96 Global Health NOW: Essentials on a Snow Day A health crisis may emerge from Uganda's harsh anti-LGBTQ law. View this email in your browser January 19, 2024 Forward Share Post Lexi Paul, left, and Caroline Fonville, play in the snow in Takoma Park, Maryland, on Jan. 16. Sarah Voisin/The Washington Post via Getty Images Snow Day 
Baltimore got pelted with sufficient snow for Johns Hopkins to close today, giving Team GHN a welcome break. 

With this snowfall and an earlier snow this week that ended Baltimore’s more than 700-day snow drought, we’re all in the mood for some joyous sledding, snowball fights, and sipping hot cocoa while reading by the window.

We’ll be back, no doubt rested and rejuvenated, on Monday.

Meantime, here’s a handful of global health news stories to tide you over until then.—Brian


Quick Hits

With Harsh Anti-L.G.B.T.Q. Law, Uganda Risks a Health Crisis – The New York Times

China robot swims like a dolphin and can detect Sars-CoV-2, other viruses: paper – South China Morning Post

2024 WHO Board Meeting: Flexible Finances and Global Crises Top Agenda – Think Global Health

In this Oklahoma town, almost everyone knows someone who's been sued by the hospital - NPR Shots

Feds warn states displaying funny traffic signs: Proceed with caution – The Washington Post

And Your Friday Diversion: 

Italian province orders all dogs to be DNA tested in poo crackdown – The Guardian   Issue No. 2456
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, and Jackie Powder. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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Babies are being “delivered into hell” in Gaza with many others likely dying as a result of conflict with Israel and increasingly dire conditions in the enclave, UN humanitarians warned on Friday.

96 CNNTD Newsletter: World NTD Day 2024 |Bulletin du RCMTN: /Journée mondiale des MTN 2024 Recent news and updates from CNNTD | Nouvelles et mises à jour récentes du RCMTN View this email in your browser January 18, 2023 / Janvier 18, 2023 Canadian Network for Neglected Tropical Diseases Newsletter /
Bulletin d'information du Réseau canadien pour les
Maladies Tropicales Négligées -->  Join The Canadian Network for NTDs in Marking World NTD Day, January 30th, 2023! / 
Joignez-vous au Réseau canadien pour marquer la Journée mondiale des MTN, le 30 janvier 2023!

The Canadian Network for NTDs will be hosting an Orientation Session for all of the advocacy and engagement activities that we and partners have planned on January 22nd at noon. 

…...

Le Réseau canadien pour les MTN organisera une session d'orientation pour toutes les activités de plaidoyer et engagement que nous et nos partenaires avons planifiées le 22 janvier à midi. 

Register Here/ S'inscrire ici -->  Canadian Engagement in Global Trachoma Elimination Strategies / Engagement du Canada dans les stratégies mondiales d'élimination du trachome

Join us for an exciting online event where we will explore Canadian engagement in the global efforts to eliminate trachoma. Trachoma is a preventable neglected tropical disease and is the leading infectious cause of blindness globally, affecting millions of people in 42 countries worldwide.

This event will bring trachoma experts from the Americas, Africa and Europe to discuss the latest strategies and initiatives in trachoma elimination. Through engaging presentations and a panel discussion, participants will gain valuable insights into the Canadian contribution to trachoma elimination efforts. Learn about the approaches and partnerships being employed to combat this debilitating disease.
…

Rejoignez-nous pour un événement en ligne passionnant où nous explorerons l'engagement du Canada dans les efforts mondiaux pour éliminer le trachome. Le trachome est une maladie tropicale négligée évitable et la principale cause infectieuse de cécité dans le monde, affectant des millions de personnes dans 42 pays.

Cet événement réunira des experts du trachome des Amériques, d'Afrique et d'Europe pour discuter des dernières stratégies et initiatives en matière d'élimination du trachome. Grâce à des présentations attrayantes et à un débat d'experts, les participants auront un aperçu précieux de la contribution canadienne aux efforts d'élimination du trachome. Découvrez les approches et les partenariats mis en œuvre pour lutter contre cette maladie débilitante.

