Dr Tahir Turk
@tahirturk.bsky.social
Adj Professor Dow University of Health Sciences. Behavioural scientist and practitioner. World traveller to locations most avoid. Passionate about public health, the environment, being active and supporting positive change in the most vulnerable.
When we started HIV prevention programming in PNG in 2001 we thought this island nation would be the bridge for HIV infection into the Pacific. Instead, we find it is now Fiji with high HIV infection rates largely driven by methamphetamine use. edition.cnn.com/2026/09/16/a...
Fiji declares HIV emergency. One in 60 people now have the virus as drug crisis fuels outbreak | CNN
The small Pacific nation of Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency as it grapples with surging case numbers, partly driven by a growing methamphetamine problem.
edition.cnn.com
September 18, 2026 at 4:10 AM
When we started HIV prevention programming in PNG in 2001 we thought this island nation would be the bridge for HIV infection into the Pacific. Instead, we find it is now Fiji with high HIV infection rates largely driven by methamphetamine use. edition.cnn.com/2026/09/16/a...
When l worked in Uganda on a measles vaccination campaign, 5000 children were dying every year from the disease. How many deaths can we now expect to occur in the US over coming years thanks to the undermining of their vaccination program? www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/w...
Pennsylvania Officials Report Fourth Measles Death, as Outbreak Grows (Gift Article)
This year has become the deadliest year for measles in the United States since the virus was declared eliminated in 2000.
www.nytimes.com
September 17, 2026 at 6:47 AM
When l worked in Uganda on a measles vaccination campaign, 5000 children were dying every year from the disease. How many deaths can we now expect to occur in the US over coming years thanks to the undermining of their vaccination program? www.nytimes.com/2026/09/15/w...
Australia’s tobacco‑control laws will keep strengthening, making it harder and harder for organised crime to operate openly or dodge enforcement. Each reform further shuts down the retail spaces these gangs rely on. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
New tobacco laws target criminals from importers to shopfronts
Suspiciously cheap cigarettes and non-compliant packaging could help prosecutors establish whether tobacco was illicit under a crackdown targeting organised crime and retailers.
www.abc.net.au
September 17, 2026 at 6:23 AM
Australia’s tobacco‑control laws will keep strengthening, making it harder and harder for organised crime to operate openly or dodge enforcement. Each reform further shuts down the retail spaces these gangs rely on. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
Good response by the @Lungfoundation CEO Mark Brooke on tobacco excise to those "instant experts" who have the gall to believe they know tobacco control better than the actual experts. #StickToYourLane www.linkedin.com/pulse/where-...
Where Is the Evidence for Cutting Tobacco Excise?
Media commentary from Dr Nick Coatsworth suggesting that health organisations including Lung Foundation Australia should “stick to advertising campaigns” and avoid public policy fundamentally misunder...
www.linkedin.com
September 16, 2026 at 6:17 AM
Good response by the @Lungfoundation CEO Mark Brooke on tobacco excise to those "instant experts" who have the gall to believe they know tobacco control better than the actual experts. #StickToYourLane www.linkedin.com/pulse/where-...
Trump keeps undermining America's international standing, this time instructing the EPA repeal pollution limits on fossil fuel power plants. Big business laughing all the way to the bank while communities suffer. www.npr.org/2026/09/14/n...
Trump's EPA repeals pollution limits on fossil fuel power plants
The Trump administration is eliminating limits on climate-warming pollution from the nation's fossil fuel power plants. Environmental groups say this will impact the climate and public health.
www.npr.org
September 16, 2026 at 4:44 AM
Trump keeps undermining America's international standing, this time instructing the EPA repeal pollution limits on fossil fuel power plants. Big business laughing all the way to the bank while communities suffer. www.npr.org/2026/09/14/n...
Amid growing concern over the speed of AI development, climate scientists warn about data centers’ toll on environmental and human health and the dismantling of safeguards - With Trump in control we can guarantee that big business will come first. insideclimatenews.org/news/1109202...
