Meteoric Biopharmaceuticals, established in 2006, is an Indian company focused on the production of enzymes, probiotics and nutraceuticals. In an exclusive interview with Health Issues India, its founder, managing director, and chief executive officer Gaurav Kaushik discusses the role of probiotics in the healthcare market, both in India and at the global level, as well […]
Interviews
Rare disease policy deemed ‘Just an eye wash’
Advocacy groups for those suffering from rare diseases within India have voiced their disappointment regarding the National Policy for Rare Diseases 2020 Bill, arguing that – in many cases – the Bill offers no support to those affected by rare diseases at all. An estimated one in twenty Indians suffer from illnesses that full under […]
From the beginning of suffering to the end: Dr M. R. Rajagopal on the importance of palliative care
At a time when noncommunicable diseases, often chronic in nature, are increasing and India’s population is ageing, there is an increased need for palliative care – but the field is often neglected in the country. Health Issues India spoke to Dr M. R. Ragagopal, founder and chairman of Pallium India, about the challenges facing access […]
The challenge of getting family planning “right”: Professor Amy O. Tsui on sexual and reproductive health in India
With India facing a plethora of issues related to sexual and reproductive health, ranging from sex-selective abortion to rising rates of infertility, Health Issues India interviewed Professor Amy O. Tsui, PhD of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, to discuss India’s family planning, female sterilisation, infertility, female foeticide, and other issues in the […]
If you step out, you can smell smoke in the air: Professor Aseem Prakash on Delhi’s pollution crisis
India is in the midst of a pollution crisis, with air quality plummeting to emergency levels in the national capital of Delhi. Against this backdrop, Health Issues India interviewed Professor Aseem Prakash – Professor of Political Science, the Walker Family Professor for the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Founding Director of the Center […]
Medical stigmatisation of LGBTIQ people: An interview with Dr Sameera Jahagirdar
Medical textbooks in India have been found to contain outdated principles citing homosexuality as a pathological disorder. Such information could be enshrining this way of thinking into a new generation of doctors, leading to poor health outcomes in the LGBTIQ community as a result of discrimination. Dr Sameera Mahamud Jahagirdar, Assistant Professor at the Department […]
‘Our legacy to future generations’: India and a malaria-free world
India will prioritise the eradication of malaria on its public health agenda, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has announced on the heels of a landmark report by experts which proclaims that a malaria-free world by 2050 is attainable – if a bold approach is undertaken. “We are working towards ending malaria as soon as […]
The right to an informed choice: Dr Supriya Garikipati on how India can make menstrual health available for its girls and women
When it comes to menstrual health, India’s girls and women face extreme challenges ranging from lack of accessibility to menstrual hygiene products to stigma. In particular, there is the lack of ability to exercise their right to an informed choice. Health Issues India talks to expert Dr Supriya Garikipati about the situation surrounding menstrual health […]
World Hypertension Day: Avoid high blood pressure, know your numbers
Hypertension is a silent disease. It affects millions of Indians and responsible for 10.8 percent of deaths in the nation. This year, World Hypertension Day is being observed with the theme “Know Your Numbers”, highlighting the importance of screening for high blood pressure and ensuring it is kept under control. The occasion is observed annually […]
Exclusive interview: Dr Mikashmi Kohli on why essential diagnostics matter in realising universal healthcare
Health Issues India talks to Dr Mikashmi Kohli, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow of the Department of Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Occupational Health at McGill International TB Centre, about a recent study she co-authored with Dr Madhukar Pai about the importance of essential diagnostics in the path towards universal healthcare. The study, “Essential Diagnositcs: A Key Element […]