Media Monitoring: 19 – 25 September

This Lancet paper examines the global cost of AMR, estimating there could be global gross domestic product loss of more than US$1 trillion annually beyond 2030 due to AMR.

Scientists say a new blood test that analyses lipids could make it easier to identify children at risk of serious health conditions including type 2 diabetes, liver and heart disease.
Researchers at King’s College London said the test capitalised on a link between lipids and diseases affecting metabolism in children, and could serve as an early warning system for potentially life-threatening illnesses.
Using machines that test blood plasma in babies and that already exist in hospitals, doctors could spot early signs of disease in children quicker and help them access treatment, the researchers said.

The data indicates that more than one million people died from drug-resistant infections globally each year between 1990 and 2021.
The new worldwide analysis by the Global Research on Antimicrobial Resistance (Gram) project found that antimicrobial resistance (AMR) deaths among children aged under five fell by 50% over this time period.
However, they increased by more than 80% among people aged 70 and older.

The Indian health ministry confirmed the first case of the fast-spreading clade 1b mpox variant that triggered a public health emergency alert from the World Health Organisation (WHO).
The clade 1b strain of mpox was detected in a 38-year-old patient who was admitted to a government hospital in the Malappuram district of Kerala last week after reporting symptoms of fever and rashes, according to reports.
India has reported about 30 cases and one death from the older strain, known as clade 2, between 2022 and March this year.

Former health minister Neil O’Brien argues that NHS England’s independence has “gone too far,” suggesting the government needs more direct control to meet public expectations.
The report recommends merging NHS England back into the Department of Health and Social Care.
It also highlights the issues with NHS management, including the need for better incentives, support for leaders in challenging roles, and improved mechanisms for addressing poor performance.

UK seals ambitious Enhanced Trade Partnership (ETP) designed to boost trade and investment with Thailand
Pact will help create opportunities for UK businesses in the country, which is the second-largest economy in Southeast Asia
The pact also commits both sides to identifying opportunities that could be delivered through a potential future UK-Thailand Free Trade Agreement