苹果淫院

96 Global Health NOW: Heat Aiding H5N1 Spread on Farms; Saudi Arabia Steps In for Syrian Children; and Bread, Milk 鈥� Bullets? July 17, 2024 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, .

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


• The need for PPE鈥攊ncluding Tyvek suits, respirators, goggles, boots, and gloves鈥攖o 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, .

• 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, .


• Analysis of the virus doesn鈥檛 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 鈥�

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

U.S. bird flu response builds on lessons from COVID 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Detention facilities in the Philippines鈥攄escribed as 鈥渋nhumane鈥� by one of the country鈥檚 Supreme Court Justices鈥攁re moving to adopt the Nelson Mandela Rules, which aim to ensure that all prisoners are treated with respect and dignity.
 
Dozens of asylum-seeking children housed in the UK鈥檚 Home Office hotels are missing鈥攁nd a new reveals that many are likely to have been trafficked, sparking calls for public inquiry.
 
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 of North Carolina chickens.

More than 1 in 4鈥�70 million+鈥擴.S. adults reported having a disability in 2022, per the CDC鈥檚 annual Disability and Health Data System update鈥攖he 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%). 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鈥攎ost of whom are from parts of northern Syria administered by Turkey鈥攁re 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鈥� 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.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES FIREARMS Bread, Milk 鈥� 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鈥檛 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.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR Substance Use Language 
I鈥檓 writing to encourage you to use different language and imagery when talking about substance use and people who use substances (July 9 summary, 鈥淰ancouver鈥檚 Catastrophic Overdose Epidemic鈥�). 

For language, I鈥檇 really encourage the use of person-first and person-centered language (e.g., 鈥減erson who uses substances鈥�) 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., 鈥渁buser,鈥� 鈥渇entanyl user鈥�) 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 鈥�- and lacks vaccines 鈥�

FACT FOCUS: Trump falsely claims babies can be seen to change 鈥榬adically鈥� after vaccination 鈥�

Climate change isn鈥檛 India鈥檚 fault, but it is India鈥檚 responsibility 鈥�

鈥楽ociety doesn鈥檛 want my kids鈥�: China鈥檚 single women forced abroad to freeze their eggs 鈥�

Elite controllers: do their genomes hold the key to curing HIV? 鈥�

Strengthening accountability for tuberculosis policy implementation in South Africa: perspectives from policymakers, civil society, and communities 鈥�

Tuskegee syphilis study whistleblower Peter Buxtun has died at age 86 鈥�

Supplements slow disease progression during late stage of 'dry' age-related macular degeneration 鈥�

What is 鈥楾eflon flu鈥�? It鈥檚 linked to a coating on some nonstick pans. 鈥�

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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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

96 Global Health NOW: 鈥楬eat Poverty鈥� in India; Australia鈥檚 Disability Discrimination?; and The Lead Cost Extreme heatwaves are forcing people in India to borrow money to buy air conditioners. July 16, 2024 A man takes a break from selling water bottles on a hot afternoon near the India Gate in Delhi. Cheena Kapoor 鈥楬eat Poverty鈥�: A Growing Threat in India
NEW DELHI鈥擨ncreasingly extreme heatwaves are forcing some in India into 鈥渉eat poverty鈥� 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掳C (126掳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鈥檚 story: After enduring several summers of extreme heat, Maya Devi borrowed US$215 (about two months of the family鈥檚 income) from her son鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 , with most of the new units bought with loans.
 
Trapped: 鈥淚t 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,鈥� says Devi.
 

  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鈥檚 ninth-highest rate of FGM.
 
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.
 
C么te 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.
 
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. DATA POINT HEALTH DISPARITIES Australia鈥檚 Disability Discrimination?
Australia is one of the few countries that evaluates immigrants鈥� visas based on their medical needs鈥攁nd 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鈥檚 Migration Act is exempt from its own Disability Discrimination Act.

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

  ALCOHOL An End for Germany鈥檚 鈥淪upervised Drinking鈥�? 
German health minister Karl Lauterbach and other leaders are calling for the end of 鈥渟upervised drinking鈥� 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. 

  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.

QUICK HITS Are warmer temperatures causing fungi to attack humans? Two deaths in China suggest it may be 鈥�

Campaigners target Philip Morris' flagship heated tobacco US launch 鈥�

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

Despite past storms' lessons, long-term care residents again left powerless 鈥�

From Trauma to Triumph: Kenyan Women鈥檚 Courageous Battle Against Female Genital Mutilation 鈥�

As a baby bust hits rural areas, hospital labor and delivery wards are closing down 鈥�

A (covert) pre-Olympics dip in the E. coli-infested Seine 鈥� 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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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

96 Global Health NOW: Child Vax Coverage鈥檚 Global Stall; Bitcoin鈥檚 Debilitating Impacts; and Millennials鈥� Mortality An estimated 14.5 million 鈥渮ero-dose鈥� children received no vaccinations in 2023. July 15, 2024 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, .

• There were an estimated 14.5 million 鈥渮ero-dose鈥� children who received no vaccinations whatsoever.


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

What鈥檚 holding back vaccination programs? Conflicts and other humanitarian crises are key reasons鈥攎ore than half of zero-dose children live in countries rocked by such challenges, .

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

And 鈥� Misinformation about vaccines that was shared during the pandemic persists and is costing lives, said Katherine O鈥橞rien, WHO鈥檚 vaccines department chief.

What鈥檚 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 鈥渞obust political support, community leadership, and sustainable funding.鈥�   

Related: Conflicts And Humanitarian Crises Stall Global Immunisation Of Children 鈥� 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鈥攂ut none were hospitalized.
 
