Global health review

MSF outreach workers test people for kala azar, Fulbaria, Mymensingh district, Bangladesh.

A weekly round-up of all the latest global health research from MSF projects and beyond

4 September 2026

Looking ahead to 2027, abstract submissions are now open for MSF Paediatric Days, taking place in Dakar, Senegal, on 15–16 April. The event brings together MSF colleagues and partners to share research, experiences and lessons from paediatric care across humanitarian settings. Abstracts can be submitted until 4 October 2026, so head to the MSF Paediatric Days website to make your submission.

This week, in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, MSF authors call for the urgent inclusion of children and people who are pregnant or breastfeeding in research on post-exposure prophylaxis for Bundibugyo virus, arguing that their continued exclusion from trials denies those at highest risk access to potentially lifesaving treatments. Similarly, in PLOS Global Public Health, an opinion piece with MSF contribution calls for earlier access to vaccines and treatments for children during the current Ebola outbreak, warning that delays in developing paediatric options can cost lives.

A DNDi article published in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases reports a new analysis of data from the first-in-human study of DNDI-6148, a potential new treatment for leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. The analysis provides new evidence on how the drug behaves in the body at different doses, helping to inform appropriate dose selection for future clinical trials.

Finally, in PLOS Medicine, a new study on the global burden of snakebite estimates at least 2.1 million cases of envenoming and 274,000 deaths each year. The findings suggest the scale of the problem may have been substantially underestimated in the past, with low-income countries bearing the greatest burden and sub-Saharan Africa accounting for nearly half of cases and deaths globally.

Best regards,

Clara Von Kaehne, Rosie Wharton, Lillian Matthes, and Holly Baker with MSF-authored article assistance from Alys Barton and Amelia Zhao.

All MSF-authored publications can be found on the MSF Science Portal, as well as recordings, abstracts and posters from the MSF Scientific Days 2026 conference.

Antimicrobial resistance

PLOS Medicine • Perspectives: Antimicrobial stewardship in low- and middle-income countries: Access versus adherence

BMC Health Services Research • Article: Healthcare providers’ perspectives regarding unregulated antibiotic use in Southern Pakistan: a qualitative study

BMC Health Services Research • Article: Audit of nosocomial infection control’s committee operation and internal policy on hospital hygiene and use of antibiotics in Benin: similarities and gaps between norms and practices

Conflict, migration and health

The Lancet Regional Health Europe • Article: War-related displacement, conflict intensity, and treatment delivery factors in opioid agonist maintenance treatment discontinuation following Russia's invasion of Ukraine: a national cohort study

The Lancet Regional Health Europe • Article: Effectiveness of the hope groups intervention on mental health, parenting practices, and violence against children among Ukrainian parents and caregivers affected by war and displacement: a cluster randomised controlled trial

The BMJ • News***MENTIONS MSF***: Gaza: Israel refuses to open criminal investigation into MSF staff killed by military

The BMJ • Feature***MENTIONS MSF***: Rohingya refugees remain trapped in a deadly limbo nine years after fleeing persecution

The BMJ • Editorial: Afghanistan to Gaza: Protecting women’s health through conflict and instability

BMJ Global Health • Article: Impact of Russian invasion on radiation therapy capacity in Ukraine: a national survey study

Conflict and Health • Review: Trust in the conduct of health and implementation research in conflict-induced humanitarian settings: a narrative literature review and preliminary theoretical framework