Category: 8. Health

For the new study, researchers sought to better understand these relationships by using a pure source of placenta cells, unlike in previous studies that looked at either whole animals or isolated mouse placentas. To do so, they first purified human cytotrophoblasts, which are the stem cells that make all the cells of the placenta. They then added serotonin to those cells to see where it would go and discovered it concentrated in the nucleus. Next, they used a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) that blocked SERT — the antidepressant escitalopram, commonly known by the brand name Lexapro — to show that the normal growth, function, and differentiation of these cells was completely blocked. 

They also used another inhibitor called cystamine to block serotonylation, or the process by which serotonin is added to proteins like histone 3, which turns genes “on” and “off.” Again, that completely blocked the normal growth of the cells. 

Blocking either SERT or serotonylation led to significant changes in gene expression of RNAs in the cytotrophoblasts, they found. Some genes — including ones involved in making, moving, and growing cells — became downregulated, or less active, when serotonin couldn’t enter the cell. Other genes — including ones that help cells stay alive and protect them — became upregulated, or more active. According to the researchers, these findings show that serotonin is critical for the growth of the cytotrophoblasts, the placenta, and by extension, the fetus. 

Additionally, researchers discovered that the cytotrophoblasts don’t contain tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH-1), or the enzyme that makes serotonin, indicating the cells within the placenta can’t produce serotonin on their own. 

“This suggests that factors that either inhibit serotonin transport through the placenta, or increase it, may have a significant impact on the placenta, embryo, fetus, and ultimately, the newborn and its brain,” Kliman said.

For example, Kliman says this explains why taking SSRIs — which decrease the levels of serotonin into the placenta — leads to smaller babies, and why, conversely, increased levels of serotonin may lead to bigger babies, with bigger brains, who may be at increased risk for developmental disabilities like autism.

Kliman and his lab have long investigated the link between placentas and children with autism, specifically the number of trophoblast inclusions (TIs) in the placenta. TIs are like wrinkles or folds in the placenta, caused by cells multiplying more than they should, typically only seen in pregnancies where there are genetic problems with the fetus. 

This new study is the culmination of research first published in 2006 that found significantly more TIs in the placentas from children with autism, and later in 2021, that the genetics of the fetus — and not the parent’s uterine environment — determine how many TIs are in the placenta. 

“This puts a big nail into the theory that vaccines cause autism,” suggested Kliman. “Autism, in essence, starts in the womb, not after delivery, and is most likely due to the genetics of the placenta and to a lesser extent, the maternal environment the placenta finds itself in.”

Kliman is also the director of the Reproductive and Placental Research Unit at YSM. 

Other Yale authors include Gary Rudnick, a professor emeritus of pharmacology at YSM, and Seth Guller, a senior research scientist in obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive sciences and director of the Gyn/Endocrine Laboratory at YSM. 

This study was supported by grants from the Fulbright-Monahan Foundation, the University of Paris Cité, and the Reproductive and Placental Research Unit at Yale School of Medicine.

People in the world are living longer than before, but they are not always living healthier lives during those extra years. A recent study by researchers at the MayoClinic found that while life expectancy keeps rising, the number of years people spend in good health does not increase as much. The study has been published in the journal Communications Medicine.Basically, scientists are seeing that just because people are living longer these days (that’s what we call “lifespan”), it doesn’t mean they’re living all those extra years in good health (“healthspan”). So, life is getting longer, but not necessarily better, because more people are spending a lot of their “golden years” dealing with sickness or disabilities instead of being healthy and active.

How did they figure this out?

The research team did a massive study that looked at health and life expectancy data from 183 countries all over the world. They used information from the World Health Organization and other big international sources to figure out two things for each country:Life expectancy: How long, on average, people live in that country.Health-adjusted life expectancy (HALE): Basically, how many years, on average, someone lives in good health, not hampered by illness or disability.The “healthspan-lifespan gap” is just the difference between those two numbers. So if the average life expectancy is 80, but the average healthy lifespan is 70, that means people spend around 10 of their years dealing with health problems.

What did they find?

