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CNNTD Newsletter: CNNTD Winter Newsletter |RCMTN Bulletin d'Hiver

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:30:11 -0500

CNNTD Winter Newsletter |RCMTN Bulletin d'Hiver

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December 19, 2025 / 19 décembre, 2025

Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases Newsletter /
Bulletin d'information du Réseau canadien pour les
Maladies Tropicales Négligées

News and updates from the CNNTD
/ Nouvelles et mises à jour de la RCMTN

Happy Holidays from the Canadian Network for NTDs! As we close out 2025, we're grateful to our members, partners, and allies who have worked tirelessly this year in the fight against neglected tropical diseases. While global health faces ongoing challenges and uncertainty, we remain optimistic about what we can accomplish together. In 2026, we're excited to build new partnerships and deepen Canada's engagement in global NTD action. Thank you for everything you do. We're honoured to work alongside you and look forward to our continued collaboration in the year ahead.

Wishing you joy, peace, and renewal this holiday season.

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Joyeuses fêtes de la part du Réseau canadien pour les MTN! Alors que l'année 2025 touche à sa fin, nous sommes reconnaissants envers nos membres, nos partenaires et nos alliés qui ont travaillé sans relâche cette année dans la lutte contre les maladies tropicales négligées. Bien que la santé mondiale soit confrontée à des défis et à des incertitudes persistants, nous restons optimistes quant à ce que nous pouvons accomplir ensemble. En 2026, nous sommes ravis de nouer de nouveaux partenariats et d'approfondir l'engagement du Canada dans la lutte mondiale contre les MTN. Merci pour tout ce que vous faites. Nous sommes honorés de travailler à vos côtés et nous nous réjouissons de poursuivre notre collaboration au cours de l'année à venir.

Nous vous souhaitons joie, paix et renouveau en cette période des fêtes.

Join us for World NTD Day 2026! / Rejoignez-nous pour la Journée mondiale des MTN 2026!

Mark your calendars for World NTD Day, January 30th, 2026! Join us in planning and sharing how we will all recognize World NTD Day by registering for the virtual meetings we are hosting in January below.

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Notez la date de la Journée mondiale des MTN, le 30 janvier 2026, dans vos agendas! Rejoignez-nous pour planifier et partager la manière dont nous allons tous célébrer la Journée mondiale des MTN en vous inscrivant aux réunions virtuelles que nous organisons en janvier ci-dessous.

World NTD Day Planning Meeting January 8th @11:00 am EST/ Réunion de planification de la Journée mondiale des MTN Le 8 janvier à 11 h 00 HNE

World NTD Day Orientation January 27th @12:00 pm EST/ Orientation pour la Journée mondiale des MTN Le 27 janvier à 12 h 00 HNE

Burundi, Egypt, Fiji, Kenya, Senegal and Eliminate NTDs as a Public Health Problem / Le Burundi, l'Égypte, les Fidji, le Kenya et le Sénégal éliminent les MTN en tant que problème de santé publique

58 Countries have now eliminated at least one NTD. Four countries have recently eliminated trachoma - Burundi, Egypt, Fiji, and Senegal, while Kenya has eliminated Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT, or sleeping sickness). We are more than half way towards the goal of eliminating at least one NTD in 100 countries by 2030. To learn more, please visit Uniting to Combat NTDs progress webpage to learn more.
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58 pays ont désormais éliminé au moins une MTN. Quatre pays ont récemment éliminé le trachome : le Burundi, l'Égypte, les Fidji et le Sénégal, tandis que le Kenya a éliminé la trypanosomiase humaine africaine (THA, ou maladie du sommeil). Nous avons parcouru plus de la moitié du chemin vers l'objectif d'éliminer au moins une MTN dans 100 pays d'ici 2030. Pour en savoir plus, veuillez consulter la page web consacrée aux progrès réalisés dans le cadre de l'initiative «Uniting to Combat NTDs».

Uniting to Combat NTDs Progress Webpage/ Unis pour lutter contre les MTN Page Web «Progrès»

Congratulations to Dr. Moussa Sangare on winning the Canadian Network for NTDs Research Award!/ Félicitations au Dr Moussa Sangare pour avoir remporté le prix de recherche du Réseau canadien pour les MTN!

We announced the winner of our NTD Research Award at the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) meetings in Toronto! Dr. Moussa Sangare's research paper Understanding the barriers and facilitators related to never treatment during mass drug administration among mobile and migrant populations in Mali: a qualitative exploratory study was evaluated as having strong scientific rigour and methodology; to be of high relevance in addressing a critical knowledge gap; and to have high impact in addressing 'never treated' populations in heavily-burdened countries in insecure contexts. Congratulations to Dr. Sangare and the whole team for this excellent contribution to NTD research!

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Nous avons annoncé le lauréat de notre prix de recherche sur les MTN lors de la réunion de l'American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) à Toronto! L'article de recherche du Dr Moussa Sangare intitulé «Comprendre les obstacles et les facteurs facilitants liés à l'absence de traitement lors de la distribution massive de médicaments parmi les populations mobiles et migrantes au Mali : une étude exploratoire qualitative» a été évalué comme présentant une grande rigueur scientifique et une méthodologie solide, comme étant très pertinent pour combler une lacune critique en matière de connaissances et comme ayant un impact important sur les populations «jamais traitées» dans les pays fortement touchés et en situation d'insécurité. Félicitations au Dr Sangare et à toute l'équipe pour cette excellente contribution à la recherche sur les MTN!

Learn more about the CNNTD Research Award Here / Pour en savoir plus sur le prix de recherche du RCMTN, cliquez ici.

Meet our Emerging Leaders Fellow for 2026! /Rencontrez notre boursier Emerging Leaders pour 2026!

Congratulations to Amanaat Gill, who has earned the CNNTD Emerging Leaders Fellowship with her winning video entry on why Canada should invest in the integration of neglected tropical diseases into primary health care! We very much look forward to working with you in 2026! You can learn more about Amaanat here. Please see her winning video in the button below. We would also like to thank all applicants to this competition for their interest in supporting NTD advocacy here in Canada, and the significant effort they put into their video and infographic entries.

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Félicitations à Amanaat Gill, qui a remporté la bourse CNNTD Emerging Leaders Fellowship grâce à sa vidéo gagnante expliquant pourquoi le Canada devrait investir dans l'intégration des maladies tropicales négligées dans les soins de santé primaires! Nous avons hâte de travailler avec vous en 2026! Vous pouvez en savoir plus sur Amaanat ici. Vous pouvez visionner sa vidéo gagnante en cliquant sur le bouton ci-dessous. Nous tenons également à remercier tous les candidats à ce concours pour leur intérêt à soutenir la lutte contre les MTN ici au Canada, ainsi que pour les efforts considérables qu'ils ont consacrés à la réalisation de leurs vidéos et infographies.

