Cigarettes with ultralow nicotine levels are now being called the game-changer in the fight against smoking. If you are having trouble in quitting smoking, then, it is for you, that soon the Biden White House is expected to formally propose a plan that will order cigarette nicotine levels to be reduced, reports The Washington Post. For now though, it has been a failure, as these cigarettes, also known as VLN cigarettes that stands for very low nicotine are only available in 5,100 stores in 26 states. This is a very small fraction of the overall market for cigarettes. The company that makes it, 22nd Century, is struggling not because of the low supply, but also from the advocates who have long believed slashing nicotine levels altogether.

The Advent and ideation

Nicotine is a chemical that is produced naturally from tobacco that makes the cigarette and also keeps people hooked. While it is believed that it makes people alert, and get the "hit" to keep them going, it exposes the users to harmful substances, carcinogens, and increases the risk of heart disease, lung cancer, and other illness.

Ultralow-nicotine cigarettes, like the VLN brand, contain about 95% less nicotine than the regular cigarettes. The idea is quite simple: without the addictive grip of nicotine, smokers will find it easier to quit. Research too has shown some promise. For instance, the studies funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse revealed that very low nicotine cigarettes reduced addiction potential significantly without having users to increase their smoking frequency. However, the problem is, why would anyone choose for a low-nicotine that does not make them feel the same way, when the high-nicotine cigarette is right next to it, making them feel the same way, with the same alertness, sold at the same price.

“It’s very hard to imagine someone actively choosing to continue to use a low-nicotine product for the same price when a high-nicotine product is right next to it,” said Eric Donny, a Wake Forest University School of Medicine nicotine researcher.

No wonder, the experiment with low nicotine product by Philip Morris' Next cigarettes in the 1980s and Vector Tobacco's Quest brand in the early 2000s, flopped.

FDA's Role in the Push

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has supported the development of such products, even allowing VLN cigarettes to be marketed as lower-risk options. However, these products remain a niche market, available in only a fraction of U.S. stores.

Recently, the Biden administration has considered a bold step—mandating a dramatic reduction in nicotine levels for all cigarettes sold in the United States. Supporters believe this move could save millions of lives, while critics, including tobacco companies, warn of potential unintended consequences.

What Could Be The Challenges?

Resistance from Big Tobacco Companies: They could argue that slashing nicotine levels could backfire. Their claim is, smokers will turn to black markets or smoke more to satisfy their cravings, which may lead to greater exposure to harmful substances.

Consumer Reluctance: History is proof to the instances of smokers being hesitant to embrace the low-nicotine products.

Political Hurdle: It may face political roadblocks, as under the Trump administration, plans to cut nicotine were shelved.

Could Low-Nicotine Cigarettes Be The Solution?

Advocates believe that ultralow-nicotine cigarettes could be a game-changer, comparing them to decaf coffee or non-alcoholic beer—products that reduce harm while offering a similar experience.

Some experts warn that a black market for traditional cigarettes could undermine these efforts. They also stress the need for safer alternatives, such as vaping products, to support smokers transitioning away from traditional cigarettes.

India has created more than 880 million digital health identities under the country’s flagship mission, the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission, said Union Health Minister JP Nadda today while addressing the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva.

Speaking at the plenary session, Nadda reaffirmed the country’s commitment to universal health coverage, digital health innovation, and global health solidarity.

“Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission is strengthening India’s national digital health ecosystem by creating over 880 million unique digital health identities, which facilitate longitudinal health records and a seamless continuum of care,” he said.

Expanding Universal Health Coverage

He noted that India is accelerating towards universal health coverage by expanding access to quality and affordable healthcare with a “whole-of-government” and “whole-of-society” approach.

The Union Health Minister informed the Assembly that India has established over 1,85,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs across the country to provide comprehensive primary healthcare services closer to communities.

The Minister also underlined the scale and impact of Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana, the world’s largest public health assurance scheme, covering nearly 600 million beneficiaries, particularly the most vulnerable sections of society.

Also read: 15 Lakh Indian Chemists To Join May 20 Strike; Govt Says Jan Aushadhi, AMRIT Stores To Stay Open

Focus On Pandemic Preparedness And Technology

Further, Nadda emphasized India’s efforts towards pandemic preparedness and resilient public health systems. He stated that the government is continuously strengthening healthcare infrastructure and emergency response capacities to effectively address future public health challenges.