Ozempic use is associated with a lowered risk for cognitive problems including dementia, ; University of Oxford researchers analyzed 100,000+ U.S. patient records鈥攊ncluding 20,000 people taking a semaglutide, commonly known as Ozempic or Wegovy, for diabetes.  

Nearly a tenth of people infected with the coronavirus during pregnancy developed long COVID-19 in a ; a 2022 CDC report found up to 7% of Americans report symptoms associated with long Covid.

Self-identifying 鈥渘ight owls鈥� scored better on cognitive tests than those who identified themselves as 鈥渕orning people鈥� in a U.K. survey of 26,000 people, . 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鈥攚hich they linked to the arrival of a Bitcoin mine.
 
The cause? Residents say they are afflicted by the machines鈥� 鈥渄ull aural hum,鈥� 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.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES CANCER Evading the Reality of Millennials鈥� 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 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 鈥減rime of life鈥濃�攚ith young children at home or burgeoning careers.

ZOONOTIC DISEASES Macaque Malaria Frustrates Malaysia 
  Malaysia has been on the brink of eliminating malaria since 2019. But its 鈥渕alaria free鈥� 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鈥檚 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鈥攁nd whether it can adapt to better spread between people.

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Famine threatens Khartoum鈥檚 South Belt as free kitchens close 鈥�

They Survived the Highland Park Mass Shooting. It Opened Their Eyes. 鈥�

Michigan confirms sixth measles case of the year 鈥�

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

鈥業 asked myself, why is he going public?鈥�: working with a Big Tobacco whistleblower 鈥�

High bar for famine declaration can delay aid, scientists say 鈥�

Extreme heat and some medicines can be a risky combo. Here鈥檚 what to know 鈥�

'Forever chemicals' used in lithium ion batteries threaten environment, research finds 鈥�

Tampons contain lead, arsenic and potentially toxic chemicals, studies say. Here鈥檚 what to know 鈥� 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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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

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鈥檚 Spiraling Humanitarian Crisis; India Has a Drug Naming Problem; and Shearing the Love July 11, 2024 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鈥檚 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 鈥渢he largest internally displaced population ever reported,鈥� .


• A conservative estimate says at least 14,000 civilians have been killed,


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


• 8.9 million children are 鈥渁cutely food insecure,鈥� per Mandeep O鈥橞rien, Unicef鈥檚 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, .

• 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 鈥� 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.
 
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.
 
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鈥攁bout 5X more than the same time last year; Puerto Rico, which has the bulk of the cases, declared a dengue emergency last March.
 
Anyone under 16 in Brussels caught riding an electric scooter now risks a 鈧�58 fine, as scooter companies are mandated to improve age verification efforts to prevent underage use鈥攑art of a new regulatory structure implemented in response to a marked rise in scooter-related accidents. GHN EXCLUSIVE Q&A Carlos Duarte/Getty India Has a Drug Naming Problem
India鈥檚 $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鈥檚 talk with Thakur, who has spent the past decade advocating for tighter drug safety regulations:

On dangerously similar drug names: 鈥淢edzole鈥� is marketed in India by four different companies to sell four different active ingredients for different medical conditions. There鈥檚 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鈥攆or example, dispensing a sedative for somebody who's actually suffering from an infection鈥攊s very high.

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


 
Ed Note: This article is part of a two-part GHN series on drug naming. : 鈥淲hy Do Prescription Drugs Have Such Crazy Names?鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES KIDNEY DISEASE CKDu Epidemic in Sri Lanka 
In Sri Lanka鈥檚 farming and fishing communities, men in their 30s and 40s have been experiencing what doctors call 鈥渃hronic kidney disease of unknown origin鈥� 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.

• 鈥淭hey would rather buy food than clean drinking water, not realizing the impact of their decision,鈥� says fisheries biologist Thanusanth Santhalingam.

THURSDAY DIVERSION Shearing the Love  
Wander into one North London neighborhood, and you may wonder if you鈥檝e tripped down Alice鈥檚 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鈥攅ven a freight train with a plum of pruned smoke.
 
It鈥檚 the topiary menagerie of Tim Bushe (yes, Bushe: 鈥淢aybe it was my destiny,鈥� he says). For 15 years, Bushe has been meticulously clipping hedgerows into living art.
 
Topiary luminary: Bushe鈥檚 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 鈥渉aircuts鈥� are monthly rituals; a limb or facial feature may take months to manifest.

• 鈥淚 could end up with one ear, for instance, and have to wait years for the other ear to grow,鈥� Bushe said. 

QUICK HITS Palestinians dying as Israeli health 鈥榣ockdown鈥� hits medical care across the West Bank 鈥�

Anger mounts in southeast Texas as crippling power outages and heat turn deadly 鈥�

Bird flu response in Michigan sparks COVID-era worry on farms 鈥�

WHO prequalifies the first self-test for hepatitis C virus 鈥�

Dengue Virus Linked To Elevated Risk Of Depression & Sleep Disorders 鈥�

Scientists edit the genes of gut bacteria in living mice 鈥�

Biden plan requires hospitals to improve maternal care 鈥�

Why new tools for fighting malaria need more media coverage 鈥�

Why Do So Many Food Documentaries Seem to Think We鈥檙e Stupid? 鈥� 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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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

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 July 10, 2024 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鈥攚ith safety at its core. 

