https://www.scmp.com/rss/325331/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Rocking her baby to soothe his searing pain and gasping breaths, 18-year-old Rubia Akhtar Brishti recounts how her son nearly died in Bangladesh’s deadly measles outbreak. “The boy had [a] high fever and found it hard to breathe,” Brishti said, wiping the fevered brow of one-year-old Minhaz, cradled in her arms. “His whole body had rashes.” At least 143 people have died in the outbreak since March 15, the vast majority children, with more than 12,000 suspected cases – the worst in the South... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349753/vaccine-coverage-gaps-spur-bangladeshs-deadly-measles-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349753/vaccine-coverage-gaps-spur-bangladeshs-deadly-measles-outbreak?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 11 Apr 2026 11:18:38 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong’s smoking rate fell to 8.5 per cent last year, missing an ambitious target of 7.8 per cent, but health authorities have hailed the success of the city’s tobacco control strategy, which led to a 30 per cent decline in overall cigarette consumption. Secretary for Health Lo Chung-mau told a Legislative Council meeting on Friday that the rate – the prevalence of daily cigarette smokers aged 15 and older in the population – had fallen from 9.1 per cent in 2023 to 8.5 per cent last year. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349681/health-chief-hails-tobacco-control-efforts-smoking-rate-falls-85?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3349681/health-chief-hails-tobacco-control-efforts-smoking-rate-falls-85?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 10 Apr 2026 11:30:19 +0000 Reuters Reuters Bangladesh has launched an emergency ⁠vaccination campaign ⁠targeting more than a ⁠million children as a fast-spreading measles outbreak sweeps across the country. Health ministry figures show there have been 17 confirmed deaths from measles so far, with 113 suspected ‌deaths and more than 7,500 suspected infections nationwide. The campaign, led by the health ministry with support from Unicef, the World Health Organization and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, began in 18 high-risk districts,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349178/bangladesh-aims-vaccinate-over-1-million-children-fatal-measles-outbreak-spreads?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3349178/bangladesh-aims-vaccinate-over-1-million-children-fatal-measles-outbreak-spreads?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 06 Apr 2026 11:27:02 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Rescue teams including navy divers in Bangladesh have recovered 24 bodies from a bus that plunged into a river at a ferry crossing, officials said on Thursday. The bus sank into the deep waters of the Padma river in Goalanda on Wednesday, about 65km (40 miles) west of the capital Dhaka. It had around 50 passengers on board, many of whom managed to escape. A fire service report said that 24 bodies, including those of five children, had been recovered by midday on Thursday. Some were pulled out by... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348011/bangladesh-recovers-24-bodies-after-bus-plunges-river?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3348011/bangladesh-recovers-24-bodies-after-bus-plunges-river?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 09:56:46 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A strike on a healthcare facility in Sudan has killed 64 people and wounded 89 more, the World Health Organization reported on Saturday. The deceased included 13 children, WHO Director-General ‌Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media. The UN’s humanitarian office in Sudan had earlier said it was “appalled by the attack on a hospital in East Darfur yesterday, reportedly killing dozens, including children, and injuring more”. Sudanese rights group the Emergency Lawyers, who document... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347452/64-killed-including-13-children-attack-sudan-hospital-who-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3347452/64-killed-including-13-children-attack-sudan-hospital-who-says?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 23:03:27 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg News of black rain falling on Tehran felt all too familiar to Nejat Rahmanian as he scrolled through alerts on social media feeds and tried to contact relatives on March 8. Israeli drone strikes hit giant oil depots and refineries on the outskirts of the Iranian capital a few hours earlier, setting fuel on fire and releasing columns of black smoke, which mixed with rain clouds that poured toxic chemicals onto the city later in the day. The descriptions reminded the Iranian researcher of a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346662/black-rain-iran-wars-toxic-pollution-will-spread-and-last-decades?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346662/black-rain-iran-wars-toxic-pollution-will-spread-and-last-decades?