Youth at risk of suicide show early warning signs that adults often miss
Drawing on a landmark 25-year study that followed Quebec children into adulthood, 黑料网 researchers have identified two distinct patterns in how suicidal thoughts emerge and the early signs that are often missed.
Suicidal thoughts are increasingly common among youth, but how they begin and what mental health symptoms often precede them are poorly understood, the researchers said.
Categories: Global Health Feed
Youth at risk of suicide show early warning signs that adults often miss
Drawing on a landmark 25-year study that followed Quebec children into adulthood, 黑料网 researchers have identified two distinct patterns in how suicidal thoughts emerge and the early signs that are often missed.
Suicidal thoughts are increasingly common among youth, but how they begin and what mental health symptoms often precede them are poorly understood, the researchers said.
Categories: Global Health Feed
When Denis Jobin, a senior evaluation specialist at the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), visited a slum in Kenya in March as part of an ongoing evaluation, the smell was overwhelming.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Asia鈥檚 Floods Highlight Need for Faster Warnings; Tracing New H5N1 Transmission Routes; and Two More Countries Now Trachoma-Free
July 22, 2025
A young boy pushes a tuk-tuk through a flooded street in Manila on July 22, after heavy rains caused flooding worsened by a monsoon. Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty
Asia鈥檚 Floods Highlight Need for Faster Warnings
As typhoons lash parts of Asia and cause flooding, evacuations, and hundreds of deaths, a UN agency says that current warning systems are inadequate against today鈥檚 more frequent, more intense storms.
Related: Texas Lawmakers Largely Ignored Recommendations Aimed at Helping Rural Areas Like Kerr County Prepare for Flooding 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
War-wounded Ukrainian patients treated at Helsinki University Hospital in Finland showed a high rate of multidrug-resistant bacterial infection 鈥攊ndicating that war-related hospitalizations represent a distinct and urgent risk of antimicrobial-resistance, the researchers say.
Over one-third of contributors to the development of 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on evaluating and treating children and adolescents with obesity鈥攚hich leaned toward the use of obesity medications鈥攈ad undisclosed financial ties to obesity drugmakers, .
A million+ people in France have signed a petition against the so-called 鈥淒uplomb law鈥� adopted on July 8 permitting a return of a pesticide, acetamiprid, known to be toxic to pollinators such as bees and ecosystems.
Switching to a four-day work week created happier, healthier, more productive workers鈥攔educing burnout and increasing job satisfaction, of such an intervention that encompassed six countries: Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Ireland. U.S. and Global Health Policy News ________________________________________________________________ Planned Parenthood wins partial victory in legal fight with Trump administration over funding cuts 鈥�
FDA Panel Takes Aim at SSRI Use During Pregnancy 鈥�
Advocates Fear US Agents Are Using 鈥榃ellness Checks鈥� on Children as a Prelude to Arrests 鈥�
States sue over citizenship curbs on Head Start, clinics 鈥�
GOP megabill鈥檚 final score: $3.4T in red ink and 10 million kicked off health insurance, CBO says 鈥�
The quick return of medical debt to credit reports is another blow to cancer patients 鈥� AVIAN FLU Tracing New Routes of H5N1 Transmission
Scientists are gaining new insights into how H5N1 could spread among dairy cattle, particularly two potential routes: contamination from house flies, and from cows and calves nursing.
Background: When H5N1 first emerged in dairy cattle, researchers believed contaminated equipment and movement of infected cattle were key factors in virus spread.
鈥淢颈濒办-蝉苍补迟肠丑颈苍驳鈥�: found that H5N1 may infect mammary glands via mouth-to-teat transmission through nursing, and via cows that 鈥渟teal milk鈥� through mutual nursing.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASES Two Countries Validated as Trachoma-Free
Trachoma has officially been eliminated in Burundi and Senegal, making them the eighth and ninth countries in the African region to reach that public health milestone.
Related:
WHO plans trachoma elimination intervention in Nigeria, 19 others 鈥�
Breaking the cycle of neglected diseases 鈥� OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Why England can learn from Scotland after first measles death in a decade 鈥�
High prevalence of colistin-resistant Klebsiella found in Africa 鈥�
Battling Lassa Fever: Liberia鈥檚 Strides in Preparedness and Response 鈥�
A creek with atomic waste from WWII is linked to increased cancer risk 鈥�
Air Pollution in Baltimore鈥檚 Curtis Bay Community Linked to Nearby Coal Terminal Activities and Wind 鈥�
The potential gains of replenishing the Global Fund 鈥�
Birth control access: Scorecard evaluates family planning policies across the U.S. 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!
