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The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies elected a U.S. candidate on Monday as its new president after an acrimonious meeting that nearly saw the vote postponed amid a controversy involving a rival candidate. Kate Forbes, an existing IFRC board member, became the second woman to ever hold the top job at the world's largest humanitarian network after two rounds of votes. "Now is the time to lean into our fundamental principles to deliver on our mission and make communities stronger,” she said, vowing to address the impacts of climate change, geopolitical tensions and health emergencies. (Farge, 12/12)

Infectious diseases are ravaging the population of Gaza, health officials and aid organizations said on Monday, citing cold, wet weather; overcrowding in shelters; scarce food; dirty water; and little medicine. Adding to the crisis in the enclave after more than two months of war, those who become ill have extremely limited treatment options, as hospitals have been overwhelmed with patients injured in airstrikes. (Gupta, Yazbek and Harouda, 12/11)

The outbreak began in June in Sinazongwe district in Southern province. Twenty-six people developed sores on their face, arms, and fingers after eating meat from three wild hippopotamus carcasses. Around the same time, cattle, goats, and hippos were reportedly dying from an unknown cause in surrounding areas. (Wappes, 12/11)

New data from Europe show a sharp increase in sexually transmitted infections, according to surveillance reports published late last week by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). The surveillance reports on gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, congenital syphilis, and lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV) "collectively reveal a dynamic and challenging landscape," the ECDC said in a press release. (Dall, 12/11)

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he kept government scientists in the dark about his controversial Eat Out to Help Out, an acknowledgment likely to fuel questions over his judgment in pushing a policy that encouraged Britons to mingle in pubs and restaurants during the pandemic. In a long-awaited appearance at the UK’s official Covid-19 inquiry, Sunak said his signature idea to subsidize meals after the first lockdown was a “micro-policy,” calling the secrecy around the plan normal Treasury practice ahead of “fiscal events.” (Ashton, 12/11)

Earlier this month, the UK’s Daily Telegraph newspaper published an investigation alleging impoverished people from Myanmar were enticed to sell their kidneys to wealthy patients at a flagship Apollo Hospitals Enterprise facility in New Delhi. The report outlined how individuals were selling their kidneys due to financial hardships exacerbated by Myanmar’s economic and political turmoil. Paying for organs is illegal in India and living donors must be either close relative or receive special permission. (Kay, 12/11)

The harm caused by antibiotic drug resistance was clear to see in China’s packed pediatric hospitals. An outbreak of walking pneumonia, normally a mild infection, struck millions of children in the second half of 2023, creating Covid flashbacks and raising fears about another novel pathogen. But doctors say another real danger is the rise of superbugs, crafted by drug resistance that’s been building for years and rendering life-saving antibiotics less effective. (12/11)

Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador plans to present a law banning e-cigarettes and vapes before he leaves office in 2024, he said on Monday, after the supreme court overruled his previous attempt to outlaw their sale. "It's proven they're bad for your health," he said at a regular news conference on Monday. Mexico has one of the world's strictest anti-tobacco laws, after passing a bill for a total ban on smoking in public places - including the street - in January. (12/11)