• A recent report from a WHO Commission emphasizes the importance of strong social ties for maintaining good health, warning that loneliness and social isolation are significant global health threats.

• It is estimated that loneliness contributes to 871,000 additional deaths each year across 100 countries, with risks akin to smoking 15 cigarettes daily.

• Social isolation increases the likelihood of heart disease, stroke, dementia, anxiety, and depression.

• The Commission urges immediate, multi-sectoral efforts, such as enhancing community infrastructure, formulating supportive policies  and incorporating social connection into healthcare systems.

• The report from the WHO Commission on Social Connection presents a worldwide action plan that concentrates on five main areas: policy, research, interventions, improved measurement (including the creation of a global Social Connection Index) and public engagement. 

• The aim is to transform social norms and strengthen a global movement for social connection.

• Additionally, WHO introduced the “Knot Alone” campaign and passed its first World Health Assembly resolution on social connection in June 2025, urging nations to prioritize this issue. 

• Tackling social isolation is crucial for enhancing population health and reducing premature mortality worldwide.

American Institutes for Research (AIR) and Sanitation First, two non-profit organisations, had collaborated to conduct a baseline-level survey in the Tiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu exploring the stigma surrounding menstruation and the barriers girls face towards meeting their needs. The following are the findings -

• 43% of boys believed that girls shouldn’t enter the kitchen while 58% believed they shouldn’t enter religious places during menstruation. 77% of girls shared this belief.

• 70% of boys and 30% of girls believed that menstruation was disabling for girls. This reflected an undercurrent of stigma towards menstruation.

• 15% of girls had missed school due to heavy and painful menstrual bleeding. This showed the significant burden of an oft-ignored issue.

• Meanwhile, 95% of teachers and school leaders believed that mothers should be the primary source of information about menstruation for girls.

• A majority of girls also followed unsafe practices related to the disposal of sanitary products. 72% of women burnt the sanitary products while 3% of them buried it.

• Following the findings of this study, Sanitation First plans to conduct the ‘Happy Periods' training programme across 62 schools in the district. These will be compared with other groups acting as a control in the district. An endline survey will then be conducted to assess the impact of this project.

• Happy Periods is a program conducted independently in Tamil Nadu to create awareness among adolescents and teachers regarding menstruation.Click here to read more

Key Findings:

• Overall Decline: National low birthweight rates fell from 26% (1993) to 18% (2021), showing progress.

• Top Contributors: Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Maharashtra, and West Bengal account for 47% of India’s low birthweight births (4.2 million/year)

• Progress in High-Burden States: Rajasthan (48% in 1993) and Chhattisgarh (42% in 1993), initially among the worst, showed the most significant declines.

• The current scenario (2021): Punjab & Delhi (22%) have the worst rates; Mizoram (4%) and Nagaland (5%) the best.

• Factors associated with low birthweight: Poverty and lack of maternal education - directly linked to poverty and lack of access to healthcare services.

• Critical Gaps in Data: Many births go unweighted, especially in poorer states, suggesting actual numbers may be higher.

• While tremendous progress has been made, improving healthcare access and instituting measures to improve quality of data are key to build upon gains from the last three decades.Click here to read more

• A recent study from Johns Hopkins, using national data from 2013–2020, reveals that tens of thousands of heart attacks and strokes could be prevented annually if cholesterol-lowering therapies were used according to clinical guidelines.

• Among U.S. adults aged 40–75, 47% qualified for lipid-lowering treatment for primary prevention, yet only 23% received it.

• In those with prior cardiovascular events (secondary prevention), where 100% should be treated, only 68% were on therapy

• If guideline-based treatment were fully implemented, it could prevent nearly 100,000 non-fatal heart attacks, 65,000 strokes, and thousands of bypass surgeries and stent procedures each year.

• This would also save an estimated $30.6 billion in healthcare costs annually.

• The underuse of these therapies is attributed to several factors: physician knowledge gaps, inconsistent patient preferences, limited access, misaligned financial incentives, and the complexity of applying guidelines in routine clinical settings.

• To close this gap, the study recommends improving patient education, streamlining guideline use in clinical workflows, and considering non-statin cholesterol-lowering drugs where needed. 

• Overall, better adherence to established lipid management guidelines could significantly reduce cardiovascular disease burden and improve public health outcomes across the United States.Click here to read more

• On June 30, 2025, the World Health Organization officially announced that Suriname is free of malaria, making it the first country in the Amazon region to reach this milestone after successfully stopping local malaria transmission for at least three consecutive years. 

• Suriname now joins 46 other countries and one territory worldwide, including 12 in the Americas, in this achievement.

• Key strategies included

1. community-driven diagnosis and treatment,

2. extensive use of rapid tests and microscopy,

3. artemisinin-based therapies combined with primaquine, and

4. the distribution of insecticide-treated nets to mining and mobile populations.

• The last local case of P. falciparum was recorded in 2018, and P. vivax in 2021. Although malaria no longer poses a threat to the population, Suriname must remain vigilant, particularly at its borders and among mobile groups, to prevent the disease's reintroduction.

• On June 25, 2025, UNICEF issued a statement expressing concern that the international community is not adequately safeguarding children from the atrocities of war. 

• The organization reported a 25% rise in "grave violations" of children's rights compared to the previous year. Currently, a record 473 million children almost one in five reside in conflict areas, a significant increase from 10% in the 1990s. 

• UNICEF pointed out numerous abuses, including killing, maiming, recruitment, rape, abduction and being used as human shields.

•  Less than half of armed groups comply with international child protection standards.

•  Following a UN briefing, the agency's Executive Director called for immediate global collaboration and action, emphasizing the need for respect for children's rights, secure humanitarian access, and accountability.

