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The World Health Organisation (<keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">WHO</keyword>) has announced that <keyword id="22989608" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="M-Pox" source="keywords">M-Pox</keyword> will continue to be classified as a <keyword id="21952478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-health-emergency" source="keywords">public health emergency</keyword> of international concern (PHEIC), citing a resurgence in cases and the virus's ongoing geographic spread. The high-alert status initially declared in August, was reaffirmed following a meeting of the WHO Emergency Committee, The Express Tribune reported on Friday. The decision comes as M-Pox cases surge, particularly with the spread of the <keyword id="22875864" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="clade-Ib-variant" source="keywords">clade Ib variant</keyword> beyond its origin in the Democratic Republic of Congo to neighbouring African nations, Europe, and Asia. "Rising case numbers, the continuing geographic spread, and the need for a cohesive response have made it essential to maintain this emergency status," the WHO said in its statement. Confirmed cases of clade Ib have been detected in the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden, and India, highlighting the global scale of the outbreak, reported The Express Tribune. M-Pox, a viral disease transmitted through close contact, presents flu-like symptoms and lesions. Although typically mild, it can be fatal, particularly in regions with inadequate healthcare. Over 46,000 suspected cases have been reported this year in Africa, with Congo accounting for the majority of the more than 1,000 suspected deaths. The new PHEIC declaration underscores the global threat posed by clade Ib and follows earlier alerts related to a separate strain during the 2022-2023 outbreak. In response to growing concerns, the WHO has expanded vaccine authorisations. Bavarian Nordic's <keyword id="24137585" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="M-Pox-vaccine" source="keywords">M-Pox vaccine</keyword> was approved earlier this year, with Japan's KM Biologics' vaccine added to the list of emergency-use vaccines in September. WHO officials have faced criticism for delays in <keyword id="21847727" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccine-distribution" source="keywords">vaccine distribution</keyword> but stressed that vaccination remains a cornerstone of global response efforts, The Express Tribune reported. "The emergency status underscores the urgency to mount a unified global response," a WHO spokesperson stated. The organisation urged countries and health partners to collaborate on widespread vaccination campaigns and enhance public awareness to curb the virus's spread effectively.

M-Pox remains public health emergency: WHO

Sydney, Aug 15 (The Conversation): The <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organization" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Health Organization" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Health Organization">World Health Organization</keyword> (<keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">WHO</keyword>) has declared <keyword id="20965747" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mpox" source="keywords">mpox</keyword> a public health emergency of international concern, after rising cases in the <keyword id="22796094" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo" source="keywords">Democratic Republic of the Congo</keyword> and the potential for further spread. This now triggers a coordinated international response to an extraordinary event and the mobilisation of resources, such as vaccines and diagnostic testing, to curb the spread of this infectious disease. But WHO has not declared mpox a <keyword id="19913581" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic" source="keywords">pandemic</keyword>. Rather, the measures it has triggered are designed to prevent it from becoming one. <h2>What triggered this latest alert?</h2> Mpox, once known as monkeypox, is a viral infection closely related to <keyword id="22362924" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="smallpox" source="keywords">smallpox</keyword>. Initial symptoms include a fever, headache, swelling of the lymph nodes and muscle ache. A typical rash follows, mainly on the face, hands and feet. The spread of mpox through certain African countries led the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention to declare earlier this week mpox a public health emergency of continental security. This is the first time the organisation has issued such an alert since it was established in 2017. The situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in central Africa has been particularly worrying for more than a year. There are two types or clades of mpox. Clade II, which originates in west Africa, is less severe. It has a fatality rate of up to 1 per cent (in other words, roughly one in 100 are expected to die from it). But clade I, from central Africa, has a fatality rate of up to 10 per cent (up to one in ten die). This compares to a 0.7 per cent fatality rate for the Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID. The Democratic Republic of the Congo is seeing large epidemics of the more deadly clade I mpox. Mpox is endemic in some parts of central and west Africa, where the virus exists in animals and can spread to humans. Outbreaks have been increasing, with more human-to-human