Global Health Programs aggregator

World Health Organization: ‘Endless nightmare’ of death and destruction in Gaza, UN officials tell Security Council

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0400

Senior UN officials on Friday reiterated the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, and escalating threat to aid workers, urging immediate action prevent further deterioration.

World Health Organization: WHO to send one million polio vaccines to Gaza to protect children

Fri, 26 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0400

The UN health agency said on Friday that it is sending more than a million polio vaccines to Gaza after the discovery of the highly infectious disease in sewage samples.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Deeper H5N1 Worries; HIV Flares in the Philippines; and The Tinge of Cringe

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 09:18:58 -0400

Global Health NOW: Deeper H5N1 Worries; HIV Flares in the Philippines; and The Tinge of Cringe

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July 25, 2024


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A dairy cow stands in the 4-H stall at the Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania fair. September 25, 2022. Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty

Deeper H5N1 Worries

The H5N1 virus outbreak in the U.S. presents a greater challenge than previously described, according to a new Nature article.

The study, which investigated infected cattle on nine farms in four states, reveals the focus on mild illness in cows and transmission via milk isn’t the full story, The New York Times reports (gift link).

The virus was found in +20% of nasal swabs among the cows studied.

Some of the farms reported a sharp increase in cow deaths.

The virus was transmitted to cats, raccoons, and wild birds that may have carried the virus to other areas.

Warning: There are likely multiple routes of transmission, per study co-author and Cornell University virologist Diego Diel.

“I think it will be really difficult to control it at this point,” Diel said.

Baffling: Though U.S. health officials argue the outbreaks on dairy cattle farms can still be stopped, Brown University epidemiologist Jennifer Nuzzo told NPR she hasn’t seen a clear plan for ending the outbreaks.

What to look for: The major concern is if the virus becomes more successful in making use of receptors in humans’ upper respiratory tract, said Thomas Peacock, a U.K. virologist at the Pirbright Institute.

That would allow the virus to spread among people as seasonal influenza viruses do.

Related: How to Pinpoint the H5N1 Mortality Rate in Human – Undark

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

The death toll from landslides that hit southern Ethiopia earlier this week has climbed to 257—but the UN expects the final count to nearly double, and said that 15,000+ people need to be evacuated after the disaster, which was triggered by heavy rains. Al Jazeera

Huge wildfires in the Pacific Northwest and Canada have burned hundreds of thousands of acres over the past week, forced thousands of people to evacuate, and compromised air quality as far away as Denver and Chicago. The Washington Post (gift link)

U.S. infant mortality increased in 2022 for the first time in two decades; more than 20,500 babies died in 2022 before the age of 1, according to a new CDC report; the 5.6 infant deaths for every 1,000 live births marked a 3% increase from the previous year. CNN

A Hawaii judge temporarily blocked enforcement of a state law mandating the licensing of practitioners and teachers of traditional Native Hawaiian midwifery pending the outcome of a lawsuit aiming to overturn the statute. AP

DATA POINT

HIV/AIDS

HIV Flares in the Philippines

The Philippines is struggling to quell the fastest growing HIV epidemic in the Asia Pacific region, as annual new infections shot up from 4,400 in 2010 to 28,000 in 2023—a 540% spike, per new UNAIDS data.

Without major intervention, Filipino health leaders say 400,000+ people in the country could have HIV by 2030.

A young epidemic: 88% of new HIV detections last year were among 15–35 year olds—mainly among gay and bisexual men and transgender women. Almost half of cases came from those under 24.

“We used to call [the epidemic] hidden and growing, but now we’re saying it’s fast and furious,” said Loyd Norella, the HIV programme manager at the Pilipinas Shell Foundation.

The Telegraph

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS

Dobbs’ Long Shadow

Since the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 Dobbs ruling took effect, 14 states have fully banned abortion, and another three have banned it after six weeks of gestation. (A fourth six-week ban will take effect in Iowa on Monday.)

In addition to their immediate effects on people seeking abortion, these bans are limiting access to lifesaving health care in a long-lasting way by impacting where prospective OB-GYNs choose to study and work. Legal hurdles to providing and referring patients to abortion care are deal-breakers for some physicians.

Gaps in abortion training stand to exacerbate disparities in reproductive health and lead to a rise in complications and maternal mortality—especially in rural areas.

One solution: Cross-state training programs between protective and restrictive states; such initiatives are already ramping up to help train more students.

Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health

THURSDAY DIVERSION

The Tinge of Cringe

When a group of researchers set out to study blushing, they faced a vexing question: How to embarrass their subjects to ensure red cheeks.

“Singing karaoke is, of course, very embarrassing,” lead study author Milica Nikolić told the CBC.

Researchers at the University of Amsterdam decided to “inflict karaoke” on young women aged 16–24—a group known for being especially self-conscious, per The Guardian.

Pitch perfect pain: The women were asked to sing tunes to “ensure maximum mortification”: Think “Hello” by Adele.

