Cancer is a large group of diseases that can start in almost any organ or tissue of the body when abnormal cells grow uncontrollably, and go beyond their usual boundaries to invade adjoining parts of the body. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is the second most common cause of death globally, accounting for millions of deaths every year. Lung, prostate, colorectal, stomach and liver cancer are the most common types of cancer in men, while breast, colorectal, lung, cervical and thyroid cancer are the most common among women. However, these are not necessarily the deadliest forms of cancer.

What makes cancer the deadliest depends upon how many people have it and what percentage of those people actually survive. Cancer researchers determine this on the basis of five-year relative survival. This is the percentage of people who are expected to survive the effects of a given cancer, excluding their risk of other possible causes of death, for five years past a diagnosis. It is also important to note that what makes cancer really deadly is that practically no cure for it. A cure for cancer would imply that there are no cancerous cells remaining in the body.

Here are the 5 deadliest cancers in the U.S., according to SEER five-year relative survival data for cases diagnosed between 2014 and 2020.

1. Pancreatic cancer occurs when cells in your pancreas, a gland in your abdomen that aids digestion, mutate and multiply out of control, forming a tumour. Major risk factors include smoking, obesity, diabetes, chronic pancreatitis, certain genetic mutations and environmental chemical exposure.

2. Esophageal cancer develops in the oesophagus, which is the tube that connects your throat to your stomach.

3. Liver cancer and intrahepatic bile duct cancer originate in the liver or bile ducts, often linked to hepatitis infections, heavy alcohol use, obesity, and aflatoxin exposure.

4. Lung and bronchus cancer primarily caused by smoking, secondhand smoke, and environmental pollutants, affects the lungs and airways, making it the leading cause of cancer death in the US.

5. Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is an aggressive blood and bone marrow cancer that progresses rapidly, often linked to genetic mutations, radiation exposure, and certain chemicals.

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The World Health Organization (WHO) today recognized India for sustaining maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination for a decade.

The recognition came during the 79th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in Dili, Timor-Leste, and was received by Union Health Minister JP Nadda.

“A proud moment for India at the 79th Session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia!” the Health Ministry said in a post on X.

India was also honored for its “strong leadership in tackling NCDs through primary health care, with national targets achieved for protocol-based management of hypertension and diabetes.”

The Ministry described the recognition as “a tribute to our frontline health workers, whose dedication continues to strengthen India’s health system and improve health outcomes for all.”

India’s Journey Towards Tetanus Elimination

India was validated for maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination (MNTE) in April 2015, ahead of the global target of December 2015.

The country completed validation across all 36 states and union territories.

The achievement was driven by high routine immunization coverage, institutional births, clean delivery and clean cord practices, and an effective surveillance system.

Elimination as a public health problem means the annual rate of maternal and neonatal tetanus is less than one case per 1,000 live births.

Also read:Indigenous Td Vaccine Rollout In India To Boost Immunity In Children, Adults, Say Experts

How Were Mothers and Newborns Protected?

The risk of tetanus infection in mothers and newborns is linked to unsafe deliveries, particularly those taking place in insanitary conditions or assisted by untrained traditional birth attendants, or dais.

In the 1980s, more than one million deaths every year were attributed to tetanus, with an estimated 787,000 deaths from neonatal tetanus alone in India in 1988.

In 1989, the World Health Assembly adopted a resolution to eliminate neonatal tetanus by 1995 through increased availability of tetanus toxoid vaccine.

In the early 1990s, maternal tetanus was estimated to account for about 5% of maternal mortality, or 15,000–30,000 deaths every year.

In 1999, maternal tetanus elimination was added to the neonatal tetanus elimination program, which was renamed the Maternal and Neonatal Tetanus Elimination (MNTE) Program.

"Tetanus is a dangerous disease that accounted for hundreds of thousands of deaths in the past, mainly among newborn babies. These babies were at risk because deliveries were often conducted in unclean settings where it was easy for the freshly cut umbilical stump to get infected with the spores of tetanus bacteria from the environment," Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan, Ex-President of IMA Cochin and Convener of the Research Cell, Kerala, told HealthandMe.

