancer deaths in women 20鈥�24 were recorded in England from 2020 to 2024, a result of the HPV vaccine being offered to girls 12鈥�13 in the country since 2008, finds a new study in ; the findings are the first evidence that the vaccine prevents cervical cancer-related deaths in addition to dramatically reducing HPV infections.
IN FOCUSPatrica Atim and her baby sit next to a treated mosquito net in Miciri A village in Apac District, Uganda
on April 7, 2025. Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty Images
The Evolving Fight Against MalariaThe fight against malaria in 2026 is full of ever-shifting front lines. Threats are evolving鈥攆rom mosquitoes鈥� building resistance to insecticide, to the devastating disruption of sudden global aid cuts last year.
But the toolkit is growing too, as scientists discover innovative mosquito control methods and communities adopt new prevention strategies. 听
The bottom line is that there is no silver bullet in the malaria fight, researchers and public health leaders say. Instead, the arsenal must be diverse and adaptable鈥攃ombining proven interventions, next-generation technologies, and most importantly, sustained investment to combat the disease that led to ~600,000 deaths in 2024.
Forced to adapt: After USAID funding was slashed last year, the impact was felt immediately in Nigeria鈥檚 Sokoto state. Available rapid diagnostic tests fell from ~21,000 per quarter to ~700, and stockouts of malaria medicines and tests reached 48% this spring, . 听
Community health leaders focused on continuing malaria chemoprevention programs for young children, but they warn that any gains could be lost without reliable infrastructure鈥攃alling the funding crisis a 鈥渃larion call鈥� for more sustainable Nigeria-based programs.
Defenses needing reinforcement: While insecticide-treated bed nets remain highly effective at reducing malaria, their overall performance varies by region, .
Insecticide resistance, changing mosquito behavior, and uneven net use lead to varying outcomes across different communities, highlighting the need for close local monitoring and adaptability, .
Introducing new tools: Meanwhile, researchers have identified a new ally in the fight against malaria: an orange yeast, Rhodotorula taiwanensis, that appears capable of both attracting and trapping malaria-carrying mosquitoes, .
The yeast could form the basis of low-cost, biodegradable mosquito traps, .
Related: DNDi and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) pool regulatory expertise to accelerate access to lifesaving medicines 鈥�
VAPINGA New Generation of Nicotine Addiction in South AfricaSince electronic cigarettes were introduced in South Africa in 2012, they have remained entirely unregulated. Over a decade later, the impacts of such wide-open access are coming into focus, especially among young people, .
Toll on teens: ~17% of students responded that they were vape users, and of those, 61% showed signs of addiction, reporting that they couldn鈥檛 get through a day without their device. 听
Failure to act: A wide-ranging bill that aims to regulate most tobacco products, including vapes, has been stalled in the country鈥檚 parliament since 2018. 听
Advocates for regulation say a separate, more limited under-18 ban would be easier to pass鈥攁nd is overdue.
The annual Canada Gairdner Awards celebrate the world鈥檚 best biomedical and global health researchers, including: 听
The Canada Gairdner International Awards ($250,000): a celebration of the original contributions that change our understanding of human biology and disease, aimed at recognizing the world鈥檚 brightest minds in medicine.
The Canada Gairdner Global Health Awards ($100,000): to recognize scientists making strides in addressing global health inequities through exceptional scientific research.
Deadline: Nominations for the 2027 International and Global Health Awards due by 11:59 p.m., PDT, October 1, 2026.
Visit the Gairdner awards , join a , , or connect with the awards team to learn more.
Many of us have been thrown off by cat interruptions, like a tail appearing mid-Zoom, or . But try playing dead Romeo in front of a live, cackling audience while a stray tabby swats at your face and eats your hair. 听
In a dazzling display of 鈥榮how must go on-ness鈥� that deserves some kind of special award, Romeo remained very much dead while being accosted by the wayward feline during an amphitheater production of Romeo and Juliet by the Imperial Russian Ballet Company in Izmir, Turkey.
While it鈥檚 been widely read as a simple snafu, the cat鈥檚 behavior suggests a retelling of the romance involving two star-crossed lovers 鈥� and a jealous cat. 听
How else does one explain why the intrepid cat鈥攏ow 鈥斺赌�,鈥� (by sticking its butt in his face), and then simply 鈥�.鈥� Stunning performances all around.
Cats and cast alike: We drink to thee.
