Air pollution is virtually universally acknowledged as a public health emergency in India, with swathes of the country choking beneath blankets of toxic air. However, a Government minister has informed lawmakers that there is a dearth of evidence to prove a link between pollution, disease, and deaths. “There is no conclusive data available in the […]
diabetes
Diabetes screening and awareness campaign by the IMA
Coinciding with World Diabetes Day yesterday, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) launched a diabetes screening and awareness drive across the country. Diabetes affects 8.8 percent of India’s adult population with 72,946,400 cases recorded in 2017, according to the International Diabetes Federation. One of the country’s fastest-growing diseases, diabetes cases could number 134 million by 2025. […]
Diabetic retinopathy boon courtesy of MaxiVision
A Hyderabad-based hospital is offering a boon to diabetics to help them to take care of their eye health, with free screening for diabetic retinopathy being offered. The initiative will roll out at the MaxiVision Super Specialty Eye Hospital commencing today, which marks World Diabetes Day. The screening programme will run until November 30th, operating […]
World Diabetes Day: India’s growing crisis
Some regard India to be the diabetes capital of the world, its diabetic population outweighing the entire population of some nations. With November 14th marking World Diabetes Day, it provides an opportunity for India to appraise its diabetes crisis. According to the International Diabetes Federation, diabetes affects 8.8 percent of India’s adult population with 72,946,400 […]
Junk food in schools off the menu
Soon, junk food will no longer be sold in schools. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has moved to prohibit the sale of junk food in school canteens against the backdrop of a growing crisis of childhood obesity in the country. By 2030, India is expected to be home to 27 million […]
Screening campaign yields results in Mumbai
Both infectious diseases and noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) take a significant toll throughout India. In Maharashtra, a screening campaign has led to diagnoses of numerous conditions throughout the state capital Mumbai and detection of multiple symptoms of a range of ailments. The survey, conducted by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), covered approximately 25 lakh people over […]
Visual impairment: How does India fare?
On visual impairment, India has performed well against World Health Organization (WHO) benchmarks in reducing its number of cases. In India, more than sixty million people experience some form of visual impairment and the country is home to twenty percent of the world’s blind population. However, significant progress has been made in recent years. Since […]
Diabetes: An Indian epidemic
Diabetes continues to be a disease of epidemic proportions in India, as new government figures remind us. The overall prevalence of diabetes in the country is 11.8 percent, with men and women almost equally affected. Twelve percent of men are diabetic, compared to 11.7 percent of women. The findings come from the National Diabetes and […]
India’s growing crisis of obesity
India is battling a full-blown crisis of obesity, one which is anticipated only to worsen in the years to come. More than 135 million Indians are affected by obesity, according to a study published earlier this year. Meanwhile, research indicates that the condition no longer strictly discriminates along class lines. “We found evidence suggesting it […]
CNNS: Malnutrition’s continued burden in India
Malnutrition continues to be a significant public health and development burden in India, impacting the health of the nation’s children in manifold ways – as the Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) reminds us. Recent Union Health Ministry data, based on the findings of the CNNS which was conducted between 2014 and 2018, found high prevalences […]