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96 Global Health NOW: Global Vaccinations in Jeopardy; Kenya鈥檚 Push to Improve HIV Testing During Pregnancy; and Run, Run, Robots! UN: Global aid funding cuts upend vaccination efforts almost as much as the pandemic did April 24, 2025 A child receives a vaccination from a health care worker during national vaccination day in Vian铆, Colombia, on September 25, 2021. Yair Suarez Salazar/Anadolu Agency via Getty Global Vaccinations in Jeopardy
Vaccine-preventable diseases are thriving in a global environment of health funding cuts, misinformation, and humanitarian crises, UN agencies and others are warning during World Immunization Week.

• The UN reports that global aid funding cuts are upending vaccination efforts almost as much as the pandemic did, .

• The cuts are 鈥渟everely limiting鈥� UNICEF鈥檚 efforts to vaccinate 15 million children against measles.

Latest cut: The Global Vaccine Data Network, which has done the largest safety studies of COVID-19 vaccines, was terminated 13 months short of its end date by the U.S., .
 
Disease updates:

• Measles cases topped 10.3 million cases in 2023, a 20% surge over the previous year, .

• 5,500 cases of meningitis have been reported in 22 countries in the first three months of 2025.

• WHO鈥檚 Americas region has seen 131 cases of yellow fever in four countries already this year.

Mood update: The World Vaccine Congress is meeting this week in Washington, D.C., in a 鈥減olitical environment [that] has perhaps never been more fraught for attendees,鈥� .
 
The Quote: 鈥淰accines have saved more than 150 million lives over the past five decades,鈥� said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 鈥淔unding cuts to global health have put these hard-won gains in jeopardy.鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Nearly a third of antibiotics consumed by people end up in rivers, from 51吃瓜网 and One Health Trust researchers that estimates the distribution of chemical pollutants from untreated wastewater and wastewater treatment plants.
 
AI models outperformed PhD-level virologists in lab problem-solving, from MIT鈥檚 Media Lab, Brazil鈥檚 UFABC, and other groups, raising fears that non-experts could weaponize AI models to create bioweapons.
 
A trial of 21 adults with peanut allergy offers evidence that the same micro-dosing approach approved in the U.S. for children with the allergy could work for adults as well, .
 
The Research Council of Norway launched a 100 million kroner ($9.6 million) fund to attract top U.S. researchers yesterday, in response to the escalating pressure on academic freedom in America; the council will issue a call for proposals next month focused on topics including climate, health, energy, and AI. MATERNAL HEALTH Pregnant Women 2X Likelier to Die in Abortion-Ban States  
Since the overturn of Roe v. Wade, pregnant people living in states with abortion bans were nearly twice as likely to suffer pregnancy-related deaths compared to their counterparts in states without restrictions, .

• Black women face the highest risk and are 3.3X more likely to die than white women in states with bans. 

• Maternal mortality fell 21% in states that preserved abortion access post-Dobbs. 

Risky waits: Abortion bans do offer narrow exceptions if a mother's life is in danger, but confusing language leaves many providers unable to intervene until a patient is approaching death. 
 
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS Kenya鈥檚 Push to Improve HIV Testing During Pregnancy 
A high number of women in Kenya who are missing HIV screenings during pregnancy is contributing to a persistently high number of babies with the virus, researchers say. 

A closer look: In 2023, 200,000+ pregnant women missed HIV screenings鈥斺�渁 major challenge to eliminating mother-to-child transmission of HIV,鈥� said Joab Khasewa, an officer with the National Syndemic Diseases Control Council, which conducted the research. 

• That same year, 3,742 babies contracted the virus鈥�7.3% of all births by women with HIV. The council says that rate needs to be brought below 5%. 

Power of preventative screening: Early screening and antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive pregnant women can lower the risk of transmission from mother to baby to less than 5%. 

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Run, Run, Robots!  
There始s long been concerns that robots could one day replace humans. But when it comes to running, we始re still beating the bots. 

Running side-by-side half-marathons in Beijing recently, the fastest human beat the fastest humanoid robot by well over an hour. Of 21 robot competitors, only six finished the race, .  
 
But rather than showcasing the limits of their development 鈥� their struggles in the race only underscore how very human robots have become.
 
Like so many who始ve tried to take up running, many were 鈥渇alling, trembling and struggling to stay upright,鈥�  One 鈥渨alked a short distance and fell,鈥� . Another overheated and needed water to cool down.
 
And, as in the human world, some are just annoyingly good athletes. One robot that was 鈥渕ore like a gymnast鈥� also turned out to be a great runner.
 
Given all that androids have learned from us, there始s some traits we始d happily take from them. Like the ability to swap out a battery to regain our strength. Or to keep running when our head falls off. QUICK HITS In China, trade war with U.S. taking a toll on research labs 鈥�

WHO launches new guidelines to tackle adolescent pregnancy and related health complications 鈥�

Bowel cancer in young people is on the rise. Childhood toxin exposure could be the cause 鈥�

Studies zoom in on clues to why Lyme disease persists and which antibiotic to prescribe 鈥�

US fertility rate hovers near record low as Trump administration pushes for a baby boom 鈥�

2025 State of the Air report: 46% of Americans breathe polluted, unhealthy air 鈥�

Superbug-fighting paint promises cleaner hospitals and safer public spaces 鈥� Issue No. 2714
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 UN has raised concern over a growing number of vulnerable Haitians 鈥� particularly pregnant women, new mothers, and infants 鈥� being deported from the Dominican Republic. 

Although strong global collaboration has helped to save nearly 13 million lives from malaria over the past 25 years, more action is needed to stamp out the disease. 

96 Global Health NOW: Measles and the 鈥楳alleable Middle始; New Efforts to Boost Turkey's Birth Rate; and Science Cuts Leave Researchers Looking Abroad April 23, 2025 A measles vaccinations information booth offered by Harris Public Health on April 5, in Houston, Texas. Raquel Natalicchio/Houston Chronicle via Getty The Rise of Measles, Misinformation, and the 鈥楳alleable Middle始  
As measles cases climb across the U.S., Americans are encountering pervasive false claims about the disease and its vaccine鈥攁nd many are unsure what to believe, according to a .
 
The poll examined false claims that:

• Autism is linked to the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine.


• The MMR vaccine is more dangerous than measles.


• Vitamin A can prevent measles infections.

It found that at least half of Americans fall into the 鈥渕alleable middle鈥� when it comes to measles misinformation, describing each of these claims as 鈥減robably true鈥� or 鈥減robably false,鈥� .
 
