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96 Global Health NOW: Booming 鈥楤ootleg Cigarettes鈥� Down Under; and the Race for WHO Leadership Ramps Up February 17, 2026 TOP STORIES Mortality among people who inject drugs and participated in a Stockholm, Sweden, needle and syringe program declined over a decade of harm reduction intervention expansion, including a take-home naloxone effort;  observed a marked reduction in opioid overdose deaths.      Plastic water bottles contained more chemicals than glass:  tested 37 Belgian brands and found 17 endocrine-disrupting chemicals, including bisphenol B and acetaminophen鈥攁nd observed that higher price correlated with increased phthalate levels.     The benefits of intermittent fasting 鈥渇ail to match the hype,鈥�  of 22 studies that found little to no weight loss improvement compared to regular dietary advice or doing nothing at all for people who were overweight or obese.  
Ultra-processed food companies hijacked the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) 鈥渓oophole鈥� to let questionable ingredients slip into American food products, says U.S. health secretary RFK Jr., who pledged to act on a petition from former FDA chief David Kesler to address the issue.  IN FOCUS Pedestrians walk past signs outside a tobacconist and convenience store in central Sydney, Australia. March 27, 2025. David Gray/AFP via Getty Booming 鈥楤ootleg Cigarettes鈥� Down Under 
Australia鈥檚 aggressive taxes on cigarettes have driven down smoking rates and raised an average pack鈥檚 cost to US$40. But they鈥檝e also unleashed a nationwide black market, . 

• The tax on a single cigarette has tripled in a decade to about US$1.06.  

Unintended consequences: 

• The price spike has launched a huge demand for illegal cigarettes. A pack of under-the-counter cigarettes costs as little as US$7. 

• Illegal cigs are commonly sold at shops and via private sales, accounting for perhaps half of all tobacco sales.  

• Criminal gangs are smuggling in cigarettes from the Middle East or China.  

• 鈥� 鈥� have spawned 100+ firebombings and hundreds of attacks on shopkeepers and others, as turf battles have erupted among gangs.  

Next steps: Government officials have previously rebuffed any discussion of reducing the excise tax to stem the illegal trade, but last week finance minister Katy Gallagher acknowledged that all options are on the table, . 
Public health perspective: The illegal market has made prices so cheap that further tax increases wouldn鈥檛 do much good, said Becky Freeman, a University of Sydney tobacco expert.  

• 鈥淚 only support tax increases if they are effective at reducing smoking,鈥� Freeman said.  

Related:  
Smoking And Quitting Behaviors Vary by Socioeconomic Position 鈥�        Exclusive: India sticks to e-cigarette ban in snub for Philip Morris 鈥�   DATA POINT

123 million
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Additional malaria cases in Africa by 2050 that could be triggered by climate change, driven mostly by extreme weather events, led by researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia and Curtin University. 鈥�
  WHO Race for WHO Leadership Ramps Up    Diplomatic maneuvering has begun for the WHO's next director-general, as the nomination process opens in April for next year鈥檚 vote.     And while a list of rumored candidates is growing, the successor to current chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus faces an 鈥渆xistential convergence of crises鈥� amid geopolitical rifts and major funding challenges.     An agency at a crossroads: The WHO鈥檚 next leader will have to steer the agency at a critical juncture that includes a $1鈥痓illion funding gap after the U.S. withdrawal, a 25% staff cut, and low morale.     Seeking a 鈥渦nicorn鈥�: The incoming chief will also need to balance demands for global equity with fiscal reform鈥攁ll while trying to meet 2030 Sustainable Development Goals and prepare for potential pandemics in a post-COVID landscape.      SPONSORED Cells to Society: The Building Blocks of a Public Health Career     Considering a career in public health? The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is now offering online, noncredit courses for adult learners who are thinking about a career change, are seeking ways to be more helpful in their local communities, or are simply curious about how public health works. Explore available courses and register today to get a preview into a formal public health education.         QUICK HITS Mexico Risks Losing Its Measles-Free Status, Months Before Millions Arrive for World Cup 鈥�     Doctors bear the burden as 鈥榤edical freedom鈥� fuels worst US measles outbreak in 30 years 鈥�      Investment in Malaria Venture Yields 13x Health Benefits 鈥�      Indian Health Service to phase out use of dental fillings containing mercury by 2027 鈥�     As More Schools Turn to AI Weapons Detection, Questions Persist 鈥�  
As US presence wanes, China works to increase its influence through foreign aid 鈥�  
The Karate Class Where Kenya鈥檚 Grandmothers Learn to Fight Back 鈥�   Issue No. 2865
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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Nearly two thirds of all maternal deaths worldwide occur in countries marked by conflict or fragility, according to a report released on Tuesday by the World Health Organization (WHO) and partners.

