Army Medicine in Biosecurity, Weatherproofing Elections, and Child Survival During War

Editors' Note

As global health concerns such as COVID-19, H5N1, and mpox have become intertwined with national security, the role of the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID) has become more prominent. Kicking off this week, anesthesiologist and President of SJMD Solutions Sunny Jha and Colonel Robert Carter III discuss how lessons learned from the institute's involvement in the U.S. COVID-19 response can be applied to ongoing and future emergencies.

With the U.S. election less than two weeks away, Senior Advisor at Climate Central Karen Florini and CFR Senior Fellow Alice C. Hill describe how the destruction caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton threatens to disenfranchise voters and what election officials can do to make voting procedures more resilient to climate change.

Zooming in to Mali, former Minister of Health Fatoumata Nafo and Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco Ari Johnson showcase the findings of a study revealing that expanding access to free health care and at-home medical visits reduced childhood mortality by 63% in the country's rural areas—even amid a civil war.

Journalist Jenaye Johnson then continues the conversation on child survival by highlighting how paid family-leave policies contribute to better infant health across U.S. states.

Looking at Nigeria's mpox outbreak, health writer Maduabuchi MacDonald emphasizes the role of youth organizations in dispelling misinformation and promoting proper hygiene practices that can curb transmission.

To wrap up this week's edition, journalist Tanka Dhakal draws attention to how Nepal's heavily polluted rivers threaten to spread waterborne diseases to the country's urban poor.

Until next week!—Nsikan Akpan, Managing Editor, and Caroline Kantis, Associate Editor