Other key findings:

• Despite rising misinformation, 78% of parents expressed confidence in the safety of the MMR vaccine.


• Parents who believed or were open to believing measles misinformation were more likely to delay or forgo vaccines for their children.


• Republicans and independents were at least twice as likely as Democrats to believe or lean toward believing the false claims. 

Growing outbreak: As U.S. measles cases top , CDC officials now view cases across Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico as a single outbreak, making it the country始s largest since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000, .
 
But amid deep cuts to local public health funding, the agency is 鈥渟craping to find the resources鈥� to support states that are fighting outbreaks, said CDC senior scientist David Sugerman.

Related:

Montana has a measles outbreak with its first cases in 35 years. Here鈥檚 what you should know 鈥�

Track the spread of measles in Texas 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Dialysis patients in Gaza are struggling to get treatment under the blockade; Gaza鈥檚 Health Ministry said that 400+ patients, representing around 40% of all dialysis cases in the territory, have died over the last 18 months because of lack of proper treatment.

U.S. health officials announced plans to urge food makers to phase out petroleum-based artificial colors by the end of 2026鈥攂ut stopped short of promising a formal ban, largely relying on voluntary efforts from the industry.
 
The NIH has canceled the Women鈥檚 Health Initiative鈥攊ts first and largest project centered on women鈥檚 health, which enrolled tens of thousands in clinical trials of hormones and other medications and tracked the health of thousands more over three decades, yielding influential findings on disease prevention, aging, and cognitive decline.

Teenagers who went to bed earliest, slept the longest, and had the lowest sleeping heart rates outperformed others on cognitive tests, ; researchers found the impact of even small differences in sleep 鈥渟urprising.鈥� DEMOGRAPHICS A New Effort to Boost Turkey's Birth Rate
Turkey鈥檚 government has announced a raft of incentives designed to boost the nation鈥檚 flagging birth rate, . 

The 鈥淵ear of the Family鈥� initiative includes:

• Financial support based on a household鈥檚 number of children.


• More flexible work policies, expanded childcare services, housing support, and enhanced medical services. 

The measures are a response to demographic shifts that could have major social and economic consequences: 

• Turkey鈥檚 fertility rates have fallen from 2.38 children per woman in 2001 to 1.51 today, 鈥渨ell below鈥� the 2.1 replacement rate. 


• People are marrying and starting families later in life as living costs rise. 


• The country鈥檚 older population has reached 10% for the first time, and the median age is now 34.

Meanwhile: Turkey has banned elective c-sections at private health facilities without a medical justification. The move has 鈥渟parked fury鈥� from women鈥檚 rights groups, doctors, and politicians, . 

Related: The push for women to have more children has a powerful ally: Trump 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES BRAIN DRAIN Researchers Look Abroad Amid Science Cuts
U.S. researchers are seeking careers abroad as the Trump administration cuts science funding and workforce numbers, per an analysis of .

Comparing January鈥揗arch 2025 to the same period last year:

• U.S. scientists submitted 32% more applications for jobs abroad鈥撯�攁nd views for positions abroad rose by 68% last month compared with March 2024.


• Applications from U.S. scientists seeking careers in Canada rose 41%.

Some European institutions are rolling out a welcome mat鈥攊ncluding Aix-Marseille University in France.

The Quote: 鈥淲e felt it was our duty to do what we could to show scientists there was a little light in the south of France where they could do their research, be a lot freer and where they were wanted,鈥� said Aix-Marseille鈥檚 president, 脡ric Berton.

QUICK HITS HHS Plans to Cut the National Suicide Hotline鈥檚 Program for LGBTQ Youth 鈥�

鈥楾aking the Side of Cancer鈥�: The War on Medical Research Is Being Fought Through Contracts 鈥�

New agreement geared toward universal avian flu vaccine 鈥�

RFK Jr.鈥檚 autism study to amass medical records of many Americans 鈥�

Hearing loss in older adults linked to nearly one-third of dementia cases 鈥�

Researchers find immune system proteins involved in severe cases of schistosomiasis 鈥�

The wholegrain revolution! How Denmark changed the diet 鈥� and health 鈥� of their entire nation 鈥� Issue No. 2713
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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Vaccines have saved around 150 million lives over the past 50 years, but that progress is now under threat. 

Teenage pregnancy remains the leading cause of death for girls aged 15 to 19, which countries could help prevent by allowing them to remain in school and ending child marriage, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Wednesday.  

96 Global Health NOW: U.S. Cancer Death Rates Falling; Students Forced to Take Pregnancy Tests; and Promoting Mines, While Undermining Protections April 22, 2025 Claudia Tellez, MD, helps Nataly Arboleda off the exam table at the Lurie Cancer Center, in Chicago, on November 2, 2023. Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty U.S. Cancer Death Rates Falling
Cancer death rates in the U.S. decreased steadily from 2001鈥�2021, although rates of new cancer diagnoses have increased for women, .

Takeaways:

• Cancer death rates decreased by 1.5% per year (2018鈥�2022), representing a slowdown from the previous 2.1% average annual decline.
   
• Cancer incidence rates remained stable from 2013鈥�2021 for men but increased 0.3% per year from 2003鈥�2021 among women.
   
• Cancer incidence in 2020 fell compared to pre-pandemic levels across all demographic groups.

Details:

• Increases in breast cancer among women are likely driven by obesity, alcohol use, and increased age for giving birth for the first time, per .
   
• Racial disparities persist: Black women experience a 40% higher death rate from breast cancer and twice the death rate from uterine cancer, compared with white women.

Pandemic impact: Many Americans postponed cancer screenings for several months in 2020, but there wasn鈥檛 a major increase in late-stage diagnoses, which are typically harder to treat, .

Late-stage diagnoses in 2021 returned to prepandemic levels for most cancer types.

Meanwhile in the U.K.: Cancer patients are not getting access to lifesaving drugs or clinical trials because of post-Brexit cost increases and red tape, .
 

Related: Top cancer experts 鈥榖eing put off UK by politicians鈥� messaging on immigration鈥� 鈥� 

DATA POINT The Latest One-Liners   R茅union health officials are calling for urgent reinforcements to manage a chikungunya virus outbreak on the French Indian Ocean Island鈥攚ith six deaths and 5,000+ cases since January鈥攖hat is overwhelming hospitals. 
 

Intensive efforts to reduce high blood pressure鈥攅.g., through medication and health coaching鈥攃ould reduce the risk of dementia by 15%,  involving 33,995+ people with uncontrolled high blood pressure in 326 villages in rural China. 
 

