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Christine Stewart MPH PhD

@christinestewart

Professor of Nutrition at UC Davis and Director of the Institute for Global Nutrition. I study maternal and child nutrition. Lover of chocolate 🍫, coffee β˜•οΈ, and a beautiful hike 🏞. Views are my own.

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15.11.2024
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Latest posts by Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart

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Opinion | We Found a Work Around to Trump Defunding Science (Gift Article) When knowledge is threatened, don’t just mourn it. Build around it.

I needed this: "In the shared act choosing to care, we can find a way forward. One rooted in fairness, shaped by resilience and elevated by hope. Even when institutions falter, the mission doesn’t have to."

www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/o...

22.04.2025 18:23 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Malnutrition treatments halted in Ethiopia due to underfunding, WFP says

Malnutrition treatments halted in Ethiopia due to underfunding, WFP says

Malnutrition treatments halted in Ethiopia due to underfunding, WFP says reut.rs/4jB8BVW

22.04.2025 12:05 πŸ‘ 133 πŸ” 79 πŸ’¬ 20 πŸ“Œ 9
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Women, minorities fired in purge of NIH science review boards Scientists, with expertise in fields that include mental health, cancer and infectious disease, typically serve five-year terms and were not given a reason for their dismissal.

Thirty-eight of 43 experts cut last month from the boards that review the science and research that happens in laboratories at the National Institutes of Health are female, Black or Hispanic, according to an analysis by the chairs of a dozen of the boards.

16.04.2025 18:46 πŸ‘ 10247 πŸ” 5253 πŸ’¬ 641 πŸ“Œ 638

It is disheartening to see this happen to such a leader in the field of nutritional sciences.

17.04.2025 00:28 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Nutrition is the key determinant to health. It's staggering that nearly 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet.

I arrived in Paris to join President Emmanuel Macron & health leaders at the Nutrition for Growth Summit, as we need continued investment and a laser-focus on ending malnutrition.

27.03.2025 20:19 πŸ‘ 30 πŸ” 11 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Opinion | Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True. (Gift Article) A journey through the front lines of global poverty shows that when the world’s richest men slash aid for the world’s poorest children, the result is sickness, starvation and death.

Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

15.03.2025 13:34 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 4 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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The NIH’s Grant Terminations Are β€˜Utter and Complete Chaos’ The Trump administration is rapidly canceling hundreds of grants, in the most aggressive attack yet on American science.

This is a rather depressing time to be a scientist.

14.03.2025 23:53 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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U.S.A.I.D. Memos Detail Human Costs of Cuts to Foreign Aid (Gift Article) The world is likely to see millions more malaria infections and 200,000 cases of paralytic polio each year, according to an agency whistle-blower.

SCOOP: The world is likely to see millions more malaria infections and 200,000 cases of paralytic polio each year, according to a whistle-blower from USAID.

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/02/h...

03.03.2025 03:32 πŸ‘ 1813 πŸ” 916 πŸ’¬ 49 πŸ“Œ 63
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🧡 PIH condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the Trump Administration's mass termination of United States Government grants and contracts supporting essential health care delivery and humanitarian assistance around the world.

Here’s what you need to knowβ€”and how you can take action πŸ‘‡

27.02.2025 21:46 πŸ‘ 399 πŸ” 135 πŸ’¬ 3 πŸ“Œ 5
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Musk Scandal at USAID Takes Ugly Turn, Putting Starving Kids at Risk Two U.S. nonprofits that manufacture a treatment sent by USAID to help severely malnourished children abroad say the process is in chaos. This isn’t what Marco Rubio said would happen.

3. All supplies of US-manufactured emergency food packets for starving children on the brink of death – terminated. newrepublic.com/article/1919...

27.02.2025 20:59 πŸ‘ 2042 πŸ” 705 πŸ’¬ 40 πŸ“Œ 54

A lot of what we know about global health comes from the DHS. We use it to track maternal & child nutrition trends. I have published 4 papers using its data & I use it in my classes.

It celebrated its 40yr anniversary last year. It was ended, unceremoniously, yesterday.

27.02.2025 05:13 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 1 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Musk Scandal at USAID Takes Ugly Turn, Putting Starving Kids at Risk Two U.S. nonprofits that manufacture a treatment sent by USAID to help severely malnourished children abroad say the process is in chaos. This isn’t what Marco Rubio said would happen.

Awful news --> Delivery of therapeutic food assistance to nearly 400,000 severely malnourished kids abroad is suddenly in doubt due to Trump-Musk firings at USAID, two manufacturers of the product tell me.

"Starving children are waiting," one says.

New from me:
newrepublic.com/article/1919...

25.02.2025 16:23 πŸ‘ 2754 πŸ” 1276 πŸ’¬ 164 πŸ“Œ 184
ASN Global Nutrition Council (GNC) Listening Session: Recent Geopolitical Changes in Global Nutrition. February 26, 2025.

ASN Global Nutrition Council (GNC) Listening Session: Recent Geopolitical Changes in Global Nutrition. February 26, 2025.

The Global Nutrition Council in @nutritionorg.bsky.social will be hosting a listening session to hear how members have been affected by the recent events. We invite you to join and to share your ideas for action!

πŸ“… February 26 at 11 am EST

βœ… Registration: discover.nutrition.org/content/asn-...

24.02.2025 17:23 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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A respected U.S. famine warning system is 'currently unavailable.' What's the impact? FEWS NET, the U.S. early warning system for famine, shut down after the foreign aid freeze. What are the consequences? And why does the U.S. has a famine early warning system in the first place?

FEWS NET, the U.S. early warning system for famine, shut down after the foreign aid freeze. What are the consequences? And why does the U.S. has a famine early warning system in the first place?

22.02.2025 19:26 πŸ‘ 799 πŸ” 249 πŸ’¬ 35 πŸ“Œ 15
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A shock to the global nutrition system: Why nutrition scientists should challenge the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development and US withdrawal from the World Health Organization Imagine a world where over 1 million children across 85 countries died from a single nutrient deficiency β€” deaths that could be prevented with a semi-annual vitamin supplement. Millions of lives saved...

New perspective in #AJCN highlights the detrimental consequences of the US' withdrawal from WHO and the dismantling of USAID on global health and nutrition. ASN stands with our many affected members in the global nutrition community and beyond. ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S000...

21.02.2025 18:49 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 2 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

The shocks to the global nutrition system should be a concern to nutrition scientists and nutrition advocates everywhere. Please read and share our perspective published open access in AJCN today. πŸ‘‡

20.02.2025 23:15 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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Opinion | It’s America That Suffers When We Cut Foreign Aid (Gift Article) U.S.A.I.D. keeps children alive and us safe.

"Toddlers are starving because emergency feeding centers supported by USAID have run out of the nutrient-rich paste used to save the lives of severely malnourished children. Nearby warehouses have the paste but can’t release it without a waiver from the agency..."
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/o...

13.02.2025 03:05 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
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USAID watchdog warns of lack of oversight of $8.2 billion in unspent aid after Trump moves - The Republic News By ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) β€” The U.S. Agency for International Development has lost almost all ability to track $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian aid after the Trump admin...

Trump’s sudden cutoff of funding and staff at USAID has meant the loss of β€œalmost all ability to track $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian aid…, a government watchdog warned Monday.”

This whole wire report on the accelerating catastrophe bears reading.

www.therepublic.com/2025/02/10/u...

10.02.2025 23:36 πŸ‘ 431 πŸ” 199 πŸ’¬ 11 πŸ“Œ 23

From independent @USAID sources, >800 contracts and awards are being terminated en masse – with the procurement team subject to hourly checks on speed of executing terminations. The pace has exceeded the ability to confirm whether lifesaving assistance or any Congressional mandate is affected.

10.02.2025 14:23 πŸ‘ 1177 πŸ” 564 πŸ’¬ 33 πŸ“Œ 37

Here are some facts about "facilities and administrative" (F&A) costs, what we in the business call "indirects" and what Musk is calling "overhead" as he tries to convince Americans with being ok with cutting billions on dollars from medical and public health research at universities & hospitals

1/

09.02.2025 18:55 πŸ‘ 387 πŸ” 190 πŸ’¬ 7 πŸ“Œ 32
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Opinion | Samantha Power: Killing U.S.A.I.D. Is a Win for Autocrats Everywhere (Gift Article) The attacks on the agency are cruel and counterproductive.

β€œWe are witnessing one of the worst and most costly foreign policy blunders in U.S. history.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/o...

07.02.2025 03:43 πŸ‘ 308 πŸ” 105 πŸ’¬ 4 πŸ“Œ 5
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Gutting USAID threatens billions of dollars for U.S. farms, businesses U.S. businesses that sold goods and services to USAID are in limbo, including American farms dealing in rice, wheat and soybeans.

U.S. businesses that sold goods and services to USAID are in limbo, including American farms dealing in rice, wheat and soybeans purchased as food aid.

06.02.2025 15:37 πŸ‘ 4042 πŸ” 1551 πŸ’¬ 331 πŸ“Œ 347
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Dozens of Clinical Trials Have Been Frozen in Response to Trump’s USAID Order The stop-work order on U.S.A.I.D.-funded research has left thousands of people with experimental drugs and devices in their bodies, with no access to monitoring or care.

Suddenly cutting off USAID left people around the world with experimental drugs and medical products in their bodies, cut off from the researchers who were monitoring them, and generating waves of suspicion and fear.

www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/h...

06.02.2025 22:45 πŸ‘ 9 πŸ” 5 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 1
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Rubio claims that @USAID lifesaving assistance for health and humanitarian needs will continue. But his team just communicated that the entire agency will be imminently reduced from 14,000 to 294 people. Just 12 in Africa.

06.02.2025 20:59 πŸ‘ 2776 πŸ” 1411 πŸ’¬ 138 πŸ“Œ 151

Think about this for a second.

06.02.2025 22:58 πŸ‘ 386 πŸ” 109 πŸ’¬ 35 πŸ“Œ 3

My read of the post is that this applies to papers submitted or under review, not those already published. I am not sure what journals can do if the authors withdraw their papers.

02.02.2025 15:01 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0
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Health Programs Shutter Around the World After Trump Pauses Foreign Aid (Gift Article) Lifesaving treatment and prevention programs for tuberculosis, malaria, H.I.V. and other diseases cannot access funds to continue work.

@USAID is enduring an unlawful shutdown, purge, and dismantling.

It’s thrown its vital work into turmoilβ€”based on spurious, absurd, and willfully slanted attacks.

Here's what’s real: the massive and growing harm now being caused.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/h...

02.02.2025 14:33 πŸ‘ 665 πŸ” 314 πŸ’¬ 20 πŸ“Œ 30
Vegetables - Mexico 50%, Canada 24%, China 3%

Feed and grains - Canada 49%

Bakery products - Canada 43%

Liquors - Mexico 43%

Wine and beer - Mexico 41%

Fruits - Mexico 41%

Meat products - Canada 40%

Food oils - Canada 38%

Vegetables - Mexico 50%, Canada 24%, China 3% Feed and grains - Canada 49% Bakery products - Canada 43% Liquors - Mexico 43% Wine and beer - Mexico 41% Fruits - Mexico 41% Meat products - Canada 40% Food oils - Canada 38%

Good graphic by WaPo showing Canada (purple), China (brown), Mexico (blue) and other top suppliers by share of value of goods imported by the US in 2023.

β€œOne of the first places US shoppers may feel the impact of increased tariffs is in the grocery aisle…” www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...

02.02.2025 12:52 πŸ‘ 395 πŸ” 220 πŸ’¬ 15 πŸ“Œ 30