Lifestyle

New Delhi, July 9 (IANS) Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare Jagat Prakash Nadda will lay the foundation stone of the ICMR Centre for High Altitude Medicine and Public Health Research at Keylong in Lahaul & Spiti district, Himachal Pradesh, on July 11, 2026, an official statement said on Thursday.

The Centre will upgrade ICMR's existing field station at Keylong into a full-fledged, multidisciplinary hub for research, innovation and capacity building focused on India's high-altitude and climate-sensitive regions.

The Centre is being set up by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Department of Health Research, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.

As the Himalayan ecosystem poses distinct public health challenges, the Keylong centre will generate context-specific scientific evidence and scalable solutions across a wide research mandate, the statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

Himalayan ecosystem is marked by high altitude, extreme climatic conditions, difficult terrain and rising climate variability — that shape disease patterns, healthcare access and emergency response.

Hence, the Centre will generate scientific evidence and scalable solutions relevant to high-altitude physiology and acclimatisation, mountain medicine, climate-sensitive and emerging diseases, infectious and non-communicable diseases, maternal and child health, nutrition, mental health, environmental and occupational health, and disaster medicine.

It will also integrate digital health platforms, telemedicine, drone-enabled healthcare logistics and real-time public health surveillance to improve delivery in hard-to-reach areas.

The Centre will have year-round access to high-altitude and tribal populations in a strategically important border region, enabling long-term cohort studies and field research on environmental determinants of health.

It will support national priorities in tribal health, disaster preparedness and digital health innovation, while feeding into global research on high-altitude medicine.

The Centre will build institutional collaborations with the Armed Forces Medical Services (AFMS), the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the Himachal Pradesh Government, and academic and research institutions in India and abroad, creating an ecosystem for translational research and policy support, the statement noted.

—IANS

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Canberra, July 9 (IANS) Chronic and mental conditions are having a growing impact on the health of Australians, according to a government report published on Thursday.

The comprehensive biennial report on Australia's health for 2026 from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) found that 61 per cent of Australians, or 15.4 million people, were living with at least one chronic long-term health condition in 2022 and 38 per cent were living with two or more.

It said that Australians lost an estimated 4.9 million years of healthy life due to chronic conditions in 2024, accounting for 84 per cent of the total national disease burden.

The top five leading causes of disease burden in 2024 were all chronic conditions, including dementia, which became Australia's leading cause of death for the first time.

Data previously released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed that dementia accounted for 9.4 per cent of all deaths nationally in 2024, surpassing heart disease at 8.7 per cent.

The AIHW report said that dementia deaths rose by 39 per cent between 2015 and 2024, while heart disease deaths declined by 18 per cent in the same period. Zoran Bolevich, chief executive officer of the AIHW, attributed the rise in dementia deaths to Australia's aging population.

According to the report, 22 per cent of Australians aged 16-85 reported experiencing mental health conditions in the last 12 months in 2022. Since 2007, the proportion of Australians aged 16-24 who reported mental health conditions increased from 26 to 39 per cent.

Despite the growing impact of chronic and mental health conditions, the report found that health outcomes in Australia are continuing to improve, with life expectancy at birth hitting 85.1 years for females and 81.1 years for males in 2022-24, Xinhua news agency reported.

It said that the five-year relative survival rate for cancer patients in Australia increased from 50 per cent in the period from 1987-1991 to 72 per cent from 2017-2021.

--IANS

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Mumbai, July 8 (IANS) Shares of Cupid Limited plunged 11 per cent on Wednesday after hitting a record high of Rs 226 earlier in the session, marking the stock's biggest one-day decline in six months.

Heavy profit booking erased early gains, with the stock falling as much as 20 per cent intra-day before recovering some losses to close at Rs 197 per share.

The sharp decline marked one of the stock's steepest single-day falls in 2026 and its biggest intra-day crash since January 2, when it had also plunged 20 per cent during the session.

The sell-off also snapped Cupid's three-session winning streak, during which the stock had scaled fresh record highs every day and crossed the Rs 220 mark for the first time.

Despite Wednesday's correction, the stock continues to deliver exceptional long-term returns. After remaining under pressure for more than a year, Cupid began a strong recovery in April 2025, gaining 25 per cent during the month.

Founded in 1993, Mumbai-headquartered Cupid Limited manufactures sexual wellness and personal care products.

