Japan could become one of the first countries in the world to end the HIV epidemic, says the president of Gilead Sciences Japan, Kennet Brysting. The idea for now could seem a little too ambitious, but it is not entirely unrealistic, given that the availability of medicines that can prevent transmission of HIV. Drugs are not the cure, but control over the spread of virus to the point where the disease is no longer a major public health threat.

What Is The Role Of Preventative HIV Medicines?

Gilead's have two key drugs, Truvada and lenacapavir. These two are playing a crucial role in prevention. Truvada is taken as a daily pill, while lenacapavir requires two injections per year. It can make the virus undetectable in infected individuals and prevent transmission to those who are not infected yet. In trials, lenacapavir showed 100% efficacy in preventing HIV infections. This is why it is describe as "almost a vaccine".

In 2024, Japan also approved Truvada for HIV prevention, but the country has yet to approve lenacapavir for the same. Until now, people in Japan had been importing generic versions of Truvada or purchasing it from clinics that source it from overseas.

HIV In Japan

Up until now, Japan reported around 25,000 HIV infections, whereas 669 new cases were reported in 2023. For seven consecutive years, the number of new infections remained under 1,000. The downward trend thus shows that the virus has been controlled, however, getting to zero new infections remains the ultimate goal.

Brysting too acknowledged that simply having effective drug is not enough. What is important is to have a proper implementation, access and healthcare support to make sure that these treatments are widely available and effective.

What Are The Challenges In Implementation?

The biggest challenges is testing rates. There is a need to increase testing rates. At this very moment, around 86% people infective with Japan have been tested, but the goal is to increase it up to 95%, with an ideal goal of 100%. Without widespread testing, many infected people may not even know that they are infected and it could transmit the virus.

Another measure issue is the cost of preventative medication. While Japan's health insurance covers treatments for diseases, it does not cover preventative drugs. Those who purchase Truvada for prevention, pay around $470 per month. Some clinics in Tokyo offer generic alternatives too, which is cheaper, but they are not ideal.

Better Healthcare Support

Brysting expressed concern that individuals importing medications might not be consulting doctors regularly, which is essential for monitoring HIV status and overall health. Truvada users need to be tested for HIV initially and every three months, along with screenings for other infections and kidney function checks. Without proper medical supervision, there is a risk of misuse and inadequate protection.

Gilead is in discussions with Japanese authorities to improve access and insurance coverage for Truvada, and progress is being made. Japan has shown efficiency in approving critical medicines, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic when Gilead’s remdesivir was approved in just three days.

What Is The Way Ahead?

Gilead at this moment is not only focused on HIV and hepatitis C, but also expanding into oncology with innovative treatments like CAR-T cell therapy, which strengthens a patient's immune system to fight cancer.

However, Japan’s strict approval processes can slow down drug availability. Phase 3 clinical trials often need to be conducted within the country, and Japan tends to approve medicines much later than other regions. For instance, Truvada was approved for prevention in Japan 12 years after the U.S. and nearly 20 years after its approval for treatment. inancial factors also play a role. The Japanese government adjusts drug prices annually, often reducing them, which can make long-term investment challenging for pharmaceutical companies.

Chirag Patel, a UK-based top neurosurgeon, has been suspended by a medical tribunal due to a sexual relationship with his patient and prescribing addictive painkillers repeatedly without proper records and safeguards.

Patel, a consultant at the University Hospital in Cardiff, Wales, was punished with an 8-month-long suspension by the tribunal after his confession.

Patel had his first encounter with the patient in February 2019 when he treated her. At that time, the woman referred to as Patient A had a surgery to remove damaged spinal disc tissue. Patel again performed a surgery on her in August 2019 and then again for the third time in December 2021 when the patient had inserted a spinal cord stimulator.

The relationship between the patient and Patel began after her first surgery and went on throughout the treatment. The relationship became a problem for Patel after his fallout with Patient A in 2023. Soon after the end of their relationship, she reported the incident to the police and informed the Cardiff and Vale University Health Board.

After the whole incident came to light, he was tried before the MPTS, and Patel accepted the charges.

The tribunal said he had shown “a reckless disregard for patient safety”.

Patel said, “I was afraid that if she did so, I could lose the job I so loved and had worked so hard to obtain. Given my specialty, this would have a knock-on effect on other patients if I were unable to work. With the benefit of hindsight, I know I should nonetheless have ended the relationship and been honest with my employer. However, at the time I felt panicked and unable to break it off - a decision I now bitterly regret.”

An Overseas Citizen of India (OCI), Patel also informed the panel of the monetary demand of 11,000 pounds.

Although Patel argued his case, the tribunal found him guilty of misconduct.

The tribunal said that Patel has shown "genuine remorse, a high level of insight and substantial remediation". But they concluded by emphasising the necessity of an eight-month suspension due to the seriousness of the case and to maintain public confidence in the law. Although the universities of Cardiff and Vale confirmed his termination with them.

India's neighbor in the east, Bangladesh, is facing the worst of a crisis in the form of a massive measles outbreak. As per media reports, measles in Bangladesh has taken 545 lives. Facing this growing challenge, the authorities are in complete disarray.

