After wrapping up a two-year long world tour, pop icon Justin Timberlake, 44, opened up about a private health battle that’s been affecting him behind the scenes. In a heartfelt Instagram post shared on Thursday, the singer revealed that he has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, a tick-borne illness that can cause lingering and unpredictable symptoms.

The announcement came just one day after the conclusion of his tour in Istanbul, marking the end of a musical chapter that spanned more than 70 performances across North America, Europe, and South America.

Diagnosis Behind the Scenes

Timberlake disclosed that during his Forget Tomorrow World Tour, which promoted his sixth solo album Everything I Thought It Was, he had been quietly “battling some health issues.”

“When I first got the diagnosis, I was shocked for sure,” Timberlake wrote. “But at least I could understand why I would be onstage and in a massive amount of nerve pain, or just feeling crazy fatigue or sickness.”

He admitted that the symptoms forced him to reconsider continuing the tour, saying, “I was faced with a personal decision. Stop touring? I decided the joy that performing brings me far outweighs the fleeting stress my body was feeling.”

Despite the physical toll, Timberlake pushed through his JT LIVE 25 tour leg, which included festival performances like Lollapalooza Brazil, before finally wrapping things up on July 31.

What Is Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is caused by bacteria transmitted to humans through the bite of an infected black-legged tick. It's most common in certain parts of North America and Europe, especially during the warmer months.

The most common early sign of Lyme is a red rash that often resembles a bull’s-eye, typically appearing within 3 to 30 days after the bite.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), US, notes that the early symptoms can also mimic the flu, fever, chills, headache, fatigue, and muscle aches. If caught early and treated with antibiotics, most people recover completely within a few weeks.

However, for some, like Timberlake, symptoms can persist or worsen even after treatment. This condition, sometimes called Post-Treatment Lyme Disease Syndrome (PTLDS), includes ongoing fatigue, nerve pain, cognitive issues, and more.

“Lyme can be incredibly tricky because its symptoms overlap with many other conditions,” explained Dr. Christopher Bazzoli, an emergency medicine expert at the Cleveland Clinic, as reported by the New York Times. “When it’s not caught early, it can lead to a wide range of complications, from joint pain to neurological issues.”

In some untreated or severe cases, complications can include:

• Chronic fatigue
• Arthritis
• Heart palpitations
• Dizziness or shortness of breath
• Nerve pain
• Memory or concentration problems
• And in rare instances, meningitis

Doctors are still researching why some people recover quickly while others experience long-term effects. For now, treatment usually includes rest, medications for symptom relief, and in some cases, extended antibiotic therapy.

Timberlake has now joined a growing list of celebrities, including Avril Lavigne and Shania Twain, who’ve opened up about their experiences with Lyme disease in hopes of raising awareness.

Takeaway For You: If you’ve spent time in wooded or grassy areas and experience unusual fatigue, joint pain, or rashes, it’s worth getting checked for Lyme. Early diagnosis can make all the difference.

India’s Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has introduced "healthy lifestyle and mental wellness" as two key priority areas at the First Health Working Group (HWG) Meeting under the BRICS framework for the year 2026 in New Delhi.

HWG is a key platform for advancing cooperation in public health, said Punya Salila Srivastava, the Union Health Secretary while chairing the meeting.

She noted that as the BRICS Chair for 2026, India is guided by the overarching theme “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability”, reflecting a people-centric and humanity-first approach.

The theme underscores India’s commitment to strengthening collaborative frameworks that are responsive, inclusive, and future-ready.

India’s 2026 Chairship

While reaffirming commitment to existing priorities, the Union Health Secretary also proposed two new priority areas under India’s Chairship:

• BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyles: Aimed at promoting healthy behaviors and addressing key risk factors such as unhealthy diets, physical inactivity, tobacco use, and harmful use of alcohol
• Promotion of Mental Health and Wellness: Focusing on strengthening mental health services, addressing stigma, and integrating mental health into broader public health frameworks.

In addition, under the country’s Chairship, Srivastava said that the HWG aims to:

• Foster inclusive, sustainable, and evidence-driven health cooperation,
• Recognize the diverse health systems and socio-economic contexts of BRICS nations.
• Integrating traditional, complementary, and integrative medicine into health systems.

The BRICS Health Working Group

Srivastava hailed the BRICS Health Working Group meetings for having paved the way for collaboration on pressing health challenges in the recent year. She said that the HWG made efforts towards tackle communicable and non-communicable diseases, enhancing health systems, as improving access to affordable medicines.

