分类： health

Dubai is positioning itself as a global nexus for integrative medicine with the upcoming 3rd International AYUSH Conference & Exhibition, scheduled for February 15-17, 2026 at the Dubai World Trade Centre. The event marks a significant advancement in the United Arab Emirates’ strategy to incorporate ancient healing methodologies into its contemporary healthcare infrastructure.

Organized by the Science India Forum and World Ayurveda Foundation under the patronage of India’s Ministry of AYUSH and the Consulate General of India in Dubai, the conference will assemble wellness brands, practitioners, and medical institutions from across the globe. The gathering will showcase traditional medical systems—Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, and Homeopathy—and their modern applications through technological innovation and scientific research.

Ahmed Ibrahim Musabih, President of the UAE Yoga Committee, revealed that formal memoranda of understanding will be signed during the event to strengthen collaboration between AYUSH practitioners and UAE health authorities including the Dubai Health Authority and Ministry of Health. This institutional partnership aims to bridge existing gaps in healthcare integration and foster future research initiatives.

The conference’s scale underscores its importance: over 100 exhibitors, 75 invited talks, 250 oral presentations, and more than 1,200 delegates from 35 countries. Participants will include AYUSH pharmaceutical companies like Himalaya and Dabur, wellness brands, educational organizations, research laboratories, and manufacturers of herbal processing machinery and medical devices.

Dr. V.L. Shyam, General Secretary of the Organizing Committee, emphasized the philosophical alignment between AYUSH principles and Dubai’s sustainability goals: “AYUSH represents the epitome of sustainability by addressing fundamental questions about creating and maintaining population health.”

Beyond healthcare, the event highlights the substantial economic ecosystem surrounding traditional medicine. Satish Kumar Shivan, Consul General of India in Dubai, noted the dual focus on medical outreach and trade expansion: “There is a significant economy built around the AYUSH tradition, and this event provides crucial global market access for manufacturers and producers.”

The conference reflects growing recognition of holistic health models that address both physical and mental wellbeing. Dr. Easa Bastaki, President and CEO of Dubai University, stated: “AYUSH encompasses everything—not just the body, but also the mind and overall wellbeing. This event represents a collaborative effort to create a comprehensive and deeply integrated healthcare system.”

Indian veterinary authorities have confirmed eleven distinct outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza across poultry farms in the southern state of Kerala, according to an official report submitted to the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) on Monday. The Paris-based intergovernmental body disclosed that the virus has resulted in the sudden mortality of approximately 54,100 birds, predominantly ducks.

The outbreaks, first detected on December 9th and formally confirmed through laboratory testing on December 22nd, mark the first recurrence of the virus within India’s domestic poultry sector since May of last year. In a decisive containment effort, an additional 30,289 birds were culled to prevent further viral spread. This resurgence has reignited global concerns within the agriculture and public health sectors, given the virus’s devastating impact on poultry supplies worldwide in recent years, which has contributed to market disruptions and elevated food prices.

The recurrence of H5N1 underscores the persistent threat of zoonotic diseases and the critical need for vigilant surveillance. While primarily affecting avian populations, the virus’s potential for transmission to humans continues to be a significant point of concern for epidemiologists. The Indian government’s immediate reporting to WOAH reflects adherence to international health protocols aimed at tracking and mitigating such transboundary animal diseases.

China’s National Health Commission (NHC) has launched its fourth comprehensive catalog of reference brand-name drugs, marking a significant advancement in the nation’s healthcare strategy. Released on January 5, 2026, this initiative specifically targets the development of high-quality generic alternatives to address critical clinical gaps across multiple medical specialties.

The newly published catalog, developed through collaboration between the NHC and three additional government agencies, features 21 innovative pharmaceutical products spanning oncology, neurology, reproductive medicine, and diagnostic imaging. The selection process prioritized medications demonstrating novel therapeutic mechanisms and targets, including groundbreaking treatments such as difelikefalin for chronic kidney disease-associated pruritus and four radiopharmaceutical therapies currently unavailable in domestic markets.

Notably, the catalog incorporates internationally recognized first-line treatments like suvorexant for insomnia management, which demonstrates efficacy in sleep initiation and maintenance while reducing daytime impairment. In alignment with national population policies, the list also includes advanced reproductive health formulations designed as gels and suppositories to minimize adverse reactions during assisted reproduction procedures.

The catalog further emphasizes medicines with established clinical utility within China’s healthcare system, such as deflazacort for managing Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Since initiating this program in 2019, Chinese health authorities have consistently released these catalogs to accelerate the availability of affordable, therapeutically equivalent generic medications, thereby enhancing treatment accessibility while maintaining pharmaceutical quality standards.

Medical researchers from Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine have achieved a revolutionary breakthrough in treating triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. The team at Ruijin Hospital presented their landmark findings at the prestigious San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium in December, revealing a new therapeutic protocol that dramatically improves patient outcomes.

The comprehensive nationwide study, initiated in 2015, involved 786 patients across 19 medical centers and demonstrated unprecedented success rates. The innovative approach, which integrates carboplatin into standard adjuvant chemotherapy regimens, reduced postoperative recurrence risk by 34% and mortality by an remarkable 61%. The three-year disease-free survival rate reached 93.1%, while distant metastasis-free survival achieved 95.2% and overall survival climbed to 98.3%.

International oncology experts have hailed the Chinese research as a transformative advancement in breast cancer treatment. The study addresses particularly challenging aspects of triple-negative breast cancer, which has historically lacked effective therapeutic targets and carried high risks of recurrence and metastasis. The protocol’s applicability to most operable patients positions it as a potential new standard of care.

The research team emphasized that their findings provide robust clinical evidence that could reshape global treatment guidelines and offer new hope for patients worldwide facing this formidable cancer subtype. The medical community anticipates that these results will influence international practice standards and significantly improve survival prospects for thousands of patients annually.

In a significant development for healthcare accessibility, Beijing Tongren Hospital has issued its first prescription for Sycume, a breakthrough thyroid eye disease medication newly incorporated into China’s National Drug Reimbursement List. This milestone follows the January 1st implementation of the updated list, which introduces 114 new pharmaceutical coverages including 50 pioneering innovative medicines, expanding total covered medications to 3,253 formulations nationwide.

Sycume, developed by Shanghai-based Innovent Biologics, represents a therapeutic advancement for patients experiencing moderate to severe thyroid eye disease. The injectable treatment specifically addresses distressing symptoms including proptosis (eye bulging), orbital inflammation, and diplopia (double vision). Having received Chinese market approval in March, the drug’s inclusion in the reimbursement program substantially enhances treatment accessibility.

Professor Li Dongmei of Beijing Tongren Hospital emphasized the transformative financial impact of this policy change. The per-dose price has dramatically decreased from approximately 15,000 yuan ($2,148) to under 6,000 yuan following reimbursement list inclusion. With insurance coverage, patients now experience approximately 10,000 yuan in savings per treatment cycle compared to previous out-of-pocket expenses.

This strategic expansion of China’s drug reimbursement framework, administered by the National Healthcare Security Administration, not only alleviates economic burdens but also ensures broader patient access to effective and safe therapeutic interventions. The policy shift demonstrates China’s ongoing commitment to enhancing healthcare affordability while supporting innovative medical treatments for complex conditions.