96 Global Health NOW: Boosting Dengue Defenses; War Is a Superbug Spreader; and The Bounty of the Bat-a-thon View this email in your browser July 24, 2024 Forward Share Post A health worker trying to prevent the spread of dengue pours out a tub of water in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 18. Danilo Martins Yoshioka/Anadolu via Getty Boosting Dengue Defenses
As dengue continues its relentless global surge this year, health officials in newly affected countries are turning to more experienced nations for model countermeasures, reports NPR.

Continued spread: A “consistent level” of dengue is now active in two-thirds of the world’s countries.

• In the Americas, ~10.4 million suspected dengue cases were logged by WHO by the first week of July—marking a 232% increase compared to the same period in 2023. 


• Peru alone has reported 100,000+ cases this year.


• The disease is also seeing an uptick in Burkina Faso, Chad, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam.


• Iran reported its first two locally spread cases in June, reports CIDRAP. 

Templates for interventions: Countries that have coped with dengue for decades—like Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Brazil—have launched effective mitigations, including:

• Robust community engagement programs, like one 2022 initiative in Sri Lanka to eliminate breeding sites that led to a nearly 60% reduction in hospital admissions. Rio de Janeiro created a similarly successful program. 


• Health worker education to improve early diagnostics and quick interventions.


• Mosquito management, including Brazil’s commitment to the Wolbachia breeding method. 

Related:

Dengue Is Rising in the U.S. Here’s How to Protect Yourself – TIME

Scientists uncover fundamental rules for how dengue virus infects its mosquito and human hosts – Phys.org

Obese children infected with dengue appear to be at higher risk of hospitalization – News Medical GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Mpox cases in children are on the rise in displacement camps in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with local doctors reporting 130 suspected cases “almost entirely in children and adolescents” in the last four weeks. Reuters

Global measles cases spiked 140% from 2010 to 2019, per a new study from Columbia University, amid falling vaccinations in many nations, with the sharpest declines in Europe, CIDRAP reports; separately, Poland is seeing a surge in measles cases this year—with infections ~17X higher in recent months than last year—after a record number of parents refused vaccines for their kids, Notes from Poland reports.

Pertussis cases in the Americas have spiked 300% in 2024, per a new alert from PAHO—with significant increases in Mexico, Brazil, and Peru. Precision Vaccinations

A twice-yearly HIV shot was 100% effective in preventing new infections in women in South Africa and Uganda, new study results from drugmaker Gilead show. AP ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE War Is a Superbug Spreader
A potential pandemic is brewing: New breeds of drug-resistant bacteria (AMRs) are proliferating in war-torn parts of the globe—and spreading from the battlefield to hospitals and across borders.
 
Research indicates that the waste of war—warheads, spent munitions, etc.—drains into surrounding waterways, creating heavy metal-infused cesspools in which AMRs thrive. 
 
Meanwhile, within hospitals in conflict zones, superbugs are spreading from soldiers injured in the field to civilians receiving care for non-war-related conditions. And as refugees flee these devastated countries, those organisms hitch a ride.

• Globally, AMRs are estimated to contribute to five million deaths every year—more than from HIV and malaria combined.

Despite the looming threat, governments around the world have failed to make superbug prevention a priority compared with addressing other more visible threats, experts say. 

Rolling Stone GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS Antibiotics to Stave Off STIs? 
A daily dose of the commonly used antibiotic doxycycline can prevent syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia in people at high risk of STIs, new research finds. 

Background: Previous research showed doxycycline decreased STI risk if taken within 72 hours after unprotected sex. The new study looked at preventing STIs instead.

The findings: Daily doxycycline reduced syphilis by 79%, chlamydia by 92%, and gonorrhea by 68% in 41 gay and bisexual men who were already taking a daily pill to treat HIV.

Concerns: Because the study was small, scientists say further research is needed to confirm results and address major questions regarding:

• Whether such dosing could lead to a risk of antibiotic resistance.


• What potential effects daily antibiotics could have on healthy gut bacteria.

The New York Times (gift article)

Related:

WHO global research priorities for sexually transmitted infections – WHO

DoxyPEP: A “Morning-After Pill” for STIs – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (December 18, 2023) RESEARCH The Bounty of the Bat-a-thon 
For the past 16 years, researchers have descended annually upon the Lamanai Archaeological Reserve in northern Belize, intent upon one goal: Become better acquainted with bats.

• “There are no papers, there are no presentations, there’s no posters. It’s people studying bats and talking about bats,” said biologist Brock Fenton, who started the Bat-a-thon—which now involves 80 researchers from 50 institutions worldwide.

Researchers erect tall nets at dusk to ensnare as many kinds of neotropical bats as possible in this “gold mine for bat diversity,” which is home to 75 species. 

The bats are carefully tagged and bagged for one evening, and research commences as the sun sets. Come sunrise, the bats are released.

• The annual gathering has yielded nearly 90 academic papers over the years, spanning from bat behavior to bat ecology. 

NPR Goats and Soda RESOURCES QUICK HITS How Ukraine broke Putin’s Black Sea grain blockade – and what it means for Africa – The Telegraph

There Are No Good Options Left With Bird Flu – The Atlantic

Director of New Zealand’s pharmaceutical funding agency quits over rollback of Māori rights – The Guardian Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!

Climate change has serious implications for children’s brain health – The BMJ (commentary)

In Climate Fight, Focus on Women and Girls – Think Global Health

COVID-19 risk perceptions in Japan: a cross-sectional study – Nature

'Supermodel granny' drug extends life in animals – BBC Issue No. 2756
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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The head of the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) appealed on Wednesday for an immediate improvement in the security situation in Gaza, where dangerous operating conditions and attacks against humanitarian workers continue to hamper aid delivery to communities in need. 

Soaring summer temperatures in Europe and Central Asia are killing nearly 400 children a year according to new analysis of the latest available data by the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) released on Wednesday.

96 Global Health NOW: Time Will Tell: New Lyme Disease Vaccine; War's Toll on Children in Sudan; and Rabies Reduction View this email in your browser July 23, 2024 Forward Share Post An adult deer tick rests on a person's fingernail at Connetquot State Park in Oakdale, New York, on December 27, 2011. Bill Davis/Newsday RM via Getty Time Will Tell: New Lyme Disease Vaccine
Participants in a new Lyme disease vaccine trial have completed the three-dose series and now will be followed through the end of Lyme disease season in 2025, Axios reports.

• If the vaccine has proven efficacy, it could be rolled out as soon as 2026.


• No safety issues have arisen so far.


• Pfizer and French vaccine company Valneva SE agreed to work on the vaccine (now known as VLA15) in 2020.

The need:

• An estimated 476,000 people in the U.S. are affected by Lyme disease each year.


• It’s the Northern Hemisphere’s leading vector-borne illness.

Inside scoop: The vaccine “targets the outer surface of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria that cause Lyme disease and inhibits the bacterium's ability to leave the tick and infect humans,” per Axios.
 
History: A previous Lyme disease vaccine—Lymerix from GSK—was withdrawn in 2002 because adverse events caused sales to fall.
 
And: Moderna is working on two mRNA-based Lyme vaccines. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   COVID-19 cut life expectancy at birth in India by 2.6 years and increased the country’s death rate by 17%, per a new study in Science Advances; women, the youngest and oldest people, and marginalized groups were most affected. CIDRAP

A Merck-made monoclonal antibody-based drug, MK-1654, helped reduce the incidence of lower respiratory infection in infants compared to a placebo, and met the safety goals of a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, according to a manufacturer announcement. Reuters

U.S. trade representatives in the Biden administration tried to persuade a half-dozen countries and the E.U. to weaken or delay baby formula regulations; for example, they pushed back on E.U. plans to reduce lead in baby formula and questioned a Colombian effort to “limit microbiological contaminants” in formula. ProPublica

Low-income people given $400-a-month cash payments over nine months had 27% fewer emergency room visits than those who didn’t receive the payments, per a new study in JAMA—challenging the narrative that if you give people cash they’ll spend it on drugs and alcohol. AP CONFLICT War’s Toll on Children in Sudan
Hundreds of children fleeing Sudan are being treated for gunshot wounds, per Médecins Sans Frontières—an alarming sign that war crimes are being committed in the country’s ongoing civil war.

• Nearly 24% of ~2,600 refugees treated for gunshot wounds in Chad are children under five.


• The number of Sudanese refugees arriving with severe injuries like gunshot wounds is straining the limited resources of the border’s field hospital, per MSF. 

Growing crisis in El Fasher: Darfur’s capital has seen approximately 400 cases of child killings and maimings since May of this year, compared with 1,200 cases of child killings and maimings across Sudan in all of 2023. 

The Telegraph INFECTIOUS DISEASES Rabies Reduction  
Starting this month, 50+ lower-income countries can apply for financial aid from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, for the human rabies vaccine and associated supplies.

Rabies is one of the most lethal diseases in the world, with a nearly 100% fatality rate without immediate treatment.

• 60,000 rabies deaths occur each year.


• 95% of cases are in Asia and Africa.


• 99% of cases are caused by dogs. 

A canine approach: The cheapest, most effective tool for reducing rabies is a dog vaccination campaign.

• Zambia’s Kabwe District began vaccinating dogs in 2018, and it had zero rabies cases in humans last year. 

NPR Goats and Soda GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH Chinese Mining Projects in Tajikistan Cause Pollution, Not Prosperity
The poorest country in Central Asia increasingly depends on foreign investment—primarily from China, which has seized the opportunity to tap Tajikistan’s wealth of unmined gold and minerals.

Chinese-run mining and agricultural projects receive broad support from the Tajik government—and minimal oversight—because they promise to create jobs and support local communities.

