Health Headlines: Global Crises and Innovations

This health briefing covers a range of current issues: attacks on healthcare in Sudan, COVID-19's origins, drug breakthroughs for liver disease and Alzheimer's, a rise in Guillain-Barre syndrome in India, a potential U.S. re-entry into WHO under Trump, and a declining trend in U.S. fentanyl deaths.

Recent developments in health news reveal a world grappling with numerous challenges and innovations. In Sudan, the World Health Organization is urging an end to violence following a devastating drone strike on a hospital, resulting in over 70 casualties. The lone functional hospital in El Fasher, North Darfur, struggles to provide critical healthcare services amidst chaos.

Meanwhile, the Central Intelligence Agency now leans toward the theory that COVID-19 likely originated from a lab, marking a significant shift in its stance. Akero Therapeutics enjoyed a significant boost in shares after promising mid-stage trial results for a liver disease drug combating scarring in the liver.

Furthermore, Eisai and Biogen's Alzheimer's drug received approval for monthly dosing from the U.S. FDA, though its adoption remains slow due to complex dosing requirements. In India, an outbreak of Guillain-Barre syndrome has raised alarms, while the U.S. eyes a declining trend in fentanyl deaths, except in specific areas such as a New Mexico reservation.

(With inputs from agencies.)