WHO has 鈥渓ook-alike, sound-alike鈥� () medicines鈥攖hink Klonopin (a branded seizure medication) versus clonidine (a generic blood pressure drug)鈥攁s 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鈥檚 strictest drug-naming regulators鈥攖he U.S., the European Union, and Canada鈥攈ave 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 鈥淏ig Bang鈥濃�攁s in Prozac. The blockbuster antidepressant was the first branded drug to really capture 鈥渉earts and minds鈥濃�攁nd 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.   

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)鈥攁 reversal that came after South African authorities opened an investigation into J&J鈥檚 鈥渁buse of dominance.鈥�

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

Nine polio cases in Afghanistan have been logged by the WHO in 2024鈥攄espite the Taliban Health Ministry鈥檚 announcement that the country has zero polio cases this year.

STD diagnoses rose 4.8% in the U.S. between 2020 and 2023, with a 23.8% increase in people ages 65+, per a in FAIR Health that analyzed insurance claims. POPULATIONS Dying Alone in Japan
As Japan鈥檚 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鈥檚 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 鈥渮ero solitary death鈥� campaign that includes a hotline and volunteer patrols. This year, apartment motion sensors were also introduced. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES MEASLES Memories of Misery
It鈥檚 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鈥� devastating symptoms and long-term side effects鈥攁nd 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鈥攁nd 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.

CORRECTION Missing Link
In yesterday鈥檚 lead summary on Vancouver鈥檚 catastrophic overdose epidemic, we neglected to include the link to the article.

It was published in . We regret making this error on such an important article. QUICK HITS Record-Breaking Dengue Infection Persists in the Caribbean 鈥�

Stimulant users caught up in fatal 'fourth wave' of opioid epidemic 鈥�

Understanding patient distress in sickle cell disease 鈥�

Using human rights to advance global health justice in an age of inequality 鈥�

South Korea politician blames women for rising male suicides 鈥�

Children鈥檚 daily sugar consumption halved just a year after tax, study finds
&苍产蝉辫;鈥�

Middle East and North African countries need better rules for gain of function pathogen research 鈥�

How PhD students and other academics are fighting the mental-health crisis in science 鈥� 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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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

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鈥檚 Catastrophic Overdose Epidemic; Milk Bank Banned; and More Organs鈥擬ore Ethical Questions British Columbia backtracks on experiment with decriminalizing drugs July 9, 2024 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鈥檚 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鈥檛 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鈥檚 overdose death rate is 56 per 100,000 people, far above the U.S.鈥檚 rate of .

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

Decriminalization experiment: A year and a half into British Columbia鈥檚 experiment with decriminalizing drugs like fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, the province鈥檚 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.

鈥淭he reality is Vancouver has seen a 32 per cent increase in homelessness since the beginning of Covid,鈥� says Brittany Graham, the executive director of the Vancouver Area Network of Drug Users, adding: 鈥淲hat we are witnessing right now is a homelessness crisis on top of a toxic and unregulated drug supply.鈥� 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 鈥渟elf-limiting gene鈥� that shortens the lifespan of female mosquitoes and a fluorescent marker gene that makes it possible to identify GM mosquitoes in the wild. 

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

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鈥檚 database of 47 billion commercial health care claim records. 

~22 million Americans live in a county that doesn鈥檛 have a cardiologist, forcing them to drive an average of nearly 90 miles round trip to get specialty heart care.  SURGERY More Organs鈥擬ore Ethical Questions
More than for organs, and ~17 die every day waiting for a transplant.
 
To both help alleviate the and improve transplant outcomes, doctors are turning to a new kind of organ retrieval procedure, (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鈥檙e recovered in a healthier state. About half of the nation鈥檚 56 organ procurement organizations have already started using NRP, according to the .
 
But鈥擭RP has sparked an  over whether the technique blurs the definition of death.

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鈥檚 neonatal mortality rate鈥攚hich is one of the highest in the world.

• 鈥淭he milk bank was one way of reducing our dismal neonatal mortality rate,鈥� said Syed Rehan Ali, a NICU physician. 

Religious objections: Clerics say the bank is problematic because of what is known as the 鈥渒inship bond.鈥� 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鈥檚 own children.

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

  OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Bird flu strain in US cows shows minimal air spread in ferret study 鈥�

Young people's mental health suffered amid COVID pandemic, 3 new studies suggest 鈥�

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

Lebanon鈥檚 Deep Healthcare Crisis Exposed through Communicable Diseases 鈥�

How Milwaukee's Native community is fighting opioid death surge 鈥�

Surviving Breast Cancer - Nigerian Women Share Their Stories 鈥�

Microwave technology saves diabetic patient from double amputation 鈥� 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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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

A 苹果淫院-led research team working in collaboration with a French team (CNRS, INSERM and Sorbonne university) believes it has identified both the neurological mechanism underlying anorexia nervosa as well as a possible cure.

96 Global Health NOW: Russian Missiles Hit Children鈥檚 Hospital; Pulse Oximeter Problem; and Nipah Road Map The attack was part of a larger bombardment across Ukraine that killed at least 20 people. July 8, 2024 People clear rubble at Okhmatdyt children鈥檚 hospital, partially destroyed by a Russian missile strike today, in Kyiv, Ukraine. Vitalii Nosach/Global Images Ukraine via Getty Kyiv Children鈥檚 Hospital Hit in Air Strike
A Russian missile attack destroyed a Kyiv children鈥檚 hospital today鈥攑art of a larger bombardment across Ukraine that killed at least 20 people, . 

Search and rescue efforts are underway to reach people still trapped beneath the rubble at Okhmatdyt Children鈥檚 Hospital, which treats 20,000 children annually.

