May 12, 2026

CFR is pleased to welcome Stephanie Psaki as a new senior fellow for global health and national security. Most recently serving as the inaugural U.S. coordinator for global health security at the National Security Council, she has over two decades of experience spanning the White House, federal agencies, and international research. Read her full bio here

Prashant Yadav, Anya Hirschfeld

The Iran war continues to choke the global delivery of fuel, fertilizer, medicines, and aid shipments transiting the Strait of Hormuz, forcing humanitarian organizations to reroute over land, adding weeks of delay and millions of dollars to shipping costs at a time when the sector already faces severe funding shortfalls. The article’s authors examine what the challenges created by the Iran war mean for humanitarian aid operations and the nations that rely on them. Read more

Anya Hirschfeld, Allison Krugman, Thomas J. Bollyky, Stephanie Psaki, Joseph L. Dieleman

The Trump administration is finalizing bilateral arrangements that will define the next era of U.S. global health engagement. Those memoranda of understanding (MOUs), released under the America First Global Health Strategy, transition the United States away from aid and to jointly financed health agreements. This interactive tracker, which is updated regularly, assesses the sustainability and scope of the cofinancing obligations under the thirty-one MOUs signed to date. Track those updates  

Prashant Yadav

Procurement systems in Africa and other low- and middle-income countries are already multilane—spanning national procurement, regional and global pooled mechanisms, and various procurement marketplaces—and will likely become more so. The real challenge, argues CFR Senior Fellow Yadav, is not to replace multilane procurement with a single pooled procurement structure, but instead to design systems that coordinate it more effectively using shared information, transparency, and clearer performance rules. View the full article 

The WHO Could Mend Its U.S. Breakup by Playing the Waiting Game (Thomas J. Bollyky and Elena Every, Think Global Health)   

The World Agreed to Stop Using Food as a Weapon. It Hasn’t. (Sam Vigersky, CFR)

Iran War Threatens Water Desalination in the Middle East (Alejandra Martinez, Think Global Health) 

Will the Next World Food Program Chief Answer to Trump? (Sam Vigersky, CFR)  

Many Countries Eliminated Measles. Why Is It Coming Back in the U.S. and Globally? (Surina Venkat, CFR)  

The Global Water Crisis: Stress, Scarcity, and Conflict (CFR) 

A Year Without USAID and What Comes Next with Georgetown University Center for Global Health Practice and Impact Senior Advisor and former Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Executive Director Mark Dybul and Texas A&M University George H.W. Bush School of Government Executive Professor and former USAID Administrator Andrew S. Natsios 

Why China’s Fight on Air Pollution Has Slowed (featuring Yanzhong Huang, The Economist)

Will Trump’s Pharmaceutical Tariffs Lower Prices and Secure Supply Chains? (featuring Thomas J. Bollyky, Trade Talks) 

China and the U.S. Alter Foreign Aid Strategies (featuring Yanzhong Huang, NPR) 

Pharma Fallout From Iran War Won’t End With Ceasefire (featuring Prashant Yadav, Axios) 

Aid Groups Warn Iran War Is Hindering Food and Medicine From Reaching Millions (featuring Sam Vigersky, AP News)  

China Wants Germany in Its Corner. It’s Not That Easy. (featuring Yanzhong Huang, New York Times) 

As Iran War Drags On, Food and Medicine for Millions Is Stuck in Limbo (featuring Sam Vigersky, Washington Post) 

• Alaska Senate Advances Bill to Allow Surrender of Infants in Climate-Controlled Boxes (Alaska Beacon) 

• Strongest Evidence Yet That Vaping Likely Causes Cancer (The Conversation)  

• Gilead Accused of Blocking Global Access to HIV Drug (Politico)  

• The World Just Lived Through the 11 Hottest Years on Record—What Now? (Nature)  

• The Longevity Scam: Pouring Some Cold Water on Cold Plunges (The Atlantic)  

• U.S. Upends Global Supply Program for Malaria, HIV Amid Warnings of Gaps (Reuters)  

• Inside the Turmoil at Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s CDC (New York Times) 

The Global Health program at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) provides independent, evidence-based analysis and recommendations to help policymakers, business leaders, journalists, and the public meet the health challenges of a globalized world. Through rigorous research, articles, and online interactives, CFR’s experts work to advance evidence-based analysis and informed decision-making in global health.

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