But according to a months-long investigation by RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty, Tajik residents have instead seen environmental degradation and negative health impacts, including:

• Breathing problems from air pollution.


• Undrinkable water and mass fish die-offs due to wastewater dumping.


• Rises in illness and stillborn babies.


• Difficulty raising crops.

RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty QUICK HITS VA disputes claim that removing race from lung tests would greatly alter disability payments – STAT

As doctors leave Puerto Rico in droves, a rapper tries to fill the gaps – AP

Rescue From Above: How Drones May Narrow Emergency Response Times ​​– KFF Health News

A discontinued asthma medication has patients scrambling, some to the ER – NPR

Turkmen Face Severe Drinking-Water Crisis During Scorching Summer – Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

China–US research collaborations are in decline — this is bad news for everyone – Nature

Why you are probably sitting down for too long – BBC

Virtual reality players are suffering real broken bones, other injuries – The Washington Post (gift link)

‘A positive step forward’: Mattel launches first blind Barbie – The Guardian Issue No. 2755
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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Gazans uprooted by the Israeli military’s latest evacuation orders have fled their shelters and homes “running for their lives”, with barely any belongings and little idea where they will end up, UN humanitarians said on Tuesday.

96 Global Health NOW: AIDS’ Shifting Target; Coca-Cola’s Unhealthy Olympic Sponsorship; and Polio Detected in Gaza For the first time, the majority of new HIV infections have occurred outside of sub-Saharan Africa. View this email in your browser July 22, 2024 Forward Share Post Ukrainians lay flowers at the monument to people who died of AIDS. May 17, Kyiv, Ukraine. Yevhenii Zavhorodnii/Global Images Ukraine via Getty AIDS’ Shifting Target
For the first time in history, the majority of new HIV infections have occurred outside of sub-Saharan Africa—marking both the continent's significant progress and of a “lack of comparable progress in the rest of the world,” per a new UNAIDS report released today for the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich. 

Major progress:

• Sub-Saharan Africa has reduced new infections by 56% since 2010. 


• Globally, new infections have fallen by 39% over the same period, reports The Guardian. 


• AIDS-related deaths worldwide have been halved since 2010—from 1.3 million to 630,000 in 2023.

Critical juncture: Still, the world remains off-track to meet both the 2025 target of reducing AIDS-related deaths to below 250,000, and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals objective of ending AIDS as a public health threat—unless leaders take urgent action, UNAIDS said. 

Rising infections elsewhere: HIV cases are increasing in three regions: Eastern Europe and Central Asia; Latin America; and the Middle East and North Africa.

• Key populations affected include sex workers, men who have sex with men, and people who inject drugs.


• High HIV incidence persists among young women in Africa, driven by gender inequality.


• Stigma and funding shortfalls continue to stymie access to care. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
India's Kerala state is on alert after a 14-year-old boy died from Nipah virus there; 60 of the boys’ contacts have been identified as “high-risk,” per the state’s health minister. Reuters

Meat from deli counters in the U.S. has been linked to a listeria outbreak that has killed two people and led to 28 hospitalizations across 12 states, the CDC announced; the agency is still working to identify contaminated products. NPR

A U.S. ban on formaldehyde in hair relaxers has been pushed back once again by the FDA; the timeline for the ban—proposed after the chemical was linked to cancer— remains undetermined. NBC 

Heat-related deaths in Texas are on the rise after Hurricane Beryl left millions without power for days amid scorching summer temperatures. AP GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY A soft drinks dispenser at the Olympic village where some athletes will be housed at Saint-Denis, a northern suburb of Paris. July 2, 2024. Emmanuel Dunand / AFP via Getty Coca-Cola’s Ongoing Olympic Sponsorship Is Bad for Everyone’s Health   As Paris gets ready to kick off the 2024 Summer Olympic Games this week, the IOC’s website boasts that the food vendors will be more locally sourced, sustainable, and all-around healthful.

• But these new commitments seem deeply at odds with the group’s ongoing partnership with Coca-Cola, write members of the Kick Big Soda Out of Sport campaign.

How has Coca-Cola—a leading producer of sugary drinks, linked to obesity and largely preventable diseases such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease—been touted as a steadfast partner of the Olympics since 1928?
 
One explanation is “nakedly economic”—but it “can also be seen as a master class in ‘sportswashing’ (using athletics to burnish an individual or organization’s reputation),” while ignoring a product’s health and environmental harms, the authors write.
  
Turning off the tap: Their newly launched campaign, organized by leading global health organizations, urges the global community to demonstrate opposition to this long-standing sponsorship and sign a petition urging the IOC to terminate its Coca-Cola sponsorship.
 
“For the health of all, it’s time to get soda off the field,” the authors argue.

Members of the Kick Big Soda Out of Sport campaign for Global Health NOW READ THE FULL COMMENTARY GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES RADAR Polio Detected in Gaza  
Gaza’s Ministry of Health and the WHO have found samples of poliovirus type 2 (vaccine derived) in sewage water in six locations, revealing a threat to thousands of people amid the “disastrous sanitation situation,” CNN reports.

• The virus has been isolated so far only from the environment, with no associated paralytic cases detected.

• Wild polio was eradicated from Gaza more than 25 years ago, and pre-war vaccination coverage reached 95% in 2022—but Israel’s war against Hamas has created “the perfect environment for diseases like polio to spread,” says WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

Investigating the source: Officials noted the vaccine responsible has not been used in Gaza or surrounding regions since 2016—making them suspect it was carried by someone who had been in an area where the vaccine has not yet been phased out, The Telegraph reports. VACCINES Barking up the Right Tree
A rare Chilean tree promises to improve vaccine efficacy against malaria, Covid-19, influenza, and other diseases.

Quillaja saponaria, known as Quillay, produces a soapy substance called saponins from its bark. The saponins can be used as an adjuvant in vaccines to prompt a stronger immune system response. 

One saponin-based adjuvant formulation, QS-21, is used in GSK’s shingles and malaria vaccines.

• A gram of QS-21 can cost up to $100,000.


• Five out of 100 Quillay trees contain sufficient QS-21.

Waiting game: It can take up to 25 years before Quillay bark can be harvested. But demand, illegal logging, and climate change are reducing numbers of the Quillay trees. 

The Telegraph OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Huge rise in Mpox cases in DR Congo: govt – Medical Xpress

Virus spreading in Latin America may cause stillbirths and birth defects – Science

China's Philippines embassy demands answers for propaganda against COVID vaccine – Reuters

Viet Nam's new road safety laws to reduce road traffic deaths among children – WHO

Zika can have long-term consequences for immune system – CIDRAP

‘Dream come true’: study suggests drug could extend women’s fertility by five years – The Guardian Issue No. 2754
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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An immediate increase in HIV services is needed in the countries most affected by the pandemic to end AIDS by 2030, according to a new report by the Global Alliance for Ending AIDS in Children by 2030, released on Monday. 

