Pregnancy complications can signal heart disease risk years before traditional screening, study finds
麻豆社 researchers have developed a new tool to identify heart disease risk in women earlier in life.
Findings from a study published in highlight gaps in existing approaches.
July 30, 2026
NEWS IN BRIEFA study on gas stoves and asthma was curtailed by EPA funding cuts, but even partial results found that removing gas stoves from the participants鈥� homes led to fewer asthma attacks, emergency room visits, and missed days of work, while levels of nitrogen dioxide in their kitchens fell by 70%. 听
Antibiotic prescription chatbot tools on hospital staffers鈥� phones are being deployed to help prevent drug-resistant infections in four hospitals across Kenya and Zambia that are a part of a pilot program through , which seeks to optimize antimicrobial stewardship.
A quarter of young Africans are optimistic that USAID cuts could have a positive impact in their home countries, forcing local leaders to solve problems, , which interviewed ~5,000 people across 16 countries. 听
National scabies control programs in Solomon Islands and Fiji led to 鈥渟ubstantial and sustained decreases鈥� of the parasitic skin disease, ; the mass drug administration of ivermectin resulted in drastic reductions of scabies as well as impetigo across all age groups in both countries.
EDITOR鈥橲 NOTEHeads Up: GHN鈥檚 Summer Break Next WeekWe鈥檒l be taking a summer break from publishing GHN next week, August 3鈥�7, to give our team some R&R time. We鈥檒l be back on Monday, August 10, with more news! 鈥撯��Dayna
IN FOCUSA member of staff exits the Madera Community Hospital, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March 2023, in Madera, California, on May 10, 2023. Genaro Molina/Los Angeles Times via Getty
Hazards of Investor-Driven HealthcareThe hypothermia death of a patient at an Illinois hospital last year is just one portrait of widespread human risks increasingly associated with the financialization of healthcare, advocates say. 听 听
One person鈥檚 life: Last year, a patient at Vista Medical Center East in Waukegan, Illinois, became disoriented and wandered to a rooftop, where she was stranded for hours in freezing temperatures before her death. Her family later learned she had been assigned a sitter out of safety concerns鈥攂ut staffing furloughs instituted a week prior by the hospital鈥檚 for-profit owner, American Healthcare Systems, meant no sitter was available,
The bigger picture: The case reflects broader concerns that private equity and other investor-backed ownership models create pressure to cut costs at the expense of patient safety.
Earlier this month, identified 500+ joint ventures between private equity and nonprofit healthcare providers, . 听
But states are pushing back: This summer, Vermont became the latest state on a growing list pushing for greater regulatory powers over private equity in healthcare, .
Further fears: Looming Medicaid cuts from the 鈥淥ne Big Beautiful Bill Act鈥� set to be enacted next year are expected to increase financial pressure on hospitals, and the Medicare Rights Center has warned of blows to and .
In hearings next week, senators will hear about the 鈥渙n-the-ground reality of Medicaid cuts,鈥� . 听
In the face of $28 billion in new costs, requiring large corporations to pay a 鈥淔air Share鈥� contribution to the state鈥檚 safety net health coverage, Medi-Cal, .
Related: Private equity might dodge state laws by partnering with healthcare nonprofits 鈥�
A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR-IN-CHIEFBrian interviews a Soft Power Health clinic leader about the impact of U.S. government funding cuts on patients in Kyabirwa, Uganda, on July 4, 2025. Joanne Cavanaugh Simpson听听
Farewell, ReadersMy last day as GHN鈥檚 editor-in-chief will be August 24. (In GHN style, I lead with the key point first.)
After 25 thrilling, challenging years at the Bloomberg School, I am moving on to new opportunities. It鈥檚 been the great joy of my professional life to document the expansive landscape of public health challenges and the lifesaving efforts of so many dedicated people. Along the way, I鈥檝e watched GHN grow from an email I鈥檇 send to a dozen or so office colleagues into a newsletter with 50,000+ subscribers in 170 countries.
GHN鈥檚 success is due to our amazingly talented team: Dayna, Annalies, Morgan, Kate, Jackie, and Melissa. Special thanks go to Dayna, GHN鈥檚 full-time managing editor. She shoulders much of the day-to-day work, ensuring that GHN remains an invaluable resource.
Finally, I want to thank you, our GHN readers, who have supported us for the past 12 years by giving us your time, attention, ideas, and financial support. Together, we鈥檝e built a special community within the field of global health.
