New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) The World Health Organization (WHO) has urged the global health community to prioritise pregnant and lactating women in research and vaccine trials of tuberculosis (TB) — the world’s most infectious disease. As per WHO data, every year, an estimated 200,000 pregnant or postpartum women develop TB, yet they remain largely invisible in research and clinical trials. This exclusion leaves critical gaps in evidence, delaying access to life-saving treatment and vaccines for t…

Patna, Aug 21 (IANS) Dengue fever is spreading rapidly in Bihar’s capital, Patna. In the last 48 hours, 28 fresh infections have been reported, taking the total to 86 cases in the first 20 days of August.Since January, Patna has already recorded over 150 cases, posing a growing challenge for the Health Department and the Municipal Corporation.According to the Civil Surgeon’s Office, dengue is spreading most in waterlogged areas. Localities such as Kankarbagh, Postal Park, Yogipur, Jakkanpur,…

New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) South Asian countries must collaborate and work together to strengthen health research and innovations, said the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) on Thursday.The Department of Health Research (DHR) and the ICMR inaugurated a two-day regional meeting in the national capital.The event, held at the Sushma Swaraj Bhawan, brought together senior representatives from Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Timor-Leste to deliberate on strengthening health research systems, faci…

Sydney, Aug 21 (IANS) In a first, a team of Australian scientists has grown the world’s first fully functioning lab-made human skin with its own blood supply. The advance may pave the way for better treatment of skin diseases, burns, and grafts.The team from the University of Queensland used stem cells to create a replica of the human skin, which had blood vessels, capillaries, hair follicles, nerves, tissue layers, and immune cells.”This is the most life-like skin model that’s been developed an…

Bhubaneswar, Aug 21 (IANS) Former Chief Minister and Leader of Opposition in the Odisha Assembly, Naveen Patnaik, was discharged from the private hospital in Bhubaneswar and returned to his residence here.He was discharged late Wednesday evening and, while heading towards his residence, ‘Naveen Nivas’, he said, “I want to thank the people of Odisha for their prayers and good wishes for my health and, of course, to the hospital for having taken such good care of me.”Notably, LoP Patnaik was a…

New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) Rare diseases were included as a focus area under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for pharmaceuticals, which has considerably brought down the treatment cost, an official statement from Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers said on Thursday.Eight drugs for rare conditions have been supported under the PLI scheme, including Eliglustat for Gaucher’s Disease, where the cost of treatment has come down from Rs 1.8–3.6 crore annually to Rs 3–6 lakh, accordin…

Seoul, Aug 21 (IANS) SK bioscience Co., the biotech arm of South Korea’s SK Group, said on Thursday it will expand cooperation with the Gates Foundation on next-generation preventive medicines, with a focus on research and development (R&D) for pandemic preparedness.Officials from SK bioscience and the foundation held a meeting in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss collaboration on vaccine development and global public health projects, the company said in a press release. The meeting came amid Bi…

Bhopal, Aug 20 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh Governor Mangubhai Patel on Wednesday emphasised the need for genetic card matching before marriage to prevent sickle cell anaemia, a hereditary disease. Patel said that early identification and prompt treatment are the most effective ways to prevent sickle cell anaemia. “The earlier the disease is detected, the greater the chances of controlling it,” he added while addressing a workshop on Sickle Cell Anaemia at the Eklavya Adarsh Vidyalaya Auditorium in tri…

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Advanced therapies and technology are the key to tackling the rare disease burden in India, said government health officials on Wednesday.Officials from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), under the Ministry of Health, and NITI Aayog stressed this line of action while addressing the National Conference on Rare Diseases, organised by business chamber FICCI.There are roughly 7,000 known rare diseases that are estimated to collectively affect close to 9…

New Delhi, Aug 20 (IANS) Europe is experiencing longer and more intense transmission seasons for mosquito-borne diseases, including West Nile virus (WNV) infection and chikungunya virus disease, according to a report by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control on Wednesday.The report blamed climatic and environmental factors such as rising temperatures, longer summer seasons, milder winters, and changes in rainfall patterns for the shift.These conditions combine to create a favoura…