Data Center Boom Brings Health Hazards, Former EPA Officials Warn - Inside Climate News
Experts warn of dangers from fossil fuel expansion and federal carveouts for the AI industry.
insideclimatenews.org
September 15, 2026 at 5:48 AM
Amid growing concern over the speed of AI development, climate scientists warn about data centers’ toll on environmental and human health and the dismantling of safeguards - With Trump in control we can guarantee that big business will come first. insideclimatenews.org/news/1109202...
DRC’s Ebola outbreak has the potential to become a global pandemic - due to high transmission rates and Superspreaders - How to make sure it doesn’t. theconversation.com/drcs-ebola-o...
DRC’s Ebola outbreak has the potential to become a global pandemic. How to make sure it doesn’t
Drawing lessons from Sierra Leone and having watched the mid-2026 outbreak in the DRC, I conclude that it risks become a global epidemic.
theconversation.com
September 11, 2026 at 4:38 AM
DRC’s Ebola outbreak has the potential to become a global pandemic - due to high transmission rates and Superspreaders - How to make sure it doesn’t. theconversation.com/drcs-ebola-o...
Kids aren’t the ‘accidental market’ for vapes. They’re the business model. Hook them young with high‑nicotine disposables and they secure decades of dependence and multi-tobacco use. The same Big Tobacco playbook even while they continue pushing combustibles. #HarmReductionMyth
September 10, 2026 at 4:55 AM
Kids aren’t the ‘accidental market’ for vapes. They’re the business model. Hook them young with high‑nicotine disposables and they secure decades of dependence and multi-tobacco use. The same Big Tobacco playbook even while they continue pushing combustibles. #HarmReductionMyth
Israel's response to Britain, Canada and France sanctions: Close down their embassy. The UK, Canada, and France joined by 10 other foreign ministers including Denmark, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden reaffirming support for a two-state settlement. And Australia? www.sbs.com.au/news/article...
What we know about the UK's fresh Israel sanctions, and why Australia won't follow
The UK, France and Canada have banned imports from Israeli settlements, but Australia has said it won't join in.
www.sbs.com.au
September 9, 2026 at 4:36 AM
Israel's response to Britain, Canada and France sanctions: Close down their embassy. The UK, Canada, and France joined by 10 other foreign ministers including Denmark, Norway, Poland, Spain and Sweden reaffirming support for a two-state settlement. And Australia? www.sbs.com.au/news/article...
"2.7 billion+ people were exposed to secondhand smoke globally in 2023—contributing to nearly 1.7 million deaths" - Do not underestimate the harms of tobacco and SHS. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
Global, regional, and national prevalence of second-hand smoke and attributable disease burden in 204 countries and territories, 1990–2023: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study...
We estimated that SHS remains a substantial driver of global health loss, particularly
through cardiovascular and paediatric respiratory diseases. Persistent geographical
disparities and growing absol...
www.thelancet.com
September 9, 2026 at 4:27 AM
"2.7 billion+ people were exposed to secondhand smoke globally in 2023—contributing to nearly 1.7 million deaths" - Do not underestimate the harms of tobacco and SHS. www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...
"Oral product use in NZ is uncommon among adults aged ≥45 years and occurs among people without cessation intentions, highlighting the risk that use may complement rather than replace smoking". NZ still ignoring FCTC Article 5.3 and hooking their young. www.researchgate.net/publication/...
Awareness and use of oral tobacco and nicotine products among people who smoke or recently stopped smoking: Descriptive findings from the 2024 EASE/ITC New Zealand Survey | Request PDF
Request PDF | Awareness and use of oral tobacco and nicotine products among people who smoke or recently stopped smoking: Descriptive findings from the 2024 EASE/ITC New Zealand Survey | Introduction ...
www.researchgate.net
September 2, 2026 at 5:38 AM
"Oral product use in NZ is uncommon among adults aged ≥45 years and occurs among people without cessation intentions, highlighting the risk that use may complement rather than replace smoking". NZ still ignoring FCTC Article 5.3 and hooking their young. www.researchgate.net/publication/...
