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Health

22 stories

Medical CT scanner room with empty gurney and gantry lights, teal wall panels, no patients and no readable displays

Chest CT Lung-Cancer Screenings Top 1.2 Million Completed Cases Nationwide in FY2026 First Half

Japan’s nationwide chest CT lung-cancer screening program topped 1.2 million completed exams in the first half of fiscal 2026, the health ministry said, as municipalities accelerate outreach to former smokers in their sixties.

Hana Inoue 井上花 Oct 12, 2026

Clinical laboratory bench with sealed stool test kits in cardboard trays, technicians in white coats working with gloves, fluorescent lighting, no logos or readable text

National Cancer Center Warns of Colorectal Screening Backlog in Aging Prefectures

The National Cancer Center warned that colorectal screening backlogs are widening in Japan's fastest-aging prefectures as fecal-test labs struggle to hire technicians and post-holiday appointment slots fill.

Hana Inoue 井上花 Oct 11, 2026

Japanese drugstore aisle with colorful electrolyte drink bottles and white pharmacy shelves under bright fluorescent light, no readable labels or logos

Pharmacies Restock Heat-Illness Kits as MHLW Extends Sports Day Weekend Advisories

Community pharmacies restocked oral rehydration and cooling packs as the health ministry extended heat-illness advisories through the Sports Day weekend for Kanto and Chubu school events.

Hana Inoue 井上花 Oct 10, 2026

Empty pediatric waiting room chairs and a reception counter with frosted glass, soft fluorescent light, no logos or readable text

MHLW Opens Autumn RSV Antibody Window for Infants in Kanto as Pediatric Wards Report Bed Squeeze

The health ministry opened a Kanto-wide RSV antibody appointment window for infants under six months, redirecting vials from quieter prefectures as Tokyo pediatric wards report weekend bed squeezes after Sports Day gatherings.

Hana Inoue 井上花 Oct 9, 2026

Volunteers stacking cases of bottled water inside a school gymnasium used as an evacuation center, fluorescent lights, folded blankets in background, no logos or readable text

Chiba Water Outages Push Prefecture to Distribute Bottled Supplies at Evacuation Hubs

Chiba Prefecture is shipping bottled water to hubs serving households still without tap service after Typhoon Dujuan damaged pumps and mains.

Hana Inoue 井上花 Oct 8, 2026

Osaka hospital emergency entrance with portable fans and water coolers on the sidewalk, humid afternoon light, worn concrete steps, no logos or readable text

Osaka Municipal Hospitals See Heatstroke Cases Persist Into October After Record-Heat September

Osaka municipal hospitals treated heatstroke patients into early October after September’s record warmth lingered across the Kansai region.

Hana Inoue 井上花 Oct 6, 2026

Health from around the world

Clean-room pharmaceutical lab with glassware and monitors, technicians in lab coats seen from behind, cool fluorescent light, no readable labels or logos

Ong Ye Kung Pairs HSA and ACE Reviews to Cut Drug Access Timelines

Farah Salleh Oct 12, 2026Singapore

Dermatology clinic waiting area with plastic chairs, a wall-mounted hand sanitizer dispenser, closed reception window, soft daylight from blinds, no readable posters or logos.

KDCA Traces Measles Exposure to Gangnam Dermatology Clinic That Saw 1,200 Patients

Eunji Shin 신은지 Oct 12, 2026South Korea

South Korean army vehicles and personnel at a coastal observation post facing the East Sea after a North Korean missile launch alert on October 12, 2026

South Korea's National Security Office Demands Halt After North Korea Fires 900-Kilometer Missiles

Dongwook Han 한동욱 Oct 12, 2026South Korea

Pharmacy consultation counter with a prefilled influenza syringe and bandage packet beside a senior patient's folded coat, fluorescent drugstore lighting, no logos or readable text

Pharmacy Chains Prioritize Adjuvanted Doses for Seniors Under Revised Seasonal Shot Guidance

Michael Patel Oct 12, 2026United States

Older couple reviewing private health insurance documents at a kitchen table with Medicare card visible

FOI Papers Show 78,000 Older Australians May Quit Private Health by 2030

Connor Blake Oct 12, 2026Australia

Hospital corridor with a folded patient trolley and stacked linen carts under harsh ceiling lights, no patients or faces, no logos or readable text

Angela Constance Pledges Corridor-Care Statistics as Scottish A&E Doctor Flags Safety Risk

Bridget O'Neill Oct 12, 2026United Kingdom

Hospital nursery corridor with closed incubator room doors, soft ceiling lights, empty hallway documentary shot, no faces or readable signage

PGIMER Chandigarh Expands Neonatal RSV Care Beds After Census Shows Doubled Referrals

Sameer Khan سمیر خان Oct 12, 2026India

Elementary school hallway with shoe racks and hand sanitizer dispensers mounted on the wall, afternoon sunlight through windows, no faces or readable text

CDC Reports Enterovirus 71 Uptick in New Taipei Schools After Autumn Term Begins

Mei-Hua Liu 劉美華 Oct 11, 2026Taiwan

Elementary school entrance with shoe racks and hand sanitizer dispensers, colorful floor markings, overcast morning light, empty courtyard, no children faces, no logos or readable text

CDC Reports Enterovirus 71 Uptick in New Taipei Schools After Autumn Term Begins

Mei-Hua Liu 劉美華 Oct 11, 2026Taiwan

Polyclinic waiting area with masked patients seated on plastic chairs, muted daylight through windows, no logos or readable text

Yishun Polyclinic Triage Team Adds Nurse Line for Smoky Morning Commutes

Farah Salleh Oct 11, 2026Singapore

Community health clinic waiting area with plastic chairs and hand sanitizer stand, morning light through blinds, empty except distant blurred figures, no logos or readable text

Seventy-Year-Olds Join National Flu and COVID Vaccine Queue on Expanded October Schedule

Eunji Shin 신은지 Oct 11, 2026South Korea

Community medical clinic waiting area with empty chairs and health posters blurred on walls, soft daylight through blinds, no people facing camera, no logos or readable text

Semaglutide Price Cut Lands On PBS As Endocrinologists Clear Melbourne Backlog

Connor Blake Oct 11, 2026Australia