Global Health Challenges: Malaria, Hepatitis B, and Dietary Guidelines in Focus

Recent global health news highlights various challenges and changes, including a rise in malaria deaths due to drug resistance, a strategic shift in hepatitis B vaccination guidelines by U.S. advisers, a delay in U.S. dietary guidelines, and a pork import ban by Malaysia responding to swine fever in Spain.

In recent global health developments, the WHO warns of increased malaria deaths, with 610,000 fatalities in 2024, primarily affecting young children in sub-Saharan Africa. Rising drug resistance and funding cuts are contributing to this uptick, with cases climbing to 282 million from last year's 273 million.

Meanwhile, a policy overhaul in the U.S. sees vaccine advisers retracting the mandatory hepatitis B vaccination for newborns, a significant shift led by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Initially aimed at blanket protection, the new guidelines recommend vaccines only for infants at risk.

Additionally, U.S. dietary guidelines face delays until early 2026, the Department of Health and Human Services confirmed. In Southeast Asia, Malaysia has halted most pork imports from Spain due to African swine fever, maintaining its stance for public health safety.