Globally, there’s now a gap of about 9 years between lifespan and healthspan — and that gap is getting wider, not smaller! But it’s not the same everywhere. For instance, people in Europe and North America tend to live the longest, but they also spend more years in poor health. Meanwhile, people in parts of Africa may have shorter lifespans overall, but spend a higher percentage of those years in good health.One interesting part is what causes people to lose those healthy years. In wealthier regions like the Americas and Europe, most of the gap is because of chronic, non-infectious diseases — think heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and things like that. In poorer regions, people tend to die younger, but more often from infectious diseases or conditions related to childbirth and nutrition. However, chronic diseases are on the rise everywhere as people adopt more modern lifestyles.

What about mental health?

Another thing the study pointed out is that problems like depression and substance abuse are pretty common across all regions. These mental and behavioral issues don’t explain the differences between places, but they’re a big deal just about everywhere.

Why does it matter?

This growing gap between how long people live and how long they’re healthy is worrying. It means more folks are facing years of poor quality of life, with pain, disability, and all the stress (and cost) that comes with illness.Even more, the researchers noticed that economic factors (like a country’s wealth and health spending) and patterns of disease in that society can predict this gap. Richer countries tend to have more years of chronic illness, probably because people survive longer with disease management, but don’t necessarily cure the illness. Poorer countries, on the other hand, are catching up as their populations age.

So, what now?

The main takeaway is we can’t just focus on making people live longer, we’ve got to think about helping them live healthier, too. Each region of the world has its own challenges, so there’s no single solution. The study says we need to tailor health policies and disease prevention strategies to the specific problems in each place, rather than treating everyone the same.In short: More years doesn’t always mean better years. The world has some homework to do if we want those golden years to actually be golden!

Pumpkin seeds might be small, but their health benefits are mighty. While many people know these crunchy green seeds help balance blood sugar levels, there’s a lot more to them than meets the eye. According to U.S.-based gastroenterologist Dr. Pal Manickam, pumpkin seeds are one of the most underrated superfoods you can easily include in your diet, and they’re surprisingly affordable too.

In a recent Instagram video and a post on X (formerly Twitter), Dr. Pal shares seven science-backed reasons to add pumpkin seeds to your daily routine. “If you’re not including pumpkin seeds in your diet, you’re seriously missing out,” he said.

So, what makes these little seeds so powerful? Let’s break down the seven benefits he shared, including one he calls his personal favourite.

1. Boosts Immunity

Pumpkin seeds are rich in zinc, a key mineral that strengthens the immune system and helps your body fight infections more effectively. Including them in your meals can be a tasty way to keep seasonal illnesses at bay.

2. Supports Heart Health

Thanks to their high magnesium content, pumpkin seeds help maintain a steady heartbeat and regulate blood pressure. Magnesium is also known to support overall cardiovascular health.

3. Improves Mood and Relaxation

Pumpkin seeds contain tryptophan, an amino acid that converts into serotonin, the “feel-good” hormone. This can help improve mood, reduce anxiety, and promote better sleep, something many people overlook when managing stress.

4. Strengthens Bones

These seeds also offer a good dose of phosphorus and magnesium, which are essential for bone strength and density. Regular consumption may reduce your risk of conditions like osteoporosis later in life.

5. Balances Blood Sugar

Perhaps the most well-known benefit, pumpkin seeds help regulate insulin levels and keep blood sugar in check, thanks again to their magnesium content. This makes them a smart snack option for people managing diabetes or prediabetes.

6. Helps with Cravings and Weight Loss

Dr. Pal’s personal favourite benefit: curbing cravings. Packed with healthy fats and protein, pumpkin seeds keep you full for longer, making it easier to avoid mindless snacking and overeating.

7. Protects Skin and Eyes

Loaded with antioxidants like vitamin E and carotenoids, these seeds help reduce inflammation, slow signs of aging, and protect your eyes and skin from damage caused by environmental stress.

Who is Dr Pal Manickam?