spread, since 2017. This is partly due to very low levels of immunity to the mpox virus, which is related to the virus that causes smallpox. Mass vaccination against smallpox ceased more than 40 years ago globally, resulting in minimal immunity in populations today against mpox. The WHO designation announced this week relates to the clade I. Not only does this have a higher fatality rate, it has new mutations that enhance spread between people. These changes, and the global lack of immunity to mpox, makes the world's population vulnerable to the virus. <h2>There are two different epidemics</h2> In 2022, an epidemic of mpox swept through non-endemic countries, including beyond Africa. This was a variant of clade II originating from Nigeria, called clade IIb. This was sexually transmitted, predominantly affecting men who have sex with men, and had a low fatality rate. That epidemic peaked in 2022, with vaccines made available to people at risk in high-income countries, but there has been an uptick in 2024. At the same time, large clade I epidemics were occurring in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but with far less attention. Vaccines were not available there, even in 2023, when there were 14,626 cases and 654 deaths. Mortality was 4.5 per cent, and higher in children. In fact, most cases and deaths in the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been children. This means most transmission there is non-sexual and is likely to have occurred through close contact or respiratory aerosols. However, in 2023 an <keyword id="20877025" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="outbreak" source="keywords">outbreak</keyword> in a non-endemic part of the country, South Kivu in the east, appeared to be by sexual transmission, indicating more than one epidemic and different transmission modes in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. By mid-2024, there were already more cases in the country than all of 2023 - more than 15,600 cases and 537 deaths. Testing capacity is low in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, most cases are not confirmed by lab testing, and the data we have are from a small sample of genomic sequences from the Kamituga region of South Kivu. This show mutations to the clade I virus around September 2023, to a variant termed clade Ib, which is more readily transmissible between people. We do not have much data to compare these viruses with the viruses causing cases in the rest of the country. <h2>Mpox is spreading internationally</h2> In the past month, the virus has spread to countries that share a border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Rwanda and Burundi. It has also spread to other east African countries, such as Kenya and Uganda. None of these countries have had mpox cases previously. In an interconnected, mobile world, cases may spread to other continents, as mpox did in 2018 from Nigeria to the United Kingdom and other countries. A few travel-related cases between 2018 and 2019 may have led to the large multi-country 2022 clade IIb epidemic. <h2>We have vaccines, but not where they are needed</h2> As the mpox virus and smallpox viruses are related (they are both orthopoxviruses), smallpox vaccines offer protection against mpox. These vaccines were used to control the 2022 clade IIb epidemic. However, most of the world has never been vaccinated, and has no immunity to mpox. The newer <keyword id="19959412" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vaccine" source="keywords">vaccine</keyword> (called Jynneos in some countries and Imvamune or Imvanex in others) is effective. However, supplies are limited, and vaccine is scarce in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. WHO's declaration of mpox as a public health emergency of international concern will help mobilise vaccines to where they are needed. The Africa Centres for Disease Control had already begun negotiations to secure 2,00,000 doses of vaccine, which is a fraction of what is required to control the epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. <h2>What happens now?</h2> Ultimately, a serious epidemic anywhere in the world is a concern for all of us, as it can spread globally through travel, as we saw with the COVID pandemic. Controlling it at the source is the best measure, and WHO's latest declaration will help mobilise the required resources. Surveillance for spread of this more serious version of mpox is also essential, bearing in mind that many countries do not have the capacity for widespread testing. So we'll have to rely on "suspected cases", based on a clinical definition, to keep track of the epidemic. Open-source epidemic intelligence - such as using AI to monitor trends in rash and fever illness - can also be used as an early warning system in countries with weak health systems or delayed reporting of cases. A further complication is that 20-30 per cent of people with mpox may simultaneously have chickenpox, an unrelated infection that also causes a rash. So an initial diagnosis of chickenpox (which is easier to test for) does not rule out mpox. Effective communication and tackling push-back against public health measures and disinformation is also key. We saw how important this was during the COVID pandemic. Now, WHO will coordinate the global mpox response, focusing on equity in disease prevention and access to diagnostics and vaccines. It is up to individual countries to do their best to comply with the International Health Regulations, and the protocols for how such a global emergency are managed.

