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96 Global Health NOW: U.S. Policies Amount to a Global Public Health Emergency, Researchers Argue; and Lessons From Romania鈥檚 Rapid Abortion Shifts Plus: 'Homeward Bound' on Steroids March 26, 2026 TOP STORIES A health crisis is 鈥渦nfolding in real time鈥� across the Middle East, according to WHO鈥檚 director in the region;  warned that, in addition to potential hits on nuclear sites and damage to the water supply, hospital closures are disrupting chronic illness treatment, and there are deep concerns about maternal and mental health, and children orphaned by the conflict.  

The UK has launched a billion-pound 鈥攊ts first since a 2011 effort that focused on flu鈥攑romising a new approach including a new contact tracing system and PPE stockpiles, and more adaptable emergency measures.  

In Cuba, many doctors grappling with the constant stress of rationing care, severe supply shortages, and long patient waitlists are burning out, leaving the country, or working without pay as the country鈥檚 health care system slips deeper into decline amid a failing economy and a U.S.-imposed oil blockade.  

The White House has delayed nominating a permanent CDC director, meaning Jay Bhattacharya, who has served as acting director, will continue his duties as the administration extends its search; about a half dozen candidates are being 鈥渟eriously considered.鈥�  IN FOCUS A health care professional measures a vaccine dose. Riverside, California, on February 2, 2021. Gina Ferazzi/Los Angeles Times via Getty U.S. Policies Amount to a Global Public Health Emergency, Researchers Argue  
A 鈥減ublic health emergency of international concern鈥� has never been declared over a single country鈥檚 political actions鈥攂ut the Trump administration鈥檚 moves, including the disruption of U.S. foreign aid and development work, and pandemic preparedness efforts, constitute a PHEIC under international law, argue Matthew Herder and colleagues in a new .       The argument: A PHEIC is defined as an 鈥渆xtraordinary event鈥� that creates a 鈥減ublic health risk to other states through the international spread of disease,鈥� which Herder, of Canada鈥檚 Dalhousie University, and co-authors say U.S. policies and defunding of global health initiatives could drive, particularly in LMICs.    Would this help, or harm?  

• A PHEIC declaration from the WHO could prompt further U.S. backlash, but the authors stress that hundreds of thousands of people have already died due to U.S. actions, . 

• Declaring a PHEIC can mobilize funding and facilitate the use of compulsory licensing of essential medicines. 

• Furthermore, it鈥檚 鈥淚mportant to publish articles that provoke debate and encourage different ways of thinking at problems,鈥� .   

The Quote: 鈥� ... We should not wait to call the U.S. president and his administration for what it is鈥攖he worst public health emergency in the world鈥攁nd act accordingly,鈥� Herder and co-authors conclude.    Related: Why the expanded global gag rule is a deadly triple tripwire for recipients of US foreign aid 鈥�   REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS  Lessons From Romania鈥檚 Rapid Abortion Shifts 
To see how abortion policy can dramatically impact maternal mortality, Romania鈥檚 history offers a stark picture.  

Maternal mortality fell steadily across Europe from 1965鈥�1985. But in Romania over that period, the rate surged ~150%.  

Why? Abortion was readily accessible in Romania from 1957 to 1966, when Nicolae Ceau葯escu abruptly restricted the practice, along with contraception. After that, births nearly doubled within a year.  

• With the rise of pregnancies came a spike in abortions from untrained providers. By the 1980s, over 80% of maternal deaths were linked to unsafe abortions.  

About-face: When legalization quickly resumed in 1989, deaths dropped again.  

 

OPPORTUNITY Apply by April 1 for a Travel Award to Attend ASTMH 2026  
The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene is accepting applications for travel grants to attend the ASTMH 2026 Annual Meeting, November 18鈥�22, 2026, at Gaylord National Harbor, Maryland, in the U.S. 

• The 2026 Annual Meeting Travel Award is available to all qualified students, early-career investigators, and scientists actively working in tropical medicine and global health. 

• ASTMH members and non-members are eligible to apply, especially those from Africa, Asia, and Latin America.   

• Recipients receive complimentary meeting registration, round-trip coach airfare, and a stipend to offset travel costs. 

How to apply: Applicants must submit an online application for the travel award and submit an abstract.

1)  

2)  

• Deadline to Apply: April 1, 2026 

•  

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Homeward Bound on Steroids 
When we first saw a viral video of seven dogs traveling together on a highway in China鈥檚 Jilin province, the first thought was: We鈥檙e not falling for this AI slop!

Extraordinarily, the video is actually real. The backstory we鈥檙e less sure about.

But the internet never lets the truth get in the way of a good story. Legions of netizens are choosing to believe that a Corgi named Dapang鈥攐r 鈥渂ig fatty鈥濃�攔eally did lead a group of wayward dog friends 17km back to their village after they allegedly chewed through the cages of a meat truck, as . Chinese state media鈥檚 claim that they were 鈥攏ot so fun.

The return of one missing pet feels miraculous enough. When seven missing dogs鈥攁ll close friends鈥攙anish from a village, and not one, not three, but all of them return home safe? The internet 鈥溾�� and started demanding Pixar movies. 

Not to be greedy, but we now also need to see the look on Dapang鈥檚 mom's face when, just as she was losing hope, the heroic Corgi trotted back into her home like nothing had happened.

We鈥檇 settle for AI-generated.

QUICK HITS Scientists call out health-harming corporations driving rise in chronic disease 鈥� 

Means鈥� surgeon general nomination is stalled as senators question her experience and vaccine stance 鈥�  
 
Yep, a mom's COVID shot during pregnancy protects her baby, a large study finds 鈥�   
 
Why do some viruses linger for life? A 900,000-person study maps viral loads 鈥�  
 
The Problem With Promoting 'Gold Standard Science'  鈥� Issue No. 2887
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: Nigeria鈥檚 Transformative Focus on Fistula Surgery; and The Shifting Frontier of Fecal Transplants March 25, 2026 TOP STORIES A landmark verdict against Meta from a New Mexico jury determined that the company knowingly harmed children鈥檚 mental health and concealed child sexual exploitation on its social media platforms in violation of state law; the case is among the first in a wave of such lawsuits filed in U.S. states against Meta.  
 
A Thai court has ruled that an Australian-owned mine is responsible for toxic runoff and its health effects in a decade-old case filed by hundreds of villagers in northern Thailand; the court has ordered compensation for affected residents in the verdict, which could set a precedent for future environmental litigation in the country.  
 
Global maternal mortality numbers reflect policy shifts between U.S. presidential administrations, with countries heavily reliant on U.S. aid seeing a 10.5% increase in maternal mortality following a switch from a Democratic to a Republican administration鈥攚hen family planning and reproductive aid is typically revoked under the Mexico City Policy.  
 
Drought conditions may lead to elevated antibiotic resistance in soil microbes, , which found that lower water content favored the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria in soil microbial communities鈥攖he source of many antibiotics used in clinical medicine.    IN FOCUS Nigeria Health Watch Nigeria鈥檚 Transformative Focus on Fistula Surgery     
Women living with vesicovaginal fistula in Nigeria not only endure physical suffering and incontinence; they often face profound stigma and isolation, describing their lives as 鈥渄ead.鈥�  

• 鈥淚 suffered silently for years, afraid to go anywhere, afraid to be seen,鈥� said survivor Victoria Ifeanyichukwu.  

Reparative surgery can be life-changing, but it鈥檚 financially out of reach for many women in Nigeria, where most health expenses are paid out of pocket. 
 
Insurance intervention: Nigeria鈥檚 National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) is providing access to the procedure with a coverage program geared toward fistula patients. 

• 17 facilities across Nigeria providing fistula surgery are now being funded by the NHIA and state health insurance agencies鈥攃overing women鈥檚 out-of-pocket expenses for the surgery. 

• These patients are then additionally enrolled into broader health insurance programs, ensuring continuity of care.  

• In Kano state, 2,157 women have benefited from the fistula program, and in Ebonyi State, ~79 women have been enrolled into ongoing health insurance. 

