Prof Meru Sheel

Robert F Kennedy Jr: 1 year of failure In his first speech as Secretary of the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Robert F Kennedy Jr laid out a plan to restore trust. The COVID-19 pandemic saw public faith in Federal health...

"The destruction that Kennedy has wrought in 1 year might take generations to repair, and there is little hope for US health and
science while he remains at the helm"

@thelancet.com

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Congratulations to our Chair, A/Prof Meru Sheel, on her profile in The Lancet Infectious Diseases. The article highlights her incredible work in infectious diseases, immunisation & acute emergency responses 💉🦠
@thelancetinfdis.bsky.social @merusheel.bsky.social

Read here:
shorturl.at/4D8wO

This is the world RFK Jr dreamed of & each & every day he can achieve his dream because he runs the US health system

He pushed hard to reduce flu vaccine uptake in kids, & even said it may be better if fewer kids get vaccinated

He really has been astoundingly successful at getting what he wanted👇

‘Not met their duty of care’: new report finds racism is widespread at Australian unis What is happening with racism on Australian campuses? And what can be done to fix it?

theconversation.com/not-met-thei...

Religious identification has fallen across many Western countries Line chart showing the share of people who identify as religious in 2010 and 2020 for six countries. Values by country: United States 84% in 2010 to 70% in 2020 (down 14 percentage points); Chile 86% to 70% (down 16); Canada 76% to 65% (down 11); Australia 75% to 58% (down 17); United Kingdom 71% to 60% (down 11); France 66% to 57% (down 9). Key insight: identification as religious declined in all six countries between 2010 and 2020. Data source: Pew Research Centre (2025). Chart is licensed CC BY to Our World in Data.

The share of people who identify as religious has fallen across many Western countries—

Debates over whether religion is booming or dying are common. What does the data say?

Our new @lancetgh.bsky.social piece on The tuberculogenic environment — the sum of influences, vulnerabilities, policies, life conditions, and health factors that sustain the tuberculosis pandemic in vulnerable communities

www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Global health leap: an urgent call to action The ongoing global health crisis presents a pivotal opportunity to transform and reform the fragmented global health architecture. This Viewpoint issues an urgent call for coordinated action—a Global ...

"We need to address this crisis head-on to avoid a generational legacy of increased morbidity, mortality, and insecurity."

@sanianishtar.bsky.social calls for coordinated action—a Global Health Leap— to transform & reform the fragmented global health architecture: tinyurl.com/mvzw872t

A transformation in cholera surveillance The integration of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) into cholera surveillance marks a pivotal shift in global cholera control strategies. In 2024, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance initiated the shipment of cho...

A transformation in cholera surveillance - an important read on how rapid diagnostic tests can transform surveillance programs and prevention.

url.au.m.mimecastprotect.com/s/TyvPCJyBrG...

A bunch of us are experimenting & wrestling with some ideas and would love to hear from bs users. What does trust in an institution mean to you?

Back on bluesky after a short hiatus. Keen to test out some ideas & thoughts... so would love to hear from you. Last couple of years, I've been wrestling with the idea of what does institutional leadership in action look like? What were some of the actions that you've seen past leaders take?

Medical Research Matters

Right now, the Government is starving medical research of full funding, even as it claims that science and research are national priorities. If our leaders truly value science as much as they say, then they must back their words with action—and fund it properly.

Join the campaign!

📢 THREE DAYS LEFT 📢

WGHAus is inviting applications for 7-10 new committee looking to contribute towards gender equity in health leadership.

Applications close THIS Thurs 19th Feb. Apply Now!

Find out more here: www.wghaustralia.org/news/committ...
About the Chapter:
www.wghaustralia.org

Statement on the planned hepatitis B birth dose vaccine trial in Guinea-Bissau WHO is aware of the proposed randomized controlled trial (RCT) on the hepatitis B birth dose vaccine in Guinea-Bissau. Based on questions raised in publicly available information and consultation with...

"Resource constraints cannot be used to justify withholding proven care in a research study involving people."

www.who.int/news/item/13...

😂

What Measles Did to My Family My mom always told me that measles was what made my sister sick. I was 8 when she finally explained the whole thing.

The return of measles will mean the return of SSPE.

If you don't know what that is, read this. www.voicesforvaccines.org/what-measles...