WHO has declared mpox a global health emergency. What happens next?

The <keyword id="22667872" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="mpox-outbreak" source="keywords">mpox outbreak</keyword> in <keyword id="19924003" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="africa" source="keywords">Africa</keyword> is yet another example of how <keyword id="20040661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="infectious-diseases" source="keywords">infectious diseases</keyword>, perceived to be "someone else's problem", and affecting mainly poor, developing countries, may suddenly pose unexpected global threats. Other examples of <keyword id="22817243" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="neglected-diseases" source="keywords">neglected diseases</keyword> include the West Nile, Zika and Chikungunya viruses. Mpox was discovered in 1958 (in captive monkeys, hence the original misnomer "monkeypox") and the first human case was identified in 1970. Then, for decades it was largely neglected by the scientific and public health communities, regarded as an uncommon infection in remote rural areas in tropical Africa, without relevance for the rest of the world. When a massive mpox outbreak hit developed countries in 2022, increased research funding led to a surge in scientific studies. On just one medical search engine, there's been more research produced since April 2022 than in the preceding 60 years. The 2022-23 global mpox outbreak happened despite repeated calls from African researchers for increased global investment in diagnostic, therapeutic and infection prevention tools for mpox. The WHO has now declared the current upsurge of mpox in central Africa a <keyword id="21952478" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="public-health-emergency" source="keywords">public health emergency</keyword> of international concern. This is the highest alert level for events that constitute a public health risk to other countries and requires a coordinated international response. Mpox's recent history is yet another reminder that an infectious disease in one corner of the world should not be regarded as someone else's problem, as it can suddenly start to spread fast and far. It also highlights global inequities in resource allocation and access to vaccines, diagnostics and treatments. These were made available in many industrialised countries and helped curb the global outbreak, but are still largely lacking in most of Africa. <h2>The 2022 outbreak: a total surprise</h2>The disease has been renamed "mpox" but the name of the virus, for now, remains "monkeypox" (MPXV). It is closely related to the smallpox virus. MPXV was considered a <keyword id="21311828" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zoonotic-disease" source="keywords">zoonotic disease</keyword> endemic in parts of central and west Africa. It was acquired mainly through close contact with wild mammals, especially handling bush meat, but there was no sustained human-to-human transmission. Only very occasionally were cases seen outside the endemic areas, due to infected travellers or import of infected small mammals. This changed abruptly in 2022: a massive, rapidly evolving global outbreak caused over 99,000 laboratory-confirmed cases in 116 countries. At its peak in August 2022, over 6,000 cases were reported each week. This outbreak came as a total surprise: most cases were reported from non-endemic countries, mostly in men who have sex with men, who had become infected during recent sexual encounters. Even though most cases were clinically not particularly severe and the death toll stands at just over 200, the global outbreak was declared a public health emergency of international concern by the <keyword id="19896311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="keywords">World Health Organization</keyword> on 23 July, 2022. Fortunately, case numbers soon plummeted due to a combination of behavioural changes and vaccination in at-risk groups. Modern vaccines and antiviral drugs with activity against mpox were made available in many affected high-income countries. These had been developed and stockpiled in the US and Europe, mostly in preparation for a potential bioweapon attack using a poxvirus. The global outbreak in 2022 was caused by clade II of MPXV, which is endemic in west Africa and not as virulent as clade I MPXV, which so far has only been seen in the Congo Basin. That first mpox public health emergency of international concern was declared over in May 2023. Clade II MPXV infections are still occurring globally, but the worst seems over - for now. Complacency would be misguided, as illustrated by the current mpox outbreak that is gathering steam. <h2>Upsurge in Africa</h2>The African region is experiencing an upsurge in mpox cases, which started in 2023. As the continent which includes the areas where mpox has been endemic for a long time, Africa now presents a complex mosaic. The current clade I MPXV (formerly called Congo Basin strain) is more virulent than the clade II (west African) strain, resulting in a higher case fatality rate. The ongoing outbreak has its epicentre in South Kivu province, eastern DRC, and has the potential to fuel a large pandemic. It has a distinct epidemiological pattern with sustained chains of human-to-human transmission, often via the sexual route. It may have increased transmissibility (we don't know yet). The virus which causes it is the newly defined clade Ib lineage. It displays mutations that are the hallmark of human-to-human spread that is estimated to have been happening since September 2023. Case numbers are rising rapidly, even though many suspected cases are likely not tested and thus not counted as confirmed. Complicating matters, a commonly used test was found to miss infections with this lineage of the virus. It affects mostly adults. The case fatality rate is higher than it was in the 2022 global outbreak. Already, this outbreak has resulted in mpox cases occurring in several neighbouring countries, including some (like Kenya), with no previous record of mpox. The challenge is enormous. The eastern DRC is an area beset by multiple problems. This includes natural disasters, violence and infectious diseases including measles, cholera and poliomyelitis for the DRC. In recent years the second-largest Ebola outbreak ever took place in the wider area and, despite the availability of vaccines and treatments, posed considerable challenges. <h2>What needs to happen</h2>Equitable access to diagnostic tests, vaccines and antiviral treatments requires political commitment and financial investments. Scientific investigations are needed to learn more about exposure settings, transmission routes and clinical presentations. It's important to find the best ways to make these interventions. There is no doubt that a disease in one corner of the world can suddenly become a global heath threat. It's time the global health system woke up to this reality.

Mpox outbreak in Africa was neglected - it could now turn into the next global pandemic

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Danish monkeypox-vaccine maker Bavarian Nordic surged as much as 17% on Thursday.</li><li>The company's two-day gain extended to 31% at highs after the WHO declared mpox a public health emergency.</li></ul>Danish monkeypox-vaccine maker <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/bvnkf">Bavarian Nordic</a> surged as much as 17% on Thursday amid rising alarm over the virus.The company extended its two-day gain to 31% at intraday highs after the World Health Organization declared the virus a public health emergency of international concern, citing the rising risk that its outbreak in Africa could spread globally.<a target="_blank" href="https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/who-declares-monkeypox-a-global-emergency/jvln09g">Reports emphasize</a> the need for vaccinations to combat this fast-spreading disease, though supply appears to be constrained.In an <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-14/bavarian-nordic-says-it-can-meet-mpox-shot-demand-awaits-orders">interview with Bloomberg</a>, Bavarian Nordic CEO Paul Chaplin noted that the company will be able to meet the challenge among African nations, and pledged to provide 10 million mpox doses to the region by the end of 2025."We have inventory and we have the capabilities. What we're missing are the orders," he said Wednesday, noting that 300,000 doses are ready for shipping.During <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/heres-how-the-us-handled-its-first-ever-monkeypox-outbreak-2022-5">2022's outbreak</a>, Bavarian Nordic was <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-08-17/monkeypox-vaccine-maker-no-longer-certain-it-can-meet-demand">the only company</a> approved to create a mpox vaccine. However, overwhelming demand forced it to consider outsourcing production.Momentum around the latest emergency announcement has also swept up other firms. In Japan, medical tools supplier Precision System Science rocketed as high as 39% on Wednesday.Chinese firms focused on virus detection products also gained, with Shanghai ZJ Bio-Tech rising as much as 8.4%. Others, such as Daan Gene and Assure Tech Hangzhou, beat the benchmark CSI 300 index.Even before the WHO's declaration, alarm bells have been ringing over the mpox strain that first appeared in September. According to Bloomberg, its broken out in at least six African nations, infecting 15,000.In June, a University of Rwanda lecturer <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-monkeypox-mpox-virus-global-outbreak-risk-2024-7">called it</a> "undoubtedly the most dangerous of all the known strains of mpox."