He also highlighted the transformative role of technology in healthcare and stressed the growing role of Artificial Intelligence in healthcare in the country.

The Minister informed delegates that India has recently launched the Strategy for Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare for India. He emphasized that “the future of AI depends on our collective ability to build ethical and human-centric systems.”

Nadda reaffirmed India’s role as the “Pharmacy of the World” by highlighting the country’s leadership in the production of affordable generic medicines and vaccines.

Recalling India’s contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic, he stated that under the Vaccine Maitri initiative, India supplied nearly 300 million vaccine doses to around 100 countries, reflecting the nation’s enduring commitment to global health cooperation and solidarity.

The 79th World Health Assembly

Read More: No Ebola Case in India, Public Risk Low: Govt Steps Up Surveillance at Airports and Seaports

The 79th WHA will be held from May 18 to May 23 in Geneva under the theme “Reshaping global health: a shared responsibility.”

In his opening remarks at the Assembly, the WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus referred to recent outbreaks of hantavirus and Ebola, as well as challenges including economic crises and climate change, stressing the need to “build a new global health architecture fit for the future.”

Tedros said this year’s Assembly will consider a proposal for a member state-led, WHO-hosted joint process to reform the global health architecture, Xinhua News Agency reported.

The 79th WHA will review over 60 agenda items, including technical issues such as noncommunicable diseases, mental health, universal health coverage, primary health care, and prevention and response to public health emergencies, as well as administrative issues such as financing, implementation, auditing, and oversight of the WHO’s 2026–2027 programme budget.

As the WHO’s highest decision-making body, the annual WHA is usually held in May in Geneva. Its main functions include deciding WHO policies and reviewing and approving the budget program. This year’s Assembly is scheduled to conclude on .

The third recorded outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been declared a Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The 17th outbreak of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has claimed over 130 lives, with more than 513 suspected cases, BBC quoted local officials as saying.

As per the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are also two confirmed cases and one death in Uganda.

With the disease spreading to newer regions and both the death toll and case count rising, experts have raised fresh global health concerns, noting that delayed detection may have allowed the virus to spread across multiple regions.

According to health authorities, early tests failed to identify the correct Ebola strain, leading to crucial weeks being lost before containment efforts began.

Bundibugyo Ebola Outbreak: A Look At How It All Began

The first known case was reportedly a healthcare worker in Bunia, DRC, who began experiencing fever, hemorrhaging, vomiting, and intense malaise on April 24. That person later died, according to the WHO.

However, it took another three weeks before health officials officially confirmed that Ebola was spreading.

Also read: Ebola Outbreak: University of Glasgow Researcher Explains Why Bundibugyo Virus Is Concerning

The WHO noted that a critical four-week detection gap between the onset of symptoms in the presumed index case, and the laboratory confirmation of the outbreak on May 14, suggests a low clinical index of suspicion among healthcare providers.

“This is compounded by the presence of co-circulating arboviruses and influenza-like illnesses, masking the initial index of suspicion for Ebola disease and exacerbating community transmission,” the WHO said.

Further, the infection and death of four healthcare workers within four days at Mongbwalu General Referral Hospital underscores critical breaches in infection prevention and control (IPC) protocols. A large number of community deaths have also been reported, potentially associated with unsafe burial practices, the WHO added.

The US CDC stated that the initial samples tested in DRC were negative for the Ebola virus, but by May 15, eight out of 13 samples tested positive, while five were inconclusive.

Using genetic fingerprinting, the illnesses were identified as the Bundibugyo virus, one of the four types of orthoebolaviruses that cause Ebola disease in people.

On May 17, the WHO declared the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa a “public health emergency of international concern.”

This marks the 17th Ebola outbreak in DRC since 1976. The previous outbreak ended in December 2025.

The current outbreak is the third involving the Bundibugyo virus. The strain was first identified during an outbreak in Uganda in 2007, which resulted in 131 cases and 42 deaths.

Another Bundibugyo outbreak was reported in 2012, killing 50 per cent of infected people in Uganda and 34 per cent in DR Congo.

