Shares of US pharma giants fell over 3 per cent following reports indicating that the US health administration officials intend to associate coronavirus vaccines with the deaths of 25 children.

Pfizer's stock declined by over 3 per cent, Moderna's fell by more than 7 per cent, and Novavax decreased by more than 4 per cent overnight.

The selloff occurred after reports indicated that the claim will be presented next week to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) vaccine advisory panel, which determines US immunisation policy.

Having a state Palliative Care Policy is crucial to strengthen healthcare and also reduce costs for patients in Delhi, according to a health experts on Friday.

Palliative care is a branch of medicine that aims to prevent and relieve the physical, social, and spiritual suffering of patients suffering from chronic life-limiting illnesses and their caregivers.

“A palliative care policy in Delhi can streamline resources, integrate fragmented health systems, and ensure systematic funding,” Parth Sharma, Department of Community Medicine, Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi, told.

Love to binge on cheeseburgers and fries? Beware, just four days of these fatty foods can rewire the brain's memory hub -- leading to risk of cognitive dysfunction, according to a study.

The research led by the University of North Carolina (UNC) in the US suggests that fatty junk foods can affect the brain almost immediately, well before the onset of weight gain or diabetes.

More than 1 million Australians are projected to have dementia by 2065, a government report said on Friday.

According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare's updated Dementia in Australia report, the number is expected to more than double from about 425,000 people in 2024 to 1.1 million by 2065.

Women currently outnumber men with dementia, with 266,000 women and 159,000 men affected in 2024, rising to an estimated 662,000 women and 390,000 men by 2065, it said.

Exposure to micro- and nano plastics may be linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study in mice.

Micro- and nano plastics prevalent in the environment routinely enter the human body through the water we drink, foods we eat, and even the air we breathe.

The study, led by researchers from the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, showed that those plastic particles infiltrate all systems of the body, including the brain, where they can accumulate and lead to cognitive decline and even Alzheimer’s disease, especially in those who carry genetic risk factors.

After reviewing the current situation of dengue and malaria in the country, the government has issued an advisory to states to intensify preventive measures for the mosquito-borne diseases, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Thursday.

The review meeting led by the Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Wednesday took stock of the current status and key challenges in the prevention and control of dengue and malaria.

“States, local bodies and communities must intensify preventive and control measures, particularly during this high-risk period, to safeguard public health and sustain the gains made in reducing the burden of vector-borne diseases,” said Nadda.

A 47-year-old man from Malappuram district in northern Kerala died of amoebic meningoencephalitis, marking the sixth death from the fatal infection caused by a brain-eating amoeba in the state in the month.

Shaji, a native of Chelempra Chaliparambu in Malappuram district, was admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH) on August 9 after his condition deteriorated.

This marks the second death from the infection this week and the sixth within a month.

While deaths from chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and stroke decreased for most countries, in almost 60 per cent of nations, the rate of decline was slower, according to a study published in The Lancet on Thursday.

Together with the World Health Organization (WHO), researchers from Imperial College London, UK, analysed the risk of dying from chronic diseases for 185 countries and territories.

They found that from 2010 to 2019, the risk of dying from a chronic disease between birth and 80 years old decreased in four out of five countries -- 152 (82 per cent) countries for women and in 147 (79 per cent) for men.

An increasing rise in global temperatures is set to drive cases of dengue by as much as 76 per cent across a large number of countries in Asia and the Americas by 2050, according to a new study.

The research, by a team of scientists from the universities of Washington, Stanford, and the US National Bureau of Economic Research, provides the first direct evidence that a warming climate has already increased the disease's toll.

"The effects of temperature were much larger than I expected," said lead author Marissa Childs, Assistant Professor of environmental health at the University of Washington.

"Even small shifts in temperature can have a big impact on dengue transmission, and we're already seeing the fingerprint of climate warming," she added.

With youth unemployment surging to an 11-month high in China, several stressed jobless youth in the country leave home every day and "pretend to work" while sitting in libraries and cafes, while their families think they are doing regular jobs, according to a media report.

Some of the jobless graduates even rent desks in mock offices so that they can spend time while searching for jobs without feeling lonely, as others are also seated in the shared space while being engaged in the same task, according to a report in Channel NewsAsia (CAN).

The report is based on extensive interviews with jobless graduates and other youngsters in China's Shanghai and Hangzhou cities.

Australia has approved the world's first vaccine to protect endangered koalas from chlamydia, a disease that has devastated wild populations of the iconic marsupial.