Register Here/ S'inscrire ici --> Let's Get Social for World NTD Day!/ 
Soyons sociaux pour la Journée mondiale des MTN! We would like to invite our members, partners and friends of the Canadian Network for NTDs to participate in part of our World NTD Campaign - Why I Act to Eliminate NTDs. We are hoping to showcase the people working towards NTD elimination and what motivates them to continue this work. Please click the link below to learn more.
...
Nous aimerions inviter nos membres, partenaires et amis du Réseau canadien pour les MTN à participer à une partie de notre campagne mondiale sur les MTN - Pourquoi j'agis pour éliminer les MTN. Nous espérons présenter les personnes qui travaillent à l'élimination des MTN et ce qui les motive à poursuivre leur travail. Veuillez cliquer sur le lien ci-dessous pour en savoir plus. --> Opportunities with the Canadian Network for NTDs/
 Opportunités avec le Réseau canadien pour les MTN --> Launching our 2024 Student & Young Professionals Ambassadorship for NTDs!/
 Lancement de notre programme 2024 d'ambassadeurs étudiants et jeunes professionnels pour les MTN! Do you LOVE global health equity and want to see Canada do more to ensure a future free from Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)? Then it's time to get creative and apply to our NTD Student and Young Professionals Ambassadorship video competition! Eligible applicants will be between the ages of 16 and 29, a Canadian citizen, an international student studying in Canada or a permanent resident. To learn more about how to apply, please follow the link below.  ... Vous AIMEZ l'équité en matière de santé mondiale et vous voulez que le Canada fasse davantage pour garantir un avenir sans maladies tropicales négligées (MTN)? Alors il est temps de faire preuve de créativité et de poser votre candidature à notre concours vidéo d'ambassadeurs pour les étudiants et les jeunes professionnels atteints de MTN ! Les candidats éligibles doivent être âgés de 16 à 29 ans, être citoyens canadiens, étudiants étrangers au Canada ou résidents permanents. Pour en savoir plus sur les modalités de candidature, veuillez suivre le lien ci-dessous.  Apply Now/ Postuler --> Launching the CNNTD NTD Research Award 2024!/
Lancement du prix de recherche sur les MTN du CNNTD 2024!  We loved recognizing one outstanding Neglected Research Paper last year so much, that we are bringing our NTD Research Award back again this year! Eligible submissions include NTD papers published in English, French or Spanish in a peer-reviewed journal in 2023 in partnership with a Canadian Institution. The deadline for submissions is April 30, 2023 at midnight EST.
...
Nous avons tellement aimé récompenser un article de recherche négligé exceptionnel l'année dernière que nous avons décidé de remettre le Prix de la recherche NTD cette année ! Les candidatures admissibles comprennent les articles sur les MTN publiés en anglais, en français ou en espagnol dans une revue à comité de lecture en 2023, en partenariat avec une institution canadienne. La date limite de soumission est le 30 avril 2023 à minuit HNE. Apply Now/ Postuler --> Novel Pharmacological Targets and Strategies to Treat Neglected Tropical Diseases (NGDs)
/ Nouvelles cibles et stratégies pharmacologiques pour traiter les maladies tropicales négligées (NGDs) Our Research Topic in Frontiers of Pharmacology Manuscript Submission Deadline has been extended to February 15th 2024. You can learn more at this link.
......
La date limite de soumission des manuscrits pour notre sujet de recherche dans Frontiers of Pharmacology a été prolongée jusqu'au 15 février 2024. Vous pouvez en savoir plus en cliquant sur ce lien. --> Save the date for upcoming events / 
Gardez la date pour les événements à venir 18 January 2024 - iCHORDS Webinar Addressing FGS using a gender-sensitive and human rights based framework
23 January 2024 - Canadian Engagement in Global Trachoma Elimination Strategies
23 January 2024 - Sightsavers & RSTMH Webinar on Trachoma: Accelerating Progress to Elimination as a Public Health Problem
26 January 2024 - One Health and NTDs Panel Discussion, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Université de Montréal
28 January 2024 - World Leprosy Day
30 January 2024 - World NTD Day
31 January 2024 - Launch: New Neglected Diseases G-FINDER Report
4-10 February 2024 - International Development Week
14-15 May 2024 - CanWaCH Healthy World Conference
7-10 March 2024 - CUGH Global Health Without Borders: Acting for Impact Conference
19 March, 2024 – NGDI-UBC Webinar on Global Health Access and Equity 
14-15 May 2024 - Healthy World Conference: Dialogues on Health, Gender & Climate
12 June 2024 - CSPS/CC-CRS Annual Symposium

---
18 janvier 2024 - Webinaire iCHORDS Aborder les BFG à l'aide d'un cadre sensible au genre et basé sur les droits de l'homme.
23 janvier 2024 - Engagement du Canada dans les stratégies mondiales d'élimination du trachome
23 janvier 2024 - Webinaire de Sightsavers et RSTMH sur le trachome : Accélérer les progrès vers l'élimination en tant que problème de santé publique
26 janvier 2024 - One Health and NTDs Panel Discussion, Faculté de médecine vétérinaire de l'Université de Montréal
28 janvier 2024 - Journée mondiale de la lèpre
30 janvier 2024 - Journée mondiale des MTN
31 janvier 2024 - Lancement: Nouveau rapport G-FINDER sur les maladies négligées
4-10 février 2024 - Semaine internationale du développement
14-15 mai 2024 - Conférence CanWaCH pour un monde en bonne santé
7-10 mars 2024 - CUGH Santé mondiale sans frontières : Acting for Impact Conference
19 mars 2024 - Webinaire NGDI-UBC sur l'accès et l'équité en matière de santé mondiale
14-15 mai 2024 - Conférence un monde en bonne santé: Dialogues sur la santé, le genre et le climat
12 Juin 2024 - Symposium Annuel CSPS/CC-CRS

--> 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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96 Global Health NOW: Davos, Ugh. But, Still, There’s Important News; A Doubled Fungal Threat; and Kosovo’s Antibiotic Apathy View this email in your browser January 18, 2024 Forward Share Post An overview of downtown Davos, Switzerland on January 17. Andy Barton/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Davos, Ugh. But, Still, There’s Important News  
’Tis the season for global elites to gather in a Swiss ski resort town to hobnob and share caring pronouncements with the rest of us.
 
