The Indian government has been asked to increase efforts to tackle rare diseases by March 31st by the Delhi High Court. Millions of people may be living with more than 7,000 illnesses categorised as rare diseases across India. With this in mind, the government has been asked to finalise and operationalise progressive policy implementation that involves […]
Research
A COVID-19 vaccine. When?
The search for a COVID-19 vaccine is well underway in India. However, the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has sparked controversy with what some experts have suggested are dubious claims. The ICMR announced last week that an indigenously-manufactured vaccine may be ready by mid-August. ICMR Director-General Dr Balram Bhargava said “it is envisaged to […]
Blood supply in India does not meet demand
The global health community needs to rethink its estimation of how much blood a country needs to match demand, according to a study published today in The Lancet Haematology. For India, there is much to take away from the findings which, for the first time, estimate the gap between blood supply and demand worldwide. “An […]
Integrated health research gets Rs 200 crore boon
Niti Aayog member Dr Vinod K. Paul has announced a Rs 200 crore boon for integrated health research in India at a recent event in Chandigarh. Speaking at the Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) in the city, Paul said “the government is working on a special research fund and scheme on integrated health research. […]
New hope for hepatitis C?
Between twelve and eighteen million Indians are chronically affected with hepatitis C. Could the findings of a recent study herald new lease of life for these patients? Landmark research conducted by a consortium of French universities has shown promising results for the use of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) in treatment of those with hepatitis C. The […]
Bidis: How much do they really cost?
The price of smoking bidis doesn’t stop at the cost of the cigarette itself. Thanks to its effect on health, India loses Rs 800 billion ($11.4 billion) to the poor man’s cigarette every year. Bidis are more commonly smoked in India than conventional cigarettes and other tobacco products. Of the more than 104 million Indians […]
No amount of alcohol consumption is healthy
Drinking alcohol is usually considered to be relatively safe if it is done in moderation. Providing a person does not drink to excess, there was thought to be little risk to their health. This, however, may not be the case. In fact, alcohol may be almost as bad for you as smoking cigarettes. This is […]
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 […]
Could a malaria treatment be found in human blood?
Could a new defence against malaria be found in human blood? Research suggests that human platelets — a component of the blood — form a first-line defence against the malaria parasite. Such a discovery could lead to an entirely new approach to treating the disease and could aid India in curbing the number of malaria […]
Guess how many years of your life are taken away by pollution
Most Indian cities have become unliveable thanks to catastrophically high levels of air pollution across the country. While the toll this takes on public health is broadly understood, research has hitherto been lacking on the link between air pollution and shorter lifespans. A new study by researchers at the University of Texas has given a […]