Danish monkeypox-vaccine maker surges 17% after global health emergency declared

In a recent op-ed published in the TIME, <keyword id="19918823" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OpenAI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="OpenAI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="OpenAI">OpenAI</keyword> CEO <keyword id="19918827" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sam-Altman" source="keywords">Sam Altman</keyword> and <keyword id="22347613" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thrive-Global" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Thrive Global" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Thrive Global">Thrive Global</keyword>’s <keyword id="22347614" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arianna-Huffington" source="keywords">Arianna Huffington</keyword> pose as champions of affordable healthcare. Soft-launching the new company <keyword id="22347612" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thrive-AI-Health" source="keywords">Thrive AI Health</keyword> through the article, the duo speak of using <keyword id="19904566" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="artificial-intelligence" source="keywords">artificial intelligence</keyword> to help people take charge of their well-being and make expert health advice accessible to all. Most notably, they suggest that AI could help improve “both our health spans and our lifespans”. Thrive AI Health will primarily focus on promoting healthy behaviour, like the five foundational behaviours Sam himself swears by: getting enough sleep, eating well, exercising, spending time in nature and meditating. Furthermore, this <keyword id="22347611" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="AI-health-coach" source="keywords">AI health coach</keyword> wouldn't just tell you to eat better or exercise more, but promises to take your preferences, your schedule and your health data into account. OpenAI’s Whoop coach already exists while Google and Apple are also planning to roll out similar tools soon. Related: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/ai-can-identify-clinically-anxious-youth-based-on-brain-structure-study/articleshow/108613080.cms">AI can identify clinically anxious youth based on brain structure: Study</a> According to the TIME article, the AI will be trained on the “best peer-reviewed science”. And here’s where it starts to get tricky. Both peer-reviewed and ‘under-review’ scientific literature consists of inaccurate and confusing interpretations when it comes to human health. Being an ever-evolving field of academia, the studies coming out in this domain have always been subjected to cherry-picking of data and misinterpreting the findings. So, will AI be able to navigate this challenge, especially considering the recent episodes of AI hallucinations even among the most advanced large language models? AI definitely holds promise to make affordable healthcare a reality at warp speed, but how could we make it safe if the training data itself is ambiguous? <h2>Dealing with <keyword id="18230708" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="AI-hallucination" source="Orion">AI hallucination</keyword> </h2>It’ll be a hot while before we purge our minds of the memory of a Google AI search result stating that it was perfectly normal for 5-10 cockroaches to crawl into your penis hole and that this was how they got the name “cock” roach. So forgive us if we don’t jump with joy at the thought of relying on technology trained using LLMs for any sort of health advice. <div type="twitter" handle="JeremiahDJohns" handlename="JeremiahDJohns" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1794543007129387208"></div>We asked Dr Marcus Ranney — Longevity Physician, Founder of <keyword id="10673536" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="human-edge" source="Orion">Human Edge</keyword> and formerly General Manager with Thrive Global — what he thought about the limitations of using LLM-trained AI for healthcare. <a href="https://ever.humanedge.co/">Human Edge</a>, which provides wellness and fitness services, also employs generative AI tools. And Dr Ranney acknowledged that they had to deal with their share of AI hallucinations and inaccuracies. To tackle this little problem, Human Edge was taking the “man-in-the-middle” approach during training. Here, an actual healthcare professional would intercept the conversation between the AI and the user, and select the right answer from the options suggested by the tool. The other problem is that Thrive AI Health’s responses will obviously depend on the user’s input and what medical data they choose to share about themselves. While Altman and Huffington are thankfully playing it safe and only intend for this app to start off with generalised (and mostly harmless) tips, we do wonder if it could land some people in a soup simply because they forgot to share something or thought it inconsequential. <h2>Impact on doctors</h2>A common misconception that many harbour is that such healthcare tools could replace healthcare providers. We can argue this point by saying that AI is only supposed to support the healthcare system and not uproot it. But in a country like India, where we tend to rely on the pharmacist’s advice instead of a doctor’s appointment to save time and money, over-reliance on AI healthcare tools could be a real problem. However, Dr Ranney stresses on how this could serve as the first tier of health advice. It would certainly also help reduce the burden of overworked doctors who are also busy battling the surge of misinformation on the internet — cue the tiff between Indian actress <keyword id="689826" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="samantha-ruth-prabhu" source="Orion">Samantha Ruth Prabhu</keyword> and The Liver Doc. Read: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/samantha-ruth-prabhu-faces-heavy-backlash-after-recommending-hydrogen-peroxide-inhalation-to-cure-viral-fever/articleshow/111515126.cms">Samantha Ruth Prabhu faces heavy backlash after recommending hydrogen peroxide inhalation to cure viral fever</a> When someone as influential as the actress shares the “benefits” of inhaling hydrogen peroxide with her millions of followers, it is bound to make waves, no matter how dubious the source of the information may be. Talking about the barrage of confounding medical advice bandied on social media and its many dangers, the Human Edge CEO insists that a reliable AI health coach could actually be a much better source of information. <h2>Could an AI health coach lead to data breaching issues?</h2>Depending on how much you engage with it, this health coach will likely know every tiny detail about you — from how many minutes you spend on your porcelain throne every morning to how many times you stayed up past your bedtime that week. And let’s face it, not all of us are completely okay with this sacred information being made available to others. Altman and Huffington do seem to be particular about ensuring “robust privacy and security safeguards”, but the technology will also rely on potentially several billion data points — data from users. So the chances of a data breach, no matter how miniscule, do exist. As Dr Ranney said, we’re going to need a lot of regulation to prevent something like this. That being said, if Thrive’s AI health coach delivers on its promises, it’s going to be a huge deal that revolutionises healthcare worldwide. While Dr Ranney did share his viewpoints from an industry perspective, he says he’s very excited about Thrive AI Health — and frankly, so are we (even if it didn't seem like it).

