The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has recommended HemoQR, a low-cost, portable anaemia screening tool developed at IIT Kharagpur, for its simple and rapid method of checking haemoglobin levels using a smartphone.
Indian researchers from ICMR-National Institute for Research on Women's Health and IIT Bombay have developed an indigenous "placenta-on-chip" platform. This microphysiological system mimics the human placental barrier, reproducing essential functions like hormone production and nutrient transfer. It offers a simple, scalable tool for studying placental biology, pregnancy complications, and drug effects, aiming to reduce reliance on animal experimentation.
Young adults in India are increasingly grappling with high blood pressure, a condition once thought to affect mainly the older demographics. Cardiologists point to sedentary lifestyles, obesity, chronic stress and unhealthy diets as primary drivers of this silent epidemic.
'As bacteria become increasingly resistant, preserving the effectiveness of existing antibiotics is everyone's responsibility.'
The Union Health Ministry has directed states and Union territories to enhance surveillance, hospital preparedness, and screening of international travellers after the WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern.
The Sports Authority of India (SAI), in collaboration with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), conducted a workshop on Good Clinical Practice (GCP) to strengthen ethical sports science research.
An expert from the ICMR's National Institute of Virology addresses concerns about hantavirus cases detected on a cruise ship, stating there is no immediate public health threat to India and that the cases appear isolated.
The National Medical Commission is emphasising the importance of preparing doctors and healthcare systems for the responsible and effective use of artificial intelligence, highlighting the need for ethical and equitable AI adoption in healthcare.
Findings of the first in-depth analysis of clinical and genomic characteristics of the Clade Ib strain, published in the journal Virology, showed seven of the 10 individuals had a history of travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Fresh findings suggest pesticide compounds and elevated cadmium levels may be linked to the deaths of 17 people in a remote village in Rajouri district.
The Union health ministry has banned the manufacture, sale and distribution of all oral formulations containing the popular painkiller nimesulide above 100 milligrams for human use, citing health risks.
Amid an uptick in Covid cases in some parts of the country, Director General of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Dr Rajiv Behl said the severity of infections as of now is generally mild and there was no cause for worry. Speaking about new Covid variants being traced, he said genome sequencing of samples in the west and south have shown that the new variants are not severe and are Omicron sub-variants. These are LF.7, XFG, JN.1 and NB. 1.8.1. The first three are more prevalent, Dr Behl said. "Samples from other places are being sequenced and we will know in a day or two if there are more variants." The ICMR DG said there has been an uptick in cases --first from the south, then west and now from northern India. All these cases are being monitored through the Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP). Besides that, ICMR's nationwide respiratory virus sentinel surveillance network is keeping a watch on emerging infections and pathogens, he said. "Whenever cases increase, we look at three things. It's dependent on three factors with the first being how transmissible it is, conversely how fast the cases are increasing. Previously we saw Covid cases double in two days, but this time it is not that cases are increasing rapidly. "Secondly, are the new variants evading our previous immunity? When new variants come, they evade immunity -- be it natural or from the vaccine. But there's nothing to worry about at the moment," Dr Behl said. He also said that the third factor is the percentage of severe cases in all Covid instances. "Are we getting a very severe disease without comorbidities? As of now, the severity is generally low. There's nothing to worry about. We should be vigilant and we should always be prepared," the ICMR DG asserted. Dr Behl also informed reporters that the Union Health secretary chaired a meeting on Sunday that was also attended by the director general of health services and himself. "We have been closely monitoring the situation. We should be vigilant at this moment, but there is no cause to worry. The general public should be vigilant. There is no need to take any such action as of now," he said. The officer added that the WHO database has been showing that the new variants were not causing severe disease. "People do not need to take any immediate action. They should follow normal precautions. So, there is nothing special to do right now." Asked about the need for a booster dose, he said there is no need for vaccination as of now. "India has the capability to make vaccines and if need be, we can make any vaccine in no time."
The government on Sunday gave a strong push to upgradation and expansion of healthcare infrastructure, medical education and pharma sector with the Union Budget 2026-27 announcing a slew of steps, including those aimed at making India a global hub for allied healthcare professionals and biopharma manufacturing.
