Health Ministry

Household spending drops from 64 percent over a decade amid rise in public health expenditure

CDSCO flags one batch of a liver drug as spurious and identifies 169 drugs and formulations as not of standard quality during April surveillance

The Union Health Ministry has brought pregabalin, a drug used for treating chronic pain and certain neurological conditions, under the stricter Schedule H1 category amid reports of its misuse and abuse. The ministry notified the inclusion of pregabalin under Schedule H1 of the Drugs Rules, 1945, through a gazette notification on May 20. "The decision has been taken in view of reports received from certain states regarding the misuse and abuse of Pregabalin, particularly among youth," the ministry said. The drug, which is prescribed for the treatment of chronic pain, neuropathies, fibromyalgia, and certain neurological conditions, has reportedly been misused for its sedative, euphoric, and dissociative effects. The ministry cited seizures of illegal stocks and sales of pregabalin in parts of the country. The medicine was earlier regulated under Schedule H under the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. Under the revised classification, the drug can now be sold only against a valid ...

The Health Ministry has stepped up surveillance after probable hantavirus cases were reported onboard the cruise ship MV Hondius, with two Indians under observation

The Union Health Ministry has launched a digital platform aimed at strengthening maternal and child healthcare services through seamless tracking of beneficiaries, real-time monitoring and interoperable health records. Launched during the national summit on Innovation and Inclusivity Best Practices Shaping India's Health Future, JANANI (Journey of Antenatal, Natal and Neonatal Integrated Care) is a service-oriented digital platform designed to comprehensively monitor and maintain digital health records of women during their reproductive years, a health ministry statement. Developed as an upgraded version of the existing Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) portal, the platform creates a longitudinal health record by capturing service delivery events across the continuum of care, the statement said. JANANI will facilitate continuous tracking of maternal and child healthcare services, including antenatal care, delivery preparedness, institutional delivery, postnatal care, newborn care,

The Centre has raised the age limit and broadened eligibility norms for appointing the Drug Controller General of India to address a shortage of qualified candidates

Panel flags funding discontinuity in drug regulation scheme, urges swift SSDRS 2.0 approval and decentralisation of medical device clearances to ease bottlenecks and improve oversight

Medtech firms are split over draft norms on standardised testing fees, with some backing transparency and others warning of higher compliance burden for low-risk devices

As cheaper GLP-1 weight-loss drugs flood India after patent expiry, the government has intensified surveillance to curb illegal sales, misleading promotion, and unsafe use without medical supervision

Union Health Ministry directs research bodies to refrain from informal data sharing and collaborations with foreign agencies without prior approval from competent authorities

India has emerged as a key contributor to global progress in reducing child mortality, according to the latest United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME) Report 2025

Union Health Ministry moves to remove repeated HIV, Hepatitis tests on pooled plasma to align with global norms and ease compliance while maintaining patient safety

The Union Health Ministry has proposed to amend the Drugs Rules, 1945, to align regulatory requirements for testing blood products with internationally accepted pharmacopoeial standards and remove testing requirements not warranted under global best practices. It has issued a draft gazette notification, inviting public comments on a proposal to amend paragraph G (testing of blood products), Part XII C, Schedule F of the Drugs Rules 1945. "The proposed amendment seeks to align regulatory requirements for testing blood products with internationally accepted pharmacopoeial standards and to remove additional testing requirements on products that are not warranted under global best practices," the ministry said. According to the official monographs of Human Plasma for Fractionation in the Indian Pharmacopoeia (IP), British Pharmacopoeia (BP), United States Pharmacopeia (USP), and European Pharmacopoeia (EP), stringent testing protocols are prescribed for pooled human plasma. Under these

The Centre will conduct a nationwide assessment of district hospitals to identify gaps in emergency and trauma care infrastructure and strengthen facilities in line with IPHS norms

India will launch a nationwide, free and voluntary HPV vaccination campaign for 14-year-old girls, using Gardasil under strict quality norms, as part of efforts to eliminate cervical cancer

The government is looking to provide access to e-books and AI resources to medical students to help them hone their skills better, with the first phase of the initiative covering around 57 medical colleges in the smaller towns and rural areas, according to a senior Health Ministry official. Speaking at the AI Impact Summit here, Deputy Director General (Medical Education) B Srinivas stated that students from medical colleges in remote areas find it challenging to access e-books and good technical materials, including this AI material. "So the government is thinking of using the leverage of AI to reach out to these students ... in the National Medical Library we have started the process of securing the e-books and the digital clinical material, and we are doing it right now in around 57 government medical colleges across the country," Srinivas said. The government is looking to scale up the initiative in a gradual manner, he added. "We are in the pipeline to also include the private

Health Ministry proposes removing provisional registration for ethics committees, shifting to single-stage approval to streamline clinical research and cut regulatory delays

National Deworming Day: Many children with intestinal worms look perfectly healthy. Doctors explain why these silent infections still harm growth, immunity, and why preventive deworming is important

A Lancet Regional Health-Southeast Asia study warns that HbA1c, the gold-standard diabetes test, can misdiagnose or delay diabetes in Indians due to widespread anaemia and blood disorders

Just 102 of the 297 day care cancer centres approved for FY26 are operational so far, with states such as Telangana, Bihar and Karnataka reporting a higher share of functional facilities