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Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Filipino Youths Pulled to Vaping; and Bigger Vehicles, More American Deaths

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 09:41:54 -0400

Global Health NOW: Filipino Youths Pulled to Vaping; and Bigger Vehicles, More American Deaths

͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌ ͏ ‌

June 23, 2026

IN FOCUS

Young 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 Vaping

As 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.

Those are just some of the findings from a study by the Institute for Global Tobacco Control (IGTC) at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, which surveyed 171 Filipino participants ages 13–20.

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, per IGTC.

Sweet scents and social capital: Flavors—especially sweet, fruity, or candy-esque—and product design are appealing, but media portrayals of vaping as a symbol of an aspirational lifestyle are normalizing the products in “dangerous” ways, researchers told Inquirer.net.

“Vape promotion is reaching them at every turn,” said lead study author Tuo-Yen Tseng.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

ROAD SAFETY

Bigger Vehicles, More American Deaths

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.

200–400 deaths per year—or ~10% of pedestrian deaths—could have been avoided if vehicle sizes had remained similar to those of the early 2000s, found the investigation.

Why? Two key reasons:

Higher hoods: More vehicles’ hoods are now taller than the average American’s 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.

The New York Times (gift link)

QUICK HITS

Ebola outbreak in DR Congo tops 1,000 cases, at least 254 dead – CIDRAP

Displaced in Lebanon, Women Search for Water, Privacy and Dignity – More to Her Story

Who will lead the WHO after Trump's retreat? – Politico

‘The law is clear’: Sasha Stevenson fights back as vigilantes try to keep migrants out of clinics – Bhekisisa

‘Healed Healers Heal’: Inside the Push for an Indigenous Medical School – Native News Online

Indiana Takes On Powerful Hospitals by Capping Prices They Charge Employers – KFF Health News

A blood test that screens for multiple types of cancer? It may be available soon – NPR

Issue No. 2397

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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.

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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World Health Organization: Ebola in DR Congo: first month of outbreak sees record number of cases – UN humanitarians

Tue, 23 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Ebola has been spreading at unprecedented speed in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), bringing risk and fear into people’s daily lives, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Hantavirus and Ebola Raise Questions About Quarantine; and Sidelining the CDC in Global Health

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 09:46:54 -0400

Global Health NOW: Hantavirus and Ebola Raise Questions About Quarantine; and Sidelining the CDC in Global Health

June 22, 2026

IN FOCUS

Passengers 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 Quarantine

Today has been dubbed ‘Freedom Day’ 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, reports The Telegraph.

But the questions and debate surrounding outbreak response continue—especially regarding quarantine—and now take on fresh urgency as the struggle to contain Ebola in the DRC grows.

End of an outbreak: The quarantine period was six weeks—the 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, reports the AFP via Yahoo!News.

Passengers in the UK were “voluntarily” 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 “arbitrary” and “authoritarian,” and warned it could undermine public trust in future emergencies, reports The Guardian.

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, reports Bloomberg via The Straits Times.

Aid agencies say hunger and inadequate medical support have become major barriers to containment. More than 150 patients have reportedly fled Ebola treatment facilities.
“In 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,” per a commentary published in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Related: Ebola and hantavirus can start like the flu but turn deadly fast – ScienceDaily

THE QUOTE

“The world’s 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 ‘midwifery models of care’. I have a rare example of this, but I’ve been silenced.”

——————————–––
—Harriet Akello, from Uganda, who was among the eminent African and Asian midwives denied visas to attend a key maternal and child health conference in Lisbon last week.

POLICY

Sidelining the CDC in Global Health

The U.S. CDC’s 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’s 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 “menu” of 34 itemized health-related services such as disease surveillance.

The overhaul is raising concerns that governments will scale back critical prevention programs—weakening laboratory networks, disrupting HIV care for millions, and undermining outbreak investigations.

“This is the end of autonomy and independence and long-term capacity at the CDC for work in global health,” said Atul Gawande, a former head of global health at USAID.