Traditional risk models used by regulators likely underestimate air pollution health impacts, , measuring risk of simultaneous exposures to multiple chemicals on different parts of the body鈥攁nd found increased risks missed by traditional methods. 
 

Health care worker burnout is starting to drop from peak levels at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but remains elevated compared to prepandemic times,  assessing burnout and stress among Veterans Health Administration health care workers. 

U.S. Policy and Science Cuts News: NIH moving to ban grants to universities with DEI programs, Israeli boycotts 鈥�

New NIH director defends grant cuts as part of shift to support MAHA vision 鈥�

Trump Laid Off Nearly All the Federal Workers Who Investigate Firefighter Deaths 鈥�

National Science Foundation cancels research grants related to misinformation and disinformation 鈥�  

Trump Administration's HHS Cuts: Creating Waste And Inefficiency, Not Eliminating Them 鈥�

Gawande: Federal cuts could mean loss of life, harm to U.S. science enterprise 鈥�

As Trump administration champions IVF, it cuts key CDC staff 鈥� REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS When Students are Forced to Take Pregnancy Tests
Across east Africa, girls are routinely subjected to pregnancy tests at school鈥攁 鈥渉umiliating, invasive and potentially unlawful鈥� process that can also result in expulsion if the girls are found to be pregnant, per a report by the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. 

While laws have been updated recently in countries like Uganda and Tanzania to prohibit such tests and expulsions as a violation of children鈥檚 rights, a number of schools in those countries continue the practice in breach of national guidelines.  

• 鈥淲hat the teachers did, it was torturing her,鈥� said one Ugandan father, David Wafula, whose pregnant daughter was examined by teachers in front of her classmates. 

Context: Sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rate of adolescent pregnancies of any region in the world, per UN data.
 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES COAL Promoting Mines, While Undermining Protections
While President Donald Trump has vowed to revitalize and expand coal mining in the U.S., advocates say they are dismayed by the administration鈥檚 simultaneous decision to gut the health protections in place for miners, . 

Included in cuts: The federal division that provides free black lung screenings for coal miners fired roughly two-thirds of the staff this month, and there are now no employees left to run the screening program in the agency鈥檚 West Virginia office, or analyze x-rays already taken.

• The cut in services could have fatal consequences, a spokesperson for the Mine Workers of America : 鈥淭here鈥檚 not going to be anyone to work in the mines you are apparently reopening.鈥� 

Plus: The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration has delayed enforcement of a rule imposed last year to limit miners鈥� exposure to toxic crystalline silica dust鈥攑rompting multiple miners鈥� groups to file litigation against the agency, . 

QUICK HITS Wave of Earth Day protests as Americans mobilize against Trump 鈥�  

China's Integrated Policies on Climate Change and Health 鈥�

Asia鈥檚 megacities at a crossroads as climate and population challenges grow 鈥�

Vietnam reports H5N1 avian flu case with encephalitis 鈥�  

U.S. Supreme Court appears likely to uphold ACA preventive care coverage mandate 鈥�

The awful working conditions of factories that slaughter bird-flu-infected chickens 鈥�

Why cameras are popping up in eldercare facilities 鈥�

Melinda French Gates on what billionaires with 'absurd' wealth owe back to society 鈥嬧�嬧�� Issue No. 2712
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: COVID-19 Information Page Overhauled; Another Deadly Fireworks Factory Explosion in India; and Adolescent Girls Need Our Support April 21, 2025 COVID-19 Information Page Overhauled
Federal websites once used for sharing information on vaccines, testing, and treatments for COVID-19 now focus on the theory that the pandemic originated in a Wuhan lab and criticize the Biden administration鈥檚 handling of the pandemic, . 

The websites and redirect to a White House page entitled 鈥淟ab Leak: The True Origins of COVID-19,鈥� which includes:

• A five-point breakdown making the case for lab leak origins.


• Accusations that federal officials like former NIAID director Anthony Fauci engaged in 鈥渙bstruction鈥� of information.


• Criticisms of the Biden administration, the WHO, and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for the pandemic response, including masks, lockdowns, and social distancing.

An unsettled question: Some federal agencies have said research supports a spillover event that likely occurred at a Wuhan market, while others say a laboratory accident is possible. Most scientists say key data remains missing, .

Scientists react: COVID researchers studying both theories said the new website includes inaccurate, oversimplified, and misleading information, with one virologist describing the page as 鈥減ure propaganda.鈥� 

• The overhaul reflects 鈥渁 broader practice of officials recently scrapping health websites that do not align with their views,鈥� . 

Related: 

CDC considers narrowing its COVID-19 vaccine recommendations 鈥�

I Was There: A Public Health Worker's Response to the COVID.gov Rewrite 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Children in Burkina Faso have faced 2,483 documented rights violations amid escalating conflict in the country between 2022 and 2024, a ; violations include abductions, injuries from explosive devices, and recruitment into armed groups.

Mercury emissions near small-scale gold mines can be measured in wild fig trees鈥� growth rings, finds , the first to show hardwoods鈥� potential as a biomonitor of gaseous elemental mercury.

Receipt paper from many U.S. retailers contains high levels of bisphenol S, a chemical linked to cancer and reproductive problems; even brief contact with some receipts can result in enough chemical absorption to exceed safety standards laid out in California鈥檚 Proposition 65.

A U.S. attorney has sent letters to at least three medical journals accusing them of political bias and suggesting that the journals mislead readers, in a move scientists and doctors say could have a 鈥渃hilling effect鈥� on research publications. U.S. Health and Science Policy News Count the Dead by the Millions 鈥�

Activists pile 200 coffins outside State Department to protest cuts to global AIDS relief 鈥�

鈥楻ipple effect:鈥� In US, anti-immigrant policy strains child and eldercare 鈥�

USAID cuts halt Yale-led efforts to build global health infrastructure 鈥�

NIH freezes funds to Harvard and four other universities, but can鈥檛 tell them 鈥�

Trump鈥檚 War on Measurement Means Losing Data on Drug Use, Maternal Mortality, Climate Change and More 鈥� GHN EXCLUSIVE UPDATE Another Deadly Fireworks Factory Explosion in India
A large fireworks factory explosion in southern India on April 13 killed eight people and injured seven others in Kailasapatnam village in Andhra Pradesh, .

GHN Series: The GHN team learned of the explosion after publishing a two-part series on the dangerous conditions in fireworks factories in the southern Indian city of Sivakasi by freelance journalist Kamala Thiagarajan:

Follow-up: Thiagarajan reports that the articles were included in a formal petition last week to an Indian court seeking legal action supporting the victims of fireworks factory explosions.

