World Health Organisation

WHO has issued its first guidelines recommending GLP-1 drugs for long-term obesity treatment in adults, while stressing equitable access, health system readiness and lifestyle support

Country's share in global TB burden narrowed from 27% in 2015 to 25% in 2024 but it still has the most cases in the world

The children died after taking the Coldrif cough medicine made by Sresan Pharma, which tests showed contained the toxin diethylene glycol in quantities nearly 500 times the permissible limit

The World Health Organisation has issued an alert on three substandard cough syrups made in India- Coldrif, Respifresh TR, and ReLife. This comes after at least 22 children died in Madhya Pradesh

The regulator has sought a list of cough syrup manufacturers from all states and UTs following reports of toxic contaminants linked to child deaths in Madhya Pradesh

Beyond the lack of new and innovative drugs, significant gaps remain in the types of treatments available

A UN report on progress in universal access to water, sanitation, hygiene and health care facilities shows that billions of people still visit health care facilities that lack the basics services

After Donald Trump claimed that Tylenol (paracetamol) use in pregnancy may cause autism, WHO and the European Medicines Agency stressed that the evidence is inconsistent and the drug remains safe

A study funded by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has demonstrated the impact of improved nutrition in reducing tuberculosis cases and fatalities, with the WHO incorporating the findings into updated global guidance on controlling the disease. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of nutritional supplementation on tuberculosis incidence in household contacts of adults with microbiologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis. Household contacts of 2,800 patients with microbiologically confirmed pulmonary tuberculosis across 28 units of the National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme in four districts of Jharkhand were enrolled for this field-based, open-label, cluster-randomised controlled trial. The study, published by The Lancet, said that in India, tuberculosis and undernutrition are syndemic, with a high burden of TB coexisting with a high burden of undernutrition in patients and in the population. In a post on X on August 7, ICMR said the WHO has recogni

The Supreme Court's order amplifies justifiable concerns. But it is likely to fail because it betrays a misunderstanding of municipal capabilities and the dynamics of dog population control

Lenacapavir, a long-acting injectable pre-exposure prophylaxis, has been recommended by the WHO to help protect high-risk groups, as global HIV prevention efforts face funding setbacks

More than 14 million children did not receive a single vaccine last year about the same number as the year before according to UN health officials. Nine countries accounted for more than half of those unprotected children. In their annual estimate of global vaccine coverage, released Tuesday, the World Health Organization and UNICEF said about 89 per cent of children under one year old got a first dose of the diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine in 2024, the same as in 2023. About 85 per cent completed the three-dose series, up from 84 per cent in 2023. Officials acknowledged, however, that the collapse of international aid this year will make it more difficult to reduce the number of unprotected children. In January, US President Trump withdrew the country from the WHO, froze nearly all humanitarian aid and later moved to close the US AID Agency. And last month, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said it was pulling the billions of dollars the US had previously ...

The WHO says its global tax plan could raise $1 trillion and save 50 million lives by 2035 by curbing harmful product consumption and funding health systems

Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Tuesday asserted that her government wants to make the national capital best in terms of health infrastructure as she inaugurated an Ayushman Arogya Mandir here to deliver comprehensive primary health care. At the inauguration event at Tis Hazari, Gupta also hit out at the previous AAP dispensation and alleged that mohalla clinics run by them were "corruption hubs". "Corruption was committed in the name of outsourcing of tests. There was corruption in taking space for the clinics on rent," she charged. Gupta said the Centre had allocated Rs 2,400 crore to the previous government for opening of over 1,100 Ayushman Mandirs but those funds were not utilised. "Those funds will lapse by March. The previous government did not use the funds. We have to build these Ayushman Mandirs by March next year so that the funds do not get lapsed. The work that should have been done in five years, we will have to do it in much less time," she added. The chief min

With 91,583 global Covid-19 cases in 28 days before May 11, many South Asian governments urged citizens to wear masks and stay cautious

Amid an uptick in Covid cases in some parts of the country, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Rajiv Behl Monday said the severity of infections as of now is generally mild and there was no cause for worry. Speaking about new Covid variants being traced, he said genome sequencing of samples in the west and south have shown that the new variants are not severe and are Omicron sub-variants. These are LF.7, XFG, JN.1 and NB. 1.8.1. The first three are more prevalent, Dr Bhel said. "Samples from other places are being sequenced and we will know in a day or two if there are more variants." The ICMR DG said there has been an uptick in cases --first from the south, then west and now from northern India. All these cases are being monitored through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). Besides that, ICMR's nationwide respiratory virus sentinel surveillance network is keeping a watch on emerging infections and pathogens, he said. "Whenever c

The pandemic agreement and the resolution calling for its adoption will be discussed by the full plenary of the World Health Assembly on May 20

Stripped of U.S funding, the World Health Organization chief on Monday appealed to member countries to support its extremely modest request for a USD 2.1 billion annual budget by putting that sum into perspective next to outlays for ad campaigns for tobacco or the cost of war. After nearly 80 years of striving to improve human lives and health - which critics say it has done poorly or not enough -- the U.N. health agency is fighting for its own after U.S. President Donald Trump in January halted funding from the United States, which has traditionally been WHO's largest donor. Two-point-one billion dollars is the equivalent of global military expenditure every eight hours, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said. Two-point-one billion dollars is the price of one stealth bomber, to kill people. And USD 2.1 billion is one-quarter of what the tobacco industry spends on advertising and promotion every single year. Again, a product that kills people, he told the WHO's annual

At the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva, World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus awarded India the Certificate of Elimination of Trachoma as a Public Health Problem.The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) stated that this recognition highlights India's sustained efforts in disease elimination, its focus on preventive healthcare, and its continued commitment to the vision of Health For All.The milestone was announced during India's participation in the 78th World Health Assembly, which officially began on May 19 in Geneva. According to a post shared by the MoHFW on X, the Indian delegation is being led by Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary at the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare."Today marks the commencement of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva. The Indian delegation, led by Punya Salila Srivastava... is actively participating in the Assembly, reflecting India's continued commitment to strengthening global health systems

Reaffirming its commitment towards global health cooperation, India has sent a delegation to participate in the 78th World Health Assembly commencing in Geneva, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), shared on Monday.Providing the details in a post on X, the MoHFW said that the Indian delegation is being led by Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.It further noted that India's participation reflects the continued commitment towards strengthening global health systems and advancing international collaboration."Today marks the commencement of the 78th World Health Assembly in Geneva. The Indian delegation, led by Ms. Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India, is actively participating in the Assembly, reflecting India's continued commitment to strengthening global health systems and advancing international collaboration."As per the World Health Organisation, the 78th World ...