96 Global Health NOW: Progress and Pushback on Polio Vaccination; and Peru鈥檚 Defective Cancer Drugs February 16, 2026 TOP STORIES A measles outbreak in London is spreading rapidly among children under age 10, per the U.K. Health Security Agency, which has reported 34 laboratory-confirmed cases over the last month linked to schools and nurseries in Enfield.  
  A new recombinant mpox strain combining genomic elements of clades Ib and IIb of the virus has been identified in two cases鈥攐ne in the U.K. and the other in India鈥�, which has urged continued genomic surveillance.   
  Whooping cough cases in Australia have hit their highest level recorded in 35 years following a 鈥減otentially catastrophic鈥� drop in vaccinations; 57,000+ cases were reported in 2024鈥攎ostly among children.  
  France will slash its funding for the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria by 58%+ for the next two-year cycle, from 鈧�1.6 billion to 鈧�660 million; French NGOs warned that the cuts鈥攚hich could impact antiretroviral HIV treatments, malaria prevention, condom availability, and testing services鈥攚ill cost lives.  IN FOCUS Progress and Pushback on Polio Vaccination     The WHO is expanding the global arsenal for polio outbreak response by  aimed at curbing vaccine-derived outbreaks 鈥渕ore sustainably鈥� in the ongoing quest to eradicate the virus.     But the progress comes as vaccination strategy is under threat in a new era of politicization鈥攑otentially endangering decades of gains.     The new nOPV2 vaccine is designed to be more genetically stable than older vaccines, reducing risk of vaccine-derived outbreaks while effectively curbing virus transmission, .      Meanwhile in Malawi, health officials have launched a new oral polio vaccination campaign in schools and door-to-door, seeking to administer 1.7 million nOPV2 doses after detecting vaccine-derived type 2 virus in sewage in the southern city Blantyre last month, .      鈥淧olio endgame鈥�: The WHO's SAGE Polio Working Group convened in Geneva this month to review global polio eradication strategies, including phasing out the two-strain oral vaccine (bOPV) while improving the nOPV2 and next-generation shots (IPV), .     An uncertain future in the U.S.: Despite these global strides, the future of vaccine strategy in the U.S. is uncertain as allies of HHS Sec. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. form coalitions to roll back state-level school vaccine mandates鈥攁larming public health experts who warn this could swiftly erode a century of protections against deadly childhood diseases, including polio, .  DATA POINT

123 million
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Additional malaria cases in Africa by 2050 that could be triggered by climate change, driven mostly by extreme weather events, led by researchers from The Kids Research Institute Australia and Curtin University. 鈥�
  PHARMACEUTICALS Peru鈥檚 Defective Cancer Drugs     Ineffective and even dangerous cancer drugs have been repeatedly shipped to Peru health facilities amid an ongoing pattern of regulatory failures within the country.     Unfit for use: ~118,000 vials of chemo bought with government funds have been ordered destroyed since 2019, though some reached hospitals and even patients before they were scrapped.     Poor track records: Pharma companies with problematic track records have been awarded state contracts, even after their drugs have failed quality tests.     Exacerbating a crisis: 1 in 4 cancer patients in Peru experience treatment delays because of drug shortages.     , in partnership with   OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Key US infectious-diseases centre to drop pandemic preparation 鈥�     NSF鈥檚 flagship fellowship program is rejecting applicants without peer review 鈥�     RFK Jr. shakes up top health department staff 鈥�     She was denied a legal abortion and sent to prison over an illegal one. Now she tells her story 鈥�     HIV made him expect to die at 40. At 73, Edwin Cameron asks: Who鈥檚 planning for our ageing survivors? 鈥�     Photos: The flying doctors of Lesotho won鈥檛 let their wings be clipped 鈥�   Issue No. 2864
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 detection of a newly identified recombinant mpox virus containing genetic material from two known strains underscores the need for continued genomic surveillance, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) said on Saturday, as the overall global public health risk assessment remains unchanged.

Scientists have identified a pattern of gene activity present in some female survivors of childhood abuse that is associated with an elevated risk of depression.

Scientists have identified a pattern of gene activity present in some female survivors of childhood abuse that is associated with an elevated risk of depression.

96 Global Health NOW: EPA Moves to Revoke Key Climate Health Warning Plus: Kenya Battles Kala-azar February 12, 2026 TOP STORIES Life-threatening blood clots that have been a rare side effect of some COVID-19 vaccines, including those by Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, are caused by an adenovirus protein used by both vaccines which triggered 鈥渞ogue鈥� antibodies in people with a particular genetic background, .      The WHO director-general has called a U.S.-funded hepatitis B vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau 鈥渦nethical,鈥� as the trial will deny half the children the vaccine despite its proven efficacy; instead of testing benefits or efficacy, the study appears focused on looking for adverse outcomes in children who receive a birth dose.     Measles cases fell across Europe and Central Asia last year, dropping by 75% in 2025 compared to 2024 due to outbreak response measures and 鈥渢he gradual decline in the number of people susceptible鈥� to infection as the virus infected undervaccinated communities, per new UN data; still, outbreak risks remain.     More than 70% of baby foods, drinks, and snacks sold in the U.S.鈥攊ncluding crackers, yogurt, and puffs鈥攁re ultraprocessed and contain additives that have been linked to health issues, according to   IN FOCUS Steam rises from the smoke stacks of the Ravenswood Generating Station, New York City's largest power plant, on January 26. Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty EPA Moves to Revoke Key Climate Health Warning
The EPA is poised to revoke its own 2009 scientific conclusion that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health and welfare鈥攗pending the legal foundation for a wide range of federal climate protections, .    Background: Known as the determination established wide-ranging health threats posed by greenhouse gases produced by oil, gas, and coal, and has since been invoked to set emissions limits for vehicles and power plants.     The long road to repeal: Members of President Trump鈥檚 administration have long worked to dismantle climate legislation they describe as unfounded and harmful to the economy, , with White House officials lauding the rollback as 鈥渢he largest deregulatory action in American history.鈥�     Long-term impact: Ending the finding could block future presidents from using the EPA to limit emissions, allowing industries to fully abandon regulations,     Scientific backlash: Leading scientific and health organizations overwhelmingly oppose the rollback, saying it ignores vast and mounting scientific evidence that links pollution- and climate change-driven disasters to illness, higher medical costs, and premature deaths 鈥渂eyond scientific dispute,鈥� .   

