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An outbreak of deadly hantavirus aboard a cruise ship in the Atlantic Ocean has triggered an international public health response.

Three people have died and three others are ill following suspected cases of hantavirus infection on a cruise ship in the Atlantic, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Sunday.

Pour marquer la Journ茅e internationale des travailleuses et des travailleurs, soyons v茅ritablement unis pour la sant茅.

96 Global Health NOW: A Turning Point in TB Testing; and A 鈥楾errifying Medical Underworld鈥� Expands April 30, 2026 TOP STORIES Endometriosis diagnosis could be dramatically improved with a new imaging tool that uses a molecular tracer to help physicians observe blood vessel growth and inflammation in the body; the new tool could significantly shorten the long wait time for a diagnosis, which averages 9+ years in the U.K.  

HIV patients in Senegal are forgoing treatment amid a surge of arrests targeting the LGBTQ community after the government鈥檚 decision to increase prison term lengths and fines for same-sex sexual acts and any promotion of homosexuality.     America's infant formula supply has been deemed safe by the FDA, which tested 300+ infant formula samples for contaminants including lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic, pesticides, PFAs, and phthalates, and found "an overwhelming majority of samples had undetectable or very low levels of contaminants.鈥�     World Cup health surveillance for the competition will be launched by global health academics at Georgetown University, who are providing a temporary surveillance hub to monitor disease risks like measles.   IN FOCUS Scanning electron micrograph of Mycobacterium tuberculosis bacteria, which cause TB. NIH//Universal Images Group via Getty Images A Turning Point in TB Testing    A new portable tuberculosis test could transform the diagnostic process for patients, making it more accessible and affordable for underserved populations, and leading to earlier treatment options, .     The traditional method: For over a century, TB diagnosis has relied on examining a patient鈥檚 phlegm samples under a microscope鈥攁n often-unwieldy, imprecise method that can miss up to half of cases or produce false positives.  

• It鈥檚 also difficult for many patients, like children and older people, to provide phlegm samples. 

Circumventing phlegm: A new molecular test detects TB bacterium DNA via a simple tongue swab or phlegm, using technology similar to that used in hospital-based COVID tests to produce results in under 30 minutes, . 

• In  researchers analyzed the tests of ~1,400 patients across Africa and Asia and found the diagnostic process met WHO accuracy standards, while proving easy to use in low-resource settings. 

• The device, MiniDock MTB, was developed by the Chinese company Pluslife, which designed it to be low-cost, battery-powered, and simple enough to use in clinics without microscopes or advanced labs. 

• Caveats: The test may miss very early infections and cannot identify drug-resistant TB without follow-up testing. 

Implications: Easier, more reliable diagnosis could reduce missed cases, expedite treatment, and slow transmission.  HEALTH SYSTEMS A 鈥楾errifying Medical Underworld鈥� Expands     A crisis is growing in American hospitals as more facilities resort to patient 鈥渂oarding鈥�: the practice of holding admitted patients for hours or days in the emergency departments or other ill-equipped temporary locations while awaiting a hospital bed.     The reasons for the growing practice are complex, including hospital financial structures and staffing issues. But meaningful reforms have yet to be enacted.     In a deeply researched, and deeply personal report, journalist and former ER physician Elisabeth Rosenthal lays out the crisis through the lens of her late husband鈥檚 own agony in this 鈥渢errifying medical underworld鈥� in his last days before dying of esophageal cancer.     The quote: 鈥淓veryone knows about this problem, and no one cares enough to do anything about it. It鈥檚 barbaric,鈥� said Adrian Haimovich, an ED doctor in Boston.       OPPORTUNITY Funding Opportunity for Disability Inclusion  
Borealis Philanthropy's Disability Inclusion Fund is seeking joint grant proposals from organizations led by and for disabled people.  
These grants support cross-movement collaborations advancing disability justice, including community organizing, advocacy, narrative change, arts, and policy work.  

• At least one partner must be disability-focused and disability-led.  

• Combined annual budgets must be under $3 million.  