For the unversed, Dr. Pal Manickam is not your average doctor. Known for mixing health advice with humour, he has built a large following across social media. He shares easy-to-understand, science-based health tips, often focusing on gut health, intermittent fasting, and holistic wellness. Dr. Pal completed his MBBS at PSG Medical College, Coimbatore, India, then a Master’s in Public Health at the University of Massachusetts, Boston and an MD in Internal Medicine at Wayne State University, Detroit, before steeping into gastroenterology fellowship.

Pumpkin Seeds vs Flax and Chia seeds?

According to Healthline, flaxseeds and chia seeds are also loaded with fiber and omega-3 fats, pumpkin seeds bring something unique to the table, they’re easier to eat (no grinding required), and they offer a broader range of nutrients like zinc, magnesium, and protein. That makes pumpkin seeds an excellent all-rounder for anyone looking to boost their health with minimal effort.

Difference between flax seeds, chia seeds and pumpkin seeds.

So, next time you’re looking for a budget-friendly superfood, skip the supplements and reach for a handful of pumpkin seeds instead.

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For years, health authorities have warned against red meat consumption, with the World Health Organization’s cancer research arm classifying it as “probably carcinogenic to humans”. But a controversial new study challenges that position, suggesting that animal protein might protect against cancer deaths rather than cause them.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the WHO, has long classified red meat, including beef, pork, lamb and mutton, as probably carcinogenic. And processed meats such as bacon and sausages are classified as definite carcinogens. This judgment reflects multiple studies linking red meat to colorectal cancer, forming the basis of dietary advice to limit intake.

Yet the new research by Canada’s McMaster University suggests the opposite: that people who consume more animal protein may actually have lower cancer mortality rates. But, before you rush out to buy a pack of sausages, there are some important points you should note.

The study’s methods contain important nuances that complicate its headline-grabbing conclusions. Rather than examining red meat specifically, the researchers analysed consumption of “animal protein”, a broad category that includes red meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. This distinction matters significantly because fish, particularly oily varieties such as mackerel and sardines, are associated with being cancer-protective.

By grouping all animal proteins together, the study may have captured the protective effects of fish and certain dairy products rather than proving the safety of red meat.

Dairy products themselves present a complex picture in cancer research. Some studies suggest they reduce colorectal cancer risk while potentially increasing prostate cancer risk. This mixed evidence underscores how the broad “animal protein” category obscures important distinctions between different food types.

The study, which was funded by the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, America’s primary beef industry lobbying group, contains several other limitations. Crucially, the researchers didn’t distinguish between processed and unprocessed meats – a distinction that countless studies have shown to be vital.

Processed meats such as bacon, sausages and deli meats consistently show higher cancer risks than fresh, unprocessed cuts. Additionally, the research didn’t examine specific cancer types, making it impossible to determine whether the protective effects apply broadly or to particular cancers.

Interestingly, the study also examined plant proteins, including legumes, nuts and soy products such as tofu, and found they had no strong protective effect against dying of cancer. This finding contradicts previous research suggesting that plant proteins are linked to decreased cancer risk, adding another layer of complexity to an already confusing picture.

These findings don’t diminish the established health benefits of plant-based foods, which provide fibre, antioxidants and other compounds associated with reduced disease risk.

Not a green light

Even if the study’s conclusions about animal protein prove accurate, the study shouldn’t be interpreted as a green light for unlimited meat consumption. Excessive red meat intake remains linked to other serious health conditions, including heart disease and diabetes. The key lies in moderation and balance.

The conflicting research highlights the complexity of nutrition science, where isolating the effects of individual foods proves remarkably difficult. People don’t eat single nutrients in isolation – they consume complex combinations of foods as part of broader lifestyle patterns. It’s more important to focus on overall dietary patterns rather than fixating on individual foods.

A balanced plate approach, featuring a variety of protein sources, plenty of vegetables and fruits, and minimally processed foods, remains the most evidence-based path to optimal health.

While this latest study adds a new dimension to the meat debate, it’s unlikely to be the final word. As nutrition science continues to evolve, the most prudent approach remains the least dramatic: moderation, variety and balance in all things.

Ahmed Elbediwy, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Biochemistry / Cancer Biology, Kingston University and Nadine Wehida, Senior Lecturer in Genetics and Molecular Biology, Kingston University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

With support from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases Research Award Fund (ARDRAF), Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC scientists Sharon Swanger and Shannon Farris are working to understand why this area is especially vulnerable.

