Lifestyle diseases and NCDs

South Asia’s lead crisis is not inevitable. Experience elsewhere demonstrates that decisive regulation, industrial formalisation and community-level interventions can sharply reduce exposure.

ASEAN foreign ministers are expected to discuss the transboundary haze at an upcoming meeting. The episode highlights longstanding regional tensions over the annual haze, which has strained diplomatic relations in previous severe seasons such as 2015.

The Commission stresses that these threats are not distant or abstract. Some already impose heavy burdens; others carry low-probability but catastrophic potential.

Health officials have acknowledged that traditional approaches have not fully resolved the stunting puzzle and are exploring new measures.

Patient advocacy groups and state regulators have broadly welcomed the direction of travel, while noting that margin caps alone cannot solve every affordability challenge.

Bhutan’s experience offers a cautionary tale for other countries experimenting with or contemplating strict tobacco controls.

The failure of the monsoon to bring safe air to the majority of cities in July 2026 is a reminder that clean air remains a distant goal for most urban Indians.

The Lancet Countdown stresses that climate action remains “a lifeline,” capable of saving millions of lives while protecting economies.