Pakistan continues to be dealing with a polio outbreak as four fresh cases have emerged, pushing the national tally to 37 this year, according to health officials on October 19, 2024. Health officials said that the regional reference laboratory for polio eradication at the National Institute of Health in Islamabad confirmed wild poliovirus type-1 (WPV1) in two children-one from each Balochistan and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

In recent cases, a girl has been affected from Pishin, and two boys from Chaman and Noshki of Balochistan, and a girl from Lakki Marwat in KP. These are the first detections of the virus within Noshki and Lakki Marwat this year; isolated cases of poliovirus were previously reported within Chaman and Pishin. The province of Balochistan was the worst hit with 20 cases, Sindh had 10, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had five, and Punjab and Islamabad had one case each.

A gigantic fight against polio has been on going in Pakistan- especially in Balochistan and southern KP-over the last two years. Immunisation campaigns have often been suspended or delayed because of local protests, insecurity, and community boycotts. Consequently, quite a number of children did not get the necessary vaccinations, making existing patches of vulnerability for the virus to flow within those pockets.

Noshki, located near Afghanistan's border, and Lakki Marwat have also recently reported some positive environmental samples that confirm the virus is present here, said a local reference laboratory official. Samples of latest cases are currently under genetic sequencing for checking spread of virus and origin.

As the threat of polio continues to grow, Pakistan has vowed to mount a nationwide campaign against it beginning from October 28. With the zeal to tackle the menace in the most effective manner, over 45 million children under the age of five will be vaccinated across the country.

Today, Afghanistan and Pakistan remain one of the few countries where polio has not yet been eradicated. The WHO said the virus remains a potential serious public health threat in areas with low vaccination coverage and weak surveillance.

India On Alert Against Polio

The country declared itself polio-free since 2014 and has kept the disease on bay almost a decade with very robust vaccination programs; however, two cases of vaccine-derived poliovirus cases reported in recent days from Meghalaya create some amount of doubts over a possible resurgence. Experts observe that in India, despite these detections taking place, strong coverage of vaccination at 90-95% and mandatory surveillance measures keep the risk of this widespread outbreak at bay.

The experts point out, however, that such stable situation in India requires continued surveillance. "Countries like Pakistan and parts of Africa remain at a high risk because vaccination rates in those areas are much lower," Dr. Siddharth, public health expert, said. Vaccination is an indispensable act in order to avoid the spread of this incapacitating disease that manifests most importantly as a nervous system affliction leading to the paralysis of a long period.

With concerted efforts from health authorities, there is hope someday that the scourge of polio will be completely eradicated from the face of the earth and future generations will never suffer from its effects.

The Ebola Bundibugyo virus outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) is showing early signs of slowing in some areas, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a hybrid press briefing, Tedros said there were “encouraging signs” that the response was gaining ground, while warning that the epidemic continues to grow and cause deaths.

“We are now starting to see encouraging signs that we are gaining ground.”

Where Is Ebola Transmission Falling?

According to Tedros, transmission is declining in some of the worst-affected parts of Ituri province.

Other signs of progress include:

• South Kivu has reported no new cases since May.
• More than 1,700 people have recovered.
• After four months, the epidemic has remained mostly contained in northeastern DRC.
• Trials of treatments and post-exposure prophylaxis are picking up speed, helped by increased community engagement.
• Vaccine trials are expected to begin in the coming weeks.

Is The Ebola Epidemic Winding Down?

Not yet. Tedros stressed that the “epidemic continues to grow, and continues to kill.”

More than 7,200 cases and over 3,500 deaths have been reported across seven provinces.

Although transmission has declined in parts of Ituri, it is falling from a high level. In the past week alone, around 300 new cases and 160 deaths were reported from Ituri, accounting for nearly half the national total, the WHO chief said.

In North Kivu, meanwhile, cases are rising rapidly. Over the past two weeks, the number of weekly cases has almost doubled, from about 100 to more than 200.

