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India’s COVID-19 death toll now 50,000

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India’s official coronavirus death toll soared past 50,000 on Monday as the pandemic rages through smaller cities and rural areas where health care is feeble and stigmatisation rife.

Many experts say the real numbers may be far higher due to low testing rates and because deaths are often not properly recorded in the vast and impoverished nation of 1.3 billion people.

India last week overtook Britain with the world’s fourth-highest number of fatalities, behind the United States, Brazil and Mexico, and as of Monday had recorded 50,921 deaths, according to the health ministry.

With some of the world’s biggest megacities and slums, India is already the third-most infected nation behind the US and Brazil with 2.65 million infections.

Despite the rising death toll, the health ministry said on Sunday that India’s virus mortality rate of 1.92 percent was “one of the lowest globally”.

“Successful implementation of testing aggressively, tracking comprehensively and treating efficiently through a plethora of measures have contributed to the existing high level of recoveries,” the ministry said.

According to tracking website Worldometer, the United States, with 170,000 deaths, has a death rate of 3.11 percent while Brazil, with almost 110,000 fatalities, sees 3.22 percent of those who test positive die.

According to the Indian health ministry, the US “crossed 50,000 deaths in 23 days, Brazil in 95 days and Mexico in 141 days. India took 156 days to reach this national figure.”

Possible reasons that have been suggested include India’s relatively young population, its climate and greater exposure to pathogens that cause tuberculosis than elsewhere.

But experts say India’s testing rates per million inhabitants are far lower than other countries, and that too few deaths are properly recorded — even in normal times.

“(A) couple of studies have indicated that… only one in four deaths is certified and a cause of death is established,” Lalit Kant, former head of epidemiology and communicable diseases at the Indian Council of Medical Research, told AFP.

In addition, many of the tests being done — up to 30 percent nationally — are the less reliable rapid antigen tests where “false negatives” can be reported in up to half of cases, according to media reports.

Lockdown misery

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government imposed in March one of the world’s strictest lockdowns.

It dealt a heavy blow to Asia’s third-biggest economy and caused misery for the country’s poor, with tens of millions of migrant workers left jobless almost overnight.

Vast numbers trudged back penniless to their home villages from cities including New Delhi, Mumbai and Ahmedabad, many of them on foot. Some died on the way.

The lockdown has since been steadily eased but many sectors complain that they are severely short of workers.

State and local governments across the country have meanwhile reimposed lockdown measures as the virus has spread to smaller cities and rural areas, where around 70 percent of Indians live.

In many rural regions however, anecdotal evidence suggests that measures to stop the spread such as masks and distancing are widely ignored.

In addition, a lack of public awareness has contributed to those with the virus being ostracised, making people more reluctant to get tested.

Health care facilities outside the major cities are also severely stretched.

“In smaller cities and towns and rural areas tests of COVID-19 may not be available,” Lalit said.

“Patients with COVID-like symptoms are often turned away from heath care facilities, some may die without a test being done.”

 

AFP

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Health

Trump cleared for office, doctor orders weight loss ahead of 80th birthday

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United States President Donald Trump has been declared medically fit to continue in office, with his physician describing him as being in “excellent health” while recommending weight loss and increased physical activity weeks before his 80th birthday.

The White House disclosed on Friday that Trump underwent his annual medical and dental examination on Tuesday at Walter Reed Military Hospital near Washington, amid growing scrutiny over his health and fitness for office.

In a three-page medical memo released by the White House, Trump’s physician, US Navy Captain Sean Barbabella, said the president demonstrated strong overall physical and mental capacity.

“President Trump remains in excellent health, demonstrating strong cardiac, pulmonary, neurological, and overall physical function,” Barbabella stated, adding that the president was “fully fit to carry out all duties of the Commander-in-Chief and Head of State.”

However, the physician advised Trump to adopt healthier lifestyle measures, including dietary adjustments, increased physical activity, continued weight loss and low-dose aspirin therapy for cardiovascular prevention.

According to the report, Trump, who will turn 80 on June 14, stands at 6ft 3in tall and weighs 238 pounds (108 kilograms), about 14 pounds more than he weighed during his last full annual medical check-up in April last year.

Despite concerns surrounding his age, the report noted that Trump’s cardiac health reflected an estimated age roughly 14 years younger than his chronological age.

The president also reportedly scored a perfect “30 out of 30” in a cognitive assessment, a result Trump has repeatedly cited in public while contrasting himself with his Democratic predecessor, former President Joe Biden.

The medical report further addressed concerns over bruising frequently seen on Trump’s right hand, attributing it to “minor soft tissue irritation” caused by repeated handshaking and aspirin use.

The memo also referenced scarring on Trump’s right ear linked to the assassination attempt against him during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in 2024, when a gunman opened fire, killing a supporter and slightly wounding the president.