The New Sun Worship 鈥�
Engineers transform dental floss into needle-free vaccine 鈥� Issue No. 2761
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues:
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Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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As typhoons lash parts of Asia and cause flooding, evacuations, and hundreds of deaths, a UN agency says that current warning systems are inadequate against today鈥檚 more frequent, more intense storms.
- Typhoon Wipha struck the Philippines on Monday and early today with torrential rains that left parts of the country with knee- to waist-deep flooding, .
- Nearly 50,000 people living near the Marikina River in the Manila region and in the Quezon and Caloocan cities have been evacuated, . At least five people are dead and seven missing.
- Vietnam is bracing for 500mm (~20 inches) of rain as well as flooding and landslides caused by Wipha, now downgraded to a tropical storm.
- More than 120 people in Punjab, Pakistan鈥檚 most populous province, have died in 鈥渆xceptional high鈥� floods since monsoon rains started June 26, .
Related: Texas Lawmakers Largely Ignored Recommendations Aimed at Helping Rural Areas Like Kerr County Prepare for Flooding 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
War-wounded Ukrainian patients treated at Helsinki University Hospital in Finland showed a high rate of multidrug-resistant bacterial infection 鈥攊ndicating that war-related hospitalizations represent a distinct and urgent risk of antimicrobial-resistance, the researchers say.
Over one-third of contributors to the development of 2023 American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines on evaluating and treating children and adolescents with obesity鈥攚hich leaned toward the use of obesity medications鈥攈ad undisclosed financial ties to obesity drugmakers, .
A million+ people in France have signed a petition against the so-called 鈥淒uplomb law鈥� adopted on July 8 permitting a return of a pesticide, acetamiprid, known to be toxic to pollinators such as bees and ecosystems.
Switching to a four-day work week created happier, healthier, more productive workers鈥攔educing burnout and increasing job satisfaction, of such an intervention that encompassed six countries: Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Canada, the U.K., and Ireland. U.S. and Global Health Policy News ________________________________________________________________ Planned Parenthood wins partial victory in legal fight with Trump administration over funding cuts 鈥�
FDA Panel Takes Aim at SSRI Use During Pregnancy 鈥�
Advocates Fear US Agents Are Using 鈥榃ellness Checks鈥� on Children as a Prelude to Arrests 鈥�
States sue over citizenship curbs on Head Start, clinics 鈥�
GOP megabill鈥檚 final score: $3.4T in red ink and 10 million kicked off health insurance, CBO says 鈥�
The quick return of medical debt to credit reports is another blow to cancer patients 鈥� AVIAN FLU Tracing New Routes of H5N1 Transmission
Scientists are gaining new insights into how H5N1 could spread among dairy cattle, particularly two potential routes: contamination from house flies, and from cows and calves nursing.
Background: When H5N1 first emerged in dairy cattle, researchers believed contaminated equipment and movement of infected cattle were key factors in virus spread.
- But when outbreaks continued after addressing those issues, scientists expanded their investigation and found new insights:
鈥淢颈濒办-蝉苍补迟肠丑颈苍驳鈥�: found that H5N1 may infect mammary glands via mouth-to-teat transmission through nursing, and via cows that 鈥渟teal milk鈥� through mutual nursing.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NEGLECTED DISEASES Two Countries Validated as Trachoma-Free
Trachoma has officially been eliminated in Burundi and Senegal, making them the eighth and ninth countries in the African region to reach that public health milestone.
- The disease鈥�the first eliminated neglected tropical disease in Burundi鈥攃an lead to scarring, in-turned eyelids, and blindness, and primarily affects regions where clean water and sanitation are scarce, .
- In Senegal, trachoma is the second neglected tropical disease to be eliminated after being declared free of dracunculiasis (Guinea-worm disease) transmission in 2004, .
- 90% of the global trachoma burden is in Africa.
- 93 million people live in at-risk areas as of April 2024.
Related:
WHO plans trachoma elimination intervention in Nigeria, 19 others 鈥�
Breaking the cycle of neglected diseases 鈥� OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Why England can learn from Scotland after first measles death in a decade 鈥�
High prevalence of colistin-resistant Klebsiella found in Africa 鈥�
Battling Lassa Fever: Liberia鈥檚 Strides in Preparedness and Response 鈥�
A creek with atomic waste from WWII is linked to increased cancer risk 鈥�
Air Pollution in Baltimore鈥檚 Curtis Bay Community Linked to Nearby Coal Terminal Activities and Wind 鈥�
The potential gains of replenishing the Global Fund 鈥�
Birth control access: Scorecard evaluates family planning policies across the U.S. 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!
