• The WHO Bulletin's special issue includes 17 articles covering integration into primary healthcare, AI applications, Indigenous rights, and policy frameworks.

• This publication highlights that traditional medicine serves billions globally, with the wellness economy projected to grow from $5.6 trillion in 2022 to $8.5 trillion in 2027.

• The edition identifies critical research gaps, with less than 1% of global health research funding dedicated to traditional medicine.

• It focuses on research related to the safety of traditional medicines and explores ways to integrate the traditional medicine workforce into primary healthcare systems.

• Findings will inform discussions at the upcoming WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine from 17th to 19th December 2025 in New Delhi.

• Enhanced integration of evidence-based traditional medicine could expand healthcare access and support universal health coverage. Strengthened research and regulation would ensure patient safety and treatment efficacy. Respectful inclusion of Indigenous knowledge could promote health equity while preserving cultural heritage.

• The sixth conference of the Minamata Convention on Mercury took place in Geneva from 3rd to 7th November 2025, reviewing the progress of this international treaty implemented since 2017.

• Delegates focused on accelerating the phase-out of mercury in everyday products like batteries, light bulbs, and cosmetics, while addressing industrial emissions.

• Special attention was given to artisanal and small-scale gold mining, a practice involving mercury that employs up to 20 million miners globally and poses severe health risks.

• The conference also aimed to enhance support for nations through funding and technical assistance, aligning with the 20th anniversary of the UNEP Global Mercury Partnership.

• Reducing mercury exposure will directly prevent severe neurological damage, kidney failure and developmental disorders in vulnerable populations. Phasing out mercury in consumer products and mining will decrease contamination in food chains, lowering chronic disease risks. This action is particularly crucial for protecting pregnant women and children from birth defects and cognitive impairments, ultimately reducing the global burden of mercury-related illnesses.

• Union Minister for Youth Affairs & Sports Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya stressed that in a digitally driven world, India has moved away from its naturally active past. He stressed that 65% of India’s population is below 35, making youth fitness not just a health agenda but an economic opportunity. India’s capacity to produce sports goods, nutrition supplements, and fitness equipment can strengthen a growing sports economy.

• Minister of State Raksha Nikhil Khadse echoed this sentiment, highlighting that as India rises in global sports, community-level initiatives such as Sundays on Cycle can slowly transform lifestyle habits. She emphasised the need for a collective ecosystem, families, schools, communities, and industry, to work together towards a fitter India.

• The event also saw the felicitation of new Fit India Icons and their messages cut across caution and motivation:

  • Warning youth against blindly following unverified “health influencers”.

  • Linking fitness to a strong sports culture, and urging parents to limit screen time and encourage physical activity.

  • Sharing the simple triad- “Eat right, rest right, train right”.

• Panel discussions during the conclave pointed out the urgent need to address screen addiction, early-life sedentary behaviour, misleading bodybuilding shortcuts, and increasing access to junk food. Experts noted that if fitness habits don’t start early, the long-term costs will reflect in rising non-communicable diseases, mental health stressors, and reduced productivity.

• Prioritising fitness among youth can significantly reduce future NCD burden. Community-based initiatives can reshape lifestyle behaviours at the grassroots level. Regulating spurious supplements and misleading online fitness advice is essential for consumer safety. Encouraging early-life physical activity can counter childhood obesity and screen dependency. A fit population directly contributes to economic growth, productivity, and healthy ageing.

• Crux of the findings: Presence of inequality (both within and between countries) and vulnerability to pandemics reinforce each other and exist as a vicious cycle. Ways in which this cycle perpetuates:

  • Inequality increases the vulnerability of communities and countries to disease outbreaks and their escalation into pandemics. This is evidenced by a positive and statistically significant relationship between the Gini Index of a country and HIV incidence rates, AIDS and COVID-19 mortality rates, which remained after controlling for indicators of poverty.

  • Inequality undermines effective responses, ultimately prolonging pandemic crises and intensifying their human and economic toll. Because pandemics are inherently global, unequal national capacities, finances, and social disparities weaken collective responses, erode public trust, and heighten the risk of new variants and hamper a robust response to the pandemic.

• The report also provides four evidence-based recommendations on disrupting the drivers of the inequality-pandemic cycle:

  • An international debt repayment standstill until 2030 for distressed countries struggling with high disease rates in the current pandemic (like AIDS, TB) to allow them to reprioritize resources. To make the world safer from future pandemics, standby financing facilities in the Global North and South to be created for countries responding to a pandemic.

  • Use social protection mechanisms to reduce socioeconomic and health inequalities while building societal resilience in order to prepare for, and respond to, pandemics.

  • Global funding to build local and regional production of technologies for pandemics of today, like HIV and TB. For future pandemics, automatically waive global intellectual property rules on pandemic technology when a pandemic is declared.