The champagne, chalet, and caviar crowd may rankle some of us, but still, some important global health issues surfaced:
 
WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus urged global preparations for Disease X (the next unknown disease with pandemic potential), per Anadolu Agency.

• Key to success is adoption of the long-discussed pandemic agreement by May, Tedros told World Economic Forum attendees.


• Primary health care, as well as research, health infrastructure, and workforce investment, is essential.


• "So for our children and grandchildren's sake … we have to prepare the world for the future," he said.

The climate crisis could drive an additional 14.5 million deaths, $12.5 trillion in economic costs, and $1.1 trillion additional health care system costs, per a new World Economic Forum report.

• Higher temperatures and extreme weather events will worsen infectious and cardiovascular diseases and respiratory problems.

The “silent epidemic” of antimicrobial resistance could cost 10 million lives annually by 2050 as pathogens evade more prescription drugs, per Fortune’s Davos coverage.

• The economic costs could top $100 trillion by 2050. 

Good news: Investing in women’s health to close “the gender health gap” could yield benefits of $1 trillion per year, according to a McKinsey report released yesterday in Davos, The Guardian reports.
 
Related:

USAID to spend millions to counter lead poisoning – Semafor
 
WHO Director-General's remarks at the World Economic Forum - 17 January 2024 – WHO GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   China’s population dropped by 2 million in 2023: Deaths rose by 690,000 to 11.1 million (more than double the 2022 rise, attributed partly to the easing of COVID-19 restrictions) while births fell, despite the end of the one-child policy—putting China, with a total population of 1.4 billion, in second place globally (behind India). AP
 
A Chinese scientist submitted SARS-CoV-2’s genetic sequence to an NIH database two weeks before China’s official disclosure, according to documents shared with U.S. lawmakers and released yesterday—undermining the Chinese government’s claims of early information sharing and potentially delaying research on tests, treatments, and vaccines. CNN
 
Non-white U.S. children get poorer health care than white children—they’re less likely to get painkillers for broken limbs, appendicitis, or migraines, or standard care for conditions like diabetes—even after accounting for insurance coverage and other factors, per a new Lancet Child and Adolescent Health analysis drawn from dozens of studies. Reuters

Video gamers may be risking tinnitus or hearing loss from regular exposure to sound levels at or exceeding permissible limits, finds a systematic review in BMJ Public Health; the researchers say safe listening awareness interventions may be needed to protect the hearing of the world’s estimated 3 billion gamers. BMJ FUNGAL DISEASES A Doubled Threat 
Invasive fungal disease poses a greater threat than previously understood—with a new review showing that global incidence and mortality rates are “substantially higher” than older metrics show. 

In a systematic review published last week in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers found:

• 6.55 million+ people are affected by invasive fungal infections each year.


• Such infections lead to 3.75 million+ deaths annually—of which 2.55 million are directly attributable to the fungal disease.

Previous estimates of 1.5 million to 2 million annual deaths failed to include how fungal infections exacerbate diseases like cancer and AIDS, researchers say. 

Fungal asthma is also a major threat, per the review—affecting ~11.5. million people each year and contributing to 92,000 asthma deaths. 

CIDRAP GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE Kosovo’s Antibiotic Apathy
In Kosovo, the “runaway distribution” of antibiotics is compounding risks of antimicrobial resistance in the region, according to doctors and researchers who are calling for greater accountability. 

Easy acquisition: In Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, it is easy to get a full course of antibiotics from a pharmacy with no prescription—and “no questions asked.” 

No enforcement: Kosovo has laws and fines on the books to prevent inappropriate prescriptions, but little has been done to enforce them. 

Not enough pharmacists: Many pharmacies are operated not by pharmacists, but by dispensing technicians who aren’t fully trained in how antibiotics are meant to be used. 

