Johannesburg, June 18 (IANS) South Africa’s Gauteng Department of Health announced on Wednesday that it has observed a surge in measles cases since January this year, with laboratory-confirmed cases now standing at 181.

“The outbreak remains active in specific hotspot areas, including Mamelodi and Winterveld in Tshwane, where 35 and 10 cases have been reported, respectively,” said Motalatale Modiba, spokesperson for the health department, Xinhua news agency reported.The outbreak, reported across Gauteng Province, including Tshwane, Johannesburg, and Ekurhuleni, has prompted the department to intensify its response, particularly by rolling out vaccinations at schools.Modiba noted that so far, over 18,000 students have been vaccinated in more than 15 schools in Mamelodi and 16 schools in Winterveld.Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko, a member of the Executive Council for Health and Wellness in Gauteng Province, has urged communities and parents to heed the call of vaccination.”We must close the immunity gap in our communities and prevent further spread of the highly contagious diseases, particularly measles and rubella,” she said.Earlier, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases reported in March that South Africa registered 931 laboratory-confirmed measles cases across all 52 epidemiological weeks of 2024.The measles outbreak in the South African region has been of public health concern, affecting most provinces in the region since October 2022. Children under 14 account for most cases (86 per cent), with the highest rates in the 1–4 and 5–9 age groups. The vaccination status of most cases is unknown, but only 10 per cent of confirmed cases received at least one dose of the measles-containing vaccine. The national immunisation coverage for both MCV1 and MCV2 was estimated at 86 per cent in 2022. The WHO considers the national risk high, the regional risk moderate, and the global risk low. –IANSint/dan

Bhubaneswar, June 18 (IANS) Odisha Leader of the Opposition and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will leave for Mumbai to undergo treatment for cervical arthritis on June 22.

Making the announcement on his ‘X’ handle on Wednesday, the Biju Janata Dal president wrote, “As advised by medical experts, I would be undergoing a procedure for cervical arthritis on the 22nd of this month at Kokilaben Dhirubhai Ambani Hospital in Mumbai. My personal doctor, Dr Ramakant Panda, is coordinating this in Mumbai. With blessings of Lord Jagannatha and good wishes of my brothers and sisters of Odisha, looking forward to returning soon to continue to serve all of you.”Patnaik also issued an official order delegating his responsibilities during the temporary absence from active party affairs due to a scheduled medical procedure for cervical arthritis in Mumbai.According to the office order released by Patnaik, the day-to-day functioning of the party will be managed by the Political Affairs Committee until his return.Additionally, BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra, Senior Vice President (Headquarters), has been entrusted with coordinating various activities and programmes across different wings of the party.The directive, signed by Naveen Patnaik, ensures the continued smooth functioning of the party machinery during his period of treatment.“As I will be undergoing a procedure for cervical arthritis in Mumbai, the day-to-day affairs of Biju Janata Dal will be handled by the Political Affairs Committee during my absence. Also, Debi Prasad Mishra, Senior Vice President, Headquarters, will coordinate activities and programmes between different wings of the party,” directed Patnaik in the order.The BJD supremo on Wednesday also addressed the party workers during the launch of a statewide Student-Youth Awakening Campaign held at Puri.Launching the campaign through a video message, BJD President Naveen Patnaik also criticised the BJP government’s “One Year, Many Achievements” slogan, instead calling the administration’s record as “One Year, Many Failures.”He alleged that the BJP had come to power through “false promises,” only to rename and rebrand existing welfare schemes without delivering tangible outcomes.–IANSgyan/dan