Check out the winning video here/ Découvrez la vidéo gagnante ici

Driving Collaborative R&D for Neglected Patients /Promouvoir la R&D collaboratifs pour les patients négligés

As a side event during the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) meeting in Toronto, we co-hosted a panel event with DNDi, Driving Collaborative Research and Development for Neglected Patients Amidst a Funding Crisis. Canadian health journalist Andre Picard moderated our event, and Mulikat Okanlawon from the Elysium Noma Survivors Network opened the session. We also heard the unique perspectives of Dr. Osamu Kunii, CEO of Global Health Innovative Technology (GHIT) Fund, Chaitali Sinha (she/her), Senior Program Specialist at the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), Dr. Karlee Silver CEO of Grand Challenges Canada, Eric Easom, Co-Founder, President and CEO of AN2 Therapeutics.

A key take-home message from Dr. Osamu Kunii Dr. Osamu Kunii was the need to "dream bigger" to effectively address NTDs and to make the most of opportunities to bring better solutions to the people affected by them. To learn more about this event and reflection from the ASTMH, please see our most recent blog in the button below.

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En marge de la réunion de l'American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) à Toronto, nous avons coorganisé une table ronde avec le DNDi, intitulée « Driving Collaborative Research and Development for Neglected Patients Amidst a Funding Crisis». Le journaliste canadien spécialisé dans la santé, André Picard, a animé notre événement, et Mulikat Okanlawon, du réseau Elysium Noma Survivors Network, a ouvert la séance. Nous avons également pu entendre les points de vue uniques du Dr. Osamu Kunii, PDG du Fonds pour les technologies innovantes en santé mondiale (GHIT), de Chaitali Sinha (elle), spécialiste principale de programme au Centre de recherches pour le développement international (CRDI), du Dr. Karlee Silver, PDG de Grand Challenges Canada, et Eric Easom, cofondateur, président et PDG d'AN2 Therapeutics.

Le message clé du Dr. Osamu Kunii était la nécessité de « rêver plus grand » pour lutter efficacement contre les MTN et tirer le meilleur parti des opportunités afin d'apporter de meilleures solutions aux personnes touchées par ces maladies. Pour en savoir plus sur cet événement et les réflexions de l'ASTMH, veuillez consulter notre dernier blog en cliquant sur le bouton ci-dessous.

Click here to learn more/ Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus

NTD Delegation on The Hill / Délégation MTN sur la colline du Capitole

In November, we took an international NTD delegation to Parliament Hill to meet with The Honourable Senator Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia and Cameron M. Durkin, Parliamentary Assistant to MP Nathaniel Erskine-Smith. Our delegation included international and Canadian NTD experts: Mulikat Okanlawon from Elysium Noma Survivors Association, Claire Jeantet from Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Anna Wickenden, PhD from Effect Hope, Karsor K Kollie from the Ministry of Health, Liberia, Alison Krentel and Tina Lines from the Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases. Together, we emphasized why Canada’s continued engagement in NTD prevention and treatment matters to Canadians.

Recent funding cuts to global health and ODA continue to impact the life-saving treatment and prevention available through NTD programs, and stall the hard-won gains already made. Canada can step up rather than step back as a key partner in the fight against NTDs and ensure continued progress towards NTD elimination targets.

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En novembre, nous avons emmené une délégation internationale sur les MTN au Parlement pour rencontrer l'honorable sénateur Mohamed-Iqbal Ravalia et Cameron M. Durkin, assistant parlementaire du député Nathaniel Erskine-Smith. Notre délégation comprenait des experts internationaux et canadiens en matière de MTN : Mulikat Okanlawon de l'Elysium Noma Survivors Association, Claire Jeantet d'Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), Anna Wickenden, PhD du Effect Hope, Karsor K Kollie du ministère de la Santé du Libéria, Alison Krentel et Tina Lines du Réseau canadien pour les maladies tropicales négligées. Ensemble, nous avons souligné pourquoi l'engagement continu du Canada dans la prévention et le traitement des MTN est important pour les Canadiens.

Les récentes réductions budgétaires dans le domaine de la santé mondiale et de l'aide publique au développement continuent d'avoir un impact sur les traitements et les mesures de prévention vitaux offerts dans le cadre des programmes de lutte contre les MTN, et freinent les progrès déjà réalisés de haute lutte. Le Canada peut aller de l'avant plutôt que de reculer en tant que partenaire clé dans la lutte contre les MTN et garantir la poursuite des progrès vers les objectifs d'élimination des MTN.

Spotlighting Canadian Efforts Against NTDs with Dr. Melisa Gualdron Lopez / Mettre en lumière les efforts canadiens contre les MTN avec le Dr Melisa Gualdron Lopez

Earlier this year, Brianna Anderson (one of our Student and Young Professional NTD Ambassadors) sat down with Dr. Melisa Gualdron-Lopez to learn more about her research on the role of Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the mother-to-child transmission of Congenital Chagas Disease and Malaria. Learn more about this fascinating work here.

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Au début de l'année, Brianna Anderson (l'une de nos ambassadrices étudiantes et jeunes professionnelles MTN) s'est entretenue avec le Dr Melisa Gualdron-Lopez afin d'en savoir plus sur ses recherches concernant le rôle des vésicules extracellulaires dans la transmission mère-enfant de la maladie de Chagas congénitale et du paludisme. Pour en savoir plus sur ces travaux passionnants, cliquez ici.

Watch the interview recording here/ Regarder l'enregistrement de l'interview

The Canadian Network for NTDs' Pre-Budget Consultation / Consultation prébudgétaire du Réseau canadien pour les MTN

While the Federal Budget has dropped, and we know Canada will be investing less in its Official Development Assistance (ODA), there are still opportunities to influence how this money is spent in the spring budget. If you would like to help the Canadian Network for NTDs reach out to elected officials to advocate for investments in NTDs - one of the best buys in global health, please email Tina at info@cnntd.org. Please see our pre-budget submission here in this link to see what we've proposed to the Government of Canada.

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Bien que le budget fédéral ait été réduit et que nous sachions que le Canada investira moins dans son aide publique au développement (APD), il est encore possible d'influencer la manière dont cet argent sera dépensé dans le budget du printemps. Si vous souhaitez aider le Réseau canadien pour les MTN à contacter les élus afin de plaider en faveur d'investissements dans les MTN, l'un des meilleurs investissements en matière de santé mondiale, veuillez envoyer un courriel à Tina à l'adresse info@cnntd.org. Veuillez consulter notre mémoire prébudgétaire à l'adresse suivante pour voir ce que nous avons proposé au gouvernement du Canada.

Read our Pre-Budget Submission/ Lire notre soumission prébudgétaire

Meet our newest Steering Committee Members! /Découvrez les nouveaux membres de notre comité directeur!