• Doctors and others inside the hospital shared 鈥渋mages of blood stained hallways, collapsed ceilings and destroyed operating rooms.鈥�

Scale of damage: Ukraine鈥檚 health minister said the strike hit the building where children were receiving dialysis鈥攁nd also damaged the intensive care, operating, and oncology departments, .

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described Okhmatdyt as "one of the most important children's hospitals not only in Kyiv but also in Europe,鈥� . 


• One of Ukraine鈥檚 top government officials said Russian forces 鈥減urposefully attacked the children today,鈥� .

Larger toll: Before Russia鈥檚 invasion, there were ~720 hospitals in Ukraine. As of April 2023, 450 hospitals were still operating, per a led by , published in JAMA Health Forum this May. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   ~100 people were shot in Chicago over Fourth of July weekend, and 17 were killed鈥攗p 27% from last year鈥檚 holiday.

Live H5N1 virus was grown from raw milk samples by FDA and USDA scientists, per a new ; meanwhile Delaware lawmakers have become the latest state to legalize raw milk sales.

South Korea dropped a plan today to suspend the licenses of striking trainee doctors鈥攁 concession to end a months-long walkout by medical interns and resident doctors protesting the government鈥檚 decision to increase medical school admissions.

Air pollution can decrease odds of live birth after IVF by 38%, according to findings to be presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology annual meeting in Amsterdam today. MEDICAL DEVICES Fly View Productions via Getty The Problem With Pulse Oximeters
For decades, studies have shown that pulse oximeters overestimate oxygen levels in patients with darker skin tones.

• But until recently, these findings were largely ignored and even denied by both manufacturers and regulators, and not well understood by clinicians鈥攁llowing for the proliferation of biased devices and misleading readings for patients with darker skin tones that can lead to life-threatening lapses in care.

Common sensors: Pulse oximeters鈥攕mall sensors clipped to a finger or toe that use light to measure oxygen saturation in the blood鈥攁re ubiquitous in health care.

• Readings from the devices help guide essential care decisions, like whether a patient in surgery or an intensive care unit needs lifesaving supplemental oxygen.  

How did we get here? A new three-part series from the Public Health on Call podcast, co-produced by GHN鈥檚 Annalies Winny, explores the history of pulse oximeters, how biased devices got baked into health care, and why COVID was a turning point.

MATERNAL HEALTH Deficient Stillbirth Data
Fetal death certificates, recorded for stillborn babies, are supposed to contain essential data that can be used to better track and research stillbirth and improve obstetric care. 

But ProPublica鈥檚 investigative has found that such records are often incomplete, delayed, or inaccurate.

• An analysis of CDC data for 2019-2021 found that the records for more than a third of all 63,437 stillbirths in the U.S. were missing the cause of death. 


• Data on stillbirth risk factors and race is also inadequate.

The Quote: 鈥淚f we don鈥檛 have accurate data, we don鈥檛 know the scope of the problem and how to move forward,鈥� said Lauren Christiansen-Lindquist, a maternal and child health epidemiologist at Emory University. 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES ZOONOTIC DISEASES A New Road Map for Nipah
Nipah virus is 鈥渙ne of the most lethal viruses known to infect humans鈥濃�攚ith a case fatality rate ranging from 40%-100% in outbreaks recorded in Malaysia, Bangladesh, and India.

While the virus is not yet transmissible enough to become a pandemic, that high risk makes it critical to develop countermeasures to help prevent a catastrophe, said Stanford University鈥檚 Stephen Luby, one of the authors of a new , published by CIDRAP.

Background: There are currently no diagnostics, vaccines, or other countermeasures for Nipah.

• The roadmap provides action steps for developing such tools by 2030. 

Related: 

New human trials for novel antibody offer hope for immediate protection against deadly Nipah 鈥�

Measures to prevent and treat Nipah virus disease: research priorities for 2024鈥�29 鈥� QUICK HITS UN official describes total devastation in Carriacou following Hurricane Beryl 鈥�

As anti-refugee sentiment rises, Syrians in Lebanon are increasingly afraid to seek medical care 鈥�

African mpox surges show lack of vaccine access 鈥�

An Innovative Test to Diagnose Chagas Disease in Newborns 鈥�

Talc "probably" causes cancer, WHO agency finds 鈥�

Diabetes patients on GLP-1s instead of insulin have lower cancer risk, study shows 鈥�

Exploring the impacts of risk factors on mortality patterns of global Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and related dementias from 1990 to 2021 鈥�

A bench and a grandmother鈥檚 ear: Zimbabwe鈥檚 novel mental health therapy spreads overseas 鈥� Issue No. 2566
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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

Ukrainian cities faced another barrage of missiles fired by Russian forces on Monday with dozens killed and a children鈥檚 hospital among the locations hit, UN humanitarians have said.

Seven 苹果淫院 researchers have been awarded over $190,000 in Connection Grants by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The awards are part of $1.7 million in federal funding invested in 54 projects nationwide.聽

苹果淫院 honours its accomplished researchers with Distinguished James 苹果淫院 Professor, James 苹果淫院 Professor, and William Dawson Scholars awards.

96 Global Health NOW: FDA Approves Second Alzheimer鈥檚 Drug; How Sickle Cell Disease and Malaria Defined Evolution; and Automated Resume Screening Bias July 3, 2024 An aerial view of the campus headquarters of Eli Lilly and Company. March 17, Indianapolis. Scott Olson/Getty Second Alzheimer鈥檚 Drug Gains FDA Approval 
U.S. drug officials have approved a second Alzheimer's drug, providing access to a growing class of drugs that aim to slow the brain's decline in early-stage patients, . 