He said that the infection rate dropped drastically after shifting deliveries to clean hospital facilities, conducted by professionals using sterile instruments.

"Simultaneously, widespread vaccination of pregnant women ensured that maternal protective antibodies were transferred across the placenta, giving babies built-in immunity right from birth," the expert added.

Read More: Thailand Eliminates Rubella: How This Vaccine-Preventable Virus Causes Birth Defects

TT Immunization During Pregnancy

TT immunization during pregnancy played a major role in reducing maternal and neonatal tetanus cases.

The MNTE program focused on strengthening routine immunization, including tetanus toxoid (TT) vaccine coverage, improving clean delivery practices through institutional births and training birth attendants.

The launch of the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) in 2005 further strengthened these initiatives. Schemes promoting safe motherhood, including the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY), also gave the program a boost.

Mission Indradhanush and Immunization Coverage

Further, Mission Indradhanush launched in 2014, set a goal of increasing immunization coverage by 5% every year.

Focusing on 201 districts with low routine immunization performance, the initiative reached children who were unvaccinated or partially vaccinated against seven vaccine-preventable diseases: diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, polio, tuberculosis, measles and hepatitis B.

Greater awareness about the availability, safety and efficacy of life-saving vaccines, the importance of safe deliveries and government entitlements for pregnant women contributed to increased immunization coverage and helped India achieve maternal and neonatal tetanus elimination.

An estimated 2.71 billion people globally were exposed to second-hand smoke (SHS) in 2023, accounting for nearly one-third of the world's population, according to a new study published in The Lancet.

About 767 million children aged up to 14 years were exposed to SHS, potentially putting them at risk of long-term health effects, including respiratory problems and asthma.

Overall, exposure to SHS contributed to nearly 1.7 million deaths and the loss of about 45 million years of potentially healthy life worldwide.

Study Spans 204 Countries And Territories

The analysis, based on data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 study, examined SHS exposure and its health impact across 204 countries and territories between 1990 and 2023.

Although the proportion of people exposed to SHS fell by 22% worldwide over this period, the estimated number of people exposed remained nearly unchanged.

Exposure rose sharply in sub-Saharan Africa and North Africa and the Middle East, driven largely by population growth.

Women and children experienced some of the greatest impacts. In Southeast Asia, East Asia and Oceania, women were 59% more likely to be exposed to SHS than men.

Also read: Alcohol-Linked Cancer Deaths Doubled In US: Colorectal Leads In Men, Breast Leads In Women

Second-Hand Smoke Takes A Heavy Health Toll

SHS remains a major source of illness and death among non-smokers. Across all ages, ischemic heart disease was the leading cause of SHS-attributable deaths in 2023, accounting for approximately 537,000 deaths.

It was followed by:

• COPD: 354,000 deaths
• Stroke: 278,000
• Lower respiratory disease: 185,000
• Tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer: 161,000

In 2023, ischemic heart disease also had the highest age-standardized DALY rate among the nine health outcomes assessed, at 132.5 per 100,000, representing about 12 million DALYs globally. More than 10% of global COPD DALYs and more than 8% of tracheal, bronchus and lung cancer DALYs were attributable to SHS in 2023.

Children Face Respiratory Health Risks

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Children are particularly vulnerable because their respiratory and immune systems are still developing.

Among children and adolescents, lower respiratory infections had the largest SHS-attributable burden at 254.6 per 100,000, followed by asthma at 17.3 per 100,000 and otitis media at 2.1 per 100,000.

Asthma accounted for 3.4% of total SHS-attributable DALYs globally, rising to 6.3% among children and adolescents.

The health burden also varied by region. In South Asia, COPD was the leading cause of SHS-attributable DALYs at 226.2 per 100,000, while lower respiratory infections accounted for the largest burden in sub-Saharan Africa.

