Justin
@jmcohen.bsky.social
🌎 Global health enthusiast 🌍
🦟🔚 Malaria & NTD antagonist @CHAI ☕️
(though all opinions here are my own 💡)
🦟🔚 Malaria & NTD antagonist @CHAI ☕️
(though all opinions here are my own 💡)
Pinned
Justin
@jmcohen.bsky.social
· Nov 24
"After going to Assisi I visited a group of Italian Sisters in a beautiful little convent among the olive-trees high up in the hills not far away... They sent me a special blessing, which... brought us a great deal of comfort." As reported in: archive.org/details/dli....
Reposted by Justin
Upheaval of the donor landscape introduced huge uncertainty into malaria commodity markets. I’m thus pleased to share the latest global forecasts from our team and partners. We hope this dashboard provides useful intelligence & can help increase transparency dashboards.endmalaria.org/en/procureme...
Commodities Forecasting - Short-term Forecast | Global Malaria Dashboard
This dashboard includes projections of procurement volumes from 2024 to 2026 for vector control commodities. These outputs were developed by the Global Malaria Commodities Forecasting Consortium, with...
dashboards.endmalaria.org
January 20, 2026 at 3:06 PM
Upheaval of the donor landscape introduced huge uncertainty into malaria commodity markets. I’m thus pleased to share the latest global forecasts from our team and partners. We hope this dashboard provides useful intelligence & can help increase transparency dashboards.endmalaria.org/en/procureme...
Reposted by Justin
The Trump admin is in the midst of laying off 1,100-1,200 HHS staff. The CDC's outbreak responders, gone. The office producing CDC's weekly journal MMWR is gone. CDC staff securing sensitive data, gone. Worker safety, gone. Immunization group, gone.
Instead, Congress watches RFK "make the proof"
Instead, Congress watches RFK "make the proof"
RFK Jr on Tylenol and autism: "It is not proof. We're doing the studies to make the proof."
October 11, 2025 at 1:36 PM
The Trump admin is in the midst of laying off 1,100-1,200 HHS staff. The CDC's outbreak responders, gone. The office producing CDC's weekly journal MMWR is gone. CDC staff securing sensitive data, gone. Worker safety, gone. Immunization group, gone.
Instead, Congress watches RFK "make the proof"
Instead, Congress watches RFK "make the proof"
Reposted by Justin
The Trump administration is ignoring a directive from Congress and refusing to fully fund a landmark H.I.V. program that is widely credited with saving millions of lives over the past two decades. Story by @stephanienolen.bsky.social Gift link: nyti.ms/461Vrxg
nyti.ms
August 22, 2025 at 2:14 PM
The Trump administration is ignoring a directive from Congress and refusing to fully fund a landmark H.I.V. program that is widely credited with saving millions of lives over the past two decades. Story by @stephanienolen.bsky.social Gift link: nyti.ms/461Vrxg
Reposted by Justin
“Kennedy would be less hazardous if he decided to do cardiac surgery. Then he would kill people only one at a time,” writes former CDC Director William Foege.
www.statnews.com/2025/08/18/r...
www.statnews.com/2025/08/18/r...
Former CDC Director William Foege: How public health can fight back in a time of dangerous nonsense
“Kennedy would be less hazardous if he decided to do cardiac surgery. Then he would kill people only one at a time,” writes former CDC Director William Foege.
www.statnews.com
August 18, 2025 at 6:42 PM
“Kennedy would be less hazardous if he decided to do cardiac surgery. Then he would kill people only one at a time,” writes former CDC Director William Foege.
www.statnews.com/2025/08/18/r...
www.statnews.com/2025/08/18/r...
Reposted by Justin
The US President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) has played a major role in malaria control in Africa.
At a time of ongoing policy reorientation, a study quantified the impact that a fully functioning PMI would have on malaria cases & deaths in Africa during 2025.
Read this & more: tinyurl.com/s2xc8mk8
At a time of ongoing policy reorientation, a study quantified the impact that a fully functioning PMI would have on malaria cases & deaths in Africa during 2025.
Read this & more: tinyurl.com/s2xc8mk8
June 20, 2025 at 8:48 AM
The US President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) has played a major role in malaria control in Africa.
At a time of ongoing policy reorientation, a study quantified the impact that a fully functioning PMI would have on malaria cases & deaths in Africa during 2025.
