Cholera Outbreaks Haunt Central and West Africa ( Outbreak News Today) The Central and West African regions are under siege from a cholera outbreak that has infected over 1,000 people in Nigeria, Cameroun, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Congo-Brazzaville. In its latest epidemiological update report for the two regions which also suffer from the impacts of ongoing civil and political strife, the UNICEF said 828 cholera cases have been reported from 12 states of Nigeria while 38 cases and 4 deaths were confirmed in northern Cameroon between May 18 and July 9, 2018. Go to article

One Dies of Legionnaires' Disease in Upper Manhattan ( New York Times) One person has died in connection with a cluster of Legionnaires' disease cases in Upper Manhattan, city health officials said on Tuesday. The city declined to release the name of the person who died, but said he or she was over 50 years old and had risk factors for Legionnaires' disease. Go to article

An Ebola Outbreak Has Just Been Stopped. Here's What It Tells Us About Containing Epidemics. ( Harvard Business Review) After a month with no new cases, the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo appears to be under control and weeks away from officially ending. Less than three months since it was declared, and after only about 50 cases, this outbreak's efficient containment is a remarkable achievement that stands in stark contrast to the West African epidemic that spiraled into a two-year global crisis with over 28,000 cases. Go to article

Now in Sight: Success Against an Infection That Blinds ( New York Times) Fifteen years ago, Shiva Lal Rana walked 20 miles to Geta Eye Hospital to ask doctors to pluck out all his eyelashes. Trachoma, a bacterial infection, had swollen and inverted his eyelids. With every blink, his lashes raked his corneas. Go to article

Trump's Battle Against Breastfeeding Is a Small Part of a Wider War ( Foreign Policy) Today, trust and solidarity between nations, and within them, are yielding to what some have characterized as modern tribalism. And, unsurprisingly, the edifice of global public health is starting to come down with it. This is nowhere more visible than in the United States under the influence of President Donald Trump, whose nationalist agenda has amounted to a multifront war on global public health. Go to article

Animal Influence on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Measures for Zoonosis Control at the Household Level: A Systematic Literature Review ( PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases) Neglected zoonotic diseases have a significant impact on the livelihoods of the world's poorest populations, which often lack access to basic services. Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes are included among the key strategies for achieving the WHO's 2020 Roadmap for Implementation for control of Neglected Tropical Diseases. There exists a lack of knowledge regarding the effect of animals on the effectiveness of WASH measures. Go to article

Countries Step Up to Tackle Antimicrobial Resistance ( WHO) Countries are making significant steps in tackling antimicrobial resistance, but serious gaps remain and require urgent action, according to a report released today by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) and the WHO. Go to article

Army Scientists Brief Peers on Biodefense ( DVIDS Hub) Two Army experts recently briefed government and civilian scientists in biology, chemistry and other disciplines on techniques and technology used to support and defend Soldiers from biological and chemical warfare agents. Go to article

Protecting and Promoting Public Health: Advancing the FDA's Medical Countermeasures Mission ( FDA) The FDA's wide-ranging public health responsibilities include the vital role we play on the frontlines of national security by facilitating the development and availability of safe and effective medical countermeasures. These are the vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics that are needed to protect our nation from chemical, biological, and radiological and nuclear threats, whether naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate. Go to article

PEPFAR Chief Wants 70 Percent 'Indigenous' Funding in 30 Months ( Devex) The US government's flagship global HIV and AIDS program is going local, even as its leaders try to figure out how exactly that will work. Deborah Birx, the US global AIDS coordinator, has directed US agencies involved in the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief to reach a benchmark of directing 40 percent of their PEPFAR funding to "indigenous" organizations -- those based in the developing countries where the programs are operating -- in the next 18 months, and to reach 70 percent indigenous funding in the next 30 months. Go to article

FEMA Avoids 'Climate Change' When Introducing Future Storm Resiliency Plans ( The Hill) The FEMA is taking blame for its response to Hurricane Maria, which devastated communities across Puerto Rico last summer, but the agency and its leaders are largely avoiding all mention of climate change preparedness. Go to article

Army Future Command to be headquartered in Austin ( Homeland Preparedness News) The US Army announced the selection of Austin, Texas, as the headquarters for the new Army Future Command on Friday, marking the most significant reorganization of the Army since the early 1970s. Go to article

Being Black in America Can Be Hazardous to Your Health ( The Atlantic) One morning this past September, Kiarra Boulware boarded the 26 bus to Baltimore's Bon Secours Hospital, where she would seek help for the most urgent problem in her life: the 200-some excess pounds she carried on her 5-foot-2-inch frame. To Kiarra, the weight sometimes felt like a great burden, and at other times like just another fact of life. She had survived a childhood marred by death, drugs, and violence. Go to article

Most Emergency Physicians Report Hospitals Lack Critical Medicines; Not "Fully Prepared" for Disasters, Mass Casualty Incidents ( The Fayette Tribune) Nine in 10 emergency physicians responding to a new poll say that in the past month, they have experienced shortages or absences of critical medicines in their emergency departments. In addition, nearly all (93 percent of 247 doctors) say their emergency departments are not "fully prepared" for patient surge capacity in the event of a natural or man-made disaster, or mass-casualty incident, with 49 percent saying they are "somewhat" prepared, according to the poll conducted by the American College of Emergency Physicians. Go to article

Most Health Organizations Can't Ensure Responsible AI Use ( Information Week) Despite a growing interest in artificial intelligence, most healthcare organizations still lack the tools necessary to ensure responsible use of such technologies, finds a report from Accenture Health. According to the report, Digital Health Technology Vision 2018, 81% of healthcare executives said they are not yet prepared to face the societal and liability issues needed to explain their AI systems' decisions. Go to article

When Portland's Nuclear Defense Drill Was Televised ( City Lab) Portland, Oregon, was already a television star a half century before Portlandia. On December 8, 1957, CBS aired The Day Called 'X', a documentary style dramatization showing the city responding to an impeding nuclear attack from Soviet bombers arcing over Alaska. Go to article

Entering Climate Change Communications Through the Side Door ( Stanford Social Innovation Review) The most pressing issues of our time are often the most polarized, and this is certainly true of climate change. To get past the political gridlock, many environmental leaders urge advocates to make the issue more visible, more emotional, and, above all, more urgent in the minds of everyday citizens. Go to article