OpenAI & Thrive-backed “hyper-personalised” AI health coach is in the works. Should you be excited or worried?

A new study published in <keyword id="22188694" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Lancet-Global-Health" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="The Lancet Global Health" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="The Lancet Global Health">The Lancet Global Health</keyword> paints a concerning picture for <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>. Nearly half (49.4%) of <keyword id="6357805" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian" source="Orion">Indian</keyword> adults are failing to meet the recommended levels of <keyword id="20053428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="physical-activity" source="keywords">physical activity</keyword> according to the World Health Organization (<keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords">WHO</keyword>). This lack of movement is a ticking time bomb, putting millions at risk of chronic diseases like heart disease, stroke, diabetes, dementia and some cancers. Globally, nearly a third of adults (1.8 billion people) are failing to meet activity recommendations but India finds itself at the forefront of this growing public health concern. India ranks 12th globally for <keyword id="702971" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="physical-inactivity" source="Orion">physical inactivity</keyword>. The study highlights that the worrying prevalence of inactivity has more than doubled since 2000. India is followed closely by countries like Pakistan, where 45.7% of the people are physically inactive. This is in stark contrast to neighbouring countries like Bhutan (9.9%) and Nepal (8.2%) where activity levels are considerably higher. Still, the highest inactivity rates are concentrated in South Asia (45%) and the high-income Asia-Pacific region (48%). Another troubling trend that the researchers uncovered was the <keyword id="20646065" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gender-gap" source="keywords">gender gap</keyword> in physical activity among men and women. In India, women (57%) were more physically inactive than men (42%) as of 2022. These trends, if left unchecked, could lead to a global healthcare burden of $300 billion over the next decade. Fortunately, there's a readily available solution - get moving! The WHO recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week for adults. These seemingly simple steps can significantly reduce the risk of numerous chronic diseases. The good news? Physical activity doesn't have to be complicated. Walking, cycling, housework, and even playing can all contribute to a healthier lifestyle. The message from this report is clear: India faces a looming inactivity crisis. We must all take steps, quite literally at times, for a healthier future.

All work, no play? Nearly 50% of Indians fail to meet WHO’s recommended standard for physical activity

Union Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> highlighted India's significant progress in electrification, <keyword id="23692737" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="water-accessibility" source="keywords">water accessibility</keyword>, and <keyword id="20879840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-empowerment" source="keywords">economic empowerment</keyword> during a fireside chat with John J Hamre, President and CEO of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), in Washington, DC. Highlighting the progress made in <keyword id="23003732" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rural-electrification" source="keywords">rural electrification</keyword>, <keyword id="19916494" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sitharaman" source="keywords">Sitharaman</keyword> highlighted that every village in India now has access to electricity. She noted that in 2014, many villages across India, including those near state capitals, lacked even basic infrastructure for electrification. She said "I don't think any village in India is unelectrified today. Households have received the connections. So, if I remember the situation in 2014, there were still many villages in many parts of India, some even very close to the state capital, provincial headquarters, without even a pole to receive the electric wires. Now, all that has been overcome. Houses have got their electricity." The Finance Minister also discussed the <keyword id="19971121" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jal-Jeevan-Mission" source="keywords">Jal Jeevan Mission</keyword>, a program initiated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to provide tap water connections to every household. She explained, "Earlier, one tap water connection was provided to a village, from where everyone would take water to their home. But under the 'Jal Jeevan Mission,' each and every house gets a tap water connection." Sitharaman emphasized the positive impact of this initiative on health, sanitation, and convenience for millions of Indian families. Turning to the economic empowerment of <keyword id="20101496" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="municipalities" source="keywords">municipalities</keyword> and urban centers, Sitharaman noted that these local governments are receiving increased autonomy and financial support. She explained that municipalities receive a portion of taxes collected by the central government, along with additional funds based on the Finance Commission's recommendations. "Over and above, today, we are enhancing their capacities to raise resources from the market. Municipalities are a very powerful instrument of economic development and they, on their own, are raising a lot of resources," she added. Sitharaman also expressed confidence in India's economic growth and its appeal to <keyword id="20632552" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-investors" source="keywords">global investors</keyword>. "The policies are working, reforms are happening, and they shall continue to happen," she stated, adding that "greater liberalisation of the economy will be there and, in a way, we are accessing newer markets and speaking about the <keyword id="19948184" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-economy" source="keywords">Indian economy</keyword> in more avenues and platforms that will attract more investors." With ongoing reforms and increased global engagement, Sitharaman noted, India is solidifying its position as a significant player on the world stage, expanding its economic reach and inviting foreign investment.