Swanger studies how brain cells communicate across synapses in disease-susceptible brain circuits, while Farris focuses on how different circuits in the brain’s memory center function at the molecular level. Their overlapping expertise made the collaboration a natural fit.

“We’ve both been studying how circuits differ at the molecular level for a while,” said Swanger, an assistant professor at the research institute. “This new collaborative project brings together my work on synapses and Shannon’s on mitochondria in a way that addresses a big gap in the Alzheimer’s disease field.”

“This kind of state-level support is critical,” Farris said. “It gives researchers in Virginia the chance to ask questions that may eventually make a difference for people living with Alzheimer’s. It’s meaningful to be part of research that could help people facing that journey.”

A key focus of their research is mitochondria — tiny structures inside brain cells that provide the energy needed for a variety of cellular functions in neurons including synaptic transmission. In Alzheimer’s disease, mitochondria stop working properly in the course of the disease.

Farris and Swanger are investigating whether mitochondria in a vulnerable memory-related circuit may become overloaded with calcium, a key signaling chemical for multiple neuronal and synaptic processes. That overload could contribute to the early breakdown of memory circuits.

“The connection between these cells is one of the first to fail in Alzheimer’s,” Farris said. “We found that this synapse has unusually strong calcium signals in nearby mitochondria — so strong we can see them clearly under a light microscope. Those kinds of signals are hard to ignore. It gives us a model where we can really watch what’s happening as things start to go wrong.”

To test their hypothesis, the researchers will study brain tissue from healthy mice and mice with certain aspects of Alzheimer’s pathology. By comparing how mitochondria function and how brain cells communicate across synapses in each group, they hope to find early signs of stress or failure in the entorhinal cortex-hippocampus circuit.

Swanger and Farris are members of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute’s Center for Neurobiology Research and also faculty in the Department of Biomedical Sciences and Pathobiology of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine.

A new study from the University of Sydney has revealed how type 2 diabetes directly alters the heart’s structure and energy systems, offering vital insights into why people with diabetes are at greater risk of heart failure.

Published in EMBO Molecular Medicine, the research was led by Dr. Benjamin Hunter and Associate Professor Sean Lal from the School of Medical Sciences. The researchers analysed donated human heart tissue from patients undergoing heart transplantation in Sydney and found that diabetes causes distinct molecular changes to heart cells and structural changes to the muscle, especially in patients with ischaemic cardiomyopathy, the most common cause of heart failure.

“We’ve long seen a correlation between heart disease and type 2 diabetes,” said Dr. Hunter, “but this is the first research to jointly look at diabetes and ischaemic heart disease and uncover a unique molecular profile in people with both conditions.

“Our findings show that diabetes alters how the heart produces energy, maintains its structure under stress, and contracts to pump blood. Using advanced microscopy techniques, we were able to see direct changes to the heart muscle as a result of this, in the form of a build-up of fibrous tissue.”

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in Australia and over 1.2 million people live with type 2 diabetes.

Our research links heart disease and diabetes in ways that have never been demonstrated in humans, offering new insights into potential treatment strategies that could one day benefit millions of people in Australia and globally.” 

Sean Lal, Associate Professor, School of Medical Sciences, University of Sydney

Getting to the heart of the problem

The researchers examined heart tissue from transplant recipients and healthy donors. 

The study discovered that diabetes is not just a co-morbidity for heart disease – it actively worsens heart failure by disrupting key biological processes and reshapes the heart muscle at a microscopic level.

“The metabolic effect of diabetes in the heart is not fully understood in humans,” said Dr Hunter.

“Under healthy conditions, the heart primarily uses fats but also glucose and ketones as fuel for energy. It has previously been described that glucose uptake is increased in heart failure, however, diabetes reduces the insulin sensitivity of glucose transporters – proteins that move glucose in and out of cells – in heart muscle cells. 

“We observed that diabetes worsens the molecular characteristics of heart failure in patients with advanced heart disease and increases the stress on mitochondria – the powerhouse of the cell which produces energy.”