The company operates a manufacturing facility in Sinnar, Nashik, and is the first company in the world to receive WHO/UNFPA prequalification for both male and female condoms.

It is the first company in the world to receive prequalification from the WHO and UNFPA for both male and female condoms.

The company is led by Chairman and Managing Director Aditya Kumar Halwasiya. Its product portfolio includes male and female condoms, water-based lubricant jelly, in vitro diagnostic (IVD) test kits for malaria, HIV and pregnancy, as well as FMCG products such as deodorants and hair oils.

Cupid has an annual production capacity of 480 million male condoms, 52 million female condoms and 210 million lubricant sachets.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) India’s medical‑device sector is emerging as a regional innovation hub, with exports reaching $4 billion in FY2025 and the country is identified as Asia‑Pacific’s 'access‑led innovator', a report said on Wednesday.

The report from Bain & Company said India exports medical devices to over 125 countries and imports of high-end medical devices in the country stood at $5.5 billion, highlighting the next opportunity for innovation.

The report was developed in partnership with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research, Enterprise Singapore (EnterpriseSG), JP Morgan, SG Growth Capital and the Singapore Economic Development Board (EDB).

Asia-Pacific, including high-growth markets including India becoming one of the world's most important demand centres. The region's share of global medtech demand is expected to reach $132 billion by 2030, growing at 6.9 per cent annually – faster than the global market.

As demand and innovation capabilities continue to grow, the next phase of growth for Asia-Pacific medtech will depend not only on innovation but also on strengthening capabilities in clinical evidence generation, regulatory strategy, commercialisation and market access.

The report highlighted that solutions developed for resource-constrained healthcare settings are increasingly finding global acceptance. With medical device exports reaching $4 billion in FY25, Indian companies are demonstrating that affordability and scalability can also translate into global competitiveness, it noted.

"As the country moves towards becoming the world's third-largest economy, healthcare demand is expected to grow to over $320 billion in the next couple of years at a roughly 10-12 per cent CAGR, creating strong momentum for medical technologies," said Dhruv Sukhrani, Partner and head of Bain & Company’s Healthcare & Life Sciences practice in India

Sukhrani outlined it as a $35 billion medtech opportunity by 2030, with medical device exports expected to grow at over 20 per cent CAGR through 2030 to $8 billion.

"The next phase of growth, however, will be defined not just by manufacturing scale but by India's ability to build globally competitive innovation through stronger clinical evidence, regulatory capabilities and commercialisation," Sukhrani added.

—IANS

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Seoul, July 8 (IANS) South Korea's exports of biopharmaceutical products are expected to post the highest level on record in the first quarter this year, government data showed on Wednesday.

The product category's estimated exports for the first six months of the year was $4.5 billion, up 15.3 percent, according to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, reports Yonhap news agency.

They accounted for 86.5 percent of all pharmaceutical exports of $5.2 billion in the first half.

Biopharmaceutical exports have risen from $4.9 billion in 2023 to $7.6 billion in 2025. Should the trend continue, the ministry expects this year to post the highest amount of exports on record.

South Korea-produced biopharmaceuticals were exported to a total of 163 countries as of June, with exports to Switzerland the highest at $770 million.

The United States followed next with $610 million, and Hungary with $600 million. France was included among the top 10 export countries for the first time as of the first half, with outbound shipments recording $160 million.

By product type, exports of recombinant protein drugs were the highest at $3.97 billion, followed by toxins and antitoxins at $280 million, and vaccines at $120 million.

The ministry said it will make efforts so that the bio industry can carry on its export momentum in the second half of the year through regulatory innovation, information sharing and active trade talks with major importers.

Meanwhile, Seoul shares erased some of their earlier losses late Wednesday morning on institutional buying, as investors continued to reassess the next phase of the artificial intelligence (AI) trade.

After opening 2.7 percent lower, the benchmark Korea Composite Stock Price Index (KOSPI) pared earlier losses, trading down 151.89 points, or 1.98 percent, at 7,504.42 as of 11:20 a.m.

Local stocks declined in line with overnight losses on Wall Street. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.25 percent, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite declined 1.16 percent.

Institutions bought a net 1.02 trillion won (US$674 million) worth of stocks, while foreigners and individuals sold a net 467.27 billion won and 561.48 billion won, respectively.

