The Union Health Ministry implemented a ban on 156 "irrational" FDC medicines, effective immediately. These medicines, including widely used antibiotics, painkillers, and multivitamins, were commonly used to treat fever, cough, and infections. The ban was imposed due to the associated health risks and lack of therapeutic justification for the ingredients in these FDCs.

What are FDC medicines?

FDCs or fixed-dosed combinations, also known as "cocktail drugs," are medications that combine multiple drugs in a single pill. They are designed to treat multiple symptoms or conditions simultaneously. While they offer convenience, they can pose significant risks. These risks include the possibility of overdose, adverse interactions between the drugs, and the development of antibiotic resistance. Additionally, many FDC medicines lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and efficacy.

Expert opinions on FDC medicines

Experts have raised concerns about the use of FDC medicines. They believe that many of these combinations lack sufficient scientific evidence to support their safety and effectiveness. Additionally, the combination of multiple drugs in a single pill can increase the risk of adverse side effects and interactions with other medications.

Experts have also found that FDC medicines may not be as effective as individual drugs in treating certain conditions. It is important to note that safer and more effective alternatives are available for most of the medical conditions that FDC medicines were used to treat. One particular concern is the inclusion of antibiotics in some FDCs. Overuse of antibiotics can contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance, a major public health threat.

The risks of FDC medicines

The use of FDC medicines can lead to adverse effects, including serious ones. Additionally, safer alternatives, tested in clinical trials, are available to treat the same medical conditions. Experts recommend prescribing drugs individually based on a patient's clinical symptoms rather than combining them in FDCs.

The ban on irrational FDC medicines by the Union Health Ministry can be seen as a positive step towards promoting rational drug use and protecting public health. The goal is to eliminate unnecessary and potentially harmful drug combinations. This is a step forward in reducing the risks associated with medication and ensure safer and more effective treatment options for patients.

Reducing sugar intake during pregnancy and the first two years of a child’s life could have life-changing benefits for brain health, particularly in lowering the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

According to a new study, limiting sugar intake could reduce the risk Alzheimer’s by more than 45% in the future.

The research, published in npj Aging, found that people exposed to lower sugar intake during the first 1,000 days of life, from conception until age two, had a 46% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a 27% lower risk of dementia, an 11% lower risk of depression, and a 20% lower risk of anxiety in later life.

Researchers analysed health and brain imaging data from more than 60,000 participants in the UK Biobank.

They used Britain’s World War II sugar rationing period as a natural experiment, comparing people born when sugar availability was restricted with those born after rationing ended.

Why The First 1,000 Days Matter?

Scientists say that early life is a critical phase for the brain, metabolism, and immune system. Nutrition during this period can shape long-term health, influencing disease risk of neurodegenerative disease decades later.

“Our findings suggest that limiting sugar intake during the first 1,000 days of life may have long-lasting benefits for brain health,” the researchers noted, adding that the effects appear to persist well into older adulthood.

Dr. Bing Zhang, a geriatric medicine researcher involved in the study, said the results support the idea that nutrition in early life can shape lifelong brain health through metabolic programming during critical stages of development.

The study also found key structural differences in the brain. MRI scans showed that participants who had lower sugar exposure early in life had brains that appeared approximately 0.4 years younger biologically.

Their brains showed greater grey matter volume and fewer signs of white matter damage that is often linked to healthier cognitive ageing.

Also read: Can Your Child’s Diet Shape Future Diabetes Risk? Study Links Ultra-Processed Foods To Early Insulin Responses

Does Sugar Cause Dementia?

The researchers found an association, not proof that sugar directly causes Alzheimer’s or dementia. Since the study is observational, other factors like overall diet, access to healthcare facilities and services, and lifestyle may also have contributed to the findings.

Dr. Sara Rodrigues of Alzheimer’s Research UK, who was not involved in the research, cautioned that while the results are compelling, they do not establish cause and effect. However, they add to the growing evidence that healthy eating throughout life plays an important role in maintaining brain health.

