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Think Global Health

@thinkglobalhealth.org

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A new publication examining how changes in health are reshaping economies, societies, and everyday lives. An initiative from @cfr.org. 🌎: www.thinkglobalhealth.org 📩 Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.thinkglobalhealth.org/newsletter

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Feb 4

Hello Bluesky! Think Global Health is an online bulletin that examines the ways in which changes in health are reshaping economies, societies, and the everyday lives of people around the globe.

Check out our website below and subscribe to our newsletter: www.thinkglobalhealth.org/newsletter

Think Global Health

Revealing forces in global health

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · 1d

Think Global Health offers three charts to recount what has unfolded since the October 7 attack and to take stock of the immense health needs in Gaza.

Two Years of the Gaza War in Three Health Charts | Think Global Health

Two years after Hamas attacked Israel, the health consequences of the brutal war are sharp

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · 6d

India is the world’s leading generic drug producer but continues to face huge gaps with mental health treatment for its people.

Clinical pharmacologist Sameer Khasbage explains how innovative primary care solutions are making mental health resources more accessible.

Why India Lacks Access to Its Homegrown Drugs for Mental Illness | Think Global Health

Nearly 100 million Indians deal with depression or anxiety, but 85% with common mental disorders do not get help

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · 6d

Tobacco and alcohol drive noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).

Political scientist Eric Crosbie examines how a "commercial determinants of health" framework could counter the lobbying pushed by these industries.

How Big Industry Undermines Mexico's Food and Tobacco Policy | Think Global Health

Policymakers should draw from the commercial determinants of health framework to counter health harming industries

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · 7d

The world needs to resist measuring artificial intelligence's (AI) success only by rollout speed. Dino Rech explains the importance of building ethics into AI tools to responsibly strengthen health systems.

The Ethics of AI-Driven Health Projects in Africa | Think Global Health

AI's success should be measured by how it respects dignity, protects privacy, and solves the problems people face

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · 7d

The U.S. retreat from global health, China’s Health Silk Road initiative, and the formation of stronger regional blocs leaves Europe with less capacity to stabilize global health governance and more competition in shaping its future, writes Chatham House's Emma Ross.

After U.S. Retreat, Europe Recasts Its Role in Global Health | Think Global Health

Europe is transitioning from a supportive role in the shadow of U.S. dominance to political and normative leadership in global health

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · 8d

"Preserving the integrity of the WHO and PAHO is not optional but a strategic necessity."

Victoria Costoya, from the Argentine Council for International Relations, describes the future of health in Latin America and the Caribbean.

WHO, PAHO, and the Future of Health in the Americas | Think Global Health

For Latin America and the Caribbean, preserving the integrity of the WHO and PAHO is not optional but a strategic necessity

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · 8d

Even as the United States retreats from multilateral forums, the UN General Assembly has showcased how governments can still shape the future of global health priorities.

Global Health Multilateralism Without the United States: What Comes Next? | Think Global Health

The UN General Assembly could clarify whether common ground still exists for global health multilateralism

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · 9d

The America First Global Health Strategy reframes U.S. health assistance from a global public good to a strategic asset deployed in pursuit of national advantage.

For African leaders, the implications are profound, writes Chatham House's Ebere Okereke.

America First in Global Health: How Africa Should Respond | Think Global Health

A new U.S. strategy reframes health assistance from a global public good to a strategic asset for national advantage

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · 9d

Brazil’s population is aging faster than its social protection system, massive public health system, and economic resources can provide support.

Health scientist Danilo Farias de Morais explains the health-care investments needed to ensure a thriving population.

Brazil's Population Fragility Taxes National Health Systems | Think Global Health

Rising noncommunicable diseases and aging are exposing structural weaknesses in the world's largest public health system

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 28

Economic reports estimate 12 billion working days are lost annually to mental health conditions.

An emerging framework stipulates that proactive investments in employee well-being and brain health could increase global GDP by up to 12%, unlocking $11.7 trillion in economic value.

Driving Economic Gains Through Brain Capital | Think Global Health

An emerging economic belief system focuses on brain health, as mental illnesses sap trillions of dollars in productivity

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 27

Last year, more than half of the world's conflict-based attacks on health care were reported in the Middle East.

Insecurity Insight’s Tim Bishop explains how the fallout will reverberate for years.

Health Care Under Fire: How the Middle East Reflects a Global Crisis | Think Global Health

Humanitarian law obliges all conflict parties to protect health facilities and workers, yet deadly attacks persist

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 26

Governments are tasked with improving pandemic preparedness before the next infectious threat emerges.

A World Health Assembly roundtable showed how artificial intelligence can improve health communication, fill information gaps, and optimize resources.

Emerging Discourse on AI and Global Health Security | Think Global Health

AI could revolutionize global health security. A roundtable, held at the World Health Assembly, shows where to start

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 25

In Indonesia, the province of Papua accounts for 93% of the country’s malaria cases.

