Health

The World Health Organization (WHO) on Saturday said the hantavirus outbreak is not another COVID pandemic, and the current public health risk remains low.  WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in a message that "I know you are worried". “The pain of 2020 is still real, and I do not dismiss it for a single moment. But I need you to hear me clearly: this is not another COVID. The current public health risk from hantavirus remains low. My colleagues and I have said this unequivocally, and I will say it again to you now,” he wrote. The virus aboard the MV Hondius ship is the Andes strain of hantavirus. A total of eight Hantavirus cases, including three deaths, have been reported so far. “It is serious. Three people have lost their lives, and our hearts go out to their f...

A mother dies from preventable complications every hour in Afghanistan, the World Health Organization (WHO) said, showcasing a health system still struggling to protect women during pregnancy and childbirth, local media reported on Wednesday. In a statement issued on International Day of the Midwife, the WHO said the maternal mortality rate in Afghanistan remains among the highest across the world, at 521 deaths per 100,000 live births, even as access to basic care has improved over the past 20 years, Afghanistan`s Amu TV reported. Many of these deaths occurred due to conditions that can be treated or prevented, including haemorrhage, hypertension, infection and hindered labour, the WHO said. The consequences are often long-lasting and severe for women who survive such complications. Si...

An analysis of MRI scans shows that a lower accumulation of abdominal fat in midlife is associated with a significant slowing of brain atrophy (shrinkage), preservation of key brain structures, and better cognitive performance in late midlife -- independent of weight loss. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of the brain and abdomen were analysed of 533 women and men in late midlife, who were followed for up to 16 years. During this period, participants underwent repeated MRI measurements of visceral fat and brain structures, along with their cognitive assessment. The findings, published in the journal Nature Communications, suggest that the relationship between abdominal fat and brain aging is likely brought about primarily through glucose control and insulin sensitivity. Researcher...

A 14-year-old boy suffering from end-stage heart failure got a new lease of life after the family of a woman, wife of a serving Indian Army officer, consented to donating her organs after she was declared brain dead at Command Hospital, Chandimandir, in Haryana`s Panchkula, officials said. The 41-year-old woman had suffered a brain haemorrhage. Her husband, along with their two young daughters, supported the decision to donate her organs, turning their personal loss into a life-saving opportunity for others. After the patient was declared brain dead on May 2, her heart was allocated to Indraprastha Apollo Hospital in Delhi. A specialised team from the hospital arranged urgent logistics and flew to Chandigarh on a chartered private jet to retrieve the organ, the hospital said in a stateme...

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Delhi introduced "India`s first portable bedside MRI system," enabling rapid brain imaging for critically ill patients in ICUs, emergencies, and neurosurgical care. The ultra-low-field device can be wheeled directly to patients, eliminating the need for dedicated MRI suites or risky patient transfers. The system is already being used at the Centre for Neurological Conditions under Dr. Shailesh Gaikwad. It is expected to improve rapid diagnosis in stroke, trauma, ICU monitoring, paediatrics, and post-operative neurosurgical care. Clinicians say that the technology enables faster decision-making in emergencies where conventional imaging is difficult or unsafe. The installation follows regulatory approval in India and is supported by Radiosur...

High-income countries are on track to eliminate cervical cancer -- preventable through vaccination and screening -- by 2048, while low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) will see only slight reductions over the next century, according to a study published in The Lancet journal. As a result, the gap between regions will widen dramatically, with women in LMICs facing much higher rates of this preventable disease, researchers, including those from CHU de Quebec-Universite Laval Research Center in Canada, said. Almost all cervical cancer cases (99 per cent) are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV), an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Cervical cancer is largely preventable through HPV vac...

With temperatures rising sharply this summer, doctors in Pune are witnessing a noticeable increase in kidney-related problems, particularly kidney stones and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Experts attribute this surge primarily to dehydration, excessive sweating, and inadequate fluid intake, which are common during the hot months. During summer, the body loses more fluids through sweating. When this loss is not adequately compensated for by increased water intake, urine becomes more concentrated. This creates an ideal environment for minerals and salts to crystallise, leading to the formation of kidney stones. At the same time, reduced hydration and poor hygiene can also increase the risk of urinary infections, especially in women and elderly individuals. “Cases of kidney stones tend to ...

The mid-afternoon sun at an IPL thriller or the relentless heat of a six-hour music festival is more than a test of endurance, it is a physiological siege. For most attendees, the ritual is the same: arrive, feel the parched heat, and frantically chug a litre of lukewarm bottled water. According to internal medicine experts, you have already lost the battle. This ‘reactive drinking’ may soothe a dry throat, but it fails to penetrate the cellular level where hydration is actually needed to regulate core temperature. To survive—and enjoy—extreme exposure, one must adopt the strategy of Volumetric Loading: a disciplined, 24-hour physiological prep that builds the body’s water reserves before the first drop of sweat even forms. Internal medicine health experts break down the science of the s...

Doctors in Thane have successfully treated an elderly woman with a complex case of Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) using advanced excimer laser atherectomy technology, marking a significant step in minimally invasive vascular care. The 88-year-old female patient, a known case of diabetes, hypertension, and prior stroke, presented with severe pain and gangrene in her toe at KIMS Hospitals Thane. Imaging revealed a blockage in a major artery of the leg. She underwent a minimally invasive endovascular procedure using the Philips Excimer 300 laser system along with a specialised laser atherectomy catheter, which helped clear the arterial blockage and restore blood flow. The patient experienced significant relief and was discharged the next day, walking comfortably. This advanced system uses ...

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that temperatures are likely to rise further across several districts in the coming days, even as the state witnesses a relative cooling of its political climate after weeks of intense activity.  With the mercury climbing steadily, health experts have cautioned that the risk of heat-related illnesses is increasing and stressed the need for preventive measures. Doctors say that staying safe during peak summer requires two essential steps -- constant vigilance and regular intake of Oral Rehydration Solution (ORS). The average human body temperature is around 36.9 degrees Celsius. When the external temperature rises significantly above this level, the body begins absorbing heat from the surroundings. To counter this, it activates cooling ...