Knowing all of this will continue after I鈥檝e moved on exceeds my most improbable hopes.
I still plan to work in global public health, so please stay in touch.
Thank you again,
Brian W. Simpson, MPH
Editor-in-Chief, Global Health NOW
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Buy It Some Peanuts and Cracker JacksThe scoreboard said Orioles vs. Tigers. But the real MVP Monday night at Detroit鈥檚 Comerica Park was an animal of the brighter-eyed and bushier-tailed variety.
In a nutshell: A 鈥渞ogue鈥� in the sixth inning and ran away with the game as it zigzagged to the infield and found an ally in Orioles third-base coach Buck Britton鈥攚ho rewarded it with a few sunflower seeds, . 听
It then went on a tear in the seventh, leading the entire grounds crew on a wild chase, flipping into and out of Leody Taveras鈥� glove, and earning its own riveting broadcast play-by-play before finally getting captured in a towel (to a stadium-wide chorus of boos) and escorted away.
鈥淭he whole squirrel thing was nuts,鈥� Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said after the game, .
If you build it, they will come: This isn鈥檛 the first time a squirrel has scurried into the Tigers鈥� home park. Another furry free agent鈥攐r perhaps the same big-league hopeful鈥攙isited Comerica Park last season, . Was an acorn misplaced? Or could it be time for a new Detroit mascot?
QUICK HITSIs it safe to drink Red Bull and vodka? Dubious research tied to the company has shaped energy drink policy. 鈥�
What a Legionnaires鈥� Outbreak Can Teach Us About Water Vigilance 鈥� 听
Most 鈥極varian Cancer鈥� Isn鈥檛. And That Fact Can Save Lives. 鈥�
Advancing oncology education in low-income and middle-income African settings: global insights for local action 鈥�
Ten years after WHO recognition, mycetoma remains one of the world鈥檚 most neglected diseases 鈥�
Limiting sugar before the age of two could cut risk of dementia, study suggests 鈥�
The 鈥楧omino Chains鈥� Transforming Kidney Donation 鈥�
听Issue No. XXXX
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Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Brian Simpson, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.
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July 29, 2026
NEWS IN BRIEFAn mpox outbreak has grown to 3,000+ cases and killed 20 in Madagascar, where the virus鈥檚 clade 1b strain has hit several coastal city commercial hubs; ~65% of mpox tests carried out in the country have been positive鈥攁 sign that many cases may be going undetected.
Europe is off-track from its 2030 target to eliminate viral hepatitis, ; the region has made steady progress, however, with hepatitis B prevalence now at near-zero levels among children under 5.
The WHO has updated leishmaniasis treatment guidelines for eastern Africa and South-East Asia, that 鈥渟ignificantly improve patient care,鈥� including alternatives to the longstanding regional protocol that uses sodium stibogluconate, a drug that requires painful daily injections and causes severe side effects.
The American Red Cross has declared a national blood supply crisis for the second time in its history as blood donations fell to a four-year summer low, worsened donor turnout has likely been driven by extreme heat, poor air quality, and outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, the Red Cross said.
IN FOCUSCallum Diaz-Cheng, 3 (left), and Aevin Lee, 2 (right), play while waiting for their vaccinations at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles, with physicians Andrew Cheng and Jennifer Su nearby. June 21, 2022. Wesley Lapointe/Los Angeles Times via Getty
Ongoing U.S. Vaccine Volatility听The outlook for vaccine policy in the U.S. remains in flux as the White House pushes for sweeping changes even as state legislators, court rulings, congressional resistance, and polling indicate pushback against an anti-vaccination agenda. 听
International outlook: The State Department will release ~$600 million that Congress appropriated months ago for Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Sen. Susan Collins announced yesterday, ; the disbursement comes after Kennedy sought to delay the funding over criticisms of Gavi. 听
Federal outlook: After a federal judge paused the Trump administration鈥檚 efforts to narrow the routine childhood immunization schedule, recent reporting suggests that President Trump pushed Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be more aggressive in rolling back vaccine requirements鈥攄espite polling showing vaccine cutbacks are politically risky ahead of the midterms, . 听
State outlook: Vaccine-related laws were a fixture in state legislative sessions this year, with ~400 bills introduced鈥攊ncluding 200+ across 34 states that aimed to weaken vaccination rules or systems, .