Later, in the lab, the women watched video clips of their performances in an MRI machine with temperature sensors attached to their cheeks, reports The Washington Post (gift link).

Key finding: The scans showed that blushing is not linked to fear of others’ judgement, as was traditionally believed; rather it is a “simple automatic reaction” triggered by a feeling of exposure, per the findings, published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

QUICK HITS

How climate and conflict are driving a global hunger crisis – The Telegraph

Physician PTSD levels rose during COVID – CIDRAP

Pfizer's gene therapy cuts hemophilia A bleeding rate in late-stage trial – Reuters

Australian judge dismisses lawsuit claiming Bayer weedkiller causes blood cancer – Reuters

Leishmaniasis: this neglected tropical disease is spreading fast, and Europe is nowhere near prepared – The Conversation (commentary)

Alcohol Industry Panics as Healthier Habits Cut Sales – Think Global Health (commentary)

How global health institutions and funders can empower local researchers – Devex

Tweens, screens and sleep: How parents can help kids get their zzzzz's – NPR Shots

So you got a null result. Will anyone publish it? – Nature

RFK Jr. wants to send people on antidepressants to government “wellness farms” – Mother Jones

Issue No. 2757

Global Health NOW is an initiative of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Contributors include Brian W. Simpson, MPH, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, Jackie Powder, Aliza Rosen, and Rin Swann. Write us: dkerecm1@jhu.edu, like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram @globalhealth.now and X @GHN_News.

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World Health Organization: Europe tops the charts for alcohol consumption. WHO calls for urgent action to curb the trend

Thu, 25 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0400

It seems that Europeans don’t want to give up booze. A UN World Health Organization (WHO) report has found that nothing has changed in the continent’s drinking habits. Despite the health risks, Europeans consume an average of 9.2 litres of pure alcohol a year - making them the world’s biggest drinkers.

ƻ��Ժ Faculty of Medicine news: 101 ƻ��Ժ research projects awarded $23.5 million in NSERC Discovery Grants funding

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 12:07:59 -0400

Funding supports groundbreaking research in the natural sciences and engineering

The Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has awarded 101 ƻ��Ժ research projects funding from its Discovery Grants competition for a total investment of $23.5 million.

The Discovery Grants support ongoing programs with long-term goals, recognizing the creativity and innovation that are at the heart of all research advances.

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Boosting Dengue Defenses; War Is a Superbug Spreader; and The Bounty of the Bat-a-thon

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 09:28:14 -0400

Global Health NOW: Boosting Dengue Defenses; War Is a Superbug Spreader; and The Bounty of the Bat-a-thon

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July 24, 2024


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A health worker trying to prevent the spread of dengue pours out a tub of water in Sao Paulo, Brazil, on March 18. Danilo Martins Yoshioka/Anadolu via Getty

Boosting Dengue Defenses

As dengue continues its relentless global surge this year, health officials in newly affected countries are turning to more experienced nations for model countermeasures, reports NPR.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Health worker education to improve early diagnostics and quick interventions.

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

Related:

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

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

Obese children infected with dengue appear to be at higher risk of hospitalization – News Medical

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

Mpox cases in children are on the rise in displacement camps in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with local doctors reporting 130 suspected cases “almost entirely in children and adolescents” in the last four weeks. Reuters

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

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

A twice-yearly HIV shot was 100% effective in preventing new infections in women in South Africa and Uganda, new study results from drugmaker Gilead show. AP

ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE

War Is a Superbug Spreader

A potential pandemic is brewing: New breeds of drug-resistant bacteria (AMRs) are proliferating in war-torn parts of the globe—and spreading from the battlefield to hospitals and across borders.

Research indicates that the waste of war—warheads, spent munitions, etc.—drains into surrounding waterways, creating heavy metal-infused cesspools in which AMRs thrive.

Meanwhile, within hospitals in conflict zones, superbugs are spreading from soldiers injured in the field to civilians receiving care for non-war-related conditions. And as refugees flee these devastated countries, those organisms hitch a ride.

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

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

Rolling Stone

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

Antibiotics to Stave Off STIs?

A daily dose of the commonly used antibiotic doxycycline can prevent syphilis, gonorrhea, and chlamydia in people at high risk of STIs, new research finds.

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

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

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

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

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

The New York Times (gift article)

Related:

WHO global research priorities for sexually transmitted infections – WHO

DoxyPEP: A “Morning-After Pill” for STIs – Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (December 18, 2023)

RESEARCH

The Bounty of the Bat-a-thon

For the past 16 years, researchers have descended annually upon the Lamanai Archaeological Reserve in northern Belize, intent upon one goal: Become better acquainted with bats.

