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96
Global Health NOW: Solving the Global Stagnation in Physical Movement; and Reimagining Transit for Blind Commuters
March 11, 2026
TOP STORIES
The pipeline of new drugs to combat superbugs remains 鈥渨orryingly thin,鈥� shrinking by 35% in the last five years from 92 to 60 medicines in development, ; the Netherlands-based researchers predict that annual deaths linked to drug-resistant infections globally will double to 8 million by 2050.
China will boost its science spending, with officials announcing that the country鈥檚 overall research and development expenditure will increase by ~7% over the next five years, and that this year鈥檚 science and technology budget will increase 10% over 2025鈥檚 budget鈥攁mounting to billions in new investments. The FDA has walked back claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump and other administration officials about the drug leucovorin鈥檚 effectiveness for autism; while the agency approved the generic medication for a rare brain folate deficiency this week, officials estimate the condition impacts fewer than one in a million people in the U.S.
Psilocybin shows promise as a smoking cessation tool, , which found that participants who received one dose of the psychedelic had 6X+ greater odds of being abstinent from cigarettes after six months than counterparts who relied on a nicotine substitute. IN FOCUS A Chinese martial arts teacher demonstrates an exercise to students in Freetown at the Confucius Institute University of Sierra Leone. October 15, 2024. Saidu Bah BAH/AFP via Getty Solving the Global Stagnation in Physical Movement Over the last two decades, governments worldwide have adopted policies promoting physical activity. But physical activity prevalence in most countries remains unchanged, .
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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China will boost its science spending, with officials announcing that the country鈥檚 overall research and development expenditure will increase by ~7% over the next five years, and that this year鈥檚 science and technology budget will increase 10% over 2025鈥檚 budget鈥攁mounting to billions in new investments. The FDA has walked back claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump and other administration officials about the drug leucovorin鈥檚 effectiveness for autism; while the agency approved the generic medication for a rare brain folate deficiency this week, officials estimate the condition impacts fewer than one in a million people in the U.S.
Psilocybin shows promise as a smoking cessation tool, , which found that participants who received one dose of the psychedelic had 6X+ greater odds of being abstinent from cigarettes after six months than counterparts who relied on a nicotine substitute. IN FOCUS A Chinese martial arts teacher demonstrates an exercise to students in Freetown at the Confucius Institute University of Sierra Leone. October 15, 2024. Saidu Bah BAH/AFP via Getty Solving the Global Stagnation in Physical Movement Over the last two decades, governments worldwide have adopted policies promoting physical activity. But physical activity prevalence in most countries remains unchanged, .
- 1 in 3 adults and 80% of adolescents still fail to meet the WHO physical activity guidelines of ~150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity weekly.
- While 92% of countries have policies that address movement, inactivity rates have remained flat since 2012.
- Most policies approach movement through a metabolic and cardiovascular health lens, rather than demonstrating the wide, holistic scope of benefits鈥攊ncluding mental health improvements, improved immunity, and cancer prevention.
- 鈥淧hysical activity should be embedded in the way we design our cities, helping create communities where people want to live and move more,鈥� said the study鈥檚 principal investigator Andrea Ram铆rez Varela.
- Two-thirds of New York鈥檚 subways are not ADA-compliant, and 90% of the city鈥檚 40,000 intersections still lack audible crossing signals.
- Still needed: Real-time audio updates and improved cell and Wi-Fi connectivity, including in tunnels, are critical for maintaining accessibility and safety.
- Namgya C. Khampa: Charg茅 d鈥橝ffaires and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India in the U.S.
- Sunil Wadhwani: Cofounder and CEO, Mastech Inc. and IGATE
- Seema Chaturvedi: Founder and Managing Partner, Achieving Women Equity Funds
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Iran Attacks鈥� Dangerous Fallout; and India Launches Pivotal HPV Vaccine Drive
March 10, 2026
TOP STORIES
Thousands of Black kidney transplant candidates in the U.S. got moved up on the transplant waiting list as part of an effort to help correct for an earlier race-based formula used to test kidney function鈥攚hich made their kidneys appear healthier than they were, delaying transplant referral; that test was discontinued in 2022.
Taking a daily multivitamin can slow some signs of biological aging; in who took the daily supplement for two years certain biomakers of aging were slowed by around four months, compared with those who did not; the effect was greater in people who were already biologically older than their years.
The U.S. FDA signaled openness yesterday to considering e-cigarettes in flavors deemed appealing to adults, such as mint, coffees, teas, and spices鈥攂ut would continue to reject fruit- and candy-flavored versions thought to be more appealing to teenagers that continue to flood the market.
