The HEALTH | May-June. 2026

Announced in Singapore on May 18, the partnership seeks to accelerate the adoption of artificial intelligence( AI)-powered digital and computational pathology through education and training initiatives focused on breast and lung cancer diagnostics.

The collaboration comes as Asia accounts for nearly half of all global breast cancer cases and more than 60 per cent of new lung cancer diagnoses. In breast cancer, almost half of Asian women present lower levels of HER2, while TROP2 is found in between 82 per cent and 90 per cent of non-small cell lung cancer cases. Accurate biomarker testing is therefore critical in guiding treatment decisions and identifying patients most likely to benefit from targeted therapies.

According to the companies, the initiative aims to address low awareness and adoption of AI-assisted pathology technologies across Asia. Only 17 per cent of clinicians currently consider themselves highly aware of advanced pathology technologies, while computational pathology-based tests remain underutilised in clinical settings. In the

RESEARCHERS in Germany have found that hidden fat within muscles may significantly increase the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, even among people with no known preexisting health conditions.

The study, published in the Radiological Society of North America journal Radiology, used a deep learning model to analyse MRI scans from 11,348 participants across five imaging centres. The participants, 56.9 per cent of whom were men, had a median age of 43 and were considered generally healthy before the study.

Researchers focused on the paraspinal muscles, which run along the spine, using an advanced segmentation algorithm to measure intermuscular adipose tissue, also known as hidden muscle fat, and lean muscle mass.

REGIONAL ALLIANCE: AstraZeneca and Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific are partnering to accelerate the adoption of AI-powered digital pathology and improve biomarker testing for breast and lung cancer patients across nine Asian markets

Philippines, for example, 60 per cent of medical oncologists said the lack of biomarker testing availability had affected their practice.

AstraZeneca’ s Area Vice President for Asia, Arun Krishna, said strengthening resilient healthcare systems was essential to transforming cancer care. He noted that advancing education and adoption of AI-powered pathology could help integrate precision diagnostics into patient care and ensure more

patients receive appropriate treatment at the right time.

Studies cited by the companies show AI-assisted pathology can improve diagnostic accuracy by up to five per cent, reduce reading time per case by 36 per cent, and increase interpretation concordance by up to 15 per cent.

The initiative will be implemented across Singapore, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

EARLY DETECTION: A German study using MRI scans and deep learning analysis suggests muscle composition could help identify people at risk of cardiometabolic disease before symptoms appear

Previously, such analysis required labour-intensive manual assessment.

Lead researcher Sebastian Ziegelmayer said skeletal muscle plays a key role in metabolic health by influencing glucose regulation, energy metabolism and inflammatory responses linked to cardiovascular outcomes.

Clinical examinations and laboratory tests revealed previously undiagnosed health issues among participants, including hypertension in 16.2 per cent, abnormal blood sugar levels in 8.5 per cent and unhealthy lipid patterns in 45.9 per cent.

The study found that higher levels of intermuscular fat and lower lean muscle mass were strongly associated with greater cardiometabolic risk. Increased lean muscle mass appeared to offer protective benefits only in men.

Researchers also observed that low physical activity was associated with greater hidden muscle fat and reduced lean muscle mass.

Dr Ziegelmayer said MRI scans, already widely used in clinical settings, could potentially help identify individuals at risk of cardiometabolic disease earlier, even if they appear healthy under conventional screening methods.

THE world is becoming increasingly vulnerable to infectious disease outbreaks, with experts warning that pandemics are becoming more frequent and more damaging as preparedness efforts fail to keep pace with rising risks.

A report released by the Global Preparedness Monitoring Board( GPMB) said outbreaks driven by diseases such as Ebola and hantavirus are intensifying due to climate change, armed conflict and geopolitical fragmentation. Despite advances in technologies such as mRNA vaccines, the report warned that“ the world is not yet meaningfully safer”.

The findings come as health authorities in the Democratic Republic of the Congo( DRC) and Uganda scramble to contain an Ebola outbreak that has killed at least 87 people and triggered an international public health emergency.

Speaking at the World Health Assembly in Geneva, World Health Organisation( WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the outbreaks as“ the latest crises in our troubled world”.

WHO representative in the DRC, Anne Ancia, said protective equipment stocks in Kinshasa had been exhausted, with more supplies being flown in from Kenya. Aid groups, including Médecins Sans Frontières and the International Rescue Committee, are assisting response efforts.

The GPMB also warned that unequal access to vaccines and treatments continues to undermine global preparedness, urging governments to strengthen surveillance systems, finalise the pandemic treaty and secure sustainable outbreak response financing.- The HEALTH

GLOBAL WARNING: Infectious disease outbreaks are becoming more frequent and more damaging as the world struggles with weakened preparedness, unequal access to vaccines and growing public health threats