Page 6 - World Health Organisation

760 new Covid-19 infections in India; JN.1 variant cases cross 500 mark

Covid-19 cases: Two deaths were reported in the past 24 hours. While active cases stood at 4,423, Karnataka reported the highest JN.1 variant cases at 199

Amid rising Covid-19 cases, govt not planning mask mandate or vaccine shots

On Thursday, India reported 358 new cases of Covid-19, of which 300 cases were from Kerala; Insacog said no traces of widespread infection were found yet

JN.1 Covid variant: States issue advisories, Mandaviya holds review meet

On December 19, WHO classified the JN.1 variant as a 'variant of interest' but maintained that it does not pose much threat to the public

China says no novel pathogens detected in surge of pneumonia cases: WHO

Some of these increases are occurring earlier in the season than usual, although this is not surprising given the easing of COVID-19 limitations, as seen in other nations

Mysterious pneumonia outbreak in China: Here is what we know so far

The World Health Organisation asked China for detailed information on the increase in the cases of respiratory illnesses and reported clusters of pneumonia in children

Pakistan recalls widely-consumed syrup over potential health risks: Report

The alert comes as a result of potential health risks associated with the incorrect usage of the syrup, commonly employed in the treatment and prevention of iron deficiency anemia.

India becomes model for nations engaged in health sector reforms: Mandaviya

The minister added that 26 million wellness sessions have also been conducted in these HWCs, engaging more than 306 million people

Food should not become instrument in war, says FM Nirmala Sitharaman

The finance minister urged countries across the world to consider regional balance in sourcing their food supplies, especially staple, and essential products

R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine: What it is, and when will it roll out?

The R21/Matrix-M malaria vaccine is an easily deployable vaccine that can be manufactured at a mass scale with a modest cost

WHO recommends Oxford-Serum Institute malaria vaccine for global rollout

India roll-out timelines not known immediately

Schedule M likely to be revised to bring it closer to WHO standards

The draft rules, still under consideration, include provisions to strengthen quality control and the safety of drugs manufactured in India

'Left behind to grieve', survivors of Libya floods call for accountability

Abdel-Hamid al-Hassadi survived the devastating flooding in eastern Libya, but he lost some 90 people from his extended family. The 23-year-old law graduate rushed upstairs along with his mother and his elder brother, as heavy rains lashed the city of Derna on the evening of September 10. Soon, torrents of water were washing away buildings next to them. We witnessed the magnitude of the catastrophe, al-Hassadi said in a phone interview, referring to the massive flooding that engulfed his city. We have seen our neighbours' dead bodies washing away in the floods." Heavy rains from Mediterranean storm Daniel caused the collapse of the two dams that spanned the narrow valley that divides the city. That sent a wall of water several metres high through its heart. Ten days after the disaster, al-Hassadi and thousands of others remain in Derna, most of them waiting for a word about relatives and loved ones. For Hassadi, it's the 290 relatives still missing. The floods inundated as much as

Health ministry plans drug licensing changes to ensure drug safety

Proposals aim to standardise drug manufacturing practices after a few Indian medicines were flagged as 'substandard' by the WHO

G20 Summit 2023: India may take the lead to achieve G20 health goals

G20 nations have also prioritised tackling antimicrobial resistance (AMR) through research and development, infection prevention and control

DCGI asks states to keep vigil on sale of falsified versions of 2 drugs

The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has directed the drugs controllers of all states and Union territories to keep a strict vigil on the sale and distribution of falsified versions of two drugs, liver medication Defitelio and Takeda's cancer drug Adcetris (injection), following alerts issued by the World Health Organisation (WHO). In an advisory on September 5, the DCGI said the WHO has issued a safety alert identified with multiple falsified versions of Adcetris injection 50 mg manufactured by Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, identified in four different countries including India. "These products are most often available at the patient level and distributed in the unregulated supply chains (mainly online). The products have been identified in both regulated and illicit supply chains, sometimes at patient levels as well. WHO has reported that there are at least eight different batch numbers of falsified versions in circulation," the DCGI said in a communication to the

WHO warns of a spurious rare disease drug Defitelio floating in India

The WHO said that the genuine manufacturer of Defitelio has confirmed that the product referenced in the alert is falsified

In century of existence, BCG vaccine has given protection against TB

Revaccination can be considered as a low-cost and globally acceptable future pandemic preparedness plan

Nearly 1 bn people globally will have osteoarthritis by 2050: Lancet study

Nearly one billion people globally will be living with osteoarthritis by 2050, according to a study which found that 15 per cent of individuals aged 30 and older currently experience the most common form of arthritis. The study, published recently in The Lancet Rheumatology journal, analysed 30 years of osteoarthritis data (19902020) covering more than 200 countries. The team, led by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) in the US, as part of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 found that cases increased rapidly over the past three decades because of three main factors: ageing, population growth, and obesity. Arthritis literally means joint inflammation. Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis, affecting millions of people worldwide. It occurs when the protective cartilage that cushions the ends of the bones wears down over time. In 1990, 256 million people had osteoarthritis. By 2020, this number rose to 595 million people, which was

Gujarat will be Mecca of traditional medicine: WHO director general

"I believe this is a very unique meeting, a summit on traditional medicine. And I believe that in a few years from now, Gujarat will be the Mecca of traditional medicine," Tedros said

WHO designates Covid-19 variant BA.2.86 as a 'variant under monitoring'

World Health Organization (WHO) designated COVID-19 variant BA.2.86 as a 'variant under monitoring' due to the large number of mutations it carries