Learn how this burden led Indonesia to recently join the WHO’s Western Pacific Region—as part of a bid to achieve malaria-free status by 2030.

Indonesia's Move to Eliminate Malaria | Think Global Health

By joining the WHO's Western Pacific Region, Indonesia can strengthen alliances to eliminate mosquito-borne illnesses

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 22

The International Court of Justice has ruled that nations can be held accountable for climate-harming practices even if they have not signed onto the Paris Agreement.

Read how this decision could change global health and climate politics.

International Court's Ruling Could Transform Climate Action | Think Global Health

Holding countries legally accountable for climate harms could shift the landscape of global health and climate politics

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 21

A new study from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation estimates the links between consuming processed meats, sugary drinks, and trans fats and developing chronic diseases.

The authors say without sustained interventions, these trends will worsen health outcomes globally.

Are Processed Meat, Sugary Drinks, and Trans Fats Safe at Any Level? | Think Global Health

A new study estimates the links between unhealthy food servings and chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 20

This year, Chihuahua, Mexico has confirmed nearly 4,000 measles cases—the highest tally for any North American state or province by a large margin.

@ginarivers90.bsky.social reports on how vaccine hesitancy and underspending on health care fueled the outbreak.

Measles Takes Root in Mexico | Think Global Health

Measles is thriving and causing deaths among Mexico’s unvaccinated communities, amid deep budget cuts to health care

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 19

From the Cough of Perinthus in ancient Greece to Long COVID in the modern world, societies have toiled under post-viral illnesses.

@emendenhall.bsky.social and Phil Fink describe the history of these conditions, which have struggled to breach mainstream policy.

From Long Flu to Long COVID: A Brief History of Postviral Illness | Think Global Health

Despite centuries of examples, long-term maladies after flu and other viruses remain absent from mainstream policy

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 18

The Ganges water-sharing treaty is set to expire in 2026.

Diplomat Zakaria Bin Amjad urges Bangladesh and India to give the 30-year treaty a planetary health makeover to restore a damaged ecosystem and build peace in South Asia.

The Ganges Water-Sharing Treaty Needs a Climate Makeover | Think Global Health

Set to expire in 2026, the 30-year treaty could be remade to safeguard environmental and human health

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 15

In India, air pollution is linked to 1.5 million premature deaths annually. Learn how an emissions trading scheme in western India allowed factories to reduce air pollution and save on abatement costs.

The Pollution Market: An Auction for Better Air Quality in West India | Think Global Health

An experiment using emission trading schemes between factories offers an alternative fix for industrial air pollution

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 14

In July, Colombia opened its second safe injection site in nearly as many years.

@greennoise.bsky.social reports on how these organizations foster trust to ensure client safety, paving the way for a new approach to overdose prevention in Latin America.

Colombia Opens South America's First Safe Injection Sites | Think Global Health

July's launch of a second site signals a shift in overdose prevention that could spread across Latin America

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 13

Amid cuts to its aid, Africa is at a crossroads as it seeks to end tuberculosis (TB) by 2030. Read how regional governments can seize this moment to build resilient TB responses that don’t hinge upon foreign goodwill.

Africa's Tuberculosis Funding Crisis: Moving Beyond External Saviors | Think Global Health

Recent foreign aid cuts have exposed the need for domestic responses to maintain progress against the fatal disease

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 12

Nearly six months after the United States announced sweeping cuts to development assistance for health, researchers are beginning to decipher how the move is reshaping governance and health programs.

TGH's @allisonkrugman offers a breakdown:

The State of Global Health Funding: August 2025 | Think Global Health

Six months after cuts to foreign aid, mostly by the United States, a new global health landscape is taking shape

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 11

Advertisements recruiting college students for egg donations offer anywhere from $10,000 to $120,00 for a donation.

Although this procedure is considered low risk, there is limited research on the long-term consequences.

The Money and Risks Behind Human Egg Donation | Think Global Health

U.S. egg donation is a $400 million sector, but a dearth of federal oversight means some health risks go unmeasured

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 8

Each year, more than 720,000 people die worldwide by suicide.

By leveraging interpretable machine learning, artificial intelligence can analyze patient data and help clinicians create targeted interventions for those at high risk of suicide.

AI to Predict Suicide: The Case for Interpretable Machine Learning | Think Global Health

This AI approach can analyze patient data to identify risks and more efficiently target interventions

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Think Global Health @thinkglobalhealth.org · Aug 7

Summertime departures have left the White House without a senior official for pandemic preparedness.

Former deputy director of the White House’s pandemic office @nikkiromanik.bsky.social explains how the consequences extend beyond domestic biosecurity and biodefense.

White House Empties Office for U.S. Pandemic Policy: The Gaps Left Behind | Think Global Health

Summer departures leave the White House without a senior official for pandemic preparedness, biosecurity, or biodefense

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