—IANS

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New Delhi, July 7 (IANS) Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare J. P. Nadda on Tuesday chaired a virtual review with K. Muraleedharan, Minister for Health, Government of Kerala, to review implementation and progress of key health programs in the state.

The meeting focused on the implementation and progress of major flagship initiatives in Kerala, including the TB-Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan, Free Drugs Service Initiative, Free Diagnostic Service Initiative, Human Resources for Health under the National Health Mission (NHM), Medical Education, Drug Regulation, and Food Safety and Standards.

The discussions stressed strengthening healthcare delivery, improving access to quality medicines and diagnostics, augmenting health infrastructure and human resources, the statement from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said.

The minister also discussed measures to enhance medical education, strengthen regulatory oversight of drugs and blood banks, along with reinforcing food safety systems across Kerala.

"K. Muraleedharan apprised the Union Health Minister of the progress made by Kerala under various flagship health programs and highlighted the initiatives undertaken by the State Government to further strengthen healthcare delivery," the statement noted.

He also briefed the Union Health Minister on key challenges and areas requiring Central support. Muraleedharan reaffirmed the state government's commitment to working in close coordination with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to achieve national health priorities.

The Union Health Minister appreciated the efforts made by the state in implementing various health initiatives and assured continued support. He emphasised the importance of sustained Centre-State collaboration to ensure effective implementation of national health programmes and improved health outcomes for the people.

The meeting concluded with both the Centre and the state reaffirming their commitment to strengthen public health systems and ensure accessible, affordable, equitable and quality healthcare services for all citizens through effective implementation of flagship health programs, the statement noted.

—IANS

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New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) The healthcare initiative of the government, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM), has built one of the world's largest digital health ecosystems, with more than 104 crore health records now linked to over 93 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Account (ABHA) accounts, according to an official fact-sheet released on Monday.

The mission is helping create a citizen-centric digital healthcare ecosystem by enabling secure management of health records, reducing paperwork, cutting waiting times at hospitals and seamlessly connecting patients with hospitals, doctors and insurers on a unified digital network, it added.

Launched in September 2021, ABDM aims to build the digital backbone required to achieve universal health coverage by making healthcare services more accessible, efficient and interoperable across the country.

Moreover, ABHA serves as a unique digital health identifier that securely links individuals to their medical records across hospitals, laboratories, insurers and national health programmes with the patient's consent.

In addition, the government recently launched Aarogya Setu 2.0 as a citizen-facing digital health application under ABDM.

The revamped platform allows users to create ABHA accounts, manage digital health records, book teleconsultations and hospital appointments, access insurance information, locate nearby healthcare facilities and monitor personal health using wearable device integration, according to the fact-sheet.

The document further highlighted that the National Health Authority's 'Scan and Share' service has significantly reduced outpatient registration time at hospitals.

More than 23.21 crore ABHA-linked digital tokens had been generated at healthcare facilities as of June 18.

As of the date, incentives exceeding Rs 107 crore have been disbursed to hospitals, over Rs 2.95 crore to diagnostic centres, laboratories and pharmacies, and more than Rs 26 crore to digital solution companies.

Additionally, more than 2,200 healthcare facilities have been onboarded via ‘e-Sushrut Clinic’ platform, which is a lightweight hospital management information system developed by the Centre for Development of Advanced Computing (C-DAC) to help smaller clinics digitise patient records and administrative processes.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (MFDA) has reportedly issued a public warning against the use of three cosmetic products after laboratory tests found dangerously high levels of mercury and lead, prompting concerns over serious health risks.

The regulator declared Goree Beauty Cream, Face Fresh Gold (Beauty Cream + Beauty Serum) and Golden Star Beauty Cream as substandard after tests revealed that the products contained heavy metals beyond the permissible limits.

The MFDA cautioned that prolonged use of these cosmetics could have severe health consequences, including damage to the kidneys, nervous system and skin. Consumers have been advised to immediately stop using, purchasing or distributing these products.

The investigation also found that the products failed to comply with mandatory labelling requirements. According to the regulator, the cosmetics did not carry essential details such as the manufacturer's name and address, batch number, manufacturing date and expiry date, raising further concerns about their authenticity and safety.

In response, the MFDA has directed retailers, wholesalers, distributors and e-commerce platforms across Maharashtra to immediately stop selling and stocking the identified products. Businesses have also been instructed to submit reports to the FDA detailing the quantity of products recalled from the market and the remaining stock in their possession.