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 15 Mar 2026 10:25:31 +0000 Reuters Reuters The World Health Organization warned on Tuesday that the “black rain” and toxic compounds in the air in Iran after strikes on oil facilities could cause respiratory problems, and it backed Iran’s advisory urging people ‌to remain indoors. The UN health agency, which has an office in Iran and works with authorities on health emergencies, said it has received multiple reports of oil-laden rain this week. Tehran was choked in black smoke on Monday after an oil refinery was hit, in an escalation in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346148/who-warns-toxic-black-rain-iran-after-strikes-oil-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3346148/who-warns-toxic-black-rain-iran-after-strikes-oil-facilities?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 10 Mar 2026 17:57:32 +0000 Emily Hung Emily Hung Hong Kong has launched its first action plan on weight management, aiming to reduce the proportion of people who are overweight or obese to less than half the population in three years from the current 51.3 per cent of adults. On Wednesday, World Obesity Day, the Department of Health announced more than 40 measures, ranging from installing more weighing scales in government venues to exploring the inclusion of novel weight-loss injections in the drug formulary, in a bid to reverse the rising... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345436/hong-kong-launches-3-year-action-plan-help-residents-fight-flab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3345436/hong-kong-launches-3-year-action-plan-help-residents-fight-flab?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 04 Mar 2026 10:48:43 +0000 Kamala Thiagarajan Kamala Thiagarajan In a year already brimming with threats of war and unrest, 2026 has brought some health scares for Asia. In January, two cases of the deadly Nipah virus emerged among healthcare workers, both nurses, in West Bengal, India. One of the two nurses has since died. The Nipah virus has one of the highest fatality rates of any known viral disease, typically ranging from 40 to 75 per cent, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since 1998, when the first outbreak of the disease was recorded... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344544/nipah-and-mpox-expose-asias-urgent-need-stronger-disease-surveillance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/asia-opinion/article/3344544/nipah-and-mpox-expose-asias-urgent-need-stronger-disease-surveillance?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Mar 2026 21:30:07 +0000 Chloe Loung Chloe Loung This series is based on our reporting on TCM: its history, treatments and growing acceptance around the world. This is the seventh instalment. In the world of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), few remedies carry the legendary status – or the hefty price tag – of Angong Niuhuang Wan, often referred to as the “miracle pill”. The old formula, consisting of 11 herbs and minerals, has long been revered as a top-grade emergency medicine, historically used to treat those who have had a stroke or may... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3344680/how-tcms-miracle-pill-used-treat-strokes-experts-urge-caution?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health-wellness/article/3344680/how-tcms-miracle-pill-used-treat-strokes-experts-urge-caution?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Iman Muttaqin Yusof Iman Muttaqin Yusof The vapes used to be obvious. Bright displays of flavoured liquid, a shop just down the road, a transaction as unremarkable as buying shampoo. Batrisyia, 28, remembers how easy it was. Those days are gone. Or rather, in Malaysia at least, the trade has moved under the table. “It’s definitely less open now,” said Batrisyia, a Johor native who asked to be identified by a pseudonym for fear of backlash. “You don’t see big vape displays like before, and we can’t buy online any more. But it hasn’t... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3344146/malaysias-vape-ban-plan-leaves-14-million-users-regulatory-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3344146/malaysias-vape-ban-plan-leaves-14-million-users-regulatory-limbo?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 00:00:09 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Driven by Chinese demand, Zimbabwe produced a record 352.7 million kilograms of tobacco – valued at about US$1.2 billion – in last year’s marketing season. This represents a major turnaround for an industry that, if not for Chinese investment, would have nearly collapsed two decades ago, although it remains a crop of concern for health campaigners. As Zimbabwe’s largest agricultural export and a primary foreign currency earner, tobacco dominates its trade with Beijing. Last year, China imported... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343817/china-helps-zimbabwe-grow-us12-billion-tobacco-crop-amid-debt-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3343817/china-helps-zimbabwe-grow-us12-billion-tobacco-crop-amid-debt-health-concerns?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Feb 2026 04:00:09 +0000 Ushar Daniele Ushar Daniele The persistent tuberculosis cases in Malaysia are indicative of an outbreak that could be under-reported for a disease that is easy to diagnose and treat, according to medical experts. Malaysia had detected 10 active TB clusters nationwide as of February 7, with a total of 2,571 cases. Four of these clusters – defined by health authorities as two or more epidemiologically linked cases identified within a specific setting or time frame – were found in Selangor, Malaysia’s most populous state. The... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3343224/malaysia-risks-under-reporting-tb-cases-slow-burn-epidemic-persists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3343224/malaysia-risks-under-reporting-tb-cases-slow-burn-epidemic-persists?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:39:20 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu A drug for diabetes-related kidney disease could be repurposed to restore fertility for women affected by premature ovarian insufficiency, a largely untreatable condition, according to a study by Hong Kong researchers. The study, conducted by experts at the faculty of medicine at the University of Hong Kong (HKU), found that finerenone – a drug used to treat type 2 diabetes-related chronic kidney disease – could be used to awaken dormant small follicles in women and promote the development of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3342937/repurposed-kidney-drug-may-offer-hope-infertile-women-hong-kong-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3342937/repurposed-kidney-drug-may-offer-hope-infertile-women-hong-kong-study-finds?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 09 Feb 2026 10:18:51 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell If anyone anywhere this week spares a thought for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, it will almost certainly be linked to the Apec leaders’ meeting set for Shenzhen in November. But this is to miss the massive value and purpose of the 21-member grouping inaugurated in Canberra in 1989. To witness Apec’s unique and distinguishing value, you should have been in Guangzhou this week, where over 1,000 have gathered without pomp or fanfare for the first senior officials’ meeting (SOM1). I... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342541/apecs-quiet-cooperation-still-matters-noisy-divided-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/china-opinion/article/3342541/apecs-quiet-cooperation-still-matters-noisy-divided-world?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 06 Feb 2026 08:30:09 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Gaza’s Rafah border crossing with Egypt reopened on Monday for limited traffic, a key step in the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire but a mostly symbolic development on the ground as few people will be allowed to travel in either direction and no goods will be going into the war-torn territory. Within the first hour of the opening, no one was actually seen crossing in or out of Gaza. An Egyptian official said 50 Palestinians would cross in each direction on the first day of the crossing’s operation. About... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3342115/gazas-rafah-crossing-reopens-amid-israel-hamas-ceasefire-challenges-remain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3342115/gazas-rafah-crossing-reopens-amid-israel-hamas-ceasefire-challenges-remain?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 02 Feb 2026 09:57:54 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial A small outbreak of the deadly Nipah virus in India has prompted health alerts across Asia – including screening of inbound passengers in Hong Kong – because of the disease’s high fatality rate. Thankfully there are factors so far against the virus’ spread beyond Kolkata, the capital of the state of West Bengal. They include reports of containment, low transmissibility and the absence of a direct air link with Kolkata, where the central authorities say there are only two confirmed cases and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3341661/hong-kong-right-remain-vigilant-against-nipah-virus-spread?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3341661/hong-kong-right-remain-vigilant-against-nipah-virus-spread?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 29 Jan 2026 22:45:07 +0000 Biman Mukherji Biman Mukherji A small cluster of Nipah virus infections reported in eastern India has sparked regional anxiety because of the disease’s high fatality rate, prompting countries across Asia to tighten health screening ahead of the Lunar New Year travel rush, even as experts say the outbreak is likely to remain contained. That assessment follows confirmation by Indian authorities of two Nipah cases in West Bengal, but analysts have said the limited numbers, combined with the time that has passed since the... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3341520/nipah-cases-india-raise-regional-anxiety-experts-say-wider-spread-unlikely?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3341520/nipah-cases-india-raise-regional-anxiety-experts-say-wider-spread-unlikely?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 07:14:01 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong health authorities have warned parents not to “blindly follow” overseas changes to childhood immunisation schedules, including for the hepatitis B birth dose, after the United States scaled back routine vaccine recommendations for infants. The city’s Centre for Health Protection issued the warning on Wednesday in response to a controversial overhaul by the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr Albert Au Ka-wing, head of the Centre for Health Protection’s communicable... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3341491/dont-blindly-follow-us-changes-infant-vaccines-hong-kong-tells-parents?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3341491/dont-blindly-follow-us-changes-infant-vaccines-hong-kong-tells-parents?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 28 Jan 2026 03:34:40 +0000 Reuters Reuters The UN children’s agency said on Tuesday it had for the first time in two and a half years been able to deliver ‌school kits with learning materials into Gaza after they were previously blocked by Israeli authorities. Thousands of ‍kits, including pencils, exercise books and wooden cubes to play with, have now entered the enclave, Unicef said. “We have now, in the last days, got in thousands of recreational kits, hundreds of school-in-a-carton kits. We’re looking at getting 2,500 more school... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3341447/after-25-year-israel-blockade-gaza-unicef-delivers-school-kits?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3341447/after-25-year-israel-blockade-gaza-unicef-delivers-school-kits?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:38:46 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Weight-loss injections have fallen under the spotlight in Hong Kong after the Post discovered over-the-counter sellers operating locally, and a recent study found that nearly one in two residents was overweight or obese. The Post’s investigation found the prescription-only medicines were available for purchase on some online platforms and at a pharmacy without the need for a doctor’s approval, sparking concerns about potential health risks. The Post looks into the matter and examines the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3341137/worth-weight-what-hongkongers-should-know-about-slimming-injections?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3341137/worth-weight-what-hongkongers-should-know-about-slimming-injections?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 25 Jan 2026 02:30:20 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg One year after President Donald Trump ordered the US to withdraw from the World Health Organization, the process was formally completed on Thursday, though the nation is leaving behind unpaid debt of roughly US$260 million. All funding to the health agency has been terminated and people working with the WHO have been recalled from all offices and its headquarters, the Department of Health and Human Services said on Thursday. The US has also ended all participation in WHO-sponsored leadership... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340913/us-walks-away-who-leaving-unpaid-tab-us260-million?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3340913/us-walks-away-who-leaving-unpaid-tab-us260-million?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 23:26:21 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words President Donald Trump announced on January 7 that the US would withdraw from 66 international organisations that do not align with American values. This is not the first time; the United States has already withdrawn from entities including the World Health Organization. But as... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3340172/trumps-multilateral-retreat-gives-china-mixed-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3340172/trumps-multilateral-retreat-gives-china-mixed-opportunities?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 03:30:11 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Trump administration will withdraw from dozens of international organisations, including the UN’s population agency and the UN treaty that establishes international climate negotiations, as the US further retreats from global cooperation. US President Donald Trump on Wednesday signed an executive order suspending US support for 66 organisations, agencies and commissions following his instructions for his administration to review participation in and funding for all international... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339107/trump-pulls-us-out-dozens-international-organisations-including-un-linked-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3339107/trump-pulls-us-out-dozens-international-organisations-including-un-linked-agencies?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 23:25:05 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United Nations on Wednesday said decades of discrimination and segregation of Palestinians by Israel in the West Bank were intensifying, and called on the country to end its “apartheid system”. In a new report, the UN rights office said the “systematic discrimination” against Palestinians across the occupied Palestinian territories had “drastically deteriorated” in recent years. “There is a systematic asphyxiation of the rights of Palestinians in the West Bank,” UN rights chief Volker Turk... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3339072/un-accuses-israel-west-bank-apartheid-citing-discrimination-against-palestinians?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3339072/un-accuses-israel-west-bank-apartheid-citing-discrimination-against-palestinians?