  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES PHARMACEUTICALS The Shifting Frontier of Fecal Transplants    Within the last five years, the FDA has approved fecal microbiota transplant drugs for hard-to-treat C. diff infections, creating more standard prescription protocols for what has long been a treatment practiced at hospitals鈥� discretion.     New frontiers, narrowed access: Yet this new approval has led to stricter prescription rules, high drug costs, and regulations on suppliers of fecal transplant material鈥攍imiting access for many. 

• The FDA-approved drugs are not approved for children, or for people who are immunocompromised.  

• The nonprofit stool bank OpenBiome, which had sent ~72,000 treatments to hospitals over a decade, had its shipments halted by the FDA in 2024. 

A complex quest for care: Caught in a gap, many people ineligible for the drugs now must embark on a 鈥渢orturous journey鈥� to find alternative transplant options.       OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS New therapies are transforming treatment for drug-resistant TB 鈥� so why aren鈥檛 people getting them? 鈥� 

Tuberculosis Cases and Deaths Averted by PEPFAR 鈥�

Infertility Is A Public Health Issue 鈥�     鈥楢 Mass Disaster Nonstop鈥�: Inside the Turmoil at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥檚 C.D.C. 鈥�      Trump health vacancies offer chances to change course 鈥�     Navigating vaccine hesitancy as a woman recently arrived in Canada: a journey of building trust 鈥�   

New COVID variant with immune escape potential confirmed in US, 22 other countries 鈥� 

Cuba sends doctors on medical missions. The U.S. isn't a fan 鈥�   Issue No. 2886
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: A New Form of Diabetes Comes for the Undernourished; and Curbing Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan March 24, 2026 TOP STORIES Pfizer will seek regulatory approval for a Lyme disease vaccine candidate that it says shows strong efficacy鈥攔educing the risk of developing the infection by more than 70% in people who received the vaccine versus placebo; Pfizer acknowledged, though, that not enough participants contracted the disease for conclusive confidence, potentially complicating the path to approval. 
  NIH grant terminations over the last year affected women scientists more than men,  that shows that women had, on average, 57.9% of their grant affected, compared to ~48.2% for men; early career women were disproportionately affected despite receiving less NIH funding in general. 
  Suriname confirmed a significant rise in chikungunya cases in an outbreak declared in January with 1,357+ confirmed infections, one confirmed death and another under investigation; health officials say the actual caseload may be 3X higher.  
  Four U.S. states that mandated more frequent syphilis screening during pregnancy and at delivery saw a 26% rise in case detection, , but the effect faded in the year after the mandates began, indicating the measures may require complementary supports for clinicians and patients, the researchers posit.   IN FOCUS A New Form of Diabetes Comes for the Undernourished    Across Africa, diabetes now poses a mortality threat that rivals infectious diseases like malaria and HIV鈥攂ut is far less recognizable. 

• An estimated 54 million Africans have diabetes鈥攚hich can cause blindness, amputations, and death. But many cases go undiagnosed. 

In Cameroon, 75% of people with diabetes are unaware they have the disease. Only a third of diagnosed patients receive treatment, and cost is a devastating barrier.     While infectious disease programs targeting malaria and HIV provide free treatment, there is no such support for diabetes care. Diagnostic tests are unaffordable for most, and a month's insulin supply costs an entire month's wages for basic laborers.    The crisis is compounded by a newly recognized form of the disease鈥擳ype 5 diabetes鈥攂elieved to be caused by malnutrition that prevents normal pancreas development. This 鈥渋nsidious form鈥� is particularly overlooked because diabetes is not typically associated with underweight, undernourished patients.    There are hopes that a growing drug industry in Cameroon will start to produce both insulin and other drugs and supplies, and that the growing domestic market will help bring down prices.     But in the meantime, with 鈥渇ew resources for research and even less time,鈥� physicians are focusing their resources on screening and prevention, including equipping primary health workers with blood glucose meters and blood pressure machines.      DATA POINT

More than 1 in 5
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�  

Number of new tuberculosis cases in Europe that are unreported by health services鈥撯�揳 critical detection gap revealed in the  published today by the WHO/Europe and the ECDC, marking World Tuberculosis Day. 鈥�

Related: New Tongue-Swab TB Test Could Help Eradicate the Disease, WHO Says 鈥�

HUMAN RIGHTS Curbing Domestic Violence in Kyrgyzstan    In 1990s Kyrgyzstan, domestic violence was rarely discussed openly and few legal or social resources were in place to support survivors.     But after three decades of dedicated work, advocates have made steady progress from silence to support, including: 

• Laws addressing family abuse. 

• A growing number of crisis centers and hotlines. 

• An increase in trained psychologists.  

• Work with international groups to stop sex trafficking.  

The quote: 鈥淚f even one person who has suffered remains without protection, then we still haven鈥檛 done everything we must,鈥� said B眉byusara Ryskulova, who founded the Sezim crisis center in 1998 to support survivors.    
  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS 鈥楾he whole country is doing it鈥�: how illegal kidney traders target Pakistan鈥檚 desperate brick kiln workers 鈥�    Trump's visa freeze sidelines immigrant doctors 鈥�     "We've Been in Famine for Months": Life in Post-Ceasefire Gaza 鈥�      Africa Rejects New Draft Text 鈥�      How the term 鈥榥eurodivergent鈥� moved from activists to pop culture 鈥� and politics 鈥� 

By finding 'bright spots' in the opioid crisis, VCU researchers are mapping a path to better outcomes 鈥�   Issue No. 2885
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 World Health Organization (WHO) called on Tuesday for countries to step up action to end tuberculosis (TB) 鈥� one of the world鈥檚 deadliest infectious killers 鈥� by expanding access to new diagnostic tools that can help save lives. 

The death toll from a horrific attack on a hospital in Sudan鈥檚 Darfur has risen further, amid a 鈥渟harp increase鈥� in drone attacks against civilians this year, UN agencies said on Tuesday.

96 Global Health NOW: A Scourge of Maternal Sepsis; and A Wave of Modern Witch Hunts in Papua New Guinea March 23, 2026 TOP STORIES An attack on a Sudanese hospital in East Darfur state killed 64 people, wounded 89 others, and left the hospital non-functional; 13 children, three medical workers, and numerous patients are among the dead, said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who condemned the attacks on health care and the 鈥渄evastating human toll鈥� of the country鈥檚 nearly three-year conflict.     Jewish volunteer service ambulances were set ablaze in London Monday morning in what Prime Minister Keir Starmer described as 鈥渁 deeply shocking antisemitic arson attack鈥�; police say the damaged vehicles belonging to HatzolaNorthwest caught on fire after 鈥渕ultiple cylinders on the vehicles鈥� exploded.     Seriously injured patients in Global South countries often fail to reach medical care within the critical 鈥済olden hour鈥� for lifesaving care, finds a new study published in BMJ Global Health, which found that in Ghana, Pakistan, Rwanda, and South Africa, 57% of all patients arrived 1+ hour after being injured, and 34% arrived 2+ hours later, often because of ambulance-related delays.      Many U.S. nursing homes are falsely labeling dementia patients as schizophrenic in order to use dangerous antipsychotic drugs to sedate them, , which found the dangerous practice has grown increasingly common as nursing homes seek to skirt Medicare safeguards and artificially inflate their ratings.   IN FOCUS Oluhle Shezi, 17, puts cream on her 2-month-old baby in KwanGode, a rural area outside Hillcrest, South Africa. November 29, 2025. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty A Scourge of Maternal Sepsis      Women with maternal sepsis in sub-Saharan Africa are 144X more likely to die than those in Western Europe or North America, , with ~36 deaths daily resulting from such infections, .    Heightened risk: ~4.7 million sepsis cases occur yearly across sub-Saharan Africa鈥攁bout 1 in 9 births.     Infrastructure failures: Three-quarters of births in the region鈥檚 health facilities take place without adequate water, sanitation, or hygiene (WASH).   