“The area is so vast that it is hard to speak of a single epidemic. It is many outbreaks, in many places. We must get the response right in every one of them,” Dr Tedros said.

Ebola Cases Were Also Falling In Some Health Zones

Read More: 1 In 60 Adults In Fiji May Now Have HIV As Meth Use, Unsafe Injecting And Treatment Gaps Fuel Surge

Last week, Congolese Health Minister Samuel Roger Kamba said transmission of the Bundibugyo virus had declined, with daily cases falling from about 120 at the peak in mid-August to around 80.

“We are fighting a very dangerous virus that is killing many of our people. Today, we can say that the outbreak is under control,” he said.

“At one point, we were recording about 120 cases per day; today, we’re seeing about 80 per day. So the number of new cases is decreasing every day.”

Kamba said 10 of the 62 affected health zones had reported no new cases for more than 22 days. Six health zones had gone more than 42 days without a new case, while four had gone more than 21 days without one.

He described the figures as “encouraging” but stressed that people must remain fully mobilized and not lower their guard.

DRC’s 17th Ebola Outbreak

The outbreak, caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, was declared by the WHO on May 15. It is the DRC’s 17th Ebola outbreak since the virus was first identified in 1976.

It is also the second-deadliest Ebola outbreak on record, behind the West African outbreak that lasted from 2014 to 2016.

Clinical trials of vaccines and treatments against the Bundibugyo virus are ongoing. The DRC also received more than 70,000 doses of the Ervebo vaccine last month. Ervebo is approved for protection against the more common Zaire Ebola virus.

US President Donald Trump has nominated Dr Nicole Saphier to serve as US Surgeon General, making her the third person he has chosen for the position.

Saphier’s nomination comes after Trump withdrew the nomination of Dr Casey Means in April after her confirmation stalled in the Senate. Trump had earlier withdrawn his first nominee, Fox News medical contributor Dr Janette Nesheiwat, following questions over her academic credentials.

Saphier will need to be confirmed by the Senate before she can take up the position. She is appearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee on Wednesday for her confirmation hearing.

Who Is Dr Nicole Saphier?

Saphier is the director of breast imaging at Memorial Sloan Kettering Monmouth, according to her profile on the New York-based cancer centre’s website. She earned her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados and completed fellowships at Mayo Clinic, according to the profile.

She is also a former Fox News contributor and has been a public voice on issues including breast cancer prevention, COVID-19 policies, vaccines and chronic disease.

“Dr. Nicole Saphier is an accomplished physician who has practiced radiology at Memorial Sloan-Kettering and has been an outspoken voice on breast cancer prevention, intrusive COVID-19 mandates, the politicization of science, and the federal government’s role in America’s chronic disease epidemic,” White House spokesman Kush Desai said in a statement.

“She has been a powerful asset for President Trump and works tirelessly to deliver on every facet of his MAHA agenda,” Desai added.

Saphier Faces Questions On Vaccines And Public Health

Read More: Meet Heidi Overton: Trump Set to Nominate White House Adviser to Lead FDA

While senators may scrutinise Saphier’s credentials and professional background, she is also expected to face questions about how she would navigate Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s public-health policies if confirmed.

Vaccination policy is likely to be a major focus. The administration has moved to reconsider aspects of federal vaccine guidance, while measles outbreaks have raised concerns among public-health experts.

Lawmakers from both parties have criticised Kennedy’s positions on vaccines, and senators are expected to question Saphier about whether she would take a stronger stance in support of vaccination if confirmed.

Saphier has questioned the need for every newborn to receive the hepatitis B vaccine at birth, a longstanding recommendation that the Trump administration has also sought to change.

At the same time, she has disagreed with Trump and Kennedy on some health issues. In an interview with The Associated Press last year, she said Trump’s warnings about pregnant women taking Tylenol were oversimplistic and “patronizing.”

