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96 Global Health NOW: Ukraine Births Under Siege; and Slovenia鈥檚 Preventive Care Pays Off December 11, 2025 TOP STORIES Afghanistan鈥檚 humanitarian crisis is deepening with the deterioration of basic human rights, especially for women and girls, warn senior UN officials鈥攚ho say nearly half of the country鈥檚 population will need protection and humanitarian assistance amid economic decline, displacement, and diminishing aid.     South Carolina鈥檚 measles outbreak is 鈥渁ccelerating鈥� due to holiday travel and undervaccination, ; of the 111 measles cases recorded in the state鈥檚 northwest region, 105 involved people who were unvaccinated while three were partially vaccinated. 

An international study has identified a blood-based indicator of intestinal damage and inflammation that strongly predicts mortality in sick children; the new biomarker could help to identify children at greatest risk of dying post-hospitalization in low-resource parts of the world. 

Even a small proportion of citizens who do not comply with public health measures can amplify an epidemic鈥檚 spread in large cities, in Turin, Milan, and Palermo that analyzed the role of individual behavior in the spread of contagions.  IN FOCUS Bogdana Zhupanyna surveys the damage to her apartment days after it was struck by a drone during a Russian bombardment. July 23, Kharkiv, Ukraine. Scott Peterson/Getty Ukraine Births Under Siege    Childbirth in Ukraine has grown increasingly perilous, as relentless bombardments and displacement fuel a maternal mortality crisis and contribute to plunging birth rates that threaten the country鈥檚 future.     Dangerous delivery: Maternal deaths in Ukraine spiked 37% between 2023 and 2024, reaching 25.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, .  

• Doctors report a sharp increase in complications, including more premature births, a 44% rise in uterine ruptures, and dangerous spikes in C-section rates鈥攗p to 46% in frontline regions like Kherson. 

Compromised care: 80+ maternity centers across Ukraine have been damaged or destroyed since Russia鈥檚 2022 invasion, putting pregnant women and newborns at severe risk and forcing hundreds of births to occur in underground shelters, .  

• Last week, a maternity hospital in Kherson was attacked, further compromising severely strained medical services,  

• Power outages and supply shortages further contribute to rising risks.  

Demographic disaster: Ukraine now has the highest death rates and lowest birth rates in the world, measuring three deaths for every birth, .  

• That has led to fears of population collapse, with the country鈥檚 population plummeting from 42 million in 2022 to a projected 25 million by 2051. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES Slovenia鈥檚 Preventive Care Pays Off    More than 20 years ago, Slovenia adopted a chronic disease prevention strategy that is now showing impressive results鈥攁nd becoming a model for other countries.     The basics: Slovenia鈥檚 system emphasizes primary care, screening, and coaching鈥攁nd, per Rade Pribakovi膰, of the country鈥檚 National Institute of Public Health, 鈥渒ind of nagging the population,鈥� to have regular checks at health promotion centers which reach ~50,000 Slovenians a year.  

• Such hubs are staffed with community nurses, dentists, gynecologists, and other specialists, and offer workshops on topics like nutrition, stress, and obesity.  

