Health News Roundup: U.S. ending arrival Ebola screening for travelers from Uganda; Mark Cuban's pharmaceuticals startup ties up with RxPreferred and more

"We have successfully controlled the spread of Ebola in Uganda," Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said during a ceremony to mark the outbreak's end. WHO working with China on Lunar New Year COVID risks The World Health Organization said it is working with China to manage the risks of COVID-19 surging again as people travel for Lunar New Year celebrations but the country's response continues to be challenged by a lack of data.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

U.S. ending arrival Ebola screening for travelers from Uganda

The Biden administration said on Wednesday it has lifted restrictions imposed in October that redirected U.S.-bound travelers who had been to Uganda within the previous 21 days to five major American airports to be screened for Ebola. The Department of Homeland Security said as of late November there have been no new confirmed Ebola disease cases reported in Uganda and two 21-day incubation periods have passed and the restrictions were no longer necessary.

Mark Cuban's pharmaceuticals startup ties up with RxPreferred

Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban's pharmaceuticals startup has tied up with pharmacy benefits manager RxPreferred Benefits, the companies said on Wednesday, in a move to offer lower-priced drugs through some employer-backed health insurance plans. Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs provides generic drugs through direct contracts with manufacturers and charges a standard markup on every drug it sells.

Countries ponder wider wastewater testing amid hope airports offer China COVID-19 clues

An international meeting this week will discuss setting up a global system of wastewater monitoring for COVID-19, including at airports, after several countries said they would start tests on flights coming from China. Countries including the United States and Australia have moved to set up wastewater testing on flights and in airports amid a surge of cases in China. The European Union also recommends a similar measure and has drawn up guidelines for member states.

Factbox-Countries mandate COVID tests for China travellers

Authorities around the world are imposing or considering curbs on travellers from China as COVID-19 cases there surge following its relaxation of "zero-COVID" rules. China has rejected criticism of its COVID data. PLACES IMPOSING CURBS

Uganda declares itself Ebola-free after swiftly turning tide on outbreak

Uganda on Wednesday declared the end of a nearly four-month Ebola outbreak that it briefly struggled to contain but was then able to swiftly bring under control despite the absence of a proven vaccine against the viral strain in question. "We have successfully controlled the spread of Ebola in Uganda," Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng said during a ceremony to mark the outbreak's end.

WHO working with China on Lunar New Year COVID risks

The World Health Organization said it is working with China to manage the risks of COVID-19 surging again as people travel for Lunar New Year celebrations but the country's response continues to be challenged by a lack of data. COVID-19 is spreading unchecked in China after the country lifted its zero-COVID policy in December, but the WHO said it still does not have enough information from China to make a full assessment of the dangers of the surge.

WHO recommends not using Indian cough syrups linked to Uzbekistan deaths

The World Health Organization on Wednesday said that two cough syrups made by India's Marion Biotech should not be used for children, after the products were linked to 19 deaths in Uzbekistan. Analysis by Uzbekistan's health ministry showed the syrups, Ambronol and DOK-1 Max, contained a toxic substance, ethylene glycol. The syrups were administered in doses higher than the standard for children, either by their parents, who mistook it for an anti-cold remedy, or on the advice of pharmacists, according to the analysis.

U.S. to announce list of drugs for pricing negotiations Sept. 1

The U.S. government will announce a list of 10 prescription drugs for which it plans to negotiate the prices for Medicare recipients on Sept. 1, and the prices a year later, a top Biden administration official said on Wednesday. President Joe Biden in August signed into law the Inflation Reduction Act, which among its provisions for the first time allows the federal Medicare health plan for people age 65 and older and the disabled to negotiate prices on some of the most expensive drugs.

Chinese fret over infecting elderly as holidays prompt COVID warnings

People in China worried on Thursday about spreading COVID-19 to aged relatives as they planned returns to their home towns for holidays that the World Health Organization warns could inflame a raging outbreak. The Lunar New Year holiday, which officially starts from Jan. 21, comes after China last month abandoned a strict anti-virus regime of mass lockdowns that prompted widespread frustration that boiled over into historic protests.

U.S. extends public health emergency status for COVID

The U.S. health department on Wednesday extended the COVID-19 pandemic's status as a public health emergency, allowing millions of Americans to continue receiving free tests, vaccines and treatments. The emergency was first declared in January 2020, when the coronavirus pandemic began, and has been renewed each quarter since then. It was due to end this week.

(With inputs from agencies.)