"We have to realise how much power we have, and to stop being tuned out from the very real threat we face from a billionaire class that has gone off the edge of sanity into an altered reality." It's likely already too late for the USA. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
'Silicon Valley fascism' is waging war on democracy
The author of The Nerd Reich: Silicon Valley Fascism and the War on Democracy, has a warning.
www.abc.net.au
September 2, 2026 at 5:16 AM
"We have to realise how much power we have, and to stop being tuned out from the very real threat we face from a billionaire class that has gone off the edge of sanity into an altered reality." It's likely already too late for the USA. www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09...
"ON recorded a primary vote of 23% in the latest poll, down from a peak of 28%." The more we see and hear of ON the more their primary vote will slip. They just have nothing to offer Australians that will improve their standard of living. www.msn.com/en-au/news/o...
MSN
www.msn.com
September 2, 2026 at 4:26 AM
"ON recorded a primary vote of 23% in the latest poll, down from a peak of 28%." The more we see and hear of ON the more their primary vote will slip. They just have nothing to offer Australians that will improve their standard of living. www.msn.com/en-au/news/o...
I’ll believe it when I see it, given Juul's main market was kids: “Vaping company Juul Labs has received federal permission to sell an updated version of its e‑cigarette, which includes an optional age‑verification system intended to curb underage use.” apnews.com/article/juul...
Juul gets OK to sell updated vaping device with age-gating technology
E-cigarette maker Juul Labs has received U.S. permission to sell an updated version of its vaping device. The new product was announced by federal regulators on Friday.
apnews.com
September 1, 2026 at 4:19 AM
I’ll believe it when I see it, given Juul's main market was kids: “Vaping company Juul Labs has received federal permission to sell an updated version of its e‑cigarette, which includes an optional age‑verification system intended to curb underage use.” apnews.com/article/juul...
Another zoonotic disease: A bacterial skin infection normally found in cattle and horses has now been detected in human clusters in Europe, with evidence suggesting the first known instances of sustained human‑to‑human transmission. www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
www.telegraph.co.uk
September 1, 2026 at 4:15 AM
Another zoonotic disease: A bacterial skin infection normally found in cattle and horses has now been detected in human clusters in Europe, with evidence suggesting the first known instances of sustained human‑to‑human transmission. www.telegraph.co.uk/global-healt...
"Article 5.3 leaves NZs health policies vulnerable to tobacco industry interference. Aotearoa NZ has not meaningfully implemented Article 5.3, with public health informants arguing that it has been neglected from the start". @ASHNZ2025 tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/earl...
tobaccocontrol.bmj.com
August 31, 2026 at 5:37 AM
"Article 5.3 leaves NZs health policies vulnerable to tobacco industry interference. Aotearoa NZ has not meaningfully implemented Article 5.3, with public health informants arguing that it has been neglected from the start". @ASHNZ2025 tobaccocontrol.bmj.com/content/earl...
Čapek introduced the word "robot" in 1920 in his play R.U.R. imagining artificial workers from the Czech "robota" - forced labour. Watching the robotic games in China we can see his vision moving rapidly toward reality - hopefully without the same apocalyptic outcomes.
August 30, 2026 at 7:06 AM
Čapek introduced the word "robot" in 1920 in his play R.U.R. imagining artificial workers from the Czech "robota" - forced labour. Watching the robotic games in China we can see his vision moving rapidly toward reality - hopefully without the same apocalyptic outcomes.
Nearly half of all surveyed countries ratifying FCTC had the highest possible score for engaging in so-called "corporate social responsibility" efforts from the tobacco industry. That's not good: Governments need to understand obligations under FCTC Article 5.3 to protect the public.
August 28, 2026 at 4:13 AM
Nearly half of all surveyed countries ratifying FCTC had the highest possible score for engaging in so-called "corporate social responsibility" efforts from the tobacco industry. That's not good: Governments need to understand obligations under FCTC Article 5.3 to protect the public.
Reposted by Dr Tahir Turk
It’s been almost 90 days since the American people have seen or heard from Mitch McConnell.
We’re still paying his salary.
We’re still paying his salary.