• Environmental groups have pledged to fight the EPA 鈥渆very step of the way鈥� with legal challenges that could stretch for years.

• 鈥淐ommunities across the country will bear the brunt of this decision鈥攖hrough dirtier air, higher health costs, and increased climate harm,鈥� said Michelle Roos, executive director of the Environmental Protection Network, . 

  Related: Scientific analysis says climate change fueled conditions for Chile, Argentina wildfires 鈥�  DATA POINT

94 million+ 
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The number of people worldwide who suffer from cataracts; half of them lack access to the corrective surgery, according to the WHO. 鈥�
  NEGLECTED DISEASES  Kenya Battles Kala-azar 
An outbreak of kala-azar, also known as visceral leishmaniasis, has surged in Kenya's dry regions over the last year.     By the numbers: Cases spiked from 1,575 in 2024 to 3,577 in 2025, and the disease has a 95% fatality rate if untreated.  

• Few facilities in Kenya have the capacity to diagnose or treat the illness, and more training to address the medical crisis is needed.  

Drought-driven spread: The parasitic disease is carried by sandflies, which have expanded their reach amid ongoing drought and dry conditions resulting from climate change and urbanization.     Mitigation efforts: Six African nations most affected by kala-azar adopted a framework in Nairobi in 2023 to eliminate the disease by 2030.    ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION A Dozen Roaches
It鈥檚 been said that revenge is a dish best served cold. But it may actually be a dish best served to an armadillo, .    Thankfully, every February, a slew of zoos and wildlife conservation groups offer such a service,  de facto guide to vengeful Valentines.    A sampling:    Bugs and hisses: The San Antonio Zoo鈥檚 annual  allows donors to pay $5 to name a cockroach after an ex, then have it fed to inhabitants, .  

• Similarly, the  lets donors revenge-name mealworms or rats which are then fed to birds of prey with 鈥渧ideo proof of their revenge being swallowed whole.鈥�  

Cutting them off: Animal shelters from  to  offer a certain kind of closure via 鈥淣euter Your Ex鈥� fundraisers, allowing donors to name a feral cat after a former flame before the cat is spayed or neutered through Trap-Neuter-Return programs.     Getting dumped: The Gulf Coast Humane Society in Corpus Christi, Texas, hosts a , in which donors can have their ex鈥檚 name written on paper and placed in a litter box, where it will be 鈥� 鈥渆motionally processed.鈥� QUICK HITS US to participate in meeting on influenza vaccine composition, WHO official says 鈥�   

Study supports shorter treatment regimens for TB prevention 鈥� 

Four states sue Trump administration over cuts to public health funding 鈥�   

Nurses on strike in New York approve new contracts at 2 of 3 hospital systems 鈥� 

Public health workers reflect on a year since mass layoffs at the CDC 鈥�  

鈥楢t 2am, it feels like someone鈥檚 there鈥�: why Nigerians are choosing chatbots to give them advice and therapy 鈥�  Issue No. 2863
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: Deteriorating Health Conditions in Immigration Detention; and The Struggle to Keep Mobile Crisis Teams in Action February 11, 2026 TOP STORIES At least nine people were killed and at least 25 injured yesterday in Canada鈥檚 deadliest mass shooting in decades; the shootings, at the hands of a suspect who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, took place in a home and a secondary school in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia.   
The U.S. FDA has refused to review Moderna鈥檚 application for a new mRNA flu vaccine, though no safety or efficacy concerns were identified; Moderna has requested an urgent meeting with the FDA, noting that it has submitted the vaccine for review in Europe, Canada, and Australia.  
  Aluminum exposure from dietary sources over the course of a 100-year lifespan is 鈥渙rders of magnitude鈥� higher than the cumulative lifetime exposure from all the recommended aluminum-containing vaccines, .  
Tanning companies are spreading harmful misinformation about suntanning beds鈥攃laiming a range of health benefits, from boosting energy to preventing colds and flu鈥攐n social media ads targeting young people, while cancer charities link the sunbeds to rising melanoma cases among youth in the UK.   IN FOCUS Texas State Troopers prepare to disperse a crowd protesting Immigration and Customs Enforcement outside the South Texas Family Residential Center. January 28, Dilley, Texas. Joel Angel Juarez/Getty Deteriorating Health Conditions in Immigration Detention    As U.S. immigration detention centers expand under the Trump administration鈥檚 mass deportation campaign, detainees and health workers are reporting severe health and safety breakdowns鈥攊ncluding among children.     In Dilley, Texas: Families are being held for weeks or months at facilities like the Dilley Detention Center, . Despite legal limits on detaining minors, ~300 have been held for 20+ days.  