No village in India left without access to electricity, claims FM Nirmala Sitharaman

Climate Action 15: 2024's top global innovators powering green solutions

The far-reaching consequences of the <keyword id="19955291" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-19-pandemic" source="keywords">COVID-19 pandemic</keyword> have reshaped humanity’s future in ways we are only beginning to understand. This global health crisis didn’t just disrupt lives—it also shattered nearly a decade of global health progress, a startling new report by the <keyword id="19902256" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Organisation" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Health Organisation" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Health Organisation">World Health Organisation</keyword> (<keyword id="19895006" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WHO" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="WHO" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="WHO">WHO</keyword>) has revealed. According to the <keyword id="21164185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Health-Statistics" source="keywords">World Health Statistics</keyword> 2024 report, the <keyword id="8763838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COVID-19" source="Orion">COVID-19</keyword> pandemic reversed over a decade of advancements in <keyword id="21716169" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-life-expectancy" source="keywords">global life expectancy</keyword> within a mere two years. From 2019 to 2021, <keyword id="14078" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="life-expectancy" source="Orion">life expectancy</keyword> worldwide plummeted by 1.8 years, dropping to 71.4 years. Similarly, global <keyword id="21842689" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="healthy-life-expectancy" source="keywords">healthy life expectancy</keyword> decreased by 1.5 years, falling to 61.9 years. The last time both these levels were so low was back in 2012! The report also underscores the uneven impact of the pandemic across different regions. The WHO regions of Southeast Asia and the Americas were hit the hardest, experiencing a decline in life expectancy by approximately three years and a drop in healthy life expectancy by 2.5 years between 2019 and 2021. In stark contrast, the Western Pacific Region saw minimal effects during the same period, with losses of less than 0.1 years in life expectancy and 0.2 years in healthy life expectancy. Furthermore, COVID-19 swiftly became a leading cause of death, ranking as the third highest globally in 2020 and the second in 2021, claiming nearly 13 million lives during this period. The latest data indicates that, except in the African and Western Pacific regions, COVID-19 was among the top five causes of death, notably becoming the leading cause of death in the Americas for both years. “There continues to be major progress in global health, with billions of people who are enjoying better health, better access to services, and better protection from health emergencies. But we must remember how fragile progress can be,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “In just two years, the COVID-19 pandemic erased a decade of gains in life expectancy. That's why the new <keyword id="21604359" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pandemic-Agreement" source="keywords">Pandemic Agreement</keyword> is so important: not only to strengthen global health security, but to protect long-term investments in health and promote equity within and between countries.” The new Pandemic Agreement, also known as the ‘Pandemic Accord’ or ‘Pandemic Treaty’, is an international pact currently under negotiation by the 194 member states of the WHO. This accord aims to enhance global readiness and response to pandemics, ensuring the world can effectively prevent, prepare for, and respond to future health crises. The negotiation process is spearheaded by the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB), established by the <keyword id="20294860" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-health-assembly" source="keywords">World Health Assembly</keyword> in 2021. The INB's goal is to finalise the agreement for adoption at the 2024 World Health Assembly, scheduled from May 27 to June 1 in Geneva, Switzerland. This year's Health Assembly theme, ‘All for Health, Health for All,’ underscores the universal commitment to this crucial initiative.

COVID-19 pandemic caused global life expectancy to fall back to 2012 levels, erasing a decade’s worth of progress: WHO

Nanoplastics and microplastics (NMPs) are sneaky invaders, hiding in the tap water we drink every day. These tiny fragments of plastic have already been linked to unsettling changes in gut health and antibiotic resistance, raising alarm bells about their impact on our bodies. But here’s some refreshing news: scientists have discovered a surprisingly simple solution — boiling your water. <h2>A kitchen hack for cleaner water</h2>Researchers, led by biomedical engineer Zimin Yu, have found that boiling water and then filtering it can remove up to 90% of nanoplastics and microplastics from tap water. “This simple boiling water strategy can 'decontaminate' NMPs from household tap water and has the potential for harmlessly alleviating human intake of NMPs through water consumption,” the team explains. Even better? You probably already have the tools you need in your kitchen: a pot to boil water and a simple stainless steel mesh to filter out any leftover bits. <h2>How does it work?</h2>The trick lies in the build-up of limescale — or calcium carbonate — when water is heated. If you’ve ever peeked inside a kettle, you’ve seen this chalky layer. When water is boiled, calcium carbonate naturally precipitates out of the solution, forming a crust. This crust traps NMPs on its surface, making it easier to filter them out. “Our results showed that nanoplastic precipitation efficiency increased with increasing water hardness upon boiling,” the researchers write. For example, in soft water (low in calcium carbonate), the process managed to remove about 25% of NMPs. Meanwhile, in hard water (higher calcium carbonate levels), the process removed up to 90% of NMPs. <h2>The harder the water, the better the results</h2>Hard water, often considered a nuisance because of limescale, might actually be a secret weapon against microplastics. The researchers found that the harder the water, the more effective the boiling process was at capturing and removing plastic fragments. In water containing 300 mg/L of calcium carbonate, NMP removal reached an impressive 90%. Even at lower levels, such as 80 mg/L, over a third of the plastics were filtered out. Using a simple tea strainer or other household filters, these lime-encrusted plastic fragments can be easily removed before the water is consumed. <h2>Why it matters</h2>Microplastics aren’t just a problem for the planet — they’re becoming an intimate part of our daily lives. Previous studies have identified plastics like polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene in drinking water. While the long-term effects on human health remain uncertain, the evidence suggests we’re better off without them. “Drinking boiled water apparently is a viable long-term strategy for reducing global exposure to NMPs,” the researchers say. For many, boiling water before drinking it is already a cultural norm. But the researchers hope their findings will encourage more people worldwide to adopt this practice as plastics continue infiltrating our water sources. The findings of this research have been published in Environmental Science &amp; Technology Letters and can be accessed <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.estlett.4c00081">here</a>.