• 78% lacked a functioning toilet.  

• Two-thirds did not have clean water and soap for handwashing.  

• 65% did not meet basic standards for environmental cleaning.  

Exacerbating the problem: International aid cuts have led to a drastic loss of funding for WASH projects.   
  Potential solutions: Low-cost hygiene investments could prevent ~10 million cases of maternal sepsis and ~8,580 deaths worldwide every year, the WaterAid report estimates.      Deep water disparities: The report arrives against the , which this year spotlights how women and girls are 鈥渂earing the brunt鈥� of water insecurity, and , which highlights the need for women to be involved in water governance and leadership.     More World Water Day Coverage:  
鈥楢 mother giving birth could bleed to death while I鈥檓 out looking for water鈥� 鈥�  
Thousands of Chileans protest President Kast鈥檚 environmental rollbacks on World Water Day 鈥�  
There鈥檚 weight to World Water Day in Indigenous community still waiting for clean drinking water 鈥�  
As wells run dry, experts say we鈥檙e beyond a water crisis 鈥�  
Climate Focus: World Water Day Special 鈥�   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HUMAN RIGHTS A Wave of Modern Witch Hunts in Papua New Guinea    A growing number of people in Papua New Guinea have become victims of witch hunts, torture, and killings鈥攚ith accusations of sorcery, or 鈥渟anguma,鈥� especially targeting women and marginalized people.    In one region alone: Sorcery accusation-related violence (SARV) incidents in the Southern Highlands province increased from 16 in 2021 to 96 in the first nine months of 2024.     Root causes: Poverty, social upheaval, and weak law enforcement have led to a culture of impunity, and social media has driven copycat behavior.     But poor health education is also a driving factor as people seek culprits for the onset of illness or death.  

• 鈥淚 think of it as an extraordinary human rights crisis, an epidemic driven by poverty, inequality, lack of education and poor health awareness,鈥� said Nick Booth, the Papua New Guinea resident representative for the UN Development Fund.  

  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Humanitarian needs in Gaza deepen as aid access remains constrained 鈥�     The CDC鈥檚 next chief will face thorny vaccine politics. Here are 3 potential picks. 鈥�      This lab that鈥檚 determined to discover new drugs isn鈥檛 where you might expect 鈥�  
Sensitivity to hormone made by fetus may drive severe pregnancy sickness 鈥�  
  How New Mexico Became an Obamacare Success Story 鈥�     Microscopic spikes on snakeskin block bacterial buildup 鈥�     A breath of fresh air: solving Ulaanbaatar鈥檚 pollution issues 鈥� in photos 鈥� Issue No. 2884
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 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.


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96 Global Health NOW: The Struggle to Protect Women in a Warming World; and A Delayed and Deadly Measles Complication Plus: Cond茅 Nasty: Why Have a Dogue in This Fight? March 19, 2026 TOP STORIES 150,000+ previously uncounted COVID-19 deaths occurred in 2020 and 2021 in the U.S., likely outside of hospitals, , which drew on data from death certificates and found that the undiagnosed people who died were more likely to be Hispanic people and other people of color, largely in the South and Southwest.  

Social media apps like Instagram and TikTok, which involve algorithm-driven scrolling, are worse for mental health than social connection platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook, 鈥攚hich reported that excessive use of social media is driving unhappiness worldwide.   

Ozempic and Wegovy will soon become generic for billions of people, as Novo Nordisk is set to lose patent protection for the drugs in several of the world鈥檚 most populous countries including China, India, and Brazil鈥攍eading to significantly lower drug costs.  

China will regulate some traditional medicines, issuing draft guidelines requiring companies that produce traditional Chinese medicine injections to provide evidence that they are safe and effective and explain how they work, or face removal from the market; the guidelines will apply only to products that are injected intramuscularly or intravenously.   IN FOCUS: GHN EXCLUSIVE Pregnant women attend a demonstration of the 鈥淧lac de ot o!鈥� climate literacy tool at Princess Christian Maternity Hospital in Freetown, Sierra Leone. May 2025. Mama鈥揚ikin Foundation The Struggle to Protect Women in a Warming World
In climate-vulnerable Sierra Leone, pregnant women, new mothers, and young children : Fainting from dehydration, missing prenatal visits, or struggling to breastfeed.  

Disproportionate dangers: Climate stress affects all aspects of reproductive care from contraception to postnatal treatment鈥攅specially in low-income countries. It leads to higher risks of stillbirths, low birth weights, and pregnancy complications, while also increasing gender-based violence and displacement.

• Climate adaptation for sexual and reproductive health remains 鈥渢he most neglected corner of the climate response,鈥� with <0.5% of climate-health financing reaching health initiatives鈥攁nd even less supporting women鈥檚 health. 

The big impact of small foundations: Nonprofits like the Mama鈥揚ikin Foundation have shown measurable progress helping women better understand the dangers of extreme heat and how to adopt simple strategies to protect themselves and their families.

But they, too, are imperiled: Funding delays and shrinking grants have forced programs to scale down and close their doors, even as programs are getting off the ground.

A need to adapt: Foundations are seeking new ways to diversify funding sources, including private-sector partnerships and long-term investment strategies. The need is urgent: Power brokers in developing countries 鈥渁re still dreaming that some miraculous tech is going to save us. But for developing countries, [the impacts are] happening now,鈥� said Sono Aibe, a consultant who has worked with the Mama鈥揚ikin Foundation. 
 

 

MEASLES  A Delayed and Deadly Complication
As measles cases mount in the U.S., infectious disease experts are warning doctors to be on the lookout for increased cases of a rare but fatal neurological disorder called subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, or SSPE.  
 
Details: Described as a 鈥渄elayed echo鈥� of measles, SSPE results from a persistent form of the virus leading to inflammation in the brain, usually years after the primary infection. It leads to neurological deterioration and almost always results in death.  

• While it affects just 1 in 10,000 people who get the measles virus, the risk is higher for those who contract measles before age 5. 

Preventable danger: Scientists , but lament having to do so: 鈥淭he problem could be solved with vaccination,鈥� said Roberto Cattaneo, a molecular biologist who studies SSPE at the Mayo Clinic.  
 
 
 
Related:  
 
Florida is trying to ignore measles until it can鈥檛 鈥�  
 
In South Carolina, measles shows how far apart neighbors can be on vaccines 鈥�   OPPORTUNITY Media-Savvy Skills for Scientists
Join us for an interactive pre-conference workshop, Communications Skills that Transform Science into Action, co-led by the CUGH Research Committee, the Pulitzer Center, and Global Health NOW, ahead of the  in Washington, D.C., on April. 9.  

• Amplify your work and translate evidence into impact with hands-on exercises aimed at equipping global health scientists, researchers, and students with practical media skills to influence global health dialogue, policy, and action.
   
• Deepen your understanding of current communication challenges with panel discussions featuring leading journalists, communicators, and academics.  

Pre-conference sessions are free, in-person, and open to the public! 

• April 9, 9 a.m.鈥�4 p.m. EDT 

•  

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Cond茅 Nasty: Why Have a Dogue in This Fight?
They say you should pick your battles. For Cond茅 Nast鈥攖he publisher of Vogue magazine鈥攖hat battle is 鈥渨ho gets to photograph a vizsla in a turtleneck,鈥� . 

In the publishing equivalent of a bull mastiff chasing a Pomeranian, the company unleashed its legal fury on , arguing the one-woman pet project with sub-100 subscribers could damage the iconic brand 鈥渋rreparably.鈥� They demanded the 鈥渄estruction鈥� of every adorable edition!  

• After coexisting for years, Cond茅 Nast barked only after Vogue published its own dog-centric issue called 鈥� wait for it 鈥� DOGUE! So remind us鈥攚ho copied who? 

We object! The faltering Conde Nast鈥攚hich writer Michael Grynbaum describes as 鈥溾�濃�攃an only be bolstered by the spinoff featuring labradoodles in trench coats. 