Results: Slovenia鈥檚 chronic disease death rates have fallen sharply, and its life expectancy has steadily increased: Last year, it reached 82.3 years鈥攈igher than the EU average of 81.7 years and the U.S. average of 78.4 years.      CORRECTION The Cause of Cholera
In yesterday鈥檚 GHN, in a story about the , we referred to the disease as a virus, but cholera is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. We regret the error. Thanks to Hasanain Odhar for pointing out the mistake!  ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Will This Christmas Kill 鈥楲ast Christmas鈥�?       Think of it as 鈥攂ut for a Christmas song. And no one gets rich.      After decades of relentless overplay from Halloween til Christmas, a group of pals in Europe has organized the masses in a takedown of the loathed holiday track.   
  The first rule of Whamageddon: .      Us versus the airwaves: Refereed only by the honor system, players 
must publicly forfeit themselves if they鈥檙e 鈥渉it鈥� by the signature synth. WHAMbushing others is a no-no and radio hosts, who can send countless players to dreaded 鈥淲hamhalla鈥� with a single play,     Full disclosure: Until now, we actually didn鈥檛 realize we were supposed to hate the song and are now trying to catch up. If you鈥檙e in the same boat,  of its 鈥渋nanity鈥� and narrative incoherence.      But we will say: If making sense is how this YouTube scrooge rates music, we鈥檇 love to hear his take on    QUICK HITS The fight to beat neglected tropical diseases was going well. 2025 could change that 鈥�     Meta shuts down global accounts linked to abortion advice and queer content 鈥�       U.S. mass killings drop to 20-year low. Some policy shifts might be helping. 鈥�     EU officials acted to aid tobacco giant abroad, documents show 鈥�     Climate Change Is an Information Crisis; Public Health Already Knows How to Fight Those 鈥�     Japan turns to AI, robot caregivers to tackle dementia crisis 鈥�   Issue No. 2836
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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Gaza鈥檚 health system for mothers and newborns has been 鈥渄ecimated鈥�, the UN said on Thursday, with Israeli attacks destroying almost all hospitals, cutting off medical supplies and driving sharp rises in maternal deaths, miscarriages and newborn fatalities amid mass displacement and hunger.

A World Health Organization (WHO) expert committee has again confirmed that there is no causal link between vaccines and autism spectrum disorders (ASD), following a new review of global scientific evidence.

On Saturday, November 8, 2025, Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives (HBHL) presented the third edition of the Amazing Brain Science Talks, in partnership with and the . Held at the Grande Biblioth猫que in Montreal, the event attracted over 100 attendees for an engaging afternoon discussing popular topics in brain health.

96 Global Health NOW: COVID Vaccines鈥� Safety Confirmed Amid U.S. Scrutiny; and How to Read a Scientific Study December 10, 2025 TOP STORIES In DRC鈥檚 worst cholera outbreak in 25 years, children account for nearly a quarter of the 64,427 total cases so far this year; in 鈥渙ne of the most tragic鈥� instances, 16 of 62 children died when the virus swept through a Kinshasa orphanage.  
The first single-dose dengue vaccine has been approved for use in Brazil; the shot, Butantan-DV, protects against four strains of dengue and will initially be given to 1 million people in January.  
  Children exposed to extreme heat are less likely to meet basic developmental milestones than children living nearby in cooler areas, ; low-income children are especially vulnerable.  
  Civicus downgraded  from 鈥渘arrowed鈥� to 鈥渙bstructed,鈥� citing a 鈥渟harp deterioration of fundamental freedoms in the country鈥� this year and placing the U.S. in the same classification as 39 other countries including Hungary, Brazil, and South Africa.   IN FOCUS People waiting to receive a dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine at the Clermont-Tonnerre military hospital in Brest, France. April 6, 2021. Loic Venance/AFP via Getty COVID Vaccines鈥� Safety Confirmed Amid U.S. Scrutiny    A major French study is offering one of the clearest looks yet at the long-term safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, concluding that the vaccines did not increase mortality rates in France, . 

• The research arrives amid renewed debate of the vaccines鈥� safety in the U.S. sparked by an FDA memo that alleged vaccine-related deaths鈥攃laims rejected by former FDA leaders and unsupported by data.  

The study: The 鈥渆normous鈥� study  analyzed the health records of 28.7 million adults ages 18鈥�59 in the French health system; 22.8 million of those received an mRNA vaccine in 2021, .

• The team tracked all causes of death for four years鈥攆ar longer than most prior studies.  

Key results: Vaccinated people had a 74% lower risk of dying from COVID-19 in the hospital, and all-cause mortality over those four years was also lower: 0.4% among the vaccinated versus 0.6% among the unvaccinated.    Meanwhile in the U.S.: The FDA has broadened an internal review into whether COVID-19 vaccines may be linked to deaths in adults as well as children, , following FDA head Vinay Prasad鈥檚 unsubstantiated claims that the shots caused at least 10 pediatric deaths.   