She also notes that a local charity has contributed to the purchase of a prosthetic leg for factory worker Muthukutti, whose story was shared in the series鈥� second article. His left leg had to be amputated after a February 12, 2021, explosion at Sree Mariyammal Fireworks Factory near Sivakasi. GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY Wajir girls reading together. 2021. icon (be one) K / Nicholas Oreyo The World鈥檚 Adolescent Girls Need Our Support   
As global funding cuts and policy shifts disrupt health and development programs around the world, 鈥渢eenagers鈥攑articularly teenage girls鈥攁re especially vulnerable,鈥� , who lead the Population Council鈥檚 Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning Center.

• The U.S. foreign assistance freeze could deny access to contraceptive care for ~11.7 million women and girls this year鈥攗pping the risk of unintended pregnancies and maternal deaths.

鈥淭he ripple effects will be devastating,鈥� they say鈥攍eading to 鈥渕ore child marriages, school dropouts, and economic hardships that will persist for generations.鈥�

Yet investing in teen girls pays off, making girls more likely to stay in school, secure stable jobs, and contribute to household income. 

• Every dollar invested in adolescent girls鈥� empowerment in Africa by 2040, , can generate more than a tenfold return in economic impact.

Karijo and Austrian see a clear pathway to achieving these economic gains. They point to evidence backing a girl-centered approach and offer models, including a program in Kenya that helped girls stay in school and delayed marriage and pregnancy for years after the program鈥檚 end. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS Seeking Abortion Training in Mexico
In the years since Roe v. Wade was overturned, more than a dozen U.S. states have banned virtually all abortions, and more than 100 abortion clinics have closed. 

To get training in providing abortions, a small but growing number of providers have sought opportunities in Mexico. 

• In 2023, Fundaci贸n MSI trained nine American doctors to perform abortions at Mexican clinics.


• This year, it is on track to train more than 50鈥攁nd has the capacity to train up to 300 doctors a year, says MSI Latin America鈥檚 managing director.

Every abortion ban in the U.S. permits abortions to save a patient鈥檚 life. But without adequate training, doctors may not be skilled enough to perform abortions even in those dire circumstances.

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Haiti 鈥榓wash鈥� with guns leaving population 鈥榓bsolutely terrified鈥� 鈥�

Why is tuberculosis, the world's deadliest infectious disease, on the rise in the UK? 鈥�

ACA preventive care case reaches Supreme Court 鈥�

What the Newest mRNA Vaccines Could Do Beyond COVID 鈥�

Relieve the suffering: palliative care for the next decade 鈥�

Rapid geographic expansion of local dengue community transmission in Peru 鈥�

Nitrogen-fertilised grassland more likely to trigger hay fever, study suggests 鈥�

A horse therapy program in Namibia brings joy to children with learning disabilities 鈥� Issue No. 2711
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 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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96 Global Health NOW: Global Health NOW: Fireworks and Heartbreak in an Indian Village; U.S. Administration Seeks Data and Deep Cuts; and Moose See TV 鈥淔or most people, fireworks mean joy.鈥� April 17, 2025 Muthukutti, 23, endured the amputation of his left leg after the 2021 Sree Mariyammal Fireworks Factory explosion outside Sivakasi, India. Kamala Thiagarajan Fireworks and Heartbreak in a Hard-Hit Indian Village  
SIVAKASI, India鈥擮f the 650 families who live in Surangudi village, most have lost either a limb or a loved one to fireworks, says social activist Vijay Kumar.

Tens of thousands of workers in Sivakasi produce 50,000 tons of firecrackers annually鈥攎ost of India's fireworks.
 
But they also risk deadly fires and explosions in their work. 
 
Deadly blast: A February 12, 2021, explosion killed 27 workers at the Sree Mariyammal Fireworks Factory and injured dozens more.

• Many of the killed and injured were from Surangudi village, including Muthukutti, 23, whose left leg had to be amputated.

• His aunt, Shanmugavadivu, also worked in the factory and had third-degree burns on her chest, stomach, arms, and legs.

Waiting for compensation: While both received $1,160 in compensation from the Tamil Nadu state government, they are still waiting for much larger compensation payments from the factory owners.
 
The Quote: 鈥淔or most people, fireworks mean joy,鈥� says Kumar, , which aids fireworks factory victims in the Sivakasi area. 鈥淏ut for those whose lives are so closely associated with it, it鈥檚 a source of sorrow and heartbreak.鈥�
 

 
Ed. Note: Our thanks go to Padmavathy Krishna Kumar who shared the idea for this topic and received an honorable mention in the , co-sponsored by Global Health NOW and the . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
The COVID-19 pandemic鈥檚 effect on measles is coming into focus, with published in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases showing a steady decline in disease incidence over 30 years鈥攂ut a stark drop in vaccination in 2021.  

The Alzheimer鈥檚 drug lecanemab has been approved for use in the EU; however, only a 鈥渧ery small portion鈥� of patients will be eligible for the drug, which is sold under the brand name Leqembi and is authorized in the U.S., U.K., and Japan.

Arsenic levels in paddy rice could significantly rise with climate change, finds a new study that showed increased temperatures coupled with rising carbon dioxide levels could lead to higher concentrations of inorganic arsenic in rice, potentially raising lifetime health risks for populations in Asia, where rice is a staple food, by 2050.

Limiting PPE to just N95 respirators late in the COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore health facilities was effective in keeping staff safe while also lowering costs and curbing medical-related waste, finds a published in JAMA Network Open. U.S. POLICY Administration Seeks Data and Deep Cuts
As U.S. federal health agencies continue to see seismic shifts under the Trump administration, two key developments reported by The Washington Post give insight into some of the administration鈥檚 imminent objectives: 

Deeper health cuts: A preliminary draft of the 2026 fiscal year budget reveals the Trump administration is seeking a $40 billion cut to HHS鈥檚 discretionary budget, roughly one-third of the agency鈥檚 discretionary spending, and is planning major reorganization and consolidation of agencies within the administration. 

ICE seeks Medicare data: U.S. immigration officials and Elon Musk鈥檚 DOGE team are seeking 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� access to sensitive Medicare databases as a way to track down undocumented immigrants, , despite the fact that undocumented immigrants are barred from Medicare benefits. 

