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Heart attacks and strokes are among the leading causes of death globally, with millions suffering from cardiovascular diseases (CVD) every year. There are more than seven million people in the UK alone, with about 100,000 patients experiencing heart attacks annually. However, a group of researchers at University College London (UCL) estimate that one 'polypill' taken daily day could eliminate a majority of these cases dramatically lowering death tolls.
The proposed polypill, a combination of a statin and three blood pressure-lowering drugs, has been under study for over two decades. Experts argue that introducing this pill universally for individuals aged 50 and above could be more effective than the current NHS Health Check, which assesses risk factors every five years for those aged between 40 and 74.
Studies have repeatedly proven the effectiveness of the polypill in preventing CVD. A groundbreaking 2019 study in The Lancet found that five years' use of the polypill cut the risk of heart attack and stroke by a third. In addition, previous modelling analyses have estimated that if given universally to people over 55, the polypill might be able to prevent 80% of heart attacks and strokes.
Today, the NHS Health Check follows a risk-based model in which patients are tested for CVD risk factors and treated with drugs accordingly. Yet, as per UCL's study, this system has serious flaws:
Low Uptake: Just 40% of those eligible for the NHS Health Check choose to have it, leaving a considerable number of at-risk patients undiagnosed and untreated.
Ineffective Prediction of Risk: The majority of heart attacks and strokes happen to people at average risk levels, thus making it challenging to identify the need for intervention effectively.
Limited Effectiveness: Even at maximum take-up, the NHS Health Check programme is predicted to have fewer health impacts compared to a polypill initiative applied to the whole population.
One of the big benefits of the polypill is that it is so easy. In contrast to the existing screening-based model, the polypill scheme would not involve complicated medical tests or lengthy risk assessments. Instead, people reaching 50 would just have to fill out a few questions to determine possible side effects before they were prescribed.
Professor Aroon Hingorani of the UCL Institute of Cardiovascular Science, one of the strongest proponents of this scheme, says:
"Finally, the time is now to do much better on prevention. A population approach would prevent a lot more heart attacks and strokes than is done today with a strategy of trying to target a smaller group only."
Aside from the possible health implications, the polypill is also an economic solution. The drugs used are off-patent, thus cheap to produce and distribute. With the vast economic cost of managing CVD-related illnesses, a preventive model could result in substantial cost-saving for the NHS in the future.
The polypill has been proven to be effective by numerous international trials. In 2019, a randomised trial in rural Iran discovered that participants who took the polypill for five years had a 34% reduced risk of having a heart attack or stroke compared to non-participants.
Likewise, modelling research has indicated that even if only 8% of people aged over 50 took up the polypill regimen, it would still be more beneficial to their health than the NHS Health Check programme.
One of the main objections to the polypill strategy is the suggestion that it might result in the unnecessary medicalisation of a significant proportion of the population. But, it is argued, it should be considered as a preventative measure, not as mass medication.
Professor Sir Nicholas Wald of UCL's Institute of Health Informatics explains:
"Instead of being a 'medicalisation' of a significant proportion of the population, a polypill programme is a prevention measure to prevent an individual from becoming a patient."
He compares it with public health measures like water fluoridation or compulsory seatbelts—interventions that have been shown to have a significant impact in reducing public health danger at low individual cost.
With the evidence in favour of the polypill's effectiveness and viability overwhelming, experts are calling on the NHS to act now. It is their belief that substituting the NHS Health Check with a polypill-based prevention program could be the UK government's flagship policy under its pledge to put disease prevention ahead of cure.
As Professor Hingorani points out, "The status quo is not a justifiable option." With CVD still a major cause of death globally, taking a population-wide polypill approach could be a turning point for preventative medicine, potentially saving thousands of lives annually. The question now is whether the NHS will take up this call and establish a policy with the potential to transform the prevention of cardiovascular disease on a national level.
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ndia’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) today outlined a roadmap to ensure universal access to safe blood in every district by December 2026.
The government’s goal of ensuring timely access to safe blood is in line with the National Blood Policy and was reiterated during a high-level national review meeting with States and Union Territories. The meeting, held via video conference, assessed the preparedness of blood banks and transfusion services across 36 States and UTs in the country.
The review comprehensively assessed the status of blood transfusion services across the country, covering the five critical stages of service delivery:
According to the official statement by the Ministry, approximately 10 per cent of districts in the country currently do not have a blood center.
It also flagged other gaps in digital integration, with a significant number of blood centers yet to be onboarded on eRaktKosh and BBMS. This is limiting real-time visibility and monitoring, revealed the national-level meeting.
"While several states and Union Territories have demonstrated strong performance across multiple indicators, variability persists in areas such as district-level availability of blood centers, licensing compliance, voluntary blood donation rates, referral and linkage of TTI-reactive donors, component separation capacity, and real-time digital reporting," the review found.
Also read: Why Hemophilia Care in India Lags Behind Globally, Expert Reveals: World Hemophilia Day
Dr Rakesh Gupta, Additional Secretary (Public Health) and Director General, National AIDS Control Organization (NACO), reiterated the national goal of ensuring timely access to safe blood in every district, with zero transfusion-transmitted infections (TTI).
He emphasized "the milestone of establishing at least one blood center in every district by December 2026, in line with the National Blood Policy".
The review also noted encouraging practices in several states and Union Territories, including
The Ministry outlined a set of priority actions, which include:
According to data from the World Health Organization, India’s annual blood collection increased from 12.6 million units in 2023 to 14.6 million units in 2024. Voluntary blood donation accounted for 74.55 per cent of total collections, reflecting strong public participation and the impact of effective awareness campaigns.
In 2025, Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel told the Parliament that the country has made significant strides in strengthening blood transfusion services and has ensured its safety and availability.