Playground outlook: Meanwhile, parents are proving to be some of the more vocal advocates for childhood vaccinations: found that 36% of U.S. parents in a nationally representative study reported advocating that other parents vaccinate their children, while 12% discouraged other parents from vaccinating, .
GLOBAL HEALTH VOICES DISABILITYSupport Networks Take Root in NigeriaIn Nigeria, people with Down syndrome and other disabilities and their families have long endured isolation and discrimination, with few resources or cultural support. 听
But that is slowly changing, as advocates nurture growing peer support communities, which are also beginning to push for greater institutional change. 听
A 2024 national assessment of disability inclusion in Nigeria found that longstanding systemic barriers have prevented 鈥渇ull participation in national life鈥� for many with disabilities. 听
And in many regions, beliefs that disabilities are caused by curses or witchcraft persist. 听
Strengthening supports: Groups formed in the last few years, including GlowingStar Empowerment Initiative and Development, aim to connect families, provide public education, and push for policy change like more inclusive schools, affordable healthcare, and bolstered caregiver support. 听
MINI POLLHow do you feel about the geographical balance in GHN?
QUICK HITSActivists and leaders at global HIV meeting decry price of prevention drug 鈥� 听
Lancet Report Recommends Paradigm Shift in Care for Older Adults with HIV 鈥� 听
Six key issues we鈥檙e watching at Fauci鈥檚 hearing 鈥�
FDA official says food supply is safe as cyclosporiasis cases climb 鈥�
Trump Has Quietly Throttled an Agency Devoted to the Safety of American Healthcare 鈥�
Temps are predicted to hit 106 in Egypt this week. How do people stay cool? 鈥�
听Issue No. 2598
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Copyright 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Brian Simpson, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.
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July 28, 2026
NEWS IN BRIEFA severe drought in Eastern Uganda has caused crop failures that have led to 19 deaths from hunger; the government announced plans to distribute 9,400 tons of emergency food supplies over the next two months.
A cheery Barclays research note recently advised investors on profit opportunities from the 鈥渟uper鈥� El Ni帽o weather cycle, which is predicted to cause extreme weather events that may leave 100 million people hungry.
Fewer adolescent participants in a key U.S. mental health study reported using tobacco, alcohol, and marijuana last year鈥攃ontinuing a positive trend among 12- to 17-year-olds.
U.K. industrial farms that raise chickens have led to a dangerous increase in the Campylobacter bacterium鈥攁 common cause of diarrhea, ; the crowded industrial conditions are fostering antimicrobial resistance.
IN FOCUSParkside Pediatrics provider, Nathan Heffington, preps in full PPE gear to asses a patient with measles symptoms. Spartanburg, South Carolina, January 30. The Washington Post
The New Normal of an Old ThreatAs the U.S. marked its highest measles case count in 35 years last week, American doctors are voicing frustration as they grapple with the resurgence of a preventable virus, .
The overview: , as of July 24鈥攚ith nearly all of the confirmed cases in unvaccinated or undervaccinated people, .
That number already outpaces last year鈥檚 total measles cases鈥攁nd jeopardizes the U.S.鈥檚 measles elimination status, to be determined later this year.
鈥淭he significance of reaching this milestone is that the US has not been able to stop measles virus transmission or outbreaks as it has in the past,鈥� 鈥攁dding that the virus is spreading between communities in the U.S., rather than being limited to infections brought in from abroad.
The frontline view: In a series of , six Utah doctors describe treating unvaccinated children hospitalized for measles, and the complexities of discussing the virus and vaccines with parents.
鈥淚 wish that people could see what I see,鈥� says Nathan Money, a hospital pediatrician in Utah. 鈥淚 see what happens when things go poorly鈥� And the child is terrified, and the parents are scared that their child might die.鈥�
The long view: With an unavoidable need for more therapeutic tools amid declining vaccination, researchers and biotech companies are stepping up efforts to develop measles-specific treatments, including monoclonal antibodies and antiviral drugs, .
GHN EXCLUSIVE Q&AVital Strategies CEO Mary-Ann Etiebet speaks to the UN General Assembly foreign policy panel in September 2025. Courtesy: Vital Strategies
Vital Strategies鈥� Mary-Ann Etiebet on Global Health鈥檚 FundamentalsShe calls it her 鈥渂aptism by fire.鈥�
Mary-Ann Etiebet took charge of the global public health organization Vital Strategies just months before the U.S. government upended global health last year. The CEO says the cuts have cost lives and livelihoods, and caused 鈥渢ectonic plate shifting in global health and global health financing.鈥�
They have also created an opportunity for global health 鈥渢o move away from a scarcity mindset, where we鈥檙e all fighting over a slice of the pie.鈥� Instead, she argues, it鈥檚 time to find ways to increase the pie.
