What We're Reading

Every day, we share what we're reading, listening to, and watching in the world of global health — from well-reported news articles and in-depth studies to timely podcast episodes and features

Latest

The Guardian

Controversial U.S. Study on Hepatitis B vaccines in Africa is cancelled

by Melody Schreiber

The $1.6 million project drew outrage over ethical questions about withholding vaccines proven to prevent disease

BBC

“There Wasn’t Even Time for CPR”: Iran Medics Describe Hospitals Overwhelmed With Dead and Injured Protesters

by Soroush Pakzad, Roja Assadi, and Helen Sullivan

Staff at several hospitals in Iran have told the BBC their facilities are overwhelmed with dead or injured patients, as major protests continue

Washington Post

U.S. Lost More Immigrants Than It Gained in 2025, New Estimate Shows

by Lauren Kaori Gurley and Javier Zarracina

Trump policies that slowed migration include the near-closure of the U.S.-Mexico border, visa restrictions, and the end of many migrant programs

Devex

Devex Newswire: U.S. Congress Gives Aid Supporters $50 Billion Boost

by Anna Gawel

The funding bill would provide some $50 billion for U.S. foreign assistance programs in fiscal year 2026

NPR

Marrying for Health Insurance? The ACA Cost Crisis Forces Some Drastic Choices

by Selena Simmons-Duffin

Enhanced subsidies that made plans affordable for many people expired at the end of 2025 and Congress failed to extend them before the 2026 plan year

BBC

Are You Dead?: The Viral Chinese App for Young People Living Alone

by Stephen McDonell

The concept is simple. You need to check in with it every two days—clicking a large button—to confirm that you are alive

New York Times

EPA to Stop Considering Lives Saved When Setting Rules on Air Pollution

by Maxine Joselow

In a reversal, the agency plans to calculate only the cost to industry when setting pollution limits, and not the monetary value of saving human lives

NPR

Why is the United States Pulling Out of 31 UN Groups? And What’s the Impact?

by Gabrielle Emanuel and Fatma Tanis

President Trump's executive order to withdraw the United States from 66 international organizations, agencies, and commissions has global impacts

New York Times

“Chinese Peptides” Are the Latest Biohacking Trend in the Tech World

by Jasmine Sun

The gray-market drugs flooding Silicon Valley reveal a community that believes it can move faster than the FDA

New York Times

Kennedy Flips Food Pyramid to Emphasize Red Meat and Whole Milk

by Alice Callahan and Dani Blum

The Trump administration released new dietary guidelines on Wednesday, pushing Americans to prioritize protein and cut back on added sugars

NBC News

CDC Overhauls Childhood Vaccine Schedule to Resemble Denmark in Unprecedented Move

by Berkeley Lovelace Jr., Erika Edwards, and Mustafa Fattah

The new U.S. guidelines recommend all children get vaccines for 11 diseases, compared with the 18 previously on the schedule

Center for Infectious Disease Research & Policy

HHS Recommends Home HPV Testing For Women For the First Time

by Liz Szabo

The new guidelines are geared toward women at average risk of cervical cancer, which was diagnosed in more than 13,000 U.S. women last year