96 CNNTD Summer Newsletter |RCMTN Bulletin d'été Recent news and updates from CNNTD | Nouvelles et mises à jour récentes du RCMTN View this email in your browser July 19, 2024 / juillet 19, 2024 Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases Newsletter /
Bulletin d'information du Réseau canadien pour les
Maladies Tropicales Négligées --> Meet our new Steering Committee Members!/
Rencontrer les nouveaux membres du comité directeur!  This spring, the Canadian Network for NTDs welcomed three new Steering Committee Members to support NTD advocacy and engagement here in Canada! To learn more about our Steering Committee, please visit our About Us webpage. To learn more about our new steering Committee members, please click here.
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Ce printemps, le Réseau canadien pour les MTN a accueilli trois nouveaux membres de son comité directeur afin de soutenir la défense et l'engagement en faveur des MTN ici au Canada! Pour en savoir plus sur notre comité directeur, veuillez consulter notre page Web À Propos de Nous. Pour en savoir plus sur les nouveaux membres du comité directeur, cliquez ici. About Us/ À Propos de Nous --> Relaunching our 2024 Student & Young Professionals Ambassadorship for NTDs this fall!/ Relance du programme 2024 d'ambassadeurs étudiants et jeunes professionnels pour les MTN cet automne. We are re-launching our CNNTD Student and Young Professionals Ambassadorship video competition this fall! To apply, applicants must be a Canadian citizen, permanent resident or currently a student in Canada and between 16-29 years old. Applications are due by noon on October 10th, 2024 and are accepted in both English and French. To learn, please click on the link below.  ...... Nous relançons notre concours vidéo d'ambassadeurs étudiants et jeunes professionnels du CNNTD cet automne! Les candidats doivent être citoyens canadiens, résidents permanents ou étudiants au Canada et être âgés de 16 à 29 ans. Les candidatures doivent être déposées avant midi le 10 octobre 2024 et sont acceptées en anglais et en français. Pour en savoir plus, cliquez sur le lien ci-dessous.  Apply Now/ Postuler --> Thank you for applying to our NTD Research Award 2024!/
Merci d'avoir posé votre candidature à notre prix de recherche sur les MTN! Submissions to our NTD Research Award are being evaluated by our NTD Research Award Selection Committee this summer, and we look forward to sharing the winning research paper with you all in the fall at the Canadian Conference for Global Health 2024 in Vancouver, BC! ...... Cet été, le comité de sélection du prix de recherche sur les MTN évalue les candidatures et nous sommes impatients de partager avec vous le document de recherche gagnant à l'automne, lors de la Conférence Canadienne sur la Santé Mondiale 2024 qui se tiendra à Vancouver, en Colombie-Britannique! --> G7 Leader's Communiqué renews commitment to ending NTDs/ Le communiqué des chefs d'État et de gouvernement du G7 renouvelle l'engagement de mettre fin aux MTN A key deliverable at the G7 Leaders Summit June 13-14 in Puglia, Italy  was the G7 Leaders Communiqué. This formal agreement among heads of state reaffirmed commitments to end NTDs by 2030; and to prioritise health promotion and preventative public health measures including WASH, good nutrition, vaccinations, and mass drug administration (MDA). Additionally, G7 leaders also committed to supporting climate-resilient health systems, regional vaccine manufacturing initiatives, country-led priorities as well as 'last mile delivery as an essential element to enhance equity'. To learn more about our Network's engagement in global health advocacy among G7 nations, please read our published article calling on G7 leaders for durable commitments to end NTDs, and Uniting to Combat NTDs webpage on What the G7 Leaders’ communiqué means for global health and neglected tropical diseases.
...
Le communiqué des chefs d'État et de gouvernement du G7, qui s'est tenu les 13 et 14 juin dans les Pouilles, en Italie, est l'un des principaux résultats du sommet. Cet accord formel entre les chefs d'État a réaffirmé l'engagement de mettre fin aux MTN d'ici 2030 et de donner la priorité à la promotion de la santé et aux mesures préventives de santé publique, notamment l'eau, l'assainissement et l'hygiène, une bonne nutrition, les vaccinations et l'administration massive de médicaments (AMM). En outre, les dirigeants du G7 se sont également engagés à soutenir les systèmes de santé résistants au climat, les initiatives régionales de fabrication de vaccins, les priorités nationales ainsi que "la fourniture du dernier kilomètre en tant qu'élément essentiel pour renforcer l'équité". Pour en savoir plus sur l'engagement de notre réseau dans la défense de la santé mondiale au sein des nations du G7, veuillez lire l'article que nous avons publié appelant les dirigeants du G7 à prendre des engagements durables pour mettre fin aux MTN, et la page web de Uniting to Combat NTDs sur ce que le communiqué des dirigeants du G7 signifie pour la santé mondiale et les maladies tropicales négligées. --> World Dengue Day: In Conversation with Aisha Barkhad/ Journée mondiale de la dengue : Conversation avec Aisha Barkhad In May, Tina Lines, Advocacy and Policy Officer, spoke with Aisha Barkhad while carrying out some of her dengue research in São Paulo, Brazil. We are sharing this interview in recognition of World Dengue Day on June 15th, and the 2024 theme is Prevention: Our Responsibility for a Safer Tomorrow.  Read more in the link below. ...... En mai, Tina Lines, responsable du plaidoyer et de la politique, s'est entretenue avec Aisha Barkhad alors qu'elle effectuait une partie de ses recherches sur la dengue à São Paulo, au Brésil. Nous partageons cet entretien à l'occasion de la Journée mondiale de la dengue, le 15 juin, dont le thème pour 2024 est "La prévention : Notre responsabilité pour des lendemains plus sûrs.  Pour en savoir plus, cliquez sur le lien ci-dessous. CNNTD World Dengue Day Blog/ Blog du CNNTD sur la Journée mondiale de la dengue --> Recording of the Youth Action on Climate, Water and NTDs Webinar/  Enregistrement du webinaire Youth Action on Climate, Water and NTDs In partnership with the CAGH Climate Change & Health Working Group, the Canadian Network for NTDs brought together two young professionals addressing the challenge of climate change, water and NTDs through their work in Asia and the Americas in a webinar on June 20th, 2024. Here is the recording: Youth Action on Climate, Water and NTDs webinar.  ...... En partenariat avec le groupe de travail "Changement climatique et santé" du l'ACSM, Le Réseau canadien pour les MTN a réuni deux jeunes professionnels qui s'attaquent au défi du changement climatique, de l'eau et des MTN dans le cadre de leur travail en Asie et dans les Amériques lors d'un webinaire le 20 juin 2024. Voici l'enregistrement : Webinaire Youth Action on Climate, Water and NTDs (Action des jeunes sur le climat, l'eau et les MTN).  --> Kigali Declaration for NTDs 2nd Anniversary - New Canadian signatory/ Deuxième anniversaire de la déclaration de Kigali sur les MTN - Nouveau signataire canadien June 23rd, 2024 marked the second anniversary for Canada's signature to the Kigali Declaration on NTDs! The Kigali Declaration on NTDs is a high-level, political declaration mobilizing the collaboration, commitments and contributions required to end NTDs globally. Each signatory makes a unique contribution towards the prevention and treatment of NTDs, and this year, the Noma Action Group, a member of our Network joined us and others in these efforts.  It's never too late to join in our commitment to end NTDs by 2030! Please reach out us at info@cnntd.org, and check out Uniting to Combat NTDs Kigali Declaration page to learn more. ...... Le 23 juin 2024 a marqué le deuxième anniversaire de la signature par le Canada de la Déclaration de Kigali sur les MTN! La Déclaration de Kigali sur les MTN est une déclaration politique de haut niveau qui mobilise la collaboration, les engagements et les contributions nécessaires pour mettre fin aux MTN dans le monde. Chaque signataire apporte une contribution unique à la prévention et au traitement des MTN et, cette année, le Noma Action Group, membre de notre réseau, s'est joint à nous et à d'autres dans ces efforts.  Il n'est jamais trop tard pour participer à notre engagement de mettre fin aux MTN d'ici à 2030 ! N'hésitez pas à nous contacter à l'adresse info@cnntd.org, et à consulter la page de la Déclaration de Kigali de Uniting to Combat NTDs pour en savoir plus. --> Brief submitted to the FAAE's Study on Canada's Approach to Africa/ Mémoire soumis à l'étude du AEDI sur l'approche du Canada à l'égard de l'Afrique The Canadian Network for NTDs recently submitted a written brief in response to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development's Study on Canada's Approach to Africa. You can find a copy of our brief in the link below. ...... Le Réseau canadien pour les MTN a récemment soumis un mémoire en réponse à l'étude du Comité permanent des affaires étrangères et du développement international sur l'approche du Canada à l'égard de l'Afrique. Vous trouverez une copie de notre mémoire dans le lien ci-dessous. Brief to the FAAE's Study on Canada's Approach to Africa/ Mémoire à l'étude du AEDI sur l'approche du Canada à l'égard de l'Afrique --> CNNTD Submission to Canada's International Climate Finance Consultations 2024/ Soumission de la CNNTD aux consultations internationales du Canada sur le financement climatique 2024 The Canadian Network for NTDs recently submitted a written consultation in response to Canada’s post-2025–2026 international climate and nature finance commitment. Please find a copy of our submission here. ...... Le Réseau canadien pour les MTN a récemment soumis une consultation écrite en réponse à l'engagement du Canada en matière de climat international et de financement de la nature pour la période post-2025-2026. Vous trouverez une copie de notre soumission ici. --> Join our Virtual Consultation!/ Participez à notre consultation virtuelle! Help us shape our pre-budget written submission ahead of Federal Budget 2025! Please register below for this open consultation on Tuesday, July 23rd at noon EDT.  ...... Aidez-nous à élaborer notre mémoire pré-budgétaire avant le budget fédéral 2025! Veuillez vous inscrire ci-dessous pour participer à cette consultation ouverte le mardi 23 juillet à midi EDT.  Virtual Consultation ahead of Federal Budget 2025/ Consultation virtuelle avant le budget fédéral 2025 --> Participate in a young professionals NTD video for the German Conference on Tropical Medicine and Global Health (CTM)!/ Participez à une vidéo sur les MTN destinée aux jeunes professionnels pour la Conférence allemande sur la médecine tropicale et la santé mondiale! For this year’s German Conference on Tropical Medicine and Global Health (CTM) in Düsseldorf on 19-21 September 2024, the German Youth Initiative for NTDs, in collaboration with the Canadian Network for NTDs and the Japanese NTD Youth Organization will be presenting on “NTD Youth Initiatives of the Global North”.  To give more NTD Youth Initiatives the opportunity to present themselves to a broader audience, we are planning to create a video together with all interested initiatives, in which each group can include a slide on its organisation, members, activities and more.

If you are interested in being included in the video and want to prepare a slide on your NTD Youth Initiative, please email Mirna Abd El Aziz . ...... Pour la Conférence allemande sur la médecine tropicale et la santé mondiale de cette année à Düsseldorf du 19 au 21 septembre 2024, l'Initiative de la jeunesse allemande pour les MTN, en collaboration avec le Réseau canadien pour les MTN et l'Organisation japonaise de la jeunesse pour les MTN, fera une présentation sur les "Initiatives de la jeunesse pour les MTN du Nord global".  Afin de donner à un plus grand nombre d'initiatives de jeunes pour les MTN la possibilité de se présenter à un public plus large, nous prévoyons de créer une vidéo avec toutes les initiatives intéressées, dans laquelle chaque groupe pourra inclure une diapositive sur son organisation, ses membres, ses activités, etc.

