As per the latest data released by Transforming Access to Student Outcomes in Higher Education (TASO) and the Policy Institute at King's College London, the number of UK students reporting mental health difficulties tripled. The estimate reveals that around 300,000 students could now be experiencing mental health struggles. Of the total, 18% of students reported some kind of mental health issue in 2024.

As per the reports, this estimate is triple what was reported in 2017, where it was at 6%. Experts also say that Covid-19 pandemic is "often considered to have contributed to this, it does not explain the ongoing rise in mental health difficulties." Another reason could also be the "changing definition and increasing openness about mental health" which has led to a rise in numbers. The report notes, "This trend pre-dates the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis. Although these factors play a part in students' deteriorating mental health, they cannot therefore be the only explanation."

How Did The Report Conclude?

The report drew data collected over the latest Student Academic Experience Survey of 93,212 students. From the survey, it was found that there exist significant disparities between demographic groups, with women being twice as likely to report mental health difficulties, about 22% as compared to men, at 11%.

What Did The Results Reveal?

The results revealed that students who identified as LGBTQ experienced the highest rates of mental health challenges. This has actually lessened the hope that conditions for LGBTQ students are improving, which may not have been a positive case.

Of them, 42% are bisexual and lesbian students, whereas last year it was 35% and 32% respectively. The report also noted that mental health difficulties among lesbian women and gay men rose three times the rate of straight people, and among bisexual and asexual people, it was twice as high. For trans students, the number jumped from 25% in 2023 to 40% in 2024.

Is The LGBTQ+ Prone To Mental Health Crisis?

As per the Child Mind Institute, being LGBTQ+ does not cause mental health problems, but because these kids often face factors like rejection, discrimination and violence, they are at a higher risk of challenges including depression, anxiety, and even attempting suicide.

A UTAH Health study quotes Anna Docherty, PhD, LP, assistant professor of psychiatry at Huntsman Mental Health Institute that, "likely with any identity, feeling different - or worse, unaccepted as you are is a significant risk factor of mental health struggle." The data reveals that LGBTQ+ teens are six times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than non-LGBTQ+ identifying teens. They are also more than twice as likely to feel suicidal and more than four times as likely to attempt suicide. In the US alone, 48% of transgender adults report that they have considered suicide in the last year, compared to 4% of the overall population.

What Do These Findings Mean?

TASO's academic lead and professor of public policy at King's College London, Michael Sanders said, "LGBTQ students and women bear the brunt of the rise in declining mental health and urgent action is needed to understand and address these trends."

John Toshack, the Wales and Liverpool legend, has been diagnosed with dementia, his son Cameron has confirmed to the media.

After a glittering playing career with Liverpool, the now 77-year-old Toshack went on to manage several leading clubs across Europe, including Real Madrid, Real Sociedad, and Besiktas.

His son and ex-Leeds United assistant Cameron, now coaching in Thailand, told the Daily Mail that his father has "good days and bad days".

"It's a terrible disease," he added.

Cameron noted that while his father's memory of his glory days remains intact, his short-term memory is more affected. And his father often tends to forget matters they spoke about in short periods.

"It’s the short-term memory where we’re seeing it – I speak to him most days, and if we chat in the afternoon, he might not remember that we also spoke in the morning," the report said.

"But if I ask him about the Liverpool days, or Sociedad or Madrid, the detail is amazing; his memory was so clear".

Meanwhile, Football Association of Wales in a post on social media platform X shared: "Our thoughts are with former

@Cymru player and manager John Toshack and his family following his recent diagnosis".

What Is Dementia?

Dementia is an umbrella term used to describe a significant decline in mental function that is serious enough to affect everyday life. It commonly impacts memory, thinking, and reasoning skills.

Dementia itself is not a single disease but a collection of symptoms caused by underlying conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or vascular dementia.

Common signs include memory problems, confusion, difficulty finding words, changes in mood or behaviour, and trouble completing familiar tasks.

These symptoms usually worsen over time and are not considered a normal part of ageing. Although there is no cure, treatment options can help manage symptoms, and early diagnosis plays an important role in care planning.

Alzheimer’s Disease: The Leading Cause of Dementia

Alzheimer's disease is one of the most common forms of dementia and mostly affects adults over the age of 65.

About 8.8 million Indians aged 60 and above are estimated to be living with Alzheimer's disease. Over seven million people in the US, 65 and older, live with the condition, and over 100,00 die from it annually.

Alzheimer's disease is believed to be caused by the development of toxic amyloid and beta proteins in the brain, which can accumulate in the brain and damage cells responsible for memory.

Amyloid protein molecules stick together in brain cells, forming clumps called plaques. At the same time, tau proteins twist together in fiber-like strands called tangles. The plaques and tangles block the brain's neurons from sending electrical and chemical signals back and forth.

Over time, this disruption causes permanent damage in the brain that leads to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, causing patients to lose their ability to speak, care for themselves, or even respond to the world around them.

While there is no clear cause of Alzheimer's disease, experts believe it can develop due to genetic mutations and lifestyle choices, such as physical inactivity, unhealthy diet, and social isolation.

Early symptoms of Alzheimer's disease include forgetting recent events or conversations. Over time, Alzheimer's disease leads to serious memory loss and affects a person's ability to do everyday tasks.

There is no cure for this progressive brain disorder, and in advanced stages, loss of brain function can cause dehydration, poor nutrition, or infection. These complications can result in death.

Children under 5 in India remain at high risk of typhoid infections, hospitalization, and death due to growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR), according to an alarming study, which highlighted the urgent need to control drug resistance in the country.

Typhoid fever is a systemic illness caused by Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi), and presents a significant health challenge in India.