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 07 Jan 2026 11:02:45 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The World Health Organization (WHO) aims to eliminate viral hepatitis as a public health problem by 2030, dramatically reducing the number of new infections and related deaths globally. That will be challenging. The global body estimates that more than 300 million people live with hepatitis B or C, which causes 1.3 million deaths annually. Hong Kong is playing its part. Last week, the government launched a new five-year action plan to combat viral hepatitis. The strategy involves increasing... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3338749/hong-kong-who-must-overcome-hepatitis-threat-together?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3338749/hong-kong-who-must-overcome-hepatitis-threat-together?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 05 Jan 2026 23:15:08 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong health authorities have urged the public to get the latest seasonal influenza vaccine ahead of the next wave of the flu virus, as temperatures in the city dropped to their lowest so far this winter. The appeal by the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) on Saturday coincided with similar calls by an infectious disease specialist, who expressed concerns over the low vaccination rates in the population. The warnings came as temperatures at the Hong Kong Observatory in Tsim Sha Tsui dropped... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3338621/hongkongers-urged-get-flu-vaccinations-city-braces-winter-virus-wave?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3338621/hongkongers-urged-get-flu-vaccinations-city-braces-winter-virus-wave?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 03 Jan 2026 11:57:31 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Israel on Tuesday said it had suspended more than two dozen humanitarian organisations, including Médecins Sans Frontières and CARE, from operating in the Gaza Strip for failing to comply with new registration rules. Israel said the rules were aimed at preventing Hamas and other militant groups from infiltrating the aid organisations. But the organisations said the rules were arbitrary and warned that the new ban would harm a civilian population desperately in need of humanitarian aid. Israel... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338204/israel-ban-medecins-sans-frontieres-aid-groups-gaza-2026-over-new-vetting-rules?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3338204/israel-ban-medecins-sans-frontieres-aid-groups-gaza-2026-over-new-vetting-rules?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 14:48:13 +0000 Jevans Nyabiage Jevans Nyabiage Washington is securing bilateral health deals with countries across Africa to ensure direct access to critical pathogen data and specimens following the United States’ withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO). Analysts say the US’ strategic retreat from multilateral organisations has created a vacuum that China is likely to exploit to deepen its influence within global health bodies and position itself as the main partner for the developing world. Under the “America First Global... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338042/washington-lines-slew-health-deals-us-and-china-vie-influence-across-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3338042/washington-lines-slew-health-deals-us-and-china-vie-influence-across-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 30 Dec 2025 04:00:09 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The United Nations urged global leaders on Monday to focus on people and the planet in a New Year’s message depicting the world in chaos. “As we enter the new year, the world stands at a crossroads. Chaos and uncertainty surround us. Division. Violence. Climate breakdown. And systemic violations of international law,” UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a video message. In 2026, as war rages in Ukraine and elsewhere, world leaders must work to ease human suffering and fight climate... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338076/un-chief-antonio-guterres-calls-world-leaders-get-serious-grim-new-year-message?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3338076/un-chief-antonio-guterres-calls-world-leaders-get-serious-grim-new-year-message?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:23:34 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft The emergence of a so-called “super flu” has gripped global headlines, prompting authorities in Hong Kong to urge residents to get vaccinated. Amid the spate of infections, a local research team also found that 99 per cent of residents lacked sufficient antibodies needed to protect themselves from the new strain. With many people travelling for the Christmas holiday, the Post breaks down what the new super flu is, whether it is as dangerous as it sounds and what you can do to protect... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3337539/super-flu-spreads-worldwide-how-can-hongkongers-protect-against-it?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3337539/super-flu-spreads-worldwide-how-can-hongkongers-protect-against-it?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 23 Dec 2025 14:00:01 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse A famine declared in Gaza in August is now over thanks to improved access for humanitarian aid, the United Nations said on Friday, but warned the food situation in the Palestinian territory remained dire. More than 70 per cent of the population were living in makeshift shelters, it said, with hunger exacerbated by winter floods and an increasing risk of hypothermia as temperatures plummet. Although a ceasefire between Israel and militant group Hamas that took effect in October has partially... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3337131/un-declares-gaza-famine-over-situation-remains-critical-amid-fragile-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3337131/un-declares-gaza-famine-over-situation-remains-critical-amid-fragile-ceasefire?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:36:37 +0000 David Dodwell David Dodwell This week, exactly six years ago, as we were gliding cheerfully into the 2019 festive Christmas season, the Covid-19 virus was spreading in Wuhan, China. I was preparing for an important Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in Australia in February (the last overseas trip I would make for three years), oblivious to the looming pandemic. The world in general had no inkling of the terrible three years that would follow, with death estimates ranging from 7 million to 36 million, over 700... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336967/six-years-are-we-better-prepared-next-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/world-opinion/article/3336967/six-years-are-we-better-prepared-next-pandemic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 19 Dec 2025 08:31:28 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Sitting in her wheelchair, Haneen al-Mabhouh dreams of rebuilding her family, of cradling a new baby. She dreams of walking again. But with her leg gone, her life in Gaza is on hold, she says, as she waits to go abroad for further treatment. An Israeli air strike in July 2024 smashed her home in central Gaza as she and her family slept. All four of her daughters were killed, including her five-month-old baby. Her husband was severely burned. Al-Mabhouh’s legs were crushed under the rubble, and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3336318/gaza-amputees-desperate-walk-again-amid-medical-delays-my-future-paralysed?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3336318/gaza-amputees-desperate-walk-again-amid-medical-delays-my-future-paralysed?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Dec 2025 07:08:21 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UK is facing an “unprecedented wave of super flu”, a health chief warned on Friday as the health minister urged doctors to call off a threatened five-day strike ahead of Christmas. Wes Streeting said the state-funded National Health Service (NHS) was in an “incredibly precarious situation” as flu cases mounted, and was facing a “challenge unlike any it has seen since the pandemic”. NHS figures published on Thursday showed flu cases at a record level for the time of year. The number of cases... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336259/uk-super-flu-outbreak-sparks-worst-case-fears-amid-looming-christmas-doctors-strike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336259/uk-super-flu-outbreak-sparks-worst-case-fears-amid-looming-christmas-doctors-strike?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 11:20:39 +0000 Reuters Reuters Industrial plants in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi have come under renewed pressure to scale back their operations as authorities respond to a week of heavy and hazardous smog in the city. Vietnam’s Ministry of Health earlier this week urged power, steel and chemical plants to cut output when the air quality index exceeds 200. The index gauges the volumes of hazardous small particles known as PM2.5 that are in the air. The air quality index (AQI) hit 243 midday on Thursday, putting Hanoi... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3336046/vietnam-urges-factories-cut-output-hanoi-chokes-smog-have-wear-mask-all-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3336046/vietnam-urges-factories-cut-output-hanoi-chokes-smog-have-wear-mask-all-time?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 11 Dec 2025 08:44:26 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said on Monday it had identified a new strain of the mpox virus in England in a person who had recently travelled to Asia. “Our genomic testing has enabled us to detect this new mpox strain,” said Katy Sinka from the UKHSA, a government agency responsible for preventing and controlling the spread of infectious diseases. The agency said it would continue to “assess the significance of the strain”, which had elements of both mpox subtypes: the more severe... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335659/new-mpox-strain-found-uk-after-travel-asia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3335659/new-mpox-strain-found-uk-after-travel-asia?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 16:00:10 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The World Health Organization (WHO) said on Monday that 114 people, including 63 children, were killed in “senseless” strikes on a hospital and kindergarten in Sudan’s South Kordofan state last week. The strikes “hit a kindergarten and, at least three times, the nearby Kalogi Rural Hospital, killing 114 people, including 63 children, and injuring 35 people,” WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on social media, citing the UN health agency’s Attacks on Health Care monitoring... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3335638/63-children-among-114-killed-senseless-strikes-sudan-hospital-kindergarten-who-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3335638/63-children-among-114-killed-senseless-strikes-sudan-hospital-kindergarten-who-says?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 12:59:38 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India’s capital city of New Delhi recorded more than 200,000 cases of acute respiratory illnesses at six state-run hospitals between 2022 and 2024, government numbers showed, highlighting the adverse effects of toxic air on health. Delhi, with its sprawling metropolitan region of 30 million residents, is regularly ranked among the world’s most polluted capitals. India’s health ministry told parliament on Tuesday that air pollution was one of the triggering factors for respiratory... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3335214/indias-new-delhi-sees-over-200000-respiratory-cases-amid-toxic-air-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3335214/indias-new-delhi-sees-over-200000-respiratory-cases-amid-toxic-air-crisis?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Dec 2025 14:22:08 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Thailand on Wednesday relaxed decades-old alcohol sales restrictions, allowing consumers to buy wine, beer and spirits during previously prohibited during certain afternoon hours in a six-month trial. The predominantly Buddhist country still maintains strict alcohol laws, limiting sales to specific hours and banning them on religious holidays. Liquor stores, bars and other purveyors were banned from selling alcohol from 2pm to 5pm, but the eased rules permit sales from 11am to midnight during... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3335021/cheers-thailand-gives-green-light-afternoon-alcohol-sales?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/southeast-asia/article/3335021/cheers-thailand-gives-green-light-afternoon-alcohol-sales?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 06:44:27 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Mercury, a fixture of dentistry for more than 175 years, is finally set for extinction. Countries around the world agreed on Friday to phase out the use of mercury-based dental amalgams by 2034 in a decisive step towards protecting human health from the toxic metal. At a conference in Geneva, signatories to the Minamata Convention on Mercury – aimed at protecting humans and the environment from mercury pollution – called time on mercury amalgams. Nations agreed “to end the use of dental amalgam... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3332022/no-more-mercury-your-mouth-toxic-metals-use-tooth-filling-end-2034?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/article/3332022/no-more-mercury-your-mouth-toxic-metals-use-tooth-filling-end-2034?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 04:20:55 +0000 dpa dpa Several countries as well as the European Union have offered their condolences after a powerful earthquake struck northern Afghanistan, killing 20 people and injuring hundreds, according to official reports. The country’s national disaster management authority said 20 people have died and 643 were wounded, revising down earlier figures reported by the state-run news agency Bakhtar, which had put the death toll of the overnight quake at 27, with more than 700 injured. Pakistan, India, Iran,... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3331402/international-condolences-pour-after-afghanistan-earthquake-kills-20?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3331402/international-condolences-pour-after-afghanistan-earthquake-kills-20?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 03 Nov 2025 23:20:15 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg World leaders have called for renewed talks to halt the war in Sudan, as reports emerged of widespread atrocities in a city recently captured by the paramilitary group fighting the army-backed government. Since seizing El-Fasher in western Sudan on Sunday, the Rapid Support Forces have been accused of executing hundreds of people, while about 30,000 civilians have fled the famine-hit capital of North Darfur state. Sudan’s Deputy Commissioner of Humanitarian Aid, Mona Nour Al-Daem, said on... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3330826/sudan-war-sparks-global-alarm-after-hundreds-reportedly-killed-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3330826/sudan-war-sparks-global-alarm-after-hundreds-reportedly-killed-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 29 Oct 2025 18:55:29 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen A Hong Kong biotechnology company behind a controversial human papillomavirus (HPV) screening method involving sanitary pads has said it will present its research to the government after authorities warned against using products that lacked scientific evidence. Dr Choi Pui-wah, the founder of WomenX Biotech, also said on Tuesday that the government’s dismissal of the technology would not dampen her view of Hong Kong as a destination for innovation. WomenX, the firm known for its sanitary pad... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330646/hong-kong-biotech-firm-back-controversial-sanitary-pad-hpv-test-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330646/hong-kong-biotech-firm-back-controversial-sanitary-pad-hpv-test-evidence?