Si vous souhaitez figurer dans la vidéo et préparer une diapositive sur votre initiative de jeunesse NTD, veuillez envoyer un courriel à Mirna Abd El Aziz. --> C.A.N. 1.5 °C Resource / C.A.N. 1.5 °C Ressource C.A.N. 1.5 °C recently held it's first conference, engaging young people in action on climate and neglected tropical diseases. Please take a look at their report to learn more: Global Environmental Conference: Land Restoration, Desertification and Drought Resilience ...... C.A.N. 1.5 °C a récemment tenu sa première conférence, engageant les jeunes à agir sur le climat et les maladies tropicales négligées. Jetez un coup d'œil à leur rapport pour en savoir plus : Conférence mondiale sur l'environnement : Restauration des terres, résistance à la désertification et à la sécheresse --> In The News / Dans la presse Chad Eliminates Human African Trypanosomiasis/
Le Tchad élimine la trypanosomiase humaine africaine  Gavi to boost funding for the Live-saving Human Rabies Vaccine in 50 Countries/
Gavi augmente le financement du vaccin humain contre la rage dans 50 pays Funding to study neglected tropical diseases and develop new technologies is very limited / Le financement de l'étude des maladies tropicales négligées et du développement de nouvelles technologies est très limité.  --> Research Funding Opportunities /Possibilités de financement de la recherche Burroughs Wellcome Fund/ASTMH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Tropical Infectious Diseases: Are you from a U.S. or Canadian institution, with a medical degree and an academic appointment of fellow*, who is proposing to perform research in tropical infectious diseases? If selected, you can receive two years of support at $65,000 US per year to cover travel, stipend, fringe benefits, health insurance and capacity development at an overseas site. Apply here by July 24th, 2024 

IDRC's research awards application process for 2025 is now open! For more information about the themes and areas of work for these diverse awards, eligibility and application process, please visit this website. The deadline for submitting your completed application is September22, 2024 at 23:59 EST.
......................
Bourse postdoctorale Burroughs Wellcome Fund/ASTMH sur les maladies infectieuses tropicales: Êtes-vous originaire d'un établissement américain ou canadien, titulaire d'un diplôme de médecine et d'un poste universitaire de boursier*, et proposez-vous de mener des recherches sur les maladies infectieuses tropicales ? Si vous êtes sélectionné(e), vous pouvez bénéficier d'un soutien pendant deux ans à hauteur de 65 000 dollars US par an pour couvrir les frais de voyage, l'allocation, les avantages sociaux, l'assurance maladie et le développement des capacités sur un site à l'étranger. Postulez ici avant le 24 juillet 2024

Le processus de demande de bourses de recherche du CRDI pour 2025 est maintenant ouvert! Pour plus d'informations sur les thèmes et les domaines de travail de ces diverses bourses, l'admissibilité et le processus de demande, veuillez consulter ce site Web. La date limite pour soumettre votre demande dûment remplie est le 22 septembre 2024 à 23h59 HNE. --> Research /Recherche  

Canadian researchers are making a difference to NTDs. Listed are publications from Canadian-affiliated authors published since March 1st,  2024. Canadian-affiliated authors are bolded. Have we missed something? Let us know by sending an email. 

---

Les chercheurs canadiens font une différence dans le domaine des MTN. Les publications des auteurs affiliés au Canada publiées depuis 1er Mars 2024. Les auteurs affiliés au Canada sont en gras. 
Avons-nous manqué quelque chose? Faites-le nous savoir en nous envoyant un courriel.

Antonopoulos, A., Gilleard, J.S. and Charlier, J. (2024). Next-generation sequencing technologies for helminth diagnostics and surveillance in ruminants: shifting diagnostic barriers. Trends in Parasitology, [online] 40(6), pp.511–526. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2024.04.013.

Duguay, C., Niles-Robin, R.A., Thickstun, C.R., Cox, H., Sampson, A., Seme-Fils Alexandre, J., Caleb-Mars, N., Goss, C.W., Morice, A., Carvalho, G. and Krentel, A. (2024). Factors associated with never treatment and acceptability of mass drug administration for the elimination of lymphatic filariasis in Guyana, 2021. PLOS global public health, 4(4), pp.e0001985–e0001985. doi:https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pgph.0001985.

Dyer, C.E.F., Kalua, K., Chisambi, A.B., Wand, H., McManus, H., Liu, B., Kaldor, J.M. and Vaz Nery, S. (2024). Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Factors Influencing the Effectiveness of Mass Drug Administration to Eliminate Trachoma as a Public Health Problem in Malawi. Ophthalmic Epidemiology, [online] 31(2), pp.127–133. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/09286586.2023.2194409.

Godwin-Akpan, T.G., McCollum, R., Kollie, J., Berrian, H., Seekey-Tate, W., Smith, J.S., Zeela Zaizay, F., Chowdhury, S., Kollie, K.K., Rogers, E.J., Parker, C.B.M.C., Zawolo, G.V.K., Wickenden, A., Dean, L. and Theobald, S. (2024). Key lessons from Liberia for successful partnerships toward universal health coverage in low-resource settings. International health. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihae028.

Kam Lun Hon and Alexander K.C. Leung (2024). An update on the current and emerging pharmacotherapy for the treatment of human ascariasis. Expert opinion on pharmacotherapy. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/14656566.2024.2319686.

Kura, K., Stolk, W.A., Basáñez, M.-G., Collyer, B.S., de Vlas, S.J., Diggle, P.J., Gass, K., Graham, M., Hollingsworth, T.D., King, J.D., Krentel, A., Anderson, R.M. and Coffeng, L.E. (2024). How Does the Proportion of Never Treatment Influence the Success of Mass Drug Administration Programs for the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis? Clinical infectious diseases/Clinical infectious diseases (Online. University of Chicago. Press), [online] 78(Supplement_2), pp.S93–S100. doi:https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciae021.
  Malone, C.J., Oksanen, A., Mukaratirwa, S., Sharma, R. and Jenkins, E. (2024). From wildlife to humans: The global distribution of Trichinella species and genotypes in wildlife and wildlife-associated human trichinellosis. International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, [online] 24(24), p.100934. doi: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2024.100934.

Motto Nganda, Luhaka, P., Kukola, J., Ding, Y., Bulambo, C., Kadima, J., Kim, J., Marshall, S., Mulamba, R., Ngenyibungi, S., Florent Ngondu, F., Seekles, M., Sabuni, L. and Dean, L. (2024). Participatory development of a community mental wellbeing support package for people affected by skin neglected tropical diseases in the Kasai province, Democratic Republic of Congo. International health, [online] 16(Supplement_1), pp.i30–i41. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/inthealth/ihae008.

Perera, D.J., Koger-Pease, C., Paulini, K., Daoudi, M. and Ndao, M. (2024). Beyond schistosomiasis: unraveling co-infections and altered immunity. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 37(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.1128/cmr.00098-23.

Queffeulou, M., Leprohon, P., Fernandez-Prada, C., Ouellette, M. and Mejía-Jaramillo, A.M. (2024). CRISPR-Cas9 high-throughput screening to study drug resistance in Leishmania infantum. MBio. doi: https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.00477-24.

Touloupou, P., Fronterre, C., Cano, J., Prada, J.M., Smith, M., Kontoroupis, P., Brown, P., Rocio Caja Rivera, R.C., de Vlas, S.J., Gunawardena, S., Irvine, M.A., Njenga, S.M., Reimer, L., Seife, F., Sharma, S., Michael, E., Stolk, W.A., Pulan, R., Spencer, S.E.F. and Hollingsworth, T.D. (2024). An Ensemble Framework for Projecting the Impact of Lymphatic Filariasis Interventions Across Sub-Saharan Africa at a Fine Spatial Scale. Clinical infectious diseases/Clinical infectious diseases (Online. University of Chicago. Press), [online] 78(Supplement_2), pp.S108–S116. doi: https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciae071.

Ullah, W., Wu, W.-F., Malak, N., Nasreen, N., Swelum, A.A., Aguilar Marcelino, L., Niaz, S., Khan, A., Ben Said, M. and Chen, C.-C. (2024). Computational investigation of turmeric phytochemicals targeting PTR1 enzyme of Leishmania species. Heliyon, 10(6), pp.e27907–e27907. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e27907. --> Save the date for upcoming events / 
Gardez la date pour les événements à venir 24 July 2024 – Results Canada Webinar Mobilizing for Global Access to Vaccines #ForOurFuture
31 July 2024 - COR-NTD Research Links session: “PAHO’s Initiative for Elimination of Communicable Diseases- Advancing the Agenda
2 August 2024 – Canadian Conference on Global Health Abstracts Due
19-23 September 2024 - International Congress for Tropical Medicine and Malaria, Srawak, Malasia
1-3 October 2024 -  Annual NNN Conference, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 
13-15 October 2024 - World Health Summit, (Hybrid) Berlin, Germany
25-27 October 2024 – Canadian Conference on Global Health, (Hybrid) Vancouver, BC
13-17 November - ASTMH Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana   --- 24 juillet 2024 - Webinaire de Résultats Canada Mobiliser pour l'accès mondial aux vaccins
31 juillet 2024 - Session sur les liens de recherche du COR-NTD : "L'initiative de l'OPS pour l'élimination des maladies transmissibles - Faire avancer l'agenda
2 août  2024 - Conférence canadienne sur la santé mondiale : remise des résumés
19-23 septembre 2024 - Congrès international de médecine tropicale et de paludisme, Srawak, Malaisie
1-3 octobre 2024 - Conférence annuelle du NNN, Kuala Lumpur, Malaisie
13-15 octobre 2024 - Sommet mondial de la santé, (hybride) Berlin, Allemagne
25-27 octobre 2024 - Conférence canadienne sur la santé mondiale, (hybride) Vancouver, BC
13-17 novembre - Réunion annuelle de l'ASTMH, Nouvelle-Orléans, Louisiane  --> Join us! Rejoignez-nous! The Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases welcomes individual, organizational and international members. Find out about the benefits of membership and join CNNTD.  --- Le Réseau canadien des maladies tropicales négligées accueille des membres individuels, organisationnels et internationaux. Découvrez les avantages de l'adhésion et rejoignez le RCMTN. Copyright © 2024 Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases, All rights reserved.