The new drug: Eli Lilly's drug Kisunla uses the monoclonal antibody donanemab to clear amyloid plaques from the brain.

• An 18-month study showed Kisunla slowed brain decline by 22% compared to a placebo, . 

A growing field: Kisunla will join Eisai鈥檚 drug, Leqembi, but has a few key differences:

• Kisunla is administered once a month, compared to Leqembi鈥檚 twice-a-month regimen.


• Patients can stop taking Kisunla if they respond well.

A long journey: Donanemab's approval follows years of setbacks as the FDA鈥檚 advisory committee has wrestled with questions over the drug's potential side effects, which include brain swelling and microbleeds.

• The committee ultimately voted unanimously that the drug鈥檚 benefits outweigh its risks.

What鈥檚 next: Eli Lilly says the drug will be available within weeks鈥攖hough the annual cost of  $32,000 and the process of updating prescription practices may keep it out of reach for many. GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES EDITORS鈥� NOTE Fourth of July Break   GHN will not be publishing tomorrow, Thursday, July 4, to observe the Independence Day holiday here in the U.S., and we鈥檙e taking Fridays off for the summer. But we'll be back with more news on Monday, July 8. 鈥�The Editors The Latest One-Liners   A salmonella outbreak that sickened nearly 450 people and led to 125 hospitalizations across the U.S. this spring has been linked to untreated water used by a Florida cucumber farm, FDA officials said鈥攖hough that grower does not account for all cases.

A new STI status-sharing app called Zults will allow users to share their sexual health status and testing results with potential partners鈥攁 tool the U.K. developers hope will help combat the uptick in infections across the country.

Major funding cuts to PEPFAR, the U.S.-led AIDS relief program in Africa, have been planned by the Biden administration鈥攚ith more than 6% in reductions set for fiscal year 2025.

A nasal COVID vaccine is set for a phase 1 trial, ; the vaccine stems from Project NextGen鈥攁 government-led effort to advance next-generation vaccines against the virus. GHN EXCLUSIVE Q & A Illustration of red blood cells affected by sickle cell disease. Nemes Laszlo/Science Photo Library/Getty How Sickle Cell Disease and Malaria Defined Evolution
Sickle cell disease affects more than 20 million people worldwide and can be a devastating鈥攁nd deadly鈥攃ondition. 

But being a carrier of the sickle cell gene鈥攚hich evolved in Africa ~20,000 years ago鈥攈as had an evolutionary benefit: Those with just one copy of the sickle cell gene avoid the worst symptoms of the disease, and are also protected against malaria. 

This remarkable genetic link 鈥渋s a story of how our genome adapts to the environment鈥濃�攂ut there is still much to learn about it, Ambroise Wonkam, a Cameroonian physician and president of the , explains in an exclusive Q&A.
 
It鈥檚 also a story of how little is known about the African genome, despite the fact that 鈥渨e are all African. That鈥檚 where we all evolved as humankind some 300,000 years ago,鈥� says Wonkam. Yet most studies on sickle cell and other diseases rely on samples with 鈥渙nly a fraction鈥� of the genetic variation found in Africa. 

From migration patterns to diet and geography, Wonkam explains the imperative of studying the African genome more thoroughly: 鈥淲e don鈥檛 have a choice as scientists and as a human society.鈥�

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES RESEARCH Bridging a Brain Gap 
When it comes to studying disparities in neurological diseases鈥攍ike why Black Americans are two times as likely to develop Alzheimer鈥檚 disease鈥攍arge genetic databases have a major weakness:

• Such databases are dominated by material from participants of European descent. 

That鈥檚 why a new is so groundbreaking: It relied on a new database of tissues from the brains of 100+ Black donors from Baltimore as a part of the African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Initiative.

Findings: Researchers found that genetics and environmental factors like pollution and water quality contribute to higher rates of Alzheimer's, stroke, and mental health conditions among Black Americans.

Key caveat: Researchers say the studies should not be used to support a biological basis for race, but instead suggest how lived experiences impact gene expression.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Automated Resume Screening Shows Bias
Using AI to sort job applications is increasingly popular, despite a lack of data on its safety and effectiveness.

Researchers asked ChatGPT to rank almost-identical resumes. The only difference was that some included credentials that implied disability鈥攆or example, an autism leadership award.

, citing biased perceptions of people with disabilities.

"For a disabled job seeker, there's always this question 鈥� of whether you should include disability credentials," said lead author Kate Glazko.

Room to improve: When researchers told the tool not to exhibit ableism, rankings improved, but not for all disabilities.

OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITS Young Palestinians Face a Steep Toll on Mental Health 鈥�

Stronger than fentanyl and heroin: Nitazenes are causing fear amongst Australian law enforcement and medical authorities 鈥�

New Lab Test to Detect Persistent HIV Strains in Africa May Aid Search for Cure 鈥�

America鈥檚 international public health plan is too focused on Americans 鈥�

Sizzling sidewalks, unshaded playgrounds pose risk for surface burns over searing Southwest summer 鈥�

Period poverty, reuse needs, and depressive symptoms among refugee menstruators in Jordan鈥檚 camps: a cross-sectional study 鈥�

How Politicizing Migration Harms Health 鈥�

Visually impaired women find hope in eastern Afghanistan 鈥�

A Kissing Bug Was Found On Someone's Pillow In Delaware, Raising Concerns Around The Risks Of Chagas Disease 鈥�

How Rwandan paediatrician Agnes Binagwaho fights racial stereotypes in global health 鈥� Issue No. 2565
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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

96 Global Health NOW: A 鈥楽low Motion鈥� Epidemic鈥檚 Bad/Good News; Dengue Ascending; and Mental Health in Africa: A Personal Priority Insufficient surveillance hinders public health efforts against the H5N1 avian flu virus. July 2, 2024 Cows graze in a field at a dairy farm in Petaluma, California, on April 26. Justin Sullivan/Getty Images A 鈥楽low Motion鈥� Epidemic鈥檚 Bad/Good News  
Insufficient surveillance in the U.S. is hindering public health efforts against the H5N1 avian flu virus, .
 
