As per a 2024 study titled Implications of Online Self-Diagnosis in Psychiatry, there are many potential risks for patients who self-diagnose, including an incorrect or dangerous diagnosis, increased patient anxiety about the diagnosis, obtaining unfiltered advice on social media, using the self-diagnosis to self-treat, including online purchase of medications without a prescription and much more. Despite this, nearly half of people in the UK have used online health information to self-diagnose, records a new survey by the multinational insurance company AXA. This has called for a stronger regulation of online health content and more health education.

You would be surprised to know that people aged between 35 to 44 were most likely to self-diagnose a condition rather than those aged between 16 to 24 (Generation Z).

The survey reviewed 4,000 responses in the UK, out of which 36% said they had used digital tools to diagnose themselves because they were unable to get an appointment through UK's National Health Service (NHS) in a timely manner. The most common self-diagnosed condition were hay fever, sunburn, and common colds.

This was followed by mental health conditions which had a third of respondents said they self-diagnosed. This however increases to 1 out of 2 for those aged between 16 to 24. “This finding underlines a demand for accessible and trustworthy mental health resources,” Heather Smith, CEO of Axa Health, told Euronews Health.

What is self diagnosis?

It occurs when an individual identifies a medical condition that maybe affecting themselves. It is done by studying medical libraries, internet research, or examining personal experiences. However, due to lack of accuracy, external factors like influences and biases, it can be very dangerous to self-diagnose.

The American Psychological Association (APA) defines diagnosis as “the process of identifying and determining the nature of a disease or disorder by its signs and symptoms, through the use of assessment techniques (e.g., tests and examinations) and other available evidence.” While professional use evidence-based tools to understand a patient's situation, self-diagnosis in such cases is actually a misnomer.

This is trye for Gen-Z, when it comes to mental health. As per APA's 2020 report, it had warned the US against a national mental health crisis with Gen Z and Gen Z adults bearing much of the burden of this new reality. The affects are high due to the impact of COVID-19 pandemic, mass shootings, climate change, and an overwhelming uncertainty about the future.

Strong guidelines for UK's online health information

The survey found that people relied on the information on NHS website, accounting for 55% of the respondents. Other relied on sources like Google, and for a quarter of respondents, symptoms checkers, which are “health technologies that enable patients to input their symptoms to produce a set of likely diagnoses and associated triage advice”.

The survey also found that some of the people also diagnosed themselves using social media including TikTok, Instagram, X, Reddit, and Facebook. While digital tools can empower individuals to take proactive steps to manage their health, encouraging self-diagnoses as the first step in their healthcare journey may not do the good they think it would.

India’s Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination drive that began a fortnight ago has already vaccinated nearly 3 lakh girls aged 14 years, according to the Union Health Ministry.

The nationwide free HPV vaccination campaign for girls aged 14 years was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from Rajasthan's Ajmer on February 28.

“Within just a fortnight of its launch, nearly 3 lakh girls aged 14 years have already been vaccinated—marking an encouraging start to this critical public health initiative,” the health ministry said.

"The enthusiastic participation seen so far reflects growing awareness among parents, schools, and communities about the importance of early protection," it added.

Further, the Ministry noted that several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Odisha, and Mizoram, have seen a significant uptake in the nationwide HPV vaccination campaign.

The initiative marked a decisive step towards eliminating cervical cancer through timely HPV vaccination.

Cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in India. Nearly 80,000 new cases and over 42,000 deaths are reported annually in the country.

The Ministry said that despite examinations currently underway in many regions, the response to the campaign has remained strong, and the momentum is expected to accelerate significantly in the coming days.

“We are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the daughters of the country are healthy and prosperous. The objective of this initiative is the prevention of cervical cancer," the Prime Minister, earlier wrote in a post on social media platform X.

The government has urged parents and guardians to support and encourage eligible girls to get vaccinated at the earliest.

HPV Vaccine in India

HPV vaccination is voluntary, and parental consent is mandatory before administration of the vaccine.

The single-dose Gardasil-4 vaccine is administered free of cost at government health facilities across all areas, including rural and underserved areas, and will be available even after the campaign ends.

The vaccine used is non-live and does not cause HPV infection. It is supported by more than 500 million doses administered globally since its introduction in 2006.

The vaccine is most effective when it is administered before exposure to HPV and before becoming sexually active. Young women aged 9 to 14 years show vaccine effectiveness of 74 to 93 per cent and this decreases with age.

• Girls aged 9 to 14 should get two doses of the vaccine 6 to 12 months apart
• Women aged 15 to 26 years can get three doses in 0, 2, and 6 months apart
• Adults aged 27 to 45 must get it after consultation with their healthcare provider

To avail the free HPV vaccine, visit any government health facilities including

Ayushman Arogya Mandirs- Primary Health Centres (PHCs

Argentina has formally withdrawn from the World Health Organization (WHO), its foreign minister has announced.