Ultra-Processed Foods Linked To Early Insulin Response

This comes after a recent study suggested that children who who consume higher amounts of ultra-processed foods may already be showing subtle changes in the way their bodies regulate insulin, potentially increasing the risk for type 2 diabetes in the future.

According to a new study published in the journal Nutrients, children who have higher amounts of in ultra-processed foods (UPFs) had reduced insulin sensitivity and higher insulin secretion, even though they did not have diabetes.

Researchers from Texas A&M University–San Antonio, University of Texas Health San Antonio, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, and Wake Forest University School of Medicine discovered that the metabolic changes linked to diabetes may begin much earlier in life than previously thought.

The Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DRC) Ebola outbreak has become the second-largest Ebola epidemic ever recorded, overtaking the country’s devastating 2018-2020 outbreak.

The current epidemic has also underscored the growing global concern over the rapid spread of the deadly disease.

Second-Largest Ebola Outbreak In DR Congo

According to the latest official figures released by the DRC health authorities and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), the country has reported 3,442 confirmed Ebola cases and 1,521 deaths as of July 29, 2026.

However, more recent updates indicate the outbreak has continued to worsen rapidly, with 3,532 confirmed cases and 1,556 deaths reported by July 31, 2026.

The only Ebola outbreak larger than the current epidemic remains the 2014-2016 West Africa outbreak, which infected more than 28,000 people and resulted in the deaths of over 11,300 lives.

Also read: Milestone In Kala-Azar Treatment: WHO Updates Treatment Guidelines, Recommends Shorter & Safer Regimens

Ebola Outbreak Caused By Rare Bundibugyo Virus

Unlike many previous Ebola outbreaks caused by the Zaire ebolavirus, the ongoing epidemic is caused by the Bundibugyo virus, a rarer species of Ebola virus for which there is currently no approved vaccine or licensed treatment.

The World Health Organization (WHO) said the outbreak remains active with heightened community transmission, particularly in eastern DRC, where insecurity, mistrust, population displacement and limited healthcare access continue to hamper outbreak containment efforts.

WHO Warns

In its latest Disease Outbreak News update, WHO said, “The outbreak remains active, with sustained transmission.”

The UN health agency noted that inside conflict, population displacement, community mistrust and restricted access to affected areas continue to affect contact tracing, surveillance, and containment and treatment activities.

WHO has also stressed that although the global risk remains low, the regional risk is high because of frequent cross-border movement between the DRC and neighbouring countries.

A major challenge in controlling the epidemic is the absence of a licensed vaccine or targeted therapy against the Bundibugyo virus.

According to WHO, while the Ebola vaccine used against the Zaire strain has shown limited experimental cross-protection in animal studies, there is currently inadequate evidence to recommend its use against Bundibugyo virus disease.

Also read: Uganda Declared Ebola-Free As Congo Outbreak Grows To 3,262 Cases, 1,437 Deaths

First Volunteer Receives Experimental Bundibugyo Vaccine

Amid the worsening outbreak, researchers have reached an important milestone in Ebola vaccine development.

The first volunteer has received an experimental vaccine targeting the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, marking the world's first Phase I clinical trial for this virus, according to the University of Oxford.

The vaccine, ChAdOx1 BDBV, developed in collaboration with Serum Institute of India (SII), is designed specifically to protect against the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

It uses the same viral vector platform that powered the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine.

The vaccine uses a genetically modified chimpanzee adenovirus (ChAdOx1)—a harmless virus that normally causes the common cold in chimpanzees—as a delivery vehicle.

"We welcome the start of the phase 1 clinical trial of an investigational vaccine against Ebola Bundibugyo virus disease—an important step to assess the safety and immune responses generated by the vaccine," said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on X.

Health authorities, supported by WHO, Africa CDC and international partners, continue to strengthen surveillance, laboratory testing, infection prevention, community engagement and patient care.