The Quote: 鈥淚t almost seems like a pandemic unfolding in slow motion,鈥� said University of Pennsylvania microbiologist Scott Hensley. 鈥淩ight now, the threat is pretty low ... but that could change in a heartbeat.鈥�
 
Issues:

• U.S. government testing occurs only when dairy cattle cross state lines.

• State testing of dairy cows is haphazard.

• Testing of humans exposed to sick cows is insufficient.

What efforts are already happening?

• The Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations aims to develop a library of prototype vaccines against pandemic pathogens that could be deployed within 100 days of an outbreak.

• The U.S. and Europe are arranging for 鈥減re-pandemic鈥� flu vaccines for high-risk groups.

• The U.S. is negotiating with Moderna to develop mRNA pandemic flu shots. 

Good news: Scientists studying H5N1 transmission among cows didn鈥檛 find evidence of respiratory spread, . That finding suggests milking machines could be a major source of transmission.
 
More good news: Standard pasteurization techniques in milk processing inactivate H5N1, U.S. government scientists report in . The study supports findings from previous research, . GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners
In Finland, new ADHD diagnoses doubled during the pandemic, with the steepest rises among females ages 13鈥�30, according to a  study that analyzed medical data from 5.6 million participants. 

Eating healthy foods throughout your life could reduce the risk of Alzheimer鈥檚 disease and slow cognitive decline later in life, ; researchers followed 3,059 people in the U.K. from age 4 to 70. 
 
A new prosthetic technology has made it possible for people with leg amputations to control their prosthetic limbs with their brains and walk with a smooth gait,  in the journal Nature Medicine. 

To protect U.S. workers from excessive heat, the Biden administration proposed a new rule to establish a federal safety heat exposure standard; the measure would protect some 36 million U.S. employees, especially those who work outdoors and in affected indoor spaces. INFECTIOUS DISEASES Dengue Ascending
A record 10 million people have fallen ill with dengue so far this year鈥攁n 鈥渦nprecedented surge鈥� stemming from high global temperatures that have enabled mosquitoes鈥� spread. 

From Brazil to Bangladesh, patients have overwhelmed hospitals. Puerto Rico declared a public health emergency this spring. 

Rising risk in the U.S.: Last week, the CDC of an increased danger of dengue infections in the U.S.鈥攗rging clinicians to be alert for the disease when treating feverish patients.

A preview of the future?: Without 鈥渄rastic action鈥� to control the virus, ~2 billion additional people across the globe could be at risk for dengue in the next 50 years, . 

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES POLICY Mental Health in Africa: A Personal Priority
Mental health care is a growing priority for Africa CDC鈥攊n part because of the top leader鈥檚 personal background. 

Director General Jean Kaseya became passionate about improving mental health care delivery across the continent after watching his late brother, an army officer in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, suffer from untreated mental illness. 

• His brother, Dieudonn茅, was jailed rather than hospitalized鈥攁 common problem across the DRC, Kaseya said. 

~116 million people across Africa have mental health conditions, the WHO estimates, but there are scarce resources to help them, with just for every 100,000 people.

Seeking change: Africa CDC is now trying to integrate mental health care into community health initiatives, launching a this year.

QUICK HITS WHO releases first-ever clinical treatment guideline for tobacco cessation in adults 鈥�

Combined COVID-flu vaccines are coming: Moderna jab clears major test 鈥�

Fauci on why he never quit during Trump administration 鈥�

Namibia Takes a Step Towards a Healthier Future with the Launch of a National One Health Strategy 鈥�

Degradation of cell wall key in the spread of antibiotic resistance 鈥�

Growing Body of Data Links India鈥檚 Polluted Air to Worsening Health 鈥�

Kids spend a lot of time outside in the summer. Here鈥檚 how to deal with their common injuries 鈥� Issue No. 2564
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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

The UN World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday released the first-ever guidelines for those seeking to quit tobacco use, recommending a range of initiatives, treatments and digital interventions.

96 Global Health NOW: Big Tobacco鈥檚 Behind-The-Scenes Tactics and June鈥檚 Must-Reads July 1, 2024 Big Tobacco鈥檚 Behind-The-Scenes Tactics
Philip Morris International, one of the world鈥檚 largest tobacco companies, has positioned itself as a vanguard of a 鈥渟moke-free future鈥濃�攑romoting heated tobacco products as a healthier alternative to cigarettes. 

But its updated playbook involves seeking to influence scientific studies鈥攁nd downplaying harmful effects of its new products, per an in-depth report by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. 

Among the findings, which focused on the company's strategy in Japan:

• Routing funds for research: PMI has targeted academic institutions and specific researchers to produce studies, but it steered funding through third-party 鈥渃onsultancy firms鈥� and 鈥渉ealthcare contractors.鈥�


• Insidious influence: These funded studies are often cited in public health policy discussions and factor into marketing around its new products. Many researchers do not disclose PMI's financial support. 

The Japan revelations should be on the radar of regulators worldwide, warn industry watchdogs.