• All organizations must be U.S.-based 501(c)(3)s or fiscally sponsored.  

Successful applicants can receive up to $150,000 over two years.  

•   

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Gulls Just Wanna Have Fun    The frenzied squawks echoing from a pub in De Panne, Belgium, last weekend may have been alarming鈥攊f not downright annoying鈥攖o uninitiated passersby. But to the crowd inside, these were sacred hymns of homage.    The annual European Seagull Screeching Championship is, after all, more than a competition. Now in its sixth year, the event seeks to rehabilitate the much-derided sea scavengers鈥� reputation by 鈥渃onnecting gulls and people,鈥� and reminding them that 鈥渁 gull screeching brings back good memories,鈥� .     The real memory-makers? The people with eerily good impressions of that unhinged cackle only a seagull can make as it divebombs your sandwich. This year, 70 contestants from 15 countries gave it their best go, , many donning feathers in an effort to further impress the five jury members (each 鈥渢rue seagull lovers,鈥� assures the website).    And much like a seagull, organizer Claude Willaert has unapologetically bold aims for the competition, : 鈥淲e are going to have more countries than at the Eurovision Song Contest.鈥�  QUICK HITS RFK Jr. is holding up $600M in vaccines for poor countries 鈥�      Australia becomes the 30th country to eliminate trachoma as a public health problem 鈥�  
A cheap drug used by longevity enthusiasts may have a surprising impact on exercise 鈥�  
J. Craig Venter, Scientist Who Decoded the Human Genome, Dies at 79 鈥�  
Baby teeth hold clues to the harms of toxic metals for infants 鈥� and older kids 鈥�   
Why you should 鈥榝eed a cold鈥�: eating primes immune cells for action 鈥�   Issue No. 2908
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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96 Global Health NOW: When Policy Shapes Biology; and How Health Misinformation is Fueling Solar Farm Fears April 29, 2026 TOP STORIES Aid groups are calling for a humanitarian corridor to be opened through the Strait of Hormuz as the war in Iran has led to the blockage of vital aid supplies, including critical medications.     Viral hepatitis remains 鈥渁 major global health challenge鈥� despite notable gains, ; while hepatitis C- and B-related deaths have declined significantly, current transmission rates of ~1.8 million infections annually show that2030 elimination goals are off-course.     Disabled Americans who receive Supplemental Security Income and live with family members who qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program will see their monthly benefits cut or eliminated if a Trump administration rule change moves forward; the cuts would affect ~400,000 people with dementia, developmental disabilities, and other conditions.     A former NIH aide has been on obstruction of justice and conspiracy charges for allegedly using his personal email to conceal federal records about federally funded research into dangerous viruses like the one that caused COVID-19.   IN FOCUS A view of houses in KwanGode, a rural area outside Hillcrest, South Africa. November 29, 2025. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty When Policy Shapes Biology    The introduction of powerful anti-HIV drugs in regions like South Africa鈥檚 KwaZulu-Natale province has rewritten disease outcomes of the populations there. But the intervention has also reshaped the DNA of people in the region, 鈥攕lowing evolutionary changes that were being driven by the epidemic, . 

• In KwaZulu-Natal, extreme AIDS mortality before 2005 drove measurable genetic change over a decade, rapidly reshaping immune system genes.  

• The inflow of antiretroviral drugs notably slowed this process.  

Deep, downstream effects: Abrupt funding cuts to programs like PEPFAR and those affecting programs backed by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria risk undoing that progress, potentially allowing both the epidemic and its biological impacts to intensify again. 

• Such interruptions and reductions have eroded critical infrastructure needed to test, track, and treat the virus, impacting not only treatment but the ability to prevent it, .  

• South Africa鈥檚 uptake of lenacapavir, for example, will be heavily affected by funding cuts, , .  

