Up to four in 10 or 7.1 million cancer cases worldwide could be prevented, according to a new global analysis from the World Health Organization (WHO) and its International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) on Wednesday.

The study, released on World Cancer Day on February 4, identified tobacco as the leading preventable cause of cancer globally, responsible for 15 per cent of all new cancer cases.

It also found, for the first time, that nine cancer-causing infections are responsible for about 10 per cent of cancer cases.

Scientists in Australia have mapped the "neighbourhoods" of lung cancer cells and found that cell metabolism plays a key role in determining how patients respond to immunotherapy.

Researchers from the University of Queensland's (UQ) Frazer Institute studied cell interactions at cellular resolution in non-small cell lung carcinoma, the most common form of lung cancer, to better understand why some patients don't respond to immunotherapy treatment, news agency reported.

Tamil Nadu has crossed a critical public health threshold, registering more than one lakh new cancer cases in a single year for the first time. The latest figures for 2025, according to data submitted in Parliament by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, show 1,00,097 fresh cases in the state, underscoring a sharp and sustained rise in incidence and raising concerns among health authorities about prevention, early detection, and treatment capacity.

Even after three decades of aggressive eradication campaigns, Pakistan’s polio woes continue amid public mistrust and logistical gaps, according to a media report.

Pakistan first launched the anti-polio campaign in 1994. Yet, over the last 31 years, the country recorded a staggering total of 14,206 confirmed polio cases, The Express Tribune’s T-Magazine reported.

Amid a rapidly ageing population in India, experts on Tuesday stressed the need for a home-based, community-led and integrated elder care model to boost geriatric care in the country.

Speaking at an event held in the national capital, the health experts also discussed the growing challenges confronting the country’s elderly population and the urgent need for more responsive and inclusive approaches to geriatric care.

Gujarat has recorded a major achievement in public healthcare by completing large-scale cancer screening across the state over the past four years, strengthening early detection and access to treatment ahead of World Cancer Day. Health department figures show that more than three crore people above the age of 30 have been screened for oral cancer, while over 1.6 crore women have undergone breast cancer screening and more than 82 lakh women have been screened for cervical cancer.

Slashing global aid, particularly by the US and European countries, will reverse decades of progress in fighting diseases, and lead to 22.6 million additional deaths in people of all age groups, including children under five years of age, by 2030, warned a new study published in The Lancet Global Health on Tuesday.

The peer-reviewed study led by the Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), in Spain, showed that the additional deaths will be across 93 low- and middle- income countries, including India. The figures also include 5.4 million children under the age of five.

Pakistan on Monday launched its first nationwide polio vaccination campaign of 2026, aiming to vaccinate more than 45 million children from February 2 to February 8, the National Emergency Operations Centre said.

Myanmar has intensified health screening and surveillance at Yangon International Airport to prevent the possible entry of the Nipah virus, the state-owned daily The Global New Light of Myanmar reported on Monday.

In view of the ongoing outbreak of the Nipah virus in India's West Bengal state, special attention is being given to travelers arriving from India, with health checks focusing on fever and other Nipah-related symptoms, the report said, citing the Ministry of Health.

From February 1, the government is bringing a new tax structure for cigarettes, tobacco products and pan masala, aiming to tighten regulation and keep tax levels high on these so-called ‘sin goods’.

An additional excise duty will now be charged on cigarettes and tobacco products, along with a new health and national security cess on pan masala.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Delhi, on Friday observed AIIMS Research Day 2026, showcasing innovation, artificial intelligence (AI) and national health priorities.

The scientific programme, held at the Jawaharlal Auditorium, brought together faculty members, researchers, clinicians, and students from across disciplines who reaffirmed their commitment to innovation, translational science, and nationally relevant health research.

The risk of transmission of Nipah virus remains low, and there is no need for any travel or trade restrictions, said the World Health Organisation, noting that it is closely monitoring the deadly virus cases in India.

In its latest Epidemiological Bulletin, the global health body reported two cases of Nipah virus in 25-year-old nurses -- a woman and a man -- working at the same private hospital in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district.

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.

Free diagnosis and multi-drug treatment at public health hospitals is ensuring that India remains leprosy-free, said the government on Friday.

National Leprosy Day in India is observed annually on January 30, coinciding with the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, to honour his work with those affected by the disease.

