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Global health crisis, heart disease as the top cause of death | Vantage with Palki Sharma | N18G

Around the world, heart disease continues to claim more lives than wars, disasters or any other illness. In South East Asia it takes a life every 8 seconds, in the United States every 34 seconds, and in the United Kingdom every 3 minutes. On World Heart Day, we examine why this condition remains the number one cause of death across the globe. It does not only impact the elderly but is increasingly affecting younger people as well. Factors such as stress, unhealthy lifestyles, improper diagnosis and the neglect of women’s health make the problem worse. Yet there is hope. More than 80 percent of cardiovascular illnesses can be prevented with the right steps. This special report looks at the challenges, the progress, and why protecting heart health has become a worldwide priority.

Why is China 'giving up' special WTO benefits? What does it really mean?

China has announced it will no longer claim developing-country benefits at the World Trade Organisation, easing a long-standing point of friction with the United States that has hindered agreement on reforming the global trade body.

Measles surges 31-fold in Americas this year, Canada worst hit; 71% cases unvaccinated

Health authorities have reported a 31-fold surge in measles cases across the Americas in 2025, with Canada bearing the heaviest burden and more than seven in ten infections occurring among unvaccinated individuals

Do you get safe drinking water? UN says 25% don’t have access to it

In 2024, 89 countries had universal access to at least basic drinking water, of which 31 had universal access to safely managed services

After billions spent, why is polio still spreading in Pakistan and Afghanistan?

Despite a decades-long global push and over $20 billion spent, polio remains entrenched in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Health workers report falsified data, mismanaged campaigns and persistent vaccine mistrust. As eradication deadlines continue to slip, insiders question whether the strategy — particularly the use of the oral vaccine — is part of the problem, not the solution

Covid-style measures, drones and more... Inside China's efforts to battle Chikungunya outbreak

A chikungunya outbreak in southern China has infected over 7,000 people, triggering aggressive mosquito-control measures and hospital isolations. Originating in Foshan, the virus has spread across Guangdong province

Rapid spread of chikungunya virus in China causes concern; 7,000 cases already recorded

According to the Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly 3,000 new cases were recorded in the past week alone, bringing the overall tally for the year to alarming levels

'Body eats itself': What happens when the body is starved of food

Gaza is gripped by a man-made famine as starvation deaths rise sharply. Doctors describe mothers too weak to breastfeed and children unable to swallow. Experts explain how the body 'eats itself' in five stages of starvation — from burning stored carbs to consuming vital organs — in a crisis that aid workers say is entirely preventable

World Health Organization faces uncertainty amid US withdrawal

Staff have been getting ready - cutting managers and budgets - ever since Trump's January announcement in a rush of directives and aid cuts that have disrupted a string of multilateral pacts and initiatives

Europe has a new problem with mosquitoes. Here's why its serious

New research shows that dengue and chikungunya could soon become endemic in Europe. The study, published in The Lancet Planetary Health, was conducted by researchers in Sweden and Germany and examined the spread of dengue and chikungunya in Europe for over three decades. Here's what it showed and why it blamed climate change