Bundibugyo Ebola OutbreakWhy Delayed Detection Is Concerning

Speaking exclusively to HealthandMe, Professor Emma Thomson, Director of the Centre for Virus Research (Virology) in the School of Infection and Immunity at University of Glasgow, said the initial negative GeneXpert Ebola tests suggest the outbreak may have gone undetected for some time.

“The reports that initial GeneXpert Ebola testing was negative suggest that the outbreak may have gone undetected for some time, with early diagnostic blind spots delaying recognition,” she said.

Notably, Ebola cases have also been identified in Kinshasa and Kampala. According to Professor Emma, the spread to locations “hundreds of kilometers from Ituri province” indicates that the virus had already moved through human mobility networks before full containment measures were in place.

As a result, “the number of cases is going to go up pretty dramatically,” public health expert and Ebola survivor Craig Spencer told Associated Press.

Health experts stated that the outbreak went undetected for weeks because early tests looked for the wrong strain of the virus.

“Because early tests looked for the wrong strain of Ebola, we got false negatives and lost weeks of response time,” Matthew M Kavanagh of Georgetown University told AP. “We are playing catch-up against a very dangerous pathogen.”

Bundibugyo Ebola: No Approved Vaccine Or Treatment

More concerning is the fact that the outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo strain, a rare form of Ebola for which there are no approved vaccines or specific treatments.

“We do not currently have a proven, licensed, Bundibugyo-virus-specific vaccine available for outbreak control,” Professor Emma told HealthandMe, stressing the need for urgent vaccine research.

She also highlighted the importance of strengthening therapeutics against the Ebola virus.

Amid an India-wide strike of more than 15 lakh chemists and druggists slated for May 20, the government today noted that access to medicines will remain unaffected in the country.

“All pharmacy chains and hospital pharmacy stores, Jan Aushadhi stores, AMRIT Pharmacy stores will remain open tomorrow,” according to official sources from the Ministry of Health.

These stores will remain open “in addition to the many state and chemist associations who have already pulled out from the strike,” the sources said.

Retail pharmacy associations from at least 12 states and Union Territories, including West Bengal, Kerala, Maharashtra, Punjab, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh, have formally distanced themselves from the strike call, citing “public interest”.

What Is The Nationwide Chemists’ Strike About?

Earlier this week, the All India Organisation of Chemists and Druggists (AIOCD) announced that more than 15 lakh chemists and druggists across the country will keep their medical stores shut on May 20 to protest against illegal online sale of medicines and “unprofessional competition” by corporate firms.

The trade body flagged the sale of prescription drugs without proper verification and warned that AI-generated fake prescriptions may worsen the misuse of antibiotics.

The nationwide strike also demands the withdrawal of notifications issued during the COVID-19 pandemic that allegedly enabled the misuse of online medicine sales, said AIOCD president and former MLC Jagannath Shinde during a press conference in Mumbai.

Shinde noted that online sales had led to the circulation of fake drugs, antibiotics, and scheduled medicines without prescriptions, posing a serious threat to public health, particularly among the youth.

Also read: ‘I Was Vocal About Cancer But Silent About Menopause Out Of Shame’, Says Actress Lisa Ray

“The online sale of drugs has become hazardous for the nation and needs to be checked on priority. Moreover, deep discounts offered by online companies were proving to be a death knell for small chemists and retailers,” he alleged.

During the COVID pandemic, the government had issued special exemptions to ensure home delivery of medicines. Shinde pointed out that those provisions are continuing even after the pandemic ended.

Online companies were exploiting these relaxations and engaging in unfair competition through discounts ranging from 20 to 50 per cent, he added.

CDSCO Reviewing Retail Pharmacy Concerns

Read More: No Ebola Case in India, Public Risk Low: Govt Steps Up Surveillance at Airports and Seaports

Official sources in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) reiterated that public health and patient access to medicines remain paramount.

They noted that any disruption in the functioning of chemist shops has the potential to cause serious inconvenience to patients, particularly vulnerable groups dependent on regular access to life-saving and essential medicines, besides impacting critical medical supply chains.

“Any disruption in the functioning of chemist shops has the potential to cause serious inconvenience to patients and impact critical medical supply chains,” a source said.

They also added that constructive dialogue remains the preferred mechanism for addressing sectoral concerns while ensuring uninterrupted healthcare services for citizens across the country.