Health

The cost of Tuesday’s two flights alone is estimated at ₹1.2 crore (approximately) as part of the pilot. While rainfall did not materialise, IIT Kanpur reported modest reductions in particulate matter (PM₂.₅ and PM₁₀) at test locations, roughly 6 to 10 per cent lower concentrations.

This allows researchers to recreate the compound in controlled settings, speeding up pharmaceutical development and reducing dependence on scarce natural sources.

In a landmark public health achievement, the World Health Organization (WHO) has validated the Maldives for eliminating mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT) of hepatitis B.

As Nepal moves further into the post-monsoon season, the health sector faces a precarious balance. On one side are the improving weather conditions and fading monsoon rains; on the other, the remnants of mosquito-friendly conditions – standing water, warm afternoons, high humidity – that sustain dengue transmission.

The warning came during a workshop in Kabul on child and adolescent mental health. Alice James, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, urged Afghan authorities, humanitarian agencies, and civil society to adopt a unified, national strategy to address the burgeoning mental health crisis.

The entire process – from pre-bid submissions to evaluations and the issuance of letters of award – is expected to follow a Build–Own–Operate (BOO) model over a 10-year term.

In 2008, Nepal recorded 97 deaths; since then, annual fatalities have ranged between 6 and 32. But experts caution that the real numbers, especially in remote areas with limited surveillance, are likely higher.