The resulting threat: The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance in Kosovo is 2-5X higher for the majority of bacteria compared with the means in EU countries, per a 2019 report in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

RFE/RL CORRECTION Missing Link
In yesterday’s GHN, we shared a data point on the research estimating that COVID-19 vaccines saved 1.4 million lives in Europe—but we failed to include the link to our source for the news, UN News. We regret our lapse! You can read the UN News version here, or you can also check out the preprint of the research from the WHO European Respiratory Surveillance Network that is being submitted to The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. QUICK HITS IOM Chief: International Community Must Not Turn Its Back on World's Largest Displacement in Sudan – IOM

Bangladesh’s worst dengue epidemic on record puts hospitals under strain – The Guardian

Did the Black Death shape the human genome? Study challenges bold claim – Nature

America’s health system isn’t ready for the surge of seniors with disabilities – KFF Health News

The FDA is failing children with a rare, neglected disease sometimes called "childhood dementia" – Salon

'Say Something' tip line in schools flags gun violence threats, study finds – NPR Shots

Exciting new cancer drug kinder than chemotherapy – BBC

Pumping breastmilk in bathrooms is a common, albeit unspoken, practice at health care conferences – STAT Issue No. 2455
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, and Jackie Powder. 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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96 Global Health NOW: Health Care Eludes Millions of India’s Brick Kiln Workers; Tobacco Use Declines; and A Backfiring Breakthrough In Venom Research View this email in your browser January 17, 2024 Forward Share Post A woman molds bricks for a kiln in Rajasthan’s Ajmer district on March 26, 2023. Shreya Raman Millions of India’s Women Brick Kiln Workers Find Health Care Elusive
RAJASTHAN, India — Women who work in India’s brick kilns are a key part of a massive migrant workforce that produces India’s bricks.
 
But they face considerable barriers to health care.

• Women kiln workers often migrate from one state to another with their families to find work, and the subsequent lack of proper state health documents makes it difficult to get care they need.


• India’s pollution control policies also require kilns to be far from villages, forcing women to make a long trek to public health clinics and hospitals.


• Women kiln workers, who comprise as much as half of the country’s 10 to 23 million kiln workers, are often reluctant to seek medical care because stopping work means they won’t get paid.

Debt-bondage: Families are lured to India’s kilns with advance pay from contractors who then demand repayment. (Some workers earn just $6 [Rs 500] for 1,000 molded bricks.) Many are trapped in modern-day slavery.
 
One worker’s story: Nirmala gave birth at a government hospital last year in Ajmer by cesarean section. Although six weeks of rest is recommended for women who have had the procedure, she returned to work 15 days later.
 
“I started as soon as I could because we have to earn,” said Nirmala (whose name was changed for privacy reasons). “How else will we pay off our debts?” 
 
Shreya Raman for Global Health NOW GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Aid agencies in Yemen have begun suspending vital operations after U.S. and U.K. strikes, warning that military escalation could imperil already-dire living conditions for people living in the country. The Guardian

New cancer diagnoses are projected to top two million in the U.S. this year, per new American Cancer Society figures released today—a record high largely attributed to a troubling increase among Americans under age 50. Axios
 
The planned execution of an Alabama prisoner by nitrogen gas asphyxiation on January 25 could amount to torture, the UN human rights office warns, adding that Alabama makes no provision for sedation prior to execution—which even large animals euthanized in this way should receive, per the American Veterinary Medical Association. UN News

Heavy use of topical antifungals could be feeding the emergence and spread of antifungal-resistant infections, per a study in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that calls into question millions of prescriptions ordered by high-volume prescribers. CIDRAP DATA POINT TOBACCO Despite Decline, WHO Urges Vigilance
Global tobacco use continued to decline in 2022—with one in five adults using tobacco compared with one in three in 2000, per a new report from the WHO. 

Key findings:

• 150 countries are successfully reducing tobacco use, with Brazil and the Netherlands making some of the largest strides. 

• 6 countries continue to see an increase in tobacco use: Indonesia, Congo, Egypt, Jordan, Oman, and the Republic of Moldova.

• At 26.5%, the WHO South-East Asian Region has the highest percentage of its population using tobacco.

The Quote: “Good progress has been made in tobacco control in recent years, but there is no time for complacency. I’m astounded at the depths the tobacco industry will go to pursue profits at the expense of countless lives,” said Ruediger Krech of the WHO Department of Health Promotion.

WHO (news release) GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES SNAKEBITES A Backfiring Breakthrough In Venom Research
A once-promising new antibody drug for viper venom has instead become a perplexing puzzle after the drug actually worsened the snake toxins in animal trials, per a new study in Nature Communications.

The unexpected outcome, known as antibody-dependent enhancement, could provide new clues into antibody biochemistry—and lead to new lifesaving breakthroughs down the road. 

The surprise twist: The antibody drug had shown great efficacy up until animal trials. After envenomed mice were given a “rescue assay” of the antibody, the venom’s toxin became more deadly and killed mice.

• Researchers were “completely astonished” by the findings, said toxinologist Bruno Lomonte: “This is such an unprecedented finding in toxinology.”

The reasons: Researchers still don’t know. One theory is that the key toxin “hitchhiked” on the antibodies to gain better access to mice cells—a similar method used by some pathogens like dengue virus.

The implications: Researchers say the outcome, while disappointing, opens a new door in antibody research. 

The big picture: The dearth of effective antivenoms means that ~100,000 people are still killed by snake bites each year—leading researchers to call snake bites “the most neglected of neglected tropical diseases.”

