NCD Survey Rollout in Suriname: Suriname’s Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labor has launched training for field workers for the WHO STEPS Survey, its first since 2013, with 45 supervisors and interviewers set to collect national data on major noncommunicable disease risk factors like tobacco and alcohol use, obesity, hypertension, diabetes, and mental health, with nationwide fieldwork planned over three months. Public Health Access Watch: A new global mapping piece highlights how safe drinking water remains out of reach for more than 2 billion people, showing stark gaps between near-universal access in wealthy regions and low access in several low-income countries—an issue that directly affects health outcomes. Metabolism Research Link: Researchers report that gut bacteria from the dyeing poison dart frog may influence fat metabolism and insulin sensitivity in mice, adding to growing interest in how the microbiome could support future metabolic disorder treatments. Regional Health & Safety Context: Coverage also points to ongoing health-relevant concerns across the region, from investigations into deaths tied to policing to environmental risks from offshore drilling near sensitive ecosystems.