•  Without prompt intervention, countless more children will face traumatic injuries, displacement, and enduring psychological and physical damage

Introduction

• The close proximity of humans, swine, and poultry in the Southeast Asian Region (SEAR) creates a high-risk environment for the emergence of new influenza viruses.

• The study aimed to review and characterise existing IAV surveillance systems worldwide to identify gaps and guide the development of effective protocols for high-risk interfaces.

Methodology

• Researchers conducted a scoping review, systematically searching scientific databases for studies on swine influenza surveillance.

• They analysed 42 relevant studies, extracting data on their objectives, settings (like farms and markets), sampling strategies, and laboratory techniques.

Results

• Most surveillance systems were short-term projects rather than sustained programs and primarily used active data collection.

• The main focus was on virological monitoring to detect viral changes, with less attention on disease severity or impact.

• A significant variability in methods was noted globally, with no consistent, standardised approach.

Conclusion

There is an urgent need to develop standardised, objective-based surveillance frameworks for IAV at human-swine interfaces. This is crucial for improving global preparedness and reducing the risk of zoonotic disease spillover.Click here to read more

• The event brought together delegates from 24 countries to discuss the Indian Pharmacopoeia and the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).

• Key discussions focused on enhancing access to affordable medicines, strengthening regulatory systems, and promoting health coverage schemes like Jan Aushadhi Kendras.

• Technical sessions showcased India’s advancements in drug regulation, while field visits to laboratories, pharmacies, and manufacturing units offered insights into India’s pharmaceutical infrastructure.

• The forum highlighted India’s contributions to generic drug and vaccine supply and reinforced its commitment to equitable global healthcare through capacity-building, quality standards, and stronger international partnerships

Study Objective:

• The study aimed to evaluate how glycaemic status influences long-term cardiovascular outcomes in individuals with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

Methodology

• Researchers analyzed data from 1,057,775 adults in South Korea who were diagnosed with NAFLD during a national health screening in 2009. 

• Participants were categorized based on fasting glucose levels into three groups: normal fasting glucose (NFG), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), and type 2 diabetes (T2D). 

• They were followed for a median duration of 11.3 years to track incidences of myocardial infarction (MI), stroke, and cardiovascular (CV) death.

Key Findings

• During the follow-up period, the study recorded 26,491 heart attacks, 55,791 strokes, and 11,147 cardiovascular deaths. 

• After adjusting for potential confounders, individuals with T2D had significantly elevated risks 39% higher for both MI and stroke, and 46% higher for CV death—compared to those with normal glucose levels. 

• The IFG group did not show a statistically significant increase in risk.

Notable Insight:

• The increased cardiovascular risk in the T2D group was especially evident among younger, non-obese individuals without hypertension suggesting that traditional risk profiles may underestimate CVD risk in this subgroup.

Conclusion:

• T2D markedly increases CVD risk in those with NAFLD, underscoring the need for early detection and integrated disease management.Click here to read more

• For the first time, a team of doctors in the United States,  have treated a patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma using step-and-shoot spot-scanning proton arc therapy (SPArc)—a precise form of proton therapy that spares healthy tissue.

• Conducted at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, this technique was found to reduce radiation exposure to critical areas like the brainstem, spinal canal, and oral cavity by up to 90% compared to standard methods.

• Published in the International Journal of Particle Therapy, the study involved a 46-year-old woman treated with 33 SPArc sessions. She experienced minimal side effects and continued working throughout treatment.

• Various experts have praised the method’s precision, especially for tumours near vital organs.

• Though a more advanced dynamic version of SPArc is still under development, this marks a major step in treating complex head and neck cancers with reduced collateral damage.

• Cost and accessibility, however, still remain key concerns.Click here to read more

• On June 26, 2025, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the CDC voted 5-1 in favor of recommending that everyone in the United States aged 6 months and older receive a yearly flu shot. 

• They also advised opting for thimerosal-free vaccines whenever feasible. 

• Thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative used in multi-dose vaccine vials, has been under scrutiny since 1999 when federal agencies recommended its removal from most childhood vaccines as a precaution, despite no evidence of harm at low doses. 

• Currently, the majority of flu vaccines in the U.S. are thimerosal-free, with single-dose pre-filled syringes widely accessible. 

• The ACIP's recommendation is largely symbolic, aimed at addressing public concerns and reducing vaccine hesitancy. 

• The CDC maintains that thimerosal is safe, highlighting that scientific studies have found no link between thimerosal in vaccines and health risks.

• A study done by AIIMS, New Delhi highlighted higher prevalence of  folate deficiency among urban adolescents attending government schools across North India.

• 3129 healthy school going adolescents participated and circulatory folate levels were measured using electrochemiluminescence.

Key findings:

• 41% of adolescents, particularly those in urban government-funded schools, had folate insufficiency.

• Girls had higher prevalence of folate deficiency compared to boys showing gender disparity.

• Folate levels were significantly associated with socioeconomic status, influencing both biochemical and anthropometric health markers.

• Significant link was found between folate levels and MYO1B, CDH9 and PANK3 genes.

• Study reaffirmed role of MTHFR variant (rs1801133) and identified novel variants in KRT7 and AK9 genes affecting folate levels.

Health implications:

• Low folate levels can weaken the immune system increasing susceptibility to infections.

• In girls folate deficiency may lead to anemia, lowered stamina and difficulty in concentration.

• Folate is vital for reproductive health, and early deficiency can negatively impact future pregnancy outcomes.

• The findings emphasize the urgent need for targeted nutritional health interventions among adolescents in India.Click here to read more