Takeaways from her :
鈥淚f governments enact health taxes to increase the price of tobacco, alcohol, and sugary beverages by 50% globally, in five years, we could get $3.7 trillion. This could support up to 40% of national health budgets in low- and middle-income countries.鈥�
Such health taxes have a 鈥渢riple win effect: raising revenue, reducing healthcare burden, and saving lives.鈥�
Investment in noncommunicable diseases is lacking because 鈥渕ost of the NCD data is all modeling and estimates.鈥� Developing national data systems like birth and death registries would yield reliable data that would be 鈥渉arder to ignore,鈥� she says.
After PCOS became PMOS, there鈥檚 hope for new awareness among Black and Latina women 鈥� 听
When spit hoods are used on children, troubling patterns emerge 鈥�
Trump administration demands hospitals share emergency room records 鈥�
AI helps Stanford scientists discover 鈥渘atural Ozempic鈥� without the usual side effects 鈥�
Study links heavy TV watching to brain changes tied to Alzheimer鈥檚 鈥�
International PhD students to face strict limits on time in the US 鈥�
听Issue No. 2597
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Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Brian Simpson, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.
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July 27, 2026
NEWS IN BRIEFMore health workers have gone on strike at a treatment center in the Ebola epicenter of eastern Congo, demanding pay as the rapidly growing outbreak nears ~3,000 confirmed cases and 1,300+ deaths.
Migraine-related ER visits increase during periods of wildfire smoke, in which Canadian researchers analyzed ~1 million emergency visits for migraine conditions between 2010 and 2023 and saw a 6% uptick in such visits during periods of smoke-filled air.
Baltimore is expanding its 911 dispatch to include 鈥渨raparound support鈥� for crises that may not require EMS or police response, including connection to mobile crisis teams for people in mental health distress and emergency housing support; the service will be funded by opioid-related legal settlements.
Restricted eating windows could be linked to a reduced dementia risk, presented at the American Society for Nutrition鈥檚 annual meeting, which found that cognitive skills were improved in older women who restricted their eating to an 8鈥�9-hour window and avoided eating four hours before bed, compared with participants who spread their meals across ~12 hours.
IN FOCUSA nurse prepares to inject a patient with lenacapavir on June 8, at Paulina Morapeli Clinic in Embalenhle township outside Secunda, South Africa. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty
Hope and Headwinds in the HIV FightThe world鈥檚 largest scientific conference on HIV/AIDS kicks off this week at an inflection point in the decades-long fight against the virus: The promise of wider PrEP access is rapidly brightening the outlook in some of the world鈥檚 most vulnerable communities. At the same time, funding cuts and political shifts threaten to undermine years of progress.
That tension was on full display at the yesterday in Rio de Janeiro, where health activists protested U.S. PEPFAR disruptions and U.S. officials acknowledged a need to continue reaching at-risk populations.
Pivotal moment for PrEP: Merck announced last week that it licensed seven generic manufacturers to produce a low-cost version of its investigational monthly PrEP pill, alimatravir, for 129 LMICs, .
The decision could rapidly expand access to the pill in those countries if late-stage clinical trials succeed. 听
Progress meets political disruption: Such innovations come as progress has stalled on cutting HIV infection rates. There were 1.2 million new HIV infections in 2025, per UNAIDS, while recent analyses show PrEP initiation fell sharply in several high-burden countries amid reductions in U.S. and other donor funding.
U.S. under scrutiny: Meanwhile, a U.S. government session outlining the country鈥檚 new 鈥淎merica First Global Health Strategy鈥� was interrupted by HIV activists blowing whistles and chanting, 鈥淵ou lie, people die,鈥� .
