Public Health

Despite reporting over 4,400 confirmed cases of mpox as of 27 June 2025, Sierra Leone has performed genomic characterization on only approximately 2.5% of these cases (108 sequences), representing a significant limitation in understanding viral evolution and informing targeted public health interventions. Currently, these genomic data are deposited in international repositories such as Pathoplexus, GISAID, and NCBI Virus; however, the disparity between outbreak detection and genomic data generation hampers real-time surveillance efforts.

The week-long workshop employed a multidisciplinary, hands-on approach combining didactic instruction, practical exercises, and group data analysis. The curriculum included:

• Day 1: Introduction to genomic surveillance principles, sequencing technologies, and foundational bioinformatics tools such as Linux and Conda environments.
• Day 2: Emphasis on sequencing data quality control (FastQC, MultiQC), read trimming (Fastp, Hostile), and genome assembly techniques utilizing reference-based (BWA, Cutadapt) and de novo (SPAdes) approaches.
• Day 3: Variant detection and analysis (SAMtools, FreeBayes, Snippy), consensus sequence generation (Bcftools), and genome annotation (SnpEff, VEP).
• Day 4: Phylogenetic analysis, clade classification (Nextclade, Nextstrain), and visualization using platforms such as GISAID, Pathoplexus, NCBI Virus, Microreact, iTOL, and Galaxy.
• Day 5: Integration of all components through a case study simulating mpox outbreak response, culminating in data interpretation and strategic planning.

Walter Oguta, WHO AFRO EPI Analytics Specialist and the Lead Bioinformatics Trainer, underscored the practical value of the training, stating, “Translating genomic data into actionable public health strategies is the ultimate goal. Our aim was to equip participants with both technical proficiency and confidence to utilize these tools effectively.”

Air pollution has been linked to a swathe of lung cancer-driving DNA mutations, in a study of people diagnosed with the disease despite never having smoked tobacco.

The findings from an investigation into cancer patients around the world helps explain why those who have never smoked make up a rising proportion of people developing the cancer, a trend the researchers called an “urgent and growing global problem”.

Prof Ludmil Alexandrov, a senior author on the study at the University of California in San Diego, said researchers had observed the “problematic trend” but had not understood the cause.

Vice President J.D. Vance took heat from critics this week when he downplayed legislation that would result in millions of Americans losing Medicaid coverage as mere "minutiae."

Vance defended the budget megabill that's currently being pushed through the United States Senate by arguing that it will massively increase funding to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which he deemed to be a necessary component of carrying out the Trump administration's mass deportation operation.

France has struggled to kick its smoking habit. A new public health decree published Saturday aims to change that. In the coming days, smoking will be banned in all French parks and sports venues, at beaches and bus stops, in a perimeter around all schools, and anywhere children could gather in public.

The growing recognition of the environmental impact of health care has led to increased efforts to develop sustainable practices.1 Hospitals are major contributors to greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, with intensive care units (ICUs) often generating the most waste. This issue has driven the rise of the concept of green ICUs in high-income countries (HICs);2 initiatives to create green ICUs are focusing on incorporation of advanced technologies, reduction of medical and electronic waste, and optimisation of resource use. Ironically, low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) have long embraced frugality and sustainability in health care and critical care—out of necessity, not choice. These practices are now being rebranded by HICs under the banner of green ICUs, including many resource-conscious approaches that have been integral to LMIC ICUs for decades. Here, we highlight examples of sustainable ICU and health-care practices in LMICs, challenging the prevailing narrative and advocating for a more inclusive approach to sustainable critical care.

Groundbreaking device instantly detects dangerous street drugs, offering hope for harm reduction A portable device that instantly detects illicit street drugs at very low concentrations, thereby highlighting the risks they pose. The device has the potential to address the growing global problem of people unknowingly taking drugs that have been mixed with undeclared substances, including synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and nitazenes.

TLDR, it's complicated

Cholera is one of the severe forms of acute diarrhoeal disease that can be fatal within hours if not treated promptly.1 In 2024, among 33 countries across five WHO regions, 733 956 cholera cases were identified and 5162 people died from this disease. Importantly, there was 1·25-times increase in the number of cholera cases in Africa from 2022 to 2023.2 Nevertheless, compared with 2023, the incidence of cholera was 37% higher and cholera-associated deaths were 27% higher, relative to 2024. With the prevailing surge in both cholera incidence and mortality and emerging outbreaks of cholera in so many countries, in addition to better access to water and sanitation for populations of all ages, there is an urgent need for an effective and widely available cost-efficient vaccine against cholera.

In The Lancet Global Health, Hanmeng Xu and colleagues3 published a systematic review and meta-analysis to understand the current evidence on the protection provided by killed whole-cell oral cholera vaccines (kOCVs). To generate this work, they identified randomised trials and observational studies that reported estimates of protection conferred by kOCVs against medically attended confirmed cholera in children and adults. The systematic review included five randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and ten observational studies that revealed an average two-dose efficacy 1 year after vaccination of 55% (95% CI 46–62), declining to 44% (25–59) 5 years after vaccination, and an average two-dose effectiveness 1 year after vaccination of 69% (58–78), declining to 47% (9–70) 5 years after vaccination. On the other hand, the efficacy of these average two doses in children younger than 5 years was found to be half that of people aged 5 years and older. Importantly, the systematic review and meta-analysis identified only one randomised trial on one dose of kOCV over 2 years, which revealed sustained protection (52%, 95% CI 8–75). This is a positive finding because WHO currently recommends one dose of kOCV in outbreak response for short-term protection.