Congratulations Brenda Okorogba, BSc, Anna Wickenden, PhD and Nicholas Viegas, BSc on joining our Steering Committee! we are proud to have you as part of the leadership of the Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases to help advocate for greater Canadian engagement in NTD action globally. Here are their bios.

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Félicitations à Brenda Okorogba, BSc, Anna Wickenden, PhD et Nicholas Viegas, BSc, qui ont rejoint notre comité directeur ! Nous sommes fiers de vous compter parmi les dirigeants du Réseau canadien pour les maladies tropicales négligées afin de promouvoir un engagement accru du Canada dans la lutte mondiale contre les MTN. Voici leurs biographies.

Welcome to DNDi, our Newest Organizational Member!
Bienvenue à DNDi, notre plus récent membre organisationnel!

Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) is a nonprofit research organization developing new treatments for neglected patients. With offices on five continents, DNDi works to ensure the people most affected by neglected diseases (including NTDs) are part of medical research and development, helping to set priorities, strengthen capacity, and deliver new treatments where they are needed most. To learn more about DNDi, please watch the story of DNDi here.

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L'initiative Médicaments contre les maladies négligées (DNDi) est un organisme de recherche à but non lucratif qui développe de nouveaux traitements pour les patients négligés. Avec des bureaux sur les cinq continents, la DNDi veille à ce que les personnes les plus touchées par les maladies négligées (y compris les MTN) participent à la recherche et au développement médicaux, en aidant à établir les priorités, à renforcer les capacités et à fournir de nouveaux traitements là où ils sont le plus nécessaires. Pour en savoir plus sur la DNDi, veuillez regarder l'histoire de la DNDi ici.

Take Action For NTDs / Agir contre les MTN

Join a Sub-Committee of the Canadian Network for NTDs! / Rejoignez un sous-comité du Réseau canadien pour les MTN!

The Canadian Network for NTDs would like to invite our members (Canadian and International) to apply to support one of 3 new sub-committees in 1) Communications and Advocacy 2) Membership and Partnerships and 3) Governance. Please apply by January 9th and notifications will be sent out by January 30th. Do you have other ways in which you would like to be engaged? Kindly let us know through the link below.

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Le Réseau canadien pour les MTN nous invitons nos membres (canadiens et internationaux) à poser leur candidature pour soutenir l'un des trois nouveaux sous-comités suivants 1) Communications et sensibilisation, 2) Adhésion et partenariats, et 3) Gouvernance. Veuillez postuler avant le 9 janvier. Les notifications seront envoyées avant le 30 janvier. Souhaitez-vous vous impliquer d'une autre manière? Veuillez nous en faire part via le lien ci-dessous.

Apply Here!/ Postulez ici!

Share your work on WASH, Nutrition and NTDs in a World NTD Day Virtual Exhibit / Partagez vos travaux sur l'eau et la nutrition et les MTN dans le cadre d'une exposition virtuelle organisée à l'occasion de la Journée mondiale des maladies tropicales négligées.

One of the projects we will be working on in January is a virtual reality exhibit that showcases the intersections between WASH, Nutrition and NTDs. To learn more about this project and and to contribute, please find a concept note here.

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L'un des projets sur lesquels nous travaillerons en janvier est une exposition en réalité virtuelle qui présente les liens entre l'eau, l'assainissement et l'hygiène (WASH), la nutrition et les maladies tropicales négligées (MTN). Pour en savoir plus sur ce projet et y contribuer, veuillez consulter la note conceptuelle ici.

WHO Publishes its Global Report on Neglected Tropical Diseases/ L'OMS publie son rapport mondial sur les maladies tropicales négligées

Read the Report Here!/ Lire le rapport ici

ASTMH Launching New Series for Early-Career Scientists / L'ASTMH lance une nouvelle série destinée aux scientifiques en début de carrière

The Society is launching a new global initiative designed to provide early-career scientists and public health professionals with equitable access to high-quality career development training. The eight-month Virtual Professional Development Learning Series pilot is supported by GSK and strengthens ASTMH’s commitment to professional development opportunities for scientists, clinicians and public health professionals in regions most affected by infectious and tropical diseases.

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La Société lance une nouvelle initiative mondiale visant à offrir aux scientifiques en début de carrière et aux professionnels de la santé publique un accès équitable à une formation de haute qualité en matière de développement de carrière. Le projet pilote de huit mois intitulé « Virtual Professional Development Learning Series » (Série virtuelle d'apprentissage pour le développement professionnel) est soutenu par GSK et renforce l'engagement de l'ASTMH en faveur des possibilités de développement professionnel pour les scientifiques, les cliniciens et les professionnels de la santé publique dans les régions les plus touchées par les maladies infectieuses et tropicales.

Click here for the announcement/Cliquez ici pour consulter l'annonce

Measuring the Impact of USAID Cuts in Lives/
Mesurer l'impact des coupes dans les vies de l'USAID

Online tracking tool by Impact Counter/Outil de suivi en ligne par Impact Counter

In The News / Dans la presse

The motorcyclist fighting a deadly disease in the African bush

Le motocycliste qui lutte contre une maladie mortelle dans la brousse africaine

Opinion piece: Time to prioritise rights of people affected by NTDs

Article d'opinion : Il est temps de donner la priorité aux droits des personnes touchées par les MTN

Advocates in G7 Countries Call on Leaders to Step Up to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

Les avocats des pays du G7 appellent les dirigeants à intensifier leurs efforts pour mettre fin aux maladies tropicales négligées (MTN)

Why drug donation programs are a lifeline for NTD elimination efforts

Pourquoi les programmes de dons de médicaments sont essentiels aux efforts d'élimination des MTN

TICAD spotlight: Japan’s pharma commitment to global health

Pleins feux sur la TICAD : l'engagement pharmaceutique du Japon en faveur de la santé mondiale

Indonesia intensifies leprosy elimination in 111 districts, cities

L'Indonésie intensifie ses efforts pour éliminer la lèpre dans 111 districts et villes

Guyana’s Fight Against Lymphatic Filariasis: A Story of Hope, Leadership, and Community

La lutte du Guyana contre la filariose lymphatique : une histoire d'espoir, de leadership et de communauté

Research /Recherche

Canadian researchers are making a difference to NTDs. Listed are publications from Canadian-affiliated authors published since May 1st, 2025. Canadian-affiliated authors are bolded. Have we missed something? Let us know by sending an email.

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Les chercheurs canadiens font une différence dans le domaine des MTN. Les publications des auteurs affiliés au Canada publiées depuis 1er mai 2025. Les auteurs affiliés au Canada sont en gras.
Avons-nous manqué quelque chose? Faites-le nous savoir en nous envoyant un courriel.

