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good morning. Here’s the news you need to know after a long weekend.
Ebola outbreak continues to worsen
As of yesterday, there were 101 confirmed cases of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a post that the actual number of cases is likely much higher, with more than 900 suspected cases. Ten people have been confirmed dead and 220 more are suspected.
“This outbreak will be difficult to contain,” STAT’s Helen Branswell wrote online yesterday. “And the longer it takes for the world to mount an effective response, the harder it will be.”
In a new first opinion essay, two public health professors point out that such outbreaks also increase the risk of violence. They claim we know what will happen in eastern Congo because we have seen it happen before. Read more about the risks, especially for girls and women, and what precautions you can take.
The outbreak has spread to neighboring Uganda, where seven people have been confirmed infected, according to the Associated Press. Rwanda, which shares a border with both countries, has, like the United States, imposed a travel ban on people who have been to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the past 30 days (experts say travel bans will not stop the spread of the virus).
The momentum of the men’s health room has stalled.
When Assistant Secretary of Health Adm. Brian Christine took the oath of office last year, it signaled to many advocates that men’s health would finally become a major federal priority. Momentum is building around the idea of creating a specialized office for men’s health, either by Trump administration leaders or through bipartisan legislation in Congress as a “parallel track” to women’s health. However, political concerns appear to be growing as the midterm elections approach.
“We can’t expect this to be done in just a few months, but we’re committed to seeing this through, no matter how long it takes,” urologist Mark Edney told STAT’s Annalisa Merelli. Read more about what Naris is holding people back from taking action.
New acting FDA commissioner defies expectations
Over the past year, Acting FDA Commissioner Kyle Diamantas has built a reputation among food industry leaders, the public health community and career FDA employees as a serious and thoughtful person. (One biotech executive once said he has a “normal personality.”) His demeanor is likely to serve him well in the leadership role he took on a few weeks ago after Marty McCurry resigned and several lieutenants were removed from their roles. Mr. Diamantas already appears to have won what Mr. McCulley and many other Trump officials failed to do: the approval of career FDA employees.
Given the hurdles the Trump administration faces in selecting and getting a new director confirmed, it’s possible Diamantas will lead the agency for some time. STAT’s Lizzie Lawrence spoke about him to 10 industry and public health officials, along with his former colleagues and former FDA commissioner. Read more about how a little-known Florida lawyer rose to the top of the FDA and what he’s doing to survive.
1.17 billion
This is the estimated number of people living with a mental disorder in the world in 2023, almost double the number in 1990, according to a study published last week in The Lancet. These include anxiety, mild and severe depression, autism, ADHD, eating disorders, intellectual disabilities, developmental disabilities, and more.
Part of the increase may be explained by changes in surveillance and the way people self-report struggling with their mental health. But some increase cannot be denied. Anxiety disorders and major depressive disorders are the largest contributors to the global mental health burden, with rates increasing by more than 47% and 24%, respectively, since 2019.
This issue is especially acute for young people. Another recent US-based study found that the number of pediatric primary care visits for mental health issues has increased steadily over the past decade.
Former CDC directors say they will save PEPFAR
Since 2003, the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) has saved more than 26 million lives, keeps 20 million people alive on HIV treatment, and built testing and disease surveillance systems that protect Americans every day from epidemics that begin overseas. But in a new first opinion essay, eight former CDC directors oppose an impending State Department plan they believe could derail PEPFAR and put lives at risk.
“More than 20 years later, it is natural to ask how PEPFAR should evolve,” they wrote. Leaders from both the United States and Africa have expressed interest in transferring ownership of the PEPFAR program to partner countries. “But how we sequence the reforms is important.” Read more about what’s next.
what we are reading
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A warming planet is a petri dish for new dangerous microbes, New Yorker
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U.S. researchers face new restrictions on publishing with foreign collaborators, Science
- Congress cut Medicaid funding to health care providers. Trump administration aims for further cuts, STAT
- Pap smears are designed to screen for cancer. Why are people afraid to get them? 19th
- AI biotech CEO sets the record straight on AI drug development hype, STAT