The New Sun Worship 鈥�
Engineers transform dental floss into needle-free vaccine 鈥� Issue No. 2761
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 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
The chief economist of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), M谩ximo Torero Cullen, previewed its annual State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report in a briefing on Tuesday to journalists at UN Headquarters in New York.
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: As Measles Spreads, Strategies Shift; The Role of Reward in Quitting Meth; and Coverage When Temperatures Climb
July 21, 2025
A Southwestern Public Health sign advises patients who suspect they have measles to call ahead before seeking medical attention. St. Thomas, Ontario, July 9. Geoff Robins/AFP via Getty
As Measles Spreads, Strategies Shift
As countries continue to reckon with the worst measles outbreaks in years, many health practitioners say they are shifting mitigation tactics in real time鈥攎oving from a vaccine-centric approach to improved overall messaging and health care access.
In Canada: 3,800 cases have been reported, nearly 3X the number of U.S. cases, .
Measles Can Erase Your Immune System's Memory, Expert Says 鈥�
Bolivia stepping up efforts to tackle measles 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners 49% of Black women in the UK who expressed concerns during labor didn鈥檛 receive adequate support, , which also found that 23% did not receive requested pain support.
~1,200 chikungunya cases have been reported in south China鈥檚 Guangdong province, prompting widespread mosquito control efforts and health alerts in nearby Hong Kong.
A cholera case in Poland is the country鈥檚 first in six years; the country鈥檚 chief sanitary inspector said the disease was confirmed in an elderly woman in Stargard who had not left the country, and that 20 of her contacts were now in quarantine.
Exposure limits to toxic airborne fungi indoors have been proposed for the first time via , which provides species-specific health risk estimates in an effort to address a 鈥渕ajor gap in indoor air safety policy.鈥� U.S. and Global Health Policy News US rejects amendments to WHO international health regulations 鈥�
Clawing back foreign aid is tied to 'waste, fraud and abuse.' What's the evidence? 鈥�
U.S. research community says new indirect cost model is still too complicated 鈥�
GOP tax law will increase overdose deaths by 1,000 each year, analysis finds 鈥�
Trump administration pulls back on work combating human trafficking, long a top GOP priority 鈥�
鈥婣CA health insurance will cost the average person 75% more next year, research shows 鈥�
鈥楢 disaster for all of us鈥�: US scientists describe impact of Trump cuts 鈥� DATA POINT
$1.7 trillion
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Potential annual reduction in global economic output by 2050 if countries fail to contain drug resistance, per an AMR 鈥渇allout forecast鈥� modeling study that showed China and the U.S. would lose the most, at $722 billion and $296 billion, respectively. 鈥� SUBSTANCE USE The Role of Reward in Quitting Meth
Treating meth addiction remains a critical challenge for many U.S. communities, as no effective medication is available to help manage dependence.
Outcomes: Research has shown that CM outperforms counseling or therapy for stimulant addiction; about half of patients who complete CM remain drug-free after one year.
Growth鈥攂ut for how long? CM programs have expanded to 600+ sites nationwide, aided by federal support and private insurers.
A heat insurance program in India is offering new financial relief for daily wage workers who lose income or are forced to stop working during extreme heat.
Impact: The payouts not only help people avoid exploitative loans to pay bills; they also give workers a chance to rest or fund alternative business opportunities until they can resume work.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Nearly 100 people killed seeking aid in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian officials say 鈥�
South Korea flood death toll rises to 18 as southern regions battered by record rain 鈥�
FDA reverses ban on sale of Juul e-cigarettes 鈥�
Most Americans Support Limits on Guns in Bars, Stadiums, and Protests, New Study Finds 鈥�
A Push for More Organ Transplants Is Putting Donors at Risk 鈥�
Fitness classes help elderly Ugandan women fight rising rates of obesity and diabetes 鈥�
Do Indoor Pools Really Need to Close for Lightning? 鈥� Issue No. 2760
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 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
As countries continue to reckon with the worst measles outbreaks in years, many health practitioners say they are shifting mitigation tactics in real time鈥攎oving from a vaccine-centric approach to improved overall messaging and health care access.
In Canada: 3,800 cases have been reported, nearly 3X the number of U.S. cases, .
- Vaccine uptake has dropped significantly since the pandemic, researchers say. Vaccine opposition is a key contributor to that, but so are pandemic-related disruptions.
- As clinics respond to an outbreak among Ontario鈥檚 Mennonite community, health workers are seeking to address language barriers, build trust, and 鈥渃hange how Low German鈥搒peaking families and the medical system interact with each other,鈥� writes a .
- While vaccine hesitancy has driven lower MMR vaccine uptake, poverty-driven inequality is also contributing to missed appointments, say researchers calling for improved access, .
