Birthdays are exciting for everyone. There's celebration, a cake, and balloons. But what if it goes wrong? This is what happened with Giang Pham, from Vietnam, who was celebrating her 33rd birthday on February 14, when a hydrogen balloon in her hand touched the flame from the candle on the cake and exploded on her face.

This incident was also captured on camera. The footage clearly shows how the balloon blew up as soon as it touched the flame. Her friends were shocked and can be heard gasping in the background as they saw this.

In the days following the incident, she also shared photos on her Instagram showing her bandaged face, and revealed the first-degree burns on her hand and second-degree burns on her face. However, the good news was that her vision was unaffected, though for her face to recover, it would take months.

She is now also warning others about the risks of using highly inflammable hydrogen balloons. The other alternative could be a helium balloon, which you could fly higher and they remain on the ceiling.

Health Update

She revealed that her doctor estimated up to six months for her skin to recover. She would still have to go to the hospital for dressing and treatment. Another such case happened with a woman named Tine from Australia, when on her son's 7th birthday, the balloon exploded and "shook her house". Her son was burned in the forearm.

Such incidents happen because decorators want to save the cost by replacing helium with hydrogen, which is highly inflammable.

In Healing

Giang shared that she experienced second-degree burn on her face and first-degree burn on her hands. As per John Hopkins Medicine, first degree burns affect only the epidermis, or the outer layer of skin. The burn site becomes red, painful, dry, however, there are no blisters. A mild sunburn could be an example of such a burn. This is also called superficial burns.

Whereas, second degree burns involve the epidermis and part of the dermis layer of the skin. The burn site appears red, blistered and could also be swollen and painful. This is also known as partial thickness burn.

Then comes the third degree burns, also known as full thickness burn. This destroys the epidermis and dermis and could also damage the underlying bones, muscles, and tendons. However, when the bones and muscles are burned, it could be referred to as a fourth degree burn. The burn sit appears white or charred and there is no feeling in the area since the nerve endings are destroyed.

How burns are treated?

The right way to treat a burn depends on its depth and how much of the body it covers. While minor, superficial burns can be managed at home, deeper or larger burns may need medical attention. Keep these essential guidelines in mind:

Do:

• Remove the source of the burn immediately – For example, take off clothing soaked in hot liquid to prevent further damage.
• Run cool water over the burn – This helps soothe the skin, except in cases of certain chemical burns.
• Keep the burn clean and protected – Cover it with a clean, non-stick bandage when possible.
• Seek medical help – If the burn is deeper than a superficial layer, larger than your hand, or full-thickness, see a doctor.

Don’t:

• Use home remedies like bleach or butter – These can make the burn worse.
• Apply ointments or creams on deep burns – They can trap heat and worsen the injury.
• Put ice on the burn – It can cause more damage to the skin.
• Pop blisters – This increases the risk of infection.

Knowing these simple steps can make a big difference in burn care and healing.

With interventions targeted towards improving maternal and child health along with quality and accessible health infrastructure, India has played a crucial role in the decline of global child mortality, especially in South Asia, according to a UN report today.

The UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNIGME) Report 2025 highlighted that the country's sustained efforts in the last two decades in child health have led to significant outcomes in South Asia. They include:

• a 76 percent decline in under-five deaths since 1990 and a 68 percent drop since 2000
• the under-five death rate in the region fell from 92 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2000 to nearly 32 in 2024.

"India emerges as a leading global exemplar in the UN IGME 2025 report for accelerating child mortality reduction," JP Nadda, Union Health Minister, shared in a post on X.

"India’s focussed comprehensive approach on neonatal care has paved the way for eliminating preventable child deaths and securing healthy future for our children," he added.

Also read: 4.9 Million Children Died Before Age Five Worldwide In 2024: UN Report

India's Child Health Programs

In India, the UNIGME report showed that:

• under-five mortality rate reduced to 26.6 in 2024
• infant mortality fell to 23.3 per 1000 live births
• neonatal mortality rate dropped to 17

The report lauded India’s "continuum-of-care strategy" that has integrated sustained strengthening of a vibrant health system with commensurate expansion of its health infrastructure.

It also hailed demand-driven programmatic interventions in reducing preventable maternal and newborn mortality. These include:

• Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK)
• Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), all of which are striving towards .
• Dedicated Maternal and Child Health (MCH) wings,
• Maternity Waiting Homes,
• Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs),
• Newborn Stabilization Units (NBSUs),
• District Early Intervention Centres (DEICs).

Further, it noted that India’s commitment to improving newborn and child survival has also been reflected in continuous quality improvement initiatives such as the recently released guidelines on Facility-Based Newborn Care (FBNC) and

digital innovations such as Tele-SNCU (HUB & SPOKE model).