• 鈥淭here are governments out there that are maybe vulnerable and may be seduced by some of these arguments,鈥� said Stella Bialous, a University of California tobacco specialist. 

 

Related:

Revealed: Big Tobacco鈥檚 campaign to undermine UK generational smoking 鈥�

Tobacco giant accused of 鈥榤anipulating science鈥� to attract non-smokers 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Dozens of sick and injured children were evacuated from Gaza via Egypt on Friday in an international effort to connect the children with medical treatment.

Older people with anxiety may be up to 2X as likely to develop Parkinson鈥檚 disease as their peers without anxiety, .

Progress towards the SDGs is 鈥渁larmingly insufficient,鈥� according to a new 鈥攚ith just 17% the targets currently on track, while over one-third are stalled or going in reverse.

Childhood obesity is linked with 2X the risk of hospitalization for dengue virus, based on a cohort of 4,782 Sri Lankan schoolchildren. JUNE RECAP: MUST-READS A Senior Overdose Crisis  
In a must-read analysis, The New York Times and The Baltimore Banner illuminated the tragic trend among Black men born from 1951 to 1970. 

• The group makes up 7% of the city鈥檚 population, but accounts for ~30% of drug fatalities鈥�20X the death rate of the rest of the U.S.


• The men in this group have had 鈥渢heir lives shaped by forces that have animated the city鈥檚 drug crisis for decades鈥濃�攚ith 4,000+ lives lost among their generation to various drug epidemics since 1993.  

  Curbing Cervical Cancer in India
Every seven minutes, a woman dies of cervical cancer in India鈥攚hich accounts for one-fifth of the global cervical cancer burden鈥攚ith ~23,000 women diagnosed in the country last year. 

• 鈥淢ost of our patients come in the third and fourth stage and die within six months to a year of diagnosis,鈥� says gynecological oncologist Chetna Parekh.


• The obstacles include poor prevention鈥攖he HPV vaccine is not included in India鈥檚 free vaccination program鈥攁s well as low screening rates and stigma.

Health Worker Exodus Exacerbates Inequality  
Low pay is driving more health care workers to leave sub-Saharan Africa for wealthier countries鈥攚orsening already dire staffing shortages. 

• The brain drain is hampering basic efforts to fight infectious diseases and improve health outcomes like infant mortality. 

One pipeline鈥擟ameroon to Canada鈥攊s the focus of this in-depth report by AP. About a third of last year's medical graduates from Cameroon have already left for higher-paying jobs in North America and Europe.  


Children Exploited for Europe鈥檚 Cocaine Trade
Unaccompanied child migrants throughout Europe are being exploited by powerful drug syndicates to work in the continent鈥檚 booming cocaine trade.

• In an , The Guardian found 鈥渋ndustrial-scale鈥� exploitation that forces hundreds of vulnerable North African children to sell drugs at the street level鈥攁nd commit violent acts, per a recent . 

Extreme Heat
India: Unrelenting high temperatures have assailed much of India for weeks, causing dozens of deaths and 鈥渦nleashing a public health crisis,鈥� .

• Rising humidity and unusually high night-time temperatures have contributed to the body鈥檚 inability to cool down. 


• Hospitals and ambulances are now being outfitted with cooling tubs and ice boxes to rapidly respond to heatstroke. 

U.S. prisons: Temperatures inside prisons across the American South can routinely exceed 120掳F during the summer months, .

• In Texas alone, at least 14 prison deaths per year can be to extreme heat.


• Prisons in Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Alabama lack AC, and recent efforts to include prison air conditioning in state budgets have stalled.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES JUNE'S BEST NEWS New HIV PrEP Shows 100% Efficacy
A new antiviral drug provided young women in Uganda and South Africa with total protection from HIV鈥�100% efficacy鈥攁ccording to a large randomized controlled trial. The trial compared lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injection made by Gilead Sciences, against two daily pills, Truvada and Descovy, , citing Gilead results ahead of peer review.

• None of the 2,134 women who received lenacapavir contracted HIV鈥攐ne trial investigator called the results 鈥渟urreal.鈥�

Question of cost: Gilead charges $42,250 per patient per year for lenacapavir in the U.S., where it is an HIV treatment鈥攔aising concerns about accessibility in low-income countries, . QUICK HITS How Does Bird Flu Spread in Cows? Experiment Yields Some 鈥楪ood News.鈥� 鈥�

Global physical inactivity rises, challenging 2030 reduction targets 鈥�

Street medicine teams search for homeless people to deliver lifesaving IV hydration in extreme heat 鈥�

Combined COVID-flu vaccines are coming: Moderna jab clears major test 鈥�

Suspected sepsis driving US broad-spectrum antibiotic use, study finds 鈥�

Supreme Court ruling may threaten role of science in U.S. rulemaking 鈥�

WHO and partners launch global dashboard on child health 鈥�

The Science of Pet Ownership Needs a Reality Check 鈥� Issue No. 2563
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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

96 Global Health NOW: Big Tobacco鈥檚 Behind-The-Scenes Tactics and June鈥檚 Must-Reads July 1, 2024 Big Tobacco鈥檚 Behind-The-Scenes Tactics
Philip Morris International, one of the world鈥檚 largest tobacco companies, has positioned itself as a vanguard of a 鈥渟moke-free future鈥濃�攑romoting heated tobacco products as a healthier alternative to cigarettes. 

But its updated playbook involves seeking to influence scientific studies鈥攁nd downplaying harmful effects of its new products, per an in-depth report by The Bureau of Investigative Journalism. 

