The Assisted Reproductive Technology Regulation Bill, 2020 – one the Government has billed as “historic” – has won the approval of the Union Cabinet in a significant overture towards regulation of the assisted reproductive technology sector. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired the Cabinet meeting where the Bill secured the approval of ministers. The legislation outlines […]
Pregnancy
Unnecessary c-sections: Why they’re misused throughout India
Caesarean sections (c-sections) can be the difference between life and death for some mothers. However, a concerning trend in unnecessary c-sections is being witnessed throughout India – and a recent report from Madhya Pradesh about such practices is raising alarm bells in the state. The Central Bureau of Health Intelligence (CBHI) under the Union Ministry […]
Intensified immunisation drive in Maharashtra to benefit almost 80,000 kids
Almost 80,000 children and more than 13,000 pregnant women will benefit from an intensified immunisation drive in Maharashtra. The news comes from the state on the heels of an announcement earlier this year that the Government of India was stepping up its immunisation efforts through Indradhanush 2: an enhanced version of the Government’s vaccination drive […]
Preeclampsia: A heart disease risk
Preeclampsia – a disease that can occur during pregnancy – can lead to an elevated risk of cardiac disease in later life, according to new research. The condition refers to gestational hypertension, wherein the mother’s blood pressure is elevated (onset being after the twentieth week of pregnancy) posing a risk both to her and her […]
Infertility in men higher than in women
At a recent conference in Visakhapatnam, experts have said that infertility in men is more widespread than the condition is in women in India – and warned that it too often goes overlooked. Between ten and fourteen percent of Indians are affected by infertility according to the Indian Society of Assisted Reproduction, with 27.5 million […]
Indradhanush 2: Government ramps up vaccination efforts
The Centre will expand its efforts to improve vaccination coverage throughout the country with “Indradhanush 2”, building on existing efforts to achieve ninety percent immunisation coverage against a plethora of infectious diseases. Launched in December 2014, Mission Indradhanush aimed to cover all children up to two years of age and pregnant women with vaccination coverage, […]
Sex determination racket bust points to a national issue
![Sex ratio at birth. Sex determination ban in India to prevent imbalanced sex ratio. By Melanurya (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](https://i2.wp.com/www.healthissuesindia.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Sex_determination_ban.jpg?resize=150%2C150&ssl=1 "Sex determination ban in India and freedom of speech")
In Haryana’s Panchkula district, a clinic has been raided by the state health department over allegations of a sex determination racket operating there. The Siddharth Clinic in Swastik Vihar, located in the Mansa Devi Complex, claimed to perform “infertility, gynae and ultrasound”, despite being unregistered with local authorities, and that equipment for procedures it was […]
Black carbon: How air pollution may affect the health of an unborn child
New research has identified a potential risk of air pollution to unborn children during pregnancy: black carbon. Black carbon is a pollutant generated by the burning of fuels such as biomass and fossils. Particles have been detected on the side of the placenta which faces the foetus. The placenta is an organ which develops during […]
Child and maternal mortality: India still a leader
“Thirty years ago, the world made a commitment to protect and fulfil children’s rights as enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Among the most fundamental of these rights is the right of every child to survive.” So reads the introduction of the latest Levels and Trends in Child Mortality, a joint […]
Fertility experts call for IVF age limit
Fertility experts have called for age restrictions to be placed on who can access in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in India. A law should be drawn up at the central level, the Indian Fertility Society (IFS) has said, which would prevent cases like that of 74-year-old Mangayamma Yaramati. She delivered twin daughters in Andhra Pradesh at a […]