The researchers also observed reduced production of structural proteins critical for heart muscle contraction and calcium handling in people with diabetes and ischaemic heart disease, along with a build-up of tough, fibrous heart tissue that further affects the heart’s ability to pump blood.

“RNA sequencing confirmed that many of these protein changes were also reflected at the gene transcription level, particularly in pathways related to energy metabolism and tissue structure, which reinforces our other observations,” said Dr Hunter.

“And once we had these clues at the molecular level, we were able to confirm these structural changes using confocal microscopy.”

Associate Professor Lal said the discovery of mitochondrial dysfunction and fibrotic pathways could help guide future therapies.

“Now that we’ve linked diabetes and heart disease at the molecular level and observed how it changes energy production in the heart while also changing its structure, we can begin to explore new treatment avenues,” said Associate Professor Lal.

“Our findings could also be used to inform diagnosis criteria and disease management strategies across cardiology and endocrinology, improving care for millions of patients.”

Sep 2 2025

Heart rate is one of the most basic and important indicators of health, providing a snapshot into a person’s physical activity, stress and anxiety, hydration level, and more. 

Traditionally, measuring heart rate requires some sort of wearable device, whether that be a smart watch or hospital-grade machinery. But new research from engineers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, shows how the signal from a household WiFi device can be used for this crucial health monitoring with state-of-the-art accuracy-without the need for a wearable.

Their proof of concept work demonstrates that one day, anyone could take advantage of this non-intrusive WiFi-based health monitoring technology in their homes. The team proved their technique works with low-cost WiFi devices, demonstrating its usefulness for low resource settings.

A study demonstrating the technology, which the researchers have coined “Pulse-Fi,” was published in the proceedings of the 2025 IEEE International Conference on Distributed Computing in Smart Systems and the Internet of Things (DCOSS-IoT) .

Measuring with WiFi

A team of researchers at UC Santa Cruz’s Baskin School of Engineering that included Professor of Computer Science and Engineering Katia Obraczka, Ph.D. student Nayan Bhatia, and high school student and visiting researcher Pranay Kocheta designed a system for accurately measuring heart rate that combines low-cost WiFi devices with a machine learning algorithm. 

WiFi devices push out radio frequency waves into physical space around them and toward a receiving device, typically a computer or phone. As the waves pass through objects in space, some of the wave is absorbed into those objects, causing mathematically detectable changes in the wave. 

Pulse-Fi uses a WiFi transmitter and receiver, which runs Pulse-Fi’s signal processing and machine learning algorithm. They trained the algorithm to distinguish even the faintest variations in signal caused by a human heart beat by filtering out all other changes to the signal in the environment or caused by activity like movement. 

“The signal is very sensitive to the environment, so we have to select the right filters to remove all the unnecessary noise,” Bhatia said. 

Dynamic results

The team ran experiments with 118 participants and found that after only five seconds of signal processing, they could measure heart rate with clinical-level accuracy. At five seconds of monitoring, they saw only half a beat-per-minute of error, with longer periods of monitoring time increasing the accuracy. 

The team found that the Pulse-Fi system worked regardless of the position of the equipment in the room or the person whose heart rate was being measured-no matter if they were sitting, standing, lying down, or walking, the system still performed. For each of the 118 participants, they tested 17 different body positions with accurate results

These results were found using ultra-low-cost ESP32 chips, which retail between $5 and $10 and Raspberry Pi chips, which cost closer to $30. Results from the Raspberry Pi experiments show even better performance. More expensive WiFi devices like those found in commercial routers would likely further improve the accuracy of their system.

They also found that their system had accurate performance with a person three meters, or nearly 10 feet, away from the hardware. Further testing beyond what is published in the current study shows promising results for longer distances.

“What we found was that because of the machine learning model, that distance apart basically had no effect on performance, which was a very big struggle for past models,” Kocheta said. “The other thing was position-all the different things you encounter in day to day life, we wanted to make sure we were robust to however a person is living.”

