USAID cuts could fuel a pediatric TB outbreak; eye prosthesis restores lost vision; shingles vaccine may protect against dementia, heart disease – Morning Medical Update

USAID cuts could fuel millions of pediatric TB cases

A new study from Harvard and Boston University warns that U.S. cuts to global health funding, primarily through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), could cause nearly 9 million additional pediatric tuberculosis (TB) cases and 1.5 million deaths worldwide over the next decade. Published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, the modeling analysis projects that the loss of U.S. bilateral health aid and support to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and malaria would reverse two decades of progress against TB, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Even the most conservative estimates show an additional 2.5 million cases and 340,000 deaths if funding remains at current reduced levels. As many as 90% of the projected deaths could be prevented if U.S. funding were restored within a year.

First-of-its-kind eye prosthesis restores reading vision lost to macular degeneration

A wireless retinal prosthesis out of Stanford Medicine has restored functional sight to people with advanced macular degeneration — a first in ophthalmology. In a clinical trial published in the New England Journal of Medicine, 27 of 32 participants regained enough vision to read after receiving the PRIMA eye implant. The system uses a tiny light-powered chip placed under the retina and infrared projections from camera-equipped glasses to replace damaged photoreceptors. Participants achieved an average improvement of five lines on a standard eye chart, with some reaching near 20/40 acuity using digital zoom. While current images are black and white, next-generation devices may offer grayscale and higher resolution.

Shingles vaccine may protect against dementia, heart disease

Adults who receive the shingles vaccine may gain protection well beyond the prevention of painful rashes. New research from Case Western Reserve University, presented at IDWeek 2025 in Atlanta, found that vaccination against herpes zoster was associated with markedly reduced risks of vascular dementia (by 50%), blood clots (27%), heart attack or stroke (25%), and death (21%) in adults aged 50 and older.

Infection Control Today has more from ID Week 2025.