There are substantially fewer malaria-endemic districts in India, Minister of State for Health Ashwini Choubey informed lawmakers last week. In 2016, the Government identified 132 malaria-endemic districts in the country. In 2018, this number had been reduced to 63. 429,928 malaria cases were recorded in the country last year, the Minister informed MPs in a […]
Malaria
‘Progress has slowed down’ – The World Malaria Report and what it means for India
Earlier this year, experts said that a malaria-free world was possible with a bold approach from stakeholders. The most recent World Malaria Report has reinforced the importance of such measures to be undertaken as officials warn that the stagnation in efforts to tackle malaria is “unacceptably high.” “The world has shown that progress can be […]
Child health: How climate change will affect it
“A child born today will experience a world that is more than four degrees warmer than the pre-industrial average, with climate change impacting human health from infancy and adolescence to adulthood and old age,” reads a report published yesterday by The Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change – lending a chilling insight into the […]
Antimicrobial resistance: Vardhan calls for action
Antimicrobial resistance is on the rise in India, with even resistance to the commonly used antibiotic clarithromycin on the rise. “The resistance to clarithromycin is rising among the Indian patients and that too at quite a fast pace,” said Sunil Sofat, additional director of the Department of Interventional Cardiology at Jaypee Hospital in Noida. “There […]
“Water Aunties”: A boon to rural India?
Water in India’s rural locations is often a risky business. Could “water aunties” be a solution? In areas where sewage systems are either non-existent, dysfunctional or in a state of disrepair, open defecation is still common. Water is often sourced from groundwater supplies and contamination is simply a fact of life. Outbreaks of diseases such […]
‘Our legacy to future generations’: India and a malaria-free world
India will prioritise the eradication of malaria on its public health agenda, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has announced on the heels of a landmark report by experts which proclaims that a malaria-free world by 2050 is attainable – if a bold approach is undertaken. “We are working towards ending malaria as soon as […]
Global Fund: India strengthens commitment
India will step up its efforts to fight infectious diseases including tuberculosis (TB), malaria, and HIV/AIDS by distributing more funds to the Global Fund. Established in 2002, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria claims it “mobilizes and invests more than US$4 billion a year to support programs run by local experts in […]
Spike in water-borne diseases in Hyderabad
Hyderabad is reporting a spike in water-borne diseases, sparking fears of water contamination. Diarrhoeal disease, viral hepatitis, and typhoid have all been reported in the Telangana state capital. At the time of writing, 16,178 people have fallen ill with diarrhoea and 1,301 are afflicted with typhoid fever. Viral hepatitis, meanwhile, is believed to have affected […]
Colistin ban in food sector over drug resistance concerns
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 […]
Mobilising people to fight vector-borne diseases in Delhi
“Probably for the first time, the Centre, state and all local bodies will put together their efforts to mobilise the community for a public health activity,” said Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan, as he announced a three-day campaign in Delhi beginning this week to increase public awareness of vector-borne diseases yesterday. Amidst the monsoon […]