• Parents and children there report regular illness and limited medical attention. 鈥淐hildren with medical complaints frequently experience delays, dismissals, or lack of follow-up,鈥� reported nonprofit advocacy organization RAICES, which has logged ~700 reports of insufficient medical care since August 2025.  

• Others describe worsening mental health, with many children struggling with depression and self-harm amid prolonged stays and lack of schooling.  

In Guant谩namo Bay, Cuba: Health workers describe similarly bleak conditions at Guant谩namo Bay, where hundreds of immigrants are held, ~90% of them deemed low-risk, . 

• U.S. Public Health Service officers describe inadequate care, overcrowding, and dark, windowless cells. Several have resigned, saying they cannot serve under such conditions.  

• 鈥淧ublic health officers are being asked to facilitate a man-made humanitarian crisis,鈥� said nurse Rebekah Stewart, who resigned from the service. 

Related: 鈥淚 Have Been Here Too Long鈥�: Read Letters from the Children Detained at ICE鈥檚 Dilley Facility 鈥�   DATA POINT

91%
鈥斺赌斺赌�
Share of Americans across the political spectrum who agree it is important for the U.S. to be a global leader in science and technology; 63% expressed willingness to pay $1 more per week in taxes in support of medical and health research. 鈥� MENTAL HEALTH The Struggle to Keep Mobile Crisis Teams in Action     Over the last decade, U.S. communities have increasingly turned to mobile crisis teams to respond to psychiatric emergencies rather than dispatching law enforcement.  

• A  found that there are ~1,800 mobile teams nationwide, providing people with therapeutic care and helping them avoid jail or the ER.  

But financial support remains tenuous: Many are funded by unreliable grants or insufficient Medicaid payments鈥攆orcing programs to shrink or close.     Seeking funding fixes: A handful of states now require private insurers to cover mobile crisis calls or have levied other fees to help cover the programs, but advocates warn closures will continue without reliable, long-term funding.  

• 鈥淎 much-needed service is available and then not available, available and then not available,鈥� said Sierra Riesberg, director of the Behavioral Health Alliance of Montana. 

  SPONSORED Cells to Society: The Building Blocks of a Public Health Career    Explore public health at your own pace with the first four courses in a series of 12 non-credit learning experiences from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Designed for those interested in public health careers, these flexible courses build foundational knowledge in key areas and deepen professional skillsets.     CORRECTION IOU a Correction
We incorrectly spelled out IOM in our top story yesterday, about a ; IOM stands for the International Organization for Migration. Thanks to a sharp-eyed reader for setting us straight!  QUICK HITS In Sudan, sick and starving children 鈥榳asting away鈥� 鈥�   
India sticks to e-cigarette ban in snub for Philip Morris 鈥�     Landmark settlement could create new protections for harm reduction under disability law 鈥�     Film series memorializing the AIDS epidemic provides 'chilling parallels' to today 鈥�     Dozens of researchers will move to France from US following high-profile bid to lure talent 鈥�     Benjamin Korinek: Why global health shouldn鈥檛 be political 鈥�      FDA to reassess the safety of BHA, a preservative used in popular snack foods 鈥�     Affordable microscope speeds up malaria diagnosis with AI 鈥� Issue No. 2862
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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Measles cases across Europe and Central Asia declined by 75 per cent in 2025 compared to 2024, according to preliminary data released on Wednesday by the World Health Organization (WHO), which warned of remaining outbreak risks.

96 Global Health NOW: Health Crisis in Gaza; and Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers in South Africa February 10, 2026 TOP STORIES 53 refugees and migrants from several African countries died after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea off Libya鈥檚 coast last Friday; the International Office for Migration reports that at least 375 people have been reported dead or missing in January.   
  The Trump administration plans to cut $600 million in public health funding in four Democrat-led states鈥擟alifornia, Colorado, Illinois, and Minnesota; the programs, deemed 鈥渋nconsistent with agency priorities,鈥� include HIV prevention and surveillance and disease outbreak management.   
  Mexico state officials announced stepped-up health screening and face mask recommendations in schools for the area, which borders Mexico City, in response to a spreading measles outbreak; the country had 2,143 confirmed cases and nearly 6,000 suspected cases as of last Friday, with the western state of Jalisco hardest hit.  
  The U.S. National Cancer Institute is investigating ivermectin as a possible cancer treatment, despite the lack of new evidence of the antiparasitic drug鈥檚 anti-cancer potential; 鈥淚 am shocked and appalled,鈥� one NCI scientist said.   IN FOCUS Palestinian patients prepare for evacuation to Egypt at the Red Cross Hospital. Khan Yunis, Gaza, February 2. Abed Rahim Khatib/Anadolu via Getty Health Crisis in Gaza     Clashes over WHO reporting and the health situation in Gaza continue months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire raised hopes for reconstruction and improved health. 

• The WHO鈥檚 Executive Board voted down Israel鈥檚 proposal last week to consolidate the twice-annual health reports on the occupied Palestinian Territories, .   

The fierce debate exposed different perspectives on access to medical evacuation: 

• 18,000 patients, including 4,000 children, have life-threatening conditions and need evacuation, according to Saudi Arabia鈥檚 delegate.  

• Israel responded that it had approved the departure of thousands of Palestinians, but other countries weren鈥檛 accepting enough patients.  

Health situation:  

• Delegates described 90% of hospitals destroyed, 1,600 health workers killed, inadequate sanitation, and extensive disease risks.  

