Good food, sleep, and exercise are crucial for better health, said the government on Monday on World Health Day.

World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year. The theme this year is Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures.

“This #WorldHealthDay, let’s commit to small healthy habits for a brighter, stronger future,” the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare shared in a post on social media platform X.

In a video posted along the post, the ministry advised people to eat good food, with more fruits and vegetables; to move more, and sit less.

“Walk, run, dance, or stretch for 30 minutes a day to stay fit,” the ministry said

People who are obese, particularly severely obese, could be at an increased risk of experiencing 16 common health conditions including obstructive sleep apnoea, Type 2 diabetes, and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, according to a study.

Severe obesity, also known as Class III obesity or morbid obesity, is defined by a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 40 or higher, or a BMI of 35 or higher with obesity-related health conditions. It is known to pose significant health risks.

Obesity is a known risk factor for adverse health outcomes involving multiple organ systems.

However, previous studies have analysed conditions individually, limiting understanding of obesity's total health burden. External validity has also been limited by the underrepresentation of individuals with class III obesity and of diverse demographic groups, said the researchers from the Johns Hopkins University in the US.

A woman died almost every two minutes, or more than 700 women died daily from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in 2023, according to data from the UN and World Health Organization on World Health Day on Monday.

World Health Day is celebrated on April 7 every year. The theme this year Healthy beginnings, hopeful futures, urges governments and the health community to ramp up efforts to end preventable maternal and newborn deaths and to prioritise women’s longer-term health and well-being.

The report titled Trends in maternal mortality shows a 40 per cent global decline in maternal mortality ratio (MMR, number of maternal deaths per 100 000 live births) between 2000 and 2023.

Amid rising bird flu cases in the country, the Union Government has made registration of poultry farms mandatory and urged the need for increasing surveillance to curb avian influenza.

A high-level meeting in New Delhi, chaired by Alka Upadhyaya, Secretary at the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) under the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying set up a three-pronged strategy with stricter biosecurity, surveillance and mandatory registration of poultry farms.

The strategy “encompasses stricter biosecurity measures wherein poultry farms must enhance hygiene practices, control farm access and follow stringent biosecurity protocols to minimise the risk of infection, strengthened surveillance and mandatory registration of poultry farms to enhance disease tracking and control”, stated the ministry.

A team of US researchers have developed a new antiviral chewing gum that showed the potential to substantially reduce viral loads of two herpes simplex viruses and two influenza A strains in experimental models.

Seasonal influenza epidemics occur annually, causing a substantial global disease burden. The herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1), spread primarily through oral contact, infects over two-thirds of the global population.

Low vaccination rates for influenza viruses and the lack of an HSV vaccine underscore the need for a new approach.

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania targetted the oral cavity to fight against these viruses, which are transmitted more via the mouth than the nose.

Babies treated with antibiotics in the first few weeks of their life are likely to show weaker immune responses to essential vaccines taken in childhood, according to a study.

Researchers from Flinders University in Australia explained that this is due to a decrease in the levels of Bifidobacterium -- a bacterial species that lives in the human gastrointestinal tract.

On the other hand, replenishing Bifidobacterium in the gut microbiome using probiotic supplements such as Infloran showed promising results in restoring the immune response, revealed the study published in the journal Nature.

An outbreak of a dangerous Shiga toxin-producing E. coli infection in Latvia has left 53 people, including seven adults, ill, the Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) said.

According to the CDC, cases of E. coli have been confirmed in 28 schools, 26 preschool institutions, and two elementary schools across the country.

The Children's Clinical University Hospital in Riga has treated 28 children for the infection. As of Thursday, 12 of them had recovered and were discharged, while 16 remained hospitalised, including four in intensive care.

Epidemiologists have not yet identified the source of the infection. After extensive laboratory testing and contact tracing, investigators assume the outbreak may be linked to contaminated food products. However, the CDC also did not rule out a mixed-source outbreak, possibly involving a product contaminated with multiple pathogens, news agency reported.

The Commerce Ministry is in active talks with Indian pharmaceutical exporters amid growing concerns over possible US tariffs on the sector, which was exempted in the first tranche of reciprocal tariffs by US President Donald Trump.

The discussions between the government and pharma exporters began after Trump hinted at imposing "never-seen-before" tariffs on pharmaceutical imports (Thursday, US time).

While marginal tariffs may not cause much disruption, steep duties could hurt the profit margins of Indian drugmakers.

The United States is a key market for India’s pharmaceutical exports, with India supplying around 40 per cent of all generic drugs used in the US.

Indian pharmaceutical exports to the US are worth nearly $9 billion annually. Any sharp increase in tariffs could not only affect Indian exporters but may also have a direct impact on American consumers, according to a report.

Triglycerides -- the most common type of fat in blood -- could be a potential modifiable risk factor for rheumatoid arthritis in women, according to a study.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic autoimmune disease with a higher prevalence in women. It is characterised by joint inflammation, pain, and swelling, which can lead to joint deformities and functional disabilities in severe cases.

Triglycerides, key indicators of lipid metabolism, are linked to inflammation and metabolic disorders, both contributing to the pathogenesis of rheumatoid arthritis.

Bangladesh has recorded 13 more dengue cases, pushing the total number of vector-borne infections to 1,890 this year, local media reported.

The country registered the fresh infections in the past 24 hours leading up to Thursday morning.

According to the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), two cases were reported in Dhaka Division and 11 in Barishal Division.

Dengue has claimed 13 lives in the country this year, while 55 people were under treatment for the vector-borne infection at the hospitals across the nation.

Last year, dengue claimed the lives of 575 people, a report in Dhaka Tribune said.