Forced begging and child exploitation: In Senegal’s Saint-Louis, human rights groups say very young Qur’anic students (talibés) as young as five are pushed onto the streets to beg for food and money for marabouts, with one local NGO founder calling it “not about the Qur’an – it’s about the money.” Malaria and climate risk: A Nature study finds climate change is “moving” childhood malaria risk—slightly increasing it overall, with rising temperatures expected to raise risk in southern and East Africa while easing pressure in today’s hottest hotspots. Regional security and health system strain: Nigeria has deployed 86 troops to Guinea-Bissau under an ECOWAS stabilization mission aimed at supporting security sector reforms and political stability after repeated crises—an environment that can affect public health delivery. Regional public health communication leadership: Sierra Leone’s Patrick Habsil Lansana was elected vice president of the ECOWAS Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) Network, with Guinea-Bissau’s Da Silva Estevão named president, aiming to strengthen community trust for healthier, safer outcomes. Migration and child vulnerability: Reporting from the Canary Islands highlights the dangers faced by unaccompanied children on Atlantic routes, including one former Gambian teen now studying to become a nurse.