Read this & more: tinyurl.com/s2xc8mk8
At a time of ongoing policy reorientation, a study quantified the impact that a fully functioning PMI would have on malaria cases & deaths in Africa during 2025.
Read this & more: tinyurl.com/s2xc8mk8
Reposted by Justin
3 guys, none with infectious disease or pedatric expertise, just ran roughshod over normal procedures to block COVID shots for kids, pregnant people. This is so awful & insane & we should treat it as such. Reporters, you're on notice. Both sides this at your peril & watch your credibitlity evaporate
No, @nytimes.com, an anti-vaxx grifter is no longer recommending #Covid vaccines. Many of us in the US with actual medical credentials still recommend it.
May 27, 2025 at 10:10 PM
3 guys, none with infectious disease or pedatric expertise, just ran roughshod over normal procedures to block COVID shots for kids, pregnant people. This is so awful & insane & we should treat it as such. Reporters, you're on notice. Both sides this at your peril & watch your credibitlity evaporate
Reposted by Justin
When Americans raised concerns about RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine views, he said he was "not gonna take away vaccines from anybody."
But now he's taking them away from millions of mommas and babies.
Vaccine recommendations should be based on science, not RFK Jr.'s political agenda.
But now he's taking them away from millions of mommas and babies.
Vaccine recommendations should be based on science, not RFK Jr.'s political agenda.
May 27, 2025 at 6:30 PM
When Americans raised concerns about RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine views, he said he was "not gonna take away vaccines from anybody."
But now he's taking them away from millions of mommas and babies.
Vaccine recommendations should be based on science, not RFK Jr.'s political agenda.
But now he's taking them away from millions of mommas and babies.
Vaccine recommendations should be based on science, not RFK Jr.'s political agenda.
Reposted by Justin
Rubio's gutting of USAID is illegal and unconstitutional. There is no form of democracy anywhere of any kind that would allow the executive branch to unilaterally cancel budgets and programs passed by the legislative branch and signed into law. It's utter lawlessness.
March 10, 2025 at 11:19 AM
Rubio's gutting of USAID is illegal and unconstitutional. There is no form of democracy anywhere of any kind that would allow the executive branch to unilaterally cancel budgets and programs passed by the legislative branch and signed into law. It's utter lawlessness.
Reposted by Justin
Spending my weekend producing estimates of how many people’s lives are at risk as a direct consequence of PEPFAR’s cancellation
www.vox.com/future-perfe...
www.vox.com/future-perfe...
Killing PEPFAR means killing millions of people
All to save 0.08 percent of the budget.
www.vox.com
March 9, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Spending my weekend producing estimates of how many people’s lives are at risk as a direct consequence of PEPFAR’s cancellation
www.vox.com/future-perfe...
www.vox.com/future-perfe...
Reposted by Justin
"One million children will go untreated for severe malnutrition, up to 166,000 people will die from malaria and 200,000 more children will be paralyzed by polio over the next decade, the memos estimated. The programs were cut anyway."
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Internal Memos: Senior USAID Leaders Warned Trump Appointees of Hundreds of Thousands of Deaths From Closing Agency
One million children will go untreated for severe malnutrition, up to 166,000 people will die from malaria and 200,000 more children will be paralyzed by polio over the next decade, the memos estimate...
www.propublica.org
March 3, 2025 at 10:21 PM
"One million children will go untreated for severe malnutrition, up to 166,000 people will die from malaria and 200,000 more children will be paralyzed by polio over the next decade, the memos estimated. The programs were cut anyway."
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
www.propublica.org/article/trum...
Reposted by Justin
This is all lies. Reporting has made clear that
- Food and health spending is still paused, or contracts have been cancelled entirely (e.g. Ready-to-use therapeutic food for starving children)
- Money owed for work done during Biden still hasn't gone out
- Musk's people are the blockers
- Food and health spending is still paused, or contracts have been cancelled entirely (e.g. Ready-to-use therapeutic food for starving children)
- Money owed for work done during Biden still hasn't gone out
- Musk's people are the blockers
March 3, 2025 at 7:39 PM
This is all lies. Reporting has made clear that
- Food and health spending is still paused, or contracts have been cancelled entirely (e.g. Ready-to-use therapeutic food for starving children)
- Money owed for work done during Biden still hasn't gone out
- Musk's people are the blockers
- Food and health spending is still paused, or contracts have been cancelled entirely (e.g. Ready-to-use therapeutic food for starving children)
- Money owed for work done during Biden still hasn't gone out
- Musk's people are the blockers
Reposted by Justin
The Trump administration terminates funding for polio, HIV, malaria and nutrition programs around the world.