• Prasad also said he plans to implement tighter vaccine-approval standards, though it is unclear what data sources the FDA is using to assess the safety of the vaccines or the approval process, .  

Related: Doctor groups form united front against RFK Jr鈥檚 efforts to limit vaccine access 鈥�   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES RESEARCH How to Read a Scientific Study    Research studies are no longer limited to an audience of scientists鈥攖hey are now a frequent feature of podcasts, YouTube videos, and social media posts.  

• How can nonscientists avoid falling for oversimplification, distortion, or manipulation?  

The first step: Learn how to read the studies. Epidemiologist Emily Gurley offers some key guidance, including:  

• Eye the essentials: Know the journal and its quality; understand the abstract section; look at the introduction to understand the study鈥檚  purpose, and read the discussion section to learn more about how to interpret the study. 

• Consider possible limitations, including sample size, participant demographics, and what needs further study. 

• Distinguish between correlation and causation.  

  QUICK HITS How a rare drug made from scientists鈥� blood saves babies from botulism 鈥�     Synthetic chemicals in food system creating health burden of $2.2tn a year, report finds 鈥�     After NIH grant cuts, breast cancer research at Harvard slowed, and lab workers left 鈥�     What to know about the surprising MERS coronavirus cases discovered in France 鈥�     Punished for bleeding: How periods in prison become a trap 鈥�     Malaria No More taps Trump insider for 鈥榥ew era鈥� of global health 鈥�     Five important financial moves for PhD students 鈥�   Issue No. 2835
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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The vast majority of World Health Organization (WHO) member States say 40 to 90 per cent of their populations now use traditional medicine.  

96 Global Health NOW: Polio: An Influx of Cash鈥攁nd a Funding Shortfall December 9, 2025 TOP STORIES A hospital and kindergarten in Sudan came under drone strikes last week, killing 114 people, including 63 children; 35 were injured, many of whom tried to get victims to the hospital, according to the WHO; Sudan officials attributed the Kalogi massacre to the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, a group responsible for other atrocities in Sudan鈥檚 civil war.  

Countries must jointly enact policies and fund programs against climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, and pollution, ; the report, based on the work of 287 scientists, calls for unprecedented transformation of government, the financial sector, and industry.  

A multidrug-resistant bacterial colonization of the gastrointestinal tract is prevalent worldwide, ; carbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales often precedes infections in critically ill hospital patients.  

Returning to school after the COVID-19 pandemic improved children鈥檚 mental health, according to a California-based study that found kids鈥� probability of being diagnosed with a mental health condition dropped 43% nine months after school reopening compared to pre-opening levels.   IN FOCUS A child is vaccinated against polio by Thane Municipal Corporation Health Department on December 8, 2024, in Mumbai, India. Praful Gangurde/Hindustan Times via Getty Images Polio: An Influx of Cash鈥攁nd a Funding Shortfall 
International donors committed to $1.9 billion against polio yesterday, but is it enough?                                               

• The funds will be used to vaccinate 370 million children against polio each year as well as build up health systems, (GPEI). 
   
• The Gates Foundation pledged $1.2 billion, and Rotary International committed to $450 million, . 

Shortfall: Despite the pledges, there鈥檚 still a $440 million gap in support for GPEI through 2029. 

• The U.K., Germany, and other countries have pulled back plans for development assistance and health funding in 2026, and U.S. support for polio efforts is unclear for 2026.  

• GPEI expects to cut its budget by 30% next year because of the global retreat in foreign aid, . 

The Quote: Without the full $6.9 billion needed for GPEI鈥檚 strategy, 鈥渃hildren will be left unprotected against polio,鈥� GPEI spokesperson Ally Rogers told CNN. 

Polio memories: , the University of Toronto Mississauga鈥檚 Madeleine Mant interviewed 65 people who had polio between 1941 and 1977. Their message: Young people shouldn鈥檛 have to experience polio or other vaccine-preventable diseases, .