The country follows the footsteps of the United States, which in January made its exit from the global health body, after President Donald Trump condemned the WHO for not properly handling the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Argentina, a key ally of Trump, also criticized the WHO on its role during COVID and made the formal notification of withdrawal last year. Based on the provisions of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the withdrawal takes effect one year after a notification is made.

Taking to the social media platform X, the country's Foreign Ministry reported that Argentina has now completed the withdrawal process within the timeframe stipulated by international treaties.

"Today, Argentina's withdrawal from the World Health Organization (WHO) takes effect, marking one year since the formal notification made by our country," Foreign Minister Pablo Quirno said on X.

"Our country will continue to promote international cooperation in health through bilateral agreements and regional forums, fully safeguarding its sovereignty and its decision-making capacity in health policy matters," he added.

In 2025, Argentina declared that "the WHO's recommendations are ineffective because they are not based on science, but on political interests", the AFP reported.

Presidential spokesperson Manuel Adorni told a press conference at the time that the decision "gives the country greater flexibility to implement policies adapted to the context and interests that Argentina requires, as well as greater availability of resources, and reaffirms our path towards a country with sovereignty also in matters of health", Xinhua news agency reported.

US' Withdrawal From The WHO

While WHO's membership is nearly universal, and withdrawals are extremely uncommon, the United States, earlier in January this year, became the first country to formally withdraw from the UN health body.

It comes a year after Trump signed an executive order to exit the multinational grouping on his return to the White House.

In its statements, the United States cited as one of the reasons for its decision, “WHO failures during the COVID-19 pandemic”, including “obstructing the timely and accurate sharing of critical information” and that the WHO “concealed those failures”.

The World Health Organization (WHO) was founded on April 7, 1948, when its constitution officially came into force, making it a specialized agency of the United Nations.

The global health body has been instrumental in eradicating smallpox and tackling public health threats like polio, HIV, Ebola, and tuberculosis.

Global Health Funding Takes A Hit

In January, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he deeply regretted the move, saying it would make the United States and the rest of the world unsafe.

The withdrawal of the US -- accounting for nearly a fifth of the WHO’s budget -- also affected its budget. Ghebreyesus also warned of falling donor support and severe budget cuts.

The agency is facing “the greatest disruption to global health financing in memory” as contributions fall sharply across the board, the WHO chief said.

The WHO has revised its financial plans, scaling back its current spending and proposing a 21 percent cut for the 2026-2027 budget cycle.

In November 2025, the global health body announced that its workforce will shrink by nearly a quarter or over 2,000 jobs by mid 2026.

In 2024, an estimated 4.9 million children died before their fifth birthday, including 2.3 million newborns, according to an alarming new report by the United Nations today.

A majority of the deaths could have been prevented with proven, low-cost interventions and access to better health care, revealed the Levels & Trends in Child Mortality report.

While child mortality under-five globally has fallen by more than half since 2000, the pace of reduction slowed down by more than 60 percent after 2015.

“The world has made remarkable progress in saving children’s lives, but many still die from preventable causes,” said Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General.

“Children living amid conflict and crisis are nearly three times more likely to die before their fifth birthday. We must protect essential health and nutrition services and reach the most vulnerable families so every child has the chance not only to survive, but to thrive,” he added.

Key Findings

• Children under five years:

Severe acute malnutrition (SAM) claimed more than 100,000 children aged 1-59 months in 2024, mainly in Pakistan, Somalia, and Sudan.

Notably, malnutrition weakens children’s immunity and increases their risk of dying from common childhood diseases.

• Newborn deaths -- nearly half of all under-five deaths occurred in newborns. Leading causes include:

Complications during labor and delivery (21 percent)

Infections, including neonatal sepsis and congenital anomalies

• In infants and toddlers, major killers were infectious diseases such as

diarrhea,

pneumonia

• Children and youth aged 5–24 -- an estimated 2.1 milliondied in 2024.

In adolescents, self-harm was the leading cause of death among girls aged 15–19, and road traffic injuries among boys.

• Countries With Most Deaths

• conflict,
• climate shocks,
• invasive mosquitoes,
• drug resistance,
• Low access to prevention and treatment.

Europe and Northern America -- 9 per cent

Australia and New Zealand -- 6 per cent.

Southern Asia -- 25 per cent of all under-five deaths

Children and youth between 5 and 24 years old

How To Prevent

The report called for increasing investments in child health with low-cost interventions, such as

• vaccines
• treatment for severe acute malnutrition
• boost primary health care systems and community health workers
• transparent data collection, tracking, and reporting
• focus on mothers and children at highest risk
• make quality healthcare more affordable

“History has shown what is possible when the world commits to protecting its children. With sustained investment and political will, we can continue to build on those achievements for future generations,” Russell added.