15-Dec-15 Despite recording gains in recent years, India continues to lag several health indicators such as mortality rates and malnutrition. A paper in The Lancet identifies seven structural problems: 1. A weak primary healthcare; 2. Unequally distributed human resources; 3. Large unregulated private sector; 4. Low public spending; 5. Fragmented information systems; 6. Irrational drug use and spiralling cost; 7. Weak governance and accountability. [image: Hindustan Times]

14-Dec-15 Chinese consumers spent RMB65 bn (USD10 bn) buying medicines, healthcare products and services on Alibaba’s Chinese retail sites in 2014, up 63% from a year earlier. In addition, sales of nursing care services grew 205% on Singles’ Day, while sales of health insurance increased 432% on Alibaba’s sites, including the huge Taobao and Tmall marketplaces. [image: International Supermarket News]

04-Dec-15 In a move aimed to improve the "sustainability of the health insurance system", Chinese political advisors have suggested cutting red tape to encourage domestic development of generic drugs but also establishing tougher standards to assess their quality. [image: Patty Chen / Reuters]

01-Dec-15 At a recent India-Africa summit, Prime Minister Modi discussed working together to improve public health with 54 African heads of state. For India, the main goal is to increase pharmaceutical exports to Africa, while African ministers are keen to copy India’s success in developing drug manufacturing, both to secure their own supplies and to give their economies a fillip. [image: Reuters]

09-Dec-15 Sanofi Pasteur has announced that the Mexican authorities have granted marketing authorization to Dengvaxia®, making it the first vaccine to be licensed in the world for the prevention of dengue. [image: See And Say]