Related: Bill Gates renews call to eradicate polio and malaria with UAE as key partner 鈥�  

DATA POINT

4.6 billion
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
The estimated number of people worldwide who still lack access to essential health services; while countries have advanced toward universal health coverage, major challenges remain. 鈥�
  HEALTH SYSTEMS A Health Care Breakdown in a Health Care Town 
Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital is southwest Georgia鈥檚 largest health provider鈥攂ut also the region鈥檚 dominant employer and economic power center.  
 
And yet: Locals describe a system fraught with access limitations, poor outcomes, high prices, and fractured care鈥攊ncluding dismissive treatment reported by uninsured residents. 
 
Inflection point: When the region became one of the nation鈥檚 first COVID-19 hot spots in 2020, the crisis exposed frayed relationships between the hospital and the community, especially poor and Black residents who suffered the worst outcomes. 
 
Bigger picture: The more hospitals operate as behemoth businesses, 鈥渢he fewer incentives there are to lower costs or improve quality and the less communities can do about either.鈥� 
 
QUICK HITS More Americans refusing vitamin K shots for newborns, new study finds 鈥�     Warning issued after new mpox strain identified in England 鈥�     Why Some Doctors Say There Are Cancers That Shouldn鈥檛 Be Treated 鈥�     Surprise! Your health care provider added a fee for that questionnaire you filled out 鈥�  
  Zimbabwe鈥檚 only female heart surgeon on medicine, misogyny and making a difference 鈥�   Issue No. 2834
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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Supporting colleagues facing potential sexual exploitation or abuse (PSEA) in the workplace, may start with small acts of recognition but can have lasting positive impacts, according to a UN member of staff working in the Southeast Asian country, Lao People's Democratic Republic.

96 Global Health NOW: The Hepatitis B Vote: A Pivotal Moment for U.S. Vaccine Policy December 8, 2025 TOP STORIES 20+ babies in Hungary have died of maternally contracted syphilis, and 63 cases have been confirmed in the country this year as syphilis cases increase worldwide.  

2 MERS cases have been reported in France; both patients had been on the same trip to the Arabian Peninsula; no secondary transmission has been detected.  

Kenya signed a $2.5 billion, five-year agreement to accept U.S. funding to help fight infectious diseases, becoming the first country to sign a deal aligned with the Trump administration鈥檚 foreign policy goals; the agreement sparked concerns about the security of sensitive health data.

Environmental advocates in Canada are pushing for a moratorium on the use of glyphosate, the key ingredient in RoundUp, after a 25-year-old foundational research paper on the herbicide鈥檚 safety was following revelations that RoundUp鈥檚 maker, Monsanto, may have helped produce the paper. IN FOCUS Members of the CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices at the CDC headquarters. Atlanta, Georgia, December 5. Megan Varner/Bloomberg via Getty The Hepatitis B Vote: A Pivotal Moment for U.S. Vaccine Policy     It鈥檚 a tectonic shift in U.S. immunization policy: The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted Friday to withdraw a long-standing recommendation that newborns receive a hepatitis B vaccination at birth. 

• The decision was made without new evidence and against the strong consensus of medical groups that the change puts children at unnecessary risk, .   

New recommendations, established efficacy: The panel now suggests delaying the first hepatitis B dose until at least two months for infants born to virus-negative mothers. 

• But the vaccine鈥檚 safety is well established, , which outlines the history of the shot, its timing, and its role in bringing down infections in young people by 99%. 

Sharp pivot:&苍产蝉辫;础颁滨笔鈥檚&苍产蝉辫; sets the stage for broader reconsideration of childhood immunization policy, .  

• President Trump  Friday, urging health officials to review the entire childhood vaccine schedule, calling the U.S. an 鈥渙utlier,鈥� .  

奥丑补迟鈥檚&苍产蝉辫;苍别虫迟: The decision about actually changing the vaccine guidelines now sits with the CDC鈥檚 acting director. 

• But states are already pushing back against ACIP鈥檚 recommendation: New York , and Ohio officials . 