• Israel called such reports outdated and distorted. 

Older people at risk:   

• 68% of 400+ older Gazans surveyed said they had reduced or stopped chronic disease treatment because of access problems, .  

• 76% of respondents report living in tents. 

Individual stories: 

• A kidney disease patient  about the difficulty of getting medicines and care in Gaza.    

• An Israeli court on Feb. 8 turned down an appeal that would have allowed a 5-year-old cancer patient into Israel for treatment, . 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASES   Nigeria鈥檚 Fatal Antivenom Shortfall     The death of a high-profile Nigerian singer from a snakebite has ignited widespread outrage over the country鈥檚 inadequate supply of antivenom and the need for a national snakebite strategy, .    All-too-common tragedy: 26-year-old Nigerian singer Ifunanya Nwangene died at a hospital in the capital Abuja because the facility did not have the proper antivenom to treat her鈥攁 scenario public health experts say is disturbingly frequent in the country.  

• Nigeria records ~43,000 snakebites and ~1,900 related deaths each year. Meanwhile, ~50% of Nigerian health facilities lack the capacity to treat snakebite envenoming, .  

• Supply chain breakdowns, high treatment costs, and inadequately trained personnel have contributed to a scourge of avoidable deaths, .  

Call to action: Public health groups have urged government investment in antivenom stocks; free or subsidized antivenom; and local antivenom production to curb what the WHO describes as an 鈥渆ntirely preventable鈥� crisis.  MATERNAL HEALTH   Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers in South Africa 
Women employed as domestic workers in South Africa often face a wrenching dilemma shortly after giving birth: Return to work at their employer鈥檚 home without their baby, or lose their job. 

• Many women in this position are unable to breastfeed their babies, which the WHO recommends for the first six months, depriving them of numerous health benefits. 

Untapped resource: South Africa鈥檚 Unemployment Insurance Fund could help with partially paid maternity leave for up to four months. But just 20% of people register their domestic workers for the fund.    Maternal grants? Maternal health advocates have been pushing for a monthly maternity payment for low-income pregnant women from mid-pregnancy to three months after birth.     OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS By Slashing Foreign Aid, Trump Is Fueling the Spread of HIV in Uganda 鈥�      First human trials of locally-developed HIV jab begin in South Africa 鈥�     South Korea will boost medical school admissions to tackle physician shortage 鈥�     Traditional food could help reverse Nepal鈥檚 鈥榙iabetes epidemic鈥�, studies suggest 鈥�     What Happens When Midwives Lead Abortion Care: Lessons from Sweden 鈥�      2 to 3 Cups of Coffee a Day May Reduce Dementia Risk. But Not if It鈥檚 Decaf. 鈥�     Olympic COVID restrictions are gone, but some athletes are still self-quarantining 鈥�   Issue No. 2861
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: Life After Leprosy; and Few Resources for Migrating Minors February 9, 2026 TOP STORIES

Landmines and other explosives that are remnants of war in Afghanistan killed ~92 people and injured 379 others last year; more than two-thirds of the victims were children, per the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan.

A USAID division cut by the Trump administration, Development Innovation Ventures, was revived last week as an independent nonprofit: the DIV fund, which will continue the former program鈥檚 mission to fund and support international interventions, thanks to $48 million in private donor funding. 

Burundi has signed a bilateral agreement with the U.S. as a part of the ongoing rollout of the America First Global Health Strategy, which will result in $129 million in funding from the U.S. State Department over five years to support HIV/AIDS and malaria initiatives, and in Burundi increasing its domestic health funding by $26 million over the same time span. 

After facing years of litigation, U.S. chemical company Corteva will stop producing Enlist Duo, an herbicide containing a 鈥渢oxic cocktail鈥� of the Agent Orange chemical 2,4-D and glyphosate鈥攚hich have both been linked to cancer and ecological harm; Corteva will still use 2,4-D in another of its products, Enlist One. 

IN FOCUS A woman looks out of her living quarters in a leprosy colony in New Delhi, on March 11, 2015. Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Life After Leprosy 
At leprosy colonies throughout India, people who have long been cured of the disease continue to live and thrive inside the communities鈥攁 testament to the support systems there, and to the stigma that persists outside, .
  India is home to ~750 leprosy colonies today, where tens of thousands of former patients, their children, and grandchildren live.  

• The colonies have long been places of exile: People who contracted the disease were segregated and forced to live in deep poverty and isolation. 

But today, leprosy is easily treated: The disease, also known as Hansen鈥檚 disease, can be cured with antibiotics; with attentive care, patients with nerve damage, amputations, and foot lesions are able to live fully. 

• ~173,000 new leprosy cases were reported globally in 2024, .  