Seismic shifts on the horizon: South Africa is facing major upheaval to its HIV-fighting infrastructure: the Global Fund has notified the country that it has less than eight years before its funding wraps, .  
Related:     AIDS Creeps Back in Parts of Zambia, a Year After U.S. Cuts to H.I.V. Assistance 鈥�      We detected Aids through a federal early warning system. Trump has decimated it 鈥�   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES COMMUNICATION How Health Misinformation is Fueling Solar Farm Fears    The expansion of large solar farms is becoming a new battleground in public health policy: Critics point to health risks as a reason to restrict expansion, while researchers say such fears are grounded in misinformation.     A range of concerns: Critics of solar farms say health risks range from the impacts of electromagnetic fields to contamination, and such concerns have contributed to recent restrictions in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri. 

• But the purported public health risks are not grounded in credible evidence, say researchers and environmental lawyers.  

Energy goals at stake: The backlash threatens to stall solar energy transition targets even as demand grows. 
  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS More of the same. Epic Fury鈥檚 impact on global health and humanitarian actions 鈥�     Former Tobacco Executive Takes CDC Role 鈥�     鈥楢merica First鈥� aid policy reshapes how U.S. delivers global health assistance 鈥�     Ending Malaria Is Africa鈥檚 Smartest Investment: Here Is Why Leaders Are Acting Now 鈥�      In first meeting, federal autism committee focuses on 鈥榩rofound autism鈥� 鈥�      GOP takes aim at hospital CEOs over affordability crisis 鈥�     A neuroscientist鈥檚 guide to reading the research yourself 鈥�   Issue No. 2907
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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96 Global Health NOW: UK Cuts Imperil Polio Eradication; and How One Sudanese Surgeon Held Back the Tide April 28, 2026 TOP STORIES Ghana has rejected a U.S. proposal for a bilateral health aid deal because of a requirement that it share health data; Zimbabwe shot down a similar America First Global Health Strategy-based proposal for the same reason.  

Hundreds of hepatitis B infections and more liver cancer cases will likely follow the Trump administration鈥檚 policy that canceled a recommendation that the hepatitis B vaccine be given to infants within 24 hours of birth, .  

Strict limits on girls鈥� education and women鈥檚 work opportunities in Afghanistan may cause a shortage of 25,000 women teachers and health workers by 2030, .      48% of newborns infected with chikungunya during birth will experience severe neurological problems, including seizures, bleeding in the brain, and other issues, ; babies who appear healthy at birth can experience fever, persistent crying, and feeding problems three to seven days later.    IN FOCUS: GHN EXCLUSIVE A health worker administers polio drops to a child on a nationwide week-long poliovirus eradication campaign. Karachi, Pakistan, September, 1, 2025. Asif Hassan/AFP via Getty UK Cuts Imperil Polio Eradication 
Anne Wafula Strike once proudly served as the U.K.鈥檚 鈥減oster girl鈥� for polio eradication. Today, the Kenyan-born paralympic athlete and polio survivor has a different message: 鈥淚t feels we were running a group relay and just before the finish line, someone deliberately dropped the baton.鈥� 
  Last month, the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) lost its largest contributor . The move is part of Prime Minister Keir Starmer's sweeping 40% reduction in foreign aid, the largest percentage cut to development assistance by any government. 
  With the world on the cusp of eradicating the disease, 鈥渋t鈥檚 the worst possible moment鈥� to abandon funding, says Shahin Huseynov, WHO鈥檚 polio coordinator for Europe. Only two wild polio cases were reported globally in the first three months of 2026, and just two countries remain endemic鈥攂ut poliovirus has been found in U.K. wastewater this year.  

• Without sustained funding, the WHO warns that 200,000 children could be paralyzed by polio each year within a decade. 

What it means on the ground: The cuts will likely mean prioritizing surveillance and vaccination campaigns in the highest-risk areas, and postponing the goal of eradicating polio by 2029, says Huseynov.  
With GPEI's budget already cut 30% from prior U.S. cuts, advocates are urging the U.K. to honor its legal obligation to spend 0.7% of national income on overseas aid. 

• Reinstating polio funding would cost just $134 million, a fraction of what's been cut. 

