Recent Current Affairs related to Health

The 16th BRICS Health Ministers' Meeting was held in Chandigarh under the BRICS Chairship of India for 2026. The meeting was held under the theme 'Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability' to strengthen cooperation in public health priorities and global health architecture.

Additionally, under the BRICS Presidency of India for 2026, the Ministry of Education convened the International Governing Board (IGB) meeting of the BRICS Network University (BRICS NU) in a virtual format.

Union Minister Amit Shah has launched the Prime Minister Family Care Tracker (PM-FCT) pilot project in Gandhinagar, Gujarat. The initiative aims to strengthen beneficiary identification and ensure the timely delivery of government welfare schemes.

The PM-FCT serves as an integrated digital platform to monitor the health, nutrition, education, and welfare benefits of children from the prenatal stage up to 18 years of age.

World Blood Donor Day:

Day – 14 June

Theme 2026 – “One Drop of Humanity. Give Blood. Save Lives.”

Observed since – 2004

Commemorating – The birth anniversary of Karl Landsteiner, who discovered the ABO Blood Group System

Union Minister JP Nadda has launched nationwide celebrations in New Delhi to mark the 10th anniversary of the PM Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA), under the theme "10 Years of PMSMA: A Decade of Care".

Launched in 2016 by PM Narendra Modi, the PMSMA provides free, comprehensive, and quality antenatal care services to pregnant women on the 9th day of every month. During the event, the minister released a special ₹75 commemorative coin and a ₹5 postage stamp. Nationwide campaigns are being conducted to encourage pregnant women to avail the 9 assured free antenatal care services offered under the scheme.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has released the National Family Health Survey – 6 (NFHS-6). The survey was conducted during 2023-24 by the International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) in Mumbai, which served as the nodal agency.

The survey covered 6.79 lakh households across 715 districts in all States and Union Territories (UTs), excluding Manipur. It focuses on 101 major indicators to provide a comprehensive snapshot of health and demographic trends across India.

Novartis India has launched 'Pluvicto', the first regulatory authority-approved radioligand therapy (RLT) in India for advanced prostate cancer.

This precision medicine is indicated for patients with Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA)-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC).

West Bengal has officially implemented the Ayushman Bharat PM Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY), becoming the 36th State/UT to join the scheme.

This marks the completion of a 100% nationwide rollout of the world’s largest publicly funded health assurance scheme across every state and UT in India. It is to be noted that the central government has allocated ₹3,505 crore to West Bengal under the National Health Mission (NHM) for FY27.

Day - May 31

Theme 2026 - Unmasking the Appeal: Countering Nicotine and Tobacco Addiction

Observed by - WHO

Observed since - 1988

The Nagaland government has imposed a 1-year statewide ban on the manufacture, storage, transportation, distribution, and sale of all food products containing tobacco or nicotine.

The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) has released the 10th National Health Accounts (NHA) estimates for FY23. The Total Health Expenditure (THE) of India in FY23 is estimated at ₹8.81 lakh crore, which constitutes 3.37% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The Government Health Expenditure (GHE) has increased from ₹1.3 lakh crore in FY14 to ₹3.85 lakh crore in FY23. The report was prepared by the National Health Accounts Technical Secretariat (NHATS) under the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC).

Bajaj General Insurance Ltd (BGIL) has launched a next-generation health indemnity insurance plan named ‘My Health Care Plan Edge+’ (MHCP EDGE+), offering comprehensive coverage ranging from ₹5 lakh to ₹5 crore.

The MHCP EDGE+ is available for individuals from 3 months of age, featuring a policy tenure of up to 5 years, lifetime renewability, and flexible waiting period options.

Cyril Ramaphosa, the President of South Africa, has conferred the Order of Mapungubwe, the highest civilian honour of the nation, on Indian-origin professors.

Salim Abdool Karim received the award under the Gold category, while Keertan Dheda was awarded under the Silver category. The honours were given recognising their exceptional contributions to the fields of medical science, epidemiology, and health policy.

The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has organised the largest biomedical innovation and technology transfer event of India, titled “Medical Innovations Patent Mitra: Innovators-to-Industry (I2I) Connect”, in New Delhi.

The event was inaugurated by Union Minister of State Prataprao Jadhav to launch a collaborative platform for the development and commercialisation of public health technologies.

During the event, a total of 41 public health technologies, including vaccines and diagnostics, were transferred to industry partners. The ICMR also transferred inactivated Kyasanur Forest Disease (KFD) and Chandipura virus biomaterials to support vaccine development and research.

International Nurses Day:

Day – May 12

Theme 2026 – “Our Nurses. Our Future. Empowered Nurses Save Lives”

Commemorating – The birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale

The Karnataka government has launched India’s first integrated technology-driven monitoring portal to track ‘Not of Standard Quality’ (NSQ) medicines and regulate ‘Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances’ (NDPS) drugs.

This initiative aims to strengthen drug surveillance, enhance transparency, and ensure public safety.

Union Minister JP Nadda and Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan have launched the ‘SEHAT Mission’ (Science Excellence for Health through Agricultural Transformation) in New Delhi. The mission is jointly launched by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) and the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare (MoA&FW).

The initiative aims to connect agriculture, nutrition, and public health through scientific collaboration to build a framework for ‘Healthy Food, Healthy Farms and a Healthy India’.

The Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) has signed MoUs with the State Pharmacy Councils of Bihar, Maharashtra, and Mizoram to strengthen medicine safety, promote rational drug use, and enhance pharmacovigilance activities across India.

World Hand Hygiene Day:

Day – May 05

Theme 2026 – “Action saves lives – Safer care starts with clean hands”

Observed by – WHO

India has partnered with Japan to strengthen bilateral cooperation in health research and quantum technology. A Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) was signed between the Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED), the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), and the Department of Science and Technology (DST) to collaborate on biomedical research and medical devices.

Additionally, a Letter of Intent (LoI) was signed between the Cabinet Office of Japan and the DST for cooperation in the field of Quantum Science and Technology.

Union Minister S Jaishankar visited Jamaica, marking the first ever bilateral visit by an Indian External Affairs Minister (EAM) to the country. During the visit, he held delegation-level talks with Andrew Michael Holness, the Prime Minister of Jamaica. India and Jamaica signed 3 MoUs to enhance cooperation in health, broadcasting, and the solarisation of the Hugh Lawson Shearer Building.