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To add to the devastation of war and the complete breakdown of law and order, Gazans now have to contend with the threat of highly infectious polio disease linked to the disastrous sanitation situation created by the conflict, the UN health agency said on Friday.

96 Global Health NOW: Vaxes Lower Long Covid Risk; Blood Thinner Shows Promise Against Cobra Bites; and Look What the Cat Dragged Out View this email in your browser July 18, 2024 Forward Share Post Sandra Lindsay was the U.S.’s first recipient of a new updated COVID-19 vaccine. September 13, 2023, New Hyde Park, New York. Howard Schnapp/Newsday RM via Getty Vaxes Lower Long Covid Risk
Vaccination reduces the risk of developing long COVID, according to a new NEJM article based on analysis of the health records of 440,000 Veterans Affairs patients.

• Long COVID cases dropped during the pandemic’s Delta and Omicron phases, “but dropped almost twice as much for vaccinated people when the Omicron variant dominated cases,” STAT reports.

Delta (Study period: June–Dec. 2021)

• 9.51 out of 100 unvaccinated people were diagnosed with long COVID.


• 5.34 out of 100 vaccinated people were diagnosed with long COVID.

Omicron (Study period: Dec. 2021–Jan. 2022)

• 7.76 out of 100 unvaccinated people.


• 3.5 out of 100 vaccinated people.

“What we think is really important here is yes, long Covid has declined,” said senior author Ziyad Al-Aly. “But it’s not something that we can completely ignore.”

Warning: Given the immense numbers of people continuing to get infected and reinfected, “3.5 percent per 100 adults infected will translate into millions of additional cases of long Covid,” Al-Aly told The New York Times (gift link).
  
New shots: Pfizer and Moderna said that in August they will roll out COVID vaccines that target new strains, per STAT.
 
Related: 
 
Long Covid and Vaccination: What You Need to Know – The New York Times (gift link)
 
Biden just got covid. What are the latest coronavirus guidelines? – The Washington Post (gift link)

Summer COVID levels are on the rise: Track the spread by region – USA Today
 
CDC analysis shows high rate of parental hesitation toward kids' vaccinations – CIDRAP
 
No significant risk of birth defects after pregnant women got COVID vaccine in 1st trimester: Study – ABC GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Dominican activists turned out yesterday to protest the nation’s total abortion ban, which is expected to win lawmakers’ final approval in the next few days; DR is one of four Latin American nations to criminalize abortion without exceptions. AP

Women are more likely to die from breast and cervical cancer in a cluster of southern U.S. states where screenings and other preventive care lag behind the rest of the country, according to a new Commonwealth Fund analysis of 2022 data. Axios

Millions of chickens killed in response to avian flu outbreaks are being composted or buried in landfills, raising concerns from health experts; Minnesota’s state veterinarian warned that dumping dead birds in landfills creates a “restaurant for scavengers” and a “recipe for disaster.” Reuters

Children who have access to green spaces in their early years have better lung function than those who don’t live in green neighborhoods, according to a new study published in Environment International; researchers from the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal) based the finding on data from 35,000 children in eight European countries. Euronews SNAKEBITES Blood Thinner Shows Promise Against Cobra Bites
Researchers have discovered a new antidote for cobra bites that could “drastically” reduce injury from tissue death caused by bites: the common blood thinner heparin.

• Drawing on CRISPR gene-editing technology, researchers discovered that heparin can bind to and neutralize cobra venom’s tissue-damaging toxins, per results published yesterday in Science Translational Medicine.


• Current antivenom treatment—based on 19th-century technology—is pricey and does not effectively treat necrosis of the flesh near bite sites.

The Quote: “Heparin is inexpensive, ubiquitous and a World Health Organisation-listed Essential Medicine. After successful human trials, it could be rolled out relatively quickly to become a cheap, safe and effective drug for treating cobra bites,” said lead author Tian Du of the University of Sydney.
 
The Independent GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CLIMATE CRISIS Dangerous Heat Creeps Across U.S.
Sweltering heat has gripped much of the U.S., and millions of Americans are currently under heat advisories, continuing an upward trend:

• The U.S. saw approximately 1,602, 1,722, and 2,302 heat-related deaths in 2021, 2022, and 2023, respectively. 


• Heat deaths often aren’t counted as such because of medical coding, so those numbers may be much higher.

Extreme heat contributes to societal impacts such as rising violence and declines in worker productivity. And the impact isn’t uniform: Redlined areas, which have far fewer trees, tend to be hotter than non-redlined areas.

Climate change is normalizing these extreme heat patterns. Locations that have historically not experienced such high temperatures—like New England—are seeing more hot days.

Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health

Related: 

A Biden rule on heat safety at work could take years — but if you’re pregnant, you’re already protected – The 19th 

The US is failing renters during extreme heat waves – Vox THURSDAY DIVERSION Look What the Cat Dragged Out 
One evening earlier this summer, about 500 people gathered at a local park in Minneapolis. Several held signs saying “Show Us Your Cats!” and others wore cat-themed clothes. 

They were ready to pounce on the Wedge neighborhood’s annual cat tour: a roughly 2-mile pilgrimage to fête any felines that might be peering from windows or perched on porches.  

Curiosity thrilled the cat lovers: The tour started seven years ago, when Wedge resident John Edwards decided to lead a dozen locals on an impromptu promenade to seek out the neighborhood’s cats.

An event with nine lives: What was meant to be a one-time occasion is now a beloved tradition. This year, there were about 22 stops along the one-hour tour.

• “It was a joke, and now it’s real,” said Edwards, a self-described dog person. 

The Washington Post (gift link) QUICK HITS Study suggests earlier US-licensed H5N1 vaccines prompt antibodies to current strain ​​– CIDRAP

Inside the Filipino jails struggling to contain an ancient killer – The Telegraph

Mammograms have pros and cons for people in their 40s. Women can handle the nuance – NPR Shots

Make gene therapies more available by manufacturing them in lower-income nations – Nature (commentary)

Sealed bottles of tattoo and permanent makeup ink test positive for millions of bacteria, FDA says – CNN

Alcoholic liver disease in China: A disease influenced by complex social factors that should not be neglected – Medical Xpress

Violence Prevention Researchers Release Toolkit Aimed at Establishing Violence Reduction Councils in Local Communities to Save Lives  – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

The ‘PhD influencers’ logging lab life on TikTok and Instagram – Nature Issue No. 2573
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe

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  CONTACT US
  Copyright 2024 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 Bloomberg School.


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96 Global Health NOW: Heat Aiding H5N1 Spread on Farms; Saudi Arabia Steps In for Syrian Children; and Bread, Milk … Bullets? View this email in your browser July 17, 2024 Forward Share Post Ventilation fans on a farm building in Ridgley, Maryland. June 22, 2017. Edwin Remsburg/VW Pics via Getty Heat Aiding H5N1 Spread on Farms
The high temperatures scorching much of the U.S. may aid the transmission of avian flu on large dairy and poultry farms, Axios reports.

• Temperatures that top 38C (100F) are hindering biosafety protocols that limit the spread of the H5N1 virus.


• The need for PPE—including Tyvek suits, respirators, goggles, boots, and gloves—to protect against the virus can conflict with the need to protect workers against the heat, said CDC principal deputy director Nirav Shah.


• The high temperatures and the industrial fans used to cool poultry workers make it hard to maintain seals for masks or eye protection.


• The large fans circulate debris that can contain the virus.

Colorado outbreak: Four Colorado workers confirmed to be infected with avian flu were working in 40C (104F) heat to cull a large flock of infected chickens, Reuters reports.

• Of the 160 workers charged with killing the 1.8 million chickens on the Colorado farm, 60 workers with symptoms have been tested so far, per CIDRAP.


• Analysis of the virus doesn’t reveal changes that would make it easier for the virus to spread among people.

Related: 

The Liverpool vaccine factory preparing for a H5N1 bird flu pandemic – The Telegraph

Australia is aiming to eradicate bird flu. This is how scientists are tracking and tracing the outbreak – ABC Australia

U.S. bird flu response builds on lessons from COVID – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Detention facilities in the Philippines—described as “inhumane” by one of the country’s Supreme Court Justices—are moving to adopt the Nelson Mandela Rules, which aim to ensure that all prisoners are treated with respect and dignity. UN News
 
Dozens of asylum-seeking children housed in the UK’s Home Office hotels are missing—and a new University College London and ECPAT UK report reveals that many are likely to have been trafficked, sparking calls for public inquiry. The Guardian
 
The foodborne bacterium Campylobacter is nearly twice as common in backyard chicken flocks (22%) compared to their farm-dwelling counterparts (12%), but the isolates on commercial farms were more frequently antibiotic-resistant, per a new prevalence study of North Carolina chickens. CIDRAP

More than 1 in 4—70 million+—U.S. adults reported having a disability in 2022, per the CDC’s annual Disability and Health Data System update—the first to include data on symptoms related to long COVID, found to be more prevalent among people with disabilities (10.8%) than those without (6.6%). CDC (news release) HUMANITARIAN AID Saudi Arabia Steps In for Syrian Children
In a hospital in Reyhanli, Saudi Arabia, one team of volunteers is on a mission: to give cochlear implants to children who would otherwise have no access to the technology, due to cost or unavailability.
 
Under the project, run by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, ~940 children—most of whom are from parts of northern Syria administered by Turkey—are set to receive the implants as well as the therapy and ongoing maintenance they require.

• Throughout the war, aid groups have noted widespread disabilities among Syrian children, including hearing loss due to exposure to explosive weapons.

The implants’ impact on the children who get them, many of whom have never been able to hear and consequently have not been able to develop speech, can be life-changing.