Developed over more than 10 years by Australia's University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), the vaccine's approval by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority marks a major step to protect endangered koalas from chlamydia infection and death, according to a UniSC statement released on Wednesday.

The disease, spread through breeding, can cause painful urinary tract infections, infertility, blindness and even death, with infection rates reaching as high as 70 per cent in some cases, the statement said.

Even healthy, full‐term babies are at significant risk of intensive care or prolonged hospitalisation from serious respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections -- especially during the first three months of life, according to a study.

RSV is a common cause of respiratory infections in young children. Each year, RSV causes an estimated 3.6 million RSV-associated hospitalisations and approximately 100,000 RSV-attributable deaths in children under the age of five.

It is well-known that premature babies and children with chronic diseases are at increased risk of developing severe illness when infected with RSV. But it has not been entirely clear how common severe disease is among previously healthy children.

 Nearly 50 per cent of Indians are planning for healthy ageing, while 71 per cent are using technology to stay active longer, according to a report on Tuesday.

The report by Boston Consulting Group states that, even though the global population is getting older, only 12 per cent of people worldwide orient their lifestyle around healthy ageing.

On the other hand, India ranks first among all countries surveyed in prioritising longevity, with nearly half the population taking at least some action.

India leads in longevity intervention adoption, especially those related to natural remedies, wearable health trackers, and AI-supported solutions, said the report, based on a survey of 9,350 respondents across 19 countries.

 Two additional cases of bubonic plague have been confirmed in Khuvsgul Province, northern Mongolia, bringing the national total to three, the country's health ministry said Tuesday.

The cases, reported in Tsagaan-Uul and Murun soums (administrative subdivisions), are being treated at the Khuvsgul provincial general hospital.

A total of 80 people who had contact with the patients have been isolated and are receiving treatment at local hospitals, the ministry said in a statement.

A majority of young adults with diabetes are unaware that they have the disease, posing a significant health risk, according to a study published in The Lancet Diabetes & Endocrinology.

Researchers from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington School of Medicine analysed the diabetes care cascade for all ages, both sexes, and 204 countries and territories from 2000 to 2023.

Their results showed that in 2023, an estimated 44 per cent of people aged 15 and older with diabetes are unaware of their condition.

However, this also showed an improvement from 2000, when 53 per cent of people were diagnosed, suggesting that the detection of diabetes has improved over time.

With cases of hypertension or high blood pressure rising significantly in India, particularly among young adults, lowering the BP threshold to less than 120/80 mm Hg by the American Heart Association (AHA) may help raise awareness and push for earlier interventions in the country, said health experts on Monday.

Hypertension is one of the most important modifiable factors in preventing heart disease, stroke, and death.

For the first time since 2017, the AHA recently updated its guidelines for people with high blood pressure. The guidelines revamped BP readings: from a 130/90 mm Hg threshold for diagnosis earlier, the AHA now defines normal blood pressure as less than 120/80 mm Hg.

A 56-year-old woman from Malappuram district, here, has succumbed to primary amoebic meningoencephalitis -- a rare and often-fatal brain infection --, health authorities confirmed on Monday.

Her death has pushed the toll from the deadly brain-eating amoebic infection to five in a span of just one month, deepening concern across the state health authorities.

The deceased, identified as M Shobhana, a resident of Wandoor in Malappuram, had been in a critical and unconscious condition ever since she was admitted to the Kozhikode Medical College Hospital (KMCH) here last Thursday, according to a local media report.

The incessant rains have triggered a wave of throat infections, flu, and dengue in the national capital, said health experts on Monday.

According to experts, high humidity, fluctuating temperatures, combined with waterlogging in many areas, are contributing to these conditions.

“Seasonal diseases such as Flu (influenza), vector-borne diseases (dengue) are showing up as trends in this season due to high transmission. Most of the cases are self-limiting and does not need any active medication or hospitalisation,” Dr. Harshal R Salve, Additional Professor at the Centre for Community Medicine at AIIMS, New Delhi, told.

A team of researchers in China has led a first-in-human trial of an antibody drug that may provide better treatment for people with relapsed small-cell lung cancer (SCLC).

SCLC is a fast-growing, highly malignant lung cancer. According to the International Agency for Research on Cancer, there were 2.48 million people diagnosed with lung cancer in 2022. Of those, small cell lung cancer was diagnosed in 11.5 per cent of men and 9.7 per cent of women. Small-cell lung cancer has limited treatment options and a poor prognosis.

The Phase I study of SHR-4849 (IDE849) -- a Delta-like ligand 3 (DLL3)-directed antibody-drug conjugate (ADC) -- demonstrated manageable safety and early signs of anti-tumour activity in patients with relapsed SCLC.

