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A difference-in-difference, quasi-experimental design was used to estimate a “treatment effect” (PEPFAR), based on comparison to a control group (the counterfactual). The difference-in-difference design compares the before and after change in outcomes for the treatment group to the before and after change in outcomes for the comparison group. The outcomes of interest, their definitions and sources are listed in Table 1. Baseline variables are listed in Table 2. The panel data set of 157 low- and middle- income countries used in the prior analysis, covering 1990 to 2018, was updated to include data through 2022 (due to data limitations, the…
AbstractMwarobaini—the Swahili name for the neem tree (Azadirachta indica) is widely used across East Africa for skin ailments, fevers, and general “cleansing.” Contemporary research attributes many bioactivities to neem’s diverse phytochemicals (e.g., azadirachtin, nimbin, nimbidin), with the strongest clinical signals in oral health and antimicrobial effects. This article summarizes peer-reviewed evidence on benefits, mechanisms, formulations, and safety, including important toxicity cautions, using recent reviews, clinical studies, and case series.Background and key constituentsNeem belongs to the Meliaceae family and is naturalized throughout Africa. Its leaves, bark, seeds, and oil contain limonoids (notably azadirachtin) and other terpenoids that contribute to antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory,…
May 14 Rachel Spears reads the week’s news: The Trump administration threatened to withhold federal funding if hospitals don’t get in line with its new dietary rules. Plus, tips to get the most out of prescription drug coupons. May 7 Zach Dyer reads the week’s news: Millions of cancer survivors battle mounting medical bills, and Nebraska becomes the first state to enforce a Medicaid work requirement under the GOP’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. April 30 This week, Jackie Fortiér shares tips to make the most out of a high-deductible health plan. Plus, some Make America Healthy Again supporters feel betrayed after the Trump administration gave several large companies an…
Hospital patients at every NHS trust across England can now check their referrals and appointments through the NHS App, making it easier for millions of people to manage their care in one place. Around two-thirds (64%) of all hospital appointments are currently visible through the app, with many patients also able to reschedule or cancel appointments – helping to cut the number of missed appointments. The NHS App is now linked up to every acute NHS trust in England, with the tech helping hospitals to save money by reducing the need for paper letters and SMS text messages. The app is also freeing up staff time and resources, which…
The Botswana delegate addresses the World Health Assembly, emphasising workforce preservation amid severe budget cuts and operational risks. Sweeping personnel cuts and a massive emergency funding shortfall trigger sharp warnings about acute WHO operational risks from member states and experts. Yet, diverging regional priorities complicate short-term and sustainable financing solutions. GENEVA –Member states sounded alarms over severe WHO budget constraints on Thursday at the World Health Assembly. Delegates warned that a 9.4% staff reduction as of December 2025, culminating in reductions of nearly a quarter of staff by mid-2026, are depleting the organisation’s crisis response mechanisms, in particular and thus…
Purpose: To define sex as an immutable binary biological classification and remove recognition of the concept of gender identity, including in sex protections and in agency operations. The order states that “It is the policy of the United States to recognize two sexes, male and female” and directs the Executive Branch to “enforce all sex-protective laws to promote this reality”. Elements of the order that may affect LGBTQ people’s health are as follows: • Defines sex as “an individual’s immutable biological classification as either male or female.” States that “’sex’ is not a synonym for and does not include the concept of ‘gender identity’”…
You can reverse dental decay and your teeth can remineralize, and I am living proof of that.For most of my life, I had perfect dental health. As a child, I never had a single cavity.Then something changed. After graduating college, at just 24 years old, I suddenly began developing cavities—one or two at every dental visit. No matter how carefully I brushed, flossed, or followed my dentist’s advice, the problem only got worse.By 2018, I was diagnosed with four to five more cavities. That was my breaking point. That night, I prayed. I placed the situation in God’s hands—and something…
SANDPOINT, Idaho — An anti-abortion pregnancy center on the outskirts of this Idaho Panhandle town greets visitors with an abridged Bible verse painted on the wall of its waiting area: “Come to me & I will give you rest.” 7B Care Clinic has been operating in Sandpoint since 2001 and was previously called Life Choices Pregnancy Center and Sandpoint Crisis Pregnancy Center. It is an affiliate of a nationwide network of Christian evangelical centers called Care Net. 7B, one of about 1,200 pregnancy centers affiliated with Care Net, offers pregnancy tests, limited ultrasounds, parenting and life skills classes, community support…
