Global health news briefs

May/June 2025 | Volume 24 Number 3

NYU scientists link heart disease deaths to chemicals in plastics

Daily exposure to phthalates, chemicals used to make plastic items, could be linked to more than 356,000 global deaths from heart disease in 2018 alone, a new analysis from NYU Langone Health / NYU Grossman School of Medicine shows. Phthalates are found in cosmetics, detergents, solvents, bug repellants and other products; when broken down into microscopic particles and ingested, they increase the risk of various conditions, including obesity, diabetes and cancer. These chemicals are in widespread use globally, yet the Middle East, South Asia, East Asia, and the Pacific bear about three-fourths of total deaths. In their analysis, the authors estimated that exposure to one type of phthalate, Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthlate or DEHP, contributed to 356,238 deaths, which is more than 13% of all global deaths from heart disease in 2018 among men and women ages 55 through 64. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases funded this work.

Intervention reduces harmful emissions from brick kilns in Bangladesh

Researchers at Boston University School of Public Health, Stanford University and other institutes developed a strategy for reducing emissions caused by brick manufacturing. This industry, which is central to economies in South Asia, releases carbon dioxide (CO₂), fine particulate matter (PM2.5), and other contaminants into the environment, thus posing a threat to human health in many low- and middle-income countries. The intervention, which consists of educational resources, training, and technical support, promotes operational changes that prioritize practicality and profit. Introduced during the 2022-2023 season, the intervention was adopted by 65% of kiln owners and was associated with a 23% reduction in energy use and a 20% reduction in CO₂ and PM2.5 emissions alongside substantial savings in coal costs and higher-quality bricks. Returning the following season, the researchers found adoption had not only sustained but increased. Their findings are published in Science.

New anti-parasitic effectively treats lymphatic filariasis

A clinical trial in Cote d’Ivoire, led by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, showed that moxidectin—a new, anti-parasitic drug approved to treat river blindness—is more effective against lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis) than the drugs currently in use. Annually, millions of individuals worldwide are infected by the parasitic worms that cause lymphatic filariasis, a disease that leads to severe swelling and deformities of the limbs and genitals. The researchers, who collaborated with the Centre Suisse de Recherches Scientifique, believe fewer rounds of moxidectin will be needed to treat infections (compared to currently used drugs), so its use could accelerate elimination of lymphatic filariasis. Findings of the study, funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases.

Global Virus Network meeting examines emerging virus threats

The 2025 Global Virus Network (GVN) Regional Meeting: Caribbean and Latin America convened scientists, public health experts and government officials in Kingston, Jamaica for a two-day summit focused on collaboration to bolster viral surveillance, diagnostics, vaccine research and pandemic preparedness across Latin America and the Caribbean. Former Fogarty Advisory Board Member Dr. Sten Vermund, GVN chief medical officer, discussed vaccinology in his presentation, while longtime NIH Grantee Dr. Gene Morse, a SUNY Distinguished Professor at the University of Buffalo, praised Fogarty’s Global Infectious Disease Research Training program and called for more support from industry and foundations for capacity-building programs in low- and middle- income countries.

AI improves projected estimates of childhood malnutrition in Kenya

University of Southern California School of Advanced Computing and the Keck School of Medicine, the Microsoft AI for Good Research Lab, and Kenya’s Ministry of Health have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) model that can predict acute child malnutrition in Kenya up to six months in advance, increasing lead times for delivering food, health care, and supplies in at-risk areas. The machine learning model integrates clinical data from more than 17,000 Kenyan health facilities with satellite data on crop health and productivity and achieves 89% accuracy when forecasting one month out, while maintaining 86% accuracy over six months. In contrast to existing models, the new tool is especially effective in regions where surges are difficult to anticipate. Findings are detailed in PLOS One.

Ischemic heart disease rises across Asia

The burden of ischemic heart disease (IHD) is increasing across East Asia, Oceania and Southeast Asia, according to researchers led by Dr. Hardik Dineshbhai Desai, who collaborates with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington. IHD occurs when a narrowing of the arteries reduces blood flow to the heart, preventing the uptake of oxygen in the muscles. East Asia experienced the highest burden of IHD over the last three decades, with a consistent rise from 1990 to 2021, while Oceania bore the highest burden in 2021 alone, according to the researchers. Metabolic risk-related deaths in East Asia increased from 65.6 to 80.9 per 100,000 people, the sharpest increase across all three regions. Risk factors contributing to IHD that can be modified include toxic air pollution in East Asia and ultra-processed dietary dependence in Oceania. Desai presented this work at an American College of Cardiology Scientific Meeting.

Oral drug for sleeping sickness now available in five African countries

The first all-oral treatment for a rare form of sleeping sickness is now available free-of-charge to patients in specialized treatment centers in Ethiopia, Malawi, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Fexinidazole Winthrop, which can be taken at home with minimal observation, is supplied by multinational Sanofi, while Médecins Sans Frontières delivers it to Africa. Originally, Drugs for Neglected Diseases Initiative sponsored the clinical trials that led to approval of this treatment. Sleeping sickness (human African trypanosomiasis) is transmitted by the bite of tsetse flies and causes neuropsychiatric symptoms, including disruption of sleep patterns leading to coma and death.

Antimicrobial paint can kill COVID-19 and MRSA

Scientists at the University of Nottingham's School of Pharmacy have created a prototype antimicrobial paint and found it effective against difficult-to-kill microbes, including flu, COVID-19 and MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus). The new paint, which activates when dry and adheres to a range of plastic and non-porous surfaces, incorporates bacteria-killing chlorhexidine, which is often used as a pre-surgical skin disinfectant and as a treatment for mouth infections. In hospital settings, surfaces act as reservoirs for pathogens, increasing the risk of patients acquiring infections that require antibiotic treatment. Despite enhanced cleaning regimens, some microbial species can survive up to several months. Indestructible Paint, a U.K.-based company, contributed to the development of the antimicrobial coating described in Scientific Reports.

Updated June 2, 2025

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