The nation has been struggling with the disease almost from the beginning of the year, but as of now, the situation has worsened and appears as one of the worst outbreaks of measles since the inception of the country in 1971.

According to the local media, the country has a total of 458 suspected deaths and 87 confirmed deaths linked to measles since mid-March of this year. On the other hand, Bangladesh has seen 64,940 suspected measles cases and 8,719 confirmed infections in the same period.

The Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) of Bangladesh has said that since the 15th of March, the number of admitted patients with measles was 51,585. This information was directly released by the Health Emergency Operations Center and Control Room, which is under the authority of DGHS.

Why The Measles Cases Are On The Rise In Bangladesh?

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) said that gaps in immunization worsened during and after the 2024 student-led uprising that toppled the government, leaving large numbers of children unprotected. UNICEF emphasized the need to boost vaccination programmes and provide more funding for health facilities in the future.

Why The Situation Can Go South From Here?

Bakrid or Eid al-Adha is an occasion that is widely celebrated in Bangladesh. This Eid usually sees massive gatherings and festivities. As measles is a highly contagious disease, the chances of spreading the disease during the festivities are very likely. The public health experts and doctors are warning against attending mass gatherings. Other than that, usual long-distance travel and family visits during Eid holidays could spread the disease at an exorbitant pace.

What Is Measles?

Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through direct contact or through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. It is a vaccine-preventable disease that can cause devastating complications, including blindness, pneumonia, encephalitis, and long-term immune dysfunction.

Symptoms usually appear in 7 to 14 days after exposure and may include:

• high fever,
• cough,
• runny nose,
• red eyes,
• rashes across the body.

How To Stay Safe From Measles?

• Maintaining good hygiene, such as frequent handwashing and covering the mouth while coughing or sneezing, helps reduce transmission.

• Avoiding close contact with infected individuals and ensuring proper nutrition to boost immunity are also important.

• Public awareness and community health programs play a crucial role in prevention.

European countries like France, the United Kingdom, Spain, and Germany are experiencing early heatwaves and record-breaking conditions.

The sweltering heat conditions have affected scores of people, reportedly resulting in the deaths of about seven people in France. The unusually high temperatures early in May are being triggered by a phenomenon called a “heat dome”.

“A classic, highly anomalous and powerful Heat Dome has parked over Western and Central Europe,” said Severe Weather Europe in a statement.

The forecaster also warned that temperatures are soaring by 12-16°C above “long-term climatological norms” with an extraordinary thermodynamic plume sending “a massive core of extreme warmth over Spain, Portugal, Ireland, the UK, France, and Germany”.

As a result, southern and southwestern regions, including Portugal, Spain, and France, will experience daytime temperature highs of 38°C. The majority of France is under a moderate to high temperature warning, while Germany and the UK are witnessing maximum temperatures exceeding 30°C, the Euronews reported.

“Air mass will be even hotter in the coming days for many countries, as the Heat Dome aloft intensifies further,” the weather forecaster said.

“Because this pattern restricts vertical mixing and cloud cover, maximum and minimum temperatures alike will challenge historical monthly records across hundreds of stations in Western Europe,” it added.

What Is A Heat Dome?

Also read: Heatwaves And Toxic Air Create A Growing Health Crisis In Delhi

Also known as a ‘heat bubble’, the term heat dome is a weather phenomenon in which a strong high-pressure system traps hot air over a region for weeks.

The system forms over a large area in the atmosphere, and causes extremely hot and dry weather conditions. It traps hot air and prevents it from flowing to rise and cool. This air then becomes compressed and heats up, leading to a dome-shaped area of hot air that can persist for several days or even weeks.

How A Heat Dome Forms

• A strong high-pressure system develops in the upper atmosphere
• Air sinks toward the ground and becomes compressed
• Compression increases temperatures
• The hot air expands and becomes trapped like a lid over the region
• Winds struggle to push the system away, allowing heat to build up

Effects Of A Heat Dome

Heat domes can lead to:

• Record-breaking temperatures
• Prolonged heatwaves
• Increased risk of dehydration and heatstroke
• Drought conditions
• Wildfires
• Stress on power grids and water supplies

Studies have proven that the incidence of heat domes is increasing in prevalence due to climate change.

How Heatwave Differs From Heat Dome

According to the Met Office, a heatwave is an “extended period of hot weather relative to the expected conditions of the area at that time of year, which may be accompanied by high humidity”.

On the other hand, a heat dome is a specific, stagnant, high-pressure atmospheric system that parks itself over a region. It traps hot air near the ground like a “lid on a pot”, and can typically last anywhere up to several weeks compared to a heatwave that sustains itself for just days or weeks.

Heatwaves In Europe

Climate change is increasingly driving heat conditions across the globe. According to the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2025 was the third-hottest year on record, both globally and in Europe. The past three years – 2024, 2023, and 2025, in that order – were the hottest ever recorded globally.

Last year, temperatures exceeded 40°C in dozens of nations, pushing countries into drought, igniting wildfires, and killing thousands.