On the GHN jury, it comes down to this: What鈥檚 more fashionable鈥攁 magazine with 600 pages of ads and excess, or one showcasing go-getter ingenuity and an Italian greyhound in opera gloves?  

On charges of being furry and fabulous, Dogue is guilty on all counts. 

QUICK HITS Birth control skepticism, teen fertility education center stage at Trump鈥檚 women鈥檚 health summit 鈥� 

鈥榃orst-case scenario鈥�: Middle East nuclear concerns haunt top health officials 鈥� 

Women Hitting Menopause Before 40 May Face a Long Window of Cardiac Risk 鈥� 

A step towards a first global system to track health before pregnancy 鈥� 

The Myanmar nurses dodging drones to graduate from a secret jungle school 鈥� 

A New Level of Vaccine Purgatory 鈥�  Issue No. 2883
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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Funds will help acquire and develop cutting-edge infrastructure to advance research capacity

Five researchers from The Neuro (Montreal Neurological Institute-Hospital) are leading innovative new projects that have received major funding from Canada Foundation for Innovation鈥檚 Innovation Fund. They will be funded for a total of $14.5 million, part of $42 million going to 成人VR视频 scientists.

96 Global Health NOW: Easing the NIH Funding Freeze; and A New Tool to Curb Overprescribing March 18, 2026 TOP STORIES ~5 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including ~2.3 million newborns, , which found that most deaths are preventable鈥攊ncluding ~100,000 from severe acute malnutrition鈥攁nd noted that progress in child mortality has slowed by 60%+ since 2015.     Argentina, a founding member of the WHO, has officially left the agency, completing the process one year after requesting its withdrawal鈥攆ollowing in the footsteps of the U.S. under President Donald Trump. 

Self-harm among young people in Canada increased 2X+ between 2000 and 2024,  that charted a rise of self-harm among young people across 12 high-income countries; in Canada, the steepest increase was among girls, who reported a 3.6% increase each year. 

Warmer, wetter weather driven by climate change is fueling mosquito-borne disease epidemics, , which analyzed Peru鈥檚 record-breaking dengue outbreak in 2023 that was 10X larger than normal.   IN FOCUS Workers walk to the metro station in front of NIH headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. May 20, 2025. Wesley Lapointe/For The Washington Post via Getty Easing the NIH Funding Freeze     One year after dramatic cuts to NIH grant funding under the second Trump administration, spending will soon begin flowing back to researchers, NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya assured lawmakers yesterday in a congressional subcommittee hearing, .   

• 鈥淢y job is to make sure every single dollar goes out, and it will go out by the end of the year, on excellent science,鈥� Bhattacharya said. 

A year of paralysis: Grant awards had 鈥渄windled to a trickle鈥� under the administration鈥檚 restrictions this past year, cutbacks that lawmakers of both parties criticized.  

• Lawmakers rejected outright the Trump administration鈥檚 proposed 40% budget cuts and instead approved a modest increase, .  

• But those funds were still held up pending White House budget approval, which was finalized this week. 

Expected acceleration: The spending approvals mean hiring and grantmaking can proceed, including funding for new grants. This fiscal year, money has mostly gone toward grant renewals.     Shift in funding strategy: Meanwhile, NIH is moving away from agency-directed projects toward investigator-led proposals, 鈥攄rastically cutting its 鈥渟olicited鈥� calls for research proposals for certain fields of study. 

• While proponents say this boosts innovation, many researchers worry it could hinder collaborative research that benefits from NIH coordination, and fear the new model will lead to gaps in understudied areas of science. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE A New Tool to Curb Overprescribing    In rural Rwandan clinics, antibiotics can often seem like an inevitable part of care. Nurses see as many as ~60 patients a day from remote regions and often prescribe antibiotics as a precaution to prevent unnecessary travel.     The result: 71% of children鈥檚 visits at 32 clinics led to antibiotic prescriptions鈥攆ar higher than levels considered safe to prevent antibiotic resistance, .     A new method: Researchers developed ePOCT+, a tablet-based system that guides nurses step-by-step through an algorithm-driven diagnostic process to better specify treatment plans鈥攁nd identify key distinctions between bacterial illnesses and other pathogens.    Dramatic impact: Clinics that adopted ePOCT+ saw antibiotic prescription rates drop from 71% to ~25% without harming patient outcomes.         Related: How unregulated antibiotics are fueling drug-resistant UTIs 鈥�     OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Namibia reports significant malaria resurgence in early 2026 鈥�     Health Groups Hailed a Vaccine Ruling, but Their Relief May Be Short-Lived 鈥�     Missed opportunity: 12% of teens at health system weren鈥檛 HPV-vaccinated before being sexually active 鈥�     Reproductive health clinics scramble as Title X funding cliff approaches 鈥�     Severe COVID-19 Linked to Higher Lung Cancer Risk 鈥�      Crops irrigated with wastewater store drugs in their leaves 鈥�     Chad launches national effort to tackle air pollution and methane 鈥�     Kenya鈥檚 capital experiments with giving workers menstrual leave 鈥�     The snip shift: March Madness used to drive vasectomies. Now abortion bans do 鈥�   Issue No. 2882
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A new injectable gel developed by researchers at 成人VR视频 and Kyoto University could enable stem cell-based treatments for swallowing disorders.

While stem cells have the potential to repair damaged swallowing muscles, ensuring their survival after injection has been a major challenge. In a preclinical study published in Biomaterials, the new approach improved stem-cell survival by more than five times compared with traditional methods.

96 Global Health NOW: As Temperatures Soar, Physical Activity Drops鈥擶ith Deadly Consequences; and Pregnant Minors Stranded at San Benito March 17, 2026 TOP STORIES Afghanistan reported that 400 people died and ~250 were injured after a Pakistani airstrike hit a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul yesterday, while Pakistan denied the accusation that it had hit the 2,000-bed facility; the tragedy marks a sharp escalation in the conflict that began in late February. 
  The U.S. State Department may withhold assistance to people with HIV in Zambia unless its government signs a deal handing the U.S. more access to its critical minerals, per a draft memo obtained by The New York Times; ~1.3 million people in Zambia rely on daily HIV treatment through the President鈥檚 Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). 

A U.S. federal judge temporarily blocked sweeping vaccine policy changes recommended by health secretary RFK, Jr.鈥檚 handpicked advisory committee; in response to the decision鈥攔elated to a lawsuit brought by medical associations鈥攖he administration said the advisory committee鈥檚 planned meeting this week will be postponed.      Mosquitoes could serve up a surprising vaccine delivery system鈥攃arrying vaccines against rabies and Nipah viruses in their saliva, to be transferred to bats feeding on the insects (or when the insects feed on the bats), per Chinese-led research ; the method would require extensive safety assessments and regulatory approval.   IN FOCUS A boy pours water on his face to get some relief from a heat wave on a hot summer afternoon on May 29, 2024, in New Delhi, India. Sonu Mehta/Hindustan Times via Getty As Temperatures Soar, Physical Activity Drops鈥擶ith Deadly Consequences
Driving instead of walking. Skipping a too-hot trip to the playground or an evening walk.

In a warming world, these decisions have a dire, if less obvious impact on global health, estimating the long-term impact of forgoing physical activity because of unbearable heat,   

• Globally, reduced physical activity could result in 470,000鈥�520,000 additional deaths by 2050 and billions of dollars in productivity losses every year, .  

The calculations: The researchers analyzed physical activity surveys and temperature records across 156 countries from 2000 to 2022.  

• Each additional month where the average temperature exceeded 82F (27.8C) degrees coincided with a 1.4 percentage point increase in physical inactivity.  

Striking disparity: LMICs were projected to see the biggest impact of 鈥渞ising heat and falling activity,鈥� the Post reports, while high-income countries showed no statistically significant change鈥攑erhaps because of better access to air conditioning, gyms, and flexible work arrangements, researchers theorized.