The method of data collection has a high risk of bias, the ICMR DG said.
After reports claimed that filings in patent offices in India, the US, and Europe did not mention ICMR or its scientists, but only BBIL and its scientists, the Hyderabad-based biotechnology (biotech) company clarified that in the "rush" to develop vaccines and file appropriate patents, BBIL had missed adding ICMR's name in the original filings.
'AdFalciVax may offer advantages such as broader protection and a lower risk of immune evasion compared to existing single-stage malaria vaccines.'
Once the OS layer is opened to the State, it doesn't close, notes Lieutenant General Prakash Katoch (retd).
'Our problem is not a budget deficit but a trust deficit. We need to trust our institutions and industries to innovate and lead. That is the way forward for India.'
'In diabetes remission, you go below a 6.5 HbA1c without medication.' 'And this happens only when you lose 10 to 15 per cent of your body weight with a good amount of lifestyle and dietary changes, exercise and sometimes medication.' 'You have to be able to sustain your HBA1C below 6.5 for at least a year without medication to say that the patient is in remission.'
The Union Health Ministry refutes claims linking heart-related deaths to Covid vaccines, citing extensive studies by ICMR and AIIMS.
The Hyderabad-based National Institute of Nutrition under the apex health research body on Wednesday released revised 'Dietary Guidelines for Indians' to meet the requirements of essential nutrients and prevent non-communicable diseases.
India's active Covid case tally crossed the 5,000 mark with Kerala remaining the most affected state followed by Gujarat, West Bengal and Delhi, according to the Union health ministry data released on Friday.
Drug regulator DCGI has asked drug controllers of all states and Union Territories to direct manufacturers under their jurisdiction to monitor the presence of a potentially carcinogenic chemical -- N-Nitrosodimethylamine -- in antacid Ranitidine.
The revised Dietary Guidelines for Indians released by the National Institute of Nutrition explains how prolonged intake of large amounts of protein powders or consumption of high protein concentrate can damage the body.
All states have been instructed to ensure availability of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators and essential medicines in view of rising cases of Covid, official sources said on Wednesday.
He asserted that all efforts are on to contain the spread of the virus in Kerala.
The attempted attack on the ICMR website was prevented by the firewall/security measures of NIC, they said, adding further steps are being taken to enhance cyber security.
Nearly one in five older Indians are affected by diabetes with many remaining unaware that they have the disease.
A study by AIIMS-Delhi and ICMR found no link between COVID-19 vaccination and sudden cardiac arrests in young individuals, citing lifestyle factors as more prominent causes.
Due to the rising COVID cases, the Centre is conducting mock drills to check facility-level preparedness and has instructed all states to ensure availability of oxygen, isolation beds, ventilators, and essential medicines, official sources had said.
There are 4,026 active cases in India and five fresh deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours.
As of May 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies LF.7 and NB.1.8 subvariants as Variants Under Monitoring, not as Variants of Concern or Variants of Interest. But these are the variants that are reportedly driving the rise in Covid cases in China and parts of Asia.
The scientist, who is from Mumbai, had come to Delhi few days ago and tested positive for the virus on Sunday morning.
Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta said there is no need to panic about COVID-19 cases, even as she asserted that the hospitals were fully prepared to tackle if the number rises.
'If you align your ambition with India's rise, the peak of your careers will unfold alongside the peak of India's power.'
ICMR Director General said some studies have suggested that antibodies last for three months while some others said they may last in the body for up to five months also.
The ICMR's statement came against the backdrop of the World Health Organization (WHO) suspending the testing of the drug in COVID-19 patients temporarily in its global study following safety concerns.
The ICMR has validated 'TruenatTM beta CoV test on TruelabTM workstation' and has recommended it as a screening test,the apex health research body said on Friday.
The ICMR claimed that no country has yet reported successful isolation and culture of the UK-variant of SARS-CoV-2.
Covaxin, a whole-virion inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine used for mass immunization in the country, showed a 65.2 per cent protection against the Delta variant in a double-blind, randomized, multicentre, phase 3 clinical trial.
