Public Health Daily News Snippets WHO Bulletin Releases Special Edition on Traditional Medicine Ahead of Global Summit The WHO Bulletin published its first special issue on traditional medicine since 1977, featuring research and policy analyses. This release precedes the 2nd WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine scheduled for December 2025 in New Delhi. Published on : Friday, November 28, 2025 Source : World Health Organization Global Health, Traditional Medicine Integration Read More Global Summit in Geneva Intensified Efforts to Curb Toxic Mercury Pollution A major international conference was held in Geneva from 3rd to 7th November 2025 to strengthen the global fight against mercury pollution . Delegates collaborated to accelerate the phase-out of this toxic metal from products and industrial processes, aiming to protect human health and the environment. Published on : Friday, November 28, 2025 Source : United Nations Environmental Health, International Policy Read More Fitness & Nation-Building: Insights from the National Fitness & Wellness Conclave 2025 The first-ever National Fitness & Wellness Conclave 2025 in Mumbai brought together policymakers, athletes, and industry leaders to reaffirm one message: India’s progress towards becoming a Viksit Bharat by 2047 depends on how seriously we take fitness today. With icons from sports and cinema joining the conversation, the conclave highlighted fitness as both a cultural shift and a public health necessity. Published on : Friday, November 28, 2025 Source : Press Information Bureau (PIB) Fit India Movement, Physical Activity, Non-Communicable Diseases, Viksit Bharat Read More Global Evidence Review of the Inequality- Pandemic Cycle: UNAIDS report The UNAIDS established the “Global Council on Inequality, AIDS and Pandemic ” in 2023. Its report “Breaking the inequality-pandemic cycle ” released in November 2025 is based on evidence from more than 1500 peer-reviewed literature and reports from government agencies and research institutions across multiple pandemics and its own empirical studies over the past 2 years. Published on : Friday, November 28, 2025 Source : Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), 2025 Pandemic preparedness, Social inequality, Global Health Read More Decomposition Analysis of Factors Driving Global Maternal Mortality Reduction A new Lancet Global Health paper highlights evidence that combining family planning with quality maternity services has driven a 41% global decline in maternal deaths since 2000. The study shows how contraception alone prevented more than 77,000 maternal deaths in 2023. Published on : Friday, November 28, 2025 Source : The Lancet Global Health Maternal Health, Reproductive & Sexual Health, Gender Equality, Family Planning, Declining Global Maternal Mortality Read More Delhi’s Air Quality Sees Noticeable Improvement: CAQM 2025 Report The 2025 update from the C ommission for A ir Q uality M anagement (CAQM ) highlights significant enhancements in Delhi's air quality and a marked reduction in stubble-burning incidents in nearby states. The report offers data-backed evidence of collaborative efforts to reduce pollution through the use of cleaner fuels, improved waste management, and more stringent regulatory measures. Published on : Tuesday, November 18, 2025 Source : Press Information Bureau, New Delhi Air Pollution, Environmental Health, Public Health Policy Read More Genomic Collaboration for a Safer Future: India and Italy Unite for Pandemic Preparedness The International Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) round table in New Delhi emphasized the power of genomic research and collaboration in strengthening pandemic preparedness. Experts called for sustained global surveillance and rapid translation of genomic data to safeguard public health. Published on : Friday, November 14, 2025 Source : Press Information Bureau, New Delhi Genomic Surveillance, Pandemic Readiness Read More WHO Unveils Global Agenda to Strengthen Paediatric Clinical Trials The World Health Organization has unveiled a new global research agenda to close gaps in evidence on child health. It prioritizes equitable, high-impact paediatric trials to ensure that treatments for children are safe, effective, and grounded in sound science. Published on : Friday, November 14, 2025 Source : World Health Organization Health Research, Pediatric Health, Clinical Trials Read More WHO refutes Tylenol-Autism Link: Urges Evidence-Based Care A statement by the current US President, which linked Tylenol use during pregnancy to autism, prompted an immediate response from the World Health Organization. The WHO clarified that no scientific evidence supports this claim and urged reliance on medical guidance. Published on : Friday, November 14, 2025 Source : World Health Organization Maternal and Child Health, Health Communication, Global Health Governance Read More 2025 Lancet Countdown Report on Climate Change and Health Impacts of climate inaction have led to a 23% increase in heat-related deaths since the 1990s. Food insecurity affected 124 million more people due to extreme weather in 2023, with losses reaching $1.35 trillion. Addressing climate change has prevented 160,000 premature deaths from coal pollution and supported 16 million jobs in renewable energy. With COP30 ahead, WHO, along with member states, plans to emphasize climate action and a swift transition away from fossil fuels. Published on : Friday, November 7, 2025 Source : World Health Organization Climate change, food insecurity, Sustainability Read More WHO Introduces New Global Framework to Enhance National Health Emergency Response The World Health Organization has unveiled a new global guide, the National Health Emergency Alert and Response Framework, to bolster countries' readiness for health crises. Developed from lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, it provides a standardized approach for managing emergencies. Published on : Friday, November 7, 2025 Source : World Health Organization Global Health Security, Emergency Preparedness Read More Training Modules to Strengthen Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Response in India The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has introduced three specialized training modules to enhance India’s capacity for managing chemical emergencies. This initiative aims to build a skilled, coordinated response system across healthcare and disaster management sectors. 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Comprehensive group standards for 15 types of millets released by FSSAI Comprehensive group standards for 15 types of millets released by FSSAI February 25, 2023 The Hindu Food security, National Food Security Act The Food Safety and Standards (Food Product Standards and Food Additives) Regulations, 2011 only specify individual standards for a few millets like sorghum. To overcome the gap FSSAI has brought the Food Safety and Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives) Second Amendment Regulations, 2023, which will be effective from 1st September 2023. The new regulation has framed comprehensive group standards for 15 types of millets. The standard has 8 quality parameters maximum limit of moisture content, uric acid content, extraneous matter, Other edible grains, permissible defects, weevilled grains, immature and shriveled grains. The comprehensive group standard for millets will ensure the supply of good quality millets in both domestic and global markets at a time when the world is celebrating the International Year of Millets To know more about the International Year of Millets - Click here