- Health workers in the state say that going forward, they may pivot from a vaccine-focused approach and emphasize better testing and offering additional treatments to build trust, .
Measles Can Erase Your Immune System's Memory, Expert Says 鈥�
Bolivia stepping up efforts to tackle measles 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners 49% of Black women in the UK who expressed concerns during labor didn鈥檛 receive adequate support, , which also found that 23% did not receive requested pain support.
~1,200 chikungunya cases have been reported in south China鈥檚 Guangdong province, prompting widespread mosquito control efforts and health alerts in nearby Hong Kong.
A cholera case in Poland is the country鈥檚 first in six years; the country鈥檚 chief sanitary inspector said the disease was confirmed in an elderly woman in Stargard who had not left the country, and that 20 of her contacts were now in quarantine.
Exposure limits to toxic airborne fungi indoors have been proposed for the first time via , which provides species-specific health risk estimates in an effort to address a 鈥渕ajor gap in indoor air safety policy.鈥� U.S. and Global Health Policy News US rejects amendments to WHO international health regulations 鈥�
Clawing back foreign aid is tied to 'waste, fraud and abuse.' What's the evidence? 鈥�
U.S. research community says new indirect cost model is still too complicated 鈥�
GOP tax law will increase overdose deaths by 1,000 each year, analysis finds 鈥�
Trump administration pulls back on work combating human trafficking, long a top GOP priority 鈥�
鈥婣CA health insurance will cost the average person 75% more next year, research shows 鈥�
鈥楢 disaster for all of us鈥�: US scientists describe impact of Trump cuts 鈥� DATA POINT
$1.7 trillion
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Potential annual reduction in global economic output by 2050 if countries fail to contain drug resistance, per an AMR 鈥渇allout forecast鈥� modeling study that showed China and the U.S. would lose the most, at $722 billion and $296 billion, respectively. 鈥� SUBSTANCE USE The Role of Reward in Quitting Meth
Treating meth addiction remains a critical challenge for many U.S. communities, as no effective medication is available to help manage dependence.
- With few options, an innovative strategy is gaining traction: contingency management (CM), which rewards patients for abstaining from meth.
Outcomes: Research has shown that CM outperforms counseling or therapy for stimulant addiction; about half of patients who complete CM remain drug-free after one year.
Growth鈥攂ut for how long? CM programs have expanded to 600+ sites nationwide, aided by federal support and private insurers.
- But the Trump administration鈥檚 health overhauls may impact such programs鈥� future.
A heat insurance program in India is offering new financial relief for daily wage workers who lose income or are forced to stop working during extreme heat.
- The coverage is 鈥減arametric,鈥� which means payouts are triggered by a measurable event, like temperature exceeding a set threshold, and no claims are required.
Impact: The payouts not only help people avoid exploitative loans to pay bills; they also give workers a chance to rest or fund alternative business opportunities until they can resume work.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Nearly 100 people killed seeking aid in Gaza on Sunday, Palestinian officials say 鈥�
South Korea flood death toll rises to 18 as southern regions battered by record rain 鈥�
FDA reverses ban on sale of Juul e-cigarettes 鈥�
Most Americans Support Limits on Guns in Bars, Stadiums, and Protests, New Study Finds 鈥�
A Push for More Organ Transplants Is Putting Donors at Risk 鈥�
Fitness classes help elderly Ugandan women fight rising rates of obesity and diabetes 鈥�
Do Indoor Pools Really Need to Close for Lightning? 鈥� Issue No. 2760
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 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
鈥淭here will be another pandemic, and it will not be 100 years from now.鈥�
Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: Accelerating Alzheimer鈥檚 Research; Replacing Aid With 鈥楽in Taxes鈥�; and Molar Express
July 17, 2025
A nurse examines a patient living with Alzheimer's and dementia in Kathmandu, Nepal. October 5, 2023. Skanda Gautam/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty
Accelerating Alzheimer鈥檚 Research: A Gold Mine of Global Collaboration
Key insights in Alzheimer鈥檚 research are being fueled by a 鈥渕assive鈥� new trove of globally shared data鈥攚ith breakthroughs showing the power and potential of multinational collaboration, .
Background: , launched in 2023, is now the largest neurodegenerative disease data-sharing effort, including 40,000+ clinical samples and 250 million protein measurements that allow for 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� research鈥攑otentially speeding up the development of diagnostics and therapies by decades.
Discoveries include:
Other breakthroughs: Meanwhile, new research shows that Alzheimer鈥檚-related biomarkers can be detected in the blood of adults as young as 41, 鈥攕uggesting the disease could be identified decades before symptoms appear, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners The U.S. Senate approved the claw back of $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and other areas in an early morning vote today; to win necessary votes, Republican leaders agreed to preserve $400 million in funding for PEPFAR.