Stimulant prescriptions鈥攎ostly to treat ADHD鈥攄oubled among adults in Ontario since the COVID-19 pandemic began, ; the findings may reflect improved recognition and treatment of adult ADHD, but the authors suggest more research to understand the causes and potential impacts of the rapid rise. IN FOCUS Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot on March 7, in Tehran. Sasan/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Iran Attacks鈥� Dangerous Fallout
Thousands of people killed or wounded, toxic rain, damaged water infrastructure, and regional instability have followed attacks by U.S. and Israel on Iran. Casualties: At least 1,255 people鈥攊ncluding 200 children and 11 health care workers鈥攈ave been killed, Iran's deputy health minister Ali Jafarian .
U.S. Tomahawk Hit Naval Base Beside Iranian School, Video Shows 鈥� Lebanon: Israel Unlawfully Using White Phosphorus 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CERVICAL CANCER India Launches Pivotal HPV Vaccine Drive
India has launched the world鈥檚 largest free HPV vaccination campaign, offering shots to ~11.5 million 14-year-old girls each year in an effort to prevent cervical cancer, . Meeting a high burden: India accounts for roughly a quarter of global cervical cancer cases, reporting ~130,000 new cases and ~80,000 deaths each year from the disease.
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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Taking a daily multivitamin can slow some signs of biological aging; in who took the daily supplement for two years certain biomakers of aging were slowed by around four months, compared with those who did not; the effect was greater in people who were already biologically older than their years.
The U.S. FDA signaled openness yesterday to considering e-cigarettes in flavors deemed appealing to adults, such as mint, coffees, teas, and spices鈥攂ut would continue to reject fruit- and candy-flavored versions thought to be more appealing to teenagers that continue to flood the market.
Stimulant prescriptions鈥攎ostly to treat ADHD鈥攄oubled among adults in Ontario since the COVID-19 pandemic began, ; the findings may reflect improved recognition and treatment of adult ADHD, but the authors suggest more research to understand the causes and potential impacts of the rapid rise. IN FOCUS Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot on March 7, in Tehran. Sasan/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Iran Attacks鈥� Dangerous Fallout
Thousands of people killed or wounded, toxic rain, damaged water infrastructure, and regional instability have followed attacks by U.S. and Israel on Iran. Casualties: At least 1,255 people鈥攊ncluding 200 children and 11 health care workers鈥攈ave been killed, Iran's deputy health minister Ali Jafarian .
- 12,000+ people have been wounded鈥攖he majority of which are burn and crush injuries.
- Black smoke billowed from Tehran facilities, posing 鈥渟erious acute and long-term health concerns鈥� for Tehran鈥檚 9 million+ people.
- Oil-heavy, toxic rain later fell on the city, .
- The Iranian desalination plant provided water for 30 villages, said an Iranian official.
- Much of the country has already endured a years-long drought鈥攍ast year鈥檚 rainfall was nearly half the normal amount.
U.S. Tomahawk Hit Naval Base Beside Iranian School, Video Shows 鈥� Lebanon: Israel Unlawfully Using White Phosphorus 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CERVICAL CANCER India Launches Pivotal HPV Vaccine Drive
India has launched the world鈥檚 largest free HPV vaccination campaign, offering shots to ~11.5 million 14-year-old girls each year in an effort to prevent cervical cancer, . Meeting a high burden: India accounts for roughly a quarter of global cervical cancer cases, reporting ~130,000 new cases and ~80,000 deaths each year from the disease.
- The country has also historically had some of the lowest rates of HPV vaccination coverage in the world.
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: How Political Messaging Rapidly Reshapes Care; and China鈥檚 Push for a 鈥楥hildbirth-friendly鈥� Culture
March 9, 2026
TOP STORIES
At least 13 hospitals and health sites have been hit during the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, per the WHO, and evacuation orders have forced health facility closures in Lebanon; the WHO鈥檚 logistics hub for global health emergencies in Dubai has also paused operations, threatening emergency supply requests to 25 countries and Gaza.
A landmark human rights ruling has ordered Peru to pay reparations for the 1997 death of an Indigenous woman who died while undergoing forced, government-ordered sterilization; the Inter-American Court of Human Rights judgment is the first to address the policy, which systematically targeted impoverished and Indigenous women in the 1990s.
UK women experiencing miscarriage often face further trauma and distress due to inadequate follow-up care, , which found that ~65% of 1,000+ women reported insufficient follow-up care and that ~42% of those who sought mental health support did not receive it.