Science QUICK HITS Afghan Women Accuse Taliban Of Torture And Extortion Amid Dress Code Crackdown – Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Authoritarian nations are ‘weaponising’ the West’s weak stance on human rights abuses, report warns – The Telegraph

New drug treatment could reduce malaria rates for pregnant women with HIV – Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine

WHO appeals for $1.5 billion to deliver healthcare in crises – UN News

UCSD study finds masking, proper ventilation helped prevent COVID-19 cases – KPBS/San Diego State University 

A Major First Next Generation Covid Vaccine: Could There Be More in 2024? (Update 13) – PLOS Absolutely Maybe (blog) Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner!

No Benefit Seen From Most Workplace Wellness Programs – HealthDay

'I'm not safe here': Schools ignore federal rules on restraint and seclusion – KFF Health News

The Unseen Barriers Around Bathroom Breaks in the Field – Undark Issue No. 2454
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, and Jackie Powder. 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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96 Global Health NOW: Measles Outbreaks in the UK, US; and Roadside Care for Kenya’s Truckers Rising measles cases and low vaccination rates are raising concerns. View this email in your browser January 16, 2024 Forward Share Post Measles Outbreaks in the UK, US  
Fueled by low vaccination rates, measles cases are popping up in the U.K. and raising concerns in the U.S.

Suspected measles cases in England and Wales leapt to 1,603 last year. In comparison, there were from 735 cases of measles, mumps, and rubella in 2022, and 360 in 2021, The Independent reports, using UK Health Security Agency data. 

• Nearly 200 current measles cases have been confirmed, and 100+ others are likely in the West Midlands, with 80% of cases in Birmingham.


• Birmingham Children’s Hospital reported on Friday that it was inundated with the highest number of measles cases in decades.


• Most cases are among children who haven’t had the MMR vaccine.

The Quote: “Vaccinations have decreased below 90 per cent and this is dangerous,” said the UK Health Department's Sir Andrew Pollard. “The vaccine is powerful if we use it, and it will protect our children.”

Meanwhile in the U.S.:

• Virginia health officials are warning that an international traveler passing through two Washington, D.C. area airports early this month has come down with measles, NBC reports. They warned unvaccinated travelers at Dulles airport on Jan. 3 and Reagan airport on Jan. 4 to watch for signs of measles.


• A doctors group in Philadelphia is offering free MMR jabs following an outbreak in the city with eight confirmed cases so far, per ABC.

EDITOR’S NOTE Snow Day, Short GHN
We’re running a slim version of GHN today, making time to go play in the snow—the first decent snow in two years!
 
GHN will be back in full force tomorrow. —Brian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES Roadside Care for Kenya’s Truckers
On the side of Kenya’s highways, a collection of shipping containers-turned-clinics have become medical havens for long-haul truckers.

On-the-go options: The network of 19 health clinics, operated by nonprofit North Star Alliance, are geared towards the country’s mobile workers, offering flexible hours and roadside access.

•  “When governments do their health planning, they usually plan for communities, but no one plans for mobile workers,” said North Star program manager Jacob Okoth. 

The clinics started at the height of the AIDS epidemic—when the trucking sector was losing up to 50% of its workforce to the virus. 

The organization has since extended its services to treat health issues common among truckers, such as hypertension and diabetes. 

The Guardian GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES QUICK HITS UN relief chief warns global health is “under threat like never before” – OCHA

Record $8.6 bln budget for Gates Foundation as wider global health funding stalls – Reuters

America is retreating from global health leadership at the worst possible time – Vox

Indonesia reports more vaccine-derived polio cases – CIDRAP

World leaders to meet to discuss threat of hypothetical 'Disease X' in Davos – The Independent

Viruses, bacteria, vectors, and climate change: how worried should the Americas be? – The Lancet (commentary)

Indian teen invents gadget that may transform dementia care – The Guardian Issue No. 2453
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, and Jackie Powder. 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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COVID-19 vaccines saved at least 1.4 million lives in Europe – “irrefutable” proof of the power of these inoculations, the regional head of the World Health Organization (WHO) said on Tuesday. 

The world enters 2024 with soaring cases of cholera globally, with over 667,000 cases and more than 4,000 deaths last year, UN agencies have reported.

The number of people using tobacco continues to decline despite industry attempts to jeopardize progress towards stamping out cigarettes and other such products, the World Health Organization (WHO) said in a report published on Tuesday. 

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday launched a $1.5 billion emergency appeal to provide care to more than 87 million people this year in 41 ongoing crises, including in the occupied Palestinian territory, Ukraine, Sudan, Syria and the Horn of Africa. 

96 Global Health NOW: 'The Last Mile' of Yaws Eradication; Sparser Population, Better Sanitation?; and Don’t Be a Blatherskite! Reviving Words of Yore View this email in your browser January 12, 2024 Forward Share Post Yaws screening in Ghana, July 18, 2018. iwishmynamewasmarsha via Flickr/Creative Commons License 'The Last Mile' of Yaws Eradication
The neglected tropical disease yaws has been an elusive eradication target for decades. But improved diagnostics, treatment options, and surveillance are giving researchers and public health workers new hope.