New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) Ahead of the 11th International Day of Yoga (IDY) 2025, the Yoga Sangam Portal has crossed a historic 4 lakh mark, said the Ministry of Ayush on Wednesday.Rajasthan continues to lead the movement, registering an impressive 1,38,033 organisations. It is followed by Andhra Pradesh (1,38,033), Uttar Pradesh (1,01,767), Madhya Pradesh (26,159), Gujarat (19,951), and Himachal Pradesh (12,000).”This surge in participation reflects the widespread enthusiasm for this year’s theme—‘Yoga for One Earth, One Health’—a message that aligns yoga with global sustainability and personal well-being,” the Ministry said.Creating a historic milestone in promoting holistic health and well-being, Yoga Sangam will be hosted on June 21 from 6:30 am to 7:45 am.The synchronised Yoga demonstration will unfold simultaneously at lakhs of locations across the country.The most illustrious showcase of this nationwide movement will take place in Visakhapatnam, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lead more than 5 lakh yoga enthusiasts in performing yoga.The IDY events will be held across the snow-capped mountains of Ladakh to the sunlit beaches of Kerala, from school playgrounds and office lawns to railway stations and historic temple courtyardsFrom IITs and IIMs to grassroots NGOs and leading corporates, institutions across sectors are embracing the call to action.The Ministry noted that these events would be tracked online through a facility on the yoga portal, wherein aspiring organisations can register their proposals to register an IDY event.To participate, citizens can visit the Ayush Ministry’s website and register as a group or organisation. After conducting the Yoga Sangam event on June 21, participation details can be uploaded and the official Certificate of Appreciation received.”Let us unite through yoga—for health, harmony, and a better tomorrow,” the Ministry said.–IANSrvt/pgh

Chandigarh, June 18 (IANS) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has taken a step towards building a “Yoga Yukt, Nasha Mukt Haryana” by embracing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s message of “Yoga for One Earth, One Health” on the occasion of the 11th International Yoga Day.

As a result of this initiative, more than 20 lakh people across the state will participate in yoga sessions on June 21. An official spokesperson said yoga programmes will be organised in all 22 districts and 121 blocks of the state on June 21. More than 20 lakh citizens will come together to practice yoga. So far, over 12.10 lakh people have registered themselves through the portal to participate. As part of the “Harit Yoga” campaign to promote environmental awareness, more than 70,000 saplings have already been planted. The state-level main event will be held at the Brahma Sarovar in Kurukshetra, where Chief Minister Saini and other dignitaries will participate in yoga exercises along with thousands of practitioners, in the presence of yoga guru Swami Ramdev. Notably, in 2014, Prime Minister Modi introduced yoga on the global stage at the United Nations General Assembly. With support from 177 countries, June 21 was declared International Yoga Day, through which India offered the world a path of peace, health, and harmony. This year’s Yoga Day theme highlights Yoga’s role in promoting physical, mental, and environmental well-being. It aligns with the global call for unity and sustainability, the spokesperson said. The spokesman further said that to promote yoga at the grassroots, the state government has set a target of building 1,000 Vyayamshalas (gymnasiums) in rural areas. So far, 714 have been completed, and 877 AYUSH yoga assistants have been appointed. Special yoga programmes will also be held in these Vyayamshalas on June 21. –IANS vg/dan

Kolkata, June 18 (IANS) The BJP Information Technology cell chief and the party’s central observer for West Bengal, Amit Malviya, on Wednesday, slammed the state government over the Swasthya Sathi scheme, alleging that the scheme is a tool to “loot” poor patients.

He also claimed that what the people of West Bengal needed was the national health insurance scheme, Ayushman Bharat.“West Bengal desperately needs Ayushman Bharat! Mamata Banerjee’s so-called Swasthya Sathi scheme is nothing but a scam in the name of healthcare — ineffective, unaccountable, and a tool to loot poor patients,” said Malviya.In fact, since the beginning Swasthya Sathi scheme has been shrouded in controversy after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee refused to allow the implementation of Ayushman Bharat in the state, only to push the state’s own health insurance scheme.Since then, there have been several rounds of heated political debates between Trinamool Congress and BJP leaders over the qualitative comparisons between Ayushman Bharat and Swasthya Sathi.Meanwhile, in support of his claims, Malviya quoted an example of how Swasthya Sathi was rejected by a private nursing home owned by one of the influential legislators of Trinamool Congress, who also happens to be a medical practitioner.Quoting media reports, Malviya said that Saraju Nursing Home at Sinthi in North Kolkata, which is owned by the Trinamool Congress legislator from Serampore assembly constituency in Hooghly district, Dr Sudipto Roy, rejected free treatment facilities under the Swasthya Sathi card held by a patient admitted there.“TMC MLA from Serampore, Dr. Sudipta Roy, owns Saraju Nursing Home in Sinthi, North Kolkata. A patient admitted under the ‘Swasthya Sathi’ scheme — which is supposed to be completely free — was threatened and asked to pay money, or treatment would be stopped. This is the state of healthcare under TMC — corrupt leaders, extortion rackets, and helpless patients,” Malviya claimed in his statement.He also said that since the people of West Bengal deserved better, Ayushman Bharat should be implemented in the state to ensure real, transparent, and accountable healthcare for all.–IANSsrc/dan

