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Wolbachia trials show promising results for reducing Dengue; The latest health stories from around the world

Looking at the year ahead in 2024, a strategy of releasing lab-modified mosquitoes to prevent the spread of dengue fever is poised to scale up after a series of successes. The Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, developed and tested by the non-profit World Mosquito Program (WMP), carry the bacterium Wolbachia pipientis, which blocks them from transmitting certain viruses and spreads …

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Malaria and COVID-19: The dual crisis continues

Last year, we prefaced our coverage of World Malaria Day with the note that “the era of COVID-19 masks the manifold health issues the world – India included – is grappling with. Malaria is among those issues – and with March 25th marking World Malaria Day, it is important to pay attention to the disease …

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Fewer malaria-endemic districts in India

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 …

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‘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 …

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Mosquito sterilisation to curb disease?

A number of agencies are investigating mosquito-sterilisation as a technique to curb the spread of vector-borne diseases.  The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations’s Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases (TDR), and the World Health Organization (WHO) are partnering to explore the sterile insect …

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Lymphatic filariasis: Can India eliminate it?

At the beginning of October, the island nation of Kiribati announced that it had eliminated lymphatic filariasis. By 2021, Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has pledged that India will do the same.  What is lymphatic filariasis? Lymphatic filariasis, or elephantiasis, is a neglected tropical disease (NTD) that attacks the lymphatic system. It is caused …

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Dengue fever: More than 67,000 cases

India has reported more than 67,000 cases of dengue fever as of October 13th, according to data released by the Directorate of the National Vector Borne Disease Control Programme (NVBDCP).  Of the 67,377 total cases reported, Karnataka bore the highest burden out of the country with 12,756 cases. It also accounted for eight of India’s …

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Suspected dengue fever leads to 2,000 hospitalisations in Mumbai after monsoon

Almost 2,000 Mumbai residents were hospitalised with suspected dengue fever in the beginning of October, amidst the withdrawal of monsoon rains.  The first fifteen days of October marked a slight spike in cases of suspected dengue fever compared to the same period in September. In total, 1,970 suspected dengue fever cases have been reported in …

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Kejriwal touts progress tackling cases of dengue fever

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has touted progress made by the state government in controlling cases of dengue fever in the national capital. Compared to last year, cases have almost been halved with a reduction from 830 to 467. Cases have spiked, however, in the past two months. 190 cases of dengue fever were reported …

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Jaipur issues penalties for mosquito breeding

Rajasthan state capital Jaipur is taking a hard line in its efforts to control mosquito-borne diseases, imposing fines against those who allow for breeding sites on their property.  At the time of writing, 141 homeowners in the city have been served with challans within a one-month period for failing to deal with breeding sites on …

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