At the session, U.S. officials acknowledged that despite the recent focus on treatment for mothers and babies, ending the epidemic requires reaching 鈥渁ll people at risk鈥濃�攊ncluding key populations. 听
鈥淲e can鈥檛 forget any group because if we do, we will fail,鈥� said Rebecca Bunnell, deputy head of implementing PEPFAR. 听
Related:
Countries in Latin America and the Caribbean helped build the future of HIV prevention. But will they be able to benefit from it? 鈥� 听
She Wasn鈥檛 Supposed to Survive. Her Fight Saved Thousands 鈥�
Kenyan Professor Kenneth Ngure Elected President of the International AIDS Society in Brazil 鈥�
DATA POINT300,000
鈥斺赌斺赌斺赌斺赌�
Drowning deaths worldwide each year鈥攎ost preventable, and 90%+ in LMICs. Ahead of World Drowning Prevention Day yesterday, the WHO released a technical package of ; the framework is being launched in Ghana, where ~three people die each day from drowning. 鈥�
An emerging field of study and innovation is stemming from a long-discarded biological resource: menstrual blood. 听
A growing number of researchers and biotech companies are exploring the potential of such blood samples as a tool for understanding fertility, diagnosing disease, and studying the body鈥檚 healing systems.
Recent developments include:
A system that collects and analyzes blood from used tampons, creating a 鈥渓iquid biopsy鈥� without invasive procedures.
A self-collection kit that uses a tampon to screen for HPV.
An FDA-approved pad used for hemoglobin A1c monitoring. 听
A menstrual cup used for endometriosis diagnosis. 听
Broader insights: Researchers are also studying whether menstruation may provide a 鈥渂lueprint鈥� for the body鈥檚 response to inflammation and tissue repair.
OPPORTUNITY Conference: Tending to the Public Health WorkforceJoin the National Network of Public Health Institutes in lively Nashville, Tennessee, August 24鈥�26, 2026, for their annual public health workforce development conference, Open Forum: Next Generation. 听
Students get a discounted rate of $375 for the entire conference.
by July 29!
Ebola Thrives in DR Congo鈥檚 Chaos. The World May Soon Pay the Price 鈥�
Yemen鈥檚 health workers race to halt latest outbreak of deadly dengue fever 鈥�
Gaza: Dialysis patients face gruelling hospital journey by donkey cart 鈥�
Todd R. Lawrence and Madison A. Kesler: E-bikes, e-scooters are a burgeoning pediatric public health emergency 鈥�
NIH is again terminating grants that the Trump administration dislikes 鈥�
Trump 鈥減ublic charge鈥� rule resets health test for green cards 鈥�
Grocery Shopping in the Age of Explosive Diarrhea 鈥�
听Issue No. 2596
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Copyright 2026 Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. Views and opinions expressed in Global Health NOW do not necessarily reflect those of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health or Johns Hopkins University.
Contributors to Global Health NOW include: Brian Simpson, Dayna Kerecman Myers, Annalies Winny, Morgan Coulson, Kate Belz, Melissa Hartman, and Jackie Powder.
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July 23, 2026
IN FOCUSA sign for the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's White Oak campus in Silver Spring, Maryland, is seen through a prism on April 8, 2025. Maansi Srivastava/The Washington Post via Getty
The Deeper Dynamics of the Peptide DebateThe future of peptide drugs in the U.S. will be under scrutiny to review the safety of the increasingly popular products.
But the stakes go beyond peptides themselves: The meetings also reflect broader tensions over the future of federal health policy and the role of regulatory groups in the Trump administration. Scientists warn that traditional vetting processes are being compromised by the interests of a rapidly growing wellness industry that has received significant support from health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.鈥攚ho appointed panel members with deep industry ties,
Background: The panel of experts will weigh whether compounding pharmacies should be allowed to produce seven injectable peptides that have surged in popularity through an online 鈥済ray鈥� marketplace,鈥� despite limited evidence proving their safety and efficacy in humans, .
Peptides are short chains of amino acids used for a variety of health products, including some well-established medicines like insulin and GLP-1 drugs.
But the compounds under review鈥攊ncluding BPC-157, TB-500, and MOTs-C鈥攁re largely promoted for wellness, recovery, longevity, and weight management, and have not been subject to significant human clinical trials.
Collision course: While supporters argue allowing compounding would move patients away from an unregulated online market and into physician-supervised care, the FDA鈥檚 own warn there is a lack of evidence to justify their usage, .
And FDA leadership rejecting the advice of its own internal scientists could set a precedent that 鈥渦ndermines their authority and consistency,鈥� said Paul Knoepfler, cell and molecular biologist at the University of California, Davis.