The link between sedentary lifestyles and chronic disease is well known鈥攂ut a third of people worldwide already . 鈥溾�� Any compromise to achieving regular exercise鈥攊n this case excessively hot temperatures鈥攚ill pose broad public health risks,鈥� said Jonathan Patz of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, who was not involved in the study.

While the study, based on self-reported data and national temperature averages, has limitations, the projections point to a clear need for heat-proofing physical activity, such as subsidizing climate-controlled gyms and public spaces for those at risk.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS Pregnant Minors Stranded at San Benito    Since last July, the Trump administration has been sending all unaccompanied pregnant migrant girls to one facility in San Benito, Texas鈥攁 center with a poor track record of care in a state with one of the strictest abortion bans. 

• At least half of the minors are estimated to be pregnant from rape, and some are as young as 13.  

Abortion access in question: The girls are supposed to be informed of their options, including abortion鈥攂ut lawyers and activists warn that doctors may refuse to treat them for fear of prosecution.  

• Plus: A new federal proposal could repeal the rule that requires minors seeking abortions to be transferred to a state where it is legal. 

   QUICK HITS When Children Miss Vaccines, Polio Risks Re-emerge: Lessons from Kebbi State 鈥�     A forgotten social media post may hold key clues to COVID-19鈥檚 origin 鈥�       They Didn鈥檛 Want to Have C-Sections. A Judge Would Decide How They Gave Birth. 鈥�     13 years, 6 doctors and a lawsuit: The road to an endometriosis diagnosis 鈥�     E. coli linked to cheddar cheese made with raw milk sickens 7 in the US 鈥�  

How Foreign-Trained Health Workers Saved the NHS 拢14 Billion 鈥�  
PhD students are turning to side hustles to make ends meet, finds Nature poll 鈥�

Irish Cancer Society provided 鈥榓lmost 30,000 free lifts to treatment in 2025鈥� 鈥�  Issue No. 2881
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An estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday in 2024, including 2.3 million newborns, according to new United Nations estimates released on Tuesday 鈥� highlighting a worrying slowdown in global progress on child survival.

96 Global Health NOW: Cuba鈥檚 Drug Crisis Hits a Health System Under Strain; and A Cross鈥態order Commitment to End River Blindness March 16, 2026 TOP STORIES The WHO has verified the deaths of 12 doctors, paramedics, and nurses killed Friday in an Israeli strike on Lebanon鈥檚 Bourj Qalaouiyeh primary health care center, citing WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus; in Israel, 58 people were injured last Thursday by glass shrapnel after an Iranian missile hit a complex of four private homes in the town of Zarzir, .
  A meningitis outbreak at the University of Kent in the U.K. has killed two and left 11 seriously ill; the U.K. Health Security Agency said it provided antibiotics to students in the area to stem cases of invasive meningococcal disease, a combination of meningitis and septicemia.
  U.S. flu vaccines had some of the lowest effectiveness rates in decades this past flu season, partially due to the circulation of a new strain, H3N2 subclade K; this season鈥檚 vaccines were ~25%鈥�30% effective in preventing adult clinic or hospital visits, while officials generally aim for a  40%鈥�60% effectiveness rate.   A multinational consortium to find a hepatitis B cure has been launched by Johns Hopkins Medicine after being awarded a five-year, $24 million NIH grant; the consortium鈥攚hich includes research groups from Brazil, India, Senegal, Uganda, and the U.S.鈥攁ims to enroll ~450 people with both HIV and chronic hepatitis B and 225 with only chronic hepatitis B in treatment and various studies.   IN FOCUS Young people in rehabilitation and pastors talk outside The Rescue House (Casa de Rescate). Havana, Cuba; August 22, 2025. Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Cuba鈥檚 Drug Crisis Hits a Health System Under Strain    Drug use has surged in Cuba amid the country鈥檚 deepening economic crisis, as cheap synthetic substances flood the market and the country鈥檚 fragile health system struggles to respond, .     New threat: Drugs, once rare in the zero-tolerance country, have become increasingly accessible in the form of 鈥渜u铆mico,鈥� a potent synthetic cannabinoid originating from the U.S.  

• ER visits for drug emergencies in Havana more than doubled from 467 in 2024 to 886 in 2025鈥攁 spike that has 鈥渙verwhelmed the country鈥檚 capacity to address it,鈥� says one father whose son is in recovery. It has also driven Cuban authorities to create a National Drug Observatory.  

• The mounting crisis arrives as Cuba鈥檚 health system is already under severe strain from medicine and energy shortages due to the U.S. blockade, .  

Brigades return home: At the same time, amid mounting U.S. pressure, countries like Jamaica, Guyana, and Honduras are sending hundreds of doctors back to Cuba after ending decades-long contracts with the country鈥檚 medical brigades, . 

• Cuba has historically dispatched tens of thousands of health care workers internationally in contracts with other countries. Critics have called the system exploitative, saying doctors are paid minimal amounts by the Cuban government, which funds the country鈥檚 own health system with the revenues, .  

• But the abrupt departure of the doctors could have a significant impact on host countries鈥� health systems, officials say. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASES A Cross鈥態order Commitment to End River Blindness    Benin and Nigeria have each made major strides toward eliminating onchocerciasis鈥攖he parasitic disease also known as river blindness鈥攂ut they now face a joint challenge: securing the vulnerable regions at shared borders.    Shared rivers, shared threats: Communities along both countries鈥� contiguous river basins experience higher rates of onchocerciasis due to population movement, disjointed surveillance, and unsynchronized mass drug administration.  

• 鈥淭o a cross-border threat, there must be a cross-border response,鈥� stated the opening address at the Benin鈥揘igeria Cross-Border Meeting on Onchocerciasis.  

Roadmap for shared response: Delegates agreed on a joint list of next steps, including implementing a formal agreement between the countries and creating an action plan for coordinated drug campaigns and routine shared surveillance.     OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Beyond the battlefield: The global ripple effects of the Iran war 鈥�

Six years later, COVID symptoms linger for many Latino farmworkers in Washington 鈥�

Confidential Report Calls for Sweeping Changes to Track Covid Vaccine Harms 鈥�

鈥楳y Lungs Had Nothing Left.鈥� Inside The Epidemic Killing Countertop Stonecutters 鈥�

Peru takes steps against bad drugs 鈥� but we still have questions 鈥�

鈥榃e鈥檙e not wombs鈥�: Japan women seek rights to sterilization 鈥� 

Influencers push 'parasite cleanses' but doctors say to steer clear 鈥�

Michelle Bachelet, Running for UN Chief, Says Global Cooperation Can Save Humanity 鈥�   Issue No. 2880
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 World Health Organization (WHO) is releasing another $2 million in emergency funds to support health systems in Lebanon, Iraq and Syria as strikes against Iran by the US and Israeli continue amid counterstrikes across the Gulf and wider region by Tehran.

96 Global Health NOW: Migrant Workers Stranded Between Worlds; and Dangers Flowing Downstream in Alberta March 12, 2026 TOP STORIES Health crises across the Middle East have escalated, including 18 WHO-verified attacks on health care in Iran and 25 such attacks in Lebanon since the initial strikes on Iran in February; meanwhile public health risks are rising as ~800,000 people face internal displacement.     One-third of Americans say that to cover their health care expenses they have resorted to cutting daily spending鈥攕uch as food or driving鈥攐r have had to borrow money to cover health bills, per a new survey from , conducted with ~20,000 adults.     Efforts to curb antimicrobial resistance have led to some recent 鈥渂right spots,鈥� , which highlighted the recent approval of two new gonorrhea drugs鈥攝oliflodacin and gepotidacin鈥攁s a pivotal development for treating the infection as cases rise and standard treatments become less effective.     Two U.S. vaccine advisory panels are weighing the future of COVID-19 and flu vaccines, with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices abandoning efforts to attack mRNA vaccines amid fears that such a move could harm Republicans in the midterms, ; meanwhile, FDA vaccine advisers to meet publicly for the first time since the Biden administration to recommend strains for fall flu shots, after last year鈥檚 meeting was canceled, . IN FOCUS Essential and Exposed: Migrant Workers Stranded Between Worlds 
Across Asia and the Middle East, millions of migrant workers are critical to the health care, construction, and domestic labor sectors of the economy. And yet these migrants鈥攎any from Southeast Asia鈥攁re often left stranded and unprotected when conflict and illness strike.     Fired after falling ill: In some of Asia鈥檚 richest cities like Hong Kong and Singapore, migrant domestic workers who develop critical illnesses are often terminated, cutting them off from health care access and leaving them stuck between worlds, . 