Related:

In the middle of a hepatitis outbreak, U.S. shutters the one CDC lab that could help 鈥�

RFK Jr. contradicts CDC on causes of autism 鈥�
 
Top NIH nutrition researcher studying ultraprocessed foods departs, citing censorship under Kennedy 鈥�

Women, minorities fired in purge of NIH science review boards 鈥�

Exclusive: US consumer safety agency to stop collecting swaths of data after CDC cuts 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CAMBODIA Fifty Years After 鈥榊ear Zero鈥� 
Five decades have now passed since the declaration of 鈥淵ear Zero,鈥� when Pol Pot and the brutal Khmer Rouge regime seized power in Cambodia. 

• From 1975 to 1979, 2 million+ people were killed in a wave of racial genocide, widespread famine, forced labor, and executions.

Those atrocities continue to shape Cambodian life today, writes Sophal Ear in a : 鈥淚t鈥檚 etched into every Cambodian鈥檚 bones.鈥�

A legacy of trauma: among survivors and their descendants. 

Ongoing need for justice: While a tribunal convicted three Khmer Rouge senior leaders for crimes against humanity in 2018, , critics say many key perpetrators were never held to account. 

The next generation: The majority of Cambodia鈥檚 population is under 30鈥斺�渨ith no more than an inkling鈥� of the genocide, leading survivors to start a storytelling initiative, . 

Related: 

Unsung No More, Cambodia鈥檚 Malaria Hero 鈥� (from August 2024) 

Q&A: Patrick Heuveline on the Khmer Rouge鈥檚 long-term impact on Cambodia 鈥� ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Moose See TV  
Forget high-octane car chases and whodunnit cliffhangers. The real formula for suspense TV? Not knowing when a moose might show up.
 
The megahit Swedish TV show 鈥溾�� (鈥淭he Great Elk Trek鈥�) began airing this Tuesday, serving up a must-see livestream of mostly nature scenery, occasionally punctuated by moose crossing the 脜ngerman River.
 
More than binge-worthy, some fans can始t seem to focus on anything else. But how does one consume 20 days of round-the-clock content? By rearranging their entire lives.

• Kids are missing school during the migration. And 鈥淪leep? Forget it. I don鈥檛 sleep,鈥� said one viewer.  

The 鈥渟low TV鈥� sensation is stress-relieving even for those who work on it鈥攂ut it始s complicated, said superfan William Garp Liljefors.
 
鈥淚 feel relaxed, but at the same time I鈥檓 like, 鈥極h, there鈥檚 a moose. Oh, what if there鈥檚 a moose? I can鈥檛 go to the toilet!鈥欌��
 
QUICK HITS Haiti: Escalating Violence Puts Population at Grave Risk 鈥� 

Colombia declares health emergency after dozens die of yellow fever 鈥�

Rising temperatures could cancel most outdoor school sports in summer by 2060s 鈥�

Reconsidering Ebola virus nomenclature: a call for a stigma-free and precise terminology 鈥�

CDC advisors broaden RSV vaccine recommendations to at-risk adults in their 50s 鈥�

Immune system proteins involved in severe parasitic disease identified 鈥�

What impact will driving at 17 have on road safety? 鈥� 

AI-boosted cameras help blind people to navigate 鈥� Issue No. 2710
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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96 Global Health NOW: Pandemic Agreement Reached; A Brain Bank Hangs in the Balance; and Spore-Driven Threats 190 countries agree to working draft of global pandemic treaty April 16, 2025 Pandemic agreement negotiations co-chair Anne-Claire Amprou and WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus after a consensus on the pandemic treaty at the WHO headquarters, Geneva, on April 16. Christopher Black/WHO/AFP via Getty Pandemic Agreement Reached 
Around 2 a.m. today at the WHO鈥檚 Geneva headquarters鈥攁fter 3+ years of back-and-forth between 190 countries鈥攖he 32-page working draft of a global pandemic treaty was finally highlighted in one color: green. 

鈥淚t's adopted,鈥� negotiations co-chair Anne-Claire Amprou said, 鈥渢o thundering applause,鈥� . 

The approved pact sets guidelines for international collaboration in a future global health crisis, and is a victory for the WHO at a moment of geopolitical upheaval, . 

• The agreement signals that 鈥渋n our divided world, nations can still work together to find common ground and a shared response,鈥� said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Key provisions include giving the WHO an overview of global medical supply chains; compelling manufacturers to allocate medical supplies to the WHO during a pandemic; and paving the way for more local vaccine and drug production, .

Final sticking points related to the technology transfer clause, which governs how drug and vaccine manufacturers share information and tools for medicine and vaccine production. 

• Such information will be shared on a 鈥渕utually agreed upon鈥� rather than mandatory basis, . 

Still being ironed out: the creation of a new pathogen access and benefit sharing system鈥攊n which countries would share pathogen samples with drugmakers in return for access to vaccines and medicine.

Notably absent: The U.S., which was barred from participating following President Trump鈥檚 January decision to withdraw from the WHO, and which is not expected to sign the treaty.

What鈥檚 next: Final adoption is pending approval by the World Health Assembly in May. 

Related: WHO tests pandemic response with Arctic 鈥榤ammothpox鈥� outbreak 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
The UK Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities law, a landmark decision following years of debate that could have significant implications for how sex-based rights and services apply across Scotland, England, and Wales.

A new antibiotic is effective against gonorrhea, ; if approved, it could become the first new class of antibiotic for the STI in 20+ years鈥攁 key tool as antibiotic resistance grows.

Children鈥檚 mattresses can emit toxic chemicals linked with developmental and hormonal disorders, two new studies have found; high levels of chemicals like phthalates and flame retardants were found near children鈥檚 beds, and a identified mattresses as a key source of exposure.

The autism diagnosis rate among U.S. 8-year-olds increased from 1 in 36 in 2020 to 1 in 31 in 2022, ; rates among boys remained higher than among girls, and, as in 2020, were higher among Asian, Black, and Hispanic children than among white children. ALZHEIMER始S A Brain Bank Hangs in the Balance
An NIH funding pause has disrupted one of the most expansive Alzheimer鈥檚 research programs in the U.S., with researchers especially worried about the fate of 4,000 donated brains being preserved for research. 

• The Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease Research Center at the University of Washington鈥攐ne of the public universities hardest hit by the freeze鈥攊s home to a range of decades-long studies, including one following 450 people until death.

A critical hub: The brain bank, which provided researchers with ~11,000 tissue samples last year alone, requires special facilities and staffing. 

• Even the temporary pause could upend long-term trials, therapy pipelines, and current patient care, researchers say. 

Related: As dementia rates increase, experts warn hospital emergency rooms are underprepared 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FUNGAL INFECTIONS Spore-Driven Threats
In the wake of the of the need for more treatments and diagnostics for fungal pathogens, scientists are laying out evidence of a growing fungal threat:

• Perennial maladies like vaginal yeast infections and athlete鈥檚 foot are getting harder to treat, and antifungal-resistant pathogens like Candida auris have become a 鈥渟ilent pandemic鈥� in hospitals.