Related:     4 fact-checks after CDC vaccine panel ends universal newborn hep B vaccine recommendations 鈥�      Three-fourths of Americans support hepatitis B vaccine for newborns, poll finds 鈥�   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CHILD HEALTH Australia鈥檚 Sweeping Social Media Ban    A strict ban on social media accounts for users under 16 takes effect in 
Australia this week, prompting platforms like Meta, TikTok, Snap, and YouTube to deactivate hundreds of thousands of accounts, .  

• Other governments worldwide are watching the move, which Australian officials call the 鈥渇irst domino鈥� in such regulation. 

Details of the ban: Unlike current age-restrictions that are easy to work around and difficult to enforce, Australia has multiple compliance requirements, , including: 

• A 鈥渓ayered safety approach,鈥� including AI-informed age detection, activity-pattern analysis, and mandatory age verification. 

• Protections to block circumvention attempts, and parent reporting. 

• Fines of up to $49.5 million for platforms.  

The Quote: 鈥淪ocial media was a big social experiment. In some ways, this is an antidote social experiment,鈥� said eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant.   QUICK HITS Trump DoJ 鈥榠mmediately鈥� stops enforcing prison rape protections for trans and intersex people, according to leaked memo 鈥� 

Faulty glucose monitors linked to 7 deaths and more than 700 injuries, FDA warns 鈥� 

'Very concerning': Opioids for sickle cell pain often not administered fast enough in ED 鈥� 

How the new H-1B visa fee is upending health care in rural America 鈥�     Editors鈥� pick 2025: Our favourite essays and longform stories on public health in South Africa 鈥�     Ashish Jha to leave Brown University School of Public Health 鈥�     鈥極ne bite and he was hooked鈥�: from Kenya to Nepal, how parents are battling ultra-processed foods 鈥�   Issue No. 2833
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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The University continues to be recognized as one of Canada鈥檚 top research institutions and drivers of innovation听听听聽

The University continues to be recognized as one of Canada鈥檚 top research institutions and drivers of innovation听听听聽

96 Global Health NOW: Child Deaths Are Rising鈥擜nd Avoidable December 4, 2025 TOP STORIES Baby formula in the U.K. will soon be purchasable using supermarket loyalty points and vouchers, as government officials seek affordability solutions in the face of dramatically increasing formula costs.  

A 鈥減re-pandemic鈥� plan to address bird flu risks has been shared with EU health officials by the European CDC, which is urging increased surveillance and hospital capacity as H5N1 spreads in birds and as risk of mutation and human spread grows.

A single HPV vaccination could be as effective as two doses to prevent the virus that causes cervical cancer, finds a new U.S. National Cancer Institute-led , which enrolled more than 20,000 girls and tracked them for five years.

The vaccine advisory panel to the U.S. CDC is expected to vote later today on whether to abandon the universal hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for newborns; posted online late Wednesday suggest a shift to 鈥渋ndividual-based decision-making鈥� for the newborn shot and a recommendation to delay administering the vaccine until babies are 2 months old. IN FOCUS Denish Odule, a Village Health Team officer, takes a blood sample to do a malaria rapid diagnostic test, in Apac District, Uganda, on April 7. Hajarah Nalwadda/Getty Images Child Deaths Are Rising鈥擜nd Avoidable 
Global child mortality is projected to rise for the first time this century, as countries and major donors cut foundational health funding and as diseases like malaria gain a stronger foothold, find two major reports released this week by the Gates Foundation and the WHO. 

• 鈥淚t is 100% avoidable. There is no reason why those children should be dying,鈥� said Mark Suzman, CEO of the Gates Foundation, which released its annual yesterday.  

Deaths of children under age 5 are expected to reach 4.8 million in 2025, per that report, which is ~200,000 more than last year, And further aid reductions of 20%鈥�30% could lead to 12鈥�16 million additional child deaths by 2045.  

Malaria鈥檚 mounting toll: Meanwhile, young children made up the greatest share of ~610,000 deaths in 2024, 鈥攁n increase from 2023, which does not account for 2025 funding cuts, .  

