New research has suggested the use of nanoparticles to prevent hospital-acquired infections resulting from medical equipment. Research published in the American Chemical Society Applied Interfaces and Material indicates that nanoparticles can be utilised to detect the presence of life-threatening microbes on medical devices and then be used to remove them, thereby reducing the risk of […]
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AYUSH services for every home
The Centre has been keen to emphasise alternative and traditional systems of medicine. Minister of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) Shripad Yasso Naik has repeatedly expressed enthusiasm for this push, advocating for AYUSH services for every home in India. “I can say today that people are getting more and more interested […]
Mosquito sterilisation to curb disease?
A number of agencies are investigating mosquito-sterilisation as a technique to curb the spread of vector-borne diseases. The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’s Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), and the World Health Organization (WHO) are partnering to explore the sterile insect […]
Punishment of violence against doctors to be pushed this winter
The Union Health Ministry has assured the Indian medical fraternity that it will advocate for stringent punishment of violence against doctors in the forthcoming legislative winter session in the Lok Sabha, commencing Monday. The issue of violence against doctors is a national issue, with the Indian Medical Association (IMA) reporting that 75 percent of doctors […]
Droughts linked to bone disease in India
Droughts have an obvious immediate impact on both rural and urban areas. However, the rise in use of contaminated drinking water resulting from lack of available clean water sources is giving rise to diseases such as fluorosis. According to one monitoring platform, approximately 42 percent of the total land in India is prone to […]
Air pollution and heart disease: A dire situation
The ongoing air pollution crisis within the National Capital Region (NCR) has underlined a major burden borne by the Indian health system: the very air breathed within the country is bad for health. Such a situation creates an unavoidable risk factor to the health of many, not just in cities, but within rural regions as […]
Sexually transmitted dengue fever: A world first?
Dengue fever is already endemic throughout India’s states and union territories. Recent announcements, however, may show the disease to be even more of a threat than previously anticipated. Spanish health authorities have announced the detection of a case in which a 41-year-old man from Madrid has contracted dengue after having sex with his male partner […]
A new strain of HIV has been discovered
For the first time in nineteen years, a new strain of HIV has been discovered. While the news may come as a shock and potentially bear the signs of grim tidings of an ever-mutating virus, there are silver linings to the discovery. Detection of the strain represents a constant monitoring of the disease, allowing scientists […]
Rabies-free Goa on the cards?
Officials are optimistic about the prospect of a rabies-free Goa, with hopes that the state could become the first in India to eradicate the disease in 2020. No rabies cases were reported in the state in 2018. The progress came on the heels of Mission Rabies, a statewide drive in place since 2014 which saw […]
Drug laws need a rethink: Minister
India should rethink its drug laws according to Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Dr Thawar Chand Gehlot, arguing that addiction ought to be approached as a disease. Inaugurating the 21st Society of Addiction Medicine in New Delhi, Gehlot said that those affected substance abuse issues “should be given appropriate medicine and counselling” and added […]