Canberra, Jan 30 (IANS) Australia’s health minister said on Friday that the government is closely monitoring the outbreak of the Nipah virus in Asia.Mark Butler told Nine Network television that the Nipah virus has never been detected in Australia, but that authorities were taking the threat posed by an outbreak that began in India in December very seriously.”The Indian authorities tell us they’ve got that outbreak under control, but nonetheless, we’re monitoring it very, very closely, because t…
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Blantyre, Jan 29 (IANS) Health authorities have expressed concern over the growing prevalence of cholera in Malawi, with at least three deaths and more than 50 confirmed cases recorded since October 2025. Minister of Health and Sanitation Madalitso Baloyi voiced concern on Wednesday during a sensitisation meeting with the authorities of the commercial city of Blantyre, which is leading in the number of cases, Xinhua News Agency reported.According to the minister, Blantyre has the highest prevale…
New Delhi, Jan 28 (IANS) President Droupadi Murmu’s address to the joint session of Parliament on Wednesday highlighted a sweeping narrative of India’s achievements and aspirations, with women’s empowerment placed firmly at the centre of the nation’s development story. She declared that in India’s progress, “nari shakti (women empowerment)” stands first, a sentiment that resonated through her speech as she highlighted milestones that women have achieved across diverse fields.The Pres…
Bangkok, Jan 26 (IANS) Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority announced that it will implement comprehensive screening for all flights arriving from India’s West Bengal, a high-risk region for Nipah virus, starting from 00:00 local time on Monday to prevent the virus from entering the country.In a statement released on Sunday, the authority said the screening measures will be adjusted dynamically based on the evolving situation.Key protocols currently in place involve airlines conducting preliminar…
Varanasi, Jan 25 (IANS) Banaras Hindu University (BHU) is celebrating a moment of immense pride as Professor Shyam Sundar Agrawal, a distinguished faculty member at the Institute of Medical Sciences, has been conferred the prestigious Padma Shri award in the 2026 Republic Day honours list. The recognition honours his groundbreaking contributions to combating visceral leishmaniasis, commonly known as Kala-azar, a deadly neglected tropical disease that has long plagued India’s poorest regions. Pro…
Geneva, Jan 25 (IANS) The World Health Organization (WHO) chief said that the reasons given by the United States for its decision to withdraw from the WHO are “untrue.”Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO director-general, made the remarks on social media platform X on Saturday. He warned that the move will make the United States and the world “less safe,” Xinhua news agency reported.The United States, which announced its withdrawal from the WHO a year ago, has yet to pay its outstanding membership d…
Washington, Jan 23 (IANS) The United States announced that it has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization, ending its membership in the global health body. The move, the Trump administration said, fulfills a promise made on the president’s first day in office.In a joint statement, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said the withdrawal was carried out through an executive order signed by President Donald Trump and was aimed…
New Delhi, Jan 14 (IANS) Increasing taxes on fruit juices, sugary drinks, and alcohol is essential to curb the rising non-communicable diseases such as obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancers, and injuries, especially in children and young adults, said the World Health Organization (WHO).In two new global reports, the WHO flagged concerns that sugary drinks and alcoholic beverages are getting cheaper, due to consistently low tax rates in most countries.While more than 100 countries tax sugary …
New Delhi, Jan 13 (IANS) South-East Asia Region, home to a quarter of the world’s population, has marked 15 years since recording its last case of wild poliovirus, said the World Health Organization (IANS) on Tuesday.The region continues to sustain its polio-free status while harnessing innovations and lessons from the polio programme to accelerate broader public health progress, the global health body said. “This extraordinary achievement followed unparalleled efforts and demonstrates what …
New Delhi, Jan 2 (IANS) India has risen to 8th position globally from 123rd in the World Health Organization’s (WHO) pharmacovigilance contributions, said Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare J. P. Nadda on Friday.He was speaking at the release of the Indian Pharmacopoeia 2026 (IP 2026) – the 10th edition of India’s official book of drug standards, at an event held at the Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, New Delhi.“The Indian Pharmacopoeia serves as the official book of standards…