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Christine Stewart MPH PhD

@christinestewart.bsky.social
420 followers 230 following 28 posts

Professor of Nutrition at UC Davis and Director of the Institute for Global Nutrition. I study maternal and child nutrition. Lover of chocolate 🍫, coffee ☕️, and a beautiful hike 🏞. Views are my own.

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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 22/04/2025
I needed this: "In the shared act choosing to care, we can find a way forward. One rooted in fairness, shaped by resilience and elevated by hope. Even when institutions falter, the mission doesn’t have to." www.nytimes.com/2025/04/22/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | We Found a Work Around to Trump Defunding Science (Gift Article)
When knowledge is threatened, don’t just mourn it. Build around it.
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Reposted by Christine Stewart MPH PhD
Reuters @reuters.com · 22/04/2025
Malnutrition treatments halted in Ethiopia due to underfunding, WFP says reut.rs/4jB8BVW
Malnutrition treatments halted in Ethiopia due to underfunding, WFP says
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 16/04/2025
Thirty-eight of 43 experts cut last month from the boards that review the science and research that happens in laboratories at the National Institutes of Health are female, Black or Hispanic, according to an analysis by the chairs of a dozen of the boards.
washingtonpost.com
Women, minorities fired in purge of NIH science review boards
Scientists, with expertise in fields that include mental health, cancer and infectious disease, typically serve five-year terms and were not given a reason for their dismissal.
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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 17/04/2025
It is disheartening to see this happen to such a leader in the field of nutritional sciences.
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Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus @drtedros.who.int · 27/03/2025
Nutrition is the key determinant to health. It's staggering that nearly 3 billion people cannot afford a healthy diet. I arrived in Paris to join President Emmanuel Macron & health leaders at the Nutrition for Growth Summit, as we need continued investment and a laser-focus on ending malnutrition.
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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 15/03/2025
Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Musk Said No One Has Died Since Aid Was Cut. That Isn’t True. (Gift Article)
A journey through the front lines of global poverty shows that when the world’s richest men slash aid for the world’s poorest children, the result is sickness, starvation and death.
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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 14/03/2025
This is a rather depressing time to be a scientist.
theatlantic.com
The NIH’s Grant Terminations Are ‘Utter and Complete Chaos’
The Trump administration is rapidly canceling hundreds of grants, in the most aggressive attack yet on American science.
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Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 03/03/2025
SCOOP: The world is likely to see millions more malaria infections and 200,000 cases of paralytic polio each year, according to a whistle-blower from USAID. www.nytimes.com/2025/03/02/h...
nytimes.com
U.S.A.I.D. Memos Detail Human Costs of Cuts to Foreign Aid (Gift Article)
The world is likely to see millions more malaria infections and 200,000 cases of paralytic polio each year, according to an agency whistle-blower.
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Partners In Health @pih.org · 27/02/2025
🧵 PIH condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the Trump Administration's mass termination of United States Government grants and contracts supporting essential health care delivery and humanitarian assistance around the world. Here’s what you need to know—and how you can take action 👇
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Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
3. All supplies of US-manufactured emergency food packets for starving children on the brink of death – terminated. newrepublic.com/article/1919...
newrepublic.com
Musk Scandal at USAID Takes Ugly Turn, Putting Starving Kids at Risk
Two U.S. nonprofits that manufacture a treatment sent by USAID to help severely malnourished children abroad say the process is in chaos. This isn’t what Marco Rubio said would happen.
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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 27/02/2025
A lot of what we know about global health comes from the DHS. We use it to track maternal & child nutrition trends. I have published 4 papers using its data & I use it in my classes. It celebrated its 40yr anniversary last year. It was ended, unceremoniously, yesterday.
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Greg Sargent @gregsargent.bsky.social · 25/02/2025
Awful news --> Delivery of therapeutic food assistance to nearly 400,000 severely malnourished kids abroad is suddenly in doubt due to Trump-Musk firings at USAID, two manufacturers of the product tell me. "Starving children are waiting," one says. New from me: newrepublic.com/article/1919...
newrepublic.com
Musk Scandal at USAID Takes Ugly Turn, Putting Starving Kids at Risk
Two U.S. nonprofits that manufacture a treatment sent by USAID to help severely malnourished children abroad say the process is in chaos. This isn’t what Marco Rubio said would happen.
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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 24/02/2025
The Global Nutrition Council in @nutritionorg.bsky.social will be hosting a listening session to hear how members have been affected by the recent events. We invite you to join and to share your ideas for action! 📅 February 26 at 11 am EST ✅ Registration: discover.nutrition.org/content/asn-...
ASN Global Nutrition Council (GNC) Listening Session: Recent Geopolitical Changes in Global Nutrition. February 26, 2025.
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NPR @npr.org · 22/02/2025
FEWS NET, the U.S. early warning system for famine, shut down after the foreign aid freeze. What are the consequences? And why does the U.S. has a famine early warning system in the first place?
npr.org
A respected U.S. famine warning system is 'currently unavailable.' What's the impact?