Trump’s latest health evaluation comes amid public concerns after he was occasionally seen appearing drowsy during White House meetings and events. He had also previously been diagnosed with chronic venous insufficiency, a condition that affects blood circulation in the veins and can lead to swelling in the legs.

Reacting shortly after Tuesday’s examination, Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform that the medical exercise had gone “PERFECTLY,” while the White House later shared his photograph online with the caption, “PERFECT BILL OF HEALTH!”

The release of the report also sparked debate in the United States after the White House initially delayed making the medical details public, breaking with the traditional practice of releasing presidential health summaries shortly after such examinations.

Trump has long faced criticism over transparency regarding his health records, with questions also raised over the scheduling and description of his medical evaluations since returning to office.

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Oyo confirms Lassa fever death in Ibadan, activates emergency response, traces contacts

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The Oyo State Government has confirmed a Lassa fever case at the University College Hospital, Ibadan, where a 44-year-old woman died, prompting the activation of emergency response measures and immediate contact tracing to contain the disease.

The state Commissioner for Health, Oluwaserimi Ajetunmobi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, saying, “The patient died on April 11, 2026, while receiving treatment, while laboratory confirmation of Lassa fever was received on April 13.”

She added that the Ministry of Health had swiftly activated its emergency response system, including the establishment of an Incident Management System to coordinate response activities across the state.

According to her, “All identified contacts of the deceased are being closely monitored, while necessary measures have been taken to ensure a safe and dignified burial in line with public health protocols.”

Ajetunmobi urged residents to seek immediate medical attention if they experience symptoms such as persistent fever, weakness, sore throat, vomiting, diarrhoea, unexplained bleeding, chest pain or difficulty breathing.

She stressed, “Early presentation at health facilities significantly improves the chances of survival.”

The commissioner explained that Lassa fever is a viral haemorrhagic disease transmitted primarily through contact with food or household items contaminated by urine or faeces of infected rodents.

“It can also spread from person to person through contact with bodily fluids, especially in healthcare settings where infection prevention measures are not strictly observed,” she said.

She advised residents to maintain strict environmental hygiene, including proper waste disposal, safe storage of food in rodent-proof containers and avoiding drying food items on bare ground or roadsides.

Ajetunmobi also urged households to seal holes and entry points to prevent rodent access, while emphasising regular handwashing and good personal hygiene.

Residents, she said, should report suspected cases through designated emergency lines, while health workers must strictly adhere to infection prevention and control protocols.

Reaffirming the government’s commitment, the commissioner said surveillance had been intensified across the state, with all health facilities placed on alert.

“There is no cause for panic. The situation is under control, and Lassa fever is both preventable and treatable when detected early,” she assured.

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Rep Oseni Backs Ajimobi Widow’s Cancer Fight, Vows More Health Projects

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The lawmaker representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Aderemi Oseni, has pledged to support the breast cancer awareness programme of the ABC Foundation founded by former Oyo First Lady, Dr. Florence Ajimobi.

Oseni, who is Chairman of the House Committee on Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), made the commitment on Thursday in Ibadan at the flag-off of Pink Month 2025, an initiative of the foundation.

Contained in a statement by his media aide, Idowu Ayodele, the lawmaker described the campaign as a “lifesaving mission” given the rising burden of breast cancer in Nigeria, with over 28,000 new cases and thousands of deaths reported annually.

The APC chieftain said the free screening of 1,000 women planned by the foundation was timely, stressing that early detection remained the strongest weapon in the fight against cancer.

Hon. Aderemi Oseni exchanging pleasantries with former Oyo State First Lady, Dr. (Mrs.) Florence Ajimobi, at the event.

“Health is life. Only this June, I moved a motion at the National Assembly which led to the Federal Government subsidising dialysis treatment nationwide. Today, dialysis is either free or heavily discounted in federal health facilities,” Oseni said.

He listed his personal interventions to include funding hospital bills of indigent patients, construction of hospitals in Ido and Ibarapa East, establishment of primary health centres, and organisation of medical outreaches. He also disclosed plans to deploy mobile clinics to rural areas.

Commending Mrs. Ajimobi for sustaining her late husband’s legacy through humanitarian service, Oseni assured of partnership with the foundation, saying women’s wellbeing and empowerment remained central to his vision for Oyo State.

In her remarks, Mrs. Ajimobi said the foundation had offered medical care to over 85,000 patients and conducted more than 100,000 investigations since its inception. She added that the campaign was not just corporate social responsibility but “a moral duty and sacred trust.”

The former first lady, who lost her daughter Abisola to breast cancer earlier this year, said the experience had strengthened her resolve to save other families from such tragedy. She appealed to women to take advantage of the free screening and called on partners and development agencies to support the fight.

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