• In many countries, employers are legally required to provide medical care鈥攂ut face little recourse for sudden firings. Some workers are forced to return to their home countries without treatment while others remain stuck in legal limbo.

• 鈥淭hen their situation deteriorates. It鈥檚 almost like a death sentence,鈥� said Rachel Li, with the Hong Kong charity HELP for Domestic Workers 

Caught up in conflict: As the fallout from the U.S.-Israeli strikes in Iran widens to the Gulf states, 24 million+ migrants in the region are stranded, .  

• Fatalities have been reported among Filipino, Pakistani, and Bangladeshi workers, and governments of migrants' home nations say they are preparing for emergency evacuations and potential repatriation.  

• Migrants have faced total abandonment in previous Middle East conflicts, often stuck without wages or travel documents. 

INFECTIOUS DISEASES Dangers Flowing Downstream in Alberta 
Indigenous groups in northern Alberta have become increasingly alarmed by signs of toxic pollution in their environment: Vanishing wildlife, contaminated fish, and surging cancer rates within communities.     The problems have flowed from Canada鈥檚 massive oil drilling operations, say scientists and advocates. 

• The sites rely on ponds to hold toxic wastewater, known as oil sands tailings鈥攚hich may leak up to ~11 million liters of pollutants like arsenic, mercury, and other carcinogenic chemicals daily.  

And more contamination could be coming, warn community leaders: The Canadian government is considering allowing treated wastewater releases into the river system; but scientists say there are no methods for fully eliminating dangerous compounds.    The quote: 鈥淭he food that kept us alive for thousands of years is killing us. Where do they expect us to go?鈥� said Ron Campbell, an elder living in Fort Chipewyan.     SPONSORED Give to GHN Today
Global Health NOW helps you by providing critical news about research, emerging health threats, and solutions from around the world at no cost.     Can you help us today?      A helps sustain our work, ensuring that timely, trusted global health news and analysis remain available鈥攚ithout a paywall.      Bonus: A $35 gift not only helps us; it earns you a spiffy, limited-edition Hopkins sesquicentennial backpack!         Thank you! 鈥擳eam GHN ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION This Is a Lot to Unpack 
Did you happen to lose a bionic knee on your red-eye from Boston to Los Angeles?   

It might be in Scottsboro, Alabama. 

In America鈥檚 mecca for orphaned luggage, the retailer  has been collecting and reselling abandoned bags and their contents for 55+ years鈥攁nd just published . 

• 鈥淲e often believe we've seen it all. But then we uncover something like a matching set of Samurai swords鈥�,鈥� . 

To Owens, it鈥檚 not just stuff, but cultural study via suitcase. (How many shoulder pads went unclaimed in the 鈥�80s?!)  

Our take is more psychological: What鈥檚 going through the mind of someone who bothers to pack a full beekeeping suit 鈥� or a teak didgeridoo 鈥� or a taxidermy deer form 鈥� and simply shrugs when it vanishes into the abyss?! If you don鈥檛 go looking for your suitcase full of rat poison 鈥� was it ever really yours?  

Does the fact that an  clearly  make its recovery more sad ... or less? Do they even want to be reunited?! 

All that to say: If you really care about your custom diamond-studded grills, we have two words of advice: Carry. On. 

QUICK HITS 鈥楾our de force鈥� mouse study shows a gut microbe can promote memory loss 鈥� 

Mental health crisis after 2023 Maui wildfires extends beyond burn zones 鈥� 

Global Fund Faces $5bn Shortfall as France Slashes Support, EU Delays Pledge 鈥� 

The Current Threat to the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force and Why It Matters 鈥� 

The Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony Is Moving to Europe (after 35 years in the USA) 鈥�  Issue No. 2879
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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Professors Wendell Nii Laryea Adjetey and Jill Baumgartner will lead innovative research focusing on anti-Black carceral systems and climate-related health risks respectively聽

96 Global Health NOW: Solving the Global Stagnation in Physical Movement; and Reimagining Transit for Blind Commuters March 11, 2026 TOP STORIES The pipeline of new drugs to combat superbugs remains 鈥渨orryingly thin,鈥� shrinking by 35% in the last five years from 92 to 60 medicines in development, ; the Netherlands-based researchers predict that annual deaths linked to drug-resistant infections globally will double to 8 million by 2050. 
  China will boost its science spending, with officials announcing that the country鈥檚 overall research and development expenditure will increase by ~7% over the next five years, and that this year鈥檚 science and technology budget will increase 10% over 2025鈥檚 budget鈥攁mounting to billions in new investments.     The FDA has walked back claims made by U.S. President Donald Trump and other administration officials about the drug leucovorin鈥檚 effectiveness for autism; while the agency approved the generic medication for a rare brain folate deficiency this week, officials estimate the condition impacts fewer than one in a million people in the U.S.
  Psilocybin shows promise as a smoking cessation tool, , which found that participants who received one dose of the psychedelic had 6X+ greater odds of being abstinent from cigarettes after six months than counterparts who relied on a nicotine substitute.   IN FOCUS A Chinese martial arts teacher demonstrates an exercise to students in Freetown at the Confucius Institute University of Sierra Leone. October 15, 2024. Saidu Bah BAH/AFP via Getty Solving the Global Stagnation in Physical Movement     Over the last two decades, governments worldwide have adopted policies promoting physical activity. But physical activity prevalence in most countries remains unchanged, .  

• 1 in 3 adults and 80% of adolescents still fail to meet the WHO physical activity guidelines of ~150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity weekly. 

• While 92% of countries have policies that address movement, inactivity rates have remained flat since 2012. 

Why so ineffective? Narrow policy and poor implementation are likely limiting impact, .  

• Most policies approach movement through a metabolic and cardiovascular health lens, rather than demonstrating the wide, holistic scope of benefits鈥攊ncluding mental health improvements, improved immunity, and cancer prevention.  

Major equality gaps: In high-income nations, 30%+ of total physical activity comes from 鈥渃hoice-based鈥� leisure like sports; in low-income nations, just 10% of physical activity is choice-based, with the remaining 90% related to transport and occupational necessity, .     Needed actions: Physical activity policy should emphasize not just individual impact but population-level benefits, and should be prioritized in community sectors beyond health care鈥攊ncluding education and transportation,  

• 鈥淧hysical activity should be embedded in the way we design our cities, helping create communities where people want to live and move more,鈥� said the study鈥檚 principal investigator Andrea Ram铆rez Varela. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ROAD SAFETY Reimagining Transit for Blind Commuters   For blind commuters in the U.S., everyday barriers remain all too common in public transit and walkways, even in major cities like New York, where 200,000+ people report vision loss or blindness.  

• Two-thirds of New York鈥檚 subways are not ADA-compliant, and 90% of the city鈥檚 40,000 intersections still lack audible crossing signals. 

Designing for inclusion: Advocates say improvements like tactile paving, curb ramps, and subway station elevators are emerging鈥攂ut such shifts are often catalyzed by lawsuits. 

• Still needed: Real-time audio updates and improved cell and Wi-Fi connectivity, including in tunnels, are critical for maintaining accessibility and safety.  

