Ecuador's ongoing oil spill worsens environmental crisis, impacts communities

An oil spill in northwestern Ecuador is continuing to spread, causing an environmental crisis that is damaging the local ecosystem and impacting residents' lives.

The spill in the Canton Quininde area of Esmeraldas Province was caused by a landslide on Friday that ruptured a major oil pipeline, according to a statement from the State Petroleum Company of Ecuador.

Following the incident, Ecuadorian authorities declared an environmental emergency to minimize the damage and protect local residents' livelihoods.

Efforts to contain the spill are underway, but as of Monday, the spill has continued to spread.

An estimated 200,000 barrels of oil have been spilled so far, affecting an area of 50 kilometers and contaminating several rivers and even some coastal sea areas.

In addition, drinking water supplies to over 50,000 households in the affected area have been cut off due to the contamination. The ongoing oil spill has also led to widespread illness among locals, while fishermen have to suspend their activities.

"Children have been severely affected by the oil contamination, with a three-month-old infant having a fever. Our community is experiencing an outbreak of illness, with many people having sore throats. Fishermen have also been heavily impacted, as they are unable to go out to sea to fish," said Wilson Ganchile Tenorio, a local official.

Meanwhile, the oil spill has forced many beaches in Esmeraldas to close, severely disrupting local tourism.

"It affects a lot of people severely. It's not just us—everyone in the travel industry has been impacted. The situation is awful right now," said Luis Carlos Guanapatin, a local vendor.

Ecuador's ongoing oil spill worsens environmental crisis, impacts communities

China's National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) reviewed a record number of new drug registration applications in 2024, marking a year-on-year increase of 16.2 percent, with antineoplastic drugs accounting for the largest share, according to the administration.

In 2024, the NMPA evaluated a total of 18,259 drug registration applications, a figure that reflects the vitality of China's innovation in drug research and development.

"The record number of reviewed drug applications is a clear sign of China's rapidly growing biopharmaceutical industry. The approval of high-quality new drugs not only gives Chinese patients more and better treatment options, but also shows China's increasing role in the global pharmaceutical market, offering more Chinese solutions to patients around the world," said Yuan Lijia, a staff member at the Center for Drug Evaluation under the NMPA.

Notably, in 2024, applications for clinical trial and market approval of new anti-tumor drugs ranked first among all chemical drugs and biologics, accounting for even half of the total.

"In 2024, anti-tumor drugs made up the largest share of approved clinical trial applications, with over 41 percent being chemical drugs and more than 55 percent being biologics. Throughout the year, anti-tumor drugs also led in the number of innovative drugs approved, with both chemical drugs and biologics surpassing 36 percent," said Geng Ying, an official with the center.

In 2024, China approved the market entry of 48 innovative drugs and 65 innovative medical devices. Its number of drugs in development ranked second globally, and several domestically developed drugs gained approval for global markets.

China's new drug registration applications hit record high in 2024