Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health

10/20/2026

Students in the Introduction to Humanitarian Emergencies course at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health put theory into practice during a field exercise at Baltimore’s Patterson Park.

Working through a simulated humanitarian emergency, students assessed the physical environment and made decisions about settlement capacity, shelter placement, water supply, sanitation, and essential infrastructure.

The exercise challenged students to think critically about the practical constraints and trade-offs involved in planning settlements for displaced populations, particularly in resource-limited settings.

10/15/2026

During an infectious disease outbreak, stopping breastfeeding is not a risk-free decision.

When direct breastfeeding or untreated expressed breastmilk is considered unsafe, infants may become dependent on breastmilk substitutes, which can carry serious risks in humanitarian and low-resource settings.
Our newly published scoping review examines flash-heating expressed breastmilk as a potential alternative.

The evidence is encouraging, but more research is urgently needed, particularly on pathogen-specific safety and practical implementation during outbreaks.
Protecting infants requires considering ALL feeding risks—not just the potential for infectious disease transmission.

Authors: Helena Natalia, Carolina Guzman, Bindi Borg, Jodine Chase, Anna Coutsoudis, Kiersten Israel-Ballard, Karleen Gribble, Peggy Koniz-Booher, Mija Ververs

https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2026.1926806

IntroductionInfectious disease outbreaks can disrupt breastfeeding due to concerns about pathogen transmission through close contact or breastmilk. In these ...

10/13/2026

CHH in the News: Shatha El Nakib, Deputy Director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health, was quoted in The Independent on the midwife shortage across Africa. Drawing on CHH research on the midwifery workforce in conflict-affected settings, she highlights the critical role midwives play in sustaining essential health services under extraordinary pressures and the support needed to recruit, retain, and protect this vital workforce.

Read here:

Lauren Crosby Medlicott speaks to midwives across Africa about the trying to deliver babies in conflict zones, and the burnout and low pay that are pushing people out of the profession

10/09/2026

CHH couldn’t be there is person - but were proud to have our joint work presented by AUIS. It has been a wonderful collaboration.

Paul B. Spiegel

10/09/2026

10/01/2026

New research highlights how older women’s health and protection needs can become invisible in humanitarian crises—from mobility and evacuation barriers to GBV, economic exploitation, and unmet SRH needs—and calls for more inclusive humanitarian responses.

Authors: Kathryn Falb, Meg Stevenson, Diana Hiscock, Molly Lasater

Read here:

09/30/2026

How do we measure whether children are better equipped to resist recruitment by armed forces and groups in conflict settings? Our new study develops and validates a Resistance to Recruitment scale among adolescents in the Central African Republic, offering a new tool to evaluate child protection and peacebuilding programs.

Authors:
Alexandra Blackwell, PhD, Camilla Fabbri, Salimatou Traore, Clement Bicaba, Christian LOUBAH GONDJE, Amber Peterman, Shoshanna Fine, Meg Stevenson, Kathryn Falb

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19439342.2026.2720017
Paul Paul B. Spiegel

Child recruitment by armed forces and groups is a grave violation affecting one in five children in conflict zones, yet prevention is hampered by limited measurement tools. We developed and validat...

09/24/2026

“Democracy is not a spectator sport. It requires our active participation.”

Former U.S. Senator Ben Cardin shared this message during a wide-ranging conversation at Johns Hopkins on the future of American engagement in global health.

The discussion explored U.S. global health leadership, international cooperation, PEPFAR, humanitarian assistance, and the role of students, universities, and the broader public in shaping the future of global health.

Hosted by the Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health, the Department of Johns Hopkins Department of International Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Dean’s Office.
Keshia Pollack Porter, Judd Walson

09/22/2026

Paul B. Spiegel director of Johns Hopkins Center for Humanitarian Health spoke with NPR Kamala Thiagarajan about a critical question: Are we on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030?

“The goals worked where money, technology and political will lined up.”

🎧 Take a listen to the NPR story on Morning Edition for Paul’s perspective—and a broader look at where the world stands on the road to 2030.

In 2015, global leaders set ambitious goals to reduce inequality, end hunger and boost education. More than a decade later, the world is nowhere near achieving much of what was promised.