Deaths

• A study analyzing electronic health records from nearly 4 million pediatric hospital admissions from 2016 to 2023 found that 18% of deaths among hospitalized children in the US were linked to sepsis. • Sepsis emerged as a leading cause of mortality in this large dataset, highlighting ongoing challenges in early detection and treatment in pediatric care. • The findings underscore the need for improved sepsis protocols in US hospitals to reduce preventable child deaths, as rates remain significant despite medical advances.

• Peer-reviewed research in Science Advances identifies 155,000 uncounted COVID-19 deaths in 2020-2021, raising official U.S. toll from 840,000 to nearly 1 million that period. • AI analysis of mortality data shows 16% undercount, totaling 1.2 million U.S. COVID deaths over six years. • Undercounts disproportionately affect Hispanic and communities of color, often from non-hospital deaths, impacting public health policy accuracy.

Families, advocates and lawmakers say poor care, opaque investigations and bureaucracy leave deaths unexplainedSign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inboxThe circumstances of many of the record number of deaths in US immigration custody under the second Trump administration have left loved ones often searching in vain for answers amid a lack of transparency over key investigations.Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reports mandated by Congress, autopsy reports and 911 calls collected by the Guardian raise questions about the quality of medical care, allegedly inadequate or haphazard responses to emergencies, and contraction of diseases and infections inside detention facilities that in some cases contributed to detainee deaths. Continue reading...

• Researchers using AI analyzed death certificates and estimated 155,000 additional unrecognized COVID-19 deaths outside hospitals in 2020-2021, raising the official toll of 840,000 by 16%. • The study compared symptomology of hospital deaths with those outside care, highlighting dramatic disparities in uncounted fatalities nationwide. • This undercounting underscores ongoing challenges in pandemic mortality tracking and public health surveillance across the U.S.

Nigeria had largest increase in terrorism-related deaths, ranking fourth in global index behind Pakistan, Burkina Faso and NigerJihadist violence rose sharply in Nigeria and Democratic Republic of Congo last year, even as global deaths from terrorism dropped to their lowest level in a decade, according to a new report.Nigeria recorded the largest increase in terrorism deaths globally in 2025, with fatalities rising by 46% from 513 in 2024 to 750, placing it fourth in the Global Terrorism Index, behind Pakistan, Burkina Faso and Niger. Continue reading...

Fentanyl-related overdose deaths fell by nearly 30 per cent in the space of a year in the US, which could represent a significant turning point in the country's opioid addiction crisis

A Colorectal Cancer Alliance survey finds only 50% of US adults know about at-home colorectal cancer screenings, contributing to it becoming the leading cancer killer for those under 50 with rising death rates. One-third of Americans, and nearly half under 45, report doctors dismissing stomach or bowel symptoms, while over 25% skip recommended screenings due to cost, fear, or lack of knowledge. More than 60% would screen if better informed of personal risk, prompting calls for awareness during National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. The nonprofit urges action to reverse trends where colorectal cancer deaths climb unlike most others.