Among the findings, which focused on the company's strategy in Japan:

• Routing funds for research: PMI has targeted academic institutions and specific researchers to produce studies, but it steered funding through third-party 鈥渃onsultancy firms鈥� and 鈥渉ealthcare contractors.鈥�


• Insidious influence: These funded studies are often cited in public health policy discussions and factor into marketing around its new products. Many researchers do not disclose PMI's financial support. 

The Japan revelations should be on the radar of regulators worldwide, warn industry watchdogs.

• 鈥淭here are governments out there that are maybe vulnerable and may be seduced by some of these arguments,鈥� said Stella Bialous, a University of California tobacco specialist. 

 

Related:

Revealed: Big Tobacco鈥檚 campaign to undermine UK generational smoking 鈥�

Tobacco giant accused of 鈥榤anipulating science鈥� to attract non-smokers 鈥� GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES The Latest One-Liners   Dozens of sick and injured children were evacuated from Gaza via Egypt on Friday in an international effort to connect the children with medical treatment.

Older people with anxiety may be up to 2X as likely to develop Parkinson鈥檚 disease as their peers without anxiety, .

Progress towards the SDGs is 鈥渁larmingly insufficient,鈥� according to a new 鈥攚ith just 17% the targets currently on track, while over one-third are stalled or going in reverse.

Childhood obesity is linked with 2X the risk of hospitalization for dengue virus, based on a cohort of 4,782 Sri Lankan schoolchildren. JUNE RECAP: MUST-READS A Senior Overdose Crisis  
In a must-read analysis, The New York Times and The Baltimore Banner illuminated the tragic trend among Black men born from 1951 to 1970. 

• The group makes up 7% of the city鈥檚 population, but accounts for ~30% of drug fatalities鈥�20X the death rate of the rest of the U.S.


• The men in this group have had 鈥渢heir lives shaped by forces that have animated the city鈥檚 drug crisis for decades鈥濃�攚ith 4,000+ lives lost among their generation to various drug epidemics since 1993.  

  Curbing Cervical Cancer in India
Every seven minutes, a woman dies of cervical cancer in India鈥攚hich accounts for one-fifth of the global cervical cancer burden鈥攚ith ~23,000 women diagnosed in the country last year. 

• 鈥淢ost of our patients come in the third and fourth stage and die within six months to a year of diagnosis,鈥� says gynecological oncologist Chetna Parekh.


• The obstacles include poor prevention鈥攖he HPV vaccine is not included in India鈥檚 free vaccination program鈥攁s well as low screening rates and stigma.

Health Worker Exodus Exacerbates Inequality  
Low pay is driving more health care workers to leave sub-Saharan Africa for wealthier countries鈥攚orsening already dire staffing shortages. 

• The brain drain is hampering basic efforts to fight infectious diseases and improve health outcomes like infant mortality. 

One pipeline鈥擟ameroon to Canada鈥攊s the focus of this in-depth report by AP. About a third of last year's medical graduates from Cameroon have already left for higher-paying jobs in North America and Europe.  


Children Exploited for Europe鈥檚 Cocaine Trade
Unaccompanied child migrants throughout Europe are being exploited by powerful drug syndicates to work in the continent鈥檚 booming cocaine trade.

• In an , The Guardian found 鈥渋ndustrial-scale鈥� exploitation that forces hundreds of vulnerable North African children to sell drugs at the street level鈥攁nd commit violent acts, per a recent . 

Extreme Heat
India: Unrelenting high temperatures have assailed much of India for weeks, causing dozens of deaths and 鈥渦nleashing a public health crisis,鈥� .

• Rising humidity and unusually high night-time temperatures have contributed to the body鈥檚 inability to cool down. 


• Hospitals and ambulances are now being outfitted with cooling tubs and ice boxes to rapidly respond to heatstroke. 

U.S. prisons: Temperatures inside prisons across the American South can routinely exceed 120掳F during the summer months, .

• In Texas alone, at least 14 prison deaths per year can be to extreme heat.


• Prisons in Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Alabama lack AC, and recent efforts to include prison air conditioning in state budgets have stalled.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES JUNE'S BEST NEWS New HIV PrEP Shows 100% Efficacy
A new antiviral drug provided young women in Uganda and South Africa with total protection from HIV鈥�100% efficacy鈥攁ccording to a large randomized controlled trial. The trial compared lenacapavir, a twice-yearly injection made by Gilead Sciences, against two daily pills, Truvada and Descovy, , citing Gilead results ahead of peer review.

• None of the 2,134 women who received lenacapavir contracted HIV鈥攐ne trial investigator called the results 鈥渟urreal.鈥�

Question of cost: Gilead charges $42,250 per patient per year for lenacapavir in the U.S., where it is an HIV treatment鈥攔aising concerns about accessibility in low-income countries, . QUICK HITS How Does Bird Flu Spread in Cows? Experiment Yields Some 鈥楪ood News.鈥� 鈥�

Global physical inactivity rises, challenging 2030 reduction targets 鈥�

Street medicine teams search for homeless people to deliver lifesaving IV hydration in extreme heat 鈥�

Combined COVID-flu vaccines are coming: Moderna jab clears major test 鈥�

Suspected sepsis driving US broad-spectrum antibiotic use, study finds 鈥�

Supreme Court ruling may threaten role of science in U.S. rulemaking 鈥�

WHO and partners launch global dashboard on child health 鈥�

The Science of Pet Ownership Needs a Reality Check 鈥� Issue No. 2563
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 and follow us on Instagram and X .

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

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



 
  Copyright 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.


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