Delhi heatwave claims lives: Men over 40 most affected Content Editor: Dr. Sakshi Aggarwal July 3, 2024 at 2:30:00 PM Heat stroke, Global warming, Environmental Health During the past two weeks, as a severe heatwave engulfed the capital, hospitals in Delhi, both central and city-run, have seen at least 90 deaths of patients suffering from heatstroke. Hospitals reported a surge in heatstroke deaths, with the majority of fatalities being men over 40. Alarmingly, at least 132 people arrived dead within a four-day period (June 18-21). Health officials are reviewing post-mortem reports (including those of homeless patients) to see if pre-existing conditions played a role in the heatstroke deaths. Since March, there have been 90 cases of heat stroke and 29 deaths documented at the center-run Safdarjung Hospital alone. Heat-related morbidity and mortality have disproportionately affected vulnerable groups, which include the following: Construction workers Sweepers Daily wage laborers The elderly Women, and children The most vulnerable areas hit by this heatwave include: Urban slums Areas with decreased access to water and sanitation. Previous Next

Steps to tackle the obesity epidemic Content Editor: Dr. KH Reddy March 6, 2024 at 12:30:00 PM Non-communicable disease, WHO, Obesity, Malnutrition A recent study published in the Lancet revealed that more than a billion people were obese, and 43% of the worldwide population was overweight in 2022. While obesity is a complex issue, scientifically proven interventions are available for its management. Implementation of these interventions, however, is a challenge. 31 member nations adopted the WHO acceleration plan to stop obesity, which outlines country-level action plans until 2030. The core strategies under it include 1. Healthy practices from Day 1 of life. (exclusive breastfeeding). 2. Legislations regulating advertisements of junk foods 3. Nutrition labeling 4. Modulating food pricing to promote healthy food 5. Raising public (inc. children) Awareness Previous Next

Azerbaijan and Tajikistan declared Malaria free by WHO Azerbaijan and Tajikistan declared Malaria free by WHO Content Editor: Dr. Rajat Sharma March 31, 2023 WHO Malaria elimination, WHO, Surveillance Azerbaijan and Tajikistan have received certification from the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating malaria in their countries. A nation's status as being malaria-free is formally acknowledged by WHO through certification of malaria elimination. A nation is given the certification if it can demonstrate, by rigorous, reliable evidence, that the cycle of indigenous malaria transmission by Anopheles mosquitoes has been broken countrywide for at least the previous three years . A nation must also show that it has the ability to stop transmission from starting up again. In Azerbaijan and Tajikistan respectively, the last cases of locally transmitted Plasmodium vivax (P. vivax) malaria were discovered in 2012 and 2014. With today's announcement, the WHO has certified a total of 41 nations and 1 territory as being malaria-free, including 21 nations in the European Region. Both governments have provided free primary healthcare for everyone for more than 60 years. They have actively backed targeted malaria interventions, such as spraying insecticides on interior walls of homes to prevent the disease, encouraging early diagnosis and treatment of all cases, and maintaining the abilities of all health professionals working to eradicate the disease. National electronic surveillance systems for malaria are used in Tajikistan and Azerbaijan, providing practically real-time case detection and enabling quick investigations to establish if an infection is indigenous or imported. Biological approaches to larvae control, such as mosquito-eating fish, and water management practices were employed to limit the malaria vectors.

