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Karnataka

Rabies vaccine shortage in Karnataka

Karnataka’s hospitals are grappling with a shortage of the rabies vaccine, with many forced to procure them from other sources.  Rabies is one of India’s most lethal diseases, killing every person it came into contact with in 2017. Since 2010, only six people have survived rabies infections despite the disease being entirely vaccine preventable. Rabies …

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ART drugs and the toll of HIV in flood-ravaged Karnataka

Concerns in flood-ravaged Karnataka have been expressed for the state’s HIV-positive population and whether they can avail necessary medication such as ART drugs. Out of a HIV-positive population receiving treatment of 1.75 lakh, almost 67,000 reside in eight districts reeling under intensive floods. The provision of antiretroviral therapy (ART) treatments has been ordered by the …

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Medicines for water-borne disease in flood-ravaged Thane

Maharashtra’s Thane district has been battling heavy rainfall in recent weeks, causing floods and leaving it vulnerable to the spread of water-borne disease. To guard against such infections, officials have been distributing medicines – an effort which has reached more than 60,000 people.  The state has been beleaguered by intense flooding amidst heavy monsoon rainfall. …

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Death in the sewers: Manual scavenging continues to kill

In the first six months of 2019, at least fifty people died because of manual scavenging – in just eight states.  This is according to data collected from the National Commission for Safai Karamcharis (NCSK) from Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, and Uttar Pradesh. The fatalities offer a snapshot of a much …

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Rotavirus infections: Multiple states launch vaccination drives

Multiple states have launched vaccination drives against rotavirus infections, a significant driver of child mortality in India. Rotavirus infections are the leading cause of severe diarrhoeal disease worldwide. Diarrhoeal disease is the second most common cause of death of children under five years old and represents the most common cause of infectious disease outbreaks in …

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E-cigarette industry appeals against potential ban

The e-cigarette industry has appealed against the proposed ban on the devices, calling on regulation instead of outright prohibition.  With the Centre in position to initiate a blanket ban on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) by classifying them under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, the Trade Representatives of ENDS in India (TRENDS), an association of …

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Dengue data: Government claims versus reality

Is India mishandling its dengue data concerning deaths from the disease? The latest report by The Lancet claims there is a mismatch between the numbers from its study and the ones reported by India to the World Health Organization (WHO).  The mosquito-borne tropical disease – which the WHO considers the world’s fastest-growing mosquito-borne disease and …

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Fire safety lapses plague Karnataka’s hospitals

Another instance of fire safety lapses has been highlighted, this time in Karnataka. As a result, authorities are ordering the closure of scores of hospitals across the state. A total of 156 hospitals in the state were issued final notices regarding violations of fire safety regulations. 81 of the hospitals failed to respond to these …

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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 …

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Crackdown on e-cigarettes and similar devices

Authorities in Rajasthan are moving against e-cigarettes in the state following the decision of the state government to ban the devices. Coinciding with last week’s observance of World No Tobacco Day, it was announced that e-cigarettes, or electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS), would be prohibited in the northern state. The rules prohibit the devices from …

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