BioNTech gained prominent public attention for its collaboration with Pfizer which produced a COVID-19 vaccine using mRNA technology. They have once again hit the headlines – this time setting their sights on malaria. BioNTech’s malaria project is part of the ‘eradicateMalaria’ initiative, led by the kENUP Foundation, to accelerate the eradication of the mosquito-borne disease. […]
Medicine and Research
Medical waste output at 56,000 tonnes
India’s medical waste output stood at more than 56,000 tonnes between June 2020 and 2021, according to government figures. The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change recently reported that the total country’s total output of biomedical waste tallied at 56,898 tonnes. Maharashtra registered the largest amount of medical waste generated, at 8,317 tonnes. […]
COVID-19 complications: NCDs as an indicator
Artificial intelligence (AI)-based research further suggests the presence of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are an indicator of the risk of developing COVID-19 complications. Bengaluru-based firm nference Labs conducted the analysis using AI. They identified cardiovascular disease and chronic kidney disease as the most significant predictors of COVID-19 complications during the early stages of infection with the […]
Parkinson’s disease to increase sharply by 2030
India’s burden of Parkinson’s disease may see a sharp increase by 2030, according to Karnataka health and medical education minister Dr K. Sudhakar. Parkinson’s disease is a progressive, incurable though treatable neurodegenerative disorder which affects approximately ten million people globally. In India, an estimated 0.58 million people are living with Parkinson’s disease as of 2016. […]
Did stubble burning fuel Delhi’s third wave?
New research claims that the practice of stubble burning may have been a key driver of Delhi’s third wave of COVID-19 infections. The study, published in Urban Climate, identified a tenfold increase in the national capital during the biomass burning season which sees agricultural workers in the neighbouring states of Haryana and Punjab burn the […]
Medical debt soars during pandemic
One consequence of the pandemic has been a substantial increase in medical debt. As the economic disruption due to COVID-19 drives millions into poverty, bills for medical treatment are only exacerbating the crisis and prolonging families’ suffering. Large out-of-pocket medical spending is an issue which predates the pandemic, despite government interventions such as Ayushman Bharat. […]
Water-borne disease: States on guard
Multiple states are taking a vigilant footing against water-borne disease. Maharashtra – embattled by torrential rainfall – is on guard against water-borne disease in the state. The Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC), governing body of the Kalyan-Dombivli in the state’s Thane district, is looking into sanitising and disinfected areas of the twin city affected by waterlogging. […]
Tribal areas see increase in health infrastructure: Is it enough?
Tribal areas witnessed a 73 percent increase in the availability of healthcare facilities between 2005 and 2020, according to government data. In 2005, the number of sub-health centres in tribal areas stood at 16,748. By 2020, this increased to 29,745 – a 78 percent increase. Primary health centres, meanwhile, increased by fifty percent from 2,809 […]
NCD rate in India continues to grow
India’s noncommunicable disease (NCD) rate continues to grow, according to a recent study. The survey by the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), and prepared by the Thought Arbitrage Research Institute, covered 233,672 people and 673 public health offices across 21 states. It marks the latest reminder of the growing NCD crisis […]
Pfizer vaccine talks ongoing with expert group
An expert government panel is in talks regarding the BioNTech / Pfizer vaccine, Union Health Minister Mankush Mandaviya told the Lok Sabha on Friday. The Minister said “an expert group of the Indian government is still in talks with Pfizer over COVID vaccine supply.” United States State Department spokesperson Ned Price has announced that the […]