  • For ongoing pandemics, shift funding and pandemic preparedness and response to include community-led organizations.

• The report calls for action to emphasize focus on the socio-economic determinants which perpetuate pandemics rather than just the biological determinants of the disease in question. It provides several evidence based recommendations which can be adopted at a global, country or regional scale to break the inequality-pandemic vicious cycle.

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• A paper published in November 2025 in The Lancet Global Health found that global maternal mortality has fallen by 41% between 2000 and 2023 - largely due to the twin pillars of improved maternity care and expanded access to family planning.

• The study, titled “Effect of maternity care improvement, fertility decline, and contraceptive use on global maternal mortality reduction between 2000–2023: results from a decomposition analysis,” examined data from 195 countries and territories. Researchers quantified how much each intervention contributed to saving mothers’ lives over two decades.

• Data was taken from maternal mortality estimation database. A decomposition analysis was done to separately assess the effect of maternal care and reduction in fertility on maternal mortality.

• The analysis revealed that

  • 61.2% of the reduction in maternal deaths could be attributed to better maternity care, while 38.8% was due to fertility decline.

  • Contraceptive use alone prevented an estimated 77,400 maternal deaths in 2023- nearly one in four maternal deaths averted that year.

• Preventing unintended or closely spaced pregnancies reduces complications that can lead to severe outcomes, including unsafe abortions and maternal mortality.

• The findings come at a crucial time as nations work toward achieving Sustainable Development Goal 3.1, which calls for reducing the global maternal mortality ratio to fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030. It reaffirms that preventing maternal deaths requires a comprehensive approach, one that simultaneously strengthens maternity care and empowers women through family planning. Policymakers and health systems should integrate these services within primary health care, ensure contraceptive access for all women of reproductive age, and close equity gaps in reproductive health. Investing in integrated care not only saves lives but advances gender equality and accelerates progress toward the SDGs.

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• From January 1 to November 9, 2025, Delhi's average Air Quality Index (AQI) was 175, a decrease from 189 during the same timeframe the previous year as per the reports.

• The average levels of PM2.5 and PM10 were 75 µg/m³ and 170 µg/m³, respectively, compared to 87 µg/m³ and 191 µg/m³ last year.

• In Punjab, farm fire incidents dropped by 35.2% and in Haryana, they decreased by 65.3% between September 15 and November 9, 2025.

• In the National Capital Region (NCR), over 23 lakh tonnes of waste from legacy dumpsites have been bio-mined in Delhi. Additionally, new waste-to-energy facilities and Bio-CNG/CBG facilities are being developed. More than 96% of industries have transitioned to approved fuels.

• By September, over 4.37 crore saplings had been planted in the NCR.

• Various measures from Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) Stage I & II are in effect, and there has been an increase in registrations and inspections at construction sites. Despite the improvement, with the onset of winters, AQI has deteriorated in Delhi-NCR.

• Exposure to major air pollutants, such as PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀ are significant risk factors for respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Decrease in farm fire incidents, shifts to cleaner industrial fuels, and effective solid waste management are expected to lower the overall disease burden associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, lung cancer and early mortality. Additionally, increased green spaces and stricter oversight of construction activities contribute to healthier urban settings. However, much of the change could be attributed to the change in the weather and continued rain in Delhi during the time period, mentioned in the report. Sustained intersectoral collaboration and community involvement are crucial to preserving long-term air quality  in the National Capital.

• International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) New Delhi organized an international Round Table titled “Investigating and translating Genomic Evidence for Public Health Response to SARS-CoV-2,” featuring prominent researchers and science administrators from India and Italy. The event highlighted the role of genomic evidence in bolstering pandemic preparedness.

• The discussion stressed that the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us the necessity of improving global genomic surveillance, translating research into practice, and ensuring health-system readiness.

• Attendees included Prof Lawrence Banks (DG, ICGEB), Prof Ramesh Sonti (Director, ICGEB Delhi), experts from the Translational Health Science and Technology Institute (THSTI), All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) New Delhi, the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (ISS) Rome, and the Embassy of Italy in India.

• The gathering reinforced a shared understanding that future pandemics are certain, with only the timing, location, and severity remaining unknown, and advocated for ongoing collaboration between India and Italy in science, technology, and innovation for public health.

The round table underscores the essential importance of genomic surveillance and global scientific cooperation in enhancing pandemic readiness and response. Incorporating genomic data into public health frameworks can facilitate the early detection of new pathogens, swift identification of variants, and prompt policy decisions. Strengthened research connections between India and Italy foster knowledge sharing, capacity development, and technology exchange, contributing to more robust health systems. The focus on converting genomic information into public health measures highlights the necessity for ongoing investment in laboratory infrastructure, a skilled workforce, and data-sharing systems. Such coordinated international efforts will improve preparedness for future pandemics, reducing illness, death, and socioeconomic disruption.