The growing popularity of GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro has brought another side effect into focus.

After the widely discussed 'Ozempic Face,' dermatologists are now warning about 'Ozempic Hair,' a term used to describe excessive hair shedding that can occur after rapid and weight loss.

Experts say the condition is not caused by the medication directly damaging hair follicles. Instead, it is largely linked to rapid weight loss, nutritional deficiencies, and the body's metabolic response to sudden calorie restriction.

Why Are GLP-1 Users Facing Excessive Hair Loss?

According to Dr. Gaurav Garg, Senior Dermatologist, Hair Transplant Surgeon, Dermato-Surgeon and Medical Director at Dermalife Skin and Hair Clinic, New Delhi, cases have become increasingly common in dermatology clinics.

"We are seeing a significant rise in patients complaining of excessive hair shedding after taking GLP-1 weight loss medications. Around 40% of the weight loss drug users visiting our clinics are experiencing mild to significant hair loss, with many noticing hair falling out in large clumps while washing or combing. In most cases, the medication itself is not directly damaging the hair. The problem is rapid weight loss, nutritional deficiencies and the metabolic shock experienced by the body," Dr. Garg said.

He added that the increasing use of these medications without proper medical supervision is further contributing to the problem.

"Ozempic isn't the enemy of your hair; malnutrition and metabolic shock are. By ensuring gradual weight loss and proper nutritional support under expert guidance, many of these problems can be prevented," he said.

Also read: UK Woman Spends £4,000 On Wegovy, Mounjaro, But Loses Less Than 14 Pounds In 15 Months

What Is 'Ozempic Hair'?

'Ozempic Hair' is not a medical diagnosis but a popular term for telogen effluvium, a temporary phase of hair loss due to stress. Rapid weight loss acts as a physical stressor, causing a larger number of hair follicles to enter the resting phase prematurely.

Hair shedding usually becomes noticeable three to four months after a user starts taking GLP-1 drugs. Reduced appetite during treatment may also result in deficiencies of all the nutrients that are important for hair growth. For example, protein, iron, zinc and biotin.

Also read: GLP-1 Microdosing: People Are Experimenting With Weight Loss Drugs & What Do Experts Have To Say About It?

Experts Warn Against Self-Medication

Dr. Garg cautioned that weight loss injections are increasingly being used for cosmetic purposes rather than for legitimate medical conditions.

"One of the biggest concerns today is that these weight loss injections are increasingly being viewed as quick-fix cosmetic solutions rather than prescription medicines meant for specific medical conditions. Many people begin taking them after watching social media content or on the advice of friends, without understanding the nutritional consequences. Hair shedding in most cases is temporary, but prevention is always better than treatment. These medications should never be used casually or without expert supervision," he said.

He stressed that people undergoing medical weight loss should receive appropriate dietary counselling, consume adequate protein, and undergo regular monitoring to reduce nutritional complications.

Echoing these concerns, Dr. Ramanjeet Singh, Director, Department of Dermatology, Medanta Hospital, said the trend reflects the risks of unsupervised use of GLP-1 medications.

"The emerging trend of 'Ozempic Hair' highlights the risks associated not only with rapid weight loss but also with the indiscriminate use of these medications without proper medical evaluation. We are increasingly seeing individuals obtaining weight loss drugs without specialist consultation or using them beyond recommended doses in pursuit of faster results. Hair shedding in such cases usually represents telogen effluvium triggered by rapid metabolic changes and nutritional deficiencies rather than permanent damage to the hair follicles," Dr. Singh said.

He added that the condition is generally reversible with timely intervention, balanced nutrition and medically supervised weight management.

Dermatologists advise people considering prescription weight loss medications to undergo a medical evaluation before starting treatment.

Maintaining adequate protein intake, avoiding crash diets, correcting iron and vitamin deficiencies where necessary, and seeking early dermatological care if excessive hair shedding develops may help reduce the severity and duration of hair loss.