Utah is the new U.S. measles epicenter with 386 cases diagnosed this year. Meanwhile on April 9, Bangladesh reported 1,187 suspected measles cases and 7 new deaths in 24 hours. Somalia's diphtheria outbreak has reached 758 cases and 21 deaths in 2026.
In sub-Saharan Africa, more than 110 million children younger than 5 lack a birth certificate, barring access to health-care services. @VitalStrat CEO Mary-Ann Etiebet explains how digital birth registration could improve health equity.
More than 1.15 million Rohingya refugees live in Cox’s Bazar in Bangladesh, and their survival relies on humanitarian aid. Emergency physician Darren Cuthbert explains how the camp's food, health care, and sanitation are strained by funding shortfalls.
To make sure all children are treated, Ghana needs a registry that links data from public and teaching hospitals, writes pediatric oncologist Nihad Salifu.
Recent conflict escalation in Lebanon has worsened the already fragile health system. Read how communities and humanitarian workers have come together to buoy health-care delivery.
After airstrikes on oil refineries in Iran, residents reported "black rain."
Abraham Marshall Nunbogu leads a group of authors from the UN University Institute for Water, Environment and Health to explain why the environmental and human health threats of oil warfare will linger.
Cuts to foreign aid will require tuberculosis (TB) clinics in low- and middle-income countries to do more with less money and maintain investments while reducing donor dependence. Read how frugal innovations will be key to TB elimination.
On Sunday, Iran attacked a desalination plant in Kuwait. Days later, President Trump further threatened civilian infrastructure, pledging to kill a “whole civilization.” Youssef Brouziyne explains the humanitarian fallout of targeting water infrastructure.
Residents of Gaza had begun seeing improved flows of food and aid supplies, yet renewed shutdown of crossing spread concerns of another prolonged period of deprivation.
Currently, 101 countries—about half the globe—have a national public health agency. Chikwe Ihekweazu and @garryaslanyan.bsky.social explain why more countries are launching these agencies to foster political accountability and create chains of command during emergencies.
As the America First Global Health agenda continues to shift the health landscape, donors should embrace multilane procurement channels that could provide transparency, improving competition and supply reliability.
Within the global health reform debate, many resonate with the call to reduce fragmentation and better align initiatives. @fleutelot.bsky.social argues that reform should also champion the inclusion of communities to meaningfully improve resiliency and trust.
South Africa's Aimee program, a WhatsApp-based AI health companion, offers a glimpse into how digital tools could support the next generation of HIV prevention.
England's National Health Services has reversed a decision that required funds to be allocated for long-COVID treatment clinics, leaving patients without access to care even as disability cases due to the condition continue to appear.
Measles continues to spread globally. An outbreak at a Texas ICE detention center has spilled over to the public, while another has killed 46 in Bangladesh. Meanwhile, whooping cough has caused nine deaths in Honduras.
An additional 45 million people could face acute hunger if the war in Iran persists into June. @cfr.org’s Sam Vigersky and Anya Hirschfeld explain how the humanitarian response after Russia's invasion of Ukraine offers a roadmap for the looming crisis.
The Iran War continues to choke the global deliveries of fuel, fertilizer, medicines, and aid transiting the Middle East and the Strait of Hormuz. In three charts, TGH's Allison Krugman maps the ripple effects of the ongoing conflict.
The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region serves as a pharmaceutical transit hub, with 80% of imports relying on GCC airspace and the Strait of Hormuz. Read how the Iran War threatens these essential supply chains.
India's new model for digital governance shows how AI can strengthen health systems if adoption is anchored in public interest, trust, and long-term resilience, explain Ilona Kickbusch, Anurag Agrawal, Catharina Boehme, and Karthik Adapa.
In a region as interconnected as the Arabian Gulf, public health erosion does not respect borders. James Miller and Sultan Barakat explore how health diplomacy initiatives in the region couldmotivate cooperation even in times of crisis.
The expanded Global Gag Rule asks whether African institutions will govern health through their legal order, anchored in ubuntu, or be compelled to reorganize themselves to pass foreign ideological tests, write Jessica Oga and Moses Mulumba.
The Middle East is home to 6% of the world’s population but less than 2% of renewable freshwater. @iwmi.bsky.social's Youssef Brouziyne explains the potential humanitarian effects of attacks on water desalination plants during the Iran War.
Military action in Lebanon has killed more than 1,000 people and displaced upward of 1 million. As people lose access to care and shelter, humanitarian workers are struggling to meet the demand, explains MedGlobal’s Lebanon Country Director Tania Baban.
Disease tracker update: A measles surge is straining a Bangladeshi hospital. In Texas, federal detention facilities make up 78% of measles cases reported this year. In Italy, hepatitis A cases are rising due to floods, and whooping cough has reached Guam.
The United States spends roughly $1.3 billion annually on commodity procurement for HIV, TB, malaria, and polio. Prashant Yadav explains how multilane procurement channels can streamline regulatory pathways, improve competition, and lower drug prices.
On March 19, the United States signed its twenty-seventh bilateral health agreement with Angola. The Department of State has also removed full texts for the memoranda of understanding from an online public library.
Reductions to international aid have compromised tuberculosis (TB) services in low- and middle-income countries. @madhupai.bsky.social outlines how portable TB tests offer a cost-effective way to enhance disease detection. #IDSky #WorldTBDay
As eyes shifted to the Iran War, Israel shut down crossings to Gaza.
Mariel Ferragamo interviews humanitarian workers in Gaza about how Palestinians are navigating persistent attacks, renewed food scarcity, and battered infrastructure.  
