(In the weekly Health Matters newsletter, Athira Elssa Johnson writes about getting to good health, and staying there. You can subscribe here to get the newsletter in your inbox.)
What is in a name change? Quite a lot, it turns out. One of this week’s biggest healthcare conversations centred on the renaming of PCOS to PMOS – Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome, with doctors and researchers reiterating that the older term failed to capture the full metabolic and endocrine complexity of the condition.
Ramya Kannan writes on why experts believe the new name could aid faster diagnosis and treatment, while also exploring the science and reasoning behind the shift from PCOS to PMOS and what it could mean for women’s healthcare going forward. Staying with reproductive and women’s health, Dr. Shaweez Faizi explains what the AMH test can and cannot reveal about fertility, while I write, on the occasion of World Hypertension Day,on why hypertension during pregnancy continues to remain a major maternal health risk.
Alongside, another set of stories served as a reminder of how fragile public health systems can feel when infectious disease outbreaks begin to spread. Health authorities in Africa announced a new Ebola outbreak in Congo that has already raised significant concern among international public health agencies, prompting monitoring and response efforts across borders. Our detailed explainer breaks down why the WHO has classified the outbreak as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern, what such a declaration means, and why early surveillance and coordinated responses continue to matter in an interconnected world.
Another developing story tracks the hantavirus outbreak linked to an expedition cruise, with critically ill patients reported in France and Canada. There was also a report exploring why some people appear to be mosquito magnets, alongside coverage from Indonesia where misinformation during a measles surge has pushed some communities towards vitamins instead of vaccines. Elsewhere, stories this week reflected growing concerns around public health vigilance and prevention, from the WHO warning about nicotine pouch brands increasingly targeting young people to fresh estimates linking COVID-19 to 22.1 million excess deaths globally between 2020 and 2023. Closer home, Geetha Srimathi reports on Tamil Nadu going into alert mode after a joyride horse in Chennai died of a highly contagious zoonotic disease. Continuing with this week’s focus on infectious diseases and outbreaks, Sindhu Nagaraj also brings you quiz on virus outbreaks.
Questions around healthcare systems, accountability, and medical education also dominated headlines this week.
Maitri Porecha reports on the cancellation of NEET-UG 2026 following the alleged paper leak and the announcement of a re-test, while Bindu Shajan Perappadan writes on growing calls for structural reforms within the NTA and changes to the examination process. A combined analysis also unpacks why the NTA’s ‘Zero Error’ policy failed, while our editorial, “Testing troubles”, reflects on the larger institutional crisis facing the agency. Another report captures the emotional and financial strain aspirants continue to face amid surgeries, familial pressure, and uncertainty surrounding the re-test. Dr. Jayanthi Rangarajan meanwhile argues that medical education in India is at a crossroads and needs to pivot towards quality over quantity.
This week also brought stories that examined the evolving relationship between medicine, ethics, and technology. There was a report on the lawsuit against OpenAI in California alleging that chatbot advice contributed to a death, alongside coverage of the new partnership between Anthropic and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to expand the use of AI in healthcare and education. Dr. Christianez Ratna Kiruba questions anti-fraud protocols that involve photographing patients under anaesthesia.
As our tail piece we have the story of Henrietta Lacks and asks whether scientific progress can truly move alongside patient dignity, the third in our women series : Justice delayed: Acknowledging women pioneers in science.
Check out this weeks’s list of explainers:
Shweta Yogi explores how cancer immunotherapy may reshape the brain’s barrier to metastasis,
D. Balasubramanian writes on the possibility of restoring vision using ultrasound.
Anirban Mukhopadhyay investigates why heart cancer remains remarkably rare
Meenakshy S. provides a guide to testing for sexually transmitted infections,
Dr. C. Aravinda and Dr. Veera Rajagopal explore India’s genetic mosaic and how understanding our genes could improve healthcare outcomes.
Dr. George Thomas analyses what data on the social consumption of health reveals about healthcare priorities and access.
Siddharth Kumar Singh reports on healthcare staff working at the forefront of Telangana’s Heatwave Action Plan
Also read on hand transplantation in India and how these procedures restore sensation and touch to patients.
Our first anniversary episode of Health Wrap episode also turns to infection control from a different lens, exploring how AI-powered UV-C robots are transforming hospital disinfection, eliminating harmful pathogens without chemicals, and offering a new layer of safety in clinical environments.
To mark the occasion, check out these two quizzes to test your health and science knowledge, one bringing together questions from our fun fact segments over the past year, and the other focusing on the endocrine system .Stay tuned for prizes !
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Published – May 19, 2026 04:19 pm IST