🩺 Top 20 Health News Stories — India & World
Monday, September 28, 2026
Here are 20 significant health, medicine, public-health, disease, healthcare and medical-research stories in focus today.
🇮🇳 India Health News
1. Gujarat Health Worker Suspended After Five Children Receive Wrong Medicine
Five children in Gujarat were hospitalised after they were mistakenly given glimepiride, a diabetes medicine, instead of paracetamol following vaccination. The children were admitted to ICU/PICU facilities after their condition deteriorated; health authorities have suspended the health worker involved and ordered an inquiry. Officials said the children are now stable.
2. India Marks World Rabies Day With Renewed Elimination Focus
India is observing World Rabies Day today, September 28, as health authorities and medical institutions highlight vaccination, dog-bite prevention, post-exposure treatment and community awareness. The WHO’s 2026 theme is “Stronger Together,” stressing coordinated action among communities, veterinarians, healthcare workers and governments.
3. Rabies Vaccination Drive Held in Jammu & Kashmir
A pre-exposure rabies vaccination programme was conducted in Soibugh, Jammu & Kashmir, with 48 high-risk individuals receiving their first dose. The initiative was organised as part of World Rabies Day activities and India’s broader rabies-control programme.
4. ESIC Health Coverage Reaches About 25 Crore People
Union Labour and Employment Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said the Employees’ State Insurance Corporation is providing health security to approximately 25 crore people. He highlighted the scale of India’s social-security system and called for greater alignment between labour policies and India’s economic circumstances.
5. India Continues Hepatitis-Elimination Push
India’s health programme remains focused on eliminating hepatitis B and C as public-health threats by 2030, with prevention, screening, diagnosis, treatment and long-term care forming the core strategy. The initiative is part of India’s broader effort to strengthen infectious-disease control.
6. India Warns Against Indiscriminate Painkiller and Antibiotic Use
The Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation has advised healthcare professionals and pharmacists to discourage indiscriminate use of NSAID painkillers and antibiotics because of potential risks including kidney damage and chronic kidney disease. The advisory highlights concerns about inappropriate medicine use and self-medication.
7. India Expands Attention on Precision Cancer Care
Indian cancer specialists are calling for a longer-term policy approach to make precision oncology more affordable. High genomic-testing costs and expensive targeted medicines remain major barriers to wider access, despite the potential of personalised cancer treatment.
8. Nicotine-Pouch Sales Face Government Crackdown
Indian authorities have directed states to step up enforcement against the illegal sale of nicotine pouches, citing concerns about their availability through online and offline channels. The move adds to India’s continuing efforts to restrict tobacco and nicotine-related products.
9. Medical Device Pricing Debate Continues
Medtech manufacturers and private hospitals are backing efforts to rationalise trade margins for medical devices but are seeking a system that accounts for differences in product categories, procurement costs and distribution structures. The debate concerns how to balance affordability with the economics of supplying medical technology.
10. AI Oversight Emerges as a Major Health-Research Issue
The WHO has warned that the rapid expansion of artificial intelligence in health research requires stronger ethical oversight. Concerns include data quality, bias, accountability and whether existing research-governance frameworks are adequate for AI-driven medical studies.
🌍 World Health News
11. Congo’s Ebola Outbreak Passes 8,000 Confirmed Cases
The Democratic Republic of Congo’s ongoing Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak has crossed 8,000 confirmed cases, according to government data. The outbreak has placed significant pressure on the country’s healthcare workforce and remains a major international public-health concern.
12. Ebola Outbreak Continues to Expand Geographically
WHO reporting shows the Ebola outbreak has continued spreading to additional health zones. Earlier WHO data recorded transmission across multiple provinces, with hundreds of additional confirmed cases and deaths reported during the latest reporting period.
13. Uganda Prepares Nationwide Measles-Rubella Campaign
Uganda is preparing for a nationwide measles-rubella follow-up vaccination campaign in October 2026. WHO says the country recorded 66 separate measles outbreaks in 2025, with the greatest impact among children who had received no vaccine doses.
14. Bangladesh Faces Severe Measles Outbreak
Bangladesh is experiencing a major measles outbreak, with reported deaths approaching 1,100 when confirmed and suspected fatalities are combined. The outbreak has placed particular pressure on children and highlights the consequences of gaps in routine immunisation.
15. US Records More Than 3,600 Measles Cases in 2026
The US CDC reported 3,659 confirmed measles cases as of September 24, compared with 2,289 confirmed cases during all of 2025. CDC data also show that 95% of confirmed 2026 cases were associated with outbreaks.
16. WHO Highlights Rabies Elimination on World Rabies Day
WHO is using World Rabies Day to renew the global push to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies. The organisation says cooperation between communities, health services, veterinary professionals and governments is essential because rabies prevention requires action across both human and animal health systems.
17. WHO Promotes Rehabilitation as Part of Emergency Response
WHO has introduced a toolkit designed to help countries integrate rehabilitation into emergency preparedness and response. The approach covers people suffering amputations, spinal-cord injuries, brain injuries and complex fractures, ensuring rehabilitation is considered from the beginning rather than after the immediate crisis.
18. WHO Recognises Nine Healthy-City Initiatives
WHO has recognised nine Healthy City champions in the Western Pacific region for initiatives addressing issues including climate resilience, ageing, nutrition, tobacco and alcohol control, safer transport and health inequalities. The awards were presented during the 11th Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities in Sydney.
19. WHO and South Korea Strengthen Biosimilar Regulation
WHO and South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety are working together to strengthen regulatory review of biosimilar medicines. The initiative aims to support access to safe, effective and affordable biological treatments while improving regulatory capacity.
20. Merck Signs $2.13 Billion Cancer-Drug Licensing Deal
Merck has agreed to pay up to $2.13 billion under a global licensing agreement with China’s SciBrunch Therapeutics for an experimental cancer treatment. The deal is part of Merck’s efforts to expand its oncology pipeline ahead of future patent expirations affecting its leading Keytruda business.
🏥 Major Health Themes Today
Ebola in Congo • measles outbreaks • World Rabies Day • vaccination • India’s healthcare expansion • medicine safety • cancer treatment • AI in healthcare • nicotine-control measures • emergency rehabilitation • biosimilars and pharmaceutical innovation.