Top U.S. FDA vaccine regulator Vinay Prasad will leave the agency at the end of April; his departure follows controversial decisions including declining to review Moderna鈥檚 new mRNA flu vaccine application (a decision that was later reversed) and rejecting approvals for multiple rare disease drugs. IN FOCUS Pills spill out of an open bottle of Tylenol brand pain reliever medication, in New York City, on November 3, 2025. Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty How Political Messaging Rapidly Reshapes Care In the weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Tylenol causes autism, emergency room prescriptions of the medication to pregnant women dropped ~10%, 鈥攁 reflection of how swiftly political messaging can influence health behaviors, . The statement: At a September 2025 White House briefing, Trump warned pregnant women against taking Tylenol, generically known as acetaminophen and paracetamol, claiming it could cause autism鈥攐ver physician recommendations and widespread scientific consensus that there is no causal link.
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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Top U.S. FDA vaccine regulator Vinay Prasad will leave the agency at the end of April; his departure follows controversial decisions including declining to review Moderna鈥檚 new mRNA flu vaccine application (a decision that was later reversed) and rejecting approvals for multiple rare disease drugs. IN FOCUS Pills spill out of an open bottle of Tylenol brand pain reliever medication, in New York City, on November 3, 2025. Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty How Political Messaging Rapidly Reshapes Care In the weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Tylenol causes autism, emergency room prescriptions of the medication to pregnant women dropped ~10%, 鈥攁 reflection of how swiftly political messaging can influence health behaviors, . The statement: At a September 2025 White House briefing, Trump warned pregnant women against taking Tylenol, generically known as acetaminophen and paracetamol, claiming it could cause autism鈥攐ver physician recommendations and widespread scientific consensus that there is no causal link.
- He also touted leucovorin as a promising autism treatment for children, despite no new supporting evidence.
- Prescriptions returned to earlier levels by December, but scientists say the research does not account for cold and flu season, or reflect the rates of acetaminophen taken at home, .
- Priorities include increasing medical care services, plus 鈥渞efining the social security system.鈥�
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: The Addiction-Fighting Promise of GLP-1s; and Punished for Pregnancy Loss in El Salvador
Plus: Just a Little R & R.I.P.
March 5, 2026
TOP STORIES
Chile has eliminated leprosy鈥攖he first country in the Americas to do so and the second globally; WHO and PAHO verified the achievement after the country reached 30+ years without a locally acquired case, the result of .
Cuts to RNA vaccine research threaten to stall three decades of high-stakes scientific research into infectious diseases, cancer, and vaccine development, , which found that RNA technology had the potential to 鈥渋mpact virtually every aspect of human health.鈥�
Breast cancer cases worldwide among women are expected to reach ~3.56 million by 2050, up from ~2.30 million cases in 2023, finds a new statistical analysis, which projected that the mounting burden will disproportionately affect 鈥渢he world's most vulnerable populations鈥� and 鈥渨ill further exacerbate health inequalities across the globe without decisive immediate action.鈥�
Global sea levels could be far higher than previously understood, as inaccurate modeling has led to the levels being underestimated, that could 鈥渟ignificantly鈥� affect current and future assessments of climate change on coastal communities.
IN FOCUS
Basak Gurbuz Derman/Getty Images
The Addiction-Fighting Promise of GLP-1s
A large new study adds to building evidence that GLP-1s could be a powerful tool in curbing and even preventing addiction to a wide range of substances, offering new insights and new hope in the field of addiction treatment, .
Details: The study, , followed 600,000+ U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes, and compared the impact of GLP-1 drugs to another diabetes treatment.
Strong risk reductions: Those with existing substance-use disorders who took the GLP-1s saw the following outcomes, :
Mental health care is delivered in many ways and by many people across diverse settings around the world. The 2026 Virtual Speaker Series from the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Mental Health convenes practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to explore a central question: Who provides mental health support, and in what contexts? Lara Gregorio, LCSW, of 4C Mental Health kicks off the monthly virtual series on March 11, 2026. Subsequent sessions will feature speakers from around the world, including Kenya鈥檚 Kenyatta National Hospital, Utrecht University, the University of Zimbabwe, King鈥檚 College London, and more.
Michael Bourgon brought us so much joy with And how did we thank him? By misspelling his home city. Canada's capital, no less. It鈥檚 Ottawa, of course鈥攏ot Ottowa. We regret the error. Please don鈥檛 send the turkeys after us.鈥擳he Editors ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Just a Little R & R.I.P.