FEWS NET, the U.S. early warning system for famine, shut down after the foreign aid freeze. What are the consequences? And why does the U.S. has a famine early warning system in the first place?
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American Society for Nutrition 🍏🔬🌎 @nutritionorg.bsky.social · 21/02/2025
New perspective in #AJCN highlights the detrimental consequences of the US' withdrawal from WHO and the dismantling of USAID on global health and nutrition. ASN stands with our many affected members in the global nutrition community and beyond. ajcn.nutrition.org/article/S000...
ajcn.nutrition.org
A shock to the global nutrition system: Why nutrition scientists should challenge the dismantling of the US Agency for International Development and US withdrawal from the World Health Organization
Imagine a world where over 1 million children across 85 countries died from a single nutrient deficiency — deaths that could be prevented with a semi-annual vitamin supplement. Millions of lives saved...
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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 20/02/2025
The shocks to the global nutrition system should be a concern to nutrition scientists and nutrition advocates everywhere. Please read and share our perspective published open access in AJCN today. 👇
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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 13/02/2025
"Toddlers are starving because emergency feeding centers supported by USAID have run out of the nutrient-rich paste used to save the lives of severely malnourished children. Nearby warehouses have the paste but can’t release it without a waiver from the agency..." www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | It’s America That Suffers When We Cut Foreign Aid (Gift Article)
U.S.A.I.D. keeps children alive and us safe.
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Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
Trump’s sudden cutoff of funding and staff at USAID has meant the loss of “almost all ability to track $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian aid…, a government watchdog warned Monday.” This whole wire report on the accelerating catastrophe bears reading. www.therepublic.com/2025/02/10/u...
therepublic.com
USAID watchdog warns of lack of oversight of $8.2 billion in unspent aid after Trump moves - The Republic News
By ELLEN KNICKMEYER Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. Agency for International Development has lost almost all ability to track $8.2 billion in unspent humanitarian aid after the Trump admin...
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Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · 10/02/2025
From independent @USAID sources, >800 contracts and awards are being terminated en masse – with the procurement team subject to hourly checks on speed of executing terminations. The pace has exceeded the ability to confirm whether lifesaving assistance or any Congressional mandate is affected.
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Elizabeth Wrigley-Field @wrigleyfield.bsky.social · 09/02/2025
Here are some facts about "facilities and administrative" (F&A) costs, what we in the business call "indirects" and what Musk is calling "overhead" as he tries to convince Americans with being ok with cutting billions on dollars from medical and public health research at universities & hospitals 1/
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Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · 07/02/2025
“We are witnessing one of the worst and most costly foreign policy blunders in U.S. history.” www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/o...
nytimes.com
Opinion | Samantha Power: Killing U.S.A.I.D. Is a Win for Autocrats Everywhere (Gift Article)
The attacks on the agency are cruel and counterproductive.
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The Washington Post @washingtonpost.com · 06/02/2025
U.S. businesses that sold goods and services to USAID are in limbo, including American farms dealing in rice, wheat and soybeans purchased as food aid.
washingtonpost.com
Gutting USAID threatens billions of dollars for U.S. farms, businesses
U.S. businesses that sold goods and services to USAID are in limbo, including American farms dealing in rice, wheat and soybeans.
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Matthew Herper @matthewherper.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Suddenly cutting off USAID left people around the world with experimental drugs and medical products in their bodies, cut off from the researchers who were monitoring them, and generating waves of suspicion and fear. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/06/h...
nytimes.com
Dozens of Clinical Trials Have Been Frozen in Response to Trump’s USAID Order
The stop-work order on U.S.A.I.D.-funded research has left thousands of people with experimental drugs and devices in their bodies, with no access to monitoring or care.
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Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Rubio claims that @USAID lifesaving assistance for health and humanitarian needs will continue. But his team just communicated that the entire agency will be imminently reduced from 14,000 to 294 people. Just 12 in Africa.
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Kai Ryssdal @kairyssdal.bsky.social · 06/02/2025
Think about this for a second.
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Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
@USAID is enduring an unlawful shutdown, purge, and dismantling. It’s thrown its vital work into turmoil—based on spurious, absurd, and willfully slanted attacks. Here's what’s real: the massive and growing harm now being caused. www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/h...
nytimes.com
Health Programs Shutter Around the World After Trump Pauses Foreign Aid (Gift Article)
Lifesaving treatment and prevention programs for tuberculosis, malaria, H.I.V. and other diseases cannot access funds to continue work.
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Richard Waite @waiterich.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Good graphic by WaPo showing Canada (purple), China (brown), Mexico (blue) and other top suppliers by share of value of goods imported by the US in 2023. “One of the first places US shoppers may feel the impact of increased tariffs is in the grocery aisle…” www.washingtonpost.com/business/202...
Vegetables - Mexico 50%, Canada 24%, China 3%

