Efficacy of Pfizer/BioNTech coronavirus vaccine drops to 84pc after 6 months

Pakistan faces a severe shortage of life-saving medicines, including cancer drugs and vaccines, due to government delays in notifying official prices. While global supply remains stable, regulatory hurdles have stalled legal imports, raising concerns over patient survival and the potential rise of unregulated, counterfeit medicines.

EAM S Jaishankar stated that the era of "big deals" between dominant powers is over, as multipolarity is now an irreversible reality. He argued that the Global South is defined by shared historical experiences, while noting a growing "differentiation" within the previously unified Global West.

A UN agency has warned of a sharp rise in measles cases across the Americas, with over 1,000 infections recorded in early 2026. Major outbreaks in the US, Mexico and Canada threaten measles elimination status, prompting calls for urgent vaccination and surveillance.

Jaishankar, while speaking at the inauguration of Shaastra 2026- IIT Madras Techno-Entertainment fest, Jaishankar said that India has "naturally invested" in countries that share cooperative relations.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought unprecedented challenges, with countries racing to secure limited vaccine supplies. Developed nations stockpiled doses far beyond their population needs, while smaller nations struggled to access even a few thousand. In this context, India stepped up with a sense of responsibility toward its own 1.4 billion citizens while extending a helping hand to the world. According to Dr. Jaishankar, providing even 100,000 to 200,000 doses to smaller countries was not just a gesture but was often a lifeline.