The Telegraph GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FIREARMS Bread, Milk … Bullets?
A new and controversial type of vending machine has popped up in several grocery stores in Texas, Oklahoma, and Alabama. The machines sell gun ammunition.

Despite claims that the machines use technology to prevent theft or illegal purchases, gun violence prevention experts have concerns about convenience, security, and loopholes. 

For example, a vending machine can’t recognize that a buyer is in crisis or legally prohibited from purchasing ammo.

• There are too many unknowns about how the machines could affect public safety, says Joshua Horwitz, co-director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions.

The New York Times (gift article) LETTER TO THE EDITOR Substance Use Language 
I’m writing to encourage you to use different language and imagery when talking about substance use and people who use substances (July 9 summary, “Vancouver’s Catastrophic Overdose Epidemic”). 

For language, I’d really encourage the use of person-first and person-centered language (e.g., “person who uses substances”) when discussing these topics. A variety of organizations have put together addiction language guides (e.g., the Associated Press, the White House, and Shatterproof), and research has documented that the use of non-person-first language (e.g., “abuser,” “fentanyl user”) elicits more stigmatizing attitudes, more punitive reactions, and even less empathy. As for imagery, sensationalizing and violent imagery related to substance use also has been found to elicit similar reactions.
 
Evan L. Eschliman, PhD, MS
New York, NY QUICK HITS

Mpox did not fade away. Africa faces two alarming outbreaks —- and lacks vaccines – NPR Goats and Soda

FACT FOCUS: Trump falsely claims babies can be seen to change ‘radically’ after vaccination – AP

Climate change isn’t India’s fault, but it is India’s responsibility – Harvard Public Health Magazine (commentary)

‘Society doesn’t want my kids’: China’s single women forced abroad to freeze their eggs – The Guardian

Elite controllers: do their genomes hold the key to curing HIV? – Nature

Strengthening accountability for tuberculosis policy implementation in South Africa: perspectives from policymakers, civil society, and communities – BMC Global Public Health

Tuskegee syphilis study whistleblower Peter Buxtun has died at age 86 – AP

Supplements slow disease progression during late stage of 'dry' age-related macular degeneration – NIH/National Eye Institute via ScienceDaily

What is ‘Teflon flu’? It’s linked to a coating on some nonstick pans. – The Washington Post (gift article)

Issue No. 2572
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

Please send the Global Health NOW free sign-up link to friends and colleagues: http://www.globalhealthnow.org/subscribe

Want to change how you receive these emails? You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list. -->
ABOUT
SUPPORT US
NEWSLETTER ARCHIVE
  CONTACT US
  Copyright 2024 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 Bloomberg School.


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96 Global Health NOW: ‘Heat Poverty’ in India; Australia’s Disability Discrimination?; and The Lead Cost Extreme heatwaves are forcing people in India to borrow money to buy air conditioners. View this email in your browser July 16, 2024 Forward Share Post A man takes a break from selling water bottles on a hot afternoon near the India Gate in Delhi. Cheena Kapoor ‘Heat Poverty’: A Growing Threat in India
NEW DELHI—Increasingly extreme heatwaves are forcing some in India into “heat poverty” as they borrow large sums to buy air conditioners for their homes.

• The air conditioners may make life bearable as temperatures have reached as high as 52°C (126°F) this year, but they are sharply increasing personal debt while exacerbating the urban heat island effect in crowded cities, writes Delhi-based journalist Cheena Kapoor.  

Maya’s story: After enduring several summers of extreme heat, Maya Devi borrowed US$215 (about two months of the family’s income) from her son’s employer last year to buy a used air-conditioner.

• She wanted to spare her children another summer of heat-related nausea, headaches, and dehydration.

• The employer deducts $15 per month from her son’s already low salary, pushing the family deeper into debt.

• To save electricity costs, the family only uses the air conditioner for a half hour during the day and about an hour at night. 

Growing need: The market for air conditioners is estimated to grow to US$5 billion by 2028, with most of the new units bought with loans.
 
Trapped: “It is a vicious cycle, either we avoid loans, suffer in heat and miss work, or we take loans, stay healthy and work to pay off the debt,” says Devi.
 
Cheena Kapoor for Global Health NOW
  READ THE FULL STORY GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   MPs in The Gambia voted to uphold a ban on female genital mutilation introduced in 2015; 34 out of 53 lawmakers voted to retain the ban in the country, which has the world’s ninth-highest rate of FGM. The Guardian
 
Cape Town is facing a rare outbreak of rabies in fur seals, with at least 11 testing positive for the virus likely spread by dogs or jackals along the coast; aggressive seals have attacked and bit surfers. The Telegraph
 
Côte d'Ivoire health workers kicked off a campaign yesterday to vaccinate children with the newest three-dose R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine, developed by Oxford-University and the Serum Institute of India; 250,000 children under two are slated to get the vaccine. AP
 
The transition to dolutegravir, the HIV treatment used by 24 million people in LMICs, will reduce carbon emissions by ~26 million tons from 2017 to 2027 compared to its predecessor, efavirenz, according to a Unitaid report; dolutegravir requires lower amounts of pharmaceutical ingredients, reducing emissions during production. Health Policy Watch DATA POINT HEALTH DISPARITIES Australia’s Disability Discrimination?
Australia is one of the few countries that evaluates immigrants’ visas based on their medical needs—and the cost of their care.

• The government will typically deny visas if medical care will cost more than A$86,000 (US$57,000) over a maximum of 10 years.

The government says the law is necessary to curb overspending and protect health care access for citizens. 

But advocates say the law is discriminatory: The country’s Migration Act is exempt from its own Disability Discrimination Act.

Under examination: An official review of the health requirements is currently underway—a shift advocates have been seeking for years. 

BBC   ALCOHOL An End for Germany’s “Supervised Drinking”? 
German health minister Karl Lauterbach and other leaders are calling for the end of “supervised drinking” for people under 16 in bars and restaurants. 

• Teenagers in Germany between 14 and 16 can consume wine, beer, and wine-like drinks if accompanied by a parent or guardian.

• The country had the fifth highest alcohol consumption per capita in the world, per a 2016 study.  

• The proportion of teenagers consuming alcohol in Germany is among the highest internationally. 

Youth drinking risks: Supporters of the ban argue that parental oversight does not negate the harmful effects of drinking for minors and that the likelihood of addiction is higher the earlier alcohol consumption begins. 

DW  GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES WATER The Lead Cost 
A new U.S. EPA proposal would require the replacement of all lead-containing water lines within 10 years. Previous guidelines allowed 30 years and only in cases where lead levels were higher than 15 parts per billion.

• More than 9 million water service lines contain lead in the U.S.
• Lead can cause organ damage, miscarriage, and cardiovascular disease, among other dangers. 

The real cost: Replacing the pipes is estimated to cost from $46 billion to +$90 billion.

• But a 2023 analysis shows that benefits of replacing the pipes exceed the costs by a 35:1 ratio and may save $9 billion in annual health care.

NPR QUICK HITS Are warmer temperatures causing fungi to attack humans? Two deaths in China suggest it may be – The Telegraph

Campaigners target Philip Morris' flagship heated tobacco US launch – Reuters

Higher MRSA rate in cats, dogs than people may signal need for more vet antibiotic oversight – CIDRAP

Despite past storms' lessons, long-term care residents again left powerless – KFF Health News

From Trauma to Triumph: Kenyan Women’s Courageous Battle Against Female Genital Mutilation – IPS

As a baby bust hits rural areas, hospital labor and delivery wards are closing down – NPR Shots

A (covert) pre-Olympics dip in the E. coli-infested Seine – The New Yorker Issue No. 2571
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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96 Global Health NOW: Child Vax Coverage’s Global Stall; Bitcoin’s Debilitating Impacts; and Millennials’ Mortality An estimated 14.5 million “zero-dose” children received no vaccinations in 2023. View this email in your browser July 15, 2024 Forward Share Post A health worker injects a student with the diphtheria and tetanus vaccines in Lhokseumawe City, Indonesia, on December 1, 2022. Fachrul Reza/NurPhoto via Getty Child Vax Coverage Stalled Globally in 2023  
Global and national public health efforts failed in 2023 to raise childhood vaccination coverage to pre-COVID-19 levels, per WHO and UNICEF estimates published today.

• There were an estimated 14.5 million “zero-dose” children who received no vaccinations whatsoever.


• The stall left an additional 2.7 million children un- or under-vaccinated compared with 2019 levels, WHO notes.

What’s holding back vaccination programs? Conflicts and other humanitarian crises are key reasons—more than half of zero-dose children live in countries rocked by such challenges, The Guardian reports.

• In Sudan alone, the number of unvaccinated children rose to an estimated 701,000 last year from ~110,000 in 2021.  

And … Misinformation about vaccines that was shared during the pandemic persists and is costing lives, said Katherine O’Brien, WHO’s vaccines department chief.

What’s next? The dismal numbers led WHO to again advocate for the Immunization Agenda 2030 (IA2030), which seeks to increase vaccine coverage to 90% and reduce zero-dose children numbers to 6.5 million by 2030. The IA2030 Partnership Council is calling for:

• Greater investment in innovation.


• Increased support for national routine immunization programs, including “robust political support, community leadership, and sustainable funding.”   