QUICK HITSEbola and the US patient spotlight global health 'injustice' 鈥�
RFK Jr. announces $700M investment in addiction services, emphasizing faith-based organizations 鈥�
Scientists Find Intriguing Link Between Ozempic and Violent Behavior 鈥� 听
A Roadmap to Effective Gun Violence Policy 鈥�
AI tool could speed antibiotic development 鈥� 听
Dutch children are unusually happy and healthy. Is it because of this walking ritual? 鈥�
Issue No. 2935
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Prativa Baral awarded CIHR鈥檚 STEPS Team Grant
CIHR funded team will create a new blueprint for public health emergencies: a pan-Canadian Civilian Emergency Reserve
June 17, 2026
TOP STORIESU.S. infant mortality fell to an all-time low in 2025, , dropping to 5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births from 5.5 in 2024鈥攖ranslating to hundreds fewer infant deaths per year; despite the decline, the U.S. continues to trail other high-income countries in infant mortality.
Drinking 0.85 ounces of alcohol per day increased the risk of developing pancreatic cancer by 10%鈥�30%, ; the analysis, led by researchers from the Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, controlled for potentially confounding factors like former drinker bias, age, and smoking history.
Continued hantavirus quarantine has been ordered for one American passenger exposed to the virus on a cruise ship; despite CDC recommendations that she be allowed to quarantine in her home state of Florida, health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. signed an updated order this week to keep her isolated at a federal facility in Nebraska.
A new STI global database was launched by the WHO this week; the 鈥渄ynamic鈥� open-source database will consolidate quality-assured information on STI prevalence in LMICs, drawing from published and unpublished sources from 2010 onward.
IN FOCUSA member of the cleaning staff washes reusable boots and gloves and disinfects equipment at Rwampara General Referral Hospital. June 12. Jospin Mwisha / AFP via Getty
Ebola Response Struggles to Keep PaceThe Ebola outbreak in eastern DRC is spreading faster than responders can track it, Africa CDC officials warned this week鈥攃reating major gaps in surveillance efforts, .
Of ~33,000 people who have been exposed to confirmed Ebola patients, only ~4,100 are currently being monitored. 听
The swiftly moving outbreak has the potential to become the worst the continent has seen, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said yesterday, . 听
827 cases and 194 deaths have been reported, with containment uncontrolled in several provinces. Red Cross officials say the epidemic could take up to a year to bring under control. 听
Mounting pressures: The economic toll in the outbreak鈥檚 epicenter is affecting everyone from taxi drivers to travel agents, . Meanwhile, medical teams face dire shortages of protective equipment and critically needed burial personnel. 听
International support is slowly increasing, however, with the European Commission announcing a $572 million aid package this week, . 听
Complications of misinformation and tradition: Containment efforts continue to be hampered by distrust of health officials, and by reliance on both traditional healers and Christian pastors who continue to hold gatherings and lay hands on patients, . 听
Health workers have also faced threats and attacks amid conspiracies claiming they profit from the disease. 听
Signs of hope: Recoveries at treatment centers are building trust among communities, . Even clinics that were set ablaze in Mongbwalu and Rwampara have since resumed care and gained support. 听
鈥淲e have seen a huge difference in the community since the first patient recovered and returned home,鈥� said Richard Lukodu, Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital鈥檚 medical director. 听
Related:
What will it take to get a Bundibugyo vaccine? 鈥�
At the frontline of trust: a day with Julienne Anoko WHO's Ebola Community Engagement Officer in DRC 鈥�
THE QUOTE鈥淎 nonscientific, political process for determining what is scientifically sound has not worked in the past and will not work now. ... When science becomes politicized, everyone loses.鈥�
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鈥�
Extreme weather is set to impact 2 billion people living in informal settlements in the future鈥攁 quarter of the global population.
Heat alone will cause an additional ~6 million deaths per year by 2100鈥攎ostly in the poorest countries, where people living in slums or informal settlements are already suffering. 听
Floor-to-ceiling cooling: The India-based Roof Over Our Heads project pairs people living in slums with architects and engineers to develop climate-resilient, affordable homes鈥攖hink floor tiles made of recycled plastic collected by informal garbage collectors, and heat-reflective roofing.
Simplified sewers in Kenya: A low-cost scheme connects homes in Mukuru, an informal settlement, to Nairobi鈥檚 sewage system鈥攁nd pre-completion, it鈥檚 already significantly reduced cholera.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITSUNC School of Medicine: A new HIV vaccine study reveals new hope 鈥�
Shingles vaccine may protect against dementia 鈥�
Sierra Leone鈥檚 first lady refuses to condemn FGM without 鈥榬eliable data鈥� on harms 鈥�
How an Addictive Gas Station Drug Found Allies in Trump鈥檚 Cabinet 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!
