Many firms belong to two pharma associations which have a significant influence on the government’s policy making. The amount they have donated is more than half of what the Union government has set in its Budget to grow the pharma industry.

The code, which bars pharmaceutical companies from bribing doctors, has undergone much-anticipated revision after ten years but fails to get teeth for its implementation.

While the allocation for departments of health and family welfare, and health research, along with nutrition schemes, seem to have increased in absolute numbers, but when adjusted for inflation, there seems to be a decline.

The Indian Medical Association president said that 'January 22 is a pious day' and the organisation neither supports nor opposes this decision.

Chinese authorities told the WHO that the current outbreak is related to 'already known' viruses or bacteria, thus ruling out any potential pandemic.

'Global Tuberculosis Report, 2023' says India was able to recover losses in TB detection in 2022 that it had made in the two pandemic years. However, in line with global trends, India will most likely fail to better key TB indicators by 2025, as compared to 2015 levels.

James Smith, a lecturer at the University College of London, says he stands by the editorial in 'BMJ Global Health' on the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, which has attracted sharp criticism from some corners.

The Wire's Banjot Kaur spoke to James Smith, a lecturer at the University College London's Institute of Epidemiology and Health, about the Israel-Hamas conflict's impact on healthcare workers and more.

In an interview to The Wire, Shambhu Acharya answers several questions ranging from Ayushman Bharat, health financing models, and WHO's engagement with governments in the Southeast Asia region.

It may be noted that NFHS-5 had showed that the prevalence of anaemia had gone up despite several schemes among other unsatisfactory outcomes for the government.

The Wire's Banjot Kaur explains why, despite being one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, India performs poorly on indicators of nutrition.

The only countries which got worse Global Hunger Index scores than India are Timor-Leste, Mozambique, Afghanistan, Haiti, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Chad, Niger, Lesotho, Democratic Republic of Congo, Yemen, Madagascar, Central African Republic, South Sudan, Burundi and Somalia. India has rejected the findings, saying the methodology is faulty.

With K.S. James gone, International Institute of Population Sciences faculty say the credibility of upcoming NFHS rounds may go for a toss and the data may not be considered fully reliable. NFHS is a large-scale data collection exercise IIPS conducts for all states/UTs regarding various health and some development indicators and helps track the impact of targeted schemes launched to address them.

A report had said that barring cough syrups, Marion Biotech would be allowed to manufacture other products – provided it submitted the corrective and preventive actions plan. The Uttar Pradesh state drug controller told The Wire that the company has not yet submitted it.

Meanwhile, another ayurveda firm has sent a legal notice to the hepatologist, demanding an apology and Rs 1 crore in damages.

Lack of proper medical care during pregnancy and poor nutritional status of women are the leading causes of preterm births, which contribute to a large number of kids dying within a month of their births.

Union government reissued its denial about 'media reports' pointing medicine shortages on October 1 – five days later after its first one.

This move can lead to the entry of many manufacturers of bedaquiline, thereby reducing the exorbitant price which many governments currently find difficult to afford for all of their patients, say activists.