Global Health Updates: China's New Policies and Emerging Outbreaks

Current global health developments include China's green light for foreign-owned hospitals, the addition of AstraZeneca's Enhertu to China's insurance list, detection of a new mpox variant in England, WHO's call for H5N1 bird flu monitoring, and more. These updates underscore significant shifts in health policies and viral outbreak monitoring.

China has announced a new policy allowing wholly foreign-owned hospitals in major cities like Beijing, Tianjin, and Shanghai, marking a significant shift in its healthcare sector. State news agency Xinhua reported that traditional Chinese medicine hospitals and mergers with public hospitals are excluded from this initiative.

In another major development, AstraZeneca's breast cancer drug, Enhertu, is set to join China's state insurance scheme starting January 1. While this inclusion aims at broader public access, it may also result in lower prices despite increased volume, as outlined by the National Healthcare Security Administration.

On the viral front, a new mpox variant clade Ib has been detected in England, confirmed by the UK's Health Security Agency. Meanwhile, the World Health Organization called for enhanced surveillance of the H5N1 bird flu in animals to curb its spread, and the Africa CDC predicts a plateau in mpox cases next year.

(With inputs from agencies.)