India has a major issue with diabetes, facing risk factors including both lifestyle and genetics. However, predicting who will develop type-2 diabetes over the course of their lives is still a case of risk analysis and some measure of guess-work. Artificial intelligence (AI) could be the solution to this. The overall prevalence of diabetes in […]
Featured
Coronavirus – not India’s sole health concern
Media coverage – especially on the topic of healthcare – is currently dominated by the coronavirus (COVID-19). This is not unexpected, as the disease figures worldwide are surging, now exceeding one million cases. However, in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, we cannot lose sight of other health concerns, as failure to address these could […]
Migrants sprayed with disinfectant: The latest controversy
The Union Government’s decision to implement a quarantine affecting 1.3 billion has alternately been praised and criticised – some deeming it necessary to counteract a large-scale coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, others deeming it draconian and callous. However, fresh controversies have surfaced in recent days surrounding the impact on migrant workers. Footage has been unearthed showing a […]
PPE kits dispatched to hospitals, more ordered
The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has announced provisions for the distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) kits to the nation’s healthcare providers amidst the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. Already, 60,000 PPE kits have been procured by the Union Health Ministry for hospitals so healthcare workers can safeguard themselves against COVID-19. 3.34 lakh PPEs […]
Mental health helpline amidst COVID-19
A mental health helpline is being launched to support Indians during the COVID-19 lockdown. Indians can avail a consultation by the helpline, which is reachable toll-free on 08046110007. Launched by the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS), based in Karnataka state capital Bengaluru, the mental health helpline will serve to address “mental and […]
“Hunger will kill us before any disease does”
“Hunger will kill us before any disease does.” These were the harrowing words of Rampal, a rickshaw driver from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh who queues daily at a government-run food shelter. Rampal’s words have already rung true for some. An eight-year-old boy named Rakesh Musahar, a resident of Arrah’s Jawahar Tola’s slum area in Bhojpur […]
Coronavirus to disrupt TB medicine supply?
World TB [Tuberculosis] Day was observed on March 14. A number of points were raised regarding progress against the disease. However, in the era of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, fears were also raised over supply chains – including by the World Health Organization (WHO). Officials of the WHO noted that, due to the pandemic and […]
Bathing and sleeping: Risk reduction for heart disease
Risk factors for heart disease are abundant in modern India. Could simple, everyday activities such as bathing and getting enough sleep reduce the risk? Heart disease accounted for 28.1 percent of all deaths in India in 2016, making the condition the country’s leading killer. Lifestyle changes have allowed a surge in rates of the condition, […]
Heart disease testing: A much-needed boon?
Heart disease is India’s leading cause of death. As such, any assistance in detecting such conditions could potentially lead to improved treatment outcomes that could, in turn, lead to significant reductions in mortality. A new European Union (EU)-funded €5 million/US$5.4 million H2020 project — led by scientists at research institute imed, alongside Ghent University and […]
Disease Profile: COVID-19 (coronavirus)
The novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, originated in the Chinese city of Wuhan but has since breached that epicentre, spreading to scores of other territories worldwide and resulting in large-scale lockdowns effectively shutting off major cities and even whole countries from the rest of the world. India is far from immune to this trend. To slow […]