Ajjampur, S.S.R., Aruldas, K., Ásbjörnsdóttir, K.H., Avokpaho, E., Bailey, R., Cottrell, G., Galagan, S.R., Halliday, K.E., Houngbégnon, P., Ibikounlé, M., Israel, G.J., Kaliappan, S.P., Kalua, K., Legge, H., Littlewood, D.T.J., Luty, A.J.F., Manuel, M., Massougbodji, A., Means, A.R. and Oswald, W.E. (2025). Feasibility of interrupting the transmission of soil-transmitted helminths: the DeWorm3 community cluster-randomised controlled trial in Benin, India, and Malawi. Lancet (London, England), 406(10502), pp.475–488. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00766-4.

Araujo, E.C., Codeço, C.T., Loch, S., Vacaro, L.B., Freitas, L.P., Lana, R.M., Bastos, L.S., de Almeida, I.F., Valente, F., Carvalho, L.M. and Coelho, F.C. (2025). Large-scale epidemiological modelling: scanning for mosquito-borne diseases spatio-temporal patterns in Brazil. Royal Society open science, 12(5), p.241261. doi:https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.241261.

Barkhad, A., Lecours, N., Stevens-Uninsky, M. and Mbuagbaw, L. (2025). The Ecological, Biological, and Social Determinants of Dengue Epidemiology in Latin America and the Caribbean: A Scoping Review of the Literature. EcoHealth. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s10393-025-01706-0.

Billick, M.J. and Bogoch, I.I. (2025). Dengue. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l’Association medicale canadienne, 197(18), p.E509. doi:https://doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.250114.

Bogoch, I.I., Coulibaly, J.T., Silue, K.D., Fisher, K.N., de León Derby, M.D., Fletcher, D.A. and Lo, N.C. (2025). Portable digital microscopy with point-of-care testing for low-cost and efficient prevalence surveys for schistosomiasis control. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19(10), p.e0013444. doi: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013444.

Boodman, C., van den Boogaard, W., Benedetti, G., Zamatto, F., D’incà, A., Arsenijević, J., Janisch, T., Sunyoto, T. and Leclair, C. (2025). Body lice and scabies co-infestation among unsheltered migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers and the right to water and sanitation.PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases,19(12), p.e0013807. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013807.

Brar, H.K., Chen, E., Chang, F., Lu, S.A., Longowal, D.K., Moon, K.-M., Foster, L.J., Reiner, N. and Nandan, D. (2025). Leishmania regulates host YY1: Comparative proteomic analysis identifies infection modulated YY1 dependent proteins. PloS one, 20(5), p.e0323227. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0323227.

da Cruz Ferreira, D.A., Freitas, L.P., Lowe, R., Souza, G.D., Fujiwara, R.T. and Martins Lana, R. (2025). Introduction, establishment, and distribution of Aedes aegypti and dengue in a temperate capital of Brazil: a retrospective surveillance-based study. Lancet regional health. Americas, 48, p.101153. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2025.101153.

Díaz de León Derby, M., Delahunt, C.B., Spencer, E., Coulibaly, J.T., Silué, K.D., Bogoch, I.I., Le Ny, A.-L. and Fletcher, D.A. (2025). Multi-contrast machine learning improves schistosomiasis diagnostic performance. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 19(8), p.e0012879. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012879.

Geary, T.G., Drake, J., Gilleard, J.S., Chelladurai, J.R.J.J., Castro, P.D.J., Kaplan, R.M., Marsh, A.E., Reinemeyer, C.R. and Verocai, G.G. (2025). Multiple anthelmintic drug resistance in the canine hookworm Ancylostoma caninum: AAVP position paper and research needs. Veterinary parasitology 338, p.110536. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vetpar.2025.110536.

Jahromi, A.S., Jokar, M., Abdous, A., Soleimanpour, S., Rahmanian, K., Askari, H. and Rahmanian, V. (2025). Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices toward Cutaneous Leishmaniasis as a Neglected Tropical Disease among the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of epidemiology and global health, 15(1), p.97. doi:https://doi.org/10.1007/s44197-025-00444-4.

Kamau, E., Ante-Testard, P.A., Gwyn, S., Blumberg, S., Abdalla, Z., Aiemjoy, K., Amza, A., Aragie, S., Arzika, A.M., Awoussi, M.S., Bailey, R.L., Butcher, R., Callahan, E.K., Chaima, D., Dawed, A.A., Díaz, M.I.S., Domingo, A.-B.S., Drakeley, C., Elshafie, B.E. and Emerson, P.M… (2025). Characterizing trachoma elimination using serology. Nature communications, 16(1), p.5545. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-60581-z.

Kipp, K.R., Redman, E.M., Luksovsky, J.L., Claussen, D., Gilleard, J.S. and Verocai, G.G. (2025). High frequency of benzimidazole resistance polymorphisms and age-class differences in trichostrongyle nematodes of ranched bison from the south-central United States. International journal for parasitology. Drugs and drug resistance,28, p.100594. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpddr.2025.100594.

Krentel, A., Rajabali, A., Ogundahunsi, O., Okorosobo, T., Bazant, E., McPhillips-Tangum, C., Sood, A.S., Saarlas, K. and Gyapong, M. (2025). Opportunities and barriers arising from the COVID-19 pandemic for health campaign integration across immunizations, neglected tropical diseases, insecticide-treated bed nets, and vitamin A supplementation: A qualitative key informant interview study. PLOS Global Public Health, 5(9), p.e0005186. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0005186.

Meraj, S., Phung, P., Gries, R., Lowenberger, C. and Gries, G. (2025). Fate of Trypanosoma cruzi, the causative agent of Chagas disease, in bed bugs after oral ingestion or intrathoracic injection. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases,19(11), p.e0013568. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013568.

Li, V., Mishra, H., Ngai, M., Crowley, V.M., Tran, V., Painaga, M.S.S., Gaite, J.Y., Hamilton, P., Conroy, A.L., Kain, K.C. and Hawkes, M.T. (2025). Soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor 1 predicts hospitalization in children and young adults with dengue virus infection in the Philippines. Cytokine, 190, p.156911. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cyto.2025.156911.

Lopopolo, M., Avanzi, C., Duchene, S., Luisi, P., de Flamingh, A., Ponce-Soto, G.Y., Tressieres, G., Neumeyer, S., Lemoine, F., Nelson, E.A., Iraeta-Orbegozo, M., Cybulski, J.S., Mitchell, J., Marks, V.T., Adams, L.B., Lindo, J., DeGiorgio, M., Ortiz, N., Wiens, C. and Hiebert, J. (2025). Pre-European contact leprosy in the Americas and its current persistence. Science (New York, N.Y.), 389(6758), p.eadu7144. doi:https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adu7144.

Murray, A. and Ignaszak, A. (2025). Mapping climate change-driven epidemics. Frontiers in epidemiology, 5, p.1605058. doi:https://doi.org/10.3389/fepid.2025.1605058.

Nandan, D., Longowal, D.K. and Reiner, N. (2025). Yin Yang 1: Role in Leishmaniasis. Cells, 14(15), p.1149. doi:https://doi.org/10.3390/cells14151149.