August 28, 2026 at 1:09 AM
It’s been almost 90 days since the American people have seen or heard from Mitch McConnell.
We’re still paying his salary.
We’re still paying his salary.
The rank stupidity of arguments by industry advocates to lower Australian tobacco excise when the gangs can source a pack in South Asia for AUD34c. simonchapman6.com/2026/08/26/l...
Lowering tobacco tax for dummies
One Nation is throwing election promises around like a drunken sailor. It says it will reduce tobacco excise by 75% to make legal, taxed cigarettes competitive with cheap illegal tobacco. Not to be…
simonchapman6.com
August 27, 2026 at 3:25 AM
The rank stupidity of arguments by industry advocates to lower Australian tobacco excise when the gangs can source a pack in South Asia for AUD34c. simonchapman6.com/2026/08/26/l...
Another zoonotic threat in Swine Flu (H1N1) overwhelming hospitals in India, with authorities urging people to follow Covid-style measures such as wearing masks in crowded places. Case numbers have surpassed 2,000—8X times higher than in previous years. www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/h...
Indian authorities order Covid-style measures as swine flu overwhelms hospitals
Delhi records more than 2,000 H1N1 cases, a figure doctors say is likely to be an underestimate
www.independent.co.uk
August 26, 2026 at 2:41 AM
Another zoonotic threat in Swine Flu (H1N1) overwhelming hospitals in India, with authorities urging people to follow Covid-style measures such as wearing masks in crowded places. Case numbers have surpassed 2,000—8X times higher than in previous years. www.independent.co.uk/asia/india/h...
This is what happens when conservatives come to power. They always back Big Business -including Big Tobacco- over the health of their kids. New Zealand abandons world’s first ‘generational smoking ban’ - globalnews.ca/news/1011775...
New Zealand abandons world’s first ‘generational smoking ban’ - National | Globalnews.ca
The legislation as proposed would have banned the sale of cigarettes to anyone born after 2008, and was approved by New Zealand's previous government last year.
globalnews.ca
August 26, 2026 at 12:59 AM
This is what happens when conservatives come to power. They always back Big Business -including Big Tobacco- over the health of their kids. New Zealand abandons world’s first ‘generational smoking ban’ - globalnews.ca/news/1011775...
"Conspiracy theories that the Ebola outbreak is a hoax" have contributed to 260 healthcare workers being attacked and eight killed by mobs in the past six months, even while 160 healthcare workers have themselves fallen ill with Ebola and 43 have died. www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20...
Violence against healthcare workers in DRC hampers Ebola response
Healthcare workers in the Democratic Republic of Congo have been coming under attack, the United Nations and Red Cross have warned, hampering efforts to stem the spread of the Ebola virus, which is sp...
www.rfi.fr
August 25, 2026 at 5:41 AM
"Conspiracy theories that the Ebola outbreak is a hoax" have contributed to 260 healthcare workers being attacked and eight killed by mobs in the past six months, even while 160 healthcare workers have themselves fallen ill with Ebola and 43 have died. www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20...
NCDs account for 59.5% of global DALYs but receive only 2.5% of health-related aid according to machine learning analysis. This gap undermines effective policy development and deepens health inequities. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Tracking funding disparities in global health aid with machine learning - Nature Communications
Misalignment between health aid and country-level disease burden can leave populations without the necessary support for major health challenges. Here the authors report a machine learning analysis of...
www.nature.com
August 21, 2026 at 2:41 AM
NCDs account for 59.5% of global DALYs but receive only 2.5% of health-related aid according to machine learning analysis. This gap undermines effective policy development and deepens health inequities. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Anyone believing this is not the work of an authoritarian state hiding scientific evidence from the public, may need to think again. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...
The Trump administration is deleting government data. From infant deaths to hunger, here are five ways it’s hurting Americans
This information was used to understand the problems Americans face. The consequences of its erasure, experts warn, could affect generations to come
www.theguardian.com
August 19, 2026 at 3:56 AM
Anyone believing this is not the work of an authoritarian state hiding scientific evidence from the public, may need to think again. www.theguardian.com/us-news/ng-i...