More than half the world’s nations are not on track to reach the UN target to reduce premature deaths from noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, chronic respiratory disease, and diabetes by 2030, according to a new analysis published in The Lancet. India is one of them. NCDs have long since reached epidemic […]
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Regulate telemedicine, doctors say
Telemedicine can provide a useful route for patients getting a consultation who otherwise face difficulty in seeing a doctor. However, the country’s apex doctors’ network has called for clear guidelines on the practise amidst legal uncertainty following a recent court case. Two doctors were found culpable by the Bombay High Court (BHC) in the death […]
Tamil Nadu rocked by Gutkha scam. What you need to know
The gutkha scam has been making headlines in Tamil Nadu, where senior officials including the health minister have been implicated in a multi-crore corruption scandal involving bribes paid by chewing tobacco companies. Officials stand accused of accepting bribes paid by manufacturers of gutkha, a chewing tobacco mixture which has been banned in Tamil Nadu since […]
In boon for HIV patients, historic law comes into force
The Health Ministry has started implementing of a historic HIV/AIDS bill, which passed in the Rajya Sabha in March. The bill offers comprehensive state provided care to HIV patients. In addition, social protections are to be put in place that would seek to prevent discrimination against HIV positive individuals. India has a relatively low HIV […]
The end of Section 377
Homosexuality is no longer a crime in India, after the Supreme Court ruled Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code to be unconstitutional last week. The 158-year-old law had criminalised sexual intercourse “against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal” – proscribing same-sex relations as a result. Violating the law carried a […]
More full-fat dairy good for heart health, says study
A new research challenges the widely held belief that those who consume less full fat are at higher risk of heart disease. A multinational Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study found that those who consume less than 0.5g of full-fat dairy per day are at higher risk of heart illness compared to those who eat […]
Why CO2 will cause a malnutrition crisis in India
Tens of millions of Indians face nutritional deficiencies in the coming decades because of carbon dioxide (CO2) pollution, a recent study suggests. Rising levels of CO2 in the atmosphere are killing crop quality in India. This means commonly consumed foodstuffs in the country, such as rice and wheat, will lose much of their nutritional value. This […]
Kerala: Disease outbreak threat looms as relief work continues
The Union health ministry has pledged its support for those hit by savage floods in Kerala, as fears of disease outbreaks loom. Kerala is battling one of the worst calamities in its history with nature’s fury leaving over 400 dead and lakhs homeless. The effect has also spread over to the neighbouring states of Karnataka […]
Rabies: Less than one survivor per year
In 2017, a disease killed everybody it infected in India. The disease in question also happens to be 100 percent vaccine preventable. Such is the strange dichotomy of rabies. Its relative rarity compared to diseases such as malaria mean it often goes unreported in the Indian media. This does not make it any less deadly. […]
Modicare begins on September 25th. Here’s what we know so far.
The BJP government’s large-scale health insurance initiative was rolled out in some states today, to coincide with Independence Day celebrations across the country. Though some anticipated a full-scale launch of the programme, the scheme was not launched nationwide but began a gradual rollout in select states. Full rollout of the scheme is expected on September […]