• Many of the deaths are in sub-Saharan Africa, as funding shortfalls stall progress and as rising drug resistance and climate change threaten resurgence, warned WHO leaders, . 

Clear solutions: Well-established solutions like improved primary health care and routine immunizations are the 鈥渂est bet鈥� at strengthening protections for children鈥攊f they can be funded. 

• 鈥淲e could be the generation who had access to the most advanced science and innovation in human history鈥攂ut couldn鈥檛 get the funding together to ensure it saved lives,鈥� said Bill Gates.  

Related: Over 5,000 Ugandans Died of Malaria in 2024 as WHO Warns of Rising Drug Resistance 鈥�   

GHN EXCLUSIVE REPORT Phasing Out Mercury Fillings 
Mercury will no longer be used as a key ingredient in dental fillings, after countries agreed to phase out its usage at COP-6 last month.

Background: While mercury-based dental amalgams have been used for 150 years, more countries have begun banning the metal鈥檚 usage as its harmful environmental and health impacts come to light. 

The rollback: In the agreement, countries pledged to phase out mercury by 2034.  

• After years of debate, the decision was carried over the finish line by late backing from the WHO, Brazil, and the U.S.鈥攚hich reversed its longstanding opposition to a ban.  

 

OPPORTUNITY Calling All Humanitarians 
is accepting applications for a (February 16鈥揂pril 27, 2026), designed for anyone interested in learning more about humanitarian leadership, whether they鈥檙e new to the sector or are seasoned humanitarian professionals.  

• To keep the program accessible to people from all socioeconomic backgrounds, attendees are asked to 鈥減ay what they can鈥� for participation. 
•  
• Deadline: January 30, 2026 

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION The Slop of Nightmares 
鈥淐hatGPT, design me a massive holiday mural that鈥檚 less festive and more epic hellscape.鈥�

Something like this, surely, was the AI prompt behind the in an otherwise-charming London suburb.  

Because 鈥測ou know what鈥檚 Christmassy? A snowman with a [expletive] eye on his cheek,鈥� .  

Reportedly 鈥渃ommissioned鈥� by a Kingston upon Thames building landlord, 鈥攂ut was giving Hieronymus Bosch.  

Yet somehow, it was still a gift鈥攁 horror to look at, but a joy to put into words: 

• 鈥淭he disturbing scene appeared to contain large troops of men with misshapen bodies and contorted faces attempting to skate over shallow, foamy waters. Elsewhere, groups filled an infeasibly large wooden boat. Heavily-disfigured dogs bounded about, some appearing to transmogrify into birds,鈥� . 

If this description turns out to be AI-generated, well, we鈥檒l just cry. 

QUICK HITS Congo hosts Africa鈥檚 first simulation exercise on antimicrobial resistance surveillance 鈥�      Researchers slightly lower study鈥檚 estimate of drop in global income due to climate change 鈥�     A dozen former FDA commissioners condemn plan to tighten vaccine approvals 鈥�     FDA names Tracy Beth H酶eg, fresh from vaccine safety probe, as acting head of drug center 鈥�     WHO launches new, unified plan for countries to manage coronaviruses: COVID-19 and beyond 鈥�   Issue No. 2832
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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Six African football legends are urging the continent to unite and step up efforts to vaccinate every child against the life-threatening polio virus.  

The authoritative World Health Organization (WHO) World Malaria Report, published on Thursday, shows that resistance to antimalarial drugs now poses one of the most acute risks to control efforts across Africa and beyond.

96 Global Health NOW: A New Era for GLP-1 Drugs; and The Toxic Toll of Battery Recycling December 3, 2025 TOP STORIES

Nearly one in five child deaths worldwide is linked to growth failure, with ~1 million children failing to reach their fifth birthday each year due to devastating health impacts, , which recorded the most deaths in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

UK support for a key anti-FGM program will end next year, a major step back for the country after years of leading global efforts to stop female genital mutilation; the move will defund the 10+-year-old initiative, The Girl Generation, which supports grassroots organizations trying to end FGM.