Pune, June 18 (IANS) The JN.1.16 sub lineage of Omicron variant and the XFG (LF.7…

New Delhi, June 18 (IANS) While social isolation has long been known a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease, a new study showed that being more sociable can be an early sign of the neurodegenerative disease.The study examined the social habits and genetic data of half a million British people whose average age was 56.Researchers from the University of California San Francisco and Boston University found that Alzheimer’s may make people more sociable rather than less — at least in the early stages. The study shows that at its earliest stage Alzheimer’s doesn’t make people less socially engaged. “Their social lives may even expand,” said co-senior author Ashwin Kotwal, from USCF. “We don’t know for sure if they are engaging more with others, or if those around them are noticing subtle changes and giving them more support,” he added. The data from UK Biobank showed that people with a higher genetic risk for Alzheimer’s reported less isolation, participation in a wider range of social activities and happier family relationships. No differences were found between higher-risk and lower-risk individuals in measuring loneliness, friendship quality and emotional support. Social connectedness is believed to delay or reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s by promoting cognitive reserve, the brain’s ability to maintain normal function despite aging or dementia. The research showed that other non-genetic factors influencing Alzheimer’s are physical inactivity, uncontrolled diabetes and high blood pressure, poor sleep, depression, current smoking and certain medications.Experts believe that 30 per cent of Alzheimer’s may be attributed to these modifiable risks. Another research earlier this month found that mood disorders like depression, bipolar disorder, or mania after the age of 40 may not be just mental health conditions but can precede motor or cognitive symptoms in various neurodegenerative diseases.Growing evidence suggests these late-life mood disorders (LLMDs) could be early warning signs of neurodegenerative diseases like dementia, even when they appear years before memory loss or other cognitive symptoms become apparent, said researchers from the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), Japan.The study, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association explored the presence of abnormal tau protein — a hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases — in the brains of 52 participants with LLMDs and 47 healthy controls.–IANSrvt/

Imphal, June 17 (IANS) Fourteen more persons in three districts tested COVID-19 on Tuesday, taking the cumulative total count in Manipur to 34, health officials said.

State health officials said that eight persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Imphal West district, while three people each in Imphal East and Bishnupur district were infected with the infectious virus.According to the officials, of the total positive cases of 34 on Tuesday, 22 cases were reported in Imphal West district, six in Imphal East district, four in Bishnupur, one in Thoubal and Kakching districts. All five districts fall in the Imphal valley region.On June 9, a 23-year-old woman tested positive for COVID-19 in Manipur, the first such case in the northeastern state in the current wave of the Coronavirus infection.Manipur Health Services Director Dr Chambo Gonmei said that the woman hails from Bishnupur district and had developed Covid-like symptoms. Her samples were tested at a private clinic in Imphal on June 5, and the results came on June 9, Gonmei said. He appealed to people to be on alert in view of the spread of the infection in other parts of the country.Meanwhile, Manipur Governor Ajay Kumar Bhalla chaired a COVID-19 review meeting on Monday at the Raj Bhavan. The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Prashant Kumar Singh, senior medical officials from the state Health Department and other concerned authorities.The review was held in view of recent directives from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) on enhanced preparedness amid rising concerns of a possible COVID-19 resurgence.A Raj Bhavan official said that the health officials briefed the Governor on the state’s preparedness, including diagnostics, protective equipment, oxygen supply, ICU and isolation wards, essential drugs, and the IDSP–IHIP portal.Challenges related to testing capacity, medical supplies and hospital readiness were also discussed.The Governor advised the importance of proactive measures, adequate medical infrastructure, and community awareness to ensure the state remains equipped to handle any potential surge in COVID-19 cases, the officials said.–IANSsc/dan