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

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

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

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

NPR Goats and Soda

RESOURCES

QUICK HITS

How Ukraine broke Putin’s Black Sea grain blockade – and what it means for Africa – The Telegraph

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

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

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

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

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

'Supermodel granny' drug extends life in animals – BBC

Issue No. 2756

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World Health Organization: UNICEF chief calls for urgent security reset in Gaza amid ‘new horrors’

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0400

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

World Health Organization: Rising heat in Europe and Central Asia killing almost 400 children a year: UNICEF

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0400

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

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Time Will Tell: New Lyme Disease Vaccine; War's Toll on Children in Sudan; and Rabies Reduction

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 09:27:15 -0400

Global Health NOW: Time Will Tell: New Lyme Disease Vaccine; War's Toll on Children in Sudan; and Rabies Reduction

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July 23, 2024


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An adult deer tick rests on a person's fingernail at Connetquot State Park in Oakdale, New York, on December 27, 2011. Bill Davis/Newsday RM via Getty

Time Will Tell: New Lyme Disease Vaccine

Participants in a new Lyme disease vaccine trial have completed the three-dose series and now will be followed through the end of Lyme disease season in 2025, Axios reports.

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

No safety issues have arisen so far.

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

The need:

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

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

Inside scoop: The vaccine “targets the outer surface of the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria that cause Lyme disease and inhibits the bacterium's ability to leave the tick and infect humans,” per Axios.

History: A previous Lyme disease vaccine—Lymerix from GSK—was withdrawn in 2002 because adverse events caused sales to fall.

And: Moderna is working on two mRNA-based Lyme vaccines.

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

COVID-19 cut life expectancy at birth in India by 2.6 years and increased the country’s death rate by 17%, per a new study in Science Advances; women, the youngest and oldest people, and marginalized groups were most affected. CIDRAP

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

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

Low-income people given $400-a-month cash payments over nine months had 27% fewer emergency room visits than those who didn’t receive the payments, per a new study in JAMA—challenging the narrative that if you give people cash they’ll spend it on drugs and alcohol. AP

CONFLICT

War’s Toll on Children in Sudan

Hundreds of children fleeing Sudan are being treated for gunshot wounds, per Médecins Sans Frontières—an alarming sign that war crimes are being committed in the country’s ongoing civil war.

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

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

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

The Telegraph

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Rabies Reduction

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

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

60,000 rabies deaths occur each year.

95% of cases are in Asia and Africa.

99% of cases are caused by dogs.

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

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

NPR Goats and Soda

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Chinese Mining Projects in Tajikistan Cause Pollution, Not Prosperity

The poorest country in Central Asia increasingly depends on foreign investment—primarily from China, which has seized the opportunity to tap Tajikistan’s wealth of unmined gold and minerals.

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

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

Breathing problems from air pollution.

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

Rises in illness and stillborn babies.

Difficulty raising crops.

RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty

QUICK HITS

VA disputes claim that removing race from lung tests would greatly alter disability payments – STAT

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

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

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

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

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

Why you are probably sitting down for too long – BBC

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

‘A positive step forward’: Mattel launches first blind Barbie – The Guardian

Issue No. 2755

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World Health Organization: Where do I go now, ask Gazans uprooted by new Israeli evacuation orders

Tue, 23 Jul 2024 08:00:00 -0400

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

Global Health Programs aggregator

World Health Organization: ‘Endless nightmare’ of death and destruction in Gaza, UN officials tell Security Council

World Health Organization: WHO to send one million polio vaccines to Gaza to protect children

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Deeper H5N1 Worries; HIV Flares in the Philippines; and The Tinge of Cringe

Deeper H5N1 Worries

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

DATA POINT

HIV/AIDS

HIV Flares in the Philippines

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS

Dobbs’ Long Shadow

THURSDAY DIVERSION

The Tinge of Cringe

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2757

World Health Organization: Europe tops the charts for alcohol consumption. WHO calls for urgent action to curb the trend

ƻ����Ժ Faculty of Medicine news: 101 ƻ����Ժ research projects awarded $23.5 million in NSERC Discovery Grants funding

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Boosting Dengue Defenses; War Is a Superbug Spreader; and The Bounty of the Bat-a-thon

Boosting Dengue Defenses

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE

War Is a Superbug Spreader

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS

Antibiotics to Stave Off STIs?

RESEARCH

The Bounty of the Bat-a-thon

RESOURCES

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2756

World Health Organization: UNICEF chief calls for urgent security reset in Gaza amid ‘new horrors’

World Health Organization: Rising heat in Europe and Central Asia killing almost 400 children a year: UNICEF

Global Health Now: Global Health NOW: Time Will Tell: New Lyme Disease Vaccine; War's Toll on Children in Sudan; and Rabies Reduction

Time Will Tell: New Lyme Disease Vaccine

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

The Latest

One-Liners

CONFLICT

War’s Toll on Children in Sudan

INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Rabies Reduction

GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH

Chinese Mining Projects in Tajikistan Cause Pollution, Not Prosperity

QUICK HITS

Issue No. 2755

World Health Organization: Where do I go now, ask Gazans uprooted by new Israeli evacuation orders

ƻ��Ժ Faculty of Medicine news: 101 ƻ��Ժ research projects awarded $23.5 million in NSERC Discovery Grants funding