India is debating the introduction of data exclusivity in pharmaceuticals, a regulatory protection that can delay the entry of generic drugs even after patent expiry. While the move is projected as a way to attract investment and support innovation, it raises serious concerns for India’s generics-driven pharmaceutical industry and access to affordable medicines. In the absence of any international obligation under WTO-TRIPS, the policy choice involves balancing innovation incentives with public health priorities and preserving India’s role as the pharmacy of the developing world.
Click to View MoreIndia faces the world’s highest burden of snakebite deaths, largely due to delayed treatment and weak rural health linkages. The ICMR-led Zero Snakebite Death Initiative seeks to address this gap by integrating community-based prevention, rapid response, and evidence-driven health system strengthening, drawing on successful local models such as Assam’s Demow Model. By shifting the focus from hospital-centric care to early intervention and community empowerment, the initiative offers a realistic pathway to significantly reduce preventable snakebite mortality in India.
Click to View MoreNavara is an ancient medicinal rice native to Kerala’s Palakkad region, valued for its therapeutic role in Ayurveda and its rich nutritional profile. Once widely grown, it has become rare due to low yields, labour-intensive cultivation, pest sensitivity, and competition from hybrid varieties. Despite these challenges, Navara remains important for its cultural significance, biodiversity value, GI tag recognition, and unique place in traditional health practices.
Click to View MoreGallbladder cancer has emerged as a silent epidemic in India’s Gangetic belt, driven by polluted water, food contamination, poverty and gender inequality. It disproportionately affects rural women, often detected late with high treatment costs and poor survival. Weak surveillance, non-notifiability of cancer and ineffective environmental governance keep the crisis invisible. Addressing it requires pollution control, gender-sensitive screening, clean water access, stronger cancer reporting systems and integrated health–environment policy action.
Click to View MoreNeurotechnology—ranging from brain-computer interfaces to neural stimulation—offers India major gains in health, innovation, and economic growth by improving treatment for neurological disorders, enabling assistive devices, and creating new tech industries. Globally, countries like the U.S., China, and Chile are advancing neurotech while shaping ethical norms and neurorights. However, its promise depends on strong regulation that safeguards mental privacy, autonomy, equity, and long-term safety. If India builds research capacity, industry linkages, and ethical oversight,
Click to View MorePollution is emerging as a hidden reproductive health crisis, as toxins in air, water, soil and plastics disrupt hormones, damage sperm and egg quality, and increase miscarriage and poor birth outcomes. Evidence from India and globally shows declining fertility, particularly in polluted cities, indicating that cleaner environments are essential for protecting family health and demographic stability.
Click to View MoreThe WHO’s first guideline on GLP-1 therapy marks a major shift in treating obesity as a chronic disease rather than a behavioural issue. It conditionally recommends drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide for adults with obesity, but only alongside diet, exercise, and counselling. While the therapy shows significant weight loss and metabolic benefits, WHO warns of high costs, limited access, safety gaps, and the need for strong health systems to ensure equitable, long-term care.
Click to View MoreIndia entered 2025 aiming to eliminate TB but remains far from the goal. Despite free treatment and programme reforms, India still accounts for over a quarter of global cases due to stigma, underinvestment, private sector dependence, weak awareness and poor prevention. Politically prioritising TB, integrating socio-economic determinants and strengthening surveillance are key to moving from intent to impact.
Click to View MoreThe Health Security se National Security cess seeks to tax machines used in pan masala and tobacco production to generate revenue and discourage consumption. While this approach simplifies administration in a fragmented industry, it raises concerns about evasion, informalisation, and weak linkage to public health outcomes. Without strong enforcement and complementary measures, the cess risks functioning more as a fiscal tool than an effective tobacco control or health policy instrument.
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UN ESCAP’s 2025 report warns that Asian megacities may experience an additional 2–7°C due to urban heat island effects, with India, Pakistan and Bangladesh facing 300+ days above 35°C. Extreme heat is now the region’s fastest-growing climate hazard, threatening health, livelihoods and economic stability.
Click to View MoreThe world’s first human H5N5 bird flu death has been reported in Washington. While the virus poses low human risk, it remains a significant ecological and agricultural threat. No human-to-human transmission is detected, but scientists urge vigilant surveillance and One Health–based monitoring to prevent future spillover events.
Click to View MoreMalnutrition in India remains a pressing public health challenge, affecting children, pregnant women, and vulnerable populations, especially in tribal and remote areas. It manifests as undernutrition—including stunting, wasting, underweight, and micronutrient deficiencies—as well as the rising problem of overnutrition. Despite initiatives like POSHAN Abhiyaan, ICDS, Anemia Mukt Bharat, and food fortification programs, gaps in implementation, healthcare access, infrastructure, and community awareness persist. Evidence shows that targeted interventions in high-risk areas, maternal nutrition support, technology-enabled monitoring, and community engagement are critical to reducing malnutrition and improving overall health outcomes.
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