Related: Conflicts And Humanitarian Crises Stall Global Immunisation Of Children – Health Policy Watch GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The U.S. CDC has confirmed four infections of H5N1 bird flu virus in poultry workers, and a fifth suspected case is pending confirmation; the workers showed a range of mild symptoms from conjunctivitis to respiratory signs—but none were hospitalized. Reuters
 
Ozempic use is associated with a lowered risk for cognitive problems including dementia, according to a study published July 11 in eClinicalMedicine; University of Oxford researchers analyzed 100,000+ U.S. patient records—including 20,000 people taking a semaglutide, commonly known as Ozempic or Wegovy, for diabetes. The Hill 

Nearly a tenth of people infected with the coronavirus during pregnancy developed long COVID-19 in a study published July 11 in Obstetrics and Gynecology; a 2022 CDC report found up to 7% of Americans report symptoms associated with long Covid. The Washington Post (gift link)

Self-identifying “night owls” scored better on cognitive tests than those who identified themselves as “morning people” in a U.K. survey of 26,000 people, per a July 11 study published in BMJ Public Health. Imperial College London (news release) NOISE POLLUTION Debilitating Impacts of Bitcoin 
As large-scale Bitcoin mines and vast data centers proliferate, so do illnesses reported by people living near them. 

One example: In Granbury, Texas, 40+ people reported hypertension, tinnitus, migraines, and other conditions—which they linked to the arrival of a Bitcoin mine.
 
The cause? Residents say they are afflicted by the machines’ “dull aural hum,” at a volume that often surpasses sound ordinances.

• Studies have increasingly linked prolonged exposure to noise pollution with cardiovascular damage. 


• The European Environmental Agency has said noise pollution at 55+ decibels can cause illness. The Granbury Bitcoin mine emits 70-90 decibels on a nightly basis.

TIME GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CANCER Evading the Reality of Millennials’ Mortality 
An unprecedented number of younger Americans are dying of cancers typically found in older people.

• Millennials born in 1990 are 2X more likely to develop colon cancer than baby boomers born in 1950.


• They are also being diagnosed with cancers at more advanced stages and with more aggressive tumors than older adults.

But many doctors are still averse to having direct conversations about death with this age group, writes palliative care physician Sunita Puri in an essay, often because of the acute pain of having a terminal diagnosis in the “prime of life”—with young children at home or burgeoning careers.

The Atlantic ZOONOTIC DISEASES Macaque Malaria Frustrates Malaysia 
  Malaysia has been on the brink of eliminating malaria since 2019. But its “malaria free” status continues to be thwarted by a species of the malaria parasite primarily found in macaque monkeys.

• 25,000+ people in Malaysian Borneo have contracted the simian parasite, which can cause nausea, fever, and sometimes death. 


• Cases jumped by 850% between 2008 and 2021.

Behind the spike: The disease’s spread to humans is driven by deforestation, as Malaysia has lost roughly a third of its total tree cover since 2000.

Research questions include determining the prevalence of the disease among macaques—and whether it can adapt to better spread between people.

The Telegraph OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Famine threatens Khartoum’s South Belt as free kitchens close – Sudan Tribune

They Survived the Highland Park Mass Shooting. It Opened Their Eyes. – The Trace

Michigan confirms sixth measles case of the year – CIDRAP

Bird flu snapshot: As the number of infected dairy herds mount, so too does pessimism about driving H5N1 out of cows – STAT

‘I asked myself, why is he going public?’: working with a Big Tobacco whistleblower – The Bureau of Investigative Journalism

High bar for famine declaration can delay aid, scientists say – Science

Extreme heat and some medicines can be a risky combo. Here’s what to know – AP

'Forever chemicals' used in lithium ion batteries threaten environment, research finds – The Guardian

Tampons contain lead, arsenic and potentially toxic chemicals, studies say. Here’s what to know – CNN Issue No. 2570
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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Twelve years on from independence the people of South Sudan continue to face huge challenges, exacerbated now by the war in neighbouring Sudan, the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday.

New data published on Monday by UN agencies shows that immunization coverage for children worldwide stalled during 2023, leaving around 2.7 million lacking the protection they need compared to the pre-COVID-19 levels of 2019.

96 Global Health NOW: Sudan’s Spiraling Humanitarian Crisis; India Has a Drug Naming Problem; and Shearing the Love View this email in your browser July 11, 2024 Forward Share Post A child who fled Singa, the capital of Sudan's southeastern Sennar state, arrives in a makeshift camp for displaced people in Kassala in eastern Sudan on July 6. AFP via Getty Sudan’s Spiraling Humanitarian Crisis
The civil war in Sudan is forcing millions of internally displaced people to try to survive amid rampant disease, hunger, and attacks on health care.

• With at least 9.1 million people displaced, the country has “the largest internally displaced population ever reported,” per UNCHR.


• A conservative estimate says at least 14,000 civilians have been killed, The Guardian reports.


• Since the war began, 7 million+ people have been internally displaced—4 million of them are children.


• 8.9 million children are “acutely food insecure,” per Mandeep O’Brien, Unicef’s country representative for Sudan.

Multiple challenges: Aid organizations say medicine, food, and shelter are not sufficient as refugee camps and temporary settlements swell in size.
 
Health care attacks: At least 77 hospitals in Sudan have been attacked since the crisis began in April 2023 when fighting broke out between the army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, NPR reports.

• Just 2% of internally displaced people in the country can access health care, according to the International Rescue Committee.

Creative response: The IRC and other organizations are setting up mobile clinics in schools, other buildings, and beneath trees.

Related: Sudanese refugees hiding in Ethiopian forest to escape bandits and militias – Al Jazeera GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   The UN Human Rights Council strongly condemned violations and human rights abuses of the Rohingya community by the military and armed opposition groups in Burma (Myanmar) in a resolution yesterday, underscoring reports of targeted killings, indiscriminate violence, and forced conscription. UN News
 
Dozens of salmonella illnesses have been linked to consuming raw milk from a Fresno, California, farm this past February, per newly released state records showing the outbreak was much bigger than previously disclosed; currently, the U.S. public is being warned to avoid unpasteurized milk due to an avian flu virus found in dairy cows. AP
 
Nearly 200 people have been infected with dengue in the states of New York and New Jersey this year, per the CDC, adding to the ~2,500 people infected in the U.S. so far—about 5X more than the same time last year; Puerto Rico, which has the bulk of the cases, declared a dengue emergency last March. ABC
 
Anyone under 16 in Brussels caught riding an electric scooter now risks a €58 fine, as scooter companies are mandated to improve age verification efforts to prevent underage use—part of a new regulatory structure implemented in response to a marked rise in scooter-related accidents. The Bulletin (Brussels) GHN EXCLUSIVE Q&A Carlos Duarte/Getty India Has a Drug Naming Problem
India’s $50 billion pharmaceutical industry supplies drugs across the globe, but flimsy regulation in the domestic market allows the sale of countless easily confused drug names, says Dinesh Thakur, co-author of The Truth Pill: The Myth of Drug Regulation in India.
 
Takeaways from GHN’s talk with Thakur, who has spent the past decade advocating for tighter drug safety regulations:

On dangerously similar drug names: “Medzole” is marketed in India by four different companies to sell four different active ingredients for different medical conditions. There’s a sedative, Medzole; Medzole-DSR, which treats acid reflux; Medzole 400, a deworming treatment; and Medzole 200, an antifungal treatment. 

On the risk similar names present: In India, most drug dispensaries don't have properly trained pharmacists, so the probability of somebody making a mistake—for example, dispensing a sedative for somebody who's actually suffering from an infection—is very high.

On India’s fragmented drug name approval process: If you're making a medicine formulation that already exists in the market, you just start a company and … get approval from a state drug regulator. 200 milligrams of acetaminophen, for example—there'll be thousands and thousands of drugs with that formulation called everything under the sun.
 
There’s more: Read the full article to learn why there’s finally political interest in reforming the drug naming process.

Annalies Winny, Global Health NOW
 
Ed Note: This article is part of a two-part GHN series on drug naming. Read Part I: “Why Do Prescription Drugs Have Such Crazy Names?” READ THE FULL Q&A GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES KIDNEY DISEASE CKDu Epidemic in Sri Lanka 
In Sri Lanka’s farming and fishing communities, men in their 30s and 40s have been experiencing what doctors call “chronic kidney disease of unknown origin” or CKDu.

Likely culprits: The cause is not clear, but experts suspect groundwater contaminated by pesticides and dehydration caused by extreme heat.

But: Many of the men cannot afford to reduce their risk for CKDu by staying hydrated with filtered water or stopping work that exposes them to dangerous pesticides and sweltering conditions.

• “They would rather buy food than clean drinking water, not realizing the impact of their decision,” says fisheries biologist Thanusanth Santhalingam.

The New York Times (gift article) THURSDAY DIVERSION Shearing the Love  
Wander into one North London neighborhood, and you may wonder if you’ve tripped down Alice’s rabbit hole or into a Seussian fantasyland.
 
Throughout the streets, large, leafy creatures stand sentry: A pair of elephants, a squirrel, a hippo, and many more—even a freight train with a plum of pruned smoke.
 
It’s the topiary menagerie of Tim Bushe (yes, Bushe: “Maybe it was my destiny,” he says). For 15 years, Bushe has been meticulously clipping hedgerows into living art.
 
Topiary luminary: Bushe’s first topiary came as a request for a cat-shaped hedge from his late wife. Since then, he has grown his topiary garden as a labor of love for his neighborhood.
 
Hedge of allegiance: Maintaining his work takes dedication. Some “haircuts” are monthly rituals; a limb or facial feature may take months to manifest.

• “I could end up with one ear, for instance, and have to wait years for the other ear to grow,” Bushe said. 