The modelling study, published in The Lancet Regional Health – Southeast Asia, showed that typhoid fever caused an estimated 4.9 million cases and nearly 8,000 deaths in India in 2023.

However, more concerning was that a large proportion of infections were found resistant to fluoroquinolones — one of the main classes of antibiotics used to treat typhoid. They found that:

• Children aged 5–9 years had the highest number of typhoid fever cases and AMR cases
• Children aged 6 months to 4 years experienced the highest number of hospitalizations and deaths.

"Drug-resistant typhoid fever remains a serious public-health threat in India, with implications beyond national borders," said Dr Vijayalaxmi Mogasale, Joint PhD Candidate at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Nagasaki University.

"Tackling this problem does not lie solely in moving to newer antibiotics, but calls for timely preventive action, including responsible antibiotic use and the introduction of the typhoid vaccine into the national immunization program, prioritizing high-burden age groups and regions," she added.

Also read: Study Links Widespread Use of Antibiotics During COVID To Surge In AMR Cases

Typhoid: AMR A Major Concern In India

In Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) 2021, India contributed to 58 percent of global typhoid fever cases and 48 percent of global deaths.

The new study, including researchers from Christian Medical College in Vellore, estimated that more than two-thirds of typhoid cases in India are resistant to fluoroquinolones. This not only limits treatment options but also increases the risk of complications.

The major drivers of typhoid fever deaths were identified among those with no treatment and hospitalized cases with AMR-related complications. The highest burden of typhoid cases were reported from Delhi, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

Further, the study found that drug-resistant typhoid infections accounted for at least 87 per cent of India's disease-related economic burden in 2023, the PTI reported.

The total economic burden due to typhoid fever was estimated at Rs 123 billion.

Children under the age of 10 incurred the highest economic burden, contributing to over half of the costs, researchers found.

In addition, they estimated that households bore 91 per cent of expenses, and 70,000 families faced "catastrophic" health expenditure.

A 2024 ICMR report also flagged that more Indians are developing antibiotic resistance against typhoid, pneumonia, and urinary infections. Over 95 percent of Salmonella typhi strains are now resistant to fluoroquinolones, making it difficult to treat infections caused by this bacterium.

Also read: Antimicrobial Resistance Explained: Why Is WHO Calling It A Serious Health Threat?

Typhoid: How Vaccines Can Help

Typhoid fever is a water- and food-borne infectious disease. Major symptoms include

• high fever,
• fatigue,
• headache,
• abdominal pain.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends TCV for children from six months of age and for adults up to 45–65 years, depending on the vaccine.

To achieve greater impact, the Lancet researchers suggested implementing:

• A broader catch-up or school-based vaccination campaigns
• controlling the broader strategy of antimicrobial stewardship
• Making improvements in water, sanitation, and hygiene.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has raised concerns about a highly mutated variant of COVID-19 -- BA.3.2 -- which has been reported in at least 23 countries, including 25 states in America.

The BA.3.2 variant was first identified in a respiratory sample in South Africa in November 2024.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has designated BA.3.2 as a Variant Under Monitoring (VUM). It does not boost immunity from previous infection or vaccination.

What makes the BA.3.2 variant special is the “70 to 75 substitutions and deletions in the gene sequence of its spike protein”, according to the CDC’s latest Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“BA.3.2 represents a new lineage of SARS-CoV-2, genetically distinct from the JN.1 lineages (including LP.8.1 and XFG) that have circulated in the US since January 2024,” said the CDC researchers.

“BA.3.2 mutations in the spike protein have the potential to reduce protection from a previous infection or vaccination,” they added.

What Is The BA.3.2 Variant?

BA.3.2 is a descendant of the Omicron BA.3 lineage. It is genetically distinct from the previously circulating JN.1 lineages (including LP.8.1 and XFG).

BA.3.2 comprises two major branches, BA.3.2.1 and BA.3.2.2. BA.3.2.2 also has substitutions like: K356T, A575S, R681H, and R1162P, the CDC report said.

The first BA.3.2 lineage sequence was detected in a respiratory sample collected on November 22, 2024, in South Africa from a boy aged 5 years.

It was then identified in 2025, in Mozambique (March), the Netherlands (April), and Germany (April). It began to increase in September 2025, with the highest number of detections reported during the week beginning December 7, 2025.

As of February 11, 2026, BA.3.2 had been detected in at least 23 countries.

Between November 2025 and January 2026, the weekly BA.3.2 detections increased and reached approximately 30 percent of sequences reported in three European countries (Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands).

BA.3.2 In The US

The strain was detected in the US on June 27, 2025, through the CDC’s Traveler-Based Genomic Surveillance program in a participant traveling to the US from the Netherlands.

The first US detection of BA.3.2 in a clinical specimen collected from a patient was reported on January 5, 2026. Since then, the CDC has detected the BA.3.2 variant from

• nasal swabs collected from 4 US travelers,
• clinical samples from 5 patients,
• 3 airplane wastewater samples,
• 132 wastewater surveillance samples from 25 states in the US.
• Till February 11, the strain has been prevalent among 2,579 total genetic sequences.

The CDC stressed the need for “continued genomic surveillance to track SARS-CoV-2 evolution and determine its potential effect on public health”.

BA.3.2 A Variant Under Monitoring

According to the WHO, BA.3.2 demonstrates antigenic drift and reduced neutralization in vitro from previously infected or vaccinated individuals.

However, the global health body noted that currently approved COVID-19 vaccines are expected to continue providing protection against severe disease.

Despite immune evasion, phenotypic data suggest BA.3.2 has reduced infectivity.

It shows resistance to some monoclonal antibodies (cilgavimab, bebtelovimab, sotrovimab) but increased sensitivity to tixagevimab-be, the WHO said.