On Thursday, Uganda confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola virus in its capital city Kampala, with the first confirmed patient dying from it a day before. As per the new developments, the officials are now preparing to deploy a trial vaccine to put an end to this outbreak.

Groups of scientists are working on the vaccine and deployment of more than 2,000 doses of a candidate vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola has been planned and confirmed by the Uganda Virus Research Institute. As per the World Health Organization (WHO), Uganda has access to 2,169 doses of trial vaccine. For now, however, there are no approved vaccines for the strain and officials are still investigating the source of the outbreak.

The WHO had also allocated $1 million from its contingency fund for emergencies to support quick action and contain the outbreak in the country.

Confirmed Case

On Wednesday, the Sudan strain of Ebola killed a nurse employed at Kampala's main referral hospital. It is after his death that Ebola was declared an outbreak in the country. Post-mortem samples too have confirmed the Sudan Ebola Virus Disease and at least 44 contacts of the deceased man have been listed for tracing. 30 of these are health workers.

Ebola is a highly infectious hemorrhagic fever, which is transmitted through contact with bodily fluids and tissue. Symptoms include headache, vomiting of blood, muscle pains and bleeding.

it was in the late 2022, when Uganda had last suffered an Ebola outbreak. It killed 55 of the 143 people who were infected and was declared over on January 11, 2023.

What Is Ebola Virus Disease?

As per the WHO, Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a rare but severe illness in humans and is often fatal. People can get infected with the virus if they touch an infected animal when preparing food, or touch body fluids of an infected person such as saliva, urine, faeces or semen, or things that have body fluids of an infected person like clothes or sheets.

How Does Transmission Work?

Ebola enters the body through cuts in the skin or when one is touching their eyes, nose or mouth. Early symptoms include fever, fatigue and headache.

It was first discovered in 1976 in two simultaneous outbreak, when in Nzara, South Sudan and other in Yambuku, Democratic Republic of Congo. The latter occurred near a village near the Ebola River, which is where it gets its name from.

It is highly infectious and transmissible disease, in fact, there have been cases of health-care workers who have frequently been infected while treating patients with suspected or confirmed Ebola. This occurs through close contact with patients when infection control precautions are not practiced strictly.

Cases of people conducted burial ceremonies, involving direct contact with the body of the deceased too can lead to the transmission of Ebola. Even after the long suffering and recovery, there is a possibility of sexual transmission. Pregnant women who get acute Ebola and recover may still carry the virus in their breastmilk, or in pregnancy related fluids and tissues.

Symptoms:

• feeling tired
• headache
• muscle and joint pain
• eye pain and vision problems
• weight gain
• belly pain and loss of appetite
• hair loss and skin problems
• trouble sleeping
• memory loss
• hearing loss
• depression and anxiety

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has launched a new study to check drinking water for traces of more than 1,400 chemicals, including the abortion drugs mifepristone and misoprostol, as well as hormones, contraceptive drugs, pesticides and PFAS chemicals.

It drawn attention as abortion pills have become a political and legal critical subject in the US following the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision.

Anti-abortion groups and lawmakers have been urging federal agencies to probe into whether abortion pills could enter wastewater and, eventually, sources of water.

So, the EPA is now testing whether these chemicals can be detected in water supplies. It is important to note that it has not said that drinking water in the US is contaminated with abortion pills or that the drugs pose a health risk to people drinking the water.

About EPA Testing

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According to the reports, EPA officials will gather water samples from several locations in different areas and use a general testing method to screen for thousands of chemicals and contaminants.

The study includes mifepristone and misoprostol, which are commonly used together for medication abortion. It also includes testosterone, progesterone and levonorgestrel, a hormone used in several contraceptives including some birth-control pills and emergency contraception.

EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin said the agency wants to investigate potential pollutants in drinking water to provide Americans with true information about what may be present in their water.

He said, “We have heard loud and clear that Americans are concerned about potential unknown pollutants lurking in their drinking water. The Trump EPA is committed to getting to the bottom of this, so that Americans can feel confident about the safety of their drinking water.”

Nathan Donley, the environmental health science director at the Center for Biological Diversity, told Politico that mifepristone is not one of the known contaminants on the EPA's list to regulate.

“There are major water contaminants that need to be regulated, and testing for those things can be good as long as regulation happens. And then on the other hand, if we’re wasting time on a witch hunt for... those things like mifepristone, then that’s time and resources we take away from regulating and studying things that that are actually a problem,” Donley said.

Why Are Abortion Pills Part Of The Study?

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The move comes after years of pressure from anti-abortion groups, lawmakers and state attorneys general.

Students for Life of America has argued that abortion pills could result in pharmaceutical residues entering wastewater after drugs are taken and pregnancy tissue is flushed.

The group has also done its own testing and has called federal agencies to conduct research about presence of mifepristone in water.

In 2025, Republican lawmakers also sent a letter asking the administration whether there are ways to detect mifepristone in water supplies. EPA officials subsequently began exploring testing methods.

A Study Has Fueled The Debate

One study cited by Answers in Genesis reported finding significant amounts of mifepristone in eight of nine water sources tested in Austin, Texas; Blacksburg, Virginia; and Carbondale, Illinois.

The study also stated that conventional water treatment methods did not completely remove the compound and detected significant mean concentrations in tap water in two cities. However, that study’s interpretation has become a major dispute.

In the last few months, several reports have emerged rubbishing the claims and saying that there is no established evidence that abortion pills are contaminating US drinking water. These reports have also included environmental experts who have questioned the study's credibility and validity.

Water Safety Or Abortion Policing?

According to the EPA, the study is about understanding various potential contaminants in drinking water. But reproductive-health and environmental advocates have raised concerns about how the findings could subsequently be used.

