1. 🌐 CUGH’s Virtual Global Health Week Begins Today
The Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) is launching its Virtual Global Health Week 2025 today (running through December 4). This major virtual conference brings together global health researchers, educators, and leaders to discuss critical topics, including health workforce development, climate action, health equity, and strengthening global health security for a shared future.
2. 🚨 WHO Pushes Rollout of New HIV Tools to Counter Funding Disruption
Following World AIDS Day, the World Health Organization (WHO) is stressing the urgency of accelerating the rollout of new HIV prevention tools to counter the severe disruptions caused by global funding cuts. Specifically, the WHO is calling for expanded access to lenacapavir (LEN), a highly effective twice-yearly injectable for HIV prevention, which was prequalified by the organization in October.
3. 🔬 Small Study Offers Promising Hope for an HIV ‘Functional Cure’
A small but significant study released around World AIDS Day by researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) showed promising results for an experimental multi-part immunotherapy in people living with HIV. One participant was able to keep the virus at very low, undetectable levels for over 18 months without taking daily antiretroviral therapy (ART), offering a glimpse into a potential “functional cure” that could eliminate the need for lifelong daily pills.
4. ✍️ Liberia Aims for WHO’s Highest Regulatory Standards for Medicines
The Liberia Medicines and Health Products Regulatory Authority (LMHRA) announced today it is taking major steps toward aligning the country’s health product regulation with international standards. The goal is to achieve WHO Maturity Level 3 for its regulatory authority and ISO 17025 certification for its national laboratory, a crucial move to safeguard the public from substandard, unsafe, or counterfeit medicines and strengthen public confidence.
5. 🇺🇸 U.S. Experts Address Maternal Mortality Among African Americans
The Illinois Department of Public Health is hosting a Task Force on Infant and Maternal Mortality Among African Americans subcommittee meeting today. This meeting is part of a growing national public health focus on addressing the severe and persistent racial disparities in maternal health outcomes, aiming to identify and implement programs and best practices to reduce mortality rates.
6. 🏥 Researchers Find Focused Ultrasound Boosts Survival for Brain Cancer
In a major finding for neuro-oncology, a multicenter clinical trial led by the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that using focused ultrasound to temporarily open the blood-brain barrier during chemotherapy resulted in a nearly 40% increase in overall survival for some patients with brain cancer. This study highlights a new public health avenue for improving outcomes for a notoriously difficult-to-treat cancer.
7. 💊 Pharma Industry Urges against Obstructing Innovation in Pandemic Talks
The International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers and Associations (IFPMA) delivered a statement at the WHO Intergovernmental Working Group (IGWG) meeting, which concluded yesterday. They urged negotiators to ensure the draft Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) Annex does not obstruct innovation through rigid obligations, stressing that industry participation requires flexibility to enable a rapid, tailored response with new medical countermeasures.
8. 🇺🇸 APHA Hosts Webinar on Trauma-Informed, Inclusive Health Strategies
The American Public Health Association (APHA) is hosting a webinar today titled “Empowering Communities: Trauma-Informed & Inclusive Strategies.” This session focuses on dismantling systemic barriers that prevent access to equitable healthcare, a critical public health objective, especially in under-resourced urban and rural areas.