• The WHO aims for eradication by 2030.

About the disease: Yaws, caused by a bacterium related to syphilis, spreads through skin contact, causing wart-like tumors turning into ulcers. It primarily affects children in rural, low-income areas in Africa, Latin America, Asia, and the Pacific.

Obstacles to eradication:

• Dwindling case numbers made the disease less of a priority. Penicillin significantly reduced yaws in the 1950s, but holdout cases resurged later.


• Easier-to-administer antibiotic azithromycin arrived in 2012, but it's inaccessible in remote, low-income regions.


• A vaccine is still not available.

Further complicating efforts: reports of antibiotic resistance and primates harboring the bacterium. 

Still, researchers are hopeful that effective interventions can make elimination possible:

• More effective diagnostic tools.


• Sustained surveillance.


• Improved azithromycin accessibility.

Nature EDITORS’ NOTE No GHN Monday

Please note that we will not be publishing GHN this coming Monday, January 15, in honor of the U.S. holiday honoring Martin Luther King Jr. We’ll be back on Tuesday with more news—and a new GHN exclusive.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Cabo Verde is malaria-free, the WHO certified—making it the 43rd country in the world and the third in Africa to reach the “historic milestone.” WHO (news release)

Sri Lankan soldiers have been dispatched to help care for patients at key hospitals throughout the country, as hospital workers went on strike. Reuters

Air pollution’s link with dementia and stroke is becoming clearer, as a long-term UK study published in eClinical Medicine bolsters evidence of pollutants’ effects on declining brain health. The Guardian

Confusing COVID-reporting rules and inconsistent government policies for U.S. hospitals led to disparities in hospital data sharing during the height of the pandemic, according to a Michigan State University-led study published in Health Affairs Scholar. CIDRAP Gaza Crisis News Gaza: South Africa levels accusations of ‘genocidal conduct’ against Israel at world court – UN News

Gaza: 10,000 children killed in nearly 100 days of war – Save the Children

Looming Starvation in Gaza Shows Resurgence of Civilian Sieges in Warfare – The New York Times

Another layer of misery: Women in Gaza struggle to find menstrual pads, running water – NPR Goats and Soda INFECTIOUS DISEASES Sparser Population, Better Sanitation?  
Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema has urged residents of densely populated towns to relocate to rural villages in a bid to stem the cholera outbreak that has killed hundreds.

• More than 7,500 cases have been reported since last October.


• The disease has spread to eight of Zambia’s 10 provinces.

To address the sanitation issues behind the disease’s spread, Zambian authorities are also talking about upgrading existing urban slums and preventing new ones from emerging.
 
More response efforts:

• The WHO will soon send 1 million cholera vaccine doses.


• Neighboring Zimbabwe—also battling the disease—and Mozambique have heightened surveillance to prevent cross-border transmission.

BBC GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FRIDAY DIVERSION Don’t Be a Blatherskite! Reviving Words of Yore
  If you’re among the growing number of modern humans who fantasize about living in a historical drama, there’s hope! No corset required.
 
For 15 dutiful years, Wayne State University’s Word Warrior program has sought to bring deserving words back from “the brink of obsolescence” and resurrect the Dickensian flair we’ve been missing in life.  
 
Use one of this year’s picks in a sentence today!

• Blatherskite: Someone who speaks at length, making no sense.

• Curglaff: The shock of cold after hitting cold water. 

• Petrichor: That no-longer-hard-to-describe scent when fresh rain breaks the heat.

• Pettifogger: Basically an ambulance chaser.

Word Warriors czar Chris Williams is already using the picks in conversation: “I love to picture myself inhaling the petrichor after a summer thunderplump or listening to someone twankle away on a guitar,” he beamed, UPI reports. QUICK HITS Nearly 10,000 died from COVID-19 last month, fueled by holiday gatherings and new variant, WHO says – AP

Blinded, sexually assaulted, silenced: the war over lithium, Argentina’s ‘white gold’ – The Guardian

‘Gas-Station Heroin’ Sold as Dietary Supplement Alarms Health Officials – The New York Times

Soaring rent prices aren’t just hurting wallets. They’re shortening life spans. – USA Today

How to get meds to Africa faster — and safer – Bhekisisa

Ancient DNA reveals origins of multiple sclerosis in Europe – Nature

Organic Farm Raided Over Illegal Raw Milk Following Illness Outbreak – The Messenger

Study suggests people who limit meat 40% less likely to get COVID, but some experts skeptical – CIDRAP Issue No. 2452
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, and Jackie Powder. 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 UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday declared Cabo Verde free of malaria, hailing it as the latest success in the global fight against the disease.