A U.S. vaccine advisory committee convening later this week appears likely to delay hepatitis B shots routinely administered to newborns and may broadly revise the use of other vaccines, based on preliminary comments by officials.

A special type of immune cell plays an essential role in the tiny percentage of HIV patients who achieve a 鈥渇unctional cure,鈥� allowing them to live for years without taking antiretroviral drugs; the discovery by two independent groups of scientists signals a possible new path in the search for a cure.

IN FOCUS A pharmacy owner speaks with a customer in Pristina, Kosovo, on March 27. Armend Nimani/AFP via Getty A New Era for GLP-1 Drugs    The WHO has released its first guidelines on GLP-1 weight-loss medicines, signaling a continued sea change in global health policy and the clinical approach to address the growing obesity crisis, .      The stakes: The WHO warns that one billion+ people worldwide live with obesity鈥攁 number that could double by 2030.    A shifting response: GLP-1 therapies including semaglutide, tirzepatide, and liraglutide are not a standalone solution, but the drugs have potential to 鈥渉elp millions overcome obesity and reduce its associated harms,鈥� said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.     Access issues: The WHO warned that high costs and scarce supply have led to unequal access: fewer than 10% of eligible patients are expected to access GLP-1 therapies by 2030, .   Broader impact: Researchers are exploring whether GLP-1 drugs might also reduce cravings for alcohol, nicotine, and opioids, .     And a new era of GLP-1 drugs is on the horizon, with innovations that include more potent injectables and once-daily pills, for which drugmakers hope to secure approval and release within the next year, .     Meanwhile, San Francisco is suing major food manufacturers over health harms linked to ultraprocessed foods, claiming the companies 鈥渆ngineered a public health crisis,鈥� .   DATA POINT

Every 3 minutes
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A child dies of tuberculosis鈥攁mounting to ~175,000 deaths among children in 2024 from a disease we have the tools to diagnose, prevent, and cure. 鈥�
  POLLUTION The Toxic Toll of Battery Recycling     American car companies have long relied on recycled lead for batteries. But the process of recycling is steadily poisoning the communities working and living around the factories throughout Africa.  

• Children near one factory cluster outside Lagos, Nigeria, had lead levels that could cause lifelong brain damage, . 

Automakers were aware of the lead pollution for nearly 30 years, The Examination and The New York Times report.  

• Repeatedly, they and battery companies opted not to act when warned of the dangers鈥攅xcluding lead from environmental policies and blocking advocates鈥� attempts to intervene.  

    Related: The 鈥楥lean鈥� Technology That鈥檚 Poisoning People 鈥�    GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS Fiji faces major HIV outbreak 鈥�  (free registration required)     More cities are seeing PFAS pollution in drinking water. Here's what Louisville found 鈥�     The changing shape of Chinese aid to Africa 鈥�     South Africa finally declares GBV a national disaster 鈥�     For those living with dementia, new study suggests shingles vaccine could slow the disease 鈥�     A Different Type of Dementia Is Changing What鈥檚 Known About Cognitive Decline 鈥�      A short social media detox improves mental health, a study shows. Here's how to do it 鈥�   Issue No. 2831
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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  Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.


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A program developed by a 51吃瓜网researcher to help cancer survivors cope with the fear their cancer will return is expanding across Canada.聽

The Fear of Recurrence Therapy (FORT) program offers evidence-based support to address what co-founder Christine Maheu calls one of the most overlooked aspects of recovery.聽

A program developed by a 51吃瓜网researcher to help cancer survivors cope with the fear their cancer will return is expanding across Canada.聽

The Fear of Recurrence Therapy (FORT) program offers evidence-based support to address what co-founder Christine Maheu calls one of the most overlooked aspects of recovery.聽

Sam Harper and Arijit Nandi have received funding to help strengthen national capacity in metaresearch through the , supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Michael Smith Health Research BC (MSHRBC).