Worried about the harmful microplastics in your water? You just need to boil and strain it before consumption

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Standing-desk companies are expected to steadily increase their revenue over the next decade.</li><li>A study suggests they may not help reduce the risk of cardiovascular issues like heart disease.</li></ul>A few months into the pandemic, my husband bought us a convertible <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/best-standing-desk">standing desk</a>. We were both working from home, and aside from our daily jogs together, we were slouching in our respective work corners for hours.Suddenly, more and more of my coworkers were towering in their Zoom calls. We made small talk about how our new standing desks helped with our posture and prevented us from <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-tried-being-more-active-at-work-was-less-productive-2024-8">sitting all day</a>.The trend hasn't died down. The market-research firm Global Market Insights estimated that the standing-desk market was valued at $7.8 billion in 2023 and could increase by 5.5% annually over the next decade. Top retailers like Autonomous, FlexiSpot, and Uplift generate millions of dollars in revenue each year. In its branding materials, Autonomous suggests that "by promoting movement, these desks help you stay active and prevent pain."But after a while, instead of hitting the button to elevate my desk, I found myself sitting all day after my morning workout. While some of my colleagues <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-things-that-happened-after-i-stood-for-3-hours-a-day">felt more energized standing at their desks</a> for three hours, I did not.A <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://academic.oup.com/ije/article/53/6/dyae136/7822310">study</a> published on Thursday confronted my conundrum. Ultimately, it suggests that if you're using a standing desk to feel more active and boost your health, the trick is to actually use it to move more, frequently standing and sitting.Using data from more than 80,000 adults in the UK, the researchers found that simply standing didn't necessarily help get people's blood circulating. They also suggest that standing all day — without moving around — may increase the risk of circulatory issues.<h2 id="25df6fac-c6ed-45a7-ab87-bff83d4930d0">Sitting or standing for over 2 hours may not be good for health</h2>The team, led by researchers at the University of Sydney, studied data on 83,013 adults in the UK Biobank, a large database with information about people's genetics, lifestyle, and health. The participants wore accelerometer devices on their wrists to track their movements for one week.The authors concluded that sitting for 10 to 12 hours a day was associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular and orthostatic circulatory disease, such as varicose veins.Standing for two hours a day wasn't associated with a reduced risk of cardiac conditions like heart failure, stroke, or heart disease — it didn't seem to have much of an effect on cardiovascular health.The study did find that standing for two hours straight was associated with a higher risk of orthostatic circulatory disease, increasing by 11% every additional 30 minutes. The authors suggested that standing for too long every day could lead to long-term issues with blood circulation, such as venous ulcers and swollen veins.<h2 id="9b8e299b-9168-4df9-be6f-5275cf2ba174">It's best to move throughout the day</h2>Desks that let you switch between standing and sitting, such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/home/best-standing-desk-converter">standing-desk converters</a>, can help you change up how you work without committing to one position all day. Home-office upgrades such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/health/fitness/best-under-desk-treadmills">under-desk treadmills</a> can also make it easier to squeeze in movement throughout the day.Other researchers have recommended <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/daily-exercise-prevent-death-sitting-all-day-2023-10">walking for 22 minutes a day</a>, which can be incorporated into doing household chores or taking the stairs, to help offset the health risks of sitting for long periods.And for those who've felt guilty about never actually raising their standing desk (me), we can feel validated that we're likely not missing out on major health benefits — as long as we take time to walk away from our chairs every day.