Communities of care: Meanwhile, conditions at the colonies have vastly improved over the years. Beyond medical care and housing, many also provide education and microfinancing systems.    But stigma remains strong, hampering reintegration efforts. Many former patients and their families still face job discrimination and social exclusion鈥� 鈥渨hich can be more problematic than the disease itself,鈥� said Yohei Sasakawa, WHO Goodwill Ambassador for Leprosy Elimination.  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES Related: FGM Laws Protect Girls. Who Heals the Women? 鈥�  DATA POINT

4 million+
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Girls still at risk of female genital mutilation. 鈥� HEALTH SURVEILLANCE Few Resources for Migrating Minors    Children and juveniles migrating north through Mexico live in 鈥減recarious and unsafe鈥� conditions, both in their place of origin and on their journey鈥攚ith ongoing barriers to medical care, finds a 2024 study of 200 minors.     A range of adversities: Many children experience deterioration in their physical and mental health during transit, as they encounter 鈥減ersecution, coercion, violence, and discrimination, as well as unsanitary living and transit conditions, food insecurity, and exposure to environmental hazards,鈥� per the study.     A need for interventions: Researchers described a need for sustainable health and psychological programs for children at migratory shelters鈥揳nd called for more civil society-led mobile clinics.       QUICK HITS Newly obtained emails undermine RFK Jr.'s testimony about 2019 Samoa trip before measles outbreak 鈥�  
  鈥楾ake the vaccine, please,鈥� Dr Oz urges amid rising measles cases in US 鈥�  
China criticizes U.S. for WHO pullout, accusing it of sidestepping international law 鈥�     Argentina: No Withdrawal from Pan American Health Organization 鈥� Despite Leaving WHO 鈥�     Women鈥檚 Preferences for Home-Based Self-Sampling or Clinic-Based Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening 鈥�     Federal Vaccine Advisers Take Aim at Covid Shots 鈥�     CDC study highlights growing threat of invasive E coli 鈥�     Inside the quest to make a safer football helmet 鈥�    Issue No. 2860
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: Going on the Offensive Against Cholera; and Best in Show, First in Our Hearts February 5, 2026 TOP STORIES A South Sudan hospital has been hit by a government air strike, says M茅decins Sans Fronti猫res, which runs the facility; the attack in Lankien, Jonglei state, marks the tenth attack in 12 months on MSF-run medical facilities in the country amid a resurgence in fighting between soldiers and a coalition of opposition forces.    
Raw milk has been linked to the listeria death of a newborn in New Mexico, per state officials, who say that 鈥渢he most likely source of infection was unpasteurized milk鈥� the mother consumed during pregnancy.      Researchers identified a genetic mutation that helps malaria-spreading Anopheles gambiae mosquitoes resist pyrethroids鈥攖he main insecticides used to treat bednets; the research, led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and Cameroon鈥檚 Centre for Research in Infectious Diseases, also developed a DNA test to track the mutation across West and Central Africa.     A new rapid test can identify bacteria and effective antibiotics to use against them in just 36 minutes, per a study published in 鈥攁 key tactic to fight antimicrobial resistance, say researchers.   IN FOCUS A member of the Syria Immunization Team holds cholera vaccination ampoules in Sarmada, Syria, on March 7, 2023. Anas Alkharboutli/picture alliance via Getty Going on the Offensive Against Cholera 
Preventive cholera vaccination programs will restart globally after a ~4-year hiatus鈥攁 signal that the global supply has seen significant recovery after critical vaccine shortages, .  

• 鈥淕lobal vaccine shortages forced us into a cycle of reacting to cholera outbreaks instead of preventing them. We are now in a stronger position to break that cycle,鈥� said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.  

Depletion: Preventive campaigns paused in 2022 amidst a global cholera surge that drove up demand for oral cholera vaccine stocks.  

• That surge continues: 600,000+ cholera cases and ~7,600 deaths were reported to WHO last year鈥攚ith children most at risk.  

• Last month alone, 11,965 new cholera cases, and 126 new deaths globally were .  

Replenishment: Today, global supply of oral cholera vaccine has doubled from ~35 million doses in 2022 to ~70 million in 2025鈥攁 result of collaborative efforts by global agencies, manufacturers, and other stakeholders to expand production, .     Strategy: 20 million doses are being deployed at the outset, with 3.6 million doses delivered to Mozambique, where flooding has damaged water systems and heightened cholera risk for 700,000+ people, .  

• 6.1 million doses have been sent to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and 10.3 million to Bangladesh鈥攐ther high-risk regions. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES HIV/AIDS A Lifesaving Drug鈥擲oon Out of Reach   Thousands of people with HIV in Florida are expected to lose access to critical HIV medications after the state鈥檚 abrupt decision to severely restrict eligibility for its AIDS Drug Assistance Program on March 1. 

• The income cap for benefits will be drastically lowered, putting medication out of reach for ~16,000 people.  

Lost subsidies, big impact: Officials say the cuts are driven by rising costs, reduced federal funding, and this year鈥檚 expiration of Affordable Care Act subsidies鈥攚hich is already spiking patients鈥� insurance costs.     Doctors and advocates warn that the restrictions could lead to more patients falling through the cracks and further viral spread.  

• 鈥淚t鈥檚 terrifying,鈥� said Tori Samuel, a mother of three who has relied on the program for decades.  

  CORRECTION A Key Distinction

In our summary yesterday about cancer prevention, the projected 50% rise  is in cancer cases, not rates. We regret the error.  

ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Best in Show, First in Our Hearts     God loves a terrier. It is a truth  crooned by legendary Norwich terrier owner Cookie Fleck, played by Catherine O鈥橦ara in the 2000 mockumentary Best in Show.     But before the terrier group was judged Tuesday night at the 150th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, all the love was focused on O鈥橦ara herself, who died last week at 71鈥攁s organizers paid tribute to the actor with a video montage on the Madison Square Garden jumbotron, .    The tribute reflected just how beloved the film and O鈥橦ara have become in that subculture, even though both 鈥済ently lampooned eccentricities and intensity鈥� of dog shows.  