“People will die,” said Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi of the African Population and Health Research Center, “but we will never know, because even the programs to count the dead are cut.”
“People will die,” said Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi of the African Population and Health Research Center, “but we will never know, because even the programs to count the dead are cut.”
U.S. Terminates Funding for Polio, H.I.V., Malaria and Nutrition Programs Around the World
Here are some of the 5,800 contracts the Trump administration formally canceled this week in a wave of terse emails.
www.nytimes.com
February 28, 2025 at 3:30 AM
The Trump administration terminates funding for polio, HIV, malaria and nutrition programs around the world.
“People will die,” said Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi of the African Population and Health Research Center, “but we will never know, because even the programs to count the dead are cut.”
“People will die,” said Dr. Catherine Kyobutungi of the African Population and Health Research Center, “but we will never know, because even the programs to count the dead are cut.”
Reposted by Justin
So - I've actually led Ebola outbreak response at USAID.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
Elon Musk: "We will make mistakes. We won't be perfect ... so for example, with USAID, one of the things we accidentally canceled very briefly was ebola prevention."
February 26, 2025 at 10:41 PM
So - I've actually led Ebola outbreak response at USAID.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
This is bunk from Elon. They have laid off most of the experts, they're bankrupting most of the partner orgs, have withdrawn from WHO, and muzzled CDC.
What's left is a fig-leaf effort to cover their asses politically.
Reposted by Justin
Remember when the WH insisted that global HIV prevention & treatment was exempt from the freeze? When it seemed MAYBE they understood that cutting off medicine could put the entire planet at risk of drug resistant HIV strains?
Wrong. Elon Musk’s interns were simply shutting payments off manually.
Wrong. Elon Musk’s interns were simply shutting payments off manually.
February 25, 2025 at 4:38 PM
Remember when the WH insisted that global HIV prevention & treatment was exempt from the freeze? When it seemed MAYBE they understood that cutting off medicine could put the entire planet at risk of drug resistant HIV strains?
Wrong. Elon Musk’s interns were simply shutting payments off manually.
Wrong. Elon Musk’s interns were simply shutting payments off manually.
Reposted by Justin
The UK is slashing its aid budget, following in US footsteps.
“Rather than rising to this challenge and offering emergency support, the UK is delivering another blow to health systems around the world."
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
“Rather than rising to this challenge and offering emergency support, the UK is delivering another blow to health systems around the world."
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
Starmer’s cuts to UK aid budget are ‘cruel and shameful’, say experts
Reduction to 0.3% of gross national income in order to fund defence spending has been decried as a ‘move to appease Trump’
www.theguardian.com
February 25, 2025 at 5:00 PM
The UK is slashing its aid budget, following in US footsteps.
“Rather than rising to this challenge and offering emergency support, the UK is delivering another blow to health systems around the world."
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
“Rather than rising to this challenge and offering emergency support, the UK is delivering another blow to health systems around the world."
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...
"Within DOGE’s quest to reduce waste, America’s anti-malaria strategy, one of our nation’s most successful initiatives of the past 20 years, has essentially been shut off." www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/mala...
Malaria Fight Abroad Keeps America Safe at Home
www.theepochtimes.com
February 25, 2025 at 3:23 PM
"Within DOGE’s quest to reduce waste, America’s anti-malaria strategy, one of our nation’s most successful initiatives of the past 20 years, has essentially been shut off." www.theepochtimes.com/opinion/mala...
Way back in 2012, some friends and I reviewed all the historical episodes we could find where malaria resurged after having been controlled successfully: malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10..... The single most common cause of malaria coming back over the years was a reduction in funding.
Malaria resurgence: a systematic review and assessment of its causes - Malaria Journal
Background Considerable declines in malaria have accompanied increased funding for control since the year 2000, but historical failures to maintain gains against the disease underscore the fragility o...
malariajournal.biomedcentral.com
February 24, 2025 at 6:26 PM
Way back in 2012, some friends and I reviewed all the historical episodes we could find where malaria resurged after having been controlled successfully: malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10..... The single most common cause of malaria coming back over the years was a reduction in funding.