Global examples: Cities like Tokyo, Sydney, and Marburg, Germany, have all made major shifts in making public transit safer and wayfinding more tactile for blind commuters.        OPPORTUNITY Attend the Hopkins India Conference in DC   Hosted by the Gupta-Klinsky India Institute at Johns Hopkins University, the Hopkins India Conference will take place on April 1, 2026, at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Center in Washington, D.C. Under the theme Ideas, Innovation & Impact for a Shared Future, the conference brings together leaders from government, industry, academia, and civil society to explore India鈥揢.S. collaboration across technology, health, education, and the global economy.     This year鈥檚  include: 

• Namgya C. Khampa: Charg茅 d鈥橝ffaires and Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of India in the U.S.
• Sunil Wadhwani: Cofounder and CEO, Mastech Inc. and IGATE
• Seema Chaturvedi: Founder and Managing Partner, Achieving Women Equity Funds 

   and    QUICK HITS Ethiopia鈥檚 blame game after videos reveal starving displaced people in Tigray 鈥�     Seeking Abortion Care Across State Lines After the Dobbs Decision 鈥�      RFK Jr.鈥檚 vaccine advisers drop proposal to revisit covid-19 shot 鈥�     Recent pandemic viruses, including SAR-CoV-2, spread directly to people without adaptation, researchers say 鈥�     Prison sentences for pair who attacked gay men hailed as sign of hope for Kenya鈥檚 LGBTQ+ community 鈥�     Keep calm and be transparent: advice from scientists who retracted their papers 鈥�     These diseases were thought to be incurable. Now AI is unlocking new treatments 鈥�     Could acne be prevented with a vaccine? 鈥�   Issue No. 2878
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: Iran Attacks鈥� Dangerous Fallout; and India Launches Pivotal HPV Vaccine Drive March 10, 2026 TOP STORIES Thousands of Black kidney transplant candidates in the U.S. got moved up on the transplant waiting list as part of an effort to help correct for an earlier race-based formula used to test kidney function鈥攚hich made their kidneys appear healthier than they were, delaying transplant referral; that test was discontinued in 2022.
  Taking a daily multivitamin can slow some signs of biological aging; in who took the daily supplement for two years certain biomakers of aging were slowed by around four months, compared with those who did not; the effect was greater in people who were already biologically older than their years. 
  The U.S. FDA signaled openness yesterday to considering e-cigarettes in flavors deemed appealing to adults, such as mint, coffees, teas, and spices鈥攂ut would continue to reject fruit- and candy-flavored versions thought to be more appealing to teenagers that continue to flood the market. 
  Stimulant prescriptions鈥攎ostly to treat ADHD鈥攄oubled among adults in Ontario since the COVID-19 pandemic began, ; the findings may reflect improved recognition and treatment of adult ADHD, but the authors suggest more research to understand the causes and potential impacts of the rapid rise.  IN FOCUS Smoke and flames rise at the site of airstrikes on an oil depot on March 7, in Tehran. Sasan/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Iran Attacks鈥� Dangerous Fallout
     Thousands of people killed or wounded, toxic rain, damaged water infrastructure, and regional instability have followed attacks by U.S. and Israel on Iran.     Casualties: At least 1,255 people鈥攊ncluding 200 children and 11 health care workers鈥攈ave been killed, Iran's deputy health minister Ali Jafarian .  

• 12,000+ people have been wounded鈥攖he majority of which are burn and crush injuries. 

Toxic rain: Israel鈥檚 bombardment of oil facilities has caused 鈥渁 major environmental incident,鈥� .   

• Black smoke billowed from Tehran facilities, posing 鈥渟erious acute and long-term health concerns鈥� for Tehran鈥檚 9 million+ people. 

• Oil-heavy, toxic rain later fell on the city, .   

Water war: Two desalination plants鈥攐ne in Iran and the other in Bahrain鈥攈ave been bombed, sparking concerns of more attacks on the region鈥檚 essential water facilities, .  

• The Iranian desalination plant provided water for 30 villages, said an Iranian official. 

• Much of the country has already endured a years-long drought鈥攍ast year鈥檚 rainfall was nearly half the normal amount. 

Regional crisis: 700,000+ people鈥攊ncluding 200,000 children鈥攊n Lebanon have been forced to leave their homes, , as food insecurity and food prices increase in the region.     Related: 
U.S. Tomahawk Hit Naval Base Beside Iranian School, Video Shows 鈥�        Lebanon: Israel Unlawfully Using White Phosphorus 鈥�    GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CERVICAL CANCER India Launches Pivotal HPV Vaccine Drive
    India has launched the world鈥檚 largest free HPV vaccination campaign, offering shots to ~11.5 million 14-year-old girls each year in an effort to prevent cervical cancer, .     Meeting a high burden: India accounts for roughly a quarter of global cervical cancer cases, reporting ~130,000 new cases and ~80,000 deaths each year from the disease.  

• The country has also historically had some of the lowest rates of HPV vaccination coverage in the world.  

Details: The campaign, which has been rolled out this month, will mostly use a single dose of Gardasil, .    Thanks for the tip, Mira Johri!    OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS 鈥楨xtraordinary cruelty鈥�: images show longterm 鈥榮tarvation strategy鈥� in Sudan 鈥�     Federal autism advisory board cancels first public meeting since overhaul 鈥�     What Congress Doesn't Want to Hear About the Chemicals in Your Child's Body 鈥�     Women in Leadership: Global Health's Missing Dose 鈥�     A U.S. scholarship thrills a teacher in India. Then came the soul-crushing questions 鈥�   Issue No. 2877
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 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.


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96 Global Health NOW: How Political Messaging Rapidly Reshapes Care; and China鈥檚 Push for a 鈥楥hildbirth-friendly鈥� Culture March 9, 2026 TOP STORIES At least 13 hospitals and health sites have been hit during the U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran, per the WHO, and evacuation orders have forced health facility closures in Lebanon; the WHO鈥檚 logistics hub for global health emergencies in Dubai has also paused operations, threatening emergency supply requests to 25 countries and Gaza.     A landmark human rights ruling has ordered Peru to pay reparations for the 1997 death of an Indigenous woman who died while undergoing forced, government-ordered sterilization; the Inter-American Court of Human Rights judgment is the first to address the policy, which systematically targeted impoverished and Indigenous women in the 1990s.     UK women experiencing miscarriage often face further trauma and distress due to inadequate follow-up care, , which found that ~65% of 1,000+ women reported insufficient follow-up care and that ~42% of those who sought mental health support did not receive it.  

Top U.S. FDA vaccine regulator Vinay Prasad will leave the agency at the end of April; his departure follows controversial decisions including declining to review Moderna鈥檚 new mRNA flu vaccine application (a decision that was later reversed) and rejecting approvals for multiple rare disease drugs.   IN FOCUS Pills spill out of an open bottle of Tylenol brand pain reliever medication, in New York City, on November 3, 2025. Michael Nagle/Bloomberg via Getty How Political Messaging Rapidly Reshapes Care    In the weeks after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that Tylenol causes autism, emergency room prescriptions of the medication to pregnant women dropped ~10%, 鈥攁 reflection of how swiftly political messaging can influence health behaviors, .    The statement: At a September 2025 White House briefing, Trump warned pregnant women against taking Tylenol, generically known as acetaminophen and paracetamol, claiming it could cause autism鈥攐ver physician recommendations and widespread scientific consensus that there is no causal link.  

• He also touted leucovorin as a promising autism treatment for children, despite no new supporting evidence. 

The study: An analysis of hospital electronic health records found that acetaminophen orders in emergency departments for pregnant women plunged quickly, reaching a ~20% decrease in the third week after the briefing, . Use in non-pregnant women did not change.  

• Prescriptions returned to earlier levels by December, but scientists say the research does not account for cold and flu season, or reflect the rates of acetaminophen taken at home, . 