• 鈥淭he first time I watched it, I was highly insulted,鈥� said David Fitzpatrick, this year鈥檚 best in show judge. 鈥淭hen I watched it again and I started thinking, 鈥極h my God, they really have some of us pegged.鈥欌�� 

This year鈥檚 top dog was Penny the Doberman pinscher鈥攚hose owner listed her favorite snacks as 鈥渆verything,鈥� . We love a relatable winner.  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS 鈥榃e are dying鈥�: Gaza鈥檚 cancer patients plead for a way out 鈥�     New Nipah-like bat virus in Bangladesh is becoming more deadly, scientists warn 鈥�     Study ties particle pollution from wildfire smoke to 24,100 US deaths per year 鈥�      RIP Nick White, 1951-2026 鈥�  Thanks for the tip, Michael Macdonald!    How the new dietary guidelines could impact school meals 鈥�     New York City partners with WHO as U.S. withdraws from global effort 鈥�     Texas jails have more than 400 pregnant inmates monthly. The state is trying to understand what happens to them. 鈥�     Open-source AI program can answer science questions better than humans 鈥�    Issue No. 2859
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 agency leading the global effort to end HIV/AIDS worldwide welcomed legislative approval from the United States on Thursday for a $6 billion spending package to help tackle the disease, following nearly a year of sharp aid cuts.

Friday February 13 2026 鈥� 3pm to 5pm
McIntyre Building, room 330, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal QC, H3A 1A3

听

Friday February 13 2026 鈥� 3pm to 5pm
McIntyre Building, room 330, 3655 Promenade Sir-William-Osler, Montreal QC, H3A 1A3

听

96 Global Health NOW: New Insights into Cancer Prevention; and Could Fish Farming Help Fight Schistosomiasis February 4, 2026 TOP STORIES Serious side effects and high cost have hindered the rollout of the first chikungunya vaccine, IXCHIQ, produced by French manufacturer Valneva, and shifted focus to a newer vaccine, Vimkunya, produced by Danish drugmaker Bavarian Nordic, which is expected to be safer for vulnerable groups.     Long COVID in children will be studied more closely in three clinical trials launching this year, including the largest pediatric long COVID trial to date鈥攚hich will recruit 1,300 children, teens, and young adults for a randomized placebo-controlled trial of low-dose naltrexone to treat fatigue.  /     The American Society of Plastic Surgeons has recommended that surgeons delay 鈥済ender-related breast/chest, genital, and facial surgery鈥� until a patient is 19 years old, , saying that there is 鈥渓ow certainty鈥� in the risk-benefit ratio for such surgical interventions for children and adolescents.     The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services unveiled a $100 million pilot program to address homelessness and addiction in eight cities this week, including expanded funding for faith-based substance use treatment.   IN FOCUS: WORLD CANCER DAY A health worker administers an HPV vaccine to a girl during a HPV vaccination drive against cervical cancer in Karachi, Pakistan. September 24, 2025. Rizwan Tabassum/AFP via Getty New Insights into Cancer Prevention    Nearly 4 in 10 cancer cases worldwide are potentially preventable,  ahead of World Cancer Day today, .     What that means: ~7.1 million cancer cases in 2022 were linked to preventable causes per the analysis by the WHO and its International Agency for Research on Cancer, which looked at dozens of cancer types in ~200 countries and considered 30 modifiable risk factors including tobacco, alcohol, air pollution, and occupational exposure to toxins, .      Leading risk factors: Tobacco smoking was the leading contributor to cases (15%), followed by infections like HPV (10%) and alcohol (3%).     Zooming in: Preventable cancers were more common in men (45%) than women (30%), .  

• In men, smoking was the leading risk factor, accounting for ~25% of the 4.3 million preventable cancer cases, and was the leading cause of cancer in men living in both low- and high-income regions.  

• In women, infections such as HPV were leading drivers, especially in low- and middle-income regions, such as sub-Saharan Africa.  

Key takeaways: Tailoring interventions鈥攍ike tobacco control or vaccination campaigns鈥攖o regional risk patterns could significantly cut global cancer rates, which have been projected to rise 50%+ by 2045, . 

• 鈥淎ddressing these preventable causes represents one of the most powerful opportunities to reduce the global cancer burden,鈥� senior study author Isabelle Soerjomataram told the BBC. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASES Fish Farming to Help Fight Schistosomiasis?   Researchers are testing a new approach to curb the parasitic disease schistosomiasis through a new intervention: snail-eating fish.     Background: Each year, 250 million+ people globally are treated for schistosomiasis, a disease transmitted through water contaminated by a parasite carried by snails. 

• In places like Senegal, rice farmers are especially vulnerable, as they work in flooded fields where snails thrive.  

Sustainable solution? A pilot project led by Stanford University researchers will help rice farmers integrate native African catfish aquaculture as a potential way to curb the snail population.  

• The hope is that catfish will help with snail control鈥攁nd provide an added food source.  