The New York Times (gift link)

Related: These 3 brothers lost their parents to AIDS. Now they struggle to make it on their own – NPR

QUICK HITS

Federal grant delays could jeopardize essential disability services, research – STAT

China launches probe into baby diaper chemical safety concerns – Xinhua

FDA panel backs first-of-its-kind flu vaccine using mRNA technology – AP

Researchers caught in the crossfire as companies and governments grapple over AI safety – Science

Most sunscreen content on TikTok is accurate, but it’s the misinfo that goes viral – NBC News

Issue No. 2936

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World Health Organization: Global Ebola cases top 1,000 as UN races to reach DR Congo’s most vulnerable

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

As global confirmed Ebola cases reach 1,000, nearly three million children and adolescents are at risk in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), while efforts increase to treat prisoners near the epicentre of the current outbreak, UN agencies warned on Monday.

World Health Organization: World at ‘perilous moment’ as leaders warn HIV gains are at risk

Mon, 22 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Four decades after AIDS first emerged as a global crisis, world leaders, advocates and community representatives gathered at UN Headquarters on Monday issued a stark warning: progress against HIV is slowing just as financial pressures and shrinking support threaten to reverse decades of gains.

World Health Organization: Ebola in DR Congo: One month on, scaled up response remains insufficient

Sat, 20 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

One month after the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak was declared in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, case numbers continue to rise.

World Health Organization: DR Congo: Efforts ramp up as Ebola outbreak accelerates beyond borders

Fri, 19 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

The spread of Ebola is accelerating in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) amid continued armed violence, posing a grave and growing risk to the region, UN agencies warned on Friday.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: The Evolving Fight Against Malaria

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 09:39:14 -0400

Global Health NOW: The Evolving Fight Against Malaria

June 18, 2026

IN FOCUS

Patrica 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 Malaria

The fight against malaria in 2026 is full of ever-shifting front lines. Threats are evolving—from mosquitoes’ 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.

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—combining 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’s 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, reports Forbes.

Community health leaders focused on continuing malaria chemoprevention programs for young children, but they warn that any gains could be lost without reliable infrastructure—calling the funding crisis a “clarion call” 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, finds a study published in Infectious Diseases.

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, per James Cook University (news release).

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, per Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (news release).

The yeast could form the basis of low-cost, biodegradable mosquito traps, per a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Related: DNDi and Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) pool regulatory expertise to accelerate access to lifesaving medicines – DNDi

VAPING

A New Generation of Nicotine Addiction in South Africa

Since 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, per a 2024 survey of 25,000 high schoolers published in eClinicalMedicine.

Toll on teens: ~17% of students responded that they were vape users, and of those, 61% showed signs of addiction, reporting that they couldn’t get through a day without their device.

Failure to act: A wide-ranging bill that aims to regulate most tobacco products, including vapes, has been stalled in the country’s parliament since 2018.

Advocates for regulation say a separate, more limited under-18 ban would be easier to pass—and is overdue.

Bhekisisa

OPPORTUNITY

Nominate a Colleague, Mentor, or Hero for a Canada Gairdner Award

The annual Canada Gairdner Awards celebrate the world’s best biomedical and global health researchers, including:

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’s 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 website, join a webinar, submit a nomination, or connect with the awards team to learn more.

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

The Cat’s Out of the Bard

Many of us have been thrown off by cat interruptions, like a tail appearing mid-Zoom, or your colleague appearing to turn into one. But try playing dead Romeo in front of a live, cackling audience while a stray tabby swats at your face and eats your hair.

In a dazzling display of ‘show must go on-ness’ 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’s been widely read as a simple snafu, the cat’s behavior suggests a retelling of the romance involving two star-crossed lovers … and a jealous cat.

How else does one explain why the intrepid cat—now dubbed Romeow—“spent the final death scene trying to revive Romeo,” (by sticking its butt in his face), and then simply “groomed itself during Juliet’s final moments.” Stunning performances all around.

Cats and cast alike: We drink to thee.

