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The India-focused programme is accepting applications from early-to-growth stage healthcare technology startups and offers grant funding, mentorship and advanced research collaboration.
Animal welfare groups have alleged another incident of mass killing of stray dogs in Telangana, pushing the claimed toll since December 2025 to around 1,100. Activists have urged authorities to investigate and take action, while police have linked new complaints to existing cases and ongoing probes.
As chikungunya continues to cause prolonged joint pain among patients, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) is fast-tracking a potential antiviral approach and inviting Indian companies to help develop and manufacture an experimental RNA-interference-based therapy. The move comes amid persistent case loads and the need for better treatment options.
The Union Health Ministry says the Nipah situation in West Bengal remains under control, with only two confirmed cases since December and no additional detections so far. Authorities say all 196 traced contacts have tested negative.
Indian authorities said they have contained a Nipah virus outbreak after confirming cases in West Bengal. The Health Ministry said contacts were traced, quarantined and tested, while other countries in the region stepped up health screening for travellers arriving from India.
India’s Health Ministry has confirmed Nipah cases in West Bengal, triggering contact tracing and heightened surveillance. With no licensed vaccine or cure, officials are focusing on containment and preventive guidance.
Health experts have urged the Centre to move towards tax-funded universal healthcare and increase funding for government hospitals ahead of Union Budget 2026. They also called for expanding PMJAY to cover outpatient care and for better resourcing of public health institutions.
Mumbai’s tuberculosis programme has reported that 89 drug-resistant TB patients placed on a new six-month regimen have been declared cured, an early milestone for a disease that previously demanded treatment lasting up to two years. The development renews focus on scaling shorter, all-oral regimens with careful monitoring and drug stewardship.
Two suspected Nipah virus cases have been identified in West Bengal, with testing reported at the VRDL, ICMR, AIIMS Kalyani. The Centre has deployed a National Joint Outbreak Response Team and shared guidance with the state surveillance system as containment and contact-tracing measures are stepped up.
The Union Health Ministry said the Nipah situation in West Bengal is under control, reporting no additional cases and stating that traced contacts have tested negative, while urging the public to avoid rumours.
The Union Health Ministry said on 27 January 2026 that the Nipah situation in West Bengal remains under control, with only two confirmed cases reported so far. It said 196 contacts linked to the confirmed cases have been traced, monitored and tested, and all were asymptomatic and negative.
An academic study released ahead of Budget 2026-27 argues India must raise public healthcare spending to reduce out-of-pocket burden and address widening access gaps. The research links long-term health expenditure trends to factors including income, inflation, education, urbanisation and life expectancy, and warns that under-investment leaves vulnerable households exposed to financial distress.