A study of population-specific responses to fermented food shows that the health effect of the bioactive peptides they contain, differ across populations and can personalise nutrition for India's diverse population, the government said on Thursday.

A recent study conducted by Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology (IASST), Guwahati, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology (DST) emphasises the health benefits of traditional fermented foods.

They showed that the bioactive peptides (BAPs) or short protein fragments consisting of 2 to 20 amino acids that they contain can regulate blood pressure, blood sugar, immunity and inflammation.

Researchers from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Rourkela have uncovered how natural sugar-like molecules in the human body can alter the behaviour of a protein responsible for bone formation and repair.

The findings, published in the journal Biochemistry, can be used for advanced treatments in bone and cartilage regeneration, improved implants, and more effective protein-based medicines.

From building tissues and supporting chemical reactions to acting as signals between cells, proteins carry out various functions in the human body.

However, for the best productivity, they need to be folded or unfolded into precise three-dimensional shapes. Understanding why and how proteins unfold is a major goal in biology, with implications for medicine, biotechnology, and drug delivery.

Amid increasing adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medicine, a new study published in The Lancet Gastroenterology and Hepatology journal, showed that doctors regularly performing AI-assisted colonoscopies may lose their ability to detect precancerous growths (adenomas) in the colon without AI assistance.

Colonoscopy, typically performed by an endoscopist, enables the detection and removal of adenomas, leading to the prevention of bowel cancer.

Numerous trials have shown that the use of AI to assist colonoscopies increases the detection of adenomas, generating much enthusiasm for the technology.

Wild poliovirus type 1 (WPV1) has been detected in sewage samples from 42 sites across Pakistan, health authorities said.

A total of 127 sewage samples were collected from 87 districts during July, according to testing by the Regional Reference Laboratory for Polio Eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad on Tuesday,News Agency reported.

Of these, 75 samples tested negative, 42 were positive, and 10 are still under process.

Earlier in July, three new polio cases were reported in Pakistan, raising the total number of cases in the country in 2025 to 17. Two new polio cases have been reported in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and one in Sindh.

Women with Down syndrome have more advanced signs of Alzheimer's disease than men do, according to research.

However, the average age of Down syndrome diagnosis is the same for both men and women, said the University of California, Irvine.

The study suggests that women with Down syndrome may carry a higher burden of beta amyloid and phosphorylated tau -- two hallmark Alzheimer's proteins -- than men. It was particularly high in the occipital lobe in women with sporadic Alzheimer's disease -- the more common, late-onset form of Alzheimer's that occurs without a clear genetic cause.

This insight points to the need for more sex-specific approaches in both Alzheimer's research and treatment planning, especially in the design of clinical trials.

While antibiotics are known to harm the gut microbiome, a new study showed that non-antibiotic drugs can also alter the microbiome and increase the risk of gut infections.

However, it has been unclear which of these disruptions might be readily tolerated and which disruptions increase the risk of health complications.

In the new study, researchers from Yale University in the US identified several common prescription, non-antibiotic drugs that altered the gut microbiome, and discovered that at least one of these drugs triggers mice to produce anti-microbial agents that target their own gut microbes.

Love to eat potatoes? Consume the starchy vegetable baked or boiled, but not as French fries, according to a study which showed that eating the popular snack item thrice a week may increase the risk of diabetes by 20 per cent.

The study, which tracked the diets of more than 205,000 adults over decades, however, showed that other forms of potatoes -- including baked, boiled, and mashed -- do not increase the risk of diabetes.

The study, published in the BMJ, also found that swapping any form of potato for whole grains may lower the risk of diabetes.

Are you someone who reaches for a cup of coffee every night? According to a new study, nighttime caffeine consumption can increase impulsive behaviour, potentially leading to reckless actions, especially among women.

The findings could have negative implications for shift workers, health care, and military personnel who consume coffee at night, particularly females, said a team of biologists from The University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).

The study, published in the journal iScience, examined how nighttime caffeine intake affects inhibition and impulsivity in fruit flies.

Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly species used in the study, is a powerful model to study complex behaviours due to its genetic and neural parallels with humans.

Diabetes continually weakens the immune system, leading to poor health and a high risk of death among patients with tuberculosis (TB), said experts on Tuesday.

The link between TB and diabetes -- two critical challenges to global health -- has long been established. TB and diabetes, both separately and combined, significantly affect individuals, communities, and healthcare systems worldwide.

