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."

A confirmed case of mpox has been detected in Bunia, the capital of Ituri province in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where health authorities are already battling the country's largest-ever Ebola outbreak.

The development has raised concerns about the additional pressure on an already stretched outbreak response and the overall healthcare system.

The mpox case was confirmed after a 21-year-old woman was hospitalised with skin lesions that ae commonly seen in mpox.

The two viruses are not associated with each other, but the threat of two highly infectious diseases is now being navigated in the same area at the same time.

Mpox Case In Congo Amid Ebola Outbreak

Ituri is at the centre of one of the worst Ebola outbreaks the country has ever seen. As of September 23, the DRC reported 7,890 confirmed Ebola cases and around 3,799 deaths. The a case-fatality ratio, according to WHO, stayed put at 48.1%. Ituri, the epicenter of the outbreak, solely accounted for 6,032 confirmed cases.

The Ebola outbreak has also expanded geographically, with new cases reported across 63 health zones in seven provinces. The WHO says the continued spread is increasing the risk of cross-border transmission.

The appearance of mpox in Bunia, against the backdrop of Ebola, creates another challenge for surveillance, testing, infection prevention and safety of healthcare workers.

Also read: 1,370 Mpox Cases, 7 Deaths Reported In July: WHO Says Risk Remains Moderate

What Is Mpox?

Mpox is a viral disease that can cause fever, swollen lymph nodes, muscle aches, and peculiar rash or skin lesions. It spreads mainly through close physical contact with an infected person.

Some people recover without complications, while others can develop serious symptoms, particularly those with weak immune systems.

The newly case is especially alarming as the DRC had declared an end to mpox as a national public health emergency in April, following a three-year outbreak that resulted in more than 34,000 confirmed cases nationwide.

Also read: Canada Confirms Clade 1 Strain of Mpox: Know How It Impacts Human

Burden On An Already Overwhelmed Healthcare System

The two diseases are caused by different viruses and spread differently. A confirmed mpox case does not indicate that Ebola has mutated or that the two outbreaks are connected.

The WHO says the Ebola response is already operating under difficult conditions, with conflict, insecurity, population displacement and limited access to basic services hampering surveillance, contact tracing, infection prevention and timely care.

The concern is that health systems, that were already dealing with a major outbreak, now have another infection to detect, investigate and contain.

Bunia is not just another location where a case has been detected. It is the capital of Ituri, where the Ebola outbreak is the most concentrated.

WHO teams have described Bunia as a key operational hub for the response, with flights transporting healthcare workers, medicines and other supplies to affected regions.

The immediate priority will be investigation, contact tracing, and surveillance to determine whether the case is linked to a wider cluster.

DRC is already conducting extensive contact monitoring for Ebola. As of September 23, more than 32,000 people were listed for follow-up, depicting the scale of the response.

The US Food and Drug Administration has approved tavapadon, a once-daily oral medicine for adults with Parkinson’s disease. This has added a new option to Parkinson's treatment strategy that has long relied on drugs that mimic the brain’s dopamine supply. The drug will be sold in the US under the brand name Juvmo.

Tavapadon is different from traditional dopamine agonists because it selectively targets D1 and D5 dopamine receptors. It has been studied both as an early treatment and alongside levodopa in people with more advanced Parkinson’s disease and motor fluctuations.

Parkinson’s Disease & Dopamine

Parkinson’s disease is a progressive neurological disorder in which dopamine-producing nerve cells in a region of the brain called the substantia nigra disappear gradually.

Dopamine is essential for controlling movement. As its levels fall, people can develop symptoms like tremor, stiffness, slowness of movement and problems with balance.

This is why many Parkinson’s treatments entail increasing dopamine levels or mimicking its effects in the brain.

How Does Tavapadon Work?

Also read: Parkinson’s Is Rising Across US, But Not Equally: Why Are Some States Seeing More Cases Than Others?

Tavapadon is a selective D1/D5 partial dopamine agonist. It means that it does not simply increase the amount of dopamine in the brain. Instead, it binds to particular dopamine receptors and partially activates them, essentially helping reproduce some of dopamine’s signalling effects.

Most currently available dopamine agonists target D2/D3 receptors. Tavapadon’s D1/D5 is therefore one of its distinguishing characteristics. Researchers have been investigating whether this drug can can help provide motor symptom relief while avoiding some adverse effects linked with dopamine receptor activation.

