The Union Budget 2025-26 marks a significant milestone for the healthcare sector, and will greatly benefit cancer patients, said health experts on Saturday.

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her eighth consecutive budget and the NDA government's second full Union Budget of its third term today in the Parliament. She announced 10,000 additional seats in medical colleges as well as daycare cancer centres in all district hospitals.

The FM also announced exemptions on basic customs duty on 36 life-saving drugs, that are aimed at providing relief to patients, particularly those suffering from cancer, rare diseases, and other severe chronic diseases.

"The Union Budget 2025-26 marks a significant milestone for the healthcare sector, with its central focus on Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and ease of doing business. It also underscores the crucial role of private sector collaboration in making healthcare a foundational pillar of Viksit Bharat,” said Abhay Soi, President – NATHEALTH.

Maharashtra recorded the second suspected fatality of Guillain-Barre Syndrome (GBS) with the death of a 56-year-old woman on Sinhagad Road in Pune.

The woman died on Tuesday following respiratory failure with sepsis and was suffering from oral cancer.

The total number of GBS cases in the state has risen to 127.

A count of white blood cells (leukocytes) may be a crucial indicator for determining debilitating outcomes of Covid-19 in postmenopausal women, according to a new international study on Wednesday.

Even months after the initial diagnosis of Covid -- caused by the SARs-CoV-2 virus -- millions of people worldwide suffer from its ongoing effects.

Cognitive impairment and fatigue are the most common lingering symptoms, with cognitive impairment affecting 70 per cent of patients.

Scientists at the Bose Institute in Kolkata, an autonomous institute of the Department of Science and Technology, have shown that Ayurveda can provide new hope for Alzheimer's Disease.

The team, led by Professor Anirban Bhunia, employed two distinct strategies to fight amyloid proteins and peptides, known to play a pivotal role in various neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD).d

They began by using chemically synthesised peptides to combat amyloid beta aggregation.

Next, they repurpose a drug called Lasunadya Ghrita (LG) from Ayurveda.

Namibia's Directorate of Veterinary Services (DVS) issued a warning to farmers following the outbreak of Lumpy Skin Disease (LSD) in several areas.

There have been 73 confirmed cases of the disease, a debilitating viral infection that affects cattle, in the Otjombinde Constituency within the Epukiro Veterinary District in the Omaheke Region of eastern Namibia, Johannes Shoopala, acting chief veterinary officer at the DVS, said in a statement.

"LSD is a state-controlled disease, and wherever it occurs, it must be reported to the nearest state veterinarian," he said.

According to Shoopala, LSD is transmitted by blood-feeding insects such as flies, mosquitoes, and ticks.

Zambia has confirmed three new monkeypox cases, bringing the total number to seven, authorities said.

Minister of Health Elijah Muchima said in a press briefing that the new cases were detected between January 10 and 16, with two cases from the capital city Lusaka, and one from the Copperbelt province.

The ministry has intensified investigations and contact tracing in the affected areas to control the spread of the disease, while also launching awareness campaigns in communities, said the minister, news agency reported.

In October 2024, Zambia reported its first case of monkeypox, also known as mpox. It involved a Tanzanian national visiting the country.

Bangladesh reported on Thursday its first fatality from the Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) when a woman died with multiple health complications.

The deceased, Sanjida Akhter, died around 6:00 pm local time Wednesday in the capital Dhaka's Infectious Diseases Hospital, where she had received treatment since Sunday.

Ariful Bashar, a senior consultant of the hospital, announced on Thursday that the woman had several underlying conditions, including obesity, kidney issues, and lung complications.

The death comes days after Bangladesh reported its first case of HMPV infection this season, with the woman testing positive for the virus.

Greater exposure to air pollution particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10) and Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the three months before conception can raise the risk of childhood obesity to two years after birth, according to a study on Thursday.

Past research has linked air pollution exposure during pregnancy to a broad range of health problems in children, including respiratory issues and a higher risk for chronic diseases such as obesity and heart problems.

But, the new study by an international team of researchers from the US and China focused on the preconception period -- typically defined as the three months before a pregnancy begins.

Environmental exposures during this timeframe can affect the health of sperm and eggs, which are in their final stages of growth, said the team, in the paper published in the journal Environmental Research.

People with cardiovascular diseases and those with risk factors must avoid extreme exposures, said health experts on Wednesday.

"Exposure to extreme cold or heat without any pre-acculturation might lead to disturbance in cardiovascular function. Hence, patients with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases should avoid such extreme exposures," Harshal R Salve, Additional professor, centre for community medicine at AIIMS, New Delhi, told.

He also urged people to be "aware about one's cardiovascular health such as blood pressure, deep vein thrombosis, uncontrolled diabetes status before venturing to extreme weather events".

Cardiologist Ashwani Mehta, from a city-based hospital, said many people get heart attacks in the winter.

Health authorities in the Australian state of Victoria have advised people to be cautious of mosquitoes after detecting cases of Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV).

The Department of Health in Victoria, Australia's second-most populous state, on Wednesday said that its early warning programme identified JEV in two mosquito traps in the state's north, marking the first detections of the potentially deadly disease in the current summer.

In response to the detections, the department warned tourists and locals in northern Victoria to be vigilant against mosquito bites.