Kolkata, June 17 (IANS) The West Bengal Clinical Establishment (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which aims to address the issue of frequent complaints received by the state Health Department against private medical establishments over the lack of transparency in billing, was passed by the state Assembly on Tuesday.The bill, which got the house’s nod on the seventh day of the ongoing Monsoon Session, will now go to Governor C.V. Ananda Bose for assent before it becomes a law.As the Bill was presented in the house, Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, participating in the debate, claimed that the issue of the safety of the female doctors, female nurses, female patients and female security staff had not been addressed in the said bill.Minister of State for Finance (independent charge), Chandrima Bhattacharya, who is also the Minister of State for Health, said that the main aim of the new Bill is to ensure transparency in the billing systems of the private medical establishments in the state.According to her, often private medical establishments are charging extra over the amounts mentioned in the packages availed by the patients for treatment there. At the same time, she added, the authorities of these private medical establishments were also not giving proper explanations to the patients’ families on the extra amounts charged over the amount mentioned in the packages.”The main idea is to eliminate the possibilities of the hidden costs. At times, the charges may exceed the amount mentioned in the packages. But it is the duty of the authorities of the medical establishments concerned to clarify what necessitated the extra charges,” Bhattacharya said.On Wednesday, the West Bengal Sales Tax (Amendment) Bill, 2025 will be moved on the floor of the house, which will be followed by a debate.The Monsoon session of the West Bengal Assembly started on Monday. However, the house was adjourned for the day after “Obituary Mentions” as per protocol. It has resumed from Tuesday and will continue for the next two weeks.–IANSsrc/vd

Bengaluru, June 17 (IANS) The Karnataka government has announced that it is all set to host a grand event to mark International Yoga Day on June 21 this year.

Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao announced that International Yoga Day will be celebrated on June 21 at the Vidhana Soudha steps with the theme “Yoga for One Earth, One Health.”Rao further stated that, “This year, about five lakh people will be taught yoga across the state. The government plans to organise 10,000 yoga programmes state-wide, with a large-scale event specifically planned in Mysuru.”Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, the Governor, and other dignitaries are expected to participate in the event, with an anticipated attendance of five thousand people.Emphasising the importance of yoga for health, both physically and mentally, he underlined that Yoga has ancient roots and its prominence is growing globally.Regarding the introduction of yoga classes in schools, he mentioned that discussions have already taken place. He stated that yoga teachers and classes in schools will yield definite benefits. However, Rao further stressed that sports should be prioritised for children at a young age.He further opined that teaching yoga when children are older would yield better results. The sports teachers should be given higher priority than yoga teachers in schools, he opined.Meanwhile, Bengaluru-based Akshar Yoga Kendraa is set to host one of the grandest global spectacles for the 11th International Yoga Day at the Palace Grounds, on June 21, 2025, aiming to create 12 new Guinness World Records. Building on its formidable legacy of 9 existing records, this year’s celebration promises to raise the bar for global participation, endurance, and the spiritual power of yoga.Under the guidance of Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar, Akshar Yoga Kendraa is orchestrating this global celebration with 2,000–2,500 participants representing over 30 countries, including Taiwan, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Italy, USA, UK, Dubai, Cyprus, Singapore, and many more, the official statement said.The participants include yoga enthusiasts, Indian Army personnel, Air Force members, Karnataka State Police, NCC cadets, specially-abled individuals, corporate leaders, children from orphanages, and thousands of citizens from all walks of life, it says.“This mega-attempt is a symbol of purposeful living,” said Himalayan Siddhaa Akshar Ji, Spiritual leader and Founder of Akshar Yoga Kendraa.–IANSmka/dan