Waning immunity: The cause for increased burden of Measles Content Editor: Dr. Gurumurthy October 25, 2024 at 1:00:00 PM Vaccination, Outbreak, Measles A recent study published in The Lancet Public Health highlights that immunity from the measles vaccine wanes over time, contributing to an increase in cases among vaccinated individuals in England. Researchers from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine used mathematical modeling to analyze measles transmission data from 2010 to 2019. The study examined three scenarios: no waning of immunity, waning based on time since vaccination, and waning starting in 2000 . Using data from over 7,500 measles cases, the study found that waning immunity best explained the increase in cases, especially in those aged 15 years and older who had received two doses of the vaccine. The estimated waning rate was 0.039% per year, leading to 83% of onward transmission from vaccinated individuals compared to unvaccinated ones. The findings underscore the need for ongoing monitoring of vaccine-induced immunity in near-elimination settings like England, where waning immunity could pose a risk for future outbreaks. Despite the vaccine’s high long-term effectiveness, this slow waning still increases the measles burden. Click here to read more. Previous Next

Paediatric Emergency Research Network (PERN) develops a model to stratify pneumonia severity. Content Editor: Dr. Chinmay June 5, 2025 at 3:26:42 AM International Health News, Community acquired pneumonia Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) remains a leading cause of pediatric hospitalization and mortality worldwide. Relying solely on clinician judgment can lead to both unnecessary admissions and missed high-risk cases. To address this gap, the Pediatric Emergency Research Network (PERN) developed two predictive models using data from 2,200 children (3 months–14 years) across 73 emergency departments in 14 countries. The clinical model , based on bedside signs and symptoms within 4 hours to 7 days of presentation, and an enhanced radiograph model , incorporating the number of lung regions affected on chest X-ray, both demonstrated “good to excellent” discrimination compared with unaided clinician assessment. Key predictors of progression to moderate or severe CAP included: Hypoxemia (SpO₂ 90–92%) : adjusted odds ratio (aOR) ≈ 3.24 Chest retractions : aOR ≈ 2.86 Abdominal pain , refusal to drink , tachycardia/tachypnea (> 95th percentile), and prior antibiotic use Conversely, runny nose or nasal congestion was protective (aOR 0.59), identifying low-risk children. Among 1,900 children with complete data, 53–58% had mild CAP, 36–41% moderate, and 5–6% severe. Lead author Dr. Todd Florin emphasized that early identification of children at risk enables prompt aggressive treatment and more efficient resource allocation. Next steps include external validation in diverse settings, integration into electronic health records or mobile apps, and implementation studies to assess impacts on admission rates, resource utilization, and patient outcomes. Once validated, these models could be incorporated into pediatric pneumonia guidelines, standardizing care and improving safety for children globally. Click here to read more. Previous Next

Need for development of an instrument on plastic pollution. Content Editor: Dr. Aishwarya May 2, 2024 at 3:30:00 PM Environmental Health, Plastic pollution. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) conducted recently, is the Penultimate stage of negotiations. It follows three earlier rounds of negotiations: INC-1, INC-2, and INC-3 which happened in 2021, 2022, and 2023 respectively. They mentioned convergence on eliminating problematic plastic uses and the need to continue plastic for specific uses, such as renewable energy technologies. They seek to advance these negotiations and deliver a treaty because a new legally binding instrument - has a critical role in providing the effective and impactful solutions needed to end plastic pollution. The INC-5, to be held in Busan, the Republic of Korea, from Nov 25 to 1 December 2024, is intended as the end of the INC process and a first-of-its-kind agreement aiming to end global plastic pollution. Click here to read more. Previous Next

Newer initiatives under Atal Innovation Mission Content Editor: Dr. Tanya July 8, 2024 at 3:45:00 PM Atal Innovation Mission, Sustainable Development In a recent move in collaboration with the Innovation Centre Denmark (ICDK ), AIM has launched two pioneering initiatives in building sustainability. One of these includes the AIM-ICDK Water Challenge 4.0, which includes: Aims at addressing critical water-related challenges through innovative solutions. The challenge aims at actively engaging young talents from leading universities, globally. It comprises 5 S’s : Skills, Scale, Scope, Sustainability, and Speed The challenge invites entries under two categories: Students under 35 years of age Young Entrepreneurs under 35 years of age The 2nd initiative includes a coffe table book series titled, "Innovations for You," spotlighting the endeavours of sixty SDG Entrepreneurs of India. Click here to read more. Previous Next

FSSAI's new order on high-risk food products and BIS certification Content Editor: Dr. Sathya Prashaath December 17, 2024 at 3:43:14 PM FSSAI , Regulations, Food safety FSSAI order states that “Non-alcoholic ("soft") beverages - Packaged Drinking Water and Mineral Water only” have been classified under the high-risk category Including these products in the high-risk category ensures more rigorous safety protocols and monitoring. FSSAI eliminates the need for BIS certification for these high-risk food products. By removing the BIS certification requirement, FSSAI aims to simplify the regulatory framework and reduce redundancy. Manufacturers must adhere to the new FSSAI guidelines for high-risk products, which may affect their production processes. The objective is to enhance consumer protection by ensuring high-risk food products meet stringent safety standards. Click here to read more. Previous Next