Reposted by Justin
At last, a health secretary who’ll do something about miasma
February 13, 2025 at 6:37 PM
At last, a health secretary who’ll do something about miasma
Reposted by Justin
NEW: Despite Musk and Rubio’s statements, life-saving programs with USAID funds are NOT restarting. A funds transfer system is frozen. And a USAID official sent out an internal email obtained by @nytimes.com telling employees to halt applications to restart: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/u...
USAID Lifesaving Aid Remains Halted Despite Rubio’s Promise
A new directive puts further exemptions on hold. Aid workers also say the U.S. government has made it impossible to pay partners around the world.
www.nytimes.com
February 13, 2025 at 1:30 PM
NEW: Despite Musk and Rubio’s statements, life-saving programs with USAID funds are NOT restarting. A funds transfer system is frozen. And a USAID official sent out an internal email obtained by @nytimes.com telling employees to halt applications to restart: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/u...
Reposted by Justin
So what has the Trump/Musk push on USAID achieved so far? I reached out to contacts, and here's the state of play: Children dying. Hospitals closing. Ebola at risk of spreading. US food aid rotting. Moms at risk in childbirth. China gaining soft power. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/o...
Opinion | It’s America That Suffers When We Cut Foreign Aid (Gift Article)
U.S.A.I.D. keeps children alive and us safe.
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2025 at 10:49 PM
So what has the Trump/Musk push on USAID achieved so far? I reached out to contacts, and here's the state of play: Children dying. Hospitals closing. Ebola at risk of spreading. US food aid rotting. Moms at risk in childbirth. China gaining soft power. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/o...
Reposted by Justin
A group of nongovernmental organizations, contractors and small businesses that rely on American foreign aid to carry out humanitarian and development programs abroad filed a lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday against the Trump administration and its efforts to phase out USAID.
Foreign Aid Contractors Sue to Overturn Trump Administration’s USAID Order
The filing from a group of nonprofits, contractors and consultants is the latest lawsuit against the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze and reduce federal spending.
www.nytimes.com
February 12, 2025 at 4:01 AM
A group of nongovernmental organizations, contractors and small businesses that rely on American foreign aid to carry out humanitarian and development programs abroad filed a lawsuit in federal court on Tuesday against the Trump administration and its efforts to phase out USAID.
Reposted by Justin
Seventy-one-year-old woman dies after being sent home from USAID funded hospital. Others die after hospitals close in refugee camps www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
US aid freeze claims first victims as oxygen supplies cut off
Seventy-one-year-old woman dies after being sent home from USAID funded hospital. Others die after hospitals close in refugee camps
www.telegraph.co.uk
February 12, 2025 at 4:14 AM
Seventy-one-year-old woman dies after being sent home from USAID funded hospital. Others die after hospitals close in refugee camps www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
Reposted by Justin
Two weeks into President Trump’s sweeping freeze on foreign aid, H.I.V. groups abroad have not received any funding, jeopardizing the health of more than 20 million people, including 500,000 children.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/h...
Trump’s Foreign Aid Freeze Leaves Millions Without HIV Treatment (Gift Article)
President Trump’s pause on aid, and the gutting of the primary aid agency, could jeopardize the health of more than 20 million people worldwide, including 500,000 children, experts say.
www.nytimes.com
February 5, 2025 at 9:12 PM
Two weeks into President Trump’s sweeping freeze on foreign aid, H.I.V. groups abroad have not received any funding, jeopardizing the health of more than 20 million people, including 500,000 children.
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/h...
www.nytimes.com/2025/02/05/h...
Reposted by Justin
"In Uganda, the National Malaria Control Program has suspended spraying insecticide into village homes and ceased shipments of bed nets for distribution to pregnant women and young children." Story on the deadly US aid pause, by @stephanienolen.bsky.social Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/h...
Health Programs Shutter Around the World After Trump Pauses Foreign Aid (Gift Article)
Lifesaving treatment and prevention programs for tuberculosis, malaria, H.I.V. and other diseases cannot access funds to continue work.
www.nytimes.com
February 1, 2025 at 7:41 PM
"In Uganda, the National Malaria Control Program has suspended spraying insecticide into village homes and ceased shipments of bed nets for distribution to pregnant women and young children." Story on the deadly US aid pause, by @stephanienolen.bsky.social Gift link: www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/h...