Nyarko, E., Atubiga, I.A., Siame, E.T., Gutiérrez, J.M. and Fernandez, E.A. (2025). Healthcare workers’ priorities of WHO snakebite strategic objectives for the control and prevention of snakebite envenoming in Ghana: A machine learning statistical design of experiment modeling. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 19(7), p.e0013295. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013295.

Oliveira, E.G. de, Lanza, J.S., Cojean, S., Moreira, P.O.L., Tunes, L.G., Gomes, M.L., DeFreitas-Silva, G., Silva, V.S. da, Veltri, E.R.P., Torres-Santos, E.C., Demicheli, C., Pomel, S., Loiseau, P.M., Frézard, F., Fernandez-Prada, C., Andrade-Neto, V.V. de and Monte-Neto, R.L. do (2025). Re-sensitization of antimony-resistant Leishmania by highly potent SbV-porphyrin through the involvement of ERG6-coding gene. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 187, p.118059. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2025.118059.

Pedí, V.D., de França, G.V.A., Rodrigues, V.B., Duailibe, F.T., Santos, M.T.P. and de Oliveira, M.R.F. (2025). Burden of Chikungunya Fever and Its Economic and Social Impacts Worldwide: A Systematic Review. Tropical medicine & international health: TM & IH, p.10.1111/tmi.70012. doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/tmi.70012.

Pillay, K., Keddie, S.H., Fitchett, E., Akinde, C., Bärenbold, O., Bradley, J., Falconer, J., Keogh, R.H., Lim, Z.N., Nezafat Maldonado, B., Maynard-Smith, L., Sugrue, E., Taylor, O., Hopkins, H. and Dubot-Pérès, A. (2025). Evaluating the performance of common reference laboratory tests for acute dengue diagnosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of RT-PCR, NS1 ELISA, and IgM ELISA. The Lancet Microbe, p.101088. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanmic.2025.101088.

Quel, N.G., Rosa, L.T., Antonio, L.M., Pinheiro, G.M.S., Barbosa, L.R.S., Houry, W.A. and Ramos, C.H.I. (2025). Aedes aegypti encodes an ATPase-active RUVBL1/2 complex. International journal of biological macromolecules, 318(Pt 3), p.145175. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2025.145175.

Ramaj, T., Wu, X., Tosato, M., Morelli, F., Thollot, Y., Langevin, E., Thommes, E., Woldegerima, W.A. and Wu, J. (2025). Risk assessment and mitigation evaluation of future yellow fever outbreaks under different climate scenarios: Insight from a case study of Brazil. PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19(10), p.e0013448. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013448.

Ramirez, D.A., Lesley, S.T., Översti, S., Herrera-Soto, María José, Pastor, N., Fontana-Silva, O.E., Kirkpatrick, C.L., Castelleti-Dellepiane, J., Nores, R. and Bos, K.I. (2025). 4,000-year-old Mycobacterium lepromatosis genomes from Chile reveal long establishment of Hansen’s disease in the Americas. Nature Ecology & Evolution, pp.1–9. doi:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-025-02771-y.

Salazar Flórez, J.E., Restrepo, B.N., Freitas, L.P., Carabali, M., Jaramillo Ramírez, G.I., Balaguera, C.G., Monsalve, B.S.A. and Zinszer, K. (2025). Spatio-temporal analysis of the distribution and co-circulation of dengue, chikungunya, and Zika in Medellín, Colombia, from 2013 to 2021. PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, 19(9), p.e0013470. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013470.

Sangare, M., Coulibaly, Y.I., Ravichandran, P., Diabate, A.F., Duguay, C., Vlassoff, C., Kulkarni, M.A. and Krentel, A. (2025). Exploring the impact of mobile and migrant populations on mass drug administration coverage and effectiveness in Africa: A scoping review protocol. PloS one, 20(5), p.e0324949.doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0324949.

Singer, B.J., Gomes, M., Coulibaly, J.T., Daigavane, M., Tan, S.T., Bogoch, I.I. and Lo, N.C. (2025). Population-level impact of mass drug administration against schistosomiasis with anthelmintic drugs targeting juvenile schistosomes: a modelling study. The Lancet. Microbe, 6(7), p.101065. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanmic.2024.101065.

Smith, D.J., Melhem, M.S.C., Jessy Dirven, de Azevedo , Cmp., Marques, S.G., Favoreto de Souza Lima, B.J., Vicente, V.A., Teixeira Sousa , M. d G., Venturini, J., Wiederhold, N.P., Amir Seyedmousavi, Dufresne, P.J., Hoog, S. de, Lockhart, S.R., Hagen, F. and Wagner, D. (2025). Establishment of epidemiological cutoff values for Fonsecaea pedrosoi, the primary etiologic agent of chromoblastomycosis, and eight antifungal medications. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. doi:https://doi.org/10.1128/jcm.01903-24.

Truong, L.V., Thuy, L.T., Hien, L.T., Tran, T.Q.M., Gad, A., Tran, L., Aziz, A., Ahmed, O., Mahabir, S., Tiwari, R., Hoang, Q.N., Thu, T. and Huy, N.T. (2025). From controversy to confidence: Strengthening dengue vaccines safety reporting. Vaccine, 62, pp.127489–127489. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.127489.
Yang, J., Mishra, H., Ngai, M., Tran, V., Painaga, M.S.S., Gaite, J.Y., Roberts, A., Kain, K.C. and Hawkes, M.T. (2025). Soluble triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 1 is associated with hemoconcentration and endothelial activation in children and young adults with dengue virus infection in the Philippines. PLoS neglected tropical diseases, 19(6), p.e0013084. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0013084.

Save the date for upcoming events /
Gardez la date pour les événements à venir

January 18, 2026 - Submit your abstracts for MSF Scientific Days 2026
January 25, 2026 - World Leprosy Day
January 30th, 2026 - World NTD Day
April 9-12, 2026 - CUGH Conference the Future of Global Health, Washington, DC
May 1-3, 2026 - Pegasus Conference Interconnected Futures: Pathways to Justice in Global Health, Peace, and Environmental Sustainability, Waterloo, Canada
August 16-21, 2026 - ICOPA: Parasites in a Changing World, Montreal, Canada

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18 janvier, 2026 - Soumettez vos résumés pour les Journées scientifiques MSF 2026
25 janvier 2026 - Journée mondiale contre la lèpre
30 janvier 2026 - Journée mondiale contre les maladies tropicales négligées
9-12 avril, 2026 - Conférence CUGH «L'avenir de la santé mondiale», Washington, DC
1-3 mai, 2026 - Conférence Pegasus «Des avenirs interconnectés: vers la justice en matière de santé mondiale, de paix et de durabilité environnementale», Waterloo, Canada
16-21 août, 2026 - ICOPA: Les parasites dans un monde en changement, Montréal, Canada

Join us! Rejoignez-nous!

The Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases welcomes individual, organizational and international members. Find out about the benefits of membership and join CNNTD.

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Le Réseau canadien des maladies tropicales négligées accueille des membres individuels, organisationnels et internationaux. Découvrez les avantages de l'adhésion et rejoignez le RCMTN.

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World Health Organization: Calming the mind and promoting global peace on World Meditation Day

Fri, 19 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Meditation, which has its roots in religious, yogic and secular traditions from various civilisations, calls for living in the present moment.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: 2025's Global Health Bright Spots

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 10:05:17 -0500

Global Health NOW: 2025's Global Health Bright Spots

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December 18, 2025


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EDITOR’S NOTE

Our Last Issue Until 2026

It has been a tumultuous year for global and public health, and we know that the news has often been hard to read. But there have also been some tremendous global health wins—and some standout success stories and examples of solidarity from around the world. For our last issue of the year, we’re keeping the focus on the bright notes, bringing you our take on the year’s best global health news.

We’ll be back on Monday, January 5, with more news; until then, we hope you have a joyous, restful holiday season! —Dayna

IN FOCUS

Global Health Wins from 2025

Shielding Babies From Mosquitoes: Lesus, traditional baby swaddles used in Uganda, could be used to protect against malaria once treated with mosquito repellent, finds a new study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, which found that malaria infections fell by ~65% among children who used the treated wraps. MedPage Today

Pandemic Pact Reached: After three years of negotiations, WHO member states signed a historic pandemic agreement—paving the way to future pandemic prevention and response by strengthening disease surveillance and improving global access to vaccines and other drugs; notably, the U.S. did not sign on, despite previous involvement in the pact’s development. Health Policy Watch

Leaning into Lenacapavir in the HIV Fight: Amid upheaval in the fight against HIV/AIDS, the WHO urged governments to expand access to prevention tools, especially the new twice-yearly injectable lenacapavir—with health leaders lauding the “remarkable momentum” of the drug’s approval in several countries this year. WHO

A New Vaccine for the Meningitis Belt: A century of meningitis outbreaks across a wide strip of sub-Saharan Africa may be dramatically reduced thanks to a new vaccine that prevents the lethal disease; Men5CV, developed by India’s Serum Institute of India and the Seattle-based PATH, is expected to cost $3 per dose and has been distributed in Niger and Nigeria, with more to come. The Telegraph

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

AROUND THE WORLD: SUCCESS STORIES

How Guinea Stopped Sleeping Sickness: A so-called “tiny targets” approach helped make a massive dent in cases: Researchers discovered that the tsetse flies that spread the parasitic disease are attracted to the color blue and developed tiny blue fabric screens coated with insecticide to attract and kill the insects. El País

Triple Triumph in the Maldives: This year, the Maldives became the first country in the world to eliminate mother-to-child transmission of three diseases: hepatitis B, HIV, and syphilis, thanks to a combination of strong antenatal care, standardized newborn hepatitis B vaccination, and free diagnostic services and vaccines included in universal health coverage. European AIDS Treatment Group

Brazil Turns Around Its Teen Pregnancy Epidemic: Brazil once had the highest teen pregnancy rates in Latin America—but births among Brazilian girls ages 15–19 have plummeted 44% over the last 25 years; expanded birth control access—including free birth control, condoms, and IUDs—is credited, along with poverty reduction and better opportunities for young women. The Telegraph

Hope for Fistula Survivors in Nigeria: Free fistula repair surgery will soon be available at clinics throughout Nigeria, health officials announced in March—a “groundbreaking move” in a country that sees ~12,000 new cases a year of vesicovaginal fistula, which can be a debilitating and highly stigmatizing condition. Nigeria Health Watch

Standing Up to Stigma: In Rwanda, stigma can lead to social isolation, especially in school-age children, who are often mocked for taking HIV medication in class. New protective measures include trainings for school officials, youth-driven anti-AIDS clubs, and the use of discrete pill boxes in classrooms. The New Times

Slovenia’s Preventive Care Pays Off: More than 20 years ago, Slovenia adopted a chronic disease prevention strategy that is now showing impressive results and becoming a model for other countries; the system emphasizes primary care, screening, and coaching the population to seek regular checks at health promotion hubs. STAT

OPPORTUNITY

Train Here. Change the World.

Fast-track your career this January with the Winter Institute. Designed for working professionals and students, our condensed credit or non-credit courses will accelerate your learning goals. Our flexible courses range from a single day to two weeks and cover a variety of public health interest areas.

Learn more and register

WINTER READING SEND-OFF

A selection of book recommendations from GHN readers. Dayna Kerecman Myers

Revisiting GHN Book Recs

In August, some GHN readers shared book recommendations that we're resharing here n case you need some winter reading … or last-minute gift ideas! Thanks again to all who sent in tips.

The Education of an Idealist and A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide, both by Samantha Power —Lorina McAdam

Poverty, by America by Matthew Desmond —Hannah Schoon

Sick Souls, Healthy Minds: How William James Can Save Your Life by John Kaag —Lorenn Walker

Decameron by Giovanni Boccaccio —Michael Kowolik

Escape on the Pearl: The Heroic Bid for Freedom on the Underground Railroad by Mary Kay Ricks —Stephan Gilbert

Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green —Caitlin Lavigne

And, in case you’re heading over the river and through the woods by car, here are audio books on the free app Libby from Peter Kilmarx:

On Call by Tony Fauci

The Wide Wide Sea by Hampton Sides

Caste by Isabel Wilkerson

Hope that tides you over for a cozy break—and we’ll see you in the new year!

QUICK HITS

'Trojan horse moment': anti-rights groups seize chance to fill void left by US aid cuts – The Guardian

House Republicans advance sweeping anti-trans bills ahead of holiday break – The 19th

American Academy of Pediatrics loses HHS funding after criticizing RFK Jr. – The Washington Post (gift link)

Chile’s new president could shake up nation’s science community – Science

Blamed for the nation’s historic measles outbreak, West Texas Mennonites have hardened their views on vaccines – The Texas Tribune

Why I volunteered to be infected with dengue fever – NPR Goats and Soda

Dog with prosthetic paws inspires Ukrainian veterans recovering from wounds of war – PBS News

Issue No. 2840

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 Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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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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World Health Organization: Can traditional medicine strengthen modern healthcare? An expert weighs in

Thu, 18 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Ginger and cinnamon are more than just ingredients. Along with other spices, their medicinal value is gaining both attention and legitimacy.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: A ‘Brutal,’ Man-Made Hunger Crisis and the Best Global Health Reporting of 2025

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:56:53 -0500

Global Health NOW: A ‘Brutal,’ Man-Made Hunger Crisis and the Best Global Health Reporting of 2025

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December 17, 2025


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IN FOCUS

A ‘Brutal,’ Man-Made Hunger Crisis

After the Trump administration’s sudden cuts to food aid early this year, U.S. officials were repeatedly warned by humanitarian advocates that the disruption would cause starvation, violence, and death among refugees in Kenya.