QUICK HITS

Ebola and the US patient spotlight global health 'injustice' – DW

RFK Jr. announces $700M investment in addiction services, emphasizing faith-based organizations – The Hill

Scientists Find Intriguing Link Between Ozempic and Violent Behavior – Gizmodo

A Roadmap to Effective Gun Violence Policy – Think Global Health (commentary)

AI tool could speed antibiotic development – NIH

Dutch children are unusually happy and healthy. Is it because of this walking ritual? – The Guardian

Issue No. 2935

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World Health Organization: Fermentation, flavour and the future of food: Making sustainability delicious

Thu, 18 Jun 2026 08:00:00 -0400

Words like “sustainability” and “healthy” shouldn’t take the joy out of eating. As elite chef Jaume Biarnés has been explaining to UN News, sustainable gastronomy can be delicious, exciting and fun.

91�� Faculty of Medicine news: Prativa Baral awarded CIHR’s STEPS Team Grant

Wed, 17 Jun 2026 10:30:47 -0400

CIHR funded team will create a new blueprint for public health emergencies: a pan-Canadian Civilian Emergency Reserve

Global Health Programs aggregator

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Filipino Youths Pulled to Vaping; and Bigger Vehicles, More American Deaths

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

Filipino Youths Pulled to Vaping

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

ROAD SAFETY

Bigger Vehicles, More American Deaths

QUICK HITS

World Health Organization: Ebola in DR Congo: first month of outbreak sees record number of cases – UN humanitarians

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Hantavirus and Ebola Raise Questions About Quarantine; and Sidelining the CDC in Global Health

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

Hantavirus and Ebola Raise Questions About Quarantine

THE QUOTE

POLICY

Sidelining the CDC in Global Health

QUICK HITS

World Health Organization: Global Ebola cases top 1,000 as UN races to reach DR Congo’s most vulnerable

World Health Organization: World at ‘perilous moment’ as leaders warn HIV gains are at risk

World Health Organization: Ebola in DR Congo: One month on, scaled up response remains insufficient

World Health Organization: DR Congo: Efforts ramp up as Ebola outbreak accelerates beyond borders

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: The Evolving Fight Against Malaria

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

The Evolving Fight Against Malaria

VAPING

A New Generation of Nicotine Addiction in South Africa

OPPORTUNITY

Nominate a Colleague, Mentor, or Hero for a Canada Gairdner Award

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

The Cat’s Out of the Bard

QUICK HITS

World Health Organization: Fermentation, flavour and the future of food: Making sustainability delicious

91�� Faculty of Medicine news: Prativa Baral awarded CIHR’s STEPS Team Grant

Global Health Programs aggregator

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Filipino Youths Pulled to Vaping; and Bigger Vehicles, More American Deaths

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

Filipino Youths Pulled to Vaping

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

ROAD SAFETY

Bigger Vehicles, More American Deaths

QUICK HITS

World Health Organization: Ebola in DR Congo: first month of outbreak sees record number of cases – UN humanitarians

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Hantavirus and Ebola Raise Questions About Quarantine; and Sidelining the CDC in Global Health

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

Hantavirus and Ebola Raise Questions About Quarantine

THE QUOTE

POLICY

Sidelining the CDC in Global Health

QUICK HITS

World Health Organization: Global Ebola cases top 1,000 as UN races to reach DR Congo’s most vulnerable

World Health Organization: World at ‘perilous moment’ as leaders warn HIV gains are at risk

World Health Organization: Ebola in DR Congo: One month on, scaled up response remains insufficient

World Health Organization: DR Congo: Efforts ramp up as Ebola outbreak accelerates beyond borders

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: The Evolving Fight Against Malaria

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

The Evolving Fight Against Malaria

VAPING

A New Generation of Nicotine Addiction in South Africa

OPPORTUNITY

Nominate a Colleague, Mentor, or Hero for a Canada Gairdner Award

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION

The Cat’s Out of the Bard

QUICK HITS

World Health Organization: Fermentation, flavour and the future of food: Making sustainability delicious

91������ Faculty of Medicine news: Prativa Baral awarded CIHR’s STEPS Team Grant

91�� Faculty of Medicine news: Prativa Baral awarded CIHR’s STEPS Team Grant