Atul Gawande explains why U.S. leadership in global health matters more than ever 鈥� 听
How a simple screening approach tweak is quietly dismantling TB stigma in India 鈥�
Issue No. 2934
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June 16, 2026
TOP STORIES~1.1 billion children in the world are threatened by three or more overlapping climate hazards,听 published today; nearly every child on earth is at risk of least one climate hazard such as听coastal flooding, droughts, riverine floods, extreme heat, etc.
The U.S. is paying $5,000 per month to store nearly $10 million worth of contraceptives that USAID had planned to distribute in Africa; 鈥渁bout听$8 million听worth听of hormonal contraceptives, injectable contraceptives and other family planning commodities鈥澨齝annot be used because they were removed from climate-controlled storage.听
~The U.K. announced yesterday that it would ban children under 16 from using social media apps such as TikTok and YouTube; the ban will take effect early next year.
Fatalities in alcohol-related crashes fell significantly more in Utah than in neighboring states after it adopted听a lower听legal blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.05 g/dL,听; international studies have documented an 11% or greater reduction in听alcohol-related crash injuries and fatalities following adoption of 0.05 BAC.
IN FOCUSA senior midwife at the State Specialist Hospital in Maiduguri sutures a woman who has just given birth. Borno State, Nigeria, October 13, 2018. Lynsey Addario/Getty
鈥楢 Race Against Time鈥�: A New Blueprint for Preventing Postpartum Hemorrhage听Each year, 27 million women worldwide experience excessive bleeding after childbirth鈥攁 highly dangerous complication that leads to ~43,000 deaths annually, making it the leading cause of maternal death.听
And yet postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is highly preventable, and the use of simple tools could save thousands of lives, that frames 鈥渁 fundamental shift in PPH response,鈥� .听听
Some key takeaways, :听听听
A vast survival gap: While PPH occurs at similar rates globally, outcomes differ dramatically, with mortality rates 200 times lower in well-resourced countries compared to under-resourced countries.听听
Better detection, swifter treatment: A simple plastic drape placed beneath women during and after childbirth can help health workers track blood loss far more accurately than visual estimates, which miss about half of hemorrhage cases.听听
If 300 ml of blood loss is recorded alongside abnormal vital signs, researchers recommend starting a treatment bundle dubbed MOTIVE鈥攚hich includes uterine massage, oxytocic drugs, tranexamic acid, intravenous fluids, and examination for bleeding source.听听听
This can reduce progression to life-threatening hemorrhage by ~60%, involving 200,000+ women across Africa.听听
Prevent hemorrhage before it starts: Treating anemia in pregnancy, avoiding medically unnecessary c-sections, and administering uterotonic medicines after birth can improve overall outcomes.听听听
鈥淲omen should not be dying from PPH in this day and age, given what we know,鈥� said study co-author Olufemi Oladapo.听听
4.3 million
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Lives that could be saved each year by reversing the shortage of ~980,000 midwives across 181 countries. 鈥�
HUMAN RIGHTSColombia Bans FGMColombia has become the first Latin American country to approve nationwide legislation banning female genital mutilation (FGM) after a yearslong effort to stop the practice. 听
Colombia is the only Latin American nation where FGM is currently recorded, mostly in Embera communities. 听
Secrecy obscures scale: 98 cases were recorded between 2024鈥�2026, with 70% involving infants. 听
But officials say that is likely a dramatic undercount, as the tradition is secretive and mostly practiced in remote areas. 听
Next steps: The new law gives Colombia officials a year to create a national policy for eradicating FGM, with a focus on training, awareness, and improved medical care rather than criminal penalties. 听
鈥淲e are talking about something very intimate,鈥� said bill co-author Jennifer Pedraza. 鈥淚t requires support, not persecution.鈥�
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITSWe鈥檙e entering a golden age of Alzheimer鈥檚 research 鈥�
The midlife habits that could make or break your brain health long-term 鈥�
Opioid deaths dropped 23% in 2025鈥撯�揵ringing 鈥榗autious optimism鈥� from Canada鈥檚 top doctor 鈥�
Pacific island nation Palau asks UN to classify nicotine as a controlled substance 鈥�
New documentary follows researchers鈥� increasingly fraught career path 鈥�
The latest benefit of obesity drugs: boosting testosterone and sperm quality 鈥�
Issue No. 2933
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Feeling poorer than peers linked to lower wellbeing, even when incomes are similar
New research is shedding light on how comparing ourselves to others affects happiness and life satisfaction.