The FDA’s approval was supported by the phase 3 TEMPO clinical programme. In TEMPO-1, which involved 529 people with early Parkinson’s disease, both 5 mg and 15 mg daily doses of tavapadon significantly improved motor function compared to placebo after 26 weeks.

The drug has also been studied in people already taking levodopa who experience motor fluctuations, a common problem with progressive Parkinson’s. In the TEMPO-3 trial involving 507 participants, adding tavapadon to levodopa increased daily 'on' time without troublesome dyskinesia compared to placebo.

As Parkinson’s disease progresses, some people taking levodopa experience periods when the medicine is working well and movement improves. This is called 'on' time. When the medication’s effect wears off and Parkinson’s symptoms return, it is called 'off' time.

Treatment aims to increase 'on' time while limiting troublesome involuntary movements, known as dyskinesia.

Side Effects Of Tavapadon?

Tavapadon was generally tolerated in the clinical trials, but it is not free of side effects. In the TEMPO-1 trial, the most commonly reported adverse events were:

• Nausea
• Headache
• Dizziness

The FDA’s approval follows data showing improvement in Parkinson’s symptoms, but longer-term safety remains an important factor that needs more investigation.

Dopamine agonists can also be associated with sleepiness, low blood pressure on standing, hallucinations and impulse-control disorders. These issues remain relevant when doctors consider where tavapadon fits into an individual’s treatment plan.

Tavapadon treats the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease. It does not restore the dopamine-producing nerve cells that have been lost or stop the neurodegenerative process.

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced its recommendations for the viral composition of influenza (or “flu”) vaccines for the 2027 southern hemisphere influenza season.

The announcement comes as US states can now order free COVID-19 vaccines for eligible children through the federal Vaccines for Children (VFC) program, following a nearly month-long delay.

Why WHO Is Updating Flu Vaccine Strains

Seasonal influenza causes substantial illness and hospitalizations each year. Because influenza viruses continually evolve, vaccine compositions need to be regularly updated.

WHO recommendations guide national vaccine regulators and manufacturers in developing and licensing vaccines for the following flu season.

"For nearly 75 years, the WHO Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System has demonstrated the power of global solidarity in public health," said Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, WHO's Director for Epidemic and Pandemic Management.

"The commitment of countries and laboratories to share data, viruses and expertise enables WHO to make timely vaccine recommendations, strengthening our collective ability to detect and respond to emerging influenza threats. This is global public health collaboration at its best," she added.

Also read: Fall Vaccines 2026: US Doctors Issue COVID, Flu And RSV Jab Guidance

What Are The 2027 Flu Vaccine Strains?

From February through August 2026, influenza A(H1N1)pdm09, A(H3N2) and influenza B viruses circulated across regions. Influenza A viruses predominated in most regions, while influenza B dominated in Northern and Western Africa, North America and Eastern Asia.

WHO recommends the following strains for the 2027 southern hemisphere influenza season:

Egg-based vaccines

• A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
• A/Darwin/1454/2025 (H3N2)-like virus
• B/Tokyo/EIS13-175/2025 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus

Cell culture-, recombinant protein- or nucleic acid-based vaccines

• A/Missouri/11/2025 (H1N1)pdm09-like virus
• A/Darwin/1415/2025 (H3N2)-like virus
• B/Pennsylvania/14/2025 (B/Victoria lineage)-like virus

WHO also reviewed influenza viruses circulating in animals because of their potential to cause human infections and pandemics.

Free COVID Vaccines For US Children

Read More: COVID-19 Rising In 35 US States: Sore Throat, Diarrhea Among Key Symptoms

The VFC program provides free immunizations to more than half of U.S. children, including those covered by Medicaid, uninsured or underinsured children, and Native Americans and Alaska Natives.

The FDA approved the updated COVID-19 vaccines on August 27, but access through the VFC program was delayed.

Although overall COVID-19 hospitalization rates remain low, they have been rising since mid-June. According to the CDC, hospitalization rates are highest among babies younger than 1 year old and adults aged 65 and older.

States Can Now Order COVID Vaccines

Public health officials from multiple states confirmed that they can now order the free vaccines.

South Carolina’s health department “was alerted yesterday afternoon by the CDC that COVID vaccines would be available for order today,” Casey White, a department spokeswoman, told CIDRAP News.

“Announcements will be shared with VFC providers and health departments to communicate the opening of ordering for all respiratory immunizations.”

WHO said it will issue its recommendation for vaccines for the 2027–28 northern hemisphere influenza season in February 2027.