96 Global Health NOW: Nipah Vaccine Trial Announced; Australia’s Stillbirth Prevention Success; and To Battle Bacteria, Britons Seek Viruses View this email in your browser January 11, 2024 Forward Share Post Nipah virus particles (red) near an infected  cell (blue and green). NIAID Vaccine Trial Against a Lethal, Neglected Disease  
University of Oxford scientists have launched the first human trial of a vaccine against the neglected disease Nipah, which has a mortality rate that can reach 75%.

• Fifty-one volunteers ages 18 to 55 got the jab as part of the trial that will evaluate the safety of the ChAdOx1 NipahB vaccine and analyze immune responses, EuroNews reports.


• The project will last 18 months, and additional trials are planned for countries that have the Nipah virus.


• The “viral vector” vaccine is based on technology developed for Oxford and AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 vaccine.

What’s Nipah?

• The viral disease is transmitted from animals to humans and has caused outbreaks in South and Southeast Asia.


• It can cause headache, dizziness, and respiratory problems, as well as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain).


• Its mortality rate ranges from 40% to 75%.

The Quote: “Nipah virus was first identified in 1998, and yet 25 years on, the global health community still has no approved vaccines or treatments for this devastating disease,” said principal investigator Brian Angus, per The Independent.
 
Bioethics angle: Other Oxford researchers yesterday called for greater attention to the ethical dimensions surrounding Nipah, in a Journal of Medical Ethics article. They highlighted strict responses to outbreaks such as lockdowns, as well as communications about transmission and vaccine trials. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   A French health advisory body gave a preliminary green light to “Endotest,” the endometriosis saliva test developed by Ziwig, allowing early use of the alternative diagnostic test while it continues to collect more data on its effectiveness. RFI
A new vaccine to prevent relapse of pancreatic and colorectal cancers in high-risk individuals showed promise in early trial results shared in Nature Medicine; the ELI-002 vaccine ignited a T cell response—indicating successful activation of the immune system—in 84% of the trial participants. Medical News Today
 
Nearly 1 in 10 adolescents worldwide have used non-prescription weight loss products promoted online like “nature’s Ozempic” (Berberine, a supplement) and “budget Ozempic” (laxatives), per a JAMA Network Open estimate—potentially putting young people at a higher risk of cardiac issues, eating disorders, and other illnesses. STAT

The UK ranked near the bottom for cancer survival rates in a Less Survivable Cancers Taskforce analysis of 33 countries of comparable wealth and income; just 16% of UK patients with lung, liver, brain, esophageal, pancreatic, and stomach cancers live for five years. The Guardian DATA POINT MATERNAL CARE Australia’s Stillbirth Prevention Success 
Australia has emerged as a global leader in preventing stillbirths, as officials—led by a senator who had a stillbirth—champion making such care integral to the country’s health system. 

Elements included in the country’s $40 million investment into stillbirth prevention:

• A government-funded stillbirth research center.


• A national stillbirth plan that links families, researchers, health systems, and lawmakers.


• “The Safer Baby Bundle,” a maternal care campaign that provides information about issues like smoking cessation, fetal growth and movement, safe sleeping, and optimal delivery times. 

Results: Between 2000 and 2021, Australia reduced its stillbirth rate from 3.7 per 1,000 births to 2.4—and health officials say they expect a further downtrend. 

The Quote: “If you ask which parts of the work in Australia can be done in or should be done in the U.S., the answer is all of it,” said Susannah Hopkins Leisher, an epidemiologist in the stillbirth research program at the University of Utah Health. 

ProPublica GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE To Battle Bacteria, Britons Seek Viruses
To try to combat drug-resistant illnesses, more Britons are seeking a controversial new viral treatment—often spending thousands and traveling overseas to access it. 

Bacteriophage—or phage—therapy uses viruses to target bacteria. While advocates say it is a safe antibiotic alternative, other researchers say the therapy comes with risks.

• Critics caution against widespread phage use, citing potential risks like immune system overstimulation and further bacterial resistance.

Treatment abroad: The therapy is not licensed in the U.K., so British patients have traveled for treatment in Eastern Europe, where it is more widely used. 

Meanwhile: Members of Parliament urged the government last week to allocate more funds for phage therapy research, amid rising concerns over growing antimicrobial resistance.

The Telegraph QUICK HITS WHO cancels sixth aid mission to Gaza over security concerns – Reuters

US verges on vaccination tipping point, faces thousands of needless deaths: FDA – Ars Technica

Higher viral load during HIV infection can shape viral evolution – Medical Xpress

Amid firestorm created by Austin’s cancer secrecy, missed opportunities to build trust and educate – AP

After grilling Fauci on Covid origins, House Republicans want to consider new rules for foreign research – STAT

What to Expect at This Year's WHO Executive Board Meeting – U.N. Foundation

Air pollution is ruining your skin – WIRED

Maybe, just maybe, psychedelics are the “master key” for unlocking everything from blindness to stroke to anorexia – Vox Issue No. 2451
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, and Jackie Powder. 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: A Closer Look at Gun Deaths in 2023; Coercive DNA Collection; and Fighting Post-Pandemic Hunger with School Lunches View this email in your browser January 10, 2024 Forward Share Post Zeke Allard, 8, places a cross in the ground near the Schemengees Bar in Lewiston, Maine, where a mass shooting occurred on October 28, 2023. Joe Raedle/Getty A Closer Look at Gun Deaths in 2023
The U.S. saw a “fairly significant” dip in gun violence deaths and injuries in 2023, with the Gun Violence Archive logging an 8–10% decrease from 2022, reports Axios. 