There鈥檚 hope that other countries will step in鈥攕uch as Australia, Spain, Canada, and Korea鈥攚ho are still 鈥渓ooking, kind of, to use their development assistance funds in a very positive way,鈥� says Adrian Lovett of the ONE Campaign.    Nevertheless, a major concern is the signal the cuts send to other countries: 鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about money. It鈥檚 about solidarity,鈥� says Huseynov.
  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CONFLICT How One Sudanese Surgeon Held Back the Tide    Even as missiles hit Al Nao hospital, as electricity faltered, supplies dwindled and hospital staffers fled, orthopedic surgeon Jamal Eltaeb kept working.    Al Nao is one of the only functioning hospitals in the region outside Khartoum in civil war-torn Sudan鈥攁nd Eltaeb knew it was a lifeline for hundreds of desperate patients.  

• For three years, he has found a way to keep caring for them鈥攄espite direct attacks on the hospital and amidst mass-casualty bomb strikes where 100+ wounded patients needed emergency care.  

• 鈥淲e were working everywhere, in tents, outside, on the floor, doing everything to save patients鈥� lives,鈥� said Eltaeb, who was just recognized with the $1 million Aurora Prize for Awakening Humanity.  

Dire, ongoing need: ~40% of Sudan鈥檚 hospitals no longer function as the war enters its fourth year.   

Related: Darfur: Two decades on, a new generation of children faces 'horrific violence' 鈥� OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Can the U.S. handle another pandemic? 鈥�  
The US CDC on the brink 鈥�     Bedilu Abebe: Why Malaria Still Persists in Ethiopia 鈥�     Trump administration warns against using federal dollars on fentanyl test strips 鈥�      Toxins plus climate harms likely cause of reduced fertility, study finds 鈥�     CDC warns of drug-resistant salmonella infections linked to backyard poultry 鈥�

How to let go of grudges 鈥� and why it could be good for your health 鈥�   Issue No. 2906
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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  Copyright 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.


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Countries are making measurable progress in combatting viral hepatitis, but the disease remains a major global health challenge, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a new report published on Tuesday. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Untangling the complex relationship between HIV-exposure and tuberculosis in children: a narrative review 鈥�   
So, you got bit by a tick. Here鈥檚 exactly what to do next. 鈥�   Issue No. 2905
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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On a red running track in eastern Uganda, coach Zuena Cheptoek is doing more than training runners. For many girls in the Sebei subregion, she is also a confidante, a mentor and first line of protection against female genital mutilation, child marriage and abuse.

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

Researchers at 91黑料网鈥檚 Rosalind & Morris Goodman Cancer Institute, in collaboration with the Research Institute of the 91黑料网 Health Centre, found that suppressing two specific proteins helps NK cells overcome this blockage, turning them into more potent cancer killers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Targeted adaptation measures including expanded green spaces. 

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

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

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

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

 
Thanks for the tip, Lindsay Smith Rogers!  QUICK HITS Why these treatments for one of the deadliest cancers are stirring such hope 鈥�      Residents in rural Sudan say the Iran war has made it harder to get medicines 鈥�     Pace of N.I.H. Funding Slows Further in Trump鈥檚 Second Year 鈥�     In hearings, RFK Jr claims no responsibility for measles spread 鈥�     Two common drugs may reverse fatty liver disease, study finds 鈥�      Britain鈥檚 拢8bn bet on the developing world 鈥�   Issue No. 2903
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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Despite significant funding cuts, the World Health Organization (WHO) was able to support significant national health gains for hundreds of millions of people in 2025, according to its annual Results Report released on Thursday.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS 鈥業t鈥檚 a powder keg鈥�: Romania leads EU measles cases as vaccination rates collapse 鈥�      As measles takes toll on kids, anti-vaxxers in US have change of heart 鈥�      Pentagon ends mandatory flu vaccines for service members 鈥�     鈥楾he next opioid epidemic鈥�: Gambling legalization outpaces public health response to addiction 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!    Priya Pal: If pregnancy centers get public money, they should meet   medical standards 鈥�      French activists sue 'deceptive' laughing gas suppliers 鈥�     A specialized tour at the Berlin Zoo brings joy to people living with dementia 鈥�   Issue No. 2903
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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More than 840,000 people die each year from health conditions linked to risks such as long working hours, job insecurity, workplace harassment and bullying, according to a new report by the International Labour Organization (ILO). 