Nearly 500 tons of high-energy biscuits鈥攅mergency food intended for 27,000 starving children in Afghanistan and Pakistan鈥攅xpired in a warehouse in Dubai this month and will be incinerated; a U.S. official said it was 鈥渁 casualty of the shutdown of USAID.鈥�
COVID-19 hospitalization rates were highest among Black and Hispanic children during the pandemic, according to published in JAMA Network Open; from October 2021 to September 2022, cumulative hospitalization rates per 100,000 population were 113.2 for Black, 113.0 for Hispanic, 77.6 for white, and 64.8 for Asian or Pacific Islander children.
A Golden Retriever named Bumper and a Black Labrador called Peanut reliably identified Parkinson鈥檚 disease in patients based on their odor, per in The Journal of Parkinson's Disease. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump officials halt 鈥榙angerous鈥� research, overriding NIH career scientists 鈥�
RFK Jr. shakes up top staff at health department 鈥�
Do Doctors Profit Off Vaccines? Fact-Checking RFK Jr.'s Claims 鈥�
World鈥檚 Premier Cancer Institute Faces Crippling Cuts and Chaos 鈥�
Rio Grande Valley鈥檚 biggest free health clinic event of the year is canceled due to federal cuts 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES Replacing Aid With 鈥楽in Taxes鈥�
The WHO has launched a major push to introduce 鈥榮in taxes鈥� in developing countries, with the aim of easing the burden of noncommunicable disease and filling the gap from slashed global aid spending.
The plan, called 鈥�3 by 35鈥�, aims to raise the price of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks in developing countries by at least 50% by 2035.
The move comes as NCDs surge in the developing world, driven by rising incomes, booming populations, and skyrocketing rates of smoking, drinking, and the consumption of processed foods.
The concept: Higher prices mean people buy less of what makes them unhealthy. When people do buy alcohol, cigarettes, or junk food, the money goes to vital services related to HIV, nutrition, and maternal and child health that were once funded by foreign aid.
The WHO estimates that the price hike could prevent ~50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years across the developing world.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Molar Express
Some mornings, the tooth fairy has some explaining to do: A pillow is lifted, and a baby cuspid sits where a coin should be. Some panicked parents and crestfallen kids have gone straight to the source, dashing off queries to an official-sounding tooth fairy email address鈥攏ot necessarily expecting a response.
But for two decades they鈥檝e gotten one.
Filling in the gaps: A Seattle dentist, Purva Merchant, has been voluntarily moonlighting as the tooth fairy ever since the email address鈥攃reated to organize her dental school applications鈥攔eceived a desperate message entitled 鈥淐alum鈥檚 tooth.鈥� It was a letter from a parent seeking to appease a forlorn child. Merchant wrote back that she was indeed on the case.
Crowning achievement: That was the first of ~6,000 missives Merchant has now written from the address, fielding questions that range from the fate of teeth that have slipped down drains (she can find them); about international exchange rates (she can do the math); and explaining what exactly she does with the teeth (building a castle).
Drilling for the truth: Children鈥檚 emails range from fan mail (鈥淚鈥檓 so sorry I swallowed my tooth. And I love you.鈥�) to directional (鈥淒on鈥檛 bump into the heater.鈥�) Merchant always drafts a diplomatic response before reminding her gaptoothed correspondents to brush, floss, and be 鈥渉appy growing up!鈥�
QUICK HITS An overlooked demographic has the highest suicide risk 鈥� and it鈥檚 been rising 鈥�
Can US Measles Outbreaks Be Stopped? 鈥�
LGBTQ+ youth lose specialized 988 suicide line support 鈥�
High prices, blackouts and half the money: Inside Puerto Rico鈥檚 stagnant food aid system 鈥�
鈥楲andmark鈥� study: three-person IVF leads to eight healthy children 鈥�
A Venerable AIDS Activist Returns to Battle 鈥�
Review shows ethical considerations in infectious disease guidelines lacking 鈥�
Health trajectory of mothers of children with developmental disabilities shows a 鈥榳ear-and-tear鈥� effect starting around age 65 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!
Meet the diabetes researcher behind Barbie鈥檚 new pink (insulin) pumps 鈥� Issue No. 2759
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 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Key insights in Alzheimer鈥檚 research are being fueled by a 鈥渕assive鈥� new trove of globally shared data鈥攚ith breakthroughs showing the power and potential of multinational collaboration, .