Feed and grains - Canada 49%

Bakery products - Canada 43%

Liquors - Mexico 43%

Wine and beer - Mexico 41%

Fruits - Mexico 41%

Meat products - Canada 40%

Food oils - Canada 38%
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
“I’ve been an infectious disease doctor for 30 years, and I’ve never seen anything that scares me as much as this.” The Trump Administration Said It Lifted Its Ban on Lifesaving Humanitarian Aid. That’s Not True.
propublica.org
“People Will Die”: The Trump Administration Said It Lifted Its Ban on Lifesaving Humanitarian Aid. That’s Not True.
Organizations that provide vital care for desperate and vulnerable people around the world have been forced to halt operations, turn away patients and lay off staff. “I’ve never seen anything that sca...
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Carl Zimmer @carlzimmer.com · 02/02/2025
End Appears Near for U.S. Aid Agency, Democratic Lawmakers Say [gift link] www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/u...
nytimes.com
End Appears Near for U.S. Aid Agency, Democratic Lawmakers Say (Gift Article)
A sense of crisis among aid groups was growing as U.S.A.I.D.’s website went dark.
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Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 02/02/2025
Scientists at the CDC were ordered late on Friday to withdraw any pending publications, at any scientific journal, that mention terms such as “transgender,” “immigrant,” “L.G.B.T.” or “pregnant people.” www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02...
nytimes.com
Live Updates: Trump Signs Orders Imposing Steep Tariffs on Mexico, Canada and China
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Stephanie Nolen @stephanienolen.bsky.social · 01/02/2025
I hated having to write this, but I'm grateful to the many people who risked their ability to do critically important work they love, by talking to me. (And I will continue to cover it, so if you want to talk to me, DM for my Signal.) www.nytimes.com/2025/02/01/h...
nytimes.com
Health Programs Shutter Around the World After Trump Pauses Foreign Aid (Gift Article)
Lifesaving treatment and prevention programs for tuberculosis, malaria, H.I.V. and other diseases cannot access funds to continue work.
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Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
My @newyorker.com piece on the ongoing, likely unconstitutional funding freeze at USAID now imperiling millions: “This is not a pause. It is a destruction.” USAID is also where the Administration is testing out its playbook for eviscerating other agencies. www.newyorker.com/news/the-led...
newyorker.com
Behind the Chaotic Attempt to Freeze Federal Assistance
The potential for devastation is made plain by another order, concerning the crucial work of U.S.A.I.D.
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Jesse Eisinger @jeisinger.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
NEW: The Trump admin told a US-funded aid group that gives food & medicine to starving children in Sudan to shut down. Children would die. They’re defying the order. But the aid world is in chaos. Brett Murphy & Anna Barry-Jester: www.propublica.org/article/trum...
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Erin Sikorsky @erinsikorsky.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
More on FEWSnet shutdown from Devex:
devex.com
USAID-funded famine early warning system goes offline due to aid freeze
A key food insecurity data tool used by humanitarian groups worldwide has been taken down due to the Trump administration's stop-work order on USAID, raising alarm among aid workers.
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Erin Sikorsky @erinsikorsky.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
The USAID-led Famine Early Warning System (FEWSNet) is "currently unavailable." This is the preeminent global early warning tool for acute food insecurity and has traditionally had bipartisan support in Congress. static.fews.net
static.fews.net
The FEWS NET Website, the FEWS NET Learning Platform, and the FEWS NET Data Warehouse and Data Explorer are currently unavailable.
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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 31/01/2025
This has been a devastating week. The stakes could not be higher for young children who depend on these programs. www.devex.com/news/how-tru...
