Walking is more than just a way to move from point A to point B—it may be a simple yet powerful way to boost your mental health. While it is constantly known to impact your physical well-being, research has found that it can also help you tackle depression. According to the study, adults walking 5,000 or more steps daily experienced fewer depression symptoms compared to those who walked less. Mental Health benefits increased with more steps. For instance, research participants, who walked over for at least 7,500 steps every day saw a 42% reduction in depression symptoms.

Interestingly, even a modest boost in daily steps made a difference. Adding just 1,000 extra steps daily was linked to a lower risk of depression. Another analysis from the same study highlighted that people who hit 7,000 steps or more each day were less likely to develop depression than those who walked less. Experts have said that walking may reliably reduce depression by measurable amounts while also potentially lowering the risk of developing depression.

For their research, experts reviewed data from 33 studies involving over 96,000 adults to explore the link between walking and reduced depression symptoms. The studies used wearable devices like pedometers and smartphones to measure participants' step counts, typically over a week. The meta-analysis found that walking not only reduced depression symptoms but also served as a practical, low-pressure alternative to structured exercise, especially for those who might find more intensive workouts intimidating.

However, the researchers acknowledged some limitations. People who walked more might already feel better, and the study didn’t explore other factors, such as the potential benefits of walking in nature or with others, which could further improve mood.

How Many Steps Should You Walk Everyday?

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The National Medical Commission (NMC) has issued an advisory mandating strict adherence to safe injection practices. The directive aims to curb preventable outbreaks of HIV, Hepatitis B (HBV), and Hepatitis C (HCV) caused by the unsafe reuse of syringes, needles, and other single-use medical devices.

Despite decades of evidence and repeated warnings from the World Health Organization (WHO), unsafe injection practices continue in India, often under the guise of cost-saving. This has led to avoidable infections, lifelong treatment costs, and a loss of public trust in healthcare systems.

What the NMC Advisory Says

The advisory mandates:

• Single-use devices must never be reused:Reuse of syringes, dialyzers, or vials is a direct breach of patient safety.
• Progressive adoption of safety-engineered auto-disable syringes: These devices prevent reuse and help protect healthcare workers from needle-stick injuries.
• Strict enforcement of the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016: Proper segregation and disposal of sharps is mandatory.
• Mandatory training and audits: Healthcare workers must undergo regular competency assessments, and institutions must conduct strict monitoring.

Why Action Is Important

“India has the manufacturing capacity to supply safety-engineered syringes at scale. The barrier is not technology, it is willpower. Procurement administrators must prioritize patient safety over short-term cost-cutting,” said Rajiv Nath, Forum Coordinator of the Association of Indian Medical Device Industry.

“Single-use devices like syringes, dialyzers, and AV (Arteriovenous) fistula needles must not be reused. Unsafe injection practices are entirely preventable, and continuing them is indefensible,” he added.

The expert urged policymakers to act now because it is affecting

• Public Health : Treating HIV, HBV, and HCV infections acquired through unsafe injections costs far more than investing in safe injection devices.

• Global Credibility: As one of the world’s largest users of injectable medicines and vaccines, India’s leadership in safe injection, drug delivery, and blood management practices is critical to global health security.

• Patient Trust: Every reused syringe erodes confidence in healthcare institutions and undermines national health programs.

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Call to Action

The AiMeD stated that the NMC's advisory must be treated as a binding mandate, not a suggestion. Procurement administrators, hospital authorities, and policymakers should:

• Enforce zero tolerance for device reuse across all healthcare facilities.
• Allocate budgets for safety-engineered syringes, including auto-disable syringes and sharps injury-prevention devices, as a public health investment rather than a discretionary expense.
• Establish accountability mechanisms through accreditation schemes, including audits, reporting of needle-stick injuries, and penalties for non-compliance.
• Launch patient awareness campaigns to empower communities to demand safe injection practices.

"Unsafe injection practices are not a matter of affordability but of accountability. India has the capacity, technology, and cost-effectiveness evidence through Health Technology Assessment (HTA). What is needed now is decisive action to protect patients and healthcare workers alike," the AiMeD said.

Survival rates among patients with high-grade gliomas — one of the most aggressive forms of brain cancer — have improved by up to 50 per cent in India, according to leading oncologists ahead of World Brain Tumour Day 2026.

Doctors say a growing number of patients are now living significantly longer after diagnosis, with some surviving for more than a decade.

Advances Boost Survival Outcomes

Dr. Tejinder Kataria, Chairperson of Radiation Oncology at Medanta, said median survival for many high-grade glioma patients has increased from around 9–12 months to 14–18 months.

She noted that some centers are "reporting nearly 40 per cent two-year survival rates among patients with Grade III and Grade IV gliomas. In addition, about 5 per cent of patients in certain high-grade glioma groups are now surviving for more than 10 years".

Experts attribute these improvements to advances in molecular diagnostics, comprehensive genomic profiling, neuronavigation-assisted surgery, precision radiation therapy, and targeted treatments.

