Health News Roundup: India to surpass China as most populous country in 2023 -UN report; U.S. orders 3.2 million doses of Novavax COVID vaccine and more

Attorney General Letitia James said Teva falsely swore it had no role in the American opioids business overseen by its Teva Pharmaceuticals USA unit when it was actually a "primary decision maker," and used shell companies to transfer "significant funds" into offshore accounts it controlled. Hong Kong to make COVID-19 app more like mainland China to curb infections Hong Kong will update an app it uses for COVID-19 tracking to bring it more in line with mainland China, by requiring people to register by name and by adopting a traffic light colour code to restrict movement of infected residents and close contacts.

Following is a summary of current health news briefs.

India to surpass China as most populous country in 2023 -UN report

India is set to surpass China as the world's most populous country in 2023, with each counting more than 1.4 billion residents this year, a United Nations report said on Monday, warning that high fertility would challenge economic growth. The world's population, estimated to reach 8 billion by Nov. 15 this year, could grow to 8.5 billion in 2030, and 10.4 billion in 2100, as the pace of mortality slows, said the report released on World Population Day.

U.S. orders 3.2 million doses of Novavax COVID vaccine

The U.S. government will get 3.2 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Novavax Inc once the shot has been authorized by the regulators, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the company said on Monday. The shot will be made available for free in the country after it gets authorization by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for emergency use and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) recommendation.

Perrigo unit submits approval application to FDA for OTC birth control pill

Perrigo Company said on Monday its unit has submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval of an over-the-counter (OTC) birth control pill. The application from the Paris-based HRA Pharma comes on the back of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in June to overturn the 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.

Shanghai plans more COVID testing amid fresh curbs across China

Multiple Chinese cities are adopting fresh COVID-19 curbs, from business halts to lockdowns, to rein in new infections, with the commercial hub of Shanghai bracing for another mass testing effort after finding a highly-transmissible Omicron subvariant. The tough curbs by local governments follow China's "dynamic zero-COVID" policy of promptly stamping out all outbreaks at a time when much of the world co-exists with the virus.

South Africa confirms third monkeypox case in tourist from Switzerland

South Africa has confirmed a third case of monkeypox, in a 42-year-old male tourist from Switzerland, the health department of the Limpopo province said. The tourist, who is holidaying in South Africa, presented with symptoms including a rash, muscle ache and fatigue. His infection was confirmed as monkeypox by South Africa's National Institute for Communicable Diseases.

Kenya, World Health Organization launch emergency hub

The Kenyan government and World Health Organization on Saturday launched a medical emergency hub in Nairobi, the first in a network of African centres they say will hasten responses to regional emergencies. The facility will include a training centre, house a cadre of professionals that can respond to a medical emergency within its first 24 hours and stockpiles of medical equipment.

Macau shuts all its casinos to curb COVID, gaming shares plunge

Macau shut all its casinos for the first time in more than two years on Monday, sending shares in gaming firms tumbling as authorities struggle to contain the worst coronavirus outbreak yet in the world's biggest gambling hub. The city's 30-plus casinos and other businesses will shut for one week and people were ordered to stay at home through short trips for essential services were allowed.

Teva's parent should be restored to New York opioid case, state attorney general says

New York's attorney general said Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd should be restored to litigation over its alleged role in fueling an opioid crisis in the state, accusing the Israeli-based company of lying to evade accountability. Attorney General Letitia James said Teva falsely swore it had no role in the American opioids business overseen by its Teva Pharmaceuticals USA unit when it was actually a "primary decision maker," and used shell companies to transfer "significant funds" into offshore accounts it controlled.

Hong Kong to make COVID-19 app more like mainland China to curb infections

Hong Kong will update an app it uses for COVID-19 tracking to bring it more in line with mainland China, by requiring people to register by name and by adopting a traffic light colour code to restrict the movement of infected residents and close contacts. Previously, users were not required to register with their personal details, and the app was used to enter venues and display vaccination records.

Hit by COVID-19, EU population shrinks for second year running - Eurostat

The European Union's population shrank for a second year running last year, the bloc's statistics office said on Monday, as the region reels from over two million deaths from the coronavirus. According to Eurostat, the population of the 27 countries that make up the bloc fell by close to 172,000 from the previous year and over 656,000 from January 2020.