• Invasive fungal infections are killing ~2.5 million people each year鈥攖wice the global fatalities of tuberculosis.

Because of global warming, more fungi are adapting to temperatures that could lead to invasive infections in humans. 

• It also means an increase in disruptive weather events like dust storms, which lead to the spread of spore-driven diseases like Valley fever. 

QUICK HITS After delays, first vaccine advisory meeting under RFK Jr. is underway 鈥�

5% of US cancers may be caused by medical imaging radiation 鈥�  

Emergency rooms treat a gunshot wound every half-hour 鈥�

Oropouche virus 鈥榤assively underdiagnosed鈥� in Latin America, new study suggests 鈥�

Paris air pollution is down 50% after its radical bike-friendly transformation 鈥�

We鈥檙e on the verge of a universal allergy cure 鈥�

Africa needs innovative financing solutions to prevent health systems from collapsing, say experts 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Dave Cundiff!

Exclusive: the most-cited papers of the twenty-first century 鈥� Issue No. 2709
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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In the early hours of Wednesday morning in Geneva, countries finalized a draft global agreement aimed at improving how the world prepares for and responds to pandemics, marking a historic step that will be submitted to the World Health Assembly in May for adoption.

Join us on聽May 7th聽at noon for the next 51吃瓜网Cares webcast to support informal caregivers. During candid, interviews with leading experts, Claire Webster explores topics related to caring for a loved one with dementia.

Join us on聽May 7th聽at noon for the next 51吃瓜网Cares webcast to support informal caregivers. During candid, interviews with leading experts, Claire Webster explores topics related to caring for a loved one with dementia.

96 Global Health NOW: Deadly Risks in India鈥檚 Fireworks Factories; Keeping Warm Can Be Toxic in Mongolia; and An Extra Coat of Coolness in Cape Town April 15, 2025 Millions of Indians celebrate the Diwali Festival with fireworks鈥攚ithout realizing the dangerous conditions factory workers in Sivakasi endure. Gurugram, India, October 31, 2024. Parveen Kumar/Hindustan Times via Getty 鈥業nvisible Suffering鈥�: Deadly Risks In India鈥檚 Fireworks Factories
SIVAKASI, India鈥擳he explosion shook the ground beneath the fireworks factory and threw him into the air.

The February 19 blast broke bones in both his legs and broke his right arm. His face is covered in scars from third-degree burns, and both his eyes have been badly damaged.

鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 see anything but darkness, and I couldn鈥檛 open my eyes,鈥� Palpandey, 31, said from his hospital room days after the explosion. 鈥淚鈥檝e never felt fear like that in my life.鈥�

Fireworks鈥� Toll:

• Explosions like the one at Neerathilingam Fireworks are not uncommon in this city in Southern India that produces nearly 90% of the country鈥檚 fireworks and employs tens of thousands of workers like Palpandey (who uses only his first name).


• Employers typically pay for injured workers鈥� initial care, but then workers are often on their own in subsequent months and years.


• A 2023鈥�2024 government report said 91 workers were killed in the most recent year, but only those killed at the site of an explosion are counted鈥攏ot those who die later.

The Quote: 鈥淭he suffering of these people who die later is invisible鈥攖hey don鈥檛 show up on government counts of deaths,鈥� says social activist Vijay Kumar.



Ed. Note: Our thanks go to Padmavathy Krishna Kumar, who shared the idea for this topic and received an honorable mention in the , co-sponsored by Global Health NOW and the .

Look for part II of the series tomorrow: 鈥淔ireworks and Heartbreak in a Hard-Hit Village.鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Denmark could eliminate cervical cancer by 2040, the Danish Cancer Society says, as a national HPV vaccination campaign has brought the rate down to lower than 10 out of 100,000 women; the is lower than four per 100,000 women.

Female genital mutilation is linked to significant long-term health complications, including a 2X+ risk of prolonged or obstructed labor in childbirth and a 4.4 times higher likelihood of experiencing PTSD, that analyzes evidence from ~30 countries.
 
A group of national organizations representing America鈥檚 academic, medical, and independent research institutions announced a joint effort to develop a new indirect costs funding model for federal research grants to submit to the federal government.

Participants of a study in Tanzania who were cured of infection with Wuchereria bancrofti worms鈥攚hich cause lymphatic filariasis鈥攕howed a ~60% reduction in HIV infections in a follow-up comparison of two study periods . U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump plan would slash State Dept. funding by nearly half, memo says 鈥�

Trump eyes huge climate research cuts at NOAA 鈥�

Federal government to remove gender dysphoria from protected disabilities list 鈥�

Free US family planning clinics face financial ruin after White House freezes funds 鈥�

Impact of CDC Hepatitis Lab Closure on US Public Health 鈥�

EPA Plans to Stop Collecting Emissions Data From Most Polluters 鈥� CLIMATE CHANGE Keeping Warm Is Killing Thousands in Mongolia
Some 7,000 people in Mongolia have died this winter due to air pollution, caused by the coal that provides 70% of the nation鈥檚 energy and warms most homes.

Raw coal smoke contains carcinogenic particles, and the briquettes introduced by Mongolia鈥檚 government can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.

• Citizens regularly suffer from respiratory diseases, liver and lung cancers, asthma, and flu.


• By February, there had been 811 deaths from carbon monoxide poisoning. 

The climate crisis has exacerbated Mongolia鈥檚 pollution problem, as extreme winters are killing off animals that have supported nomadic herding families, forcing them into cities. 

There they construct gers: circular tents with central stoves that feed out through a chimney in the roof. More than 50% of Mongolia鈥檚 population live in gers; each household burns ~50 pounds of coal daily in winter.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES TECH & INNOVATION An Extra Coat of Coolness in Cape Town
South Africa鈥檚 summer sun can quickly make informal dwellings unbearably hot. The homes鈥攐ften made of corrugated metal sheets and wood鈥攃an reach temperatures of 95掳F / 35掳C during the day, and barely budge at night. 

The heat takes a heavy toll on the millions of South Africans who live in such settlements, preventing sleep and compounding stress. 

A paint-related program aims to bring relief: Researchers are investigating the effect of painting roofs with reflective, UV-resistant paint鈥攚hich manufacturers say can dramatically reduce temperatures. 

• The study will track buildings鈥� internal temperatures, and also potential impacts on inhabitants鈥� sleep and physiology.

