California Increases Global Health Monitoring as Federal Government Pulls Back
California is stepping up its global health surveillance efforts as the United States decreases its involvement with the World Health Organization (WHO), according to NPR News. Governor Gavin Newsom met with WHO head Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus at the 2026 Davos gathering to discuss collaborating on monitoring emerging public health threats. This comes as nearly half of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) databases, 38 out of 82, that were being updated monthly have been frozen without notice or explanation, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
For years, the U.S. federal government participated in weekly calls organized to discuss health emergencies worldwide, according to NPR News. Now, a member of California's Department of Public Health participates in these calls at 5 a.m. California time.
Meanwhile, in the realm of medical advancements, Life Biosciences, a Boston startup cofounded by Harvard professor David Sinclair, has received FDA approval to begin the first human trials of a rejuvenation method, MIT Technology Review reported. Sinclair, a life-extension advocate, confirmed the news on X, formerly Twitter, after Elon Musk inquired about the treatment, codenamed ER-100. Sinclair stated that aging has a "relatively simple explanation and is apparently reversible."
In other health news, research continues to shed light on the history and treatment of diseases. According to Ars Technica, anthropologist Elizabeth Nelson and her colleagues discovered a 5,500-year-old Treponema pallidum genome in an individual, suggesting that the evolutionary history of syphilis goes back further than previously thought. The traditional understanding placed the origin of syphilis in Europe around 1495, during the siege of Naples.
Researchers are also focusing on lung health, as detailed in Nature News. The article highlights the importance of understanding the "exposome" – the environmental factors that a person is exposed to throughout their life – and its impact on the respiratory system. The air we breathe is often contaminated by allergens, smoke, and other pollutants that wreak havoc on the lungs.
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