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 […]
Science and Technology
World Meteorological Day, water, and climate change
“World Meteorological Day,” the World Health Organization (WHO) explains, “takes place every year on 23 March and commemorates the coming into force on 23 March 1950 of the Convention establishing the World Meteorological Organization. It showcases the essential contribution of National Meteorological and Hydrological Services to the safety and wellbeing of society.” World Meteorological Day […]
Deforestation: An environmental catastrophe
“The emerging trends indicate that the rate of deforestation is likely to increase over the coming years. Major policy changes needed to reverse this trend are identified. They include increased commitment towards forest production and intensive agroforestry programmes.” Those words appeared in a 1982 paper by B. Bowonder published in the International Journal of Environmental […]
COVID-19 deaths in India reach five
Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) deaths in India have touched five, with an Italian tourist in the Rajasthan state capital Jaipur becoming the fifth confirmed fatality due to the virus. At the time of writing, confirmed COVID-19 cases number at 255,290 worldwide. COVID-19 deaths have crossed the 10,000 mark, numbering now at 10,456 worldwide. COVID-19 cases affect […]
Baba Ramdev in hot water over coronavirus claims
Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has attracted criticism following controversial claims concerning the ongoing pandemic of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. Ramdev, who uses the honorific title “Swami Ramdev” in addition to “Baba”, has reportedly angered public health professionals following his suggestion that Ashwagandha, an Ayurvedic remedy and common component of traditional medicine in India, could […]
Coronavirus cases exceed 200,000
Confirmed novel coronavirus cases to date now exceed 200,000, including 152 cases in India. At the time of writing, a total of 204,069 coronavirus cases have been confirmed worldwide, of which 112,953 are active. Fortunately, the overwhelming majority (94 percent) of current coronavirus patients are in mild condition, translating to 106,519 people. The remaining six […]
India-specific genome tests: The future of healthcare
Could public health in India be better served by genome testing tailored specifically to the Indian population? The answer could be yes. “Diagnostic techniques have been built and developed for the developed markets so obviously, the cost structure is accordingly,” argued Nikhil Jakatdar, chief executive officer (CEO) of GenePath Diagnostics in an interview with the […]
PandemiCast: A new insight into a global health crisis
(March 16th, 2020, New Delhi) PandemiCast, a new weekly video podcast, will look at how the COVID-19 pandemic is derailing health policy worldwide. The link to it is here. In its first week, the PandemiCast panel will look at why various governments are reacting so differently to the pandemic. Public policy experts and journalists from […]
Triple malaria therapies: the answer to resistance?
Against a backdrop of rising rates of antimicrobial resistance the world over, a new means of treatment able for immediate use has shown success. The first clinical trial of two triple artemisinin-based combination therapies (TACTs) for malaria has found the combinations to be both highly effective and well-tolerated. The study, published in The Lancet, […]
Pandemic: India steps up coronavirus fight
The Union Government has elected to effectively shut India off from the rest of the world, coming on the heels of the declaration of the World Health Organization (WHO) that the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak has reached pandemic proportions. The global scope of the coronavirus pandemic Speaking yesterday, World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom […]