Global Health NOW

Hand holding phone that has a measles alert on the screen. Text reads: Measles alert! Unsure of what to do next? Stay informed by subscribing to press releases from local and state health departments and monitoring the news for alerts.

First, know if the ALERT IS LEGIT. Measles alerts are designed to prevent potential outbreaks. A legitimate measles alert will come from official public health sources, such as local or state health departments or the CDC, and should include: Where & When: Specific locations visited by an infectious individual, and precise dates and time ranges when the person was there. Transmission Risk: Measles can remain infectious while suspended in the air, or survive on surfaces, for up to two hours. Contact Details: Direct phone numbers for local health departments for reporting symptoms or questions. Authority Source: Clear identification of the health department issuing the alert, typically denoted by a header or logo. Method & Response: Ways the health department is finding other potentially infectious individuals, including rapid contact tracing, collaborating with health care providers, and reviewing patient logs.

Know what to do after POSSIBLE EXPOSURE. Check immunity status: Immediately verify your MMR vaccination status and, if unvaccinated or unsure, call your health care provider or local public health department for guidance. There’s no harm in getting an extra MMR dose if you cannot find documentation of your vaccination status. Anyone who is unvaccinated can receive the MMR vaccine within 72 hours of exposure. While it may not prevent the illness, it will reduce its severity. Isolation: Measles is highly contagious. If one person has it, up to 9 out of 10 people nearby will become infected if they are not protected. Unvaccinated individuals should quarantine for up to 21 days post-exposure to prevent further spread, as a person with measles is infectious up to four days before a rash appears.

Illustration of measles rash on hand. Text reads: Know and monitor any symptoms. Measles symptoms begin to appear 7 to 21 days after exposure and generally follow this timeline: 7–14 days after initial infection: Fever and the three Cs—cough, coryza (runny nose), and conjunctivitis (red eyes). 2–3 days after symptoms begin: Small white bumps with a red halo appear on the inner side of the mouth before the onset of rash. 3–5 days after symptoms begin: A rash of flat, red spots emerges near the hairline, before spreading to the neck, abdomen, arms, legs, and feet. If you believe you were exposed immediately call your health care provider. If you are seeking health care in person, call before visiting. This allows them to prepare for your arrival and take precautions to not infect others in the waiting room.

There's a measles alert in my area. Now what?

Verifying immunity, monitoring symptoms, and staying current with vaccinations are key.

Read more: publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/what-is...

Translating research into products and services broadens public health’s impact.

The Innovation Translation Council, with resources from The Johns Hopkins University, is helping students, faculty, and staff turn ideas into entrepreneurial ventures.

magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/busines...

Global Health NOW 3.05.26 The Addiction-Fighting Promise of GLP-1s; Punished for Pregnancy Loss in El Salvador; and Just a Little R & R.I.P.

A large new study adds to building evidence that GLP-1s could be a powerful tool in curbing and even preventing addiction to a wide range of substances, offering new insights and new hope in the field of addiction treatment, reports NBC News.

Global Health NOW 3.04.25 Stemming the Tide of Stigma; and An Aid Vacuum Leading to Violence

The health impacts of stigma on people with mental illness can be severe—including delays in seeking treatment, lower-quality care, and reduced rates of recovery.

Global Health NOW 3.03.26 India’s ‘Blood Deserts’; and A ‘Game Changer’ for Sleeping Sickness

Families of patients needing donated blood in India routinely post desperate pleas on social media because the blood system in states like Jharkhand lacks sufficient supplies, per an IndiaSpend investigation.

Global Health NOW 3.02.26 Warnings of Human Toll as Middle East Conflict Widens; and High-Impact, Home-Based Prevention

As conflict spreads rapidly throughout the Middle East following joint U.S.-Israel strikes across Iran this weekend, global leaders are warning against escalating humanitarian impacts throughout the region—including attacks on health care and other civilian institutions.

A crisis of trust is ushering in a new era of public health communication. Expert ambassadors are turning to social media, newsletters, and podcasts to share information and address the deepening distrust of institutions.

Read more: magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/how-pub...

Global Health NOW 2.26.26 Somalia’s Severe Food Insecurity; How Dentists are Driving Antibiotic Overuse

The number of Somalis facing acute food insecurity has nearly doubled since last year, impacting a “staggering” 6.5 million people, as deepening drought, ongoing conflict, exorbitant food prices, and reduced aid all lead to deteriorating conditions, reports UN News.

Global Health NOW 2.25.26 Scrutiny of Shifting U.S. Aid Strategy; and Antiquated, Isolated TB Care

Zimbabwe has rejected a proposed $367 million health package from the U.S.—citing a “lopsided” deal that “undermines the sovereignty and independence of Zimbabwe as a country” and that compromises established global health frameworks, per Business Insider Africa.

Illustration of a person coughing. Text reads: What is whooping cough? Pertussis, also called whooping cough or the 100-day cough, is a respiratory infection caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria. Whooping cough’s early symptoms are similar to a common cold’s, which can make it hard to initially diagnose. Testing, especially after known exposure, is vital so that treatment can begin as early as possible. Pertussis is highly contagious, spreading through droplets when infected people cough or sneeze.

Illustration of a person covering their mouth with their elbow next to a box of tissues. Text reads: What are the symptoms? Early symptoms: Runny or stuffy nose; Low-grade fever (less than 100.4°F); Mild, occasional cough. One to two weeks after the first symptoms start, people may develop violent coughing fits that can last up to 10 weeks. Later symptoms: A high-pitched “whoop” when inhaling after a coughing fit; Feeling very tired; Difficulty sleeping at night; Struggling to breathe

Illustration of a person holding an infant. Text reads: Young infants are most at risk. Babies under 6 months old may not develop the characteristic “whoop” coughing sound. They may experience choking or pauses in breathing that require hospitalization. Serious complications can include pneumonia, low oxygen levels, brain injury, and heart failure. Because the risk of complications is so high, infants under 2 months old diagnosed with pertussis should immediately be hospitalized.

Illustration of two antibiotic pills. Text reads: What is the treatment? Treatment for pertussis focuses on early antibiotic therapy to reduce contagiousness and severity. Over-the-counter cough medicines are not effective at treating coughing associated with pertussis. If you are sick, stay home for five days after starting antibiotics. Severe cases may require hospitalization for oxygen and IV fluids. Continue to practice good hygiene like handwashing and covering coughs, masking, and post-exposure antibiotics for close contacts, especially infants, to limit spread and protect vulnerable populations.

Pertussis—commonly known as whooping cough—is experiencing a major resurgence in the U.S. with nearly four times as many cases as in 2023.

Vaccines are the best protection against the highly contagious respiratory infection.

Swipe to learn more.

publichealth.jhu.edu/2026/what-to...

Screengrab from "Wuthering Heights." A man and woman embracing. Text reads: Why is it always: you need to go get your colonoscopy and never: “be with me always—take any form—drive me mad! only do not leave me in this abyss, where I cannot find you!”

Screengrab from "Wuthering Heights." Woman crying with her hand on her heart. Text reads: presenting my final thesis after rehearsing it a million times

Screengrab from "Wuthering Heights." Man and woman embracing. Woman labeled as: my partner, who gets their covid and flu vaccines every year. Man labeled as: the urge to follow them like a dog to the end of the world

Screengrab from "Wuthering Heights." Man and woman embracing. Text reads: whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are on the same page of Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health magazine

Wuther or not you've seen the movie yet, we're sure you'll love these memes

Global Health NOW 2.24.26 The Power of Polio Influencers in Malawi; and Fiji’s ‘Tsunami’ of HIV Infections.

The detection of poliovirus in sewage treatment plants in Blantyre, Malawi, triggered a massive vaccination drive in the past week. But health authorities are fighting more than the virus.

Global Health NOW 2.19.26 Afghanistan’s ‘Catastrophic’ Hunger; Birth Certificates for Bangladesh’s ‘Invisible’ Children; and A Dog Has His Day.

Afghanistan faces a historic surge in malnutrition, as aid cuts, displacement, and drought leave two-thirds of the country’s population facing serious or crisis levels for acute malnutrition, reports the AP.

Global Health NOW 2.18.26 Forced Begging in Ethiopia; and Botswana’s Health Care Breakdown

People with disabilities are frequently trafficked and forced to beg in Ethiopia’s major cities in an often overlooked form of human trafficking that researchers describe as a “crime hiding in plain sight,” per a new study from the Population Council.

Global Health NOW 2.17.26 Booming ‘Bootleg Cigarettes’ Down Under; and the Race for WHO Leadership Ramps Up

Australia’s aggressive taxes on cigarettes have driven down smoking rates and raised an average pack’s cost to US$40. But they’ve also unleashed a nationwide black market, The New York Times reports.

Global Health NOW 2.16.26 Progress and Pushback on Polio Vaccination; and Peru’s Defective Cancer Drugs

The WHO is expanding the global arsenal for polio outbreak response by prequalifying an additional novel oral polio vaccine type 2 (nOPV2) aimed at curbing vaccine-derived outbreaks “more sustainably” in the ongoing quest to eradicate the virus.

Global Health NOW 2.12.26 EPA Moves to Revoke Key Climate Health Warning; Kenya Battles Kala-azar

The EPA is poised to revoke its own 2009 scientific conclusion that greenhouse gases are a threat to public health and welfare—upending the legal foundation for a wide range of federal climate protections, reports NBC News.

Wooden toy train. Text reads: 8 ways to keep American kids healthy. These proven strategies help kids thrive and lay the foundation for healthy adulthoods.

From healthy meals to safe spaces and mental health support, check out these eight keys to helping kids thrive.

Read more: magazine.publichealth.jhu.edu/2025/8-ways-...

Global Health NOW 2.11.26 Deteriorating Health Conditions in Immigration Detention; and The Struggle to Keep Mobile Crisis Teams in Action

As U.S. immigration detention centers expand under the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign, detainees and health workers are reporting severe health and safety breakdowns—including among children.

Global Health NOW 2.10.26 Health Crisis in Gaza; and Supporting Breastfeeding Mothers in South Africa

Clashes over WHO reporting and the health situation in Gaza continue months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire raised hopes for reconstruction and improved health.

Global Health NOW 2.09.25 Life After Leprosy; and Few Resources for Migrating Minors

At leprosy colonies throughout India, people who have long been cured of the disease continue to live and thrive inside the communities—a testament to the support systems there, and to the stigma that persists outside, reports NPR.

Global Health NOW 2.05.26 Going on the Offensive Against Cholera; and Best in Show, First in Our Hearts

Preventive cholera vaccination programs will restart globally after a ~4-year hiatus—a signal that the global supply has seen significant recovery after critical vaccine shortages, per a joint announcement from the WHO, UNICEF, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

Global Health NOW 2.04.26 New Insights into Cancer Prevention; and Could Fish Farming Help Fight Schistosomiasis

Nearly 4 in 10 cancer cases worldwide are potentially preventable, finds a comprehensive global analysis published in Nature Medicine ahead of World Cancer Day today, reports Nature.

Promo graphic for episode 1002 of Public Health On Call, titled On Public Health and Human Right in Minneapolis. Additional text reads: A human rights perspective on immigration enforcement and public protest in Minneapolis.

Today on the podcast: a human rights perspective on immigration enforcement and public protest in Minneapolis.

Professor Joe Amon shares his perspective on some of the most dramatic images that have emerged over the last several weeks.

podcast.publichealth.jhu.edu/1002-on-publ...

Global Health NOW 2.03.26 9 Million Deaths May Follow Aid Cuts

If current trends in global health funding cuts continue, 9.4 million excess deaths will occur by 2030, according to a study published in The Lancet Global Health yesterday. That’s the “mild” scenario.

Global Health NOW 2.02.26 Measles Strengthens Its U.S. Foothold; Pregnant, Breastfeeding, and Detained by ICE

U.S. doctors are learning to recognize a disease most have encountered only in textbooks as measles strengthens its grip nationwide—including in South Carolina, which is now home to the largest U.S. measles outbreak since the disease was eliminated 25+ years ago, reports the BBC.

Time to Chart a New Path to Africa’s Malaria-Free Future Africa needs to respond to aid cuts by investing resources against malaria and unleash its clinical and scientific leadership.

As wealthy countries cut assistance and malaria surges in parts of Africa, the continent’s leaders must chart a new path to a malaria-free future, write Corine Karema, Francine Ntoumi, and @garryaslanyan.bsky.social in an exclusive GHN commentary.

The Bacterial Detective Trying to Stop Superbugs in Nigeria Iruka Okeke and her small team of students use genomic tools aiming to track the spread of drug-resistant microbes.

Inside a crowded lab on the second floor of the University of Ibadan's pharmacy school, Iruka Okeke and her dozen students are running a national surveillance project for one of Nigeria's—and Africa's—most understudied problems: antimicrobial resistance (AMR).

Global Health NOW 1.22.26 The U.S. Has Left the WHO. What Now?

The U.S. formally leaves the WHO today, completing a yearlong withdrawal process begun on President Trump’s first day in office in 2025, and leaving a budgetary crisis and ruptured global health security in its wake, reports Reuters.

Global Health NOW 1.21.26 Mpox’s Silent Spread; and U.K. Seeks a Road Safety Overhaul

Mpox may be spreading asymptomatically in parts of Africa, new research shows—a revelation that could have significant implications for understanding and preventing transmission, reports The Telegraph.