Anna Bernstein of the Guttmacher Institute told The Cut, “The anti-abortion movement has become increasingly frustrated with that fact, so they are really throwing everything at the wall and seeing what sticks. They are really ramping up disinformation campaigns about the safety of medication abortion. This is the latest tactic of trying to weaponize laws that are meant to protect our environment and protect our wastewater.”

Various reports similarly reported that the EPA's decision came after sustained pressure from anti-abortion advocates.

Teen mental health in the US is improving, with fewer high school students reporting persistent sadness or hopelessness, poor mental health and suicidal thoughts, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), conducted among high school students nationwide in 2025, provides data on youth mental health, physical activity, sleep, diet and digital behaviors. The latest report includes national data from 2023 to 2025 and 10-year trends from 2015 to 2025.

Teen Mental Health Shows Improvement

Several mental health and suicide risk indicators improved between 2023 and 2025:

• Persistent sadness or hopelessness fell from 40% to 33%.
• Poor mental health declined from 29% to 23%.
• Seriously considering suicide fell from 20% to 14%.

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"These are meaningful improvements, and they show that progress is possible when schools, families, and communities work together to support young people," said Dr. Jennifer Shuford, CDC's deputy director and chief medical officer.

At the same time, the data showed that many teenagers, especially girls and teenagers who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual, are still struggling.

Thirty-three percent of high school students reported persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness in the last 12 months, down from a peak of 42 percent in 2021.

Fourteen percent of teenagers reported that they had seriously considered attempting suicide, down from 22 percent in 2021.

“Those declines in depression and suicidal thoughts are very striking, particularly that they’re lower than 2019,” said Jean Twenge, a psychologist at San Diego State University who has studied the mental health impacts of smartphones and social media use on teenagers, NYT reported.

“This isn’t just post-pandemic anymore; this is a more longstanding trend in improvement,” Twenge added.

Diet And Sports Participation Improve

Some healthy behaviors also improved between 2023 and 2025:

• Daily fruit consumption rose from 33% to 39%.
• Daily vegetable consumption increased from 58% to 63%.
• The percentage of students drinking plain water at least three times a day rose from 54% to 58%.
• Sports team participation increased from 52% to 58%.

However, daily physical activity, muscle-strengthening activity and meeting recommended activity guidelines remained unchanged.

Read More: From Remdesivir To Ventilators: COVID Patients Died Due To Hospital Protocols, Claims Whistleblower Nurse

Most Teens Still Don't Get Enough Sleep

Only 24% of students reported getting at least eight hours of sleep on an average school night in 2025, similar to 23% in 2023.

Insufficient sleep is linked to poor mental health, difficulty concentrating and risky behaviors.

Social Media Use Remains High

About 36% of students reported using social media every hour or more in 2025, similar to 37% in 2023.

Among students who drove in the previous month, 46% reported texting or emailing while driving, up from 42% in 2023.

The CDC noted that digital behaviors can affect sleep, physical activity, nutrition, safety and mental well-being.

The Youth Risk Behavior Survey has been conducted every two years since 1991 and provides nationally representative data to help identify emerging health challenges and track long-term trends.

NHS England has announced the expansion of Martha’s Rule to all hospital emergency departments and waiting rooms in England to help patients, families and staff raise concerns about worsening conditions.

Martha’s Rule was introduced following the death of 13-year-old Martha Mills and mandated at acute inpatient sites in 2025. Its expansion to A&Es will be phased in and completed by March 2028.

“A&Es see some of our most vulnerable patients, so the ability to raise concerns about deterioration quickly and trigger a rapid review of care is essential,” said Professor Aidan Fowler, National Director of Patient Safety at NHS England.

“Martha’s Rule is already having a transformative effect in making our acute care even safer, and by expanding Martha’s Rule into A&Es, we are giving even more patients, their families and NHS staff a critical new lifeline to help improve care and save more lives,” he added.

How Will Martha’s Rule Work In A&E?

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An NHS England pilot, conducted between September 2025 and March 2026, found that Martha’s Rule could work alongside existing emergency-care procedures to identify early signs of deterioration without requiring additional clinical staff.

During the pilot, 69 calls were made to dedicated Martha’s Rule numbers. Some resulted in urgent surgery or transfer to intensive care.

“Martha’s Rule is about making sure patients and their loved ones are heard when they raise concerns about their care,” said Health and Social Care Minister Baroness Merron.

“Expanding it to A&E will give patients, families and staff another way to speak up when they are worried that someone’s condition is getting worse, ensuring concerns are acted on quickly,” Merron added.

Who Was Martha Mills?

Martha’s Rule is named after 13-year-old Martha Mills, who developed sepsis while being treated at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust in south London in 2021 and later died.

Her parents repeatedly raised concerns about her worsening condition. An investigation later found that Martha might have survived if signs of deterioration had been recognized and she had been transferred to intensive care.

Her parents subsequently campaigned for a formal system allowing patients and families to raise concerns and seek an urgent clinical review.

How Does Martha’s Rule Work?

The rule has three main components:

• Patients are asked daily how they are feeling, with responses recorded.
• Staff can request an urgent review from another team if they are concerned about a patient.
• Patients, families and caregivers can also request an urgent review if they are worried about a worsening condition.

Hospitals provide a dedicated number that patients and families can use to request a rapid review by a different team when concerns are not being addressed.

Has Martha’s Rule Saved Lives?

In July 2026, 1,678 calls were made through Martha’s Rule — the highest monthly total so far.

More than 19,000 calls (19,177) were made by patients, families and NHS staff between September 2024 and July 2026.

The rule has been rolled out at 221 acute adult and pediatric inpatient sites, with the current rollout expected to be completed in 2026/27.

It is also being extended to A&E, maternity and neonatal units, with the wider rollout due to be completed by March 2028.