Health News Roundup: Xi says China will seek to lift birth rate in face of ageing population; Mariachi bands fire up fading memories of Mexican Alzheimer patients and more

That is compared with 1,026 new cases a day earlier – 244 symptomatic and 782 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately. China reports 1,026 new COVID cases for Oct 15 vs 1,364 a day earlier China reported 1,026 new COVID-19 infections for Oct. 15, of which 244 were symptomatic and 782 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

Xi says China will seek to lift birth rate in face of ageing population

China will enact policies to boost its birth rate, President Xi Jinping said on Sunday, as policymakers worry that an imminent decline in China's population could hurt the world's second-biggest economy. "We will establish a policy system to boost birth rates and pursue a proactive national strategy in response to population ageing," Xi told some 2,300 delegates in a speech opening the once-in-five-year Communist Party Congress in Beijing.

Mariachi bands fire up fading memories of Mexican Alzheimer patients

Mariachi bands have long been a staple of Mexican culture, and now their lively songs are finding a new use: reawakening the memories of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease. The Mexican Alzheimer's Center is promoting the therapy, hoping the music will stir up recollections of times past among patients with the degenerative illness, encouraging them to sing or even dance to familiar old tunes.

Shanghai reports no symptomatic, 32 asymptomatic COVID cases for Oct 16

Shanghai reported no new domestically transmitted symptomatic coronavirus cases for Oct. 16, the same as a day earlier, and 32 local asymptomatic cases, up from 28 the previous day, the city government said on Monday. No cases were reported outside quarantined areas, the same as the previous day.

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pledge $1.2 billion to eradicate polio

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation said on Sunday that it will commit $1.2 billion to support efforts to end all forms of polio globally. Polio is a highly infectious disease spread mainly through contamination by faecal matter, used to kill and paralyze thousands of children annually. While there is no known cure, three injections of the vaccine provide nearly 100% immunity.

Uganda introduces lockdown measures to halt spread of Ebola: president

Uganda President Yoweri Museveni said on Saturday the government was implementing an overnight curfew, closing places of worship and entertainment, and restricting movement into and out of two districts affected by Ebola for 21 days. The measures aimed at curbing the spread of the disease will be introduced immediately in Mubende and Kassanda districts in central Uganda, the epicentre of the epidemic, he said in a televised national address.

China reports 921 new COVID cases for Oct 16 vs 1,026 a day earlier

China reported 921 new COVID-19 infections on Oct. 16, of which 245 were symptomatic and 676 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Monday. That is compared with 1,026 new cases a day earlier – 244 symptomatic and 782 asymptomatic infections, which China counts separately.

China reports 1,026 new COVID cases for Oct 15 vs 1,364 a day earlier

China reported 1,026 new COVID-19 infections for Oct. 15, of which 244 were symptomatic and 782 were asymptomatic, the National Health Commission said on Sunday. That compared with 1,364 new cases a day earlier - 361 symptomatic and 1,003 asymptomatic, which China counts separately.