But mass shootings increased, with 656 such shootings last year—up from 646 in 2022. 40 people were killed in mass shootings in 2023.

The overall decrease in deaths and injuries is notable, said Mark Bryant, executive director of the Gun Violence Archive—but he added that the rise in mass shooting deaths and other kinds of gun violence merit more scrutiny, per USA Today.

• "This is a mixed bag year. I think we're starting to drift back toward pre-COVID numbers,” said Bryant. 

Key numbers in 2023:

• 118: Average gun deaths per day. 


• 42,987: Gun violence deaths last year, down from 47,430 in 2022. 


• 36,366: Injuries, down from 38,578 in 2022.

Looking ahead: A record-breaking 137 gun safety policies passed in 2023 are set to take effect this year, with gun safety advocates calling the development “historic,” reports USA Today.

• "I am quite optimistic that in 2024 we will continue the momentum from last year,” said Nick Suplina of Everytown for Gun Safety, which released its annual report on the strength of such laws. 

Related:

Maryland opens Office of Gun Violence Prevention after Harris call to action – The Hill 

Do Gun Regulations Equal Fewer Shootings? Lessons From New England – The Trace GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Civilian fatalities from explosive violence incidents spiked 122% worldwide in 2023 compared with 2022—a “concerning escalation in modern warfare tactics” that includes significant impact on civilians in highly populated cities. Action on Armed Violence

A Trump-era rule that expanded the rights of medical workers to refuse to perform abortions or other services that conflict with their religious or moral beliefs is being rolled back by the Biden administration, which says the 2019 rule could enable discrimination. The Hill 

Cesarean deliveries in Puerto Rico have surged, with more than 50% of babies now delivered via surgery; medical experts there say the increase is due in part to doctors trying to keep deliveries safe and “organized” as the island’s health care system deteriorates. AP

900+ “ubiquitous” chemicals found in consumer products from food to medications have been linked to breast cancer risk, per a new study published in Environmental Health Perspectives—with many products marketed to women of color containing even more toxic chemicals. Environmental Health News RESEARCH ETHICS Coercive DNA Collection
A retracted journal article that relied on genetic data from Uyghurs and Kazakhs in China’s Xinjiang region is getting renewed scrutiny, amid reports of forced blood and saliva sample collection. 

Background: In 2019, the Dutch journal Forensic Science International: Genetics published a study by Chinese and Danish researchers that tested genetic sequencing technology on samples collected from 203 Uyghurs and Kazakhs.

International scientists questioned the research ethics from the start. Witnesses have described ethnic minorities being forced to provide Chinese officials with blood samples, fingerprints, and retina scans—both inside and outside Uyghur “reeducation camps” in Xinjiang.

• The journal’s publisher retracted the article last year after an investigation revealed that the sample collection did not meet ethical standards. 

But: Human Rights Watch said that “given the brutality of the collection process,” more must be done to prevent such studies from being published in the future.

Radio Free Asia GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES NUTRITION Fighting Post-Pandemic Hunger with School Lunches
Embedded in the country's constitution, Brazil’s National School Feeding Program is one of the largest school meals programs in the world, feeding more than 40 million students. 
 
But when COVID closed schools—where many children eat their only meals of the day—things changed.

• In 2021, Brazil once again appeared on the World Food Programme's Hunger Map. 


• By 2022, 15.5% of homes—and 18.1% of those with children under 10—were affected by hunger. 

The country is responding with the Brazil Without Hunger plan, which aims to combat hunger by:

• Boosting incomes through an updated social welfare program.


• Increasing the national minimum wage. 


• Revising school menus to promote healthy eating.


• Increasing federal funds to school meal programs by 35%.

NPR Goats and Soda OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS The FDA warned an asthma drug could induce despair. Many were never told – The New York Times (gift article)

Advocates expect Supreme Court Idaho abortion decision to fuel efforts to further restrict access – STAT

Cameroon to introduce malaria vaccine: official – Xinhua

Bivalent COVID vaccine very effective against severe illness in children, study concludes – CIDRAP

In the fight over abortion rights, the government bans its first company from tracking medical visits – Politico

States are limiting gender-affirming care for adults, too – Axios

Dangerous hair products more commonly sold in Black, low-income neighborhoods – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health

New study suggests arsenic may raise diabetes risk for males – Cornell University via EurekAlert!

New app can reduce debilitating impact of tinnitus, say researchers – The Guardian Thanks for the tip, Cecilia Meisner! Issue No. 2450
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, and Jackie Powder. 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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