Creating the dataset 

To make their heart rate detection system work, the researchers needed to train their machine learning algorithm to distinguish the faint detections in WiFi signals caused by a human heartbeat. They found that there was no existing data for these patterns using an ESP32 device, so they set out to create their own dataset. 

In the UC Santa Cruz Science and Engineering library, they set up their ESP32 system along with a standard oximeter to gather “ground truth” data. By combining the data from the Pulse-Fi setup with the ground truth data, they could teach a neural network which changes in signals corresponded with heart rate.

In addition to the ESP32 dataset they collected, they also tested Pulse-Fi using a dataset produced by a team of researchers in Brazil using a Raspberry Pi device, which created the most extensive existing dataset on WiFi for heart monitoring, as far as the researchers are aware. 

Beyond heart rate

Now, the researchers are working on further research to extend their technique to detect breathing rate in addition to heart rate, which can be useful for the detection of conditions like sleep apnea. Unpublished results show high promise for accurate breathing rate and apnea detection.

Those interested in commercial use of this technology can contact Assistant Director of Innovation Transfer Marc Oettinger: [email protected].

Faced with a worsening drug crisis, policymakers in recent years have made it much easier for doctors to prescribe the highly effective opioid addiction treatment buprenorphine. However, many patients may still struggle to find pharmacies carrying the treatment, finds new research led by the USC Schaeffer Center for Health Policy & Economics.

Buprenorphine was available at just 39% of U.S. retail pharmacies in 2023, a modest increase from 33% in 2017, according to the study published Sept. 2 in Health Affairs. But disparities in who can access the treatment have persisted. Pharmacies in predominantly Black neighborhoods (18%) and Latino neighborhoods (17%) remain significantly less likely to carry buprenorphine as those in white neighborhoods (46%).

Buprenorphine is one of several medications that can ease opioid cravings and withdrawal, and it is the only one that can be prescribed in primary care settings and dispensed at retail pharmacies. Because these treatments are milder opioids and considered controlled substances, they historically have been subject to tight prescribing and dispensing rules.

Recent efforts to ease prescribing rules include the 2023 elimination of the so-called “X-waiver” that required doctors to receive specialized training and registration to prescribe the treatment. However, dispensing rates have changed little, suggesting that pharmacy regulations aimed at preventing opioid (and buprenorphine) diversion, abuse and misuse continue to discourage pharmacies from carrying the treatment, particularly in minority neighborhoods and some areas hit hardest by the opioid epidemic.

Relaxing buprenorphine prescribing rules was an important step in making this critical treatment more accessible, but too many patients lack a nearby pharmacy that carries it. Federal and state policymakers must reduce barriers that make it difficult for pharmacies to stock buprenorphine, especially in some of the more vulnerable communities.”

Dima Mazen Qato, senior scholar at the Schaeffer Center and the Hygeia Centennial Chair at the USC Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Limited access in some hard-hit areas

Researchers analyzed buprenorphine claims from 2017 to 2023 from an IQVIA pharmacy database from covering 93% of U.S. retail prescription claims. Among their key findings:

• Although buprenorphine availability increased in most states, there were significant declines in five states (Florida, Ohio, Tennessee, Washington, Virginia) and Washington, DC.
• In nearly every state, buprenorphine availability was lowest in Black or Latino neighborhoods. In some states (California, Illinois and Pennsylvania), availability in these neighborhoods was about four to five times lower than in white neighborhoods.
• Independent pharmacies in Black and Latino neighborhoods were significantly less likely to stock buprenorphine and were also more likely to stop carrying it over time. But when these pharmacies did stock the treatment, they persistently filled about twice as many prescriptions per month compared with other types of pharmacies.
• Pharmacies in rural counties and those with high rates of opioid-related overdose deaths were persistently more likely to carry buprenorphine. Yet in 73 hard-hit rural counties, less than 25% of pharmacies carried the medication, and another 25 counties lacked a pharmacy.

Areas with fewer dispensing barriers had better access

Researchers said states should consider easing tight controls on buprenorphine dispensing, which can restrict access to the treatment in several ways.