Those warnings were ignored, resulting in what aid workers describe as an American-made crisis.

ProPublica provides a harrowing account of the unfolding crisis from multiple angles:

The lengths World Food Program workers went to warn of dangers, from emergency cables to appeals made over elaborate dinners in Nairobi.

Trump administration officials’ studied refusal to acknowledge the urgency.

And the suffering endured by families in Nairobi’s Kakuma camp, where rations fell to historic lows, malnourished children wasted and died, and families fled rather than starve.

“I’ve never experienced anything like it,” said one longtime aid worker in Kakuma. “It’s huge and brutal and traumatizing.”

The report expands on another ProPublica report earlier this week depicting how U.S. officials celebrated USAID cuts with cake—even as dire warnings of resulting cholera deaths in South Sudan loomed.

The pair of articles from Anna Maria Barry-Jester and Brett Murphy cap a year of excellent reporting from many global health journalists on the global fallout from slashed foreign aid, leading us into our round-up of 2025’s must-reads.

2025's BEST GLOBAL HEALTH REPORTING

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, yet they opted not to act—and actively blocked advocates’ attempts to intervene.

The Examination

A Portrait of Measles Resurgence

As measles swept through North America amid declining vaccination rates, reporter Eli Saslow chronicled one West Texas family’s battle with the virus—which forced the father and four children to spend days in the hospital.

“‘I feel like I’ve been lied to,’ [the father] Kiley texted his wife, as his temperature hit 40°C (104°F). He treated himself with cod liver oil and vitamin D," as recommended by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

The New York Times (gift link)

A Must-Read Commentary:

“As the pandemic rose, I saw my patients get sick and in some cases die, including a 42-year-old mother of two young children whose loss is seared into my soul. As it receded … the overwhelming public sentiment was: never again. Today, it seems: never what?”

———————————

Siddhartha Mukherjee in a March 10, 2025, commentary in The New York Times (gift article)

Argentina’s ‘Tidal Wave’ of Health Cuts

Extreme cuts to Argentina’s health systems under President Javier Milei’s austerity measures forced patients and their families to resort to desperate measures to access vital care, including turning to Facebook to obtain donated cancer drugs.

A Scourge of Dud Cancer Drugs

Critical chemotherapy drugs used worldwide have failed key quality tests, leaving cancer patients in 100+ countries at risk of ineffective treatments and life-threatening side effects—exposing dangerous gaps in international drug regulation.

The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Meanwhile, new must-read TBIJ reporting has found that globally-exported generic medications from major Indian drugmaker Zee Laboratories have been repeatedly flagged as ineffective and dangerous; but a lack of repercussions means the company continues to ship pharmaceuticals worldwide.

More Notables:

Wielding Obscure Budget Tools, Trump’s ‘Reaper’ Vought Sows Turmoil in Public Health – KFF Health News

How Imperial Brands’ confidential contract kept cigarette prices low in Laos—while secretly enriching a political insider – The Examination

Trump Halted an Agent Orange Cleanup. That Puts Hundreds of Thousands at Risk for Poisoning. – ProPublica

QUICK HITS

How countries around the world have responded to mass shootings – The Washington Post (gift link)

Why Mumbai's Overcrowded Trains Prove Fatal – Think Global Health

Grant cuts, arrests, lay-offs: Trump made 2025 a tumultuous year for science – Nature

House Speaker Johnson rebuffs efforts to extend health care subsidies, pushing ahead with GOP plan – AP

Gen Z behind jump in use of oral nicotine pouches across Great Britain – The Guardian

A Powerful New Drug Is Creating a ‘Withdrawal Crisis’ in Philadelphia – The New York Times (gift link)

A grad student’s wild idea triggers a major aging breakthrough – Mayo Clinic via ScienceDaily

Issue No. 2839

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51�Թ��Faculty of Medicine news: New evidence challenges understanding of Parkinson’s disease

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:17:23 -0500

A McGill-led study is challenging a popular theory about how dopamine drives movement, a discovery that could shift how scientists think about Parkinson’s disease treatments.

Published in Nature Neuroscience, the research found dopamine does not set the speed or force of each movement, as had been thought. Instead, it appears to act as the underlying support system that makes movement possible.

World Health Organization: World News in Brief: Progress on hunger in Asia-Pacific, key Gaza pipeline repaired, flu hits Europe hard

Wed, 17 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

While the Asia and Pacific region has made notable progress in reducing hunger, persistent challenges remain in addressing malnutrition, food insecurity and unequal access to healthy diets, a new UN report published on Wednesday concludes.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: An ‘Accelerating’ Measles Outbreak; and GHN's Best Exclusives of 2025

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 09:37:03 -0500

Global Health NOW: An ‘Accelerating’ Measles Outbreak; and GHN's Best Exclusives of 2025

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December 16, 2025


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IN FOCUS

The heart of downtown Spartanburg, South Carolina, on June 13, 2021. J. Michael Jones

An ‘Accelerating’ Measles Outbreak

The surging South Carolina measles outbreak has topped 120 cases and sent hundreds into 21-day quarantines, as state health officials hunker down for a monthslong fight.

126 cases—many among schoolchildren—have been reported in the state’s northwest, per CIDRAP. 119 of the measles patients were unvaccinated.

303 people are in quarantine (some for the second time), and 13 are in isolation.

No mandates: State officials, including Gov. Henry McMaster, are steering clear of vaccine mandates, while simultaneously encouraging kids’ vaccinations and emphasizing free choice, Axios reports.

"There's some people who don't want to do it, and that's up to them," McMaster said. "People need to understand it's dangerous just like a lot of other diseases. If there's some way to prevent it, you ought to do it."

Local people are divided with some skeptical of vaccines and aggrieved by COVID-19 remote learning and shutdowns, while others worry about risks for their youngest children, per The New York Times (gift link).

Big picture: The CDC reports 1,900+ measles cases in the U.S. and three deaths (two of whom were children) so far this year.

Related: Connecticut reports first measles case in years – The Hill

BEST OF 2025 GHN EXCLUSIVES

Muthukutti, 23, endured an amputation of his left leg after an accident at Sree Mariyammal Fireworks Factory in Achangulam village, outside Sivakasi, India. Kamala Thiagarajan

Fireworks and Heartbreak in a Hard-Hit Indian Village

SIVAKASI, India—Of the 650 families who live in Surangudi village, most have lost either a limb or a loved one to fireworks.

Workers in the area produce 50,000 tons of firecrackers annually—most of India's fireworks—in factories prone to explosions and fires. Journalist Kamala Thiagarajan’s two-part series takes readers inside a poorly regulated factory system that led to at least 100 deaths in 2023–2024.
 
