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A Canadian province on Tuesday decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and other hard drugs in a radical policy shift to address an opioid overdose crisis that has killed thousands. Adults found with up to 2.5 grams of these drugs, rather than face jail or fines, will be provided with information on how to access addiction treatment programs. Police will also not seize their drugs. (1/31)

The leaders of three of Europe’s biggest pharmaceutical companies say the continent risks becoming a less attractive market for innovative medicines. Austerity measures in the UK and other countries are causing “great concern” and European governments must take seriously the need to invest in the sector and prioritize health care, said Novartis AG Chief Executive Officer Vas Narasimhan during a conference call Wednesday. (Kresge, Pham and Kew, 2/1)

Japan is no longer the best-performing wealthy nation when it comes to avoiding COVID-19 deaths, according to a report published Wednesday by Japan Times. A surge of omicron infections this winter has overwhelmed its health system and caused the country’s biggest outbreak of cases since the start of the pandemic. (Vaziri, 2/1)

A case of mad cow disease discovered on a farm in the Netherlands is the old age variant that is not dangerous to public health, the agriculture ministry said on Wednesday. The infection was found in a dead cow on Jan. 30 in the South Holland province of the Netherlands. (2/1)

The UK is still "a long way" from being in a situation where bird flu could infect humans and spread in a similar way to Covid-19, an expert from the Animal and Plant Health Agency (Apha) has said. (Kirby, 2/2)