China, India And Indonesia Among Most Exposed

There is no safe level of exposure to second-hand smoke. Under Article 8 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, countries are called on to protect people from tobacco smoke in workplaces, public transport and indoor public places.

Yet approximately 70% of the world's population is not protected by comprehensive smoke-free laws. Domestic settings, where exposure can be prolonged, also remain largely unregulated.

Further, the study showed China, India and Indonesia together account for almost half of the global population exposed to SHS. These countries also have some of the highest smoking prevalences globally.

The researchers say smoke-free policies can directly reduce exposure and may also encourage smoking cessation by changing social norms.

They recommend combining smoke-free measures with tobacco taxation, marketing bans, plain packaging and smoking-cessation programs to reduce smoking prevalence and discourage people from taking up tobacco.

Thailand has become the seventh country in the WHO South-East Asia Region to achieve rubella elimination, the World Health Organization (WHO) said.

It joins Bhutan, DPR Korea, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Timor-Leste.

“The World Health Organization announced that Thailand has been verified for eliminating rubella as a public health problem, marking a major milestone in the country’s efforts to protect children, women and families from vaccine-preventable diseases,” WHO said.

Thailand’s Long Road To Rubella Elimination

Thailand launched its Expanded Program on Immunization in 1977 and introduced a rubella-containing vaccine for girls aged six in 1986. The program expanded to all one-year-old children in 1993.

Since then, Thailand has strengthened routine immunization, outbreak response and surveillance, with a focus on underserved and mobile populations.

The program focused on reaching underserved and mobile populations, rapidly investigating suspected measles and rubella cases through fever-and-rash surveillance, and maintaining laboratory-supported surveillance to detect and respond to virus transmission.

Also read: Donald Trump Signs Order To Split MMR Vaccine: Is It Safe For Children?

The South-East Asia Regional Verification Commission (SEA-RVC) reviewed Thailand’s surveillance, immunization, outbreak response and program data in June 2026, followed by a verification visit in July.

The Commission recommended Thailand for rubella elimination verification. Elimination means no endemic transmission for at least 12 months, supported by a high-performing surveillance system.

The WHO verification also confirmed that Thailand has systems in place to sustain this achievement.

“This verification is a proud moment for Thailand and a tribute to decades of commitment by our health workers, volunteers, partners and communities. By eliminating rubella, Thailand has protected newborns from preventable lifelong disabilities and reaffirmed its commitment to equitable health services for every child and family. We will sustain this gain and intensify efforts towards measles elimination,” said Pattana Promphat, Minister of Public Health, Thailand.

What Is Rubella And Why Is It Dangerous During Pregnancy?

Rubella, also known as German measles, is a contagious viral infection spread through droplets from coughs and sneezes. Symptoms are usually mild and may include fever, rash and swollen lymph nodes.

However, infection during pregnancy can cause miscarriage, stillbirth or congenital rubella syndrome (CRS), which can lead to lifelong birth defects. The risk is greatest when infection occurs early in pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester.

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“Rubella is a terrible disease. It looks like measles, but in pregnant moms it causes spontaneous abortion and stillbirth. Babies born with congenital rubella syndrome have profound disabilities. Rubella elimination everywhere is a huge public health win,” said Dr. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) at the University of Saskatchewan, in a post on social media platform X.

CRS can cause lifelong hearing and vision impairment, heart defects and developmental delays. Before widespread vaccination, rubella was a leading cause of preventable congenital disabilities worldwide, according to WHO.

How Does The Rubella Vaccine Prevent It?

Rubella can be prevented with safe, effective and affordable vaccines.

WHO estimates that rubella causes around 100,000 infants to be born with CRS each year worldwide. Despite vaccine availability, an estimated 17,865 rubella cases were reported in 78 countries in 2022.

The rubella vaccine contains a live attenuated strain, and a single dose provides more than 95% long-lasting immunity, similar to the immunity induced by natural infection. It is available alone or, more commonly, in combination vaccines such as MR, MMR and MMRV.