The New York Times (gift link) QUICK HITS Palestinians dying as Israeli health ‘lockdown’ hits medical care across the West Bank – The Telegraph

Anger mounts in southeast Texas as crippling power outages and heat turn deadly – CNN

Bird flu response in Michigan sparks COVID-era worry on farms – Reuters

WHO prequalifies the first self-test for hepatitis C virus – WHO (news release)

Dengue Virus Linked To Elevated Risk Of Depression & Sleep Disorders – Forbes

Scientists edit the genes of gut bacteria in living mice – Nature

Biden plan requires hospitals to improve maternal care – Axios

Why new tools for fighting malaria need more media coverage – Association of Health Care Journalists

Why Do So Many Food Documentaries Seem to Think We’re Stupid? – The New York Times Magazine (gift article) Issue No. 2569
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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More Israeli evacuation orders in Gaza are further threatening the health of people in the embattled enclave, the Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO) said during a media briefing in Geneva on Thursday. 

96 Global Health NOW: Why Do Prescription Drugs Have Such Crazy Names?; Dying Alone in Japan; and Memories of Measles View this email in your browser July 10, 2024 Forward Share Post Tablets of the antidepressant Prozac. Paul S. Howell/Liaison Agency Why Do Prescription Drugs Have Such Crazy Names?
Wegovy. Zepbound. Prozac. Cialis. Xeljanz. 

How do drugs get such bizarre brand names? 

There is an intricate method to the madness—with safety at its core. 

WHO has flagged “look-alike, sound-alike” (LASA) medicines—think Klonopin (a branded seizure medication) versus clonidine (a generic blood pressure drug)—as a leading global cause of medication errors. In the U.S. alone, these errors cause at least one death every day and injure approximately 1.3 million people per year.

Today, the world’s strictest drug-naming regulators—the U.S., the European Union, and Canada—have increasingly tight rules designed to help avoid confusion.  

Branding consultants play an ever-larger role in identifying names that not only satisfy regulators, but make household names out of made-up words. That all started with “Big Bang”—as in Prozac. The blockbuster antidepressant was the first branded drug to really capture “hearts and minds”—and it changed everything, says Scott Piergrossi of Brand Institute, the firm behind countless drug names. 

Today, he says, the naming process is harder than ever and involves less free-associating over pizza and more asking ChatGPT for suggestions. Thousands of them.   

Annalies Winny, Global Health NOW READ THE FULL STORY GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   A key tuberculosis drug will be 40% cheaper in South Africa after drugmaker Johnson & Johnson decided not to enforce its patent on SIRTURO (bedaquiline)—a reversal that came after South African authorities opened an investigation into J&J’s “abuse of dominance.” AP

HIV infections increased in cities along the U.S.–Mexico border despite COVID-era restrictions, according to a study published in The Lancet Americas that focused on HIV and injection drug use in Tijuana and San Diego. Medscape

Nine polio cases in Afghanistan have been logged by the WHO in 2024—despite the Taliban Health Ministry’s announcement that the country has zero polio cases this year. VOA

STD diagnoses rose 4.8% in the U.S. between 2020 and 2023, with a 23.8% increase in people ages 65+, per a study in FAIR Health that analyzed insurance claims. CIDRAP POPULATIONS Dying Alone in Japan
As Japan’s population continues to age, solitary, unnoticed deaths are increasing. 

• Nearly 22,000 people died alone at home in the first three months of 2024. 80% were 65 or older. 


• Kodokushi, or solitary deaths, are expected to reach 68,000 by year’s end. 

A growing problem: 7.8 million+ people in Japan currently live alone. That number is expected to rise to almost 11 million by 2050.  

Community support: Since 2004, the Tokiwadaira community has had a “zero solitary death” campaign that includes a hotline and volunteer patrols. This year, apartment motion sensors were also introduced. 

The Guardian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MEASLES Memories of Misery
It’s been over 60 years since the measles vaccine paved the way for the disease to be largely eliminated in the U.S. 

That is enough time that few have any memory of measles’ devastating symptoms and long-term side effects—and even many doctors have never encountered it. 

That lack of memory is one reason cases are on the rise again:

• The U.S. has seen more measles cases this year than in each of the past two years.

Eyewitness accounts: The uptick has motivated a group of measles survivors to speak with reporter Lena Sun about their ordeals—and to remind people of the stakes. Recollections include:

• Being confined to dark rooms to lessen the risk of blindness.

• Extreme fatigue lasting months.

• Being unable to walk.

• Spreading the disease to more vulnerable family members.

The Washington Post (gift link) CORRECTION Missing Link
In yesterday’s lead summary on Vancouver’s catastrophic overdose epidemic, we neglected to include the link to the article.

It was published in The Telegraph. We regret making this error on such an important article. QUICK HITS Record-Breaking Dengue Infection Persists in the Caribbean – Health Policy Watch

Stimulant users caught up in fatal 'fourth wave' of opioid epidemic – NPR Shots

Understanding patient distress in sickle cell disease – News Medical

Using human rights to advance global health justice in an age of inequality – PLOS Global Health (commentary)

South Korea politician blames women for rising male suicides – BBC

Children’s daily sugar consumption halved just a year after tax, study finds
 – The Guardian

Middle East and North African countries need better rules for gain of function pathogen research – Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (commentary)

How PhD students and other academics are fighting the mental-health crisis in science – Nature Issue No. 2568
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Wednesday that it has prequalified the first self-test for the hepatitis C virus (HCV), thus accelerating efforts towards elimination of the viral infection. 

96 Global Health NOW: Vancouver’s Catastrophic Overdose Epidemic; Milk Bank Banned; and More Organs—More Ethical Questions British Columbia backtracks on experiment with decriminalizing drugs View this email in your browser July 9, 2024 Forward Share Post Medics attend to a man who overdosed on drugs in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Thursday, May 5, 2022. Gary Coronado/Los Angeles Times via Getty Vancouver’s Catastrophic Overdose Epidemic  
Scene from downtown Vancouver: 38-year-old Hailey lies on the pavement and gets an injection of fentanyl and benzodiazepines in her neck. Her eyes go out of focus as she confides she can’t wait to go into detox.

• Hailey is one of 5,000 active substance users in a 10-block corridor in the heart of the city, per a must-read feature by The Telegraph.

• Vancouver’s overdose death rate is 56 per 100,000 people, far above the U.S.’s rate of 32.6 per 100,000.

• The province reported 2,511 drug-related overdoses in 2023—87% of which were caused by fentanyl.

Decriminalization experiment: A year and a half into British Columbia’s experiment with decriminalizing drugs like fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, the province’s premier has recriminalized drug use in public spaces.
 
Blame game: While critics blame the government for creating a substance use epidemic, advocates for substance users say inadequate housing and social services are responsible.

“The reality is Vancouver has seen a 32 per cent increase in homelessness since the beginning of Covid,” says Brittany Graham, the executive director of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, adding: “What we are witnessing right now is a homelessness crisis on top of a toxic and unregulated drug supply.” GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
Researchers in Kenya will soon be releasing genetically modified mosquitoes to stem the spread of malaria-transmitting mosquitoes; the mosquitoes include a “self-limiting gene” that shortens the lifespan of female mosquitoes and a fluorescent marker gene that makes it possible to identify GM mosquitoes in the wild. Nation

Two cousins in Cambodia who touched dead chickens have been infected with avian flu; the country has now recorded seven H5N1 cases this year. CIDRAP 

STD diagnoses among U.S. seniors 65+ rose by nearly 24% during the pandemic; syphilis diagnoses among all adults increased by 29%, per FAIR Health’s database of 47 billion commercial health care claim records. Axios

~22 million Americans live in a county that doesn’t have a cardiologist, forcing them to drive an average of nearly 90 miles round trip to get specialty heart care. NBC News SURGERY More Organs—More Ethical Questions
More than 100,000 Americans are on waiting lists for organs, and ~17 die every day waiting for a transplant.
 
To both help alleviate the chronic shortage of organs and improve transplant outcomes, doctors are turning to a new kind of organ retrieval procedure, normothermic regional perfusion (NRP), that produces more, high quality livers, kidneys, and hearts.
 
The procedure replenishes the oxygen deprivation that the organs incur during the dying process, meaning they’re recovered in a healthier state. About half of the nation’s 56 organ procurement organizations have already started using NRP, according to the Association of Organ Procurement Organizations.
 
But—NRP has sparked an intense ethical debate over whether the technique blurs the definition of death.

NPR GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES RELIGION Milk Bank Banned 
The first, long-awaited breast milk bank in Pakistan has been shuttered before it could receive a single donation after Islamic clerics withdrew their approval.

Background: Doctors and advocates had been working on the bank for over a year, in hopes that it would help improve Pakistan’s neonatal mortality rate—which is one of the highest in the world.

• “The milk bank was one way of reducing our dismal neonatal mortality rate,” said Syed Rehan Ali, a NICU physician. 

Religious objections: Clerics say the bank is problematic because of what is known as the “kinship bond.” In Islam, when a baby feeds from a woman who is not the biological mother, any future marriage is forbidden between that baby and the woman’s own children.

• Advocates of the bank say they had devised a process to record donations digitally so that parents could know the source. 

 The Guardian OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Bird flu strain in US cows shows minimal air spread in ferret study – Reuters

Young people's mental health suffered amid COVID pandemic, 3 new studies suggest – CIDRAP

Thanks to a $1 billion gift, most Johns Hopkins medical students will no longer pay tuition – CNBC

Lebanon’s Deep Healthcare Crisis Exposed through Communicable Diseases – IPS

How Milwaukee's Native community is fighting opioid death surge – Wisconsin Watch

Surviving Breast Cancer - Nigerian Women Share Their Stories – The Conversation

Microwave technology saves diabetic patient from double amputation – BBC Issue No. 2567
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, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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