Eli Lilly’s Alzheimer’s therapy, donanemab, has received FDA approval, offering new hope for patients with early symptomatic Alzheimer’s disease. The newly approved treatment, branded Kisunla, is set to challenge existing therapies from Eisai and Biogen.  Clinical trials have shown Kisunla to be effective for individuals in the mild cognitive impairment or mild dementia stages of […] Continue reading ->
Hurricane Beryl, which has destroyed homes and infrastructure in large parts of the eastern Caribbean, is the first first-ever Category 4 hurricane recorded in the region in June – and a portend of devastating changes in weather patterns. It also underscores the need for urgent international assistance to Small Island Developing States (SIDS) to strengthen […] Continue reading ->
NEW DELHI – On 2 November 2023, extreme air pollution caught Delhi off-guard. It shut down schools and led to flight cancellations, curbs on construction and other emergency responses.  That every little increase in air pollution increases the risk of death has been well-established for some years. But till now the effect of short-term air […] Continue reading ->
Digital cessation programmes, behavioural support, and medication for tobacco cessation in adults are some of the measures contained in first-ever guidelines to help people quit smoking published recently by the World Health Organization (WHO).  One in five adults – 1.25 billion users worldwide – consume various tobacco products such as  cigarettes, heated tobacco products, water […] Continue reading ->
While a vaccine exists to prevent human papillomavirus (HPV), the main cause of cervical cancer, over 20 therapeutic HPV vaccine candidates are currently in development. These therapeutic vaccines aim to “boost the body’s immune response so that it can either fight and clear high-risk strains of the virus or abnormal ‘precancerous’ cells,” according to the […] Continue reading ->
Following the 77th World Health Assembly (WHA)’s endorsement of a delay of up to one year for finalizing a pandemic agreement, the Intergovernmental Negotiating Body (INB) is set to resume talks on 16-17 July 2024.  INB member states will face contentious procedural issues and thorny debates over the resolution of substantive matters including a system […] Continue reading ->
A growing body of evidence from India is firmly establishing the country’s toxic levels of air pollution as a leading cause of ill health, particularly non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The results are significant because the country’s politicians have repeatedly questioned the validity of research that links air pollution with reduced life expectancy and worsening health.  As […] Continue reading ->