It can be hard to get certain workaholic types to chill out. Spas and meditation retreats just don鈥檛 always cut it for the 鈥淚鈥檒l-rest-when-I鈥檓-dead鈥� set. But a coffin just might do the trick! A Japanese wellness trend promotes reclining in a coffin as a way to put things in perspective, (Such perspective can be gained via closed-or open-lidded casket options.) In this case, the box is not a final resting place: A typical 30-minute coffin-lying stint (which can cost ~2,000 yen, or $12鈥�$13 USD) offers just enough time 鈥渢o gaze at life through being conscious of death,鈥� explains designer and custom coffin-maker Mikako Fuse. Immortalize your memento mori: 鈥淐ute coffins鈥� are bedecked with Instagrammable designs including ginghams and florals, . It's all part of making existential dread, the inevitability of mortality, and the staring into oblivion ...鈥渂right and not so scary." QUICK HITS Scientists create autism panel, citing RFK Jr.鈥檚 politicization of research 鈥� Emergency supplies for nuclear or chemical attack distributed across Middle East, says WHO 鈥� Sudan Declared 'Cholera Free' Amid Rise in Dengue, Malaria, Measles 鈥� Study warns of underrecognized Lassa fever threat with global implications 鈥� Navigating conversations with children about war, conflict and other traumatic events 鈥� Issue No. 2875
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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- 31% fewer ER visits
- 26% fewer hospitalizations
- 39% fewer overdoses
- 25% fewer suicide attempts
- 50% fewer drug-related deaths
- 鈥淸Existing] treatments have been targeting substances one at a time, when the right target was craving, the engine that drives addiction across substances,鈥� .
- Or in the words of one Rhode Island mother who was able to reach sobriety from alcohol with the help of a separate pilot program that used GLP-1s: 鈥淚 could walk past those bottles and not care,鈥� .
- Still, steady advocacy between 2009鈥�2023 led to the release of 81 women imprisoned for abortion-related charges.
- Since then, ~29 women have faced prosecution following miscarriages or obstetric emergencies鈥斺�渁 new spiral of criminalization against women,鈥� said advocate Morena Herrera.
Mental health care is delivered in many ways and by many people across diverse settings around the world. The 2026 Virtual Speaker Series from the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Mental Health convenes practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to explore a central question: Who provides mental health support, and in what contexts? Lara Gregorio, LCSW, of 4C Mental Health kicks off the monthly virtual series on March 11, 2026. Subsequent sessions will feature speakers from around the world, including Kenya鈥檚 Kenyatta National Hospital, Utrecht University, the University of Zimbabwe, King鈥檚 College London, and more.
- Held via Zoom the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. ET
Michael Bourgon brought us so much joy with And how did we thank him? By misspelling his home city. Canada's capital, no less. It鈥檚 Ottawa, of course鈥攏ot Ottowa. We regret the error. Please don鈥檛 send the turkeys after us.鈥擳he Editors ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Just a Little R & R.I.P.
It can be hard to get certain workaholic types to chill out. Spas and meditation retreats just don鈥檛 always cut it for the 鈥淚鈥檒l-rest-when-I鈥檓-dead鈥� set. But a coffin just might do the trick! A Japanese wellness trend promotes reclining in a coffin as a way to put things in perspective, (Such perspective can be gained via closed-or open-lidded casket options.) In this case, the box is not a final resting place: A typical 30-minute coffin-lying stint (which can cost ~2,000 yen, or $12鈥�$13 USD) offers just enough time 鈥渢o gaze at life through being conscious of death,鈥� explains designer and custom coffin-maker Mikako Fuse. Immortalize your memento mori: 鈥淐ute coffins鈥� are bedecked with Instagrammable designs including ginghams and florals, . It's all part of making existential dread, the inevitability of mortality, and the staring into oblivion ...鈥渂right and not so scary." QUICK HITS Scientists create autism panel, citing RFK Jr.鈥檚 politicization of research 鈥� Emergency supplies for nuclear or chemical attack distributed across Middle East, says WHO 鈥� Sudan Declared 'Cholera Free' Amid Rise in Dengue, Malaria, Measles 鈥� Study warns of underrecognized Lassa fever threat with global implications 鈥� Navigating conversations with children about war, conflict and other traumatic events 鈥� Issue No. 2875
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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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Stemming the Tide of Stigma; and An Aid Vacuum Leading to Violence
March 4, 2026
TOP STORIES
The UN issued an urgent call for the protection of civilians amid the Israeli and U.S. airstrikes against Iran, which are displacing thousands and disrupting humanitarian services as violence and instability spreads through the Middle East; UN officials also called for a 鈥減rompt, impartial and thorough investigation鈥� into the Saturday airstrike that hit a Minab school, killing dozens鈥攎any children鈥攁nd injuring dozens more.