Background: , launched in 2023, is now the largest neurodegenerative disease data-sharing effort, including 40,000+ clinical samples and 250 million protein measurements that allow for 鈥渦nprecedented鈥� research鈥攑otentially speeding up the development of diagnostics and therapies by decades.
Discoveries include:
- New insights about APOE4, a gene variant that most strongly increases risk for developing Alzheimer鈥檚, and new proteins associated with the gene.
- New evidence linking different neurodegenerative diseases with aging in other organs, including the liver, intestines, and muscles.
- Identification of protein pathways shared across several neurodegenerative diseases.
Other breakthroughs: Meanwhile, new research shows that Alzheimer鈥檚-related biomarkers can be detected in the blood of adults as young as 41, 鈥攕uggesting the disease could be identified decades before symptoms appear, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners The U.S. Senate approved the claw back of $9 billion in funding for foreign aid and other areas in an early morning vote today; to win necessary votes, Republican leaders agreed to preserve $400 million in funding for PEPFAR.
Nearly 500 tons of high-energy biscuits鈥攅mergency food intended for 27,000 starving children in Afghanistan and Pakistan鈥攅xpired in a warehouse in Dubai this month and will be incinerated; a U.S. official said it was 鈥渁 casualty of the shutdown of USAID.鈥�
COVID-19 hospitalization rates were highest among Black and Hispanic children during the pandemic, according to published in JAMA Network Open; from October 2021 to September 2022, cumulative hospitalization rates per 100,000 population were 113.2 for Black, 113.0 for Hispanic, 77.6 for white, and 64.8 for Asian or Pacific Islander children.
A Golden Retriever named Bumper and a Black Labrador called Peanut reliably identified Parkinson鈥檚 disease in patients based on their odor, per in The Journal of Parkinson's Disease. U.S. and Global Health Policy News Trump officials halt 鈥榙angerous鈥� research, overriding NIH career scientists 鈥�
RFK Jr. shakes up top staff at health department 鈥�
Do Doctors Profit Off Vaccines? Fact-Checking RFK Jr.'s Claims 鈥�
World鈥檚 Premier Cancer Institute Faces Crippling Cuts and Chaos 鈥�
Rio Grande Valley鈥檚 biggest free health clinic event of the year is canceled due to federal cuts 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES Replacing Aid With 鈥楽in Taxes鈥�
The WHO has launched a major push to introduce 鈥榮in taxes鈥� in developing countries, with the aim of easing the burden of noncommunicable disease and filling the gap from slashed global aid spending.
The plan, called 鈥�3 by 35鈥�, aims to raise the price of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary drinks in developing countries by at least 50% by 2035.
The move comes as NCDs surge in the developing world, driven by rising incomes, booming populations, and skyrocketing rates of smoking, drinking, and the consumption of processed foods.
The concept: Higher prices mean people buy less of what makes them unhealthy. When people do buy alcohol, cigarettes, or junk food, the money goes to vital services related to HIV, nutrition, and maternal and child health that were once funded by foreign aid.
The WHO estimates that the price hike could prevent ~50 million premature deaths over the next 50 years across the developing world.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Molar Express
Some mornings, the tooth fairy has some explaining to do: A pillow is lifted, and a baby cuspid sits where a coin should be. Some panicked parents and crestfallen kids have gone straight to the source, dashing off queries to an official-sounding tooth fairy email address鈥攏ot necessarily expecting a response.
But for two decades they鈥檝e gotten one.
Filling in the gaps: A Seattle dentist, Purva Merchant, has been voluntarily moonlighting as the tooth fairy ever since the email address鈥攃reated to organize her dental school applications鈥攔eceived a desperate message entitled 鈥淐alum鈥檚 tooth.鈥� It was a letter from a parent seeking to appease a forlorn child. Merchant wrote back that she was indeed on the case.
Crowning achievement: That was the first of ~6,000 missives Merchant has now written from the address, fielding questions that range from the fate of teeth that have slipped down drains (she can find them); about international exchange rates (she can do the math); and explaining what exactly she does with the teeth (building a castle).
Drilling for the truth: Children鈥檚 emails range from fan mail (鈥淚鈥檓 so sorry I swallowed my tooth. And I love you.鈥�) to directional (鈥淒on鈥檛 bump into the heater.鈥�) Merchant always drafts a diplomatic response before reminding her gaptoothed correspondents to brush, floss, and be 鈥渉appy growing up!鈥�
QUICK HITS An overlooked demographic has the highest suicide risk 鈥� and it鈥檚 been rising 鈥�
Can US Measles Outbreaks Be Stopped? 鈥�
LGBTQ+ youth lose specialized 988 suicide line support 鈥�
High prices, blackouts and half the money: Inside Puerto Rico鈥檚 stagnant food aid system 鈥�
鈥楲andmark鈥� study: three-person IVF leads to eight healthy children 鈥�
A Venerable AIDS Activist Returns to Battle 鈥�
Review shows ethical considerations in infectious disease guidelines lacking 鈥�
Health trajectory of mothers of children with developmental disabilities shows a 鈥榳ear-and-tear鈥� effect starting around age 65 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!
