Health Matters newsletter: In loss and survival

On surveillance and survival in public health, the promises and pitfalls of AI in medicine, rising infectious, brain health research and more

This week did not bring any sweeping policy announcements, but it opened with two quiet reminders of what public health work often looks like. A Nipah death in West Bengal reported by Shrabana Chatterjee reinforced the importance of continued surveillance, rapid response and careful contact tracing to contain zoonotic outbreaks. And In Kerala, 10-month-old Aalin Sherin Abraham became the State’s youngest organ donor, saving four lives, while Serena Josephine M. covered Tamil Nadu’s record month in deceased organ donations, together highlighting how coordinated systems, in crisis and in care, sustain survival.

Much of the week’s deeper analysis also turned to another force in healthcare: technology and its expanding presence in everyday medical decisions. An excerpt from one of the reports captured this: “I started coughing recently, and ChatGPT told me it could possibly be metastasis to my lungs,” a patient told his doctor, meaning the cancer had spread. He said he needed to write a will. It turned out his lungs were fine, he had recently started smoking. The piece examined how AI-powered apps and bots are entering medicine, raising difficult questions about safety, responsibility and accountability when algorithms begin to influence clinical judgement.

Another analysis warned that AI chatbots can give unreliable health advice, opening with a pointed line: the next time you consider consulting “Dr ChatGPT”, perhaps think again. The concern is not merely occasional factual slips, but how confidently delivered misinformation can heighten fear, distort risk perception and complicate doctor-patient interactions.

At the same time, the week’s coverage resisted easy binaries. Fabian Rodrigues reported on how AI tools could help Indians better understand their health information, potentially strengthening awareness and engagement, while Dr. Dinesh Arab argued that electronic medical records may prove to be this century’s most significant medical advancement, improving continuity of care and data-driven decisions.

If technology formed one strand, infectious diseases formed another. Divya Gandhi reported on Ukraine’s battle against rabies. Closer home, a health department team was deployed in a Haryana village after four deaths due to hepatitis B. In Tamil Nadu, the Health Minister warned against consuming half-boiled eggs and undercooked chicken amid avian flu concerns. Bindu Shajan Perappadan wrote that shorter, all-oral TB regimens have been found cost-effective in India, according to an ICMR study, while Biological E. received WHO phase II nod for a novel oral polio vaccine. Anu Raghunathan examined antimicrobial resistance and India’s drug policy. Another study found that people living with obesity are 70% more likely to be hospitalised or die from infectious diseases.

Ramya Kannan and Zubeda Hamid discussed ongoing cancer research in detail in this week’s health wrap episode. Adding to it, Christopher Lieu and Andrea Dwyer, writing in The Conversation, examined why colorectal cancer is increasing among young people. Afshan Yasmeen reported on childhood cancer cases and their steady rise in Karnataka. Dr. Nisha Hariharan wrote on rare subtypes of breast cancer, while Dr. Ashish Joshi stressed that cancer systems in India must account for the time burden of care.

Brain and mental health research also featured prominently. In our webinar series, this week, Dr. Prithika Chary, senior consultant, Neurology, Neurosurgery and Epileptology, Kauvery Hospital, and Dr. Ennapadam S. Krishnamoorthy, behavioural neurologist and neuropsychiatrist, and Founder, Buddhi Clinic, emphasised early diagnosis, long-term care and policy support for people living with epilepsy. Additionally, a report explored how brain training may reduce dementia risk. A different analysis found that exercise could be more effective than standard care for panic disorder, while a separate study identified 58 genetic variants shaping anxiety risk.

We had a diverse mix of health research this week as well. Anirban Mukhopadhyay examined whether a commonly used hospital gas could help tackle drug-resistant pneumonia. An in-house report explored how bacteria can “talk” to one another. Manjeera Gowravaram wrote about a single genome-editing strategy that could potentially treat multiple disorders, while another study looked at early efforts to use gene editing to lower high cholesterol.

Our list of explainers grows by the week:

If you’re interested in how cancer care is evolving beyond survival, Rishita Khanna reported on efforts by Bengaluru scientists to preserve fertility in cancer patients.

Dr. Rajeev Jayadevan examined why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declined to review a new mRNA influenza vaccine.

Dr. Deepak Arjundas writes on preventing Multiple Sclerosis from progressing to long-term disability.

Dr. Deepika Alva and Dr. Meghana Reddy Jetty explain when the umbilical cord poses a threat to the baby.

P.S. Niranjana breaks down immunity and how CPR can save a life.

R. Sujatha explores angioplasty in our “All You Need to Know” series.

I wrote on chronic hives, probiotic supplements, and what early greying really means.

On the science front, researchers at IIT Bombay linked excess mucus to weakened lung defences and increased allergy attacks.

We also reported that AIIMS Delhi is preparing for face transplant surgeries

For many more health stories, head to our health page and subscribe to the health newsletter here.

Published – February 17, 2026 04:23 pm IST