Page 4 - World Health Organisation

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

New Zealand removes last of its closely watched Covid-19 restrictions

New Zealand on Monday removed the last of its remaining COVID-19 restrictions, marking the end of a government response to the pandemic that was watched closely around the world. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins said the requirement to wear masks in hospitals and other healthcare facilities would end at midnight, as would a requirement for people who caught the virus to isolate themselves for seven days. New Zealand was initially praised internationally for eliminating the virus entirely after imposing nationwide lockdowns and strict border controls. But as the pandemic wore on and more infectious variants took hold, the nation's zero-tolerance approach became untenable. It eventually abandoned its elimination strategy. Reflecting on the government's response to the virus over more than three years, Hipkins said that during the height of the pandemic he had longed for the day he could end all restrictions, but now it felt anticlimactic. He said about 3,250 New Zealanders from a popula

WHO classifies EG.5 strain of SARS-CoV-2 virus as 'variant of interest'

The World Health Organization (WHO) has classified the EG.5 strain of the SARS-CoV-2 virus circulating in different parts of the world, including India, as a "variant of interest" but said it did not seem to pose more of a threat to public health than other strains. EG.5 or Eris variant of SARS-CoV-2 was first reported on February 17 this year, and designated as a variant under monitoring (VUM) on July 19. In its latest risk evaluation on Wednesday, the WHO designated EG.5 and its sub-lineages as a variant of interest (VOI). Variants are broadly categorised into three categories: (1) "variants of interest," (2) "variants of concern" and (3) "variants of high consequence. According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), VOIs are defined as variants with specific genetic markers that have been associated with changes that may cause enhanced transmissibility or virulence, reduction in neutralisation by antibodies obtained through natural infection or vaccination. EG.5 is a ..

WHO flags contaminated syrup in Iraq made by India's Fourrts Laboratories

The United Nations agency in its medical products alert said the batch of the syrup, branded Cold Out, had higher than acceptable limit of contaminants diethylene glycol and ethylene glycol

World Hepatitis Day 2023: History, significance, symptoms and more

World Hepatitis Day aims to raise awareness about viral hepatitis and finding ways to prevent, test and treat the disease. Reports say someone dies every 30 seconds globally due to hepatitis

ICMR to explore vaccine against 'WHO Blueprint Priority Pathogens': Govt

The ICMR has collaborated with two global institutions to explore available vaccine candidates against "WHO Blueprint Priority Pathogens", the government told Lok Sabha on Friday. Minister of State for Health SP Singh Baghel was replying to a question on the steps being taken by the government to speed up the development of vaccines for "emerging/reemerging pathogens". The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has collaborated with the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations and the International Vaccine Institute, Korea, for exploration of available vaccine candidates against "WHO Blueprint Priority Pathogens" and the feasibility of bringing available technology to India, he said. On the steps being taken by the government to promote development and production of vaccines for diseases such as polio, smallpox and measles, Baghel said the ICMR has been designated as the secretariat for the National authority for Containment (NAC) of polio viruses. The ICMR has approved .