Saphier's Social Media And Supplement Business

Also read: Dr. Erica Schwartz Confirmed As CDC’s First Permanent Director In Nearly A Year

Saphier also has a significant social-media presence, with about 147,000 followers on Instagram. Her profile identifies her as the creator of DropRx, a brand of liquid herbal supplements.

According to her financial disclosure and ethics forms, Saphier will divest holdings in a range of companies, including those in the food, soda and pharmaceutical industries.

Her ethics agreement also states that, if confirmed by the Senate, she will resign from DropRx, her dietary and herbal supplement company, and Empower MD, which owns DropRx.

What Will Senators Ask Nicole Saphier?

Vaccination policy is expected to be a major focus of Saphier’s confirmation hearing.

Senators are also expected to question the nominees about the cancellation of government grants and the US opioid crisis.

Saphier is appearing before the HELP Committee alongside Chris Klomp, Trump's nominee for Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Timothy Westlake, his pick to lead the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Fiji has declared a national HIV emergency after recent reports and estimates showed that around one in every 60 adults may now be living with HIV.

The estimate has sparked concern as it marks a sharp rise from about one in 167 adults five years ago.

Fiji recorded more than 2,000 new HIV diagnoses in 2025. Health officials have attributed the grim development to unsafe injecting practices, lack of sterile equipment and major gaps in HIV treatment and prevention.

Health Minister Dr Atonio Lalabalavu said the scale and reach of the epidemic required a response that is more effective than existing outbreak measures.

“The findings also show the seriousness of the epidemic and the gaps we must close in prevention, treatment and continuing care. We have acted on that evidence. An outbreak-level response is no longer sufficient. The Ministry of Health cannot meet this challenge alone. It requires coordinated action across Government, alongside communities and our partners.”

Factors Driving Rising HIV Cases In Fiji

Health officials and HIV experts have identified injectable drug use, especially meth, as a major driver of the current surge.

The concern is not methamphetamine abuse itself transmitting HIV. The risk arises when people who inject drugs share needles and syringes to ingest the drugs.

Dr Jason Mitchell, chair of Fiji’s National HIV Outbreak and Cluster Response Taskforce, said, “Fiji is currently navigating the fastest-growing HIV epidemic in the world, and what is driving this epidemic now is risky injecting drug use of people who currently inject methamphetamines.”

He added, “The unavailability of sterile needles and syringes has resulted in people who use drugs sharing needles, syringes and drug-mixing equipment.”

UNAIDS has previously highlighted the scale of the change. It reported that new HIV infections in Fiji had increased tenfold since 2014, while only 36% of people living with HIV were estimated to know their status in 2024 and just 24% were receiving treatment.

Also read: Thailand’s HIV Cases Cross 550,000 In 2026; Over 25,000 Among 15–24s

Growing Treatment Gap

Finding people with HIV is only the first step. They need to remain connected to treatment to contain transmission.

Recent reports found that the proportion of diagnosed people receiving antiretroviral therapy had fallen from more than 98% before 2021 to around 56%.

“We are now finding people faster than we are able to keep them in care,” Mitchell said.

Antiretroviral therapy suppresses HIV in the body and allows people living with HIV to lead long, healthy lives.

When treatment reduces the virus to an undetectable level, people do not sexually transmit HIV, a principle known as U=U, or undetectable equals untransmittable.

Also read: Exclusive With Leading HIV Expert: What's Driving Rising HIV Cases Among India's Youth And How To Prevent It

Fiji Plans Needle Exchange And More PrEP

The government says its response will include expanded HIV testing and treatment, greater access to pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) and the introduction of a formal needle and syringe programme.

It also plans to strengthen its follow-up care system so people diagnosed with HIV remain connected to treatment.

The emergency declaration comes as HIV prevalence among women attending antenatal care has reached around 2%, or about one in 50 pregnant women.

That figure raises the concern of mother-to-child transmission. HIV can be transmitted during pregnancy, childbirth or breastfeeding, but effective treatment and preventive care can dramatically reduce this risk.