“These efforts have further strengthened cooperation in pandemic preparedness, health technology innovation, and the promotion of Universal Health Coverage,” Srivastava said.

The meeting also deliberated on the nine priority areas, which include:

1. BRICS TB Research Network;
2. collaboration among BRICS Medical Products Regulatory Authorities;
3. BRICS Integrated Early Warning System for prevention and response to mass infectious diseases;
4. Digital Health Architecture for continuum of care, including specialised healthcare in remote areas;
5. BRICS Mission for Healthy Lifestyles;
6. promotion of mental health and wellness;
7. Traditional, Complementary and Integrative Medicine (TCIM);
8. fight against diseases driven by social determinants of health (DDSDH);
9. BRICS Network of National Public Health Institutes.

The meeting brought together senior health officials, technical experts, and delegates from BRICS member countries—Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Egypt, Ethiopia, the United Arab Emirates, and Indonesia to deliberate on priority areas of cooperation in public health.

The global experts welcomed India’s leadership and the shared theme of building resilience through innovation, cooperation, and sustainability.

They also emphasized

• deepening collaboration on tuberculosis through the BRICS TB Research Network,
• strengthening the BRICS integrated early warning system for infectious diseases,
• enhancing digital health architectures to improve access (especially in remote and vulnerable communities),
• advancing regulatory cooperation
• local production of medicines and vaccines.

Indian pediatrician Dr Sivaranjani Santosh has resigned from the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP) over lack of support, alleged threats, and false allegations, amid an ongoing controversy over the marketing of oral rehydration solution (ORS)-like products.

The Hyderabad-based pediatrician has been a key public health figure who fought for eight long years to stop FSSAI—the country’s apex food regulator—from using the term ORS by brands of fruit-based, non-carbonated beverages, in October last year.

She again voiced her concerns with the IAP when the manufacturer in January 2026 launched a rebranded version, ERZL for everyday hydration.

Dr Santosh opposed the move and called out on IAP to prevent the launch, saying it closely resembled ORS and could mislead people, especially those in rural areas.

However, she did not receive any support from the IAP, and no action was taken. Rather, she received a legal notice from Kenvue over her comments. Kenvue Inc. is an American consumer health company and was formerly the Consumer Healthcare division of Johnson & Johnson.

The notice from Kenvue claimed that Dr Santosh has been maligning the names of ORSL and ERZL for her "own commercial benefits" and for "increasing the number of followers" on her page.

Deeply saddened by the leadership at the IAP, which she alleged is supporting Kenvue, Dr Santosh resigned. She now vouches to fight alone.

“I thought enough of this toxicity. I'll fight it alone. All this while, if I could fight it alone, why can't I do it?” she told HealthandMe.

What Is The Controversy About Dr Sivaranjani Santosh?

Speaking to HealthandMe, the pediatrician narrated the ordeal – legal notices from pharmaceutical companies, false accusations of her integrity and character in the last few years.

Dr Santosh has been campaigning that commercial beverages labeled as ORS were often high in sugar and nutritionally different from the World Health Organization (WHO)-recommended Oral Rehydration Solution, a life-saving treatment for dehydration.

Her fight began in 2022, when she filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in the Telangana High Court seeking directions for manufacturers to remove the letters “ORS” from the product name ORSL.

Eight years after the PIL, the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), in October 2025, banned the use of the ‘ORS' label on beverages — including ORS that did not meet the WHO standards. The regulator deemed such branding to be misleading and a potential health risk, as many products contained excessive amounts of sugar compared to genuine medical ORS.

However, Kenvue launched a rebranded version, ERZL, in January this year. She again opposed and stated: “ERZL is not ORS. And it should not be given to children below two years of age".

Noting that her messages "upset these people”, she faced a backlash, including a legal notice from the company.

According to Dr Santosh, attempts were also made to gather endorsements from pediatricians claiming that sucralose is safe and to submit these to the FSSAI. She publicly criticized the move, calling it “shameful.”

Further, Dr Santosh also voiced out her concerns against IAP for allowing the company to set up a stall with the controversial product at the Pedicon, a major pediatric conference.

When she raised the matters on social media, the company made the statement: “Our products are very scientific. Some people are spreading misinformation and scientific information”.

The pediatrician also claimed to have alerted IAP leadership weeks earlier, warning that the ERZL’s branding could mislead people—especially in rural areas—into confusing it with ORS.