Meet the diabetes researcher behind Barbie鈥檚 new pink (insulin) pumps 鈥� Issue No. 2759
Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on and follow us on Instagram and X .
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Copyright 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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Categories: Global Health Feed
96
Global Health NOW: PEPFAR Preserved?; The Dramatic Impact of Emergency Immunizations; and A Hidden Health Crisis in South Asia
July 16, 2025
A cyclist rides past a PEPFAR sign. Abidjan, C么te d鈥橧voire, July 12. Issouf Sanogo/AFP via Getty
PEPFAR Preserved?
U.S. Senate Republicans and the White House have agreed to drop a proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR, the U.S. global HIV/AIDS program, in an effort to push forward a $9 billion rescissions bill鈥攚hich still includes $8.3 billion in cuts to USAID, .
Impact of misinformation: White House officials had previously justified PEPFAR cuts by claiming it was supporting abortion services, with budget director Russell Vought falsely saying the program funded abortions in Russia鈥攚here PEPFAR has not operated since 2012, .
What鈥檚 next: The full Senate is expected to vote on the modified bill by Thursday, and it will need to be reapproved by the House, where it passed by a narrow margin last month.
鈥淎 new era of austerity鈥�: Meanwhile, warns that global health aid, largely driven by U.S. funding, has plunged to a 15-year low鈥攖hreatening disease prevention efforts in vulnerable nations, .
Related: On the Cusp of Eliminating HIV 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners U.K. aid cuts have forced the closure of a major program to address antimicrobial resistance; the Fleming Fund has worked to combat AMR in the developing world for a decade.
Canadian hospitals are reporting an 鈥渆xponential鈥� increase in incidence of the drug-resistant carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) infection, ; the rate is still low, with transmission primarily occurring in hospitals.
Two Nipah virus vaccines are poised to enter human clinical trials in Bangladesh鈥攚ith one showing potential for emergency use authorization; meanwhile, new monoclonal antibody drugs are showing promise for treating and preventing infection.
The abortion access battle between U.S. states could be headed for a U.S. Supreme Court showdown after a New York county clerk rejected an effort by Texas to fine a New York-based doctor accused of shipping abortion pills across state lines. U.S. and Global Health Policy News In Kenya, humanitarian workers ponder life after USAID 鈥�
HHS efficiency review blamed for delaying patient care at Indian Health Service 鈥�
Trump team withholds $140 million budgeted for fentanyl fight 鈥�
These States Now Allow OTC Ivermectin, and More May Follow 鈥�
Medical students could feel burn from Trump's new law 鈥� THE QUOTE
鈥淭he islands鈥� health security is being undermined, not by disease or poverty, but by bullets.鈥� 鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺�斺�斺�斺�� 鈥擳he Telegraph (, about Trinidad & Tobago.) VACCINES The Dramatic Impact of Emergency Immunizations
Emergency vaccination campaigns conducted amid disease outbreaks have reduced deaths and infections by nearly 60% since 2000, .
Major impacts: Yellow fever deaths dropped by 99%, and Ebola deaths by 76% because of emergency vaccination campaigns.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ANEMIA A Hidden Health Crisis in South Asia
Anemia is one the 鈥渜uietest but most pervasive health crises鈥� in South Asia, affecting 259 million women and girls, and 18 million more cases are projected by 2030, warns the UN.
The toll: Anemia contributes to 40% of global low birth weight cases, and costs South Asia ~$32.5 billion annually, limiting women鈥檚 education and economic potential. It disproportionately affects the region鈥檚 poorest women and girls.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS A Crisis of Contagion and Collapse: Why Cholera Continues To Be a Problem in the DRC 鈥�
A Revolutionary Drug For Extreme Hunger Transforms Life For Those With Prader-Willi 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!
This fuel is 50% plastic 鈥� and it鈥檚 slipping through a loophole in international waste law 鈥�
With fewer protections and more paperwork, LGBTQ+ Americans face a Medicaid coverage cliff 鈥�
Even grave errors at rehab hospitals go unpenalized and undisclosed 鈥�
Medical charlatans have existed through history. But AI has turbocharged them 鈥�
Amniotic stem cells can be collected from vaginal fluid rather than more invasive techniques 鈥�
FDA approves new blue food dye derived from gardenia fruit 鈥� Issue No. 2758
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 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
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U.S. Senate Republicans and the White House have agreed to drop a proposed $400 million cut to PEPFAR, the U.S. global HIV/AIDS program, in an effort to push forward a $9 billion rescissions bill鈥攚hich still includes $8.3 billion in cuts to USAID, .