26 M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res staffers remain unaccounted for a month after two of the organization鈥檚 medical facilities in South Sudan鈥檚 Jonglei State were attacked, that said the staff fled with much of the local population into rural regions with limited communication connectivity amid ongoing violence.
A breakthrough shipment of 11 routine vaccines to South Sudan鈥檚 South Kordofan state will 鈥渞estore lifesaving immunization services鈥� to communities cut off from vaccine deliveries since July 2023 because of conflict and siege; the two truckloads of supplies include shots for TB, polio, and measles, and the pentavalent vaccine.
U.S. maternal deaths dropped in 2024, that found that 649 mothers died in 2024 during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth, compared to 669 in 2023鈥攁 continued decline from a COVID-19 era spike; the report also found the Black maternal death rate was 3X+ that of the white and Hispanic rates. IN FOCUS Stemming the Tide of Stigma The health impacts of stigma on people with mental illness can be severe鈥攊ncluding delays in seeking treatment, lower-quality care, and reduced rates of recovery. A push for policy: Such impacts are why stigma reduction must play a critical role not just in grassroots advocacy but in national health policy, say Danish health authorities, who adopted a sustained anti-stigma initiative in 2021, .
The abrupt closure of U.S.-funded youth programs in Colombia鈥檚 Choc贸 province last year has left thousands of at-risk young people without a stable source of community, leading gangs to fill that role. Background: Violence prevention programs like Youth Resilience and Black Boys Choc贸 once provided mentoring, leadership training, and social activities like dance to thousands of young people, helping to keep them out of gangs.
Delays in awards and funding calls worry NIH-funded researchers 鈥� Leana S. Wen: The CDC is in chaos. But here鈥檚 where it鈥檚 devastating. 鈥� How Kennedy Is Trying to Revamp Medical School 鈥� Investigation finds 鈥榮ecretly鈥� added chemicals of unknown safety in US food supply 鈥� Syngenta says it will stop making pesticide linked to Parkinson鈥檚 disease 鈥� Climate shocks, not just warming, threaten malaria control efforts in Africa 鈥� Why Is America Fixated on Protein? 鈥� Issue No. 2874
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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A breakthrough shipment of 11 routine vaccines to South Sudan鈥檚 South Kordofan state will 鈥渞estore lifesaving immunization services鈥� to communities cut off from vaccine deliveries since July 2023 because of conflict and siege; the two truckloads of supplies include shots for TB, polio, and measles, and the pentavalent vaccine.
U.S. maternal deaths dropped in 2024, that found that 649 mothers died in 2024 during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth, compared to 669 in 2023鈥攁 continued decline from a COVID-19 era spike; the report also found the Black maternal death rate was 3X+ that of the white and Hispanic rates. IN FOCUS Stemming the Tide of Stigma The health impacts of stigma on people with mental illness can be severe鈥攊ncluding delays in seeking treatment, lower-quality care, and reduced rates of recovery. A push for policy: Such impacts are why stigma reduction must play a critical role not just in grassroots advocacy but in national health policy, say Danish health authorities, who adopted a sustained anti-stigma initiative in 2021, .
- 鈥淪tigma has such an effect that people do not seek psychiatric services,鈥� said Niels Sand酶, the former director of prevention and inequity at the Danish Health Authority, who explained that to strengthen overall treatment, 鈥渨e have to do something about the stigmatization.鈥�
- Such policy-based priorities resonate with a key message of : 鈥淲e cannot change the status quo on mental health without tackling stigma and discrimination.鈥�
The abrupt closure of U.S.-funded youth programs in Colombia鈥檚 Choc贸 province last year has left thousands of at-risk young people without a stable source of community, leading gangs to fill that role. Background: Violence prevention programs like Youth Resilience and Black Boys Choc贸 once provided mentoring, leadership training, and social activities like dance to thousands of young people, helping to keep them out of gangs.
- But in the months since USAID funds ceased, those initiatives have struggled to stay afloat.
Delays in awards and funding calls worry NIH-funded researchers 鈥� Leana S. Wen: The CDC is in chaos. But here鈥檚 where it鈥檚 devastating. 鈥� How Kennedy Is Trying to Revamp Medical School 鈥� Investigation finds 鈥榮ecretly鈥� added chemicals of unknown safety in US food supply 鈥� Syngenta says it will stop making pesticide linked to Parkinson鈥檚 disease 鈥� Climate shocks, not just warming, threaten malaria control efforts in Africa 鈥� Why Is America Fixated on Protein? 鈥� Issue No. 2874
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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