“We are not talking about the educated people who have been following this. We are talking about the ignorant poor people in the villages,” the doctor said.

She further alleged that instead of backing her concerns, sections of the leadership attempted to discredit her.

Following a series of exchanges and growing tensions, she announced her resignation, citing a “toxic environment.”

Dr Santosh said that "parallelly, the leadership was spreading messages to all the people that I am abusive and I'm arrogant." In response, she stated: "If I have to choose between children and IAP, I will choose children".

Amid the controversy, the IAP released a position statement on ORS and electrolyte drinks. The doctor criticised the statement as “ambiguous” and questioned its focus solely on sucralose, alleging a potential conflict of interest.

She added that Kenvue also marketed for "ERZL as the new form of ORSL", which also bypassed the FSSAI and Delhi High Court orders.

What Is The Way Forward?

Noting that her battle will continue against ERZL, Dr Santosh said she will continue advocating for child health issues in India

"I'm trying to raise awareness about first aid and CPR. I've trained so many people. Now I'm motivated."

The pediatrician also wants to advocate for safer drug formulations, restrictions on over-the-counter medicines, and wider awareness of first aid and CPR.

The list includes paracetamol, which is being sold under various names and doses in the country.

"We want one paracetamol in India".

HealthandMe is trying to reach out to the Indian Academy of Paediatrics (IAP). The copy will be updated once a response is received.

Amid continued escalations in the Middle East conflict, the Indian government is considering a temporary price hike between 10 and 15 percent for essential medicines, according to a media report.

The surge in prices for select medicines could lead to higher drug prices but potentially benefit Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers facing the brunt of the Iran war.

“The immediate net consumer impact could be 3-5 percent higher prices, or roughly similar to what consumers paid before the late-September cuts in GST rates,” said the report by Economic Times, citing top industry executives aware of the government’s discussions.

The proposal was reportedly floated after several top drugmakers raised concerns about the sharp increase in prices of solvents and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) due to global supply disruptions.

The price hike is expected to remain for up to four months and will be rolled back once the input cost stabilizes, the report said.

Further, it cited a senior government official saying that they have received the industry proposal for a price hike, but the decision to implement depends "on how long the geopolitical tension in West Asia lasts".

Increasing Raw Material Costs Drive Up Medical Device Prices

HealthandMe had earlier reported that the ongoing conflict has already spiked prices for medical devices—specifically plastics for syringes and catheters—due to the rising cost of raw materials. If disruptions persist, it can also warn of potential shortages.

“A shortage of liquid helium could impact the installation of new MRI scanners, each of which requires around 1,500 liters for the initial magnet fill. Supply disruptions linked to the war may delay new installations and push up costs, as helium prices are likely to rise amid tighter availability,” Dr. Harsh Mahajan, Mentor FICCI & Founder Mahajan Imaging & Labs, told HealthandMe.

The expert noted that there is no immediate concern for existing MRI machines. It is because most currently installed scanners use K4 technology with zero boil-off systems, allowing them to operate efficiently without frequent helium refills.

“Typically, a top-up is needed only once every three years, when the magnet’s cold head is replaced. As a result, the existing installed base is expected to continue functioning without disruption in the near term,” Dr. Mahajan said.

Also read: Report Claims Mojtaba Khamenei ‘Incapacitated’: What Does This Mean Medically

Long-term Hormuz Blockade Can Affect Critical Medical Supplies

However, the rapidly deteriorating situations and a longer blockade of Hormuz can lead to “substantial price increases, longer lead times, and highly elevated freight costs, which are pressuring cost structures and planning cycles”.

According to Rajiv Nath, AiMeD, the evolving global supply chain dynamics require close monitoring to prevent impacts on production timelines and industry stability.

The Medical Technology Association of India (MTaI) also warned that the ongoing US/Israel-Iran conflict and disruption in the Strait of Hormuz directly threaten India’s access to critical and life-saving medical technologies.

"Modern healthcare systems operate on just-in-time inventory models with minimal buffer stock. When large consignments - like those shipped by sea - are delayed or stranded, there is simply not enough inventory in the system to compensate, even through costlier alternatives like air freight," Pavan Choudary, Chairman, MTaI, told HealthandMe.

He also noted that shipment delays beyond March 31 can lead to "budget lapse, forcing a fresh approval cycle - thereby compounding delays that often stretch to months". It is because many public institutions in India front-load procurement toward the financial year-end.