- Several key GOP senators had vocally opposed the cuts to PEPFAR, citing the historically bipartisan program鈥檚 success in saving 25 million+ lives since 2003.
- Other revisions to the bill reportedly include language to 鈥減rotect鈥� programs related to malaria, tuberculosis, maternal health, and food aid, .
Impact of misinformation: White House officials had previously justified PEPFAR cuts by claiming it was supporting abortion services, with budget director Russell Vought falsely saying the program funded abortions in Russia鈥攚here PEPFAR has not operated since 2012, .
What鈥檚 next: The full Senate is expected to vote on the modified bill by Thursday, and it will need to be reapproved by the House, where it passed by a narrow margin last month.
鈥淎 new era of austerity鈥�: Meanwhile, warns that global health aid, largely driven by U.S. funding, has plunged to a 15-year low鈥攖hreatening disease prevention efforts in vulnerable nations, .
Related: On the Cusp of Eliminating HIV 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners U.K. aid cuts have forced the closure of a major program to address antimicrobial resistance; the Fleming Fund has worked to combat AMR in the developing world for a decade.
Canadian hospitals are reporting an 鈥渆xponential鈥� increase in incidence of the drug-resistant carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) infection, ; the rate is still low, with transmission primarily occurring in hospitals.
Two Nipah virus vaccines are poised to enter human clinical trials in Bangladesh鈥攚ith one showing potential for emergency use authorization; meanwhile, new monoclonal antibody drugs are showing promise for treating and preventing infection.
The abortion access battle between U.S. states could be headed for a U.S. Supreme Court showdown after a New York county clerk rejected an effort by Texas to fine a New York-based doctor accused of shipping abortion pills across state lines. U.S. and Global Health Policy News In Kenya, humanitarian workers ponder life after USAID 鈥�
HHS efficiency review blamed for delaying patient care at Indian Health Service 鈥�
Trump team withholds $140 million budgeted for fentanyl fight 鈥�
These States Now Allow OTC Ivermectin, and More May Follow 鈥�
Medical students could feel burn from Trump's new law 鈥� THE QUOTE
鈥淭he islands鈥� health security is being undermined, not by disease or poverty, but by bullets.鈥� 鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌斺�斺�斺�斺�� 鈥擳he Telegraph (, about Trinidad & Tobago.) VACCINES The Dramatic Impact of Emergency Immunizations
Emergency vaccination campaigns conducted amid disease outbreaks have reduced deaths and infections by nearly 60% since 2000, .
- The efforts generated $32 billion in economic benefits from deaths and disabilities prevented.
Major impacts: Yellow fever deaths dropped by 99%, and Ebola deaths by 76% because of emergency vaccination campaigns.
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ANEMIA A Hidden Health Crisis in South Asia
Anemia is one the 鈥渜uietest but most pervasive health crises鈥� in South Asia, affecting 259 million women and girls, and 18 million more cases are projected by 2030, warns the UN.
The toll: Anemia contributes to 40% of global low birth weight cases, and costs South Asia ~$32.5 billion annually, limiting women鈥檚 education and economic potential. It disproportionately affects the region鈥檚 poorest women and girls.
- 鈥淲hen half of all adolescent girls and women in South Asia are anemic, it is not only a health issue鈥攊t is a signal that systems are failing them,鈥� said Sanjay Wijesekera, UNICEF鈥橲 regional director.
OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS A Crisis of Contagion and Collapse: Why Cholera Continues To Be a Problem in the DRC 鈥�
A Revolutionary Drug For Extreme Hunger Transforms Life For Those With Prader-Willi 鈥� Thanks for the tip, Chiara Jaffe!
This fuel is 50% plastic 鈥� and it鈥檚 slipping through a loophole in international waste law 鈥�
With fewer protections and more paperwork, LGBTQ+ Americans face a Medicaid coverage cliff 鈥�
Even grave errors at rehab hospitals go unpenalized and undisclosed 鈥�
Medical charlatans have existed through history. But AI has turbocharged them 鈥�
Amniotic stem cells can be collected from vaginal fluid rather than more invasive techniques 鈥�
FDA approves new blue food dye derived from gardenia fruit 鈥� Issue No. 2758
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 2025 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All Rights Reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can or .
Categories: Global Health Feed
