Health Matters Newsletter: How to stay ready for future pandemics

The Hindu

27-05-2025

It's time to address the elephant in the room: for a few weeks now, that elephant has been COVID-19. For some time now, the number of confirmed COVID cases have been rising in certain parts of the world, particularly in South East Asia. Meanwhile, India which had very nearly stopped routine testing for suspected COVID infections also picked up the cue, and began testing for the condition. A slow, and gradual increase was noticed, over the weeks. Bindu Shajan Perappadan recorded that the Active Covid cases in India had climbed to 1009 this week. About 305 people had been treated, and there were seven deaths last week.
What followed the news on rise in cases in South east asia was a great deal of panic reporting by sections of the media. Every case has been breathlessly reported, while forgetting that for a country with a 1.2 billion people, the current number of cases is hardly even a blip on the radar. Of course, the price of having gone through one ghastly pandemic is eternal vigilance, and we have learnt that the hard way. There is no doubt that testing has to be scaled up, vaccines and boosters should be made available again to all those who require it, and hospitals need to gear up in order to face a large scale crisis if one were to emerge in the future.
Do read Saima Wazed's important piece, in this context: A medical oxygen access gap SE Asia must bridge . South Asia and East Asia and the Pacific have the highest unfulfilled demand for medical oxygen (the oxygen service coverage gap in these two regions is 78% and 74% respectively), and there is a clear and urgent need for action to rectify this.
But, and this is key: there is not yet a COVID crisis in the country. Numbers still continue to be in the 100s range and most people seem to recover without major, notable complications. INSACOG has reported that most of the Sar-CoV-2 samples sequenced in India over the last couple of weeks were BA.2 and JN.1 variants, milder variants with home care sufficient for those who test positive. Officials in the Health Ministry also confirmed that there was no indication that the current variants cause more severe disease, but also that it was not more tranmissible than previously. However, as we learnt the last time, it is important to take care of people who are more vulnerable, have a robust surveillance network for picking up influenza like illnesses, and respiratory conditions.
For an explainer on What's behind the recent Covid-19 spike in India? , hit the link.
Amidst all this, that the WHO members adopted the 'pandemic agreement' born out of disjointed global COVID response came as good news. In short, the World Health Organization's member countries on approved an agreement to better prevent, prepare for and respond to future pandemics in the wake of the devastation wrought by the coronavirus.
The treaty guarantees that countries which share virus samples will receive tests, medicines and vaccines. Up to 20 % of such products would be given to the WHO to ensure poorer countries have some access to them when the next pandemic hits. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus has touted the agreement as 'historic' and a sign of multilateralism at a time when many countries are putting national interests ahead of shared values and cooperation.
While the effectiveness of the treaty is being undermined by the United States opting to sit this one out, it augurs well that other nations have come together to offer a broad swathe of protection to even people in nations who may not be able to afford the cost of newer vaccines or diagnostic facilities. Working on the principle, not of charity, but of the entrenched belief in public health that no one is safe until every one is safe, this pandemic agreement could make the difference between life and death for some people, in a crisis.
Incidentally, India reaffirms commitment to global health at World Health Assembly . India addressed the plenary session of the 78th World Health Assembly on Wednesday, (May 21, 2025) reaffirming its commitment to global health equity under the theme 'One World for Health', while reaffirming its faith in working together with other nations.
Staying on COVID, before we meander into the jungle of health news, FDA panel is split on updates to COVID shots as questions loom for fall vaccinations . Agencies reported that government advisors were split on whether drugmakers need to update their COVID-19 vaccines for next season, a decision overshadowed by confusion over a new Trump administration policy that may limit which Americans can get the shots. Earlier, the FDA said routine vaccine approvals will be limited to seniors and younger people with underlying medical risks, pending new research for healthy adults and children.
In other news on the infectious diseases front, we hear from Tamil Nadu that the State government has decided to expand its vaccination coverage, after a study flagged a rise in Japanese encephalitis cases . There has been a noticeable increase in cases (more than five cases) in districts outside of endemic areas such as Chennai, Kanchipuram, Chengalpattu and Tenkasi, the study found, spurring the government to action.
Soujanya Padikkal writes in the epaper on the newer antibiotics in the market and the emergent resistant strains too. As we continue to tackle the challenges of antimicrobial resistance, time to factor in newer, emergent issues , she says, while talking about the newer antibiotics molecules in the market and the pipeline. After nearly 30 years, new antibiotics are now available, and that does provide more tools in the armamentarium, but neither are our older microbial resistance issues in the part nor are our newer drugs immune to resistance. A tough task at hand for the government, which is being looked up to, to lead antibiotics stewardship.