  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS 鈥楤iblical Diseases鈥� Could Resurge in Africa, Health Officials Fear 鈥� 

A Year of Disruption: 5 Resources to Understand Foreign Aid Cuts 鈥� 

'Efficacy will be secondary': RFK Jr.'s vaccine advisers have a new mission 鈥� 

US government concerns over key vaccine ingredient are not based on science 鈥�

Nigerian women and contraceptives: study finds big gaps between the haves and the have-nots 鈥� 

Why scientists are so excited about a nasal spray vaccine for bird flu 鈥�     The Secret Weapon in Canada鈥檚 Sewers: As America takes an axe to its health data, expanding wastewater surveillance could save lives 鈥�     鈥楥lean air should not be a privilege鈥�: how Bogot谩 is tackling air pollution in its poorest areas 鈥�   Issue No. 2858
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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As World Cancer Day is marked on Wednesday, thousands of patients in Gaza face worsening illness, untreated pain and closed crossings 鈥� despite the limited opening of the vital route through Rafah this week.

96 Global Health NOW: 9 Million Deaths May Follow Aid Cuts Plus: Egypt鈥檚 Child Health Gains Jeopardized February 3, 2026 TOP STORIES Ultra-processed foods are more similar to cigarettes than other foods and should be regulated as such, according to  that highlights how both products encourage addiction and are marketed to maximize consumption.  

Young people in Ontario are being diagnosed with psychotic disorders more frequently compared to their older peers, according to a  from the Canadian province; studies from and have identified a similar trend.

An emerging bat-borne virus, Pteropine orthoreovirus, was discovered in stored throat swabs and viral cultures of five patients thought to be infected with Nipah virus, ; the patients, hospitalized from December 2022 to March 2023, had eaten raw date palm sap, a route of NiV spillover. 

Lead exposure among a small group of people in Utah is 100X lower today than in the 1960s, ; researchers relied partly on an unconventional source: hair clippings from 100-year-old scrapbooks.  IN FOCUS Pharmacist Joseph Njer Airo inspects boxes of antiretroviral drugs labeled "USAID," at Migosi Sub-county Hospital, in Kisumu, Kenya, on April 24, 2025. Michel Lunanga/Getty Images 9 Million Deaths May Follow Aid Cuts 
If current trends in global health funding cuts continue, 9.4 million excess deaths will occur by 2030,  published in The Lancet Global Health yesterday. That鈥檚 the 鈥渕ild鈥� scenario. 

Worst case: A 鈥渟evere鈥� scenario based on even greater funding cuts would lead to 22.6 million additional deaths by 2030, per Barcelona Institute for Global Health researchers and colleagues. 

What鈥檚 at stake? HIV, malaria, and tuberculosis, as well as hunger, may resurge across the globe, .  

• 鈥淚t is the dismantling of an architecture that took 80 years to build,鈥� said Rockefeller Foundation President and former USAID chief Rajiv Shah. 鈥淭he scale of the cuts and the scale of the reduction far outstrip the scale of philanthropy to step in and solve the problem.鈥� 

Flashback: Development assistance was associated with declines of 70% in HIV/AIDS, 56% for malaria, and 56% for nutritional deficiencies from 2002 to 2021, per the study. 

Meanwhile in Geneva: Despite funding cuts, the WHO has 85% of funds needed for its current biennium budget, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told the 158th Executive Board meeting, .
 

Related: 

This global health leader praises Trump's aid plan 鈥� and gears up to beat malaria 鈥� 

Days After US Leaves WHO, Israel Warns it Faces Pressure to Withdraw 鈥� 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CHILD MORTALITY  Egypt鈥檚 Child Health Gains Jeopardized 
Egypt made major strides in children鈥檚 health outcomes in the last three decades鈥攃utting child mortality from 108 deaths per 1,000 children under 5 in 1988, to 26 deaths per 1,000 in 2024 through policies including:  

• School-based insurance that helped families access medical care and medicine.  

• Vaccine coverage, especially for polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, and measles.  

• Widespread hepatitis C screening.  

But that progress is threatened as economic turmoil and post-pandemic fallout lead to care setbacks, including: 

• A physician exodus, with ~18,000 doctors resigning since 2019 due to low pay.  

• Hospital bed shortages. 

• Pandemic disruptions in maternal care, which led to a spike in C-sections and prematurity.  

SPONSORED Cells to Society: The Building Blocks of a Public Health Career 
Considering a career in public health? The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is now offering online, noncredit courses for adult learners who are thinking about a career change, are seeking ways to be more helpful in their local communities, or are simply curious about how public health works. Explore available courses and register today to get a preview into a formal public health education.      QUICK HITS Six years after COVID-19鈥檚 global alarm: Is the world better prepared for the next pandemic? 鈥�     Synthetic compound targets malaria at multiple stages to prevent its transmission 鈥�   
  Indonesia Delays Sugary Drink Taxes, Yet Again 鈥�  
Eye Protection for Tear Gas and other Hazards: A Protest Safety Guide 鈥�  Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!    2 or more alcoholic drinks a day linked to 91% higher colorectal cancer risk 鈥�  Thanks for the tip, Xiadong Cai!     Why scientists are so excited about a nasal spray vaccine for bird flu 鈥�   Issue No. 2857
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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Up to four in 10 cancer cases globally could be prevented, new analysis has revealed, highlighting the need for stronger tobacco control and other measures to reduce risks and save lives. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday launched its 2026 global appeal for nearly $1 billion to ensure that millions of people living in humanitarian crises and conflicts can access healthcare.