Blogs - This Week In Public Health

Commentary

Mission or Margin: How Nonprofits Are Becoming Private Equity in Disguise

The Betrayal of the Nonprofit Promise Fifty years ago, the American nonprofit sector was anchored by trust. Community hospitals, faith-based charities, and behavioral health providers existed to fill the gaps left by markets and government alike. But in 2025, a darker transformation is unfolding. Large nonprofit health systems are increasingly behaving like private equity (PE) […]

Read more →

Workforce

Traffic Noise Is Hurting Workers’ Minds. Here’s the Fix.

When we think about workplace wellness, we picture yoga classes, ergonomic chairs, or flexible schedules. Few of us picture something as ordinary as a lunch break. Yet, new research published in Frontiers in Public Health suggests that the humble lunch break could be one of the most powerful—and overlooked—buffers against an invisible urban health threat: […]

Read more →

Global

Global HIV Crisis 2025: Navigating the Economic and Humanitarian Aftermath

The global HIV response is currently facing one of its most significant setbacks in decades. This dire situation has been largely attributed to abrupt funding cuts and a deteriorating human rights environment, which have severely disrupted prevention and treatment services worldwide. Earlier in 2025, the US government paused all foreign HIV assistance. This abrupt funding […]

Read more →

Health tips

Why Health Workers Still Beat Influencers in Pregnancy Care

At 3 a.m., a first-time mother scrolls through Instagram, comparing posts on prenatal vitamins and morning-sickness teas. Her midwife appointment is still two weeks away, and the online opinions couldn’t be more contradictory. “Freeze your ham—it’s fine,” says one influencer. “Never eat cured meat,” warns another.She’s not alone. A new qualitative study from the University […]

Read more →

Epi

Unprecedented Challenges for the NHS in Managing the 2025 Flu Season

The flu season of 2025 has presented unprecedented challenges for the National Health Service (NHS) in the UK. Reports indicate that this year’s flu season has begun much earlier than usual and is predicted to be one of the longest and most severe in recent history. The Severity of the 2025 Flu Season The NHS […]

Read more →

Epi

Rising Health Concerns: Mpox, Botox, and Mental Health Diagnostics

Emerging infectious diseases, cosmetic interventions, and mental health diagnostics characterize this week’s public health landscape. New Mpox Strain in England A novel mpox strain has made its presence felt in England. This variant, a mix of two major virus types, was recently identified in an individual who returned from Asia. The emergence of such a […]

Read more →

Environment

Inside the Hidden Architecture of Health Misinformation

When a cholera outbreak hit a coastal city last year, nurse Laila A. found herself battling two epidemics at once—disease and disinformation. As she rushed between patients, she fielded messages from neighbors claiming vaccines were tainted and that hospitals were hiding deaths. The official hotline had accurate information, but no one trusted it. “People weren’t […]

Read more →

Interview

A Conversation with Christopher Weatherly

Chris Weatherly is a licensed clinical social worker and an Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia’s School of Social Work whose work sits at the intersection of rural mental health, climate change, and community resilience. With more than a decade of clinical experience across acute psychiatric settings, post-disaster environments, and rural communities, he brings […]

Read more →

Policy

Rethinking Sugar: New UK Initiatives to Combat Obesity and Diabetes

The UK government recently announced an expansion of the sugar tax to include milk-based drinks such as milkshakes and lattes, sparking significant public discourse. This development comes amid growing evidence that sugary drinks contribute to obesity and related health issues, including type 2 diabetes. (Read more on BBC.) The Extended Sugar Tax The original sugar […]

Read more →

Global

WHO’s New Obesity Medication Guidelines

The World Health Organization (WHO) has recently issued groundbreaking guidelines on the use of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) based therapies for the treatment of obesity, marking a significant shift in global health policy. These guidelines emphasize the recognition of obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease, affecting over a billion people worldwide, and the importance of long-term, […]

Read more →