Last week, I wrote about the Second Lancet Commission on adolescent health . It has recorded some gains; particularly in survival, but indicates need for more investments, laws to ensure the wellbeing of the largest bulwark of adolescents we will every have. There are several areas of concern mentioned, including climate change, the poverty of data, the impact of social media, non communicable diseases creeping up early, all impinging on the physical and mental health of adolescents and youth.
Relatedly, Dr. Pushkala M.S. examines why obesity in children is a growing concern in India . Two concerns present themselves - unhealthy diet choices, and lack of physical activity and will have to be addressed in a wholesome manner. Athira Elssa Johnson and Meghna M. write a detailed piece on why the CBSE's sugar board mandate is a starting point for integrating nutrition education into school curricula. The most effective interventions during childhood are eventually those that have been inculcated at the school. Dr. Maria Antony's article on how preferring Screentime over playtime will impact on children's mental health is an article every parent should read.
Dr. V. Mohan writes an elaborate article on prevention of diabetes, much before it begins, here . He explains that there are four types of prevention. Primordial prevention refers to a reduction of risk factors for diabetes such as obesity or physical inactivity, thereby decreasing the risk of developing prediabetes or diabetes in the future. Primary is prevention (or postponement) of diabetes in those in a pre-diabetes stage, while secondary prevention refers to the prevention of complications of diabetes in those who have already developed diabetes. There is also tertiary prevention which is used to describe limiting physical disability and preventing progression to end-stage complications in those who have already developed some complications of diabetes.
Fitness coach Raj Ganpath chimes in about what it is that prevents India from exercising enough and why this needs to change . He reasons that we come from a past of heavy physical labour and simple eating. While the concept of exercising did exist in a certain quarter, it was not essential to the culture or the society, because of the rather tough labour day most people had to endure.
R. Sujatha, meanwhile, had a piece following up on the WHO's advisory on using low sodium salt substitutes: Apparently, these are yet to take off in Chennai .
Keith Diaz, in a piece in The Conversation, also brings up the newer paradigm: Sitting is the new smoking! Too much sitting increases risk of future health problems in chest pain patients, as per new research.
Adding to the stress and the causative factors for the onset of non communicable diseases is the lack of sleep - another plague of modernity. Here, Dr. N. Ramakrishnan explains Why poor sleep and sleep deprivation are under-recognised public health issues .
Onto yet another kind of stress - this time, heat related. In a full-pager, Nandita Shivakumar and Apekshita Varshney ventured inside i nside Tamil Nadu's textile factories where they found women reel under harsh summer heat . There is certainly a major role for private factory managements and the government to ensure that effective cooling relief for their women workers, but it is also the responsibility of the global brands who contract work out to these units to ensure that the workers are in good health, they argue.
It turns out not just the women in the factories, about 3/4th of India's population is at 'high' to 'very high' heat risk. A CEEW study identified Delhi, Maharashtra, Goa, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, as among the top 10 regions at highest heat risk. This is not going away with the monsoon showers. It will keep coming back in greater power, possibly, year on year, so it is best to prepare ourselves against the onslaught of the weather.
Have you heard of using oral sunscreens as sunblocks? Well, dermatologists say it is a myth . Dermatologists emphasise that supplements marketed as oral sunscreens are only supportive therapies and should never replace broad-spectrum topical sunscreen.
In an interesting development, an ICMR-funded trial led by CMC Vellore found that CAR-T therapy can be safely manufactured at hospital ; and experts have called for Early medical care for pelvic organ prolapse symptoms in order to improve the quality of life of women.
Tailpiece
Cat stories and jumbo stories pick themselves as internet's favourites. And here, this jumbo story is part of our tailpiece as well. Did you read about how 400 pills a day have to be fed to elephants with TB in Pakistan . This involves administering the tablets — the same as those used to treat TB in humans — hidden inside food ranging from apples and bananas to Pakistani sweets.
Explainers
Dr. C. Aravinda tries to explain the biology behind sterilisation: Going beyond the blame game: understanding sterilisation and its limits
Zubeda Hamid examines, on the lines of the U.S. Health Secretary RFK Jr.'s autism research push, what is actually needed for autism care?
Geetha Srimathi in the All you need to know about series, writes about Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus while Meenakshy S. writes vitiligo
P.S. Niranjana explains the history behind the iconic Caduceus symbol .
Manjeera Gowravaram asks: Does neurodegeneration start when blood vessels are damaged?
Also read:
Abhinay Lakshman Union government to launch fresh round of a nationwide survey to examine patterns of substance use
Dr. Monisha Madhumita Beyond fairness: marking International Skin Pigmentation Day with awareness and acceptance
Afshan Yasmeen Dementia — the urgent need for India to invest in elder care
Unregulated hair transplant practices in India: experts raise health and medical ethics concerns
Science quiz: On digestive health
Study validates India's first ICMR-SCD Stigma Scale for sickle cell diseas e
India partners with WHO to mainstream Ayush globally through agreement on traditional medicine interventions
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