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS A vaccine expert worries child measles deaths are being 'normalized' 鈥�

Starved in jail 鈥�

'Parkinson's is a man-made disease' 鈥�

Stopping gonorrhoea's descent towards untreatability 鈥�

Why 3.5 Billion People Lack Basic Oral Care鈥攁nd What Needs To Change 鈥�

Young Children鈥檚 Exposure to Chemicals of Concern in Their Sleeping Environment: An In-Home Study 鈥�

The Fly That Ruined the World Record (A Metaphor for Chagas Disease) 鈥�

Europe deplores America's 'chlorinated chicken.' How safe is our poultry? 鈥� Issue No. 2708
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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An Israeli strike on a hospital in southern Gaza on Tuesday has further jeopardized already limited access to lifesaving medical care in the war-torn enclave.

96 Global Health NOW: Health Workers Killed as Sudan Marks 2 Years of Civil War; Ghana Grapples With a Deadly Outbreak; and India鈥檚 Global Warming Enigma April 14, 2025 People who fled the Zamzam for the internally displaced camp after it fell under RSF control commiserate in a makeshift encampment near the town of Tawila, Sudan. April 13. AFP via Getty Health Workers Killed as Sudan Marks 2 Years of Civil War
The last medical clinic in Sudan鈥檚 famine-gripped Zamzam camp in Darfur came under fire this weekend, with Rapid Support Forces paramilitaries killing the entire clinical staff, . 

• Nine clinic employees were killed in the attacks, , which runs the facility. 


• The broader assault has killed 100+ people, including ~20 children at the camp, home to ~500,000. 

鈥淒eath is everywhere,鈥� a camp resident . 鈥淧eople are wounded, and there is no medicine or hospital to save them.鈥�

Even before the attacks, conditions at Zamzam camp were 鈥渃atastrophic,鈥� the UN鈥檚 Sudan humanitarian coordinator . 

The attacks come at the two-year mark of Sudan鈥檚 conflict, which has led to the world鈥檚 largest humanitarian crisis and 鈥渟uffering of industrial proportions,鈥� .

• ~150,000 Sudanese have been killed, and ~13 million have been displaced. There have been 156 confirmed attacks on health, per the WHO.


• ~25 million people now face extreme hunger. And sexual violence is pervasive, .

And aid efforts continue to be stymied by both 鈥渟ystematic obstruction鈥� by the warring armies and deep funding cuts, . 

Related: 

Children of war: six orphans鈥� 1,000-mile journey across Sudan in search of safety 鈥�

Sudanese Refugees鈥� Lives at Risk as UNHCR Suspends Medical Help 鈥�

Sudan needs $2.2 bln for first year of health sector rehab, minister says 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   3 million+ children worldwide died from antimicrobial resistance-related infections in 2022, per new research presented at in Vienna; deaths were highest in Southeast Asia and Africa.

New mpox cases are averaging ~3,000 per week in African countries, with Uganda accounting for 50% of those in the past week; the region has received 1 million+ vaccine doses but needs 6.4 million doses over the next six months to slow the virus鈥檚 spread.

More than a dozen cases of invasive meningococcal disease, a life-threatening bacterial infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis, have been linked to religious pilgrimages to Mecca in Saudi Arabia amid declining compliance with vaccination requirements over the past two years.

Whooping cough cases have surged 1,500%+ in the U.S. since hitting a low in 2021; there were 10 pertussis-related deaths last year, compared with two to four in previous years. Health, Foreign Aid, and Science Cuts USDA鈥檚 $1B bird flu plan uses money intended for schools, food banks 鈥�

NOAA Scientists Are Cleaning Bathrooms and Reconsidering Lab Experiments After Contracts for Basic Services Expire 鈥�

Dozens of USAID contracts were canceled last weekend. Here's what happened 鈥�

Why CDC cuts are being called 鈥榯he greatest gift to tobacco industry in the last half-century鈥� 鈥�

After Trump grant cuts, some universities give researchers a lifeline 鈥�

OCHA, the UN鈥檚 emergency aid coordination arm, to cut staff by a fifth 鈥�

Fearing paper on evolution might get them deported, scientists withdrew it 鈥�

Hopkins trailblazer scrambles to protect cancer research as Trump cuts hit home 鈥� MENINGITIS Ghana Grapples With a Deadly Outbreak
A lethal meningitis outbreak is escalating in Ghana鈥檚 Upper West region, upending an already strained health system.

A closer look: 

• The region has reported 200+ cases and ~17 deaths. 


• Ghana is in Africa鈥檚 鈥渕eningitis belt鈥濃�攁 stretch of 26 countries where dry seasonal winds allow further bacterial spread.

Already overwhelmed: The outbreak comes as Ghana鈥檚 health system struggles with understaffed hospitals, supply shortages, and slashed USAID funding.

• Ghana faces a $156 million funding shortfall due to the aid freeze鈥攁 major setback to the country鈥檚 health programs.


• There is no vaccine for the rare Streptococcus strain causing the outbreak, and officials say economic turmoil means that hopes for developing one have dimmed. 

  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CLIMATE India鈥檚 Global Warming Enigma
As India increasingly grapples with punishing heat waves, scientists are puzzling over a strange phenomenon: The country is warming more slowly than many others鈥攁mounting to half the global average over the last decade. 

Why? Scientists aren鈥檛 sure. But theories include: 

• The shroud of air pollution: India鈥檚 air pollution may be reflecting solar radiation, which could help with cooling. 


• Shifting winds: Warming over the Middle East has pulled monsoon winds northward, leading to an increase in extreme rains鈥攁nd, potentially, cooling. 


• Impact of irrigation: The expansion of irrigation in northern India could also be a factor; as water evaporates, it absorbs heat from the air, reducing warming. 

Scientists say understanding the trend will allow more accurate forecasts and help the country better prepare for future warming.



Related: India races to beat the smog with an electric mobility revolution in Kashmir 鈥� OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Somalia: Frontline hospitals under pressure as fighting escalates 鈥�

Measles outbreaks spark concern over rare 'horrific' neurological disorder 鈥�

Africa's Plan to Fill Health Funding Gaps Amidst Declining Coffers 鈥�

Tuberculosis could end if there鈥檚 more US public health funding, experts say 鈥�

Educate to Empower: Protecting Reproductive Rights in Texas 鈥�

CDC denies Milwaukee's request for help with unsafe lead levels in public schools 鈥�

Recent hospital violence fuels effort to create workplace protections 鈥�

Dogs could help predict valley fever spread in humans 鈥� Issue No. 2707
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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More than 12.4 million people have been forced from their homes across Sudan 鈥� including over 3.3 million refugees who have fled to neighbouring countries 鈥� as two years of civil war fuel famine, disease outbreaks and the collapse of the health system.

