Almost 80,000 children and more than 13,000 pregnant women will benefit from an intensified immunisation drive in Maharashtra. The news comes from the state on the heels of an announcement earlier this year that the Government of India was stepping up its immunisation efforts through Indradhanush 2: an enhanced version of the Government’s vaccination drive […]
Rotavirus
Rotavirus infection linked to diabetes?
Rotavirus is a major cause of infant mortality in India, with between 90,000 and 153,000 child deaths due to the infection every year. However, recent data may suggest that even those who survive the infection may have life-altering conditions. Researchers from the University of Melbourne have found that rotavirus infection might play a role […]
National Health Mission progress report
On October 9th, the Union Cabinet received an update on the progress made under its flagship health programme, the National Health Mission (NHM). Official statements have been released praising progress made under the scheme in reducing both infant and maternal mortality rates. In recent years a notable decline was observed in key health and development […]
Rotavirus vaccine for every child
The Union Health Ministry, in a bid to cut deaths from diarrhoeal disease, will provide the rotavirus vaccine to every child under the Universal Immunisation Programme (UIP). Acute diarrhoeal disease is the leading cause of infectious disease outbreaks in India and is the second most common cause of death among children under five years worldwide. […]
Rotavirus infections: Multiple states launch vaccination drives
Multiple states have launched vaccination drives against rotavirus infections, a significant driver of child mortality in India. Rotavirus infections are the leading cause of severe diarrhoeal disease worldwide. Diarrhoeal disease is the second most common cause of death of children under five years old and represents the most common cause of infectious disease outbreaks in […]
Rotavac becomes first Indian developed vaccine to pass WHO standards
The Rotavac vaccine — created to immunise against rotavirus — has become the first vaccine entirely developed within India to receive World Health Organization (WHO) approval. Rotavac is currently considered to be “pre-qualified” by the WHO. This means that the vaccine can now be sold to countries across the world and included in UNICEF procurement […]
Madhu Pai: India’s ambitious new plan to conquer TB needs cash and commitment
Tuberculosis (TB) kills more people today than HIV and malaria combined. In 2015, there were an estimated 10.4 million new TB cases worldwide and 1.8 million TB deaths, according to the World Health Organization. And India is at the epicentre of this global epidemic, with half a million TB deaths annually. India also accounts for 16 […]
Rotavac divides experts’ opinion over effectiveness
The Rotavirus, named due to its wheel like structure, is the most common cause of diarrheal related deaths amongst children in developing countries. India is no exception to this, accounting for 22 percent of all rotavirus related deaths (~100,000 of the global 453,000). The disease can be lethal in children under the age of 5. […]