Digital addiction is growing as a significant health problem among children and the youth and is also contributing to the mental health crisis in the country, said the government on Thursday in the Economic Survey 2025-26.

The Survey tabled in the Parliament by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, noted that digital addiction is closely linked with the degrading mental health of the youth in the country.

Increasing public health spending has improved access and affordability of preventive and curative care in the country, according to the Economic Survey 2025-26 on Thursday.

The Economic Survey tabled in the Parliament by the Union Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs, Nirmala Sitharaman, drew attention to the importance of enhancements in public health for strengthening human capital and economic productivity.

Obesity is rising at an alarming rate and is today a major public health challenge in India, said Economic Survey for 2025-26 on Thursday.

According to the Economic Survey, tabled in the Parliament by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the concerning trend was driven by unhealthy diets, lifestyle changes, including sedentary lifestyles, increased consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs), and environmental factors.

“It is affecting people across all age groups and increasing the risk of NCDs such as diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, impacting both urban and rural populations,” the Survey said.

Amid growing influence of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare, a new large-scale clinical trial published in The Lancet on Thursday showed that an AI-enabled stethoscope can boost early detection of various heart diseases.

A team of Spanish researchers found that an AI-enabled stethoscope helped doctors in identifying early signs of serious heart conditions, such as heart failure, arrhythmias, and valve disease, in primary care clinics.

The India-EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is a positive step for the Indian medical device sector, said experts on Wednesday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday jointly concluded the "mother of all deals", marking a historic milestone in India-EU economic relations and trade engagement with key global partners.

 A team of Indian and US researchers has developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based technique to detect diabetes without the traditional blood tests.

The technique can detect whether a person has high blood sugar by taking a high-resolution photo of the retina (back of the eye).

The study, published in the Diabetes Technology and Therapeutics journal, showed that AI can spot tiny warning signs in the eye’s blood vessels that are invisible to the human eye, which can differentiate people with and without diabetes without a finger-prick blood test.

Lack of awareness on timely treatment is fuelling mental health disorders in young Indian adults, said health experts on Wednesday.

Speaking at the 77th Annual National Conference of the Indian Psychiatric Society (ANCIPS 2026), leading mental health experts noted that the excess use of digital devices may further drive mental disorders.

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday notified key amendments to the New Drugs and Clinical Trials (NDCT) Rules, 2019, which will help reduce drug development timelines, as well as strengthen the clinical research and pharmaceutical development ecosystem.

The amendments are aimed at simplifying regulatory processes, reducing approval timelines, and promoting ease of doing business.

Routine childhood vaccinations are not associated with an increased risk of epilepsy in young children, according to a new study led by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The study, published in The Journal of Pediatrics, showed that the aluminum used as vaccine adjuvants also does not increase the risk of the neurological condition.

“Incident epilepsy was not associated with up-to-date vaccination status or cumulative vaccine aluminum exposure among children less than 4 years of age,” said the team, including those from the Marshfield Clinic Research Institute in Marshfield, US.

The Ayush tableau at the Republic Day Parade 2026 is expected to highlight the National Ayush Mission’s (NAM) role in strengthening traditional systems of medicine and embedding them within the national health framework, the Ministry of Ayush said.

The tableau, under the theme “Ayush ka Tantra, Swasthya ka Mantra”, will symbolise India’s journey of nation-building through health, self-reliance, and civilisational knowledge.

A team of German researchers has developed a new imaging technology that can noninvasively scan your skin and also reveal early signs of cardiovascular risk.

Fast-RSOM skin scan can detect tiny changes in blood vessels, oxygen levels, and tissue composition that are invisible to traditional imaging.

It can capture detailed images of the smallest blood vessels directly through the skin -- and detect tiny changes in their ability to expand and contract, known as microvascular endothelial dysfunction (MiVED).

 Amid a noticeable increase in chikungunya infections across parts of Tamil Nadu, the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine (DPH) has issued a statewide alert, directing district administrations and urban health bodies to step up monitoring, diagnosis and mosquito-control efforts to curb further transmission.

Health officials said heightened vigilance was essential as seasonal conditions remain favourable for vector breeding.

Improving accessibility, affordability, and tailoring treatment and diagnostics to women's needs are some of the crucial measures to closing the health gap for the fairer sex by 2030, said experts at the ongoing World Economic Forum 2026 in Davos.

Women spend 25 per cent more of their lives in poorer health than men due to delayed diagnoses and limited access to appropriate care.

