The Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre is a private hospital located in Bandra, Mumbai, India. The hospital was established in 1978 by the Lilavati Kirtilal Mehta Medical Trust.
Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) is commonly used to diagnose and monitor type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, in South Asia—particularly India—the high prevalence of anemia, hemoglobinopathies, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency, and poorly standardized HbA1c assay methods complicates the interpretation of HbA1c values, challenging its reliability in both diagnosis and monitoring of diabetes. Overall, reliance solely on HbA1c is constrained by several clinical and biological factors in India. A multiparametric, risk-stratified approach that integrates oral glucose tolerance test, self-monitoring of blood glucose, and whenever possible, continuous glucose monitoring, in addition to relevant hematologic assessments are essential to enhance diagnostic and monitoring accuracy and inform appropriate treatment decisions, especially in primary care and resource-limited settings. Funding No funding was received for this work.
Maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity rates uncover major global health disparities. Despite ongoing efforts, the rates of maternal and neonatal complications remain substantially higher in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared to high-income countries (HICs). These high rates are the result of several unmet needs in LMICs, including limited access to quality antenatal care, health worker shortages, unreliable infrastructure, sociocultural barriers, low health literacy, environmental and nutritional challenges, and affordability. In addition, while the greatest burden of these complications lies in LMICs, it is crucial to recognize that similar disparities exist in rural and remote areas of large, higher-income countries. FemTech (female technology), which refers to a wide range of digital tools and technologies designed specifically to support women's health, has the potential to address these unmet needs in LMICs. In many LMIC settings, mobile connectivity may represent the most scalable digital infrastructure available to women, often reaching communities long before formal health system expansion. However, the uptake of these in LMICs remains limited by infrastructure, regulatory, affordability, and sociocultural constraints. Introducing these digital solutions to LMICs without careful adaptations to these unique factors is more likely to widen rather than narrow inequities. Many international guidelines advocating the implementation of advanced technologies have not taken into account these unique LMIC-specific challenges. This gap underscores the need to develop strategies for the implementation of FemTech in LMIC settings. FIGO and its partners are well placed to coordinate the development of dedicated global guidance tailored to resource-limited settings. This document is a first step toward this goal.
The therapeutic landscape of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (aHCC) has evolved with the advent of targeted therapies and immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs). While ICI-based regimens such as atezolizumab and bevacizumab are widely adopted as first-line therapy, emerging evidence indicates reduced effectiveness in patients with non-viral etiologies such as metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and steatotic liver disease (MASLD). With viral HCC declining and non-viral cases increasing, lenvatinib, a potent multi-kinase inhibitor, has gained attention for its favorable efficacy in this subgroup. A thorough literature search was conducted across PubMed, MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Science Direct, for English-language studies published from 2014 to 2025. Relevant randomized controlled trials, observational studies, real-world evidence, and registered clinical trials were reviewed. Our review indicates that lenvatinib may outperform ICI-based regimens in overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) among patients with non-viral aHCC, particularly those with MASLD/MASH; however, this observation is based predominantly on retrospective studies. Its mechanisms, including angiogenesis inhibition and immune modulation, offer advantages in the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment of non-viral HCC. Safety data suggest a manageable profile, with adverse events comparable to those in viral HCC. Emerging data also support lenvatinib-based combination therapies to enhance efficacy. Moreover, we have also discussed the existing challenges in managing HCC in clinical practice. Lenvatinib is a promising first-line option in non-viral aHCC in patients with MASH or MASLD. Given the etiology-specific response to therapy, future research and clinical guidelines should consider stratified approaches. Evidence suggests superior survival outcomes compared with ICIs. Etiology-specific responses highlight the need for stratified therapeutic approaches and consideration of lenvatinib-based combination therapies.