Standing desks may not be a boon for health after all

Healthcare data is messy. Saria has spent her career trying to make sense of it with AI.Saria, part of Business Insider's 2024 AI Power List, directs the machine learning and healthcare lab at Johns Hopkins University and is the founder and CEO of the AI startup Bayesian Health. She began her career in computer science and was getting her doctorate at Stanford when President Barack Obama signed the Hitech Act into law to boost the use of electronic health records — drawing Saria's attention.She spent the next year using digitized healthcare data to develop an algorithm meant to better identify <a target="_blank" href="https://www.science.org/content/article/new-model-predicts-complications-preemies">premature infants at high risk</a> of developing deadly complications.After a promising result, Saria dug deeper into research on how tech could use healthcare data in medical records to improve care for patients with conditions as varied as Parkinson's disease and cancer.Then Saria lost her nephew to sepsis. Spurred into action, she decided to spin her research out of academia and bring the tech to hospitals with Bayesian Health.The startup, which emerged from stealth in 2021, has raised $15 million from Andreessen Horowitz and other investors. It developed an algorithm that helped hospitals predict sepsis faster, leading to nearly 20% fewer sepsis-related deaths, according to a real-world study published in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bayesianhealth.com/sepsis-research/">Nature Medicine</a> in July 2022. Saria calls that research "probably my proudest achievement.""We should not be practicing like we live in the 18th century with no science and no engineering," she said. "We should be up-leveling the way we deliver care to match the level of scientific innovation we see in the rest of our lives."Now, top health systems like Cleveland Clinic and Northwell Health use Bayesian Health's tech, and the startup has notched partnerships with Epic, Oracle's Cerner, and Allscripts. While the company launched with a focus on sepsis, it's expanding to predict other complications, like pressure ulcers, and it's targeting more down the line, like deep-vein thrombosis in pregnant people."I see 100 conditions where this system applies," Saria said. "It's not just one or two — it's everywhere I look."Saria has continued to research healthcare AI at Johns Hopkins. She's also made angel investments in more than 15 AI startups. For her work in healthcare AI, the World Economic Forum named her a Young Global Leader in 2018.In response to less-than-ideal healthcare AI implementations, like Epic's widely utilized sepsis algorithm — which, according to a June 2021 study in JAMA Internal Medicine,<a target="_blank" href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2781307#google_vignette"> poorly predicted sepsis</a> compared to the performance the company reported — she's bringing together industry stakeholders to develop new tech. In 2022, Saria cofounded the Coalition for Health AI, which brings federal agencies and healthcare organizations to discuss best practices for using healthcare AI. She also helped the National Academy of Medicine develop<a target="_blank" href="https://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/national-academy-medicine-drafts-code-conduct-ai-healthcare"> its code of conduct for AI deployment</a>, released earlier this year.See Business Insider's full <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://businessinsider.com/ai-power-list-2024">AI Power List</a>

Bayesian Health CEO Suchi Saria is leading the healthcare data revolution

Discussions around <keyword id="19956983" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mental-health" source="keywords">mental health</keyword> at the workplace reignited in the last few days when the death of two corporate employees made headlines. And it is no secret that without having a healthy mind, you cannot be productive. Ample studies in the last few months have pointed out the importance of mental health and it is important to talk about these issues. Today (October 10) marks <keyword id="23481940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Mental-Health-Day" source="keywords">World Mental Health day</keyword>. It is an occasion for raising awareness about mental health issues and combating social stigma. Celebrated globally since 1992, this day encourages education and advocacy for mental well-being, reminding us that mental health is a crucial aspect of overall health, especially in the workplace. <h2>Ex-Google employee experienced stress, anxiety </h2> <keyword id="23300967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nicholas-Whitaker" source="keywords">Nicholas Whitaker</keyword>, who worked with <keyword id="19902762" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Google" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Google">Google</keyword> for 13 years, told Business Insider India in an interview that he also experienced the pressures of a high-stress work environment. “During my time at Google, I faced significant stress and anxiety. It became clear that no matter how successful you are on paper, if your mental health is compromised, it diminishes your quality of life and ability to fully engage at work,” he said. He added that <keyword id="19925554" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mindfulness" source="keywords">mindfulness</keyword> played a crucial role in his recovery, saying that mental health is not just a personal issue but a workplace concern that should be treated with equal importance as productivity and performance. <h2>How to protect your mental health? </h2> To help others protect their mental health, Whitaker shared several key practices that can be game-changers. 1. Set Boundaries: Understand your limits and communicate them clearly. This includes managing your workload, taking time away from work, and setting boundaries around communication. Protecting your time and energy is essential. 2. Practice Mindfulness or Meditation: Mindfulness was a lifesaver for him in managing corporate stress. Even dedicating a few minutes each day to meditation can help you stay grounded and aware of your feelings, allowing you to make necessary adjustments before burnout sets in. 3. Take Breaks: In high-pressure environments, it’s easy to feel that there’s no time for a break. However, regular breaks—even just a short walk or stepping outside—can significantly enhance your mental state and boost productivity. 4. Find a Support System: Having people to talk to, whether colleagues, friends, or coaches, can make a considerable difference. Building a supportive community can combat feelings of isolation, which often exacerbate mental health issues. 5. Align Work with Values: Stress and dissatisfaction often arise from a misalignment between personal values and work. Reflecting on what truly matters to you and making small shifts toward work that aligns with those values can lead to greater fulfillment. To conclude, Whitaker said, “Mental health is not a luxury—it’s essential for personal well-being and professional success. When organisations invest in their employees’ mental health, they cultivate a culture where people feel supported, valued, and empowered to excel in their work.” As we observe <keyword id="23486492" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-mental-health" source="keywords">World Mental Health</keyword> Day, it’s crucial to remember that prioritising mental well-being can lead to a more productive, innovative, and fulfilled workforce.

You Searched For "global health" and got 13 results

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