More than 1,000 NHS staff across England have used Martha’s Rule helplines to help identify rapid deterioration of a patient’s condition in the first 18 months of the scheme, new figures show. Latest NHS England data shows that between September 2024 and February 2026, 1,781 calls were made by hospital staff to Martha’s Rule helplines at their trusts to trigger a rapid review of care, as the health service continues to transform its culture to improve safety. Of these calls from staff, 1,080 (61%) helped identify acute deterioration of a patient’s condition. The NHS is continuing to expand the lifesaving…
World Health Assembly delegates debate the newly adopted Global Health Architecture Reform in Committee B. The 79th World Health Assembly adopted a widely anticipated Global Health Architecture Reform initiative. While WHO and many member states lauded it as a landmark move, the actual mandate is, in fact, highly restrictive. The process will not yield recommendations on “revisions to organizational mandates nor specific mergers or consolidations” in the often overlapping functions of multiple UN global health agencies. The process also must navigate sharp developed and developing world priorities, regarding equity. And the framework faces fierce backlash from civil society groups over…
Current rules permit, but do not require, states to impose cost sharing on certain populations, within limits designed to protect Medicaid enrollees who have low incomes from high out-of-pocket costs. States have flexibility to impose cost sharing on certain populations. Cost-sharing is generally limited to nominal amounts but may be higher for those with incomes above 100% FPL. Certain populations and services are exempt from cost sharing requirements (Table 1). Total out-of-pocket costs for premiums and cost sharing for all individuals in a Medicaid household are capped at 5% of monthly or quarterly household income. States are required to establish…
IntroductionIn a world where most of our waking hours are spent seated, from office desks to long commutes, physical inactivity has quietly become one of the leading global health threats. According to the World Health Organization (WHO, 2020), insufficient physical activity contributes to nearly 5 million preventable deaths each year. Yet, new research shows that you don’t need to become a marathon runner to reap the benefits of exercise. Even small, consistent movements can drastically improve cardiovascular health, mood, and longevity.The Physiology of MovementExercise triggers a cascade of biological reactions that protect nearly every system in the body. Aerobic activity,…
President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown has parents who lack legal residency worried about the welfare of children left behind. Some jurisdictions are taking action. Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., allow families to name temporary guardians if a parent is detained or deported. KFF Health News correspondent Jazmin Orozco Rodriguez appeared on WAMU’s May 13 Health Hub segment to explain why keeping the children of immigrants out of foster care can increase the likelihood of families reuniting and reduce the health impacts of a traumatic separation. Audio,Children’s Health,Immigrants,Multimedia,Trump AdministrationAudio,Children’s Health,Immigrants,Multimedia,Trump Administration#ICE #Arrests #Separating #Families #Heres #Plan #Ahead1779752175
Tens of thousands of patients could benefit from a ‘rapid’ new immunotherapy jab on the NHS for over a dozen different cancers, which can be given in just 60 seconds. The NHS is rolling out a new injectable form of pembrolizumab (Keytruda) which can slash the time the treatment takes by up to 90%, to help patients spend less time in hospital while improving NHS productivity. The jab can be used to treat 14 different cancer types, including lung, breast, head and neck, and cervical, and works by triggering immune cells to recognise and kill cancer cells. 1 of the…
WHO’s first AMR strategy overhaul since 2015 cleared the World Health Assembly after a months-long fight over technology transfer. WHO Member States approved a new 10-year global action plan to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR) on Friday after a months-long fight over how the world should share AMR-related medical technologies. The plan, which runs through 2036, maps out strategies for countries to implementing the ambitious targets set at a UN High Level Meeting, including reducing deaths from AMR by 10% by 2030. It’s also the first overhaul of the WHO’s circa-2015 AMR strategy, adopted in an era when the public health…
Since early 2025, the Trump Administration has sought to limit youth access to gender-affirming care, taking a comprehensive approach to impose and enforce limitations. The administration has implemented or initiated dozens of actions with this aim, some of which have been challenged in court. In response to these actions, at least 40 health care institutions have walked back the provision of gender-affirming care over the last year and a half. This attrition has occurred in waves and in direct response to policy making – first following an executive order laying out the administration’s approach to limiting this care in January…