The Trump administration is seeking to overhaul U.S. priorities in scientific research by shifting funding away from universities toward private companies and individual researchers, and by putting more focus on AI, robotics, and nuclear energy instead of 鈥渓ife sciences,鈥� the administration鈥檚 science adviser Michael Kratsios told the House yesterday.
A Ukrainian warehouse of HIV prevention products was destroyed by a Russian missile strike Sunday; the warehouse held 62 million prevention items including syringes, needles, and condoms intended for harm reduction programs for 300,000+ people in the country, which has one of the highest HIV burdens in Europe.
4 million+ people lost federal food assistance in the U.S. between July 2025 and March this year鈥攊ncluding 1.5 million+ children鈥攁fter the passage last year of the One Big Beautiful Bill, from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
Pending tobacco restrictions in Indonesia are receiving pushback from tobacco groups in the country, who say the regulations鈥攚hich include plain packaging and nicotine and tar limits鈥攚ill lead to industry 鈥渃ollapse鈥� if they go into effect next week as planned.
REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTSHow the U.S.听Is Exporting Anti-Abortion PoliticsThe Trump administration鈥檚 restrictions on U.S. funding for abortion-related organizations have marked a pivotal shift, potentially affecting up to $30 billion in aid.
But the new policies build on years of efforts by U.S. anti-abortion groups to shape reproductive policies in Africa.
Mounting funding and opposition: 17 U.S. anti-abortion nonprofits spent $25 million+ in Africa between 2019鈥�2024, per an analysis by the Institute for Journalism and Social Change. 听
Reproductive health workers and health advocates across Africa report increased harassment, legal threats, and support for new policies limiting reproductive rights, including a draft African Union charter rejecting some sexual and reproductive health protections.
And maternal risks rise: Already, sub-Saharan Africa has the world鈥檚 highest rates of maternal deaths and unsafe abortions, with 6 million+ unsafe abortions reported annually.
Related: Trump team is pulling funds from sex ed groups that don鈥檛 teach abstinence and the value of marriage 鈥�
OPPORTUNITY From Pregnancy to Practice: Infrastructure for Rural Health ResearchJoin Bloomberg School and West Virginia University School of Public Health investigators for a virtual discussion highlighting important topics in rural health.
The August 3 seminar will feature the Mountain Mama & Baby Cohort Study as a case study in cardiovascular health in pregnancy and expand into broader discussions of rural health research infrastructure.
Topics include:
Strategies for recruiting representative samples
Building sustainable community-engaged studies
Leveraging existing resources for collaborative research
Monday, August 3, 11:30 a.m.鈥�12:30 p.m., EST
All levels of experience and interest in rural health research are welcome.
ALMOST FRIDAY DIVERSION Jimothy Cricket!At any given moment, the internet needs a famous animal we can all get behind鈥攁nd right now it鈥檚 Jimothy. 听
Two weeks ago, the deformed-but-spry raccoon was unknown 鈥渂eyond the bins of an area of Seattle,鈥� . Now, he鈥檚 a hometown hero being cheered at Mariners games, muse, and the inspiration behind 鈥淛imothy Summer.鈥� 听
What鈥檚 in a name? explained Kiana Hall, who . And she was 100% right, gifting the world not only a creature we can鈥檛 stop watching, but a name we can鈥檛 stop saying. 听
With his cheeky scamper, Jimothy has been likened to mythical creatures like cryptids and chupacabras鈥攐r as one Instagrammer put it: 鈥淢e getting out the shower when I forget my towel.鈥�
And if you thought nothing could be cuter than Jimothy 鈥� there鈥檚 baby Jimothy! An captures the pre-fame raccoon growing up in a loving family among some cedar trees, as an early fan foreshadows his enduring je ne sais quoi. 听
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got it,鈥� she assured him. 鈥淲hatever it 颈蝉.鈥�
QUICK HITSCongo: Ebola deaths increase to over 1,000 鈥�
Climate change has intensified Europe's risk of drought, scientists say 鈥�
Africa still vulnerable to pandemics despite improved preparedness 鈥�
US FDA says it is investigating another cyclosporiasis outbreak 鈥�
Sex work or starve: Aid workers in Nepal left jobless by USAID cuts turn to sex work to survive 鈥�
听Issue No. 2595
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Study offers new insights into why ex-smokers remain at elevated risk of lung disease
A new study by a team of 麻豆社 researchers could help explain why people who have quit smoking remain at elevated risk of lung disease long after their last cigarette.