When buprenorphine demand rises, suppliers may delay or pause shipments to pharmacies to avoid scrutiny from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and pharmacies often refuse to stock buprenorphine out of concern the orders will be flagged to the DEA. Some pharmacies carry the medication but refuse to dispense it for fear of running afoul of the federal Controlled Substances Act and similar state pharmacy regulations and laws, which require pharmacists to ensure that prescriptions for controlled substances are valid.

The researchers found buprenorphine availability was greatest in states with the least restrictive prescription drug monitoring programs, including those that limited how law enforcement could access the electronic databases to investigate suspicious prescribing.

The researchers said state and local governments should consider requiring pharmacies to maintain buprenorphine stock, noting that some have issued similar orders for the overdose reversal treatment naloxone and emergency contraception in an effort to improve access.

“If policymakers fail to introduce policies that increase equitable access to buprenorphine at local pharmacies, existing racial and ethnic disparities in opioid use disorder treatment and recovery will likely worsen,” said first author Jenny S. Guadamuz, an assistant professor at the University of California, Berkeley School of Public Health.

ISLAMABAD – “There was a lot of white vaginal discharge. There was also heavy bleeding — chunks of blood. This would go on for 15 to 20 days at a time and then stop. Come back again after 10 days. I was unable to go out for farm work or carry out household work. My hands and legs would feel weak and tremble. I went to Dr A in the local town. … It cost me more than 5,000 [INR]. There was no change in my condition. Then the same doctor referred me to the medical college hospital. I went there. … Nothing worked. … I went with my son to the cancer hospital in Chennai. … When I returned for the test results, they told me that it was the beginning stage of cervical cancer.”

This story of a cervical cancer survivor and mother of four from India, narrated in a World Health Organisation (WHO) report, is not unique. Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer deaths among women around the world, especially in low- and middle-income countries such as India and Pakistan.

But here’s what many people don’t know — the disease is one of the few cancers that can be almost entirely prevented with early screening and vaccination. There are two approved vaccines that can reduce the risk of cancer by protecting against the infections that cause them — the hepatitis B vaccine and the cervical cancer or human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

Pakistan is launching its first-ever cervical cancer prevention vaccine drive this month, and doctors and government officials are pushing to make it a success.

Virtually all cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with HPV. Two high-risk types, HPV 16 and HPV 18, are responsible for 70 per cent of cases.

In 2006, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a vaccine to be administered to females nine through 26 years of age. Gardasil, as the vaccine was called, aimed to protect from diseases caused by certain types of HPV, including cervical, vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers as well as genital warts.

Nearly four years after its licensure, researchers who surveyed vaccinated women aged 14 to 59 found that among vaccinated girls aged 14 to 19 years, vaccine-type HPV prevalence dropped from 11.5pc to 5.1pc — a staggering decline of 56pc. Among other age groups, however, the prevalence didn’t seem to differ significantly.

In 2020, the WHO launched a global strategy aiming to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem. By 2023, around 140 countries introduced the HPV vaccine into their national immunisation programmes, including those with large populations and cervical cancer burden, such as Bangladesh, Indonesia, and Nigeria.

In August, the WHO announced that it is partnering with the Government of Pakistan to train over 49,000 health workers for the country’s first HPV vaccine drive, planned from September 15 to 27. The campaign is being described as a “historic milestone,” and is set to target 13 million girls aged nine to 14 years across Punjab, Sindh, Islamabad Capital Territory, and Azad Jammu and Kashmir.

The Federal Health Ministry announced that it is launching the campaign in Sindh in collaboration with the provincial health department and urged close coordination with the education department to ensure as many girls as possible are covered in the campaign. Sindh Health Secretary Rehan Iqbal Baloch said the campaign aims to vaccinate about four million girls in the province.

Gavi, a global health alliance that helps lower-income countries access vaccines, is also providing support, he explained. The necessary doses will be available free of charge through the government-led Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI).

Why is the drive important?

According to infectious diseases epidemiologist at the Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi, Dr Muslima Ejaz, the initiative is important because it targets adolescent girls, a group often left out of health interventions. “By reaching them early, before they’re exposed to HPV, we’re literally safeguarding their future health,” she told Images.