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• The World Health Organization (WHO) launched a new report, “The Future of Paediatric Clinical Trials- Setting Research Priorities for Child Health, to enhance child health research worldwide.”

• The agenda aims for 0-9 years old children, addressing the persistent evidence gaps in pediatric trials. Children continue to be underrepresented in clinical trials, despite having the potential to benefit significantly from them.

• More than 380 experts contributed 653 research questions, prioritized into 172 global priorities.

• In brief, the focus areas include infectious diseases, NCDs, newborn health, early childhood development, and nutrition.

• The approach emphasizes feasibility, scalability, and equitable impact, aiming to ensure research benefits all children, especially in low-resource settings.

• WHO urges Member States, research bodies, and funders to align resources and collaborate.

Strengthening paediatric clinical trials is vital to ensure that child health interventions are evidence-based, safe, and contextually relevant. This agenda empowers public health systems to address inequities in research, particularly in low- and middle-income countries where child disease burdens remain highest.

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• Following claims by the US president that pregnant women should avoid Tylenol (acetaminophen), linking it to a “very increased risk of autism,” fear and confusion spread among pregnant women, which drew swift criticism from health experts.

• However, on 24 September 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) responded, reassuring the public that current evidence does not support any link between acetaminophen use during pregnancy and autism.

• The WHO noted that autism affects about 62 million people worldwide and is caused by multiple factors, not yet fully understood.

• It is recommended that pregnant women adhere to medical guidance and take medicines with caution.

• It reaffirmed that vaccines do not cause autism, crediting immunization with saving 154 million lives.

• WHO called for evidence-based, stigma-free practices in collaboration with autistic-led organizations.

These unsupported claims linking acetaminophen use in pregnancy to autism highlight the critical need for robust, evidence-based risk communication. Public health professionals should prioritize clear, science-driven messaging to prevent misinformation from influencing maternal and child health.

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• The 2025 Lancet report highlights the significant health impact of climate inaction, which has led to heat-related deaths rising by 23% since the 1990s, with 546,000 deaths annually.

• Extreme heat conditions have led to increased food insecurity affecting 124 million people and financial losses from heat exposure amounting to $1.35 trillion.

• It contrasts climate finance and fossil fuel spending, highlighting that governments spent $956 billion on fossil fuel subsidies in 2023, surpassing their climate support commitments and exceeding the health budgets of 15 countries.

• Furthermore, the advantages of addressing climate change are evident, with 160,000 premature deaths avoided from reduced coal pollution and 16 million jobs supported by renewable energy.

• The health sector has seen a 16% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, and many WHO Member States have developed adaptation plans.

• Looking forward to COP30, WHO aims to publish a report emphasizing that addressing climate change offers a critical opportunity to improve health and save over 10 million lives annually, advocating for the phasing out of fossil fuels and promoting sustainable agriculture.

• In 2023, fossil fuel subsidies amounted to $956 billion. Transitioning to sustainable agriculture and renewable energy could prevent over 10 million deaths annually.

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched the National Health Emergency Alert and Response Framework, a comprehensive guide to strengthen national emergency preparedness.

• It consolidates over 300 recommendations from the COVID-19 pandemic into the Health Emergency Preparedness, Resilience and Response (HEPR) architecture.

• The framework outlines all emergency stages—from detection and notification to response and review—and provides practical tools, such as checklists.

• It incorporates the 7-1-7 performance target: 7 days to detect an outbreak, 1 day to notify authorities, and 7 days to implement initial control measures.

• Aimed at government authorities, the guide addresses the growing threats posed by climate change, urbanization, and geopolitical instability.

This framework provides a critical, standardized toolkit for nations to accelerate and coordinate their response to health emergencies, potentially reducing morbidity and mortality during future crises by ensuring a faster, more efficient, and evidence-based reaction.

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On October 23, 2025, India's Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) introduced three specialized training modules designed to enhance the nation's ability to handle chemical emergencies. These modules, crafted by the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in partnership with the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and with technical assistance from the World Health Organization (WHO) India, focus on: (1) Preparedness, Surveillance & Response, (2) Pre-Hospital Management, and (3) Medical Management of Chemical Emergencies. Aimed at public health professionals, emergency responders, healthcare workers, and policymakers, these resources support the core capacities required by the International Health Regulations (2005). The launch event, held at Nirman Bhavan in New Delhi, gathered senior officials from various ministries, academia, industry, and international partners to reaffirm India's dedication to establishing a robust and self-sufficient health emergency response system.

The introduction of these training modules boosts India's readiness for chemical emergencies by enabling quicker detection, a coordinated response, and a decrease in illness and death rates. This initiative bolsters national health security and aids in adhering to the International Health Regulations (IHR 2005), thereby enhancing the resilience of the public health system.

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