Our food system is global — and so are the risks.
FAO’s #OneHealth for Food Safety project puts science‑driven risk analysis at the centre to protect people, animals & the planet.
🎬 Watch the video 👇
bit.ly/4bYawU7

So, as we celebrate discoveries made in science so far, let’s also reflect this week on working towards a future in science that includes and serves everyone.💪🌸

#NationalScienceWeek #STEM #WomenInGlobalHealth #GenderEquity #WomenInScience

This week is Australia's National Science Week.🧬It is an opportunity to celebrate science and scientists that have shaped our world! At WGH Aus, we recognise the incredible contributions of women scientists - whose work drives innovation, saves lives, and shapes a healthier, more equitable future.👩🏽‍🔬

World Field Epidemiology Day: Prof Fay Johnston — Women in Global Health Australia For World Field Epidemiology Day, Women’s Global Health Australia is proud to launch another special profiling series to highlight the incredible work of women in field epidemiology. This year's theme...

Professor Fay Johnstone is a public health physician and environmental epidemiologist who focuses on the health impacts of air pollution. She is the lead investigator for Safe Air; an NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence in air quality. Read her profile here: www.wghaustralia.org/profiling-se...

World Field Epidemiology Day: Dr Gina Samaan — Women in Global Health Australia For World Field Epidemiology Day, Women’s Global Health Australia is proud to launch another special profiling series to highlight the incredible work of women in field epidemiology. This year's theme...

Dr Gina Samaan is Regional Emergency Director in WHO’s Health Emergencies Programme and she works on building sustainable systems for responding to health emergencies. Read her profile here: www.wghaustralia.org/profiling-se...

#WorldFieldEpidemiologyDay #WomenInGlobalHealth #PublicHealth

Yesterday was World Field Epidemiology Day, centred on "Making our Mark"🦠. In honour, WGH Aus has launched a profiling series to share the stories of two remarkable women, Dr Gina Samaan and Prof Fay Johnston, and their work in field epidemiology.
@womeningh.bsky.social

Cover of The Lancet's August 23, 2025 issue. Quote on cover reads: "Either through incompetence or disinformation, the actions of this movement pose the greatest threat to the health of Americans and millions of people globally."

The week beginning Aug 4 was the most dangerous, tragic week of RFK Jr’s tenure yet.

A Lancet Editorial outlines why—unpacking a movement that seeks to discredit mainstream medicine and portray institutions and experts as enemies, not partners. tinyurl.com/4zppw6ay

@theipcinfo.bsky.social has just confirmed #famine in #Gaza governorate.

This man-made, widespread malnutrition means that even common & usually mild diseases like diarrhoea are becoming fatal, especially for children.

Gaza must be urgently supplied with food and medicines. Aid blockages must end!

Thank you for sharing!

Meru Sheel—promoting vaccines and emergency responses Meru Sheel probably grew up in one of the most pro-women homes in New Delhi, India, with both her parents involved in women's advocacy and her father working in girls’ and women's education. “We would...

Meru Sheel—promoting vaccines and emergency responses

@merusheel.bsky.social

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Environmental correlates of Aedes aegypti abundance in the West Valley region of San Bernardino County, California, USA, from 2017 to 2023: an ecological modeling study - Parasites & Vectors Background Aedes mosquitoes, particularly Aedes aegypti and Ae. albopictus, are major vectors of globally significant diseases such as dengue, Zika, and chikungunya. Since 2013, Ae. aegypti population...

🦟💧 Satellite data show that #Aedes aegypti #mosquitoes spike not when it rains, but when surface water is around—like irrigation puddles. We used remote-sensing in SoCal to map risk and guide smarter mosquito control. 🔬🌐 doi.org/10.1186/s130...

Registration and the call for abstract submissions for #GHS2026 are officially open!

Do you have research, insights, or innovative work to share in advancing global health security? Submit your abstract and join us in Malaysia to be part of this vital global conversation.

👉 ghsconf.com

📢 Launch of WHO Guidance on the Ethics of Health Research Priority Setting
www.glopid-r.org/who-releases...

Global immunisation monitoring in times of drastic cutbacks Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases are increasing at a time when funding for immunisation programmes is being cut.1 The full impact of the cutbacks might remain hidden, as long-established surv...

🚨 Global immunization is under threat.

Here's why we should invest in disease surveillance and immunization monitoring so that cutbacks to immunization programmes don't go unnoticed. 👉 www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

@who.int @unicef.org @rki.de @merusheel.bsky.social #IA2030 #Vaccineswork

Research Fellow-School of Public Health Fixed term - 2 years full time / part time on site at Camperdown Campus Excellent opportunity as Post-doctoral Research Fellow Base Salary from Level A/B $116,679 – $127,433+ 17% superannuation (appoi...

Post-doc available at the Sydney School of Public Health @sydney.edu.au with the amazing @merusheel.bsky.social - surveillance systems for vaccine-preventable diseases in the Asia-Pacific region: usyd.wd105.myworkdayjobs.com/en-GB/USYD_E...