The bigger picture: The findings show 鈥渏ust how much political leaders can steer health behavior even when there has been no change in the evidence for these therapies,鈥� .     Impact on children鈥檚 prescribing: Meanwhile, outpatient leucovorin prescriptions for children spiked ~71% after Trump鈥檚 statements, despite limited evidence that it helps most autistic children鈥攆urther demonstrating how 鈥減olitical messages are driving and impacting care,鈥� pediatrician Susan Sirota told the AP.   GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POPULATIONS China鈥檚 Push for a 鈥楥hildbirth-Friendly鈥� Culture    Chinese authorities have released a five-year plan to cultivate a 鈥渃hildbirth-friendly society鈥� in an effort to boost the country鈥檚 falling population rate.    Background: China鈥檚 population contracted for a fourth consecutive year in 2025 as the birth rate plunged to a record low, per data released in January.     Policies include: Improved reproductive health services, housing support for families with children, and improved policies on free preschool education.      Plus: Preparing for a 鈥渟ilver economy鈥�: Officials also acknowledged an urgent need for policies that meet the needs of a rapidly aging population, as the number of people ages 60+ is poised to reach 400 million by 2035.  

• Priorities include increasing medical care services, plus 鈥渞efining the social security system.鈥�  

  SPONSORED Train Here. Change the World.    Fast-track your education with the Summer Institutes at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Choose from over 125 credit or noncredit courses in public health to gain experience and get ahead. Built for busy schedules, classes range from a single day to a few weeks and can be taken on-campus or online.

•  

QUICK HITS Measles patients in Utah are developing severe complications, including anemia and liver inflammation, health officials say 鈥�     Can a 鈥淟iving Drug鈥� Cure Autoimmune Diseases? 鈥�     Cancer patients ditch NHS for private chemotherapy 鈥�     Monopolies like Nestl茅 Used COVID to Discredit Breast Milk: Study 鈥�     The surprising way breast cancer screenings could reveal heart disease 鈥�     Dozens advocate for academic research amid funding cuts at UNC rally 鈥�     Reconnecting with culture through innovative Indian Health Service programming 鈥�  Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!    Jarring alarms out, quieter alerts in. New firehouse dispatch systems aim to ease stress 鈥� Issue No. 2876
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 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.


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96 Global Health NOW: The Addiction-Fighting Promise of GLP-1s; and Punished for Pregnancy Loss in El Salvador Plus: Just a Little R & R.I.P. March 5, 2026 TOP STORIES Chile has eliminated leprosy鈥攖he first country in the Americas to do so and the second globally; WHO and PAHO verified the achievement after the country reached 30+ years without a locally acquired case, the result of .     Cuts to RNA vaccine research threaten to stall three decades of high-stakes scientific research into infectious diseases, cancer, and vaccine development, , which found that RNA technology had the potential to 鈥渋mpact virtually every aspect of human health.鈥�     Breast cancer cases worldwide among women are expected to reach ~3.56 million by 2050, up from ~2.30 million cases in 2023, finds a new statistical analysis, which projected that the mounting burden will disproportionately affect 鈥渢he world's most vulnerable populations鈥� and 鈥渨ill further exacerbate health inequalities across the globe without decisive immediate action.鈥�     Global sea levels could be far higher than previously understood, as inaccurate modeling has led to the levels being underestimated,  that could 鈥渟ignificantly鈥� affect current and future assessments of climate change on coastal communities.   IN FOCUS Basak Gurbuz Derman/Getty Images The Addiction-Fighting Promise of GLP-1s    A large new study adds to building evidence that GLP-1s could be a powerful tool in curbing and even preventing addiction to a wide range of substances, offering new insights and new hope in the field of addiction treatment, .    Details: The study, , followed 600,000+ U.S. veterans with type 2 diabetes, and compared the impact of GLP-1 drugs to another diabetes treatment.    Strong risk reductions: Those with existing substance-use disorders who took the GLP-1s saw the following outcomes, : 

• 31% fewer ER visits 

• 26% fewer hospitalizations 

• 39% fewer overdoses 

• 25% fewer suicide attempts 

• 50% fewer drug-related deaths 

Meanwhile, GLP-1 users without prior addiction showed a 14% lower risk of developing substance use disorders to alcohol, nicotine, cannabis, cocaine, and opioids.    Across-the-board-impact: The GLP-1 drugs had a consistent effect across a range of substance types, suggesting a future clinical approach to addiction's root causes. 

• 鈥淸Existing] treatments have been targeting substances one at a time, when the right target was craving, the engine that drives addiction across substances,鈥� .  

Growing insight: Researchers believe GLP-1s quiet 鈥榙rug noise鈥� by acting on brain reward and impulse control circuits鈥攕imilar to quelling food cravings when treating obesity.  

• Or in the words of one Rhode Island mother who was able to reach sobriety from alcohol with the help of a separate pilot program that used GLP-1s: 鈥淚 could walk past those bottles and not care,鈥� . 

Next steps: While scientists say the findings are groundbreaking, they emphasize that randomized trials are still needed before GLP-1 drugs can be recommended as standard addiction treatments,  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS Punished for Pregnancy Loss in El Salvador    After years of slow but sustained progress freeing women jailed under El Salvador鈥檚 total abortion ban, advocates warn that President Nayib Bukele鈥檚 suspension of due process is leading to renewed criminalization of pregnancy loss.    Background: El Salvador has long had one of the world鈥檚 harshest anti-abortion laws, with women facing criminal suspicion and even arrest for obstetric emergencies including miscarriages and stillbirths.  

• Still, steady advocacy between 2009鈥�2023 led to the release of 81 women imprisoned for abortion-related charges. 

Renewed crackdown: Starting in 2022, Bukele suspended a range of civil liberties in an emergency declaration known as the 鈥渟tate of exception鈥� to combat gang violence.  

• Since then, ~29 women have faced prosecution following miscarriages or obstetric emergencies鈥斺�渁 new spiral of criminalization against women,鈥� said advocate Morena Herrera.  

  OPPORTUNITY Global Mental Health Speaker Series: 鈥淲ho is the Provider?鈥� 
Mental health care is delivered in many ways and by many people across diverse settings around the world. The 2026 Virtual Speaker Series from the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Mental Health convenes practitioners, researchers, policymakers, and community leaders to explore a central question: Who provides mental health support, and in what contexts?    Lara Gregorio, LCSW, of 4C Mental Health kicks off the monthly virtual series on March 11, 2026. Subsequent sessions will feature speakers from around the world, including Kenya鈥檚 Kenyatta National Hospital, Utrecht University, the University of Zimbabwe, King鈥檚 College London, and more.  

• Held via Zoom the 2nd Wednesday of each month at 9 a.m. ET 

•  

CORRECTION Capital A-Minus 
Michael Bourgon brought us so much joy with  And how did we thank him? By misspelling his home city. Canada's capital, no less. It鈥檚 Ottawa, of course鈥攏ot Ottowa. We regret the error. Please don鈥檛 send the turkeys after us.鈥擳he Editors  ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Just a Little R & R.I.P. 
It can be hard to get certain workaholic types to chill out. Spas and meditation retreats just don鈥檛 always cut it for the 鈥淚鈥檒l-rest-when-I鈥檓-dead鈥� set.     But a coffin just might do the trick!     A Japanese wellness trend promotes reclining in a coffin as a way to put things in perspective,  (Such perspective can be gained via closed-or open-lidded casket options.)     In this case, the box is not a final resting place: A typical 30-minute coffin-lying stint (which can cost ~2,000 yen, or $12鈥�$13 USD) offers just enough time 鈥渢o gaze at life through being conscious of death,鈥� explains designer and custom coffin-maker Mikako Fuse.    Immortalize your memento mori: 鈥淐ute coffins鈥� are bedecked with Instagrammable designs including ginghams and florals, . It's all part of making existential dread, the inevitability of mortality, and the staring into oblivion ...鈥渂right and not so scary."  QUICK HITS Scientists create autism panel, citing RFK Jr.鈥檚 politicization of research 鈥�    Emergency supplies for nuclear or chemical attack distributed across Middle East, says WHO 鈥�     Sudan Declared 'Cholera Free' Amid Rise in Dengue, Malaria, Measles 鈥�     Study warns of underrecognized Lassa fever threat with global implications 鈥�     Navigating conversations with children about war, conflict and other traumatic events 鈥�  Issue No. 2875
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can or . -->



  Copyright 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.


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You can or .