Caesarean sections (c-sections) can be the difference between life and death for some mothers. However, a concerning trend in unnecessary c-sections is being witnessed throughout India – and a recent report from Madhya Pradesh about such practices is raising alarm bells in the state. The Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) under the Union Ministry […]
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Abortions: 61 lakh in five years, but issues remain
India recorded 61 lakh abortions in the five years since the 2014-15 period, Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Choubey informed lawmakers last week. Giving a written reply to a question posed in the Lok Sabha, Choubey said that the Government was taking steps to ensure access to safe abortions in the […]
Public health investment: The way to economic prosperity?
The Indian economy is currently perceived by many to be in a state of stagnation and employment opportunities are few and far between for many, leaving a significant portion of India’s working age population trapped in a cycle of poverty. Could a greater degree of investment into public health act as a kickstarter to spur […]
TB mortality: A nineteen percent reduction
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has touted India’s progress in reducing deaths due to tuberculosis (TB), with a nineteen percent reduction in TB mortality since the beginning of the decade. Affirming the Government’s commitment to eradicating TB by 2025 – five years ahead of global targets to reduce TB incidence by eighty percent and […]
Rajya Sabha MPs approve e-cigarette ban
The Government of India’s ban on e-cigarettes has won the approval of Rajya Sabha MPs, who passed legislation prohibiting the devices earlier this week amidst appeals over their negative effects on public health. The upper house of the Indian Parliament passed the Prohibition of Electronic Cigarettes (Production, Manufacture, Import, Export, Transport, Sale, Distribution, Storage and […]
A cigarette ban: Could it happen in India? NGOs are working to make it a reality.
Two non-government organisations (NGOs) are in the process of moving an appeal before the Supreme Court for India to enact a cigarette ban, in the wake of the Government’s prohibition of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). Vaping became illegal in India in September with the promulgation of an ordinance by the Union Government, which has […]
Interview: Anjali Gopalan
Interview with health activist Anjali Gopalan May 2016 The lessons learnt in the 1990s from securing access to antiretroviral medicines to treat HIV and AIDS highlight the role of patients in demanding better access to life-saving medicines. As India, like many other growing economies, faces new, deadly diseases like diabetes, cancer and heart disease, Anjali […]
Vardhan speaks out against HIV/AIDS discrimination
Sunday marked World AIDS Day and Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan utilised the occasion to speak out against discrimination against those affected by HIV/AIDS. “Let us shun any kind of discrimination in our thoughts, actions and behaviour in our interaction with those who have HIV and AIDS,” the Minister said. “Let us do away […]
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 […]
MPs give nod to vaping ban
Parliamentarians in the Lok Sabha gave their nod to the Centre’s decision to ban e-cigarettes, even as some lawmakers expressed concerns about continued tobacco use in the country. The Government of India issued an ordinance earlier this year prohibiting electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) from being produced, manufactured, distributed, imported, exported, stored, sold, and advertised […]