India’s food production sector has been banned from using the antibiotic colistin, over concerns about its misuse potentially fuelling drug resistance. According to a 2009 study, “colistin is…being used increasingly as a ‘last-line’ therapy to treat infections caused by [multi-drug-resistant] Gram-negative bacteria, when essentially no other options are available.” Yet concerns are growing that, in […]
Science
Digital health blueprint announced by Dr Vardhan
The government will utilise digital health to expand access to healthcare and achieve universal health coverage (UHC), Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has pledged. The National Digital Health Blueprint, which Vardhan announced in New Delhi yesterday, will serve to implement a National Digital Health Ecosystem with the goal of “[establishing] state-of-the-art digital health systems.” […]
AI in healthcare: The coming expansion
The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is one of the most significant trends to have emerged in digital health in recent years. New projections suggest the sector can expect significant growth in the next few years. By 2026, forecasters have said AI-based healthcare will be worth US$8 billion – a growth of 49.7 […]
Encephalitis is not just an issue in Bihar
When it comes to encephalitis, the eyes of India have largely focused on Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district where more than 140 children are believed to have lost their lives to the condition. However, over the course of recent weeks, reports of potential outbreaks have poured in from other parts of Bihar – and from other states. […]
Energy infrastructure: Why we need to rethink it
![A thermal powerplant situated @ 20 kms away of raichur [own work, CC license]. Energy infrastructure example.](https://i0.wp.com/www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/800px-Raichur_Thermal_Power_Station.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Energy infrastructure: Why we need to rethink it")
Energy infrastructure needs to be seriously rethought if global warming targets are to be met, research published in the journal Nature reveals in a stark warning. Last year, a groundbreaking report issued by the UN body on climate change announced that “rapid, [far-reaching] and unprecedented changes” are necessary if the pace of global warming is […]
Goa under pressure to ban e-cigarettes
The Goa state government is under renewed pressure to ban e-cigarettes, a move already undertaken by a number of other states. NGOs Consumer Voice and the National Organisation for Tobacco Eradication (NOTE) appealed to the state government to ban the devices, with Consumer Voice chief operating officer Ashim Sanyal asserting that “several research studies have […]
Climate crisis concerns echo in the Indian Parliament
As India battles the implications of its climate crisis, a war of words broke out in Parliament’s upper house, Rajya Sabha, on Thursday with the Opposition accusing the government of giving priority to business over environmental concerns. Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar denied the charges, asserting that he would both ensure economic development and protect […]
Amid accelerated Himalayan ice loss, a wedding celebration
Ice loss is occurring at a rapid pace as the Himalayas have been melting at double the rate since the turn of the century, a new study has revealed in another warning signal for India’s climate change crisis. The American Association of Advancement of Science study, titled “Acceleration of ice loss across the Himalayas over […]
World Environment Day highlights a health crisis
World Environment Day is observed annually on June 5th to commemorate the importance of conserving our environment from the many threats it faces. For India, World Environment Day offers a valuable opportunity to recognise one of the major issues confronting the nation: its poor environmental health, ranked as the worst in the world in the […]
Hearing-impaired children struggle to be heard
When it comes to helping deaf children live with their condition, devices such as cochlear implants are only the first step. According to experts, helping children with hearing impairment learn to live with their conditions and the effect of these implements is just as important. Exact figures as to the number of people living with […]