The Israeli bombardment of Al-Ahli, a Gaza City hospital, has put even more pressure on the remaining health facilities in the occupied Palestinian territory, where the delivery of aid and movement of humanitarian workers is highly restricted by the Israeli authorities.

96 Global Health NOW: RFK鈥檚 Muddled Messaging; Burmese Doctors Face Relentless Devastation; and Upper-Class Clown RFK encourages MMR vaccination, but continues to qualify the endorsement. April 10, 2025 One year-old River Jacobs is held by his mother while he receives an MMR vaccine at a vaccine clinic in Lubbock, Texas, on March 1. Jan Sonnenmair/Getty Images RFK鈥檚 Muddled Messaging
As the U.S. measles outbreak continues to widen, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 messaging on the crisis has been unpredictable, . 

Vacillating on vaccination: One one hand, Kennedy has encouraged MMR vaccination during his most recent tour through the Southwest, which included attending the funeral of an 8-year-old girl who died of measles. 

• But he continues to qualify the endorsement, questioning safety studies and government mandates in his first sit-down TV interview, and continuing to promote unproven alternative therapies, . 

Equivocating on severity: While Kennedy is promising to deploy more CDC staff to the outbreak, which has sickened 600+ people in the U.S. and killed three, he continues to downplay its threat鈥攃alling the U.S. response a global 鈥渕odel,鈥� .

• Misleading comparison: Kennedy contrasted U.S. numbers to those in the WHO鈥檚 European region, which has reported 127,000 cases and 37 deaths. But those numbers are not comparable, global health experts say, because of the large number of countries included in the European region and the wide disparities among them. 

• And health officials continue to caution that the U.S. numbers of actual cases are likely to be greatly undercounted.

Toll of confusion: Doctors and disease experts say Kennedy鈥檚 mixed messaging is undermining a cohesive response,

• 鈥淥ur work is becoming harder by the minute,鈥� said Rana Alissa, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics鈥� Florida chapter.

Related:

National public health group calls for RFK Jr. to resign, citing 鈥榗omplete disregard for science鈥� 鈥�

New measles dashboard allows public to track vaccination rates in Illinois schools 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
In a genetics milestone, scientists have sequenced the complete genomes of six ape species, with the , published in Nature, providing key new insights into human evolution, health, and genetic disease.

Long COVID affected ~1 in 7 working-age adults in the U.S. by late 2023, with socioeconomically disadvantaged adults 150%+ more likely to have ongoing symptoms, finds two new studies鈥� published in Communications Medicine, and published in BMC Medicine.

An at-home spit test for prostate cancer could outperform current testing methods for assessing prostate cancer risk鈥攁 breakthrough that could improve early detection, published in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests.

Additional NIH funding for Columbia University has been frozen by the Trump administration, which cut off $250 million for research grants in addition to $400 million frozen last month. CONFLICT Burmese Doctors Face Relentless Devastation 
Amid Burma鈥檚 ongoing civil war, health care providers have become increasingly vilified as enemies of the state, as they defy junta orders to treat people wounded in the resistance.

• The junta has closed ~7 private hospitals in Mandalay, the country鈥檚 second-largest city. 

Now, as Mandalay reels from the March 28 earthquake that killed ~3,500 people, health workers describe harrowing conditions and scant resources.

Ongoing health threats: Doctors say survivors now face threats of disease and a lack of food, water, and shelter. They also blame the junta for delays and restrictions of aid distribution. 

• 鈥淭he junta cares more about shutting down hospitals and blocking doctors than saving lives after the earthquake,鈥� said one physician, Dr. Min鈥攚ho lost four colleagues in the earthquake. 

Related: Earthquake Pushes Myanmar's Health System to Verge of Collapse 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES A Gutting End to 鈥楾he Greatest Thing You鈥檝e Never Heard Of鈥�
USAID鈥檚 program to combat neglected tropical diseases through drug distribution has always been a relatively small effort鈥攔equiring a fraction of the agency鈥檚 budget.

But the effort had a massive impact: Treatments for diseases like trachoma and intestinal worms have been delivered to 1.7 billion people across 31 countries, and at least one NTD has been eliminated in almost half of those countries.

• 鈥淔or such a little amount, we鈥檝e been able to reach so many people,鈥� said Angela Weaver, at Helen Keller Intl鈥攚ho called the USAID drug distribution program 鈥渢he greatest thing you鈥檝e never heard of.鈥�

Now, USAID cuts mean programs are ending, and their future progress is imperiled. 

• Across Africa, tens of thousands of NTD-related community health worker positions have been cut, and pharmaceutical companies that previously donated drugs are hesitating to ship them.

Related: Silent Killers: Neglected Tropical Diseases in South Sudan 鈥� The Borgen Project (commentary) ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Upper-Class Clown  
He may be divisive as a political figure, but Boris Johnson will forever be our Prime Minister of Comedy.
 
Most recently, while on vacation in Texas, BoJo was nipped in the face by a feisty ostrich while his toddler giggled hysterically, .
 
Far from his best bungled photo op, this was merely a helpful reminder of all his other gaffes. Some of our faves:

• The time he at a Welsh vaccination center. 鈥淟ike OJ Simpson!鈥� he exclaimed. 鈥淎bsolutely,鈥� his minder agreed, seeming to have no other choice.  

• When he not only rode a zip line holding two Union Jacks, but . 

• Or when he at a drizzly memorial service. Even King Charles (then merely a Prince) had a chuckle.

• When he ducked an interview by at a dairy farm. 鈥淩ight he始s been taken inside 鈥� into the freezer,鈥� a reporter explained. Chilly reception indeed!

QUICK HITS Heavy drinking linked with lasting impact on the brain, study finds 鈥�  

USAID enabled 208 Afghan women to defy the Taliban ban on college 鈥� until now 鈥�

Preventable 鈥榤eningitis belt鈥� deaths targeted in health agency action plan 鈥�

New reports suggest diabetes weight loss drugs could reduce Alzheimer's risk 鈥�

Ukraine: Stark increase in civilian casualties in March, UN Human Rights Monitors say 鈥�

Road deaths fell below 40,000 in 2024, the lowest since 2019 鈥� Ars Technica

A biotech company says it has bred three pups with traits of the extinct dire wolf 鈥� Issue No. 2706
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Recent funding cuts have caused 鈥渟evere disruptions鈥� to health services in almost three-quarters of all countries, according to the head of the UN World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.