By: Sana Ullah Ghumman In a move that has disappointed health experts and economists alike, the Government of Pakistan decided not to introduce taxes on sugary drinks and ultra-processed food products in the federal budget for 2025–26—despite growing calls from across the political and medical spectrum. Experts argue this was a rare opportunity to address…
Islamabad – (Adnan Hameed) : The Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO) joined hands with the Government of Pakistan to start the implementation of Pakistan’s Pandemic Fund through a national consultation to establish One Health Units across the country. The objective: strengthening pandemic prevention, preparedness…
Chinese rescuers are continuing search and rescue operations in hard-hit Mandalay, central Myanmar following the 7.9-magnitude earthquake last week, and have so far rescued 9 survivors from the rubble. On Wednesday, Chinese rescue teams continued joint operations. They verified possible trapped locations through multiple channels. A total of nine batches with 71 personnel were deployed,…
The Israeli branch of Physicians for Human Rights has condemned a widespread policy of abuse inflicted on Gazan healthcare workers in Israeli custody, denouncing mistreatment “amounting to torture.” In a report, PHRI said that the Israeli military had detained more than 250 medical personnel and support staff in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the war triggered…
The number of babies born in Japan fell for a ninth consecutive year to hit a record low 720,988 in 2024, the health ministry said on Thursday, the latest data underscoring the rapid shrinkage and ageing of the country’s population. Births declined 5 percent from a year earlier, while the number of deaths hit a…
Pope Francis’ health has deteriorated over the past 24 hours, the Vatican said in a statement on Saturday, adding that he had suffered a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis” and had needed blood transfusions. “The Holy Father remains alert and has spent the day in a chair, though he is more unwell than yesterday. At the…
Pope Francis was admitted to hospital on Friday for tests and treatment for bronchitis, the latest in a series of health problems for the 88-year-old pontiff. Francis, who has been breathless in recent days and has delegated officials to read his speeches, held his morning meetings as planned before heading to Rome’s Gemelli hospital, the…
A federal judge extended a block on Elon Musk’s government cost-cutting team from accessing payment systems at the US Treasury Department on Friday, while another judge allowed the billionaire’s DOGE staffers to access records at health, labor and consumer financial protection agencies. Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency has swept through federal agencies since Republican Donald Trump…
A deluge of disinformation about a flu-like virus called HMPV is stoking anti-China sentiment across Asia and spurring unfounded concerns of renewed lockdowns, despite experts dismissing comparisons with the COVID-19 pandemic five years ago. AFP’s fact-checkers have debunked a slew of social media posts about the usually non-fatal respiratory disease human metapneumovirus after cases rose…
Reports that cases of a flu-like virus called HMPV are rising in China have sparked concern, but experts have dismissed fears that the situation is comparable to the beginnings of COVID-19 five years ago. Here is what you need to know about HMPV: Similar to flu HMPV stands for “human metapneumovirus” and generally causes a…
At the same time, 188 others are injured, Xinhua reported The death toll from the earthquake in Tibet increased to 126 people, with 188 others injured, Xinhua reported. China Central Television earlier said at least 95 people were killed and 130 injured. The earthquake ruined many residential buildings and much infrastructure. More than 400 troops are engaged in a…
The UN’s children’s fund raised the alarm on Friday over the high rate of new HIV infections among young women and girls, warning they lacked access to prevention and treatment. In a report ahead of World AIDS Day on Saturday, UNICEF said that 96,000 girls and 41,000 boys aged 15–19 were newly infected with HIV in 2023,…
Canada’s public health agency on Friday confirmed the first case of clade I mpox in Canada, in an person in Manitoba. The Public Health Agency of Canada said this travel-related case was associated with an ongoing outbreak of clade I mpox in central and eastern Africa. “The individual sought medical care for mpox symptoms in…
The Laos government said Saturday it was “profoundly saddened” by the deaths of foreign tourists in Vang Vieng, with the toll from a suspected methanol poisoning incident now at six. A statement posted on its Ministry of Foreign Affairs website said it expressed “sincere sympathy and deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” adding…