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Oct 2025 10:37:07 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The UN rights chief warned on Monday that the Sudanese city of El-Fasher was in an “extremely precarious situation”, with the likelihood of “ethnically-motivated violations and atrocities” rising after paramilitary forces claimed control. Since May 2024, El-Fasher has been besieged by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), which have been fighting a brutal war with Sudan’s army for more than two years. The RSF said on Sunday it had seized full control of El-Fasher, the last major city in the vast... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3330499/hundreds-thousands-sudan-trapped-amid-civil-war-fighting-says-un?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/africa/article/3330499/hundreds-thousands-sudan-trapped-amid-civil-war-fighting-says-un?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Oct 2025 10:43:41 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Hong Kong health authorities have warned against using human papillomavirus (HPV) screening methods that involve collecting menstrual blood with sanitary pads, citing “insufficient” scientific evidence for their efficacy. The Department of Health said on Sunday that it was responding to claims made by businesses that menstrual blood could be collected using sanitary pads, then self-sampled and mailed to a laboratory for testing for the virus. It did not name any brands. “The Department of Health... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330379/hong-kong-warns-against-hpv-screenings-involving-sanitary-pad-self-collection?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3330379/hong-kong-warns-against-hpv-screenings-involving-sanitary-pad-self-collection?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Oct 2025 10:53:42 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse India’s capital New Delhi was shrouded in a thick, toxic haze on Monday as air pollution levels soared to more than 16 times the World Health Organization’s recommended daily maximum. New Delhi and its sprawling metropolitan region – home to more than 30 million people – is regularly ranked among the world’s most polluted capitals, with acrid smog blanketing the skyline each winter. Cooler air traps pollutants close to the ground, creating a deadly mix of emissions from crop burning, factories... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3329653/indias-capital-celebrates-diwali-cloaked-acrid-smog-despite-green-firecrackers?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3329653/indias-capital-celebrates-diwali-cloaked-acrid-smog-despite-green-firecrackers?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Oct 2025 07:24:35 +0000 Shi Huang Shi Huang Correction: A previous headline incorrectly linked Hu’s return to funding cuts. His return to China was unrelated to the NIH funding, and the funds were not frozen or reduced. The Post apologises for the inconvenience caused. A top biomedical scientist has left the United States after more than two decades to become the founding dean of a new school of biomedical engineering at his alma mater, Tsinghua University. The move means that Hu Ye, a critic of US funding cuts to science, has given up... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3329273/top-biomedical-scientist-hu-ye-quits-us-take-up-founding-role-china?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/science/article/3329273/top-biomedical-scientist-hu-ye-quits-us-take-up-founding-role-china?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Oct 2025 01:00:13 +0000 Reuters Reuters Aid trucks entered Gaza on Wednesday as Israel prepared to reopen the Rafah crossing after a dispute over the return of deceased hostages nearly undermined a fragile ceasefire with Hamas. The crossing between Egypt and Gaza is expected to reopen on Thursday, with an EU mission set to deploy. Sources did not specify any restrictions for crossing, and the Israeli military had not responded to requests for comment. Israel had threatened to keep Rafah shut and reduce aid supplies because Hamas was... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3329150/aid-resumes-gaza-rafah-crossing-set-reopen-after-hostage-body-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/middle-east/article/3329150/aid-resumes-gaza-rafah-crossing-set-reopen-after-hostage-body-dispute?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 12:55:31 +0000 Leopold Chen Leopold Chen Hong Kong’s current summer flu season is much more active than last winter’s and is expected to continue into November, a senior health official has warned. Edwin Tsui Lok-kin, controller of the Centre for Health Protection, said on Tuesday that about 70 outbreaks were recorded weekly over the past month, far exceeding last winter’s peak of around 15, indicating that the virus had been very active this season. But Tsui said the number of cases had not yet peaked and the summer season would last... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3328891/hong-kongs-summer-flu-season-very-active-may-last-until-november-expert?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/health-environment/article/3328891/hong-kongs-summer-flu-season-very-active-may-last-until-november-expert?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 03:35:05 +0000