These efforts are complemented by hybrid skill-based learning modules on the safe and rational use of oxygen (including CPAP) and by the empowerment of mothers and caregivers to provide nurturing care to small and sick newborns.

"India is among the first few countries to set targets and release operational guidelines on Stillbirth Surveillance and response," the report said.

The UN noted that India’s experience shows that "sustained leadership, strategic investments, and strong collaboration with committed stakeholders have enabled a robust, scalable, and effective implementation framework targeted towards the achievement of the SDGs".

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced in the Parliament that India is planning to launch universal health coverage for all by 2033.

Addressing the Rajya Sabha, the Finance Minister stated that health insurance has become a priority area for the government, and informed that the sector has made significant progress, covering 58 crore lives in 2024–25, news agency PTI reported.

“Health insurance is a priority for this government. In fact, we are hoping that by 2033 we will have insurance cover for all,” Sitharaman said.

Growing Insurance Market

The FM added that the total health premium collections in the country reached Rs 1,17,505 crore in 2024–25. The health premiums under

• Public sector insurers accounted -- INR 42,420 crore
• Private insurers contributed INR 37,752 crore
• Standalone health insurers INR 37,331 crore

“Health insurance is now a clear priority with GST exemption on individual premiums, expansion of coverage, and strong regulatory push driving the momentum,” she said.

Health Insurance Under AB-PMJAY

Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB-PMJAY), the world’s largest publicly funded health insurance scheme, launched in 2018, provides health cover of Rs 5 lakh per family per year. It provides secondary and tertiary care hospitalization to about 12 crore families, representing the bottom 40 per cent of the population.

The scheme was further expanded to cover 6 crore senior citizens of age 70 years and above, belonging to 4.5 crore families, irrespective of their socio-economic status.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, stated in a written reply in the Rajya Sabha that

till February 28:

• 43.52 crore Ayushman cards created
• 1.14 crore Ayushman Vay Vandana cards created for senior citizens
• 36,229 hospitals empaneled under AB-PMJAY -- 19,483 are public, and 16,746 are private hospitals

Further, the latest national master of Health Benefit Package provides cashless healthcare services for 1,961 procedures across 27 medical specialties.

“A total of 11.69 crore hospital admissions amounting to Rs. 1.73 lakh crore have been authorized under the scheme,” Jadhav said.

He added that more than 86 crore Ayushman Bharat Health Accounts (ABHA) have been created, and more than 90 Crore health records have been linked to patients’ ABHA.

In addition, Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) was launched in India in September 2021 to support the development of an integrated and citizen-centric national digital health ecosystem.

Till March 11, the progress made under ABDM includes:

• 86,64,46,563 - ABHA created for citizens
• 90,70,14,529 - Health records linked to the patient’s ABHA
• 2,56,542 - Facilities using ABDM-enabled software.

India’s Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive that began a fortnight ago has already vaccinated nearly 3 lakh girls aged 14 years, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The nationwide free HPV vaccination campaign for girls aged 14 years was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Rajasthan's Ajmer on February 28.

“Within just a fortnight of its launch, nearly 3 lakh girls aged 14 years have already been vaccinated—marking an encouraging start to this critical public health initiative,” the health ministry said.

"The enthusiastic participation seen so far reflects growing awareness among parents, schools, and communities about the importance of early protection," it added.

Further, the Ministry noted that several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, and Mizoram, have seen a significant uptake in the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign.

The initiative marked a decisive step towards eliminating cervical cancer through timely HPV vaccination.

Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in India. Nearly 80,000 new cases and over 42,000 deaths are reported annually in the country.

The Ministry said that despite examinations currently underway in many regions, the response to the campaign has remained strong, and the momentum is expected to accelerate significantly in the coming days.

“We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the daughters of the country are healthy and prosperous. The objective of this initiative is the prevention of cervical cancer," the Prime Minister, earlier wrote in a post on social media platform X.

The government has urged parents and guardians to support and encourage eligible girls to get vaccinated at the earliest.

HPV Vaccine in India

HPV vaccination is voluntary, and parental consent is mandatory before administration of the vaccine.

The single-dose Gardasil-4 vaccine is administered free of cost at government health facilities across all areas, including rural and underserved areas, and will be available even after the campaign ends.

The vaccine used is non-live and does not cause HPV infection. It is supported by more than 500 million doses administered globally since its introduction in 2006.

The vaccine is most effective when it is administered before exposure to HPV and before becoming sexually active. Young women aged 9 to 14 years show vaccine effectiveness of 74 to 93 per cent and this decreases with age.

• Girls aged 9 to 14 should get two doses of the vaccine 6 to 12 months apart
• Women aged 15 to 26 years can get three doses in 0, 2, and 6 months apart
• Adults aged 27 to 45 must get it after consultation with their healthcare provider

To avail the free HPV vaccine, visit any government health facilities including

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs- Primary Health Centres (PHCs