Kamala Thiagarajan for Global Health NOW

Migration Response Done Right: Brazil’s Model

PACARAIMA, Brazil—Migrants fleeing Venezuela’s deteriorating political and economic system have found something wondrous at the border with Brazil: Open arms.

Since 2018, the Operação Acolhida (Operation Welcome) partnership has blended military logistical support with respect for humanitarian autonomy to provide housing, essential services, and efforts to counter human trafficking, though U.S. foreign aid cuts have forced some organizations to scale back.

Julianna Deutscher for Global Health NOW (with support from the Johns Hopkins-Pulitzer Global Health Reporting Fellowship)

Dispensing ‘Free Chances at Life’

In this hard-partying college town of Iowa City, the beloved Deadwood Tavern is known as a great place to relax, watch Iowa football, pick up free naloxone, birth control, emergency contraceptives, gun locks, wound care kits, and needle disposal kits. They’re all available, free and anonymously, from the public health vending machine at the back of the bar—part of a trend taking off in dozens of cities.

Annalies Winny, Global Health NOW

Peru’s Illegal Mining Surges … and Destroys

LIMA, Peru—Soaring gold prices and plunging U.S. government funds are pushing Peru’s southeastern jungle, scene of a booming illegal mining industry, into a public health crisis—with destroyed forests, mercury poisoning, and fast-spreading infectious diseases. The cancelation of U.S.-supported reforestation and mercury poisoning mitigation projects has been likened to “throwing gasoline on an already hot fire.”

Lucien Chauvin for Global Health NOW

Why Latin America Needs Its Own CDC—Now More Than Ever (Commentary)

Latin American governments must champion the creation of a regional CDC, similar to the Africa CDC model, that would work alongside PAHO to ensure faster, more efficient responses to health emergencies, according to three public health leaders from the region.

Patricia J. García, Jorge Saavedra, and Ariel García for Global Health NOW

Other Notable Exclusives

Inside India’s Funding Failure in Rare Genetic Disease Care by Rupsa Chakraborty

A Promising Fight Against a Silent Killer by Scovian Lillian

Fighting Infant Mortality With Vaccines and Cash in Northern Nigeria by Abiodun Jamiu

Climate Change’s Overlooked Role in Obesity by Sanket Jain

How to Keep Doing Global Health: Tips From the Global South (commentary) by Siddhesh Zadey and Dhananjaya Sharma

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Can Canada Survive Trump’s Attack on Science? – Maclean’s

Newsom announces new public health initiative led by ousted CDC officials – The Sacramento Bee

NSF pares down grant-review process, reducing influence of outside scientists – Science

Is science diplomacy still possible? – The Lancet (commentary) Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!

FDA has no plans to put most serious warning on COVID vaccines, Bloomberg News reports – Reuters

She Studied Mosquitoes to Prevent Malaria – The New York Times (gift link)

Issue No. 2838

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World Health Organization: World News in Brief: Landmark disease and mental health declaration, Afghan hunger deepens, DR Congo refugee crisis

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

World leaders meeting at the UN General Assembly have adopted a historic global declaration to tackle noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions together, the World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday.

World Health Organization: New influenza variant is surging, but vaccination still our best bet: WHO

Tue, 16 Dec 2025 07:00:00 -0500

Amid an early start to the Northern Hemisphere influenza season a new variant of the virus is rapidly gaining ground - but vaccination remains the “most effective defence”, the UN health agency said on Tuesday.

Global Health Programs aggregator

CNNTD Newsletter: CNNTD Winter Newsletter |RCMTN Bulletin d'Hiver

Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases Newsletter / Bulletin d'information du Réseau canadien pour les Maladies Tropicales Négligées

The motorcyclist fighting a deadly disease in the African bush

Opinion piece: Time to prioritise rights of people affected by NTDs

Advocates in G7 Countries Call on Leaders to Step Up to End Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)

Why drug donation programs are a lifeline for NTD elimination efforts

TICAD spotlight: Japan’s pharma commitment to global health

Indonesia intensifies leprosy elimination in 111 districts, cities

Guyana’s Fight Against Lymphatic Filariasis: A Story of Hope, Leadership, and Community

Research /Recherche

Save the date for upcoming events / Gardez la date pour les événements à venir

Join us! Rejoignez-nous!

World Health Organization: Calming the mind and promoting global peace on World Meditation Day

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: 2025's Global Health Bright Spots

TOP STORIES

EDITOR’S NOTE

Our Last Issue Until 2026

IN FOCUS

Global Health Wins from 2025

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

AROUND THE WORLD: SUCCESS STORIES

OPPORTUNITY

Train Here. Change the World.

WINTER READING SEND-OFF

Revisiting GHN Book Recs

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Issue No. 2840

World Health Organization: Can traditional medicine strengthen modern healthcare? An expert weighs in

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: A ‘Brutal,’ Man-Made Hunger Crisis and the Best Global Health Reporting of 2025

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

A ‘Brutal,’ Man-Made Hunger Crisis

2025's BEST GLOBAL HEALTH REPORTING

The Toxic Toll of Battery Recycling

A Portrait of Measles Resurgence

A Must-Read Commentary:

Argentina’s ‘Tidal Wave’ of Health Cuts

A Scourge of Dud Cancer Drugs

More Notables:

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Issue No. 2839

51�Թ���Faculty of Medicine news: New evidence challenges understanding of Parkinson’s disease

World Health Organization: World News in Brief: Progress on hunger in Asia-Pacific, key Gaza pipeline repaired, flu hits Europe hard

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: An ‘Accelerating’ Measles Outbreak; and GHN's Best Exclusives of 2025

TOP STORIES

IN FOCUS

An ‘Accelerating’ Measles Outbreak

BEST OF 2025 GHN EXCLUSIVES

Fireworks and Heartbreak in a Hard-Hit Indian Village

Migration Response Done Right: Brazil’s Model

Dispensing ‘Free Chances at Life’

Peru’s Illegal Mining Surges … and Destroys

Why Latin America Needs Its Own CDC—Now More Than Ever (Commentary)

Other Notable Exclusives

OPPORTUNITY

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2838

World Health Organization: World News in Brief: Landmark disease and mental health declaration, Afghan hunger deepens, DR Congo refugee crisis

World Health Organization: New influenza variant is surging, but vaccination still our best bet: WHO

Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases Newsletter /
Bulletin d'information du Réseau canadien pour les
Maladies Tropicales Négligées

Save the date for upcoming events /
Gardez la date pour les événements à venir

World Health Organization: Can traditional medicine strengthen modern healthcare? An expert weighs in

51�Թ��Faculty of Medicine news: New evidence challenges understanding of Parkinson’s disease

Fireworks and Heartbreak in a Hard-Hit Indian Village