 दुनिया भर में हेल्थकेयर सिस्टम में बढ़ती लागत और घटती क्वालिटी के बीच, चल रहे वर्ल्ड इकोनॉमिक फोरम (WEF) 2026 में एक्सपर्ट्स ने कॉस्ट-इन्वेस्टमेंट विरोधाभास को तोड़ने के लिए समाधान खोजने की ज़रूरत पर चर्चा की।

'हेल्थकेयर: कॉस्ट या इन्वेस्टमेंट' सेशन के दौरान, एक्सपर्ट्स ने चर्चा की कि दुनिया भर में हेल्थकेयर सिस्टम एक ऐसे विरोधाभास का सामना कर रहे हैं जिससे बचा नहीं जा सकता: खर्च बढ़ता है जबकि क्वालिटी अक्सर घटती है।

जर्मनी की फेडरल हेल्थ मिनिस्टर नीना वार्केन ने कहा कि देशों के पास बेहतर हेल्थकेयर सुविधाएं होनी चाहिए और नागरिकों को स्वस्थ और बीमारी-मुक्त जीवन जीने में सक्षम बनाने के लिए उन्हें फाइनेंस भी करना चाहिए।

Davos, Jan 20 || Amid rising costs and declining quality in healthcare systems worldwide, experts at the ongoing World Economic Forum (WEF) 2026 deliberated on the need to find solutions to break the cost-investment paradox.

During the session, ‘Healthcare: Cost or Investment’, experts discussed how healthcare systems worldwide face an inescapable paradox: spending rises while quality often declines.

Nina Warken, Germany’s Federal Minister of Health, stated that countries must have better healthcare facilities and must also finance them to enable citizens to live a healthy and disease-free life.

The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) on Wednesday declared 167 drug samples tested by the Central and state drugs regulatory authorities as ‘not of standard quality (NSQ)' in its monthly drug alert for December.

While the Central Drugs Laboratories identified 74 drug samples as NSQ, the State Drugs Testing Laboratories identified 93 drug samples as NSQ.

As per routine regulatory surveillance activity, the list of NSQ and spurious drugs is being displayed on the CDSCO portal on a monthly basis.

Bulgaria's Health Ministry announced that the coastal Burgas District has become the third region this year to declare a flu epidemic.

From January 22 to 30, temporary anti-epidemic measures will be enforced in Burgas. These include the suspension of in-person classes, extracurricular activities, and hospital visits.

Similar measures are already in place in two other districts. Varna's restrictions, initially set for January 14-20, have been extended to January 26 due to high case numbers. In Dobrich, measures will remain until the end of this week.

A team of Chinese researchers has developed an autonomous robotic system that is capable of performing delicate eye injections within the confined space of the human eye.

The surgery robot, developed by a team from the Institute of Automation under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, can potentially enhance the precision and safety of surgeries used to treat debilitating retinal diseases, news agency reported.

In the paper published in the journal Science Robotics, the team reported that the robot successfully performed subretinal and intravascular injections in animal tests with 100 per cent success.

For artificial intelligence (AI) to deliver meaningful public value in a linguistically diverse country like India, it must be multilingual and voice-enabled, ensuring that language does not become a barrier to accessing healthcare services, according to Amitabh Nag, CEO, Digital India BHASHINI Division (DIBD).

Nag said that language AI can significantly enhance citizen engagement, grievance redressal mechanisms, clinical documentation, and the overall accessibility of digital public health platforms.

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi has performed over 1,000 robotic surgeries in last 13 months, the Institute said on Tuesday.

Robotic surgery was initiated at the Department of Surgical Disciplines, AIIMS, more than a year ago to address intricate surgical challenges.

The state-of-the-art surgical robot has to date performed surgeries, including hepatobiliary procedures like pancreatic duodenectomy, gastrectomy, esophagectomy, colectomy, anterior resection for gastrointestinal malignancy, various complex abdominal wall reconstructions for hernias, kidney transplantation, and minimally invasive resection of thyroid, parathyroid, adrenal, and pancreas for endocrine tumours, AIIMS said in an official statement.

Affirmative action in local government leadership can significantly help improve health outcomes, particularly infant survival and maternal prenatal care, in India, according to a study, led by researchers at the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Lucknow on Tuesday.

The study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal, offers important insights into how structural interventions can address long-established social and health inequities.