Also

Thus, several actions need to be considered to make cholera vaccine more effective and accessible to vulnerable populations. More work needs to be done to specifically identify the people who would most likely benefit from kOCVs. In future, rigorous studies should focus on identifying the high-risk factors and comorbidities that are associated with a higher burden of cholera, which might help in the design of more effective cholera vaccines for such a population. Children with malnutrition have the lowest protection against cholera5 because of a diminished acidic barrier in their stomachs; they are the childhood population most vulnerable to infection with bacteria,6 especially with symptomatic cholera, and they are more prone to die within a short period of the development of symptomatic cholera because of rapidly evolving hypovolemic shock. Thus, the efficacy of cholera vaccines in individuals with comorbidities needs to be explored. Whether the use of kOCVs could potentially help save costs for hospitals, communities, and patients also needs to be discussed.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a growing public health concern worldwide, as one of the leading causes of vision impairment. We aimed to estimate global, national, and region-specific prevalence and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) along with tobacco as a modifiable risk factor to aid public policy addressing AMD.

Findings

Globally, the number of individuals with vision impairment due to AMD more than doubled, rising from 3·64 million (95% uncertainty inverval [UI] 3·04–4·35) in 1990 to 8·06 million (6·71–9·82) in 2021. Similarly, DALYs increased by 91% over the same period, from 0·30 million (95% UI 0·21–0·42) to 0·58 million (0·40–0·80). By contrast, age-standardised prevalence and DALY rates declined, with prevalence rates decreasing by 5·53% (99·50 per 100 000 of the population [95% UI 83·16–118·04] in 1990 to 94·00 [78·32–114·42] in 2021) and DALY rates dropping by 19·09% (8·38 [5·70–11·53] to 6·78 [4·70–9·32]). These rates showed a consistent decrease in higher SDI quintiles, reflecting the negative correlation between HAQ Index and AMD burden. A general downward trend was observed from 1990 to 2021, with the largest age-standardised reduction occurring in the low-middle SDI quintile. The global contribution of tobacco to age-standardised DALYs decreased by 20%, declining from 12·45% (95% UI 7·73–17·37) in 1990 to 9·96% (6·12–14·06) in 2021. By 2050, the number of individuals affected by AMD is projected to increase from 3·40 million males (95% UI 2·81–4·17) in 2021 to 9·02 million (5·72–14·20) and from 4·66 million females (3·88–5·65) to 12·32 million (8·88–17·08). Eliminating tobacco use could reduce these numbers to 8·17 million males (5·59–11·92) and 11·15 million females (8·58–14·48) in 2050.

Interpretation

While the total prevalence and DALYs due to AMD have steadily increased from 1990 to 2021, age-standardised prevalence and DALY rates have declined, probably reflecting the effect of population ageing and growth. The consistent decrease in age-standardised rates with higher SDI levels highlights the crucial role of health-care resources and public policies in mitigating AMD-related vision impairment. The downward trend observed from 1990 to 2021 might also be partially attributed to the reduced effect of tobacco as a modifiable risk factor, with declines in tobacco use seen globally and across all SDI quintiles. The burden of vision impairment due to AMD is projected to increase to about 21·34 million in 2050. However, effective tobacco regulation has the potential to substantially reduce AMD-related vision impairment, particularly in lower SDI quintiles where health-care resources are limited.

I'm not promoting drug use in any which way but I'd like to consult smarter and more well-informed minds. Sorry if anyone finds this offensive.

The video talks about the benefits over dieting and semaglutide and that's all positive, but it makes a suggestion to say that these new drugs can help people who aren't able to exercise. Does that mean that disabled people who are suffering from muscular dystrophy will be able to take these drugs and have a better quality of life?

Since 2007, 155 countries have implemented at least one of the WHO MPOWER tobacco control measures to reduce tobacco use at best-practice level. Today, over 6.1 billion people, three-quarters of the world’s population, are protected by at least one such policy, compared to just 1 billion in 2007. Four countries have implemented the full MPOWER package: Brazil, Mauritius, the Netherlands (Kingdom of the), and Türkiye. Seven countries are just one measure away from achieving the full implementation of the MPOWER package, signifying the highest level of tobacco control, including Ethiopia, Ireland, Jordan, Mexico, New Zealand, Slovenia and Spain.

As peak travel season kicks into high gear, a troubling virus outbreak is casting a shadow over some of Europe’s most popular summer destinations. Health officials from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control are sounding the alarm after more than 2,000 people were sickened and nine died in a recent outbreak of hepatitis A — a highly contagious virus that’s spreading through Central Europe, with cases now reported in Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Austria.

While hepatitis A doesn’t typically make headlines, this surge has doctors and travel authorities urging vigilance. In the Czech Republic alone, six people have died — including multiple children. Slovakia is reporting nearly 900 confirmed cases, and Hungary has seen over 500. Even neighboring Germany has documented a few connected cases, suggesting the outbreak may be spreading beyond its initial clusters.

Just over 50 years ago, the World Health Organization launched its Essential Programme on Immunization. Since then, vaccination rates have improved dramatically and researchers estimate that 4.4 billion people have been reached and 154 million childhood deaths have been avoided.

These long-term trends obscure a less rosy picture of what's happened in recent years, according to a study published on Tuesday in The Lancet. The researchers found that, since 2010, efforts to boost vaccination rates have stalled or reversed in many places.

At this point they need to stop gatekeeping it and just make it available. I feel like we're so slow when it comes to things to help with mental health.