Patel said that the country has established a multi-tiered system to ensure safe and efficient blood transfusion services. These include measures such as mandatory testing for five TTIs, expansion of Nucleic Acid Testing (NAT), proposed capital blood centers, National External Quality Assessment (EQA) program expansion, and transition to a community-based approach.
While the government has placed a complete ban on professional blood donation, every unit of collected blood undergoes mandatory testing for five transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) — HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, Syphilis, and Malaria, Patel said.
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Even as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert for heatwave and rising temperature in Delhi, the state government issued guidelines for all schools, focusing on hydration and safety measures.
The IMD has forecast heatwave conditions at isolated places in Delhi from today, with maximum temperatures expected to climb between 41 °C and 44 °C through April 24.
The guidelines issued by the Directorate of Education (National Capital Territory of Delhi) are applied to all government-aided and private unaided recognized schools. The guidelines call for:
Outdoor Assemblies: Outdoor assemblies are to be curtailed or conducted in shaded/indoor areas with minimal duration. No open-air classes are to be conducted.
Water Bell Initiative: Schools shall implement a "Water Bell" system, whereby a bell is rung at regular intervals (every 45-60 minutes), reminding students to drink water to prevent dehydration.
Display of IEC Material: IEC (Information, Education and Communication) material issued by the Health Department, Government of NCT of Delhi, on heat wave precautions shall be prominently displayed at visible locations in schools, including notice boards, corridors, and classrooms.
Awareness Sessions: Schools shall conduct short awareness sessions/briefings for students during class hours/assembly to educate them about preventive measures, the importance of hydration, and the identification of symptoms of heat-related illnesses. Immediate first aid and medical attention must be ensured wherever required.
Buddy System: Establishing a buddy system wherein each student may be paired up with another student during school hours to monitor and take care of each other's physical well-being.
Outdoor Activities: It must be ensured that students avoid outdoor physical activities.
Regular Advisory Updates: Class teachers shall share advisories of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) with parents through their respective class-specific WhatsApp groups, ensuring regular guidance and awareness regarding heat safety measures. Schools shall share daily heat wave forecasts and alerts with students through prayer time/assembly and notice boards to ensure timely awareness and necessary precautions.
Appropriate Clothing and Personal Hygiene: Parents are advised to ensure that their wards come to school dressed in light, breathable cotton clothing. They should also reinforce the importance of personal hygiene, including daily bathing, to help children stay fresh and reduce the impact of heat.
The DoE also directed each school to designate nodal officers who will be responsible for the implementation of monitoring the water bell initiative, awareness sessions, and display of IEC materials.
The DoE noted that the symptoms of heat-related illnesses include:
First aid measures to follow if you feel dizzy or uneasy
Beyond Delhi, a heatwave alert has been issued for:
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The vaccine-preventable measles is surging worldwide, especially in the US. The outbreaks that began in Texas last year are now spreading to several other states, with Utah being the new center of the highly contagious disease.
The US, which eliminated measles in 2000, is also at great risk of losing its status, as the CDC reported 1,748 confirmed cases across 33 jurisdictions between January 1 and April 16, 2026. Over 94 per cent of these cases are linked to ongoing outbreaks, the CDC said.
While the best way to prevent infection remains the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine, anti-vaxxers, goaded by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., have stayed away from the vaccine.
However, watching an outbreak rip through their state has made the deadly realities of the disease more concrete.
Amid the soaring cases, Bloomberg News reported a quiet change among anti-vaxxers, as they have started to question their own deeply held beliefs and the conspiracy theories that fueled them.
Many of them have taken the MMR vaccination and then also posted emotional TikTok videos aimed at the anti-vax crowd, saying, “You can change your mind”.
Read More: Measles Again On The Rise Globally: Is India At Risk?
In several measles hotspots, there has been an uptake in the MMR shot that is slowing down the outbreaks, the report said.
The health department in South Carolina saw a nearly 170 per cent increase in MMR immunizations at free clinics in January from the year prior and is close to declaring its outbreak over.
MMR vaccines jumped 15 per cent in Texas last year before the state declared its outbreak over in August. Utah’s health department has also recorded a bump in immunizations since last summer, a hopeful sign for the country’s most active current outbreak.
The report cited that doctors are playing a key role in trying to build trust with no pressure or judgment. They are easing the anti-vaxxers' concerns and giving them the crucial assurance that their choice is deeply personal and private.
“For whatever reason, they have different information,” Stuart Simko, a pediatrician in Greer, South Carolina, was quoted as saying.
“You don't have to tell anybody you gave your child any sort of vaccine,” Simko added.
Lisa Carroll, a physician in South Carolina and professor at the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine, helps run a weekly outreach program at a local food pantry where she’s increasingly encountered more families asking about the MMR. Many of them aren’t explicitly anti-vaccine; they just don’t know much about the shot or where to get it, she said. It was just easier for some of them to sign an exemption form, the report said.
In these cases, education on the true risk and safety of the MMR has led to that change of mindset, Carroll said.
How Effective Is the Measles Vaccine? Who Needs A Booster Shot?
Also read: Vaccinated And Still Worried? Truth About Measles Vaccine Safety And Effectiveness
One dose of the MMR vaccine gives about 95 per cent protection against measles. If a second dose is given—usually between 4 and 6 years old—protection shoots up to about 99 per cent.
The vaccine is also 99 per cent effective against rubella and 88 per cent against mumps after the second dose. This is the reason why the two-dose schedule is the international norm. Indeed, measles vaccination alone is responsible for more than 60 per cent of all childhood lives saved by vaccines worldwide over the past 50 years.
In general, a measles vaccine booster may be advisable for:
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