Hello!
Greetings from Indianapolis, where I'm briefly home between TB-related excursions. Here in the U.S., we are waiting for the Senate's proposed budget to see what will happen with global health funding and, of course, everything else—an anxious wait for me to be sure. (This presumes, of course, that Congress still decides how money is spent in the U.S., which...I mean...who knows at this point.) But blessedly, the U.S. is not the only country in the world, and elsewhere the fight for global health equity is progressing.
In Canada, for example, TB Fighters from around the country will be visiting Parliament Hill soon to ask parliamentarians and their offices to step up Canada's commitments to the Global Fund and other health-strengthening initiatives. In the Philippines, where our family has made an investment to try to replace some of the holes left by USAID, an unexpected increase in TB-related funding may reignite the drive to drive TB to zero in certain communities, providing a blueprint for how it can be done globally. In India, cheaper molecular screening than GeneXpert is helping to fuel broader screening.
The thing about big, seemingly intractable problems like tuberculosis is that the closer you get to the problem, the more reasons you can find to be discouraged. But also, you can find more reasons to be encouraged as well. So, amidst the many horrors that surround us, please know that there are also ways in which things are getting better, even if the progress is inconsistent and insufficient.
Thanks for being here with us.
John
You can always email us at [email protected]
This Week in Stuff
Fat Bear Week 2025 is fast approaching! You can meet the bears and fill out your bracket on the official Fat Bear Week website. (explore.org)
The Action Lab explained how chickens are a feat of engineering. (YouTube)
Somerville, MA’s bike path mayoral election is heating up. (Instagram)
Boston is the first US city to use their bus stop roofs as green spaces. (GoodGoodGood.com)
Molly Burke explained why we should take makeup advice from a blind woman. (YouTube)
Please send us stuff you think we should feature to [email protected]
Global maternal mortality rates have fallen by almost 60% since 1985
Hannah Ritchie and Fiona Spooner
One of the most tragic beginnings in life for a child is to lose their mother during childbirth.
This was incredibly common in the past, and it still is in many countries today. But the world has made much progress in reducing maternal mortality rates.
As the chart shows, maternal deaths per 100,000 live births have fallen by 57% since 1985. Progress was temporarily reversed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but rates have started to fall again since then.
As a result, there are around 365,000 fewer maternal deaths each year than in 1985.
There are still huge gaps in maternal mortality rates across the world; we estimate that closing these gaps could save an additional 275,000 women each year.
Our World in Data is a UK-based non-profit organization that publishes research and data to make progress against the world’s largest problems. You can find more of their data insights here.
This Week at Complexly
Check out the newest Crash Course Lecture: The Secret Language of Cults. While traditional Crash Courses on our channel break open an entire subject, a Crash Course Lecture tackles a single topic in-depth. Each lecture shares the perspective of a scholar, journalist, or thinker. This lecture is hosted by Amanda Montell, a linguist, social commentator, and author of "Cultish." In it, we learn how our brains are hardwired to fall for the very linguistic tricks so often employed by cult leaders. But nefarious pseudo-spiritual gurus aren't the only ones trying to influence us by manipulating language. We see the same tricks in fitness studios, MLMs, fandoms, corporate workplaces, and more.
Grab a snack and a drink (preferably not Kool-Aid) and settle in for an extra-long dose of Crash Course to learn how language shapes our reality.
At Complelxy, we’re passionate about helping you understand your world better, and sometimes that means looking into the past. That’s why we’re proud to introduce our brand new show: The History Show, hosted by a new host, RJ McLaughlin.
Join us on a search through history to reveal often overlooked stories that show how the past and present are forever linked. These aren’t the same stories you’ve heard a thousand times. They’re weird, gritty, forgotten, and bananas (sometimes literally) moments in history that may leave you thinking, how the heck did we not learn this in school?
Our first exploration of the past premieres this Friday, September 19th, at youtube.com/complexly.
Some Games to Play!
Octordle (by Britannica)
SpellCheck.xyc (by Answer in Progress)
This Gubbins postcard was made by Carolyn. Send yours to [email protected]
If you post your results on social media, we’d love it if you post a link for folks to subscribe to “We’re Here” (https://werehere.beehiiv.com/subscribe)
Good things are still happening
Last week, we asked for good things that have happened in your lives recently. Thank you for filling our inbox with so many delightful stories. It’s been a great reminder that good things are still happening.
This week, a classmate who I deeply respect told me they like my “hat game.” I’m not wholly sure what that means, but it made me feel really good to get a compliment from him.
My recent good thing: I passed my dissertation defense a month ago and got my PhD!
I reached out for help and it came to me in huge quantities. I feel so lucky.
This summer I had a strange injury in my leg--no real idea what it was or how it happened--that caused me the worst pain I've ever had in my life. I went to physical therapy for it, and just last week I graduated from physical therapy, pain-free!
I made banana cupcakes and they turned out great, re-discovering my passion for baking has been fun!
My partner and I got to ride our new tandem bike on a big group ride last weekend, and it was such a fun experience!
Last week I lost one of my favourite socks in my building’s laundry room, when I noticed I went back and tried to find it but someone else was already using the dryer it was probably in so I left a note on top of it.
I didn’t think it would work, but when I went back to check not only was my sock there but also a sweet note from the neighbour who found it! I got my sock back and got to meet one of my neighbours for coffee.
I work at a small preschool as a teacher of 3-4 year olds. Most of my students from last year have moved up to the 4-5 year old PreK class with another teacher. I had a few spare minutes on my day off and decided to drop in on that class to say hello. Those little angels shouted for joy and ran to encircle me in hugs! They all had a million things they wanted to tell me with bright smiles plastered to their faces. It was so healing, and just what I needed to remember that there is so much joy left to find in the world.
I reached out to a close friend I hadn’t spoken to in several years (no animosity, just drifting apart with distance and demanding careers). We chatted on the phone for hours! It was like traveling back in time to the days on end we’d spend together during college. It made me so warm inside to once again feel and express that love, which I had nearly forgotten about. It was like I had found loose change between the couch cushions, except it turned out to actually be several hundred-dollar bills. All of this to say: reach out to a friend you’ve lost touch with! Reclaim that love!
I recently moved into a house with friends for college. Every day a different person cooks and we wait until everyone’s home to eat together. It makes this new place feel like home :)
You made it to the end!
If you could become a pro at something instantly, what would you pick? Why would you choose that thing? Let us know!
Send your pro pick to [email protected].