devex.com
How Trump’s US aid stop-work order affects global food aid
Everything we could glean about the chaos the 90-day aid pause has caused for U.S-funded food, nutrition, and agriculture programs.
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Nsikan Akpan @monscience.bsky.social · 29/01/2025
“Hundreds of people were laid off today by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) as the Trump Administration's stop-work order for foreign assistance goes into effect.” - Fatma Tanis / NPR Goats and Soda www.npr.org/sections/goa...
npr.org
Nearly 400 USAID contract employees laid off in wake of Trump's 'stop work' order
All departments were affected, including offices that address HIV and AIDS, infectious disease and child health.
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Apoorva Mandavilli @apoorvanyt.bsky.social · 27/01/2025
BREAKING: The Trump administration has instructed organizations in other countries to stop disbursing HIV medications purchased with U.S. aid, even if the drugs have already been obtained and are sitting in local clinics. www.nytimes.com/2025/01/27/h...
nytimes.com
Trump Administration Halts H.I.V. Drug Distribution in Poor Countries (Gift Article)
PEPFAR’s computer systems also are being taken offline, a sign that the program may not return, as Republican critics had hoped.
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The Associated Press @apnews.com · 27/01/2025
U.S. public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately.
apnews.com
CDC ordered to stop working with WHO immediately, upending expectations of an extended withdrawal
U.S. public health officials have been told to stop working with the World Health Organization, effective immediately. The surprise decision is focused on the U.S.
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Atul Gawande @agawande.bsky.social · 26/01/2025
I ran @USAID health programs for the last 3 years. Trump’s 90 day Stop Work Order on foreign assistance does serious damage to the world and the US. Examples:🧵
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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 25/01/2025
What happened when Trump uprooted the USDA ERS? This is a good read. www.science.org/content/arti...
science.org
Trump tried to destroy a USDA think tank. Here’s what other U.S. agencies could learn from its fate
After the Economic Research Service was moved to Kansas City in 2019, staffing and productivity took a dive
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WHO @who.int · 24/01/2025
#HealthForAll For everyone. Everywhere.
Black text on white background. It reads:

With you, for you.
WHO remains committed to health for all.
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Celia Ford @celiaford.bsky.social · 23/01/2025
Hi, Vox reporter here: If you've had a study section, NIH travel, or other NIH-related meeting cancelled (or not), raise your hand! Reply or DM me, and repost for visibility if you're able. #academicsky @drugmonkey.bsky.social
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Amy Maxmen, PhD @amymaxmen.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
WHO is far from perfect but unlike USAID & most NGOs, it tries to build the health system of countries. It works closely with governments so that, in theory, they get stronger & more independent. WHO pulls together scientists around the world so that data is shared faster. It keeps us safer.
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Stuart Gillespie @stuartgillespie.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
"It's a cataclysmic presidential decision. Withdrawal is a grievous wound to world health, but a still deeper wound to the US" www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
bbc.co.uk
Trump orders US to leave World Health Organization
Trump has long been critical of how the Geneva-based institution handled the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Christine Stewart MPH PhD @christinestewart.bsky.social · 21/01/2025
This is so short-sighted.
nytimes.com
Trump Withdraws U.S. from World Health Organization
Public health experts say U.S. withdrawal from the W.H.O. would undermine the nation’s standing as a global health leader and make it harder to fight the next pandemic.
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