A new WHO report says that India registered 19,000 maternal deaths in 2023 – contributing almost 7.2% to global mortality.

The US is the biggest importer of various products made by Indian pharmaceutical companies. It is not immediately clear whether this relief is temporary or permanent.

Risdiplam's cost of over a crore per year has made it almost impossible for patients of this rare and debilitating disease to access it.

The health ministry has made no statement on alternatives. Some NGOs, assisted by USAID, have shut down their programmes already.

For instance, while the Economic Survey prepared by Nirmala Sitharaman's ministry cautions about declining standards in medical education, she, in her budget, announced an increase in the seats without addressing the core issue in this area. 

At a 1.84% health expenditure-to-GDP ratio, the goal to increase it to 2.5% by 2025 remains elusive.

In the seventh episode of our video series focused on health issues, ‘Sawal Sehat Ka’, we explore why clean air will remain an elusive goal.

Replying to The Wire, the WHO has clarified that it has not received any alarming news from China. The virus is neither new, nor COVID-like but appears to have led to a panic outbreak in India.

Even 75 years after the adoption of the Indian Constitution, the scientific temper of the government, opposition and citizens remains much far from perfect.

The Union government has constantly said in parliament that there is no conclusive evidence to link air pollution and deaths. However, the latest letter written by Union health secretary to states alludes to an ICMR study that said 17 lakh people died due to air pollution in 2019.

As per a Lancet study, only 27.8% and 29.3% of the entire cohort of women and men suffering from the disease in India have any treatment coverage.

A close analysis of numbers presented in a WHO report clearly indicates that India has missed the goals set for two out of three interim milestones for 2025 as well.

While the drug controller said that those companies whose named figured in earlier monthly lists were asked to withdraw their NSQ drugs, it is unknown how many withdrawal orders were implemented.

This is the second revision made by the pharma company after its first revised application, submitted on July 11, mentioned NIV only as co-applicants. All necessary documents which ensured NIV-ICMR's co-inventorship were filed this month, four years after the original patent application was filed.

A day after The Wire reported that the BBIL had not filed a revised application despite its promise, the firm quickly moved to inform the patent office about including the ICMR as co-owner.

After the pharma firm filed an application under the Patent Cooperation Treaty, a preliminary search report by the Indian Patent Office has raised doubts about the vaccine’s 'inventivity' and 'novelty'.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority says the drug makers had complained to the government that production was not viable due to increased input costs.

Principal scientific adviser Ajay Kumar Sood said the final list for the Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award was prepared according to the ‘rules’, but he did not address the issue of whether the names of scientists were indeed omitted.

The study had led to a barrage of media reports which stated that 33% of the studied recipients of the vaccine had developed adverse reactions.

According to sources, at least two scientists appeared to have been dropped from the list of awardees even after a recommendation from the committee constituted by the government. Their criticism of the Modi government may be the cause, noted scientists feared.