She explained that the drive sets a precedent. If Sindh succeeds, it can become a model for scaling up across other provinces. “This campaign is not only about vaccination, it’s about building systems, community trust, and a roadmap for integrating HPV into routine immunisation,” she said. Essentially, it’s a public health breakthrough for women in Pakistan.

Gynaecologist Dr Uzma Chishti said adolescent immunisation is crucial, noting that although cervical cancer has traditionally affected women who are in their 40s to 60s, she has recently seen patients in their 30s.

She pointed out that the WHO now endorses a single-dose schedule, which simplifies delivery and increases the likelihood of uptake. While skepticism towards vaccines in general poses a challenge, she argued that it can be overcome with the right communication.

“Healthcare workers need to build trust, explain the disease, and highlight how vaccination protects girls before they are ever at risk,” she said, adding that counselling on preventive measures such as delaying early marriage and promoting safe practices is equally important.

Beyond vaccination, Dr Chishti highlighted screening as another critical tool. Simple tests such as pap smears or HPV testing can detect precancerous changes years before cervical cancer develops.

The rollout

Dr Sohail Raza Shaikh, additional project director of EPI Sindh, explained that the campaign will use a multi-pronged strategy, including fixed-site services at existing EPI centres, outreach programmes for communities unable to access those sites, and mobile vaccination teams.

Schools are expected to serve as the main vaccination sites, supported by the province’s education department, which has already trained teachers and conducted sensitisation workshops. Dr Shaikh added that around 48.5pc of the target population is enrolled in schools, while the remaining out-of-school girls will be reached through the Lady Health Worker programme and civil society organisations such as HANDS and the Sindh Rural Support Organisation.

He explained that approximately 3,611 vaccinators will take part in the drive, each working in a four-member team with assistants and social mobilisers, bringing the total to over 14,000 field workers. Supervisory structures are also in place, including 1,190 first-level supervisors, mostly doctors trained to handle adverse events following immunisation, and 393 second-level supervisors. A breakdown of the vaccinators includes 490 fixed-site workers, 2,990 outreach workers and 31 mobile teams.

To monitor coverage, the campaign will use the Sindh Electronic Immunisation Record (SEIR) system, with an additional HPV-specific module, along with vaccination cards distributed to recipients.

“Even after the campaign period, there will be a catch-up drive to vaccinate any missed children,” Dr Shaikh told Images. He stressed that the vaccine would become a routine part of the immunisation programme, with the Sindh government already having allocated budgetary resources for the next three years.

He highlighted the key role of teachers and parents in ensuring the success of the campaign. “Teachers, in particular, hold significant influence. If they support the vaccine, parents are more likely to follow,” he said. Districts with higher proportions of out-of-school girls, such as Kashmore, Qambar-Shahdadkot, Shikarpur, Larkana, Umerkot, Tando Muhammad Khan and Badin, are being prioritised for intensified mobilisation efforts.

Potential roadblocks

Epidemiologist Aneela Pasha noted a potential challenge for the drive: while the EPI mainly administers vaccines for infants and toddlers, such as polio, BCG and typhoid, the HPV vaccine is different as it targets adolescent girls, a group that does not routinely visit paediatricians.

She said myths related to the vaccine causing infertility might become a key hesitancy driver. However, she noted that the vaccine actually protects you from infertility because “it’s the HPV infections that could compromise your reproductive system”.

She also highlighted the prevalence of cervical cancer in Pakistan, with more than 5,000 women diagnosed annually and over 3,000 losing their lives to the disease.

Up-to-date figures are difficult to obtain from the Global Cancer Observatory due to the absence of a comprehensive national registry. However, data compiled by Islamabad’s National Institutes of Health from various registries between 2015 and 2019 shows cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women in the country.

While misinformation and vaccine hesitancy are genuine concerns, paediatrician Dr Fyezah Jehan said the vaccine’s relative unfamiliarity might work in its favour. “No information is better than incorrect information,” she said.

Since widespread misconceptions have not yet taken root, health authorities have an opportunity to shape the narrative with accurate messaging. She warned, however, that misinformation could emerge once the campaign begins, making its management, and the timely delivery of correct information, critical to its success.