Their paper, published in , provides one of the most detailed pictures to date of how quitting smoking affects the human lung at the cellular level.
July 22, 2026
IN FOCUSThembelani Mbatha, 23, holds a bottle of lenacapavir after being injected with the new HIV prevention drug on June 8, at Paulina Morapeli Clinic in Embalenhle, South Africa. Per-Anders Pettersson/Getty
How PEPFAR Disruption Derailed the HIV FightDisruptions to the PEPFAR program last year significantly weakened global HIV prevention and treatment efforts, creating gaps that could trigger yearslong cascading effects, . 听
The report is the first large survey of organizations that previously received PEPFAR funding鈥�166 groups across 46 countries鈥攁nd offers an early snapshot of how upended funding has led to 鈥渨idespread degradation鈥� of interconnected programs, impacting every point of service, . 听
鈥淲ith HIV and infectious disease, each day is deadly. Each day that we don鈥檛 have those systems in place, you see new infections,鈥� said Jennifer Sherwood, amfAR鈥檚 director of research and public policy. 听
Key findings, :
Access lost: 1,700+ HIV clinics and service sites have shuttered, and 6,000+ staff positions have been cut. 听
Most at risk, most impacted: Deepest cuts were to services for key populations, including sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender people, and people who inject drugs. 听
Core care eroded: Respondents reported diminished HIV treatment, testing, and prevention of mother-to-child transmission, despite U.S. guidance that such core programs continue.
Prevention pushed off course: PrEP programs and condom distribution also declined sharply.
Local impact: Local organizations were more likely than international groups to lose funding.
Recommendations to restore care: With the report slated for presentation at the next week, amFAR called for the reinstatement of U.S. support for all HIV services and pushed for other national governments to spend more.
But: Rebuilding HIV services and restoring community trust could take years, even if funding returns, researchers said.
2,295 U.S. measles cases have been reported so far this year, outpacing last year鈥檚 total of 2,286, that draws from state and local health data; this year鈥檚 case count is the highest in 35 years.
A doctor-led fraud ring in India claimed snakebites as the cause of death for people who had actually died from suicide, heart attacks, and other causes; the forgery scam sought to take advantage of a government program meant to compensate families who lost loved ones to snakebites, said investigators who arrested 17 people. 听
Childhood malaria chemoprevention programs in Africa鈥檚 highest-burden countries could yield billions of dollars in 鈥渟ocietal net benefits,鈥� ; the medication reduces malaria morbidity and mortality among school-aged children while also curbing absenteeism, leading to improved literacy. 听
The Trump administration will freeze $1 billion+ in Medicaid payments to California and Minnesota over alleged fraud concerns, officials announced Tuesday鈥攖he second time the two blue states have had Medicaid funds halted due to alleged fraud.
GHN EXCLUSIVE COMMENTARY鈥淭he dengue narrative needs to shift. 鈥� It can no longer be seen just as a second-tier health issue behind malaria.鈥� 听
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Dengue, described at the turn of the century as 鈥�,鈥� is living up to the name. 听
Sri Lanka is battling its worst outbreak in nearly a decade, dispatching military drones to track stagnant pools of water on rooftops, . 听
In India, where dengue used to be a seasonal disease confined to monsoon season, outbreaks are becoming 鈥渁 year-round scourge,鈥� . 听
And now, more than half the world鈥檚 population is now at risk, as dengue transmission鈥攆ueled by climate change, urbanization, and population mobility鈥攈as exploded. Yet Aedes-borne diseases like dengue and chikungunya draw far less attention and funding than other diseases, such as malaria and HIV, .
Momentum for change: , held last month in Singapore, marks a shift from a regional movement into a global call to action and sets a framework for solutions. 听
READ THE FULL COMMENTARY BY MICHAEL B. MACDONALD OPPORTUNITY QUICK HITSVenezuela confirms 3 people have died of hantavirus infections, with 2 more deaths suspected 鈥�
Africa CDC urges U.S. to lift Uganda Ebola travel restrictions 鈥�
Pandemic detour leads to clues about a mysterious disease 鈥�
鈥業f all else fails, sue鈥�: how ultra-processed food firms are using the courts to obstruct health rules 鈥�
Magic mushrooms may reshape the brain long after the trip ends 鈥�
听Issue No. 2594
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麻豆社 researchers receive $14 million in SSHRC funding for 62 projects focusing on societal challenges
Topics include youth agency through video games and entrepreneurship education in India.