India's TB burden remains a major public health challenge, with 28 lakh TB cases -- accounting for 26 per cent, the highest globally in 2024. The country also reported an estimated 3.15 lakh TB-related deaths, accounting for 29 per cent of the deaths globally.

Romania recorded 1,703 new cases of COVID-19 in July 2025, marking a 232 per cent increase compared to the previous month, according to data released by the National Institute of Public Health (INSP).

Of the total cases, 442 were reinfections, occurring more than 90 days after the initial diagnosis.

The INSP also reported seven COVID-19-related deaths in July, involving five men and two women. Four of the individuals were aged 70 to 79, and three were over 80. All had underlying health conditions.

Testing activity increased last month, with 860 RT-PCR tests and 14,750 rapid antigen tests performed, up 25.5 per cent from June. The overall positivity rate rose to 10.9 per cent, an increase of 6.8 percentage points.

Following a healthy diet to lose weight? Make sure it's minimally processed, suggests a study, which showed that reducing processing could help to sustain a healthy weight.

In a first, researchers from the University College London (UCL) nutritionally matched minimally processed (MPF) and ultra-processed (UPF) diets.

The results, published in the journal Nature Medicine, showed that participants lost twice as much weight eating minimally processed foods compared to ultra-processed foods.

“The primary outcome of the trial was to assess percentage changes in weight, and on both diets, we saw a significant reduction, but the effect was nearly double on the minimally processed diet,” said Dr Samuel Dicken, first author of the study from the UCL Centre for Obesity Research.

Chronic inflammation may be associated with an increased risk of frailty, social disadvantage, and cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a study.

The study, published in the journal Communications Medicine, looked at 74 inflammation-related proteins in blood samples from more than 2,000 women aged between 37 and 84 years and explored how inflammation was linked to frailty, area-level social deprivation, and CVD risk.

The researchers identified 10 inflammatory proteins that were associated with both frailty and living in a deprived area.

Of these, four proteins that are involved in cellular signaling, growth, and movement (TNFSF14, HGF, CDCP1, and CCL11) were also linked to increased risk of cardiovascular disease.

The brain might become the target of new type 1 diabetes treatments and pave a better way for insulin management, according to a study.

Researchers had, over a decade ago, found that an acute complication of type 1 diabetes -- diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) -- can be resolved with the hormone leptin, even in the absence of insulin.

In the analysis, published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation, the team explained how leptin affects the brain and how it might be used in future therapeutics.

DKA happens when the body is unable to make insulin and begins to break down fat for fuel. This can lead to a life-threatening buildup of sugar (glucose) and ketoacids in the blood.

Doctors have typically administered insulin to address the complication. But evidence now shows that, when insulin is insufficient, the brain plays a key role in driving DKA, explained researchers from the University of Washington in the US

Corneal blindness, once considered a condition largely confined to the elderly, is now emerging as a significant threat among teenagers and young adults across the country, health experts said on Monday.

Corneal blindness, while serious, is a largely preventable cause of blindness. It occurs when the transparent front part of the eye, the cornea, becomes cloudy or scarred due to infections, trauma, or nutritional deficiencies.

Corneal opacities are now the second leading cause of blindness in India, affecting tens of thousands annually.

According to experts at the Indian Society of Cornea and Kerato-Refractive Surgeons’ (ISCKRS) three-day meet in New Delhi, India, records between 20,000 and 25,000 new cases of corneal blindness every year, and the number is growing.

Ahead of the UN treaty on plastics, a new report in The Lancet journal on Monday has warned that plastic pollution is an underrecognised threat to the health of both humans and the planet, which must be addressed immediately.

The report, led by a group of international experts, reviews the current evidence on how plastics -- including microplastics and plastic chemicals -- impact health.

“Plastics are a grave, growing, and under-recognised danger to human and planetary health. Plastics cause disease and death from infancy to old age and are responsible for health-related economic losses exceeding $1.5 trillion annually,” said corresponding author Prof Philip J Landrigan, from Boston College, US.

 Authorities in South Africa's Western Cape have confirmed new outbreaks of bird flu in the province, urging the public to "stay alert," but "not alarmed."

"The Western Cape Department of Agriculture wishes to alert poultry farmers and the general public to new outbreaks of high pathogenicity avian influenza, commonly referred to as bird flu," said the department in a statement released on Friday night.

Recent outbreaks have been confirmed in chickens in the North West and Mpumalanga provinces, along with a single outbreak in the Western Cape, detected in farmed ducks near Paarl in early July, the statement said, adding that the affected ducks, along with related flocks of chickens, were voluntarily and humanely culled to prevent further spread of the disease, news agency reported.