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

Projects focusing on MedTech and genomics cut across disciplines while mobilizing expertise at 91黑料网 and other Quebec institutions to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow 聽

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

90%
鈥斺赌斺赌�
HPV vaccine uptake in girls in three European nations: Iceland, Norway, and Portugal, ; all EU countries now recommend HPV vaccination for both adolescent girls and boys, and report a decreased incidence of cervical cancer among vaccinated women since 2020. 鈥�  ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Omaha鈥檚 Lag in Lead Testing    The largest residential lead cleanup site in the U.S. is a 27-square-mile Superfund area in Omaha, Nebraska鈥攁 state that does not require lead testing during childhood. Instead, it is up to the doctor or a health system to test on a case-by-case basis.     The result: Currently, <50% of kids under age 7 who live in the area near the cleanup site are tested for lead, public health officials say. 
Elsewhere: 13 states have passed laws requiring all children to receive lead testing.    What鈥檚 next? The Douglas County Health Department plans to propose an ordinance requiring health workers to test all kids up to age 7 who live in the affected area.     Lasting stakes: If high blood lead levels go undetected, the federal government may not remediate tens of thousands of properties in Omaha.     GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS The real 鈥榥anny tax鈥�? Not being able to breastfeed your own baby 鈥�     After Decades of Quiet Rumbling, an Epidemic Is Erupting Among California Stoneworkers 鈥�     Where U.S. science has been hit hardest after Trump鈥檚 first year 鈥�     Microplastics: Brain Study Confirms Health Risks, Challenges Kennedy鈥檚 Claims 鈥�     Democrats Demand Trump Administration Halt Plan To Collect Federal Workers鈥� Health Data 鈥�     There's new evidence for how loneliness affects memory in old age 鈥�     鈥極scar of science鈥� awarded to team behind gene therapy that restores lost vision 鈥�   Issue No. 2902
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

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  Copyright 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.


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96 Global Health NOW: Pakistan鈥檚 Infection Control Crisis; and The Hyperlocal Strategy to Curb Smoking April 20, 2026 TOP STORIES 9 out of 10 women in Liberia reported taking antibiotics monthly, per a survey of 109 women; many women said they used the antibiotics鈥攚hich are available without prescription鈥攖o 鈥渃leanse鈥� themselves after their menstrual cycle, a trend that has grown via widespread misinformation.     HIV testing in Russia should be expanded to one-third of the population each year in order to curb rapid rising infections, the nation鈥檚 health minister Mikhail Murashko said; the recommendation comes as Russia faces one of the highest HIV prevalence rates in Europe at 890 cases per 100,000 people.     A chikungunya therapy using monoclonal antibody technology has shown promise as both a treatment for the disease and as preexposure prophylaxis, say researchers who performed a first-in-human randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study presented at the ESCMID Global Congress.     Cerebral malaria and severe malarial anemia are tied to long-term cognitive impairment in children under 5, found a new prospective cohort study of 600 Ugandan children evaluated for overall cognitive ability, attention, and associative memory a year after hospitalization for severe malaria and then followed for another four to 15 years. IN FOCUS A Pakistani woman holds her HIV-positive child at a house at Wasayo village, in Rato Dero, in the southern Sindh province, on May 8, 2019. Rizwan Tabassum / Getty Pakistan鈥檚 Infection Control Crisis    At least nine people, including five newborns, have died in an mpox outbreak in Sindh province, Pakistan, as a burgeoning outbreak of the virus there tests a health system already failing to meet basic infection control standards, .     Mpox eruption: So far this year, health officials in the province have reported 122 suspected mpox cases. Until now, only sporadic, travel-related infections had been reported.  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

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  Copyright 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.


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