Sam Harper and Arijit Nandi have received funding to help strengthen national capacity in metaresearch through the , supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), and Michael Smith Health Research BC (MSHRBC).

96 Global Health NOW: Dispensing 鈥楩ree Chances at Life鈥�: Public Health Vending Machines Are More Than a Novelty December 2, 2025 TOP STORIES

More than 1,250 people in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, and Thailand have been killed in floods and landslides following two recent cyclones and a typhoon; 1.1 million people have been displaced in Sri Lanka alone.  

Ethiopia鈥檚 Marburg virus outbreak has now claimed eight lives total, after authorities reported three new deaths yesterday; 12 cases have been confirmed in southern Ethiopia since mid-November.  

A New Jersey faith-based pregnancy center will appear before the Supreme Court today to fight a prosecutor鈥檚 subpoena demanding donor information; the prosecutor is investigating whether First Choice Women鈥檚 Resource Centers misled clients to discourage abortions.  

A gene in avian flu viruses protects them against heat generated by a human鈥檚 fever, essentially neutralizing one of the body鈥檚 prime defenses; higher temps even help the viruses replicate, according to Cambridge and Glasgow university scientists.  

IN FOCUS: GHN EXCLUSIVE A public health vending machine at the Deadwood Tavern, in Iowa City. Ben Mummey Dispensing 鈥楩ree Chances at Life鈥�  
As the overdose crisis swept across the U.S., it became clear to those working in harm reduction that to stem the crisis, the barrier to accessing naloxone had to be lowered.  
  In recent years, more and more  that dispense free doses of the lifesaving overdose reversal medication and often, a range of other harm reduction products including sharps containers and wound care kits.  
  The machines are part of a 鈥渘ew guard鈥� of approaches to an overdose crisis that demanded broader, more accessible services that can reach people who might not use traditional health services and allow users to remain anonymous, says Rosemarie Martin of UMass Chan Medical School.  
  Promising results: Research shows products in the machines are, indeed, helping to save lives. Since 2021, naloxone dispensed by one machine in Cincinnati has helped reverse 5,000 overdoses, according to University of Cincinnati researchers tracking its use.  
  A shifting response: Overdoses in the US are declining overall, and concerted efforts to de-stigmatize and expand access to harm reduction products deserve some credit for that, says Martin. But access to low-barrier harm reduction tools remains uneven across the country鈥攁nd it鈥檚 unclear how well these interventions will be funded long-term, says Martin.   鈥淚t鈥檚 important that we celebrate the wins 鈥� but there鈥檚 a lot of work to do.鈥�  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MEASLES  Warnings and Wins in WHO Update
The WHO warned of rising measles cases across the globe, even as it recognizes major progress in combating the disease over the last 25 years, in a .     Significant strides: Globally, measles deaths have fallen 88% since 2000, and 96 countries have now eliminated measles, .  

• The number of children vaccinated against measles is nearly back to pre-pandemic levels.  

Setbacks: ~11 million infections were reported in 2024鈥攁bout 800,000 more than before the pandemic. 

• 59 countries faced major outbreaks last year, nearly triple the 2021 total. 

Behind the rise: Only 76% of children globally received both vaccine doses in 2024, with most under-protected children living in fragile or conflict-affected regions. Misinformation is also taking a toll.     Related: South Carolina鈥檚 Measles Outbreak Shows Chilling Effect of Vaccine Misinformation 鈥�   GOOD NEWS QUICK HITS With school violence rising, Europe eyes a usual suspect: Social media 鈥�     After Roe, Churches Promised to Support Women. Three Years Later, Has Anything Changed? 鈥�     The common vaccines that can prevent chronic disease or some cancers 鈥�     These Zika mothers went to battle 鈥� and their cry was heard 鈥�  
Racial bias in medicine can be as simple as dismissing Black patients as a 鈥榟ard stick鈥� 鈥�     Stunning new 3D images reveal yellow fever鈥檚 hidden structure 鈥�   Issue No. 2830
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

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  Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.


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