The administration has urged consumers to buy cosmetic products only from authorised sellers and to carefully verify that the packaging contains all mandatory product information before making a purchase.

The MFDA has reiterated its appeal to the public to avoid unverified cosmetic products and report any suspicious or unlabelled beauty products available in the market to the authorities.

The Maharashtra Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the state's primary regulatory body responsible for ensuring the safety, quality, and regulatory compliance of food, medicines, and cosmetics. Functioning under the Medical Education and Drugs Department, the FDA enforces key laws, including the Food Safety and Standards Act, and plays a vital role in safeguarding public health through inspections, monitoring, and regulatory oversight.

--IANS

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New Delhi, July 4 (IANS) Union MoS for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on Saturday, called for a mission-mode national response against liver epidemic and the sharp rise in Type-2 diabetes in the country.

The minister said a response must be driven by preventive healthcare and mass public awareness, adding that these diseases are now appearing at much younger ages than before.

This changing disease profile, he said, demands a corresponding shift from curative healthcare towards prevention, early detection and lifestyle modification.

The liver epidemic and the sharp rise in type-2 diabetes in India are part of a larger metabolic nexus, with disorders such as fatty liver, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and insulin resistance closely interconnected and predisposing one another, the statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology cited the minister.

Singh was addressing the third anniversary of the Liver & Metabolic Disease Network (InFLiMeN) at the Institute of Liver & Biliary Sciences (ILBS) here.

The network, supported by the Department of Science & Technology (DST), seeks to strengthen collaborative research, innovation, early diagnosis and evidence-based policy interventions to combat the growing burden of liver and metabolic diseases.

Singh described the initiative as a landmark national platform that has brought together scientific institutions, clinicians and researchers to confront one of India's fastest-growing public health challenges.

He said sustained scientific collaboration, coupled with public participation, would be critical for reversing the growing burden of liver and metabolic disorders.

"The country's genetic predisposition, higher prevalence of central obesity and distinct Indian phenotype make its population particularly vulnerable to diabetes, fatty liver and cardiovascular diseases, often even among individuals with relatively lower body mass index (BMI)," the minister noted.

These characteristics reinforce the need for Indian data, Indian research and Indian solutions instead of relying solely on evidence generated elsewhere, he added.

Liver, despite being the body's most resilient and regenerative organ, is increasingly coming under stress from unhealthy dietary habits, lifestyle factors, inappropriate sleep patterns, stressful behaviour, and environmental pollution, the minister noted.

—IANS

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Mumbai, July 4 (IANS) India’s mergers and acquisitions' deal value jumped 31 per cent (year‑on‑year) to $86.9 billion in the first half of 2026, even as deal volumes eased 8 per cent, highlighting fewer but larger transactions, a report has said.

The report from London Stock Exchange Group (LSEG) said momentum was concentrated in Q2 (April-June), which totalled $66.9 billion, more than triple the prior quarter and the highest quarterly total since Q2 2022, driven by a handful of large restructurings, cross-border acquisitions, and domestic consolidation.

Healthcare, industrials and financials saw solid activity, while high technology remained active by volume but eased in value.

Overall, dealmaking continues to focus on scale, portfolio realignment, and selective outbound expansion into developed markets

"Equity capital markets (ECM) activity in India eased to a three-year low during H1 2026, with total ECM proceeds dropping 38 per cent from a year ago to $16.5 billion, alongside a 19 per cent drop in number of issues, reflecting a slower pace of capital raising amid more selective market conditions," said Elaine Tan, Senior Manager, Deals Intelligence, LSEG.

Despite softer proceeds in H1 2026 after a strong 2025, IPO volumes remained elevated with over 100 listings, reflecting continued breadth in market activity, and setting the stage for a stronger second half, as marquee IPOs come to market, Tan added.

India investment banking activities generated an estimated $614.1 million in fees in H1 2026, down 20 per cent year‑on‑year.

ECM underwriting fees fell 34 per cent year‑on‑year to $188.6 million, while completed M&A advisory fees grew 24 per cent year‑on‑year to $265.0 million.

"Target India M&A activity totalled $68.0 billion, up 12.2 per cent from the same period last year. Domestic M&A grew 8.7 per cent year-on-year to $54.2 billion. Inbound M&A reached $13.8 billion, marking a 28.8 per cent increase from a year ago and the highest first‑half total since 2024," the report said.

—IANS

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