“Radiation oncology has evolved from open beams in the cobalt era to highly precise beam configurations using modern technologies. We are now able to deliver tumoricidal doses more accurately while also preserving quality of life,” Dr. Kataria said.

Personalized Treatment Changing Care

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Dr. R. Ranga Rao, Chairman of Medical Oncology at Paras Health, said brain tumor treatment is no longer limited to surgery and radiation.

A deeper understanding of tumor biology is enabling doctors to tailor treatment according to the molecular profile of each patient’s cancer.

“Although high-grade gliomas remain challenging to treat, the combination of precision diagnostics, modern therapies, and multidisciplinary specialist care is helping more patients live longer and maintain a better quality of life than was possible even a few years ago,” Dr. Rao said.

He also highlighted the growing role of whole genomic sequencing, which helps clinicians understand a tumor’s genetic makeup and select more personalized treatment strategies that may improve survival.

Patients Should Not Lose Hope

Dr. Shyam Agarwal, Senior Consultant in Medical Oncology at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, said many patients fear the worst when diagnosed with a brain tumor.

“People often feel that nothing can be done once they hear the word tumor in the brain. But brain tumors are of many different types — benign and malignant — and even malignant tumors vary widely in behavior,” he said.

According to Dr. Agarwal, modern treatment options, including surgery, radiation, targeted therapies, and newer drugs, can control many brain cancers for extended periods and may even offer a cure in selected cases.

He also stressed the importance of molecular testing and comprehensive genomic profiling to identify patients who may benefit from precision medicines.

Late Diagnosis Remains a Major Challenge

Despite advances in treatment, experts say delayed diagnosis remains a significant problem in India.

“The biggest blind spot in our country is that many patients reach specialists at a late stage. Symptoms may masquerade as routine headaches, hearing deficits, or visual disturbances. We need greater awareness,” Dr. Kataria said.

Dr. Agarwal added that delayed diagnosis is due to symptoms such as persistent headaches, hearing problems, or vision disturbances which are often mistaken for stress, migraine, or other common conditions, leading to late referrals.

What Is Glioma?

As per the Johns Hopkins Medicine, glioma is a common type of tumor originating in the brain. About 33 per cent of all brain tumors are gliomas, which originate n the glial cells that surround and support neurons in the brains, including astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and ependymal cells.

Gliomas are called intra-axial brain tumors because they grow within the substance of the brain and often mix with normal brain tissue. Symptoms include

• Headaches
• Seizures
• Personality changes
• Weakness in the arms, face or legs
• Numbness
• Problems with speech
• Nausea and vomiting
• Vision loss
• Dizziness.

Canada has had a shortage of doctors, nurses, and other medical staff for many years, whereas just south of it, the United States does not have this kind of problem. It is not that no one wants to go and work in the Maple Leaf Country, but its strict regulations put a barrier between foreign professionals.

This complex issue has been addressed by the new report by the Institute for Canadian Citizenship (ICC), authored by Kareem El-Assal. This report, named Ready to Contribute, finds that the Canadian foreign qualification recognition (FQR) challenges are leaving nearly 640,000 immigrant degree-holders outside.

The report also said that these restrictions are causing harm to the medical industry in Canada, and it's not getting labour market success as their counterparts in the United States. The study also mentions that if the restrictions are lifted, then thousands of medical professionals will be able to contribute.

The study also states, “This translates into a disproportionate number of immigrant physicians working as security guards, engineers driving for ride-share apps, and nurses sorting packages in warehouses. This waste of talent hurts all Canadians, not just immigrants.”

The ICC report highlights that this strict policy has impacted Canada adversely. They reported that only 41 per cent of internationally trained physicians and 37 per cent of internationally trained nurses are working in their professions.

They said, “Lowering the immigrant overqualification rate to match the national rate has the potential to add 27,000 nurses and related professionals and nearly 16,000 medical doctors to Canada’s workforce. This illustrative example underscores the way in which immigrant underemployment impacts all Canadians, considering that 6.5 million Canadians do not have access to a family doctor.”

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How Patients Are Suffering Due To Different Diseases?

Canadian healthcare facilities' shortcomings have also become a problem for citizens, as the nation has approximately 4 million people with diabetes, or 9.7 percent of its population. Cancer and cardiovascular diseases are also issues, among others. There are also issues of having infectious and vector-borne diseases like Lyme disease and West Nile virus.

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What Is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a condition characterized by high blood sugar (glucose) levels. It develops when the pancreas either doesn't produce enough insulin, doesn't produce any insulin at all, or when the body doesn't respond properly to insulin, a condition known as insulin resistance.

Diabetes Occurs Under The Following circumstances:

• The pancreas does not produce any insulin.
• The pancreas produces very little insulin.
• The body does not respond appropriately to insulin (insulin resistance)

What Is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is caused by a bacterium called Borrelia burgdorferi. The most common cause of these diseases in humans is blacklegged ticks, though other variants can also be carriers. The Harvard Health says that most patients do not remember being bitten by a tick.