The question of access

(In the weekly Health Matters newsletter, Athira Elssa Johnson writes about getting to good health, and staying there. You can subscribe here to get the newsletter in your inbox.)A treatment can make a difference only when patients can access it. The cost of medicines, their safety and regulation, and whether people can get the care they need are all part of that question. This week, our coverage also looks at vaccination, infectious diseases, artificial intelligence, prevention and new medical research.Questions around the cost of medicines came into focus after the Supreme Court described the overpricing of essential cancer drugs as “broad daylight dacoity”. The report examines concerns around medicine prices and what they mean for access to treatment.A regulatory warning against the indiscriminate use of painkillers and antibiotics highlighted the risks of inappropriate medicine use, including kidney disease. India has also ordered a crackdown on nicotine pouches, citing health risks.Food regulation also featured this week. Krishnadas Rajagopal reports on FSSAI telling the Supreme Court that front-of-pack nutrition labelling will be rolled out in a single phase.The regulator has also proposed that only milk-derived products be represented as ‘paneer’. Bindu Shajan Perappadan explains what analogue paneer is and why FSSAI is acting against it.Vaccination and infectious diseasesVaccination has been another focus, with attention on missed doses, vaccination records, catch-up vaccination, adult immunisation and changing needs across different stages of life.In our Health Webinar, experts discussed childhood and adult vaccination, travel vaccination and common concerns around vaccines. The discussion also looked at the importance of maintaining vaccination records and understanding changing immunisation needs.Ahead of winter, Sayesha Gupta, Megha Jacob and Karan Babbar looked at vaccination among older adults and why Delhi’s grandparents may need protection alongside their grandchildren.The wider question of preparedness also remains important. India stressed the need for resilient health systems and pandemic preparedness at the United Nations.On the infectious disease front, reports showed that the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo has spread to two new health zones. An mpox case has also been confirmed in a northeastern Congolese city at the centre of the Ebola outbreak.In India, C. Maya reports on scientists at IAV, Keralam developing a dengue early-warning system to forecast trends and help anticipate outbreaks.AI and healthcareArtificial intelligence is increasingly being used in medical imaging, clinical decision-making and drug and vaccine development. Its expanding role also raises questions around patient safety, inaccurate information, data and the potential misuse of AI in biology.The latest Health Wrap examines these issues in ‘AI in healthcare: promise, risks and patient safety’.Other developments include a partnership between Anthropic and OpenEvidence to expand access to medical AI; Afshan Yasmeenreported on HEADS, an initiative using AI to help address gaps in mental healthcare. In Assam, inputs from ASHAs are being used to develop an AI-enabled training platform for cervical cancer screening.Health data is also coming under scrutiny, with the CEOs of OpenAI and Anthropic called to appear before an Australian AI probe following a breach involving a health database.Nutrition and preventionNutrition and preventive health also featured prominently. A study found that consuming an additional 100 grams of ultra-processed food a day was associated with a 14% higher risk of a heart event. The findings add to research examining the relationship between ultra-processed food and cardiovascular health.Suparna Mukherjee looks at what people should know about artificial sweeteners and health, particularly as their use becomes more common.Managing conditions, new researchSeveral stories this week examine conditions that can be difficult to recognise, diagnose or manage.I look at GERD and why persistent reflux symptoms need to be distinguished from what is commonly described as heartburn.Another report looked at research linking pregnancy-related forgetfulness, popularly called ‘momnesia’, to disruption in a brain circuit, offering another possible explanation for cognitive changes during pregnancy.Swagata Yadavar reported on village health centres in Haryana screening people for heart disease and identifying those who need further care.Divya Gandhi reports on a study found that deaf adults have distinctly superior peripheral vision, adding to research into how sensory systems adapt to differences in sensory input.Dr. V. Divya Sai looks at what happens when cancer treatment is no longer working and treatment options change. Dr. C. Aravinda examines why male contraception continues to lag behind other forms of contraception.Researchers at RGCB in Keralam have developed nanopore sensors aimed at detecting biomarkers associated with neurodegenerative diseases, while IIT Palakkad researchers have developed sensors for faster heparin monitoring.Another report looks at the U.S. FDA’s approval of an AbbVie drug for Parkinson’s disease. The Health Ministry’s latest advisory on stem cell therapy for autism has also drawn attention, read our explainer here.More from the health deskIn our all you need to know series, Meenakshy S. explains Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a group of connective tissue disorders that can affect multiple systems of the bodyPresident’s call puts spotlight on celebrity endorsements of harmful productsSerish Nanisetti reports on a UN finding that five crore Indian children still lack access to sanitation services in their schools.Rajlakshmi Ghosh explains how the new NCAHP regulations could affect allied and healthcare professionals.Sanjukta Sharma writes on why is everything linked to inflammation nowVikas Vasudeva reports on researchers documenting the first human deaths from Caspian cobra bites in India.(There is much more, do head to ourhealth pageand subscribe to the health newsletterhere)