Led by 91黑料网 researchers, the study shows that people who feel worse off financially than their peers are more likely to report signs of languishing, even when their actual income is similar.
June 15, 2026
TOP STORIESThe DRC reported one of the highest daily increases of Ebola cases yesterday, with 72 new cases bringing the total number of confirmed infections to 782; health officials say the spike reflects a rapidly spreading outbreak, as well as more active surveillance.
An infant botulism outbreak has prompted a nationwide recall of a powdered baby formula from Nara Organics, ; three infants with botulism cases linked to the formula have been hospitalized in California, Pennsylvania, and Washington.
U.S. measles cases continue to rise, as an outbreak in Virginia has now grown to 110 cases, ; overall, 2,073 infections have been reported in the U.S., with numbers set to outpace 2025鈥檚 total of 2,288 infections.
Antidepressants and antipsychotics could be used instead of opioids to treat pain in emergency departments, , which includes a list of specific pain conditions and treatment options as a 鈥減harmacologic toolkit鈥� to help reduce unnecessary opioid exposure.
IN FOCUSCommunity midwife assistant Eluby Gwala teaches a client how to use the HIV self-test kit at the Mphetsankhuli outreach clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi, on January 19. Amos Gumulira/AFP/Getty Images
A 鈥楶erilous Moment鈥� for HIV ResponseThe world has reached a pivotal juncture in the fight against HIV: Even as new innovations offer a vision of an HIV-free future, deep funding cuts and increased repression of vulnerable groups threaten to unravel decades of progress and lead to a resurgence of the virus, . 听
鈥淭his is the most serious disruption in the HIV response since the world came together to fight this disease,鈥� UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima said . 听
Key findings of the report, released ahead of next week鈥檚 , include:
Prevention services hit hardest: Amid devastating funding cuts from the U.S. and other countries last year, countries prioritized protecting HIV treatment programs. But prevention efforts are severely weakened, .
HIV testing dropped 22% in high-burden settings between 2024 and 2025.
PrEP uptake plummeted 38% across 62 reporting countries.
Funding for condoms was cut by 90%+ in some cases.
Increased marginalization: The number of countries with new or more restrictive laws against same-sex relations has grown, and community-led organizations providing services to vulnerable groups like sex workers and men who have sex with men 鈥渁re disappearing,鈥� . 听
A fragile future: Since 2010, AIDS-related deaths have fallen 56%, and new HIV infections 43%. And key shifts鈥攕uch as the introduction of preventatives like lenacapavir, better integration of HIV services in government health programs, and a push to provide ~40 million people with antiretroviral treatment by 2030鈥攃ould still allow countries to make major strides.
But ~9 million people remain untreated, and without sustained investment, any gains are 鈥渆xtremely tenuous,鈥� .
Related:
Inside Trump鈥檚 Reversal on HIV 鈥� 听
Kenyans spend more on condoms and contraceptives as US funding cuts bite 鈥�
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES GUN VIOLENCEExtortion Threatens South African Clinics 听Armed groups demanding 鈥減rotection fees鈥� are targeting public health facilities in South Africa鈥檚 townships, with reports of shootings, robberies, and threats against health workers and patients on the rise. 听
A 2023 described the violence against health workers as 鈥渁n epidemic,鈥� and cases have only continued to climb since.
Already vulnerable: The gang violence threatens to push doctors and nurses out of high-risk areas, leaving already underserved communities with no care access despite high rates of HIV and TB infections in impacted regions.
鈥淲e are under siege,鈥� said one Johannesburg physician. 听
'Complicit in Violations': Pressure Grows to Suspend Israeli Medical Association From Global Medical Body 鈥� 听
Why India鈥檚 deadly dengue crisis is now no longer confined to the monsoons 鈥�
UN experts condemn crackdown on women by Afghan morality police 鈥� 听
Neil Shubin on Trusted Science in a 鈥楧eeply Partisan Age鈥� 鈥�
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals found in breast milk and infant urine up to age 6 months 鈥�
Malaria increases prompt travel notice for Yemen 鈥�
The behind-the-scenes work of protecting World Cup fans from infectious diseases 鈥� 听
听Issue No. 2932
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Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Brian Simpson, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.
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