The observance of International Women’s Day, which we mark today, is crucial in raising awareness of gender discrimination and the need to advance towards gender equality. It is important in India, a country beset by a range of issues related to gender discrimination despite advances made. The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day is […]
women's health
HPV awareness the need of the hour to fight cervical cancer
Today marks the culmination of the fourth International HPV Awareness Campaign, coinciding with International HPV Awareness Day. Raising awareness of HPV [the human papillomavirus] is essential in the fight against cancer – most prominently cervical cancer. As the World Health Organization (WHO) explains, “there are more than 100 types of HPV, of which at least […]
Endometriosis Awareness Month begins
Today marks the beginning of Endometriosis Awareness Month, an observance aimed to raise public understanding and knowledge of a condition which affects almost 200 million women worldwide. That figure, however, is almost certainly an underestimate. As previously outlined by Health Issues India, “endometriosis is a condition in which tissue that normally lines the inside of […]
Family planning report shows use of modern contraceptives on the up in India
India has made substantial progress in the last eight years according to a recent report published by organisation Family Planning 2020, which found that now more than 139 million Indian women and girls used modern contraceptives. “Access to [family planning] is fundamental to the success of the [Sustainable Development Goals],” FP2020 – “a global partnership […]
Anaemia still a concern among India’s women and kids
The latest National Family Health Survey (NFHS) data reasserts anaemia as a major concern in India – especially among its women and children. According to the fifth set of NFHS data, India’s prevalence of the disease is the highest in the world. The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare posits a rate of 39.86 […]
Midwives: A vital and life-saving investment
It need not be said, but is often overlooked, that public health systems benefit substantially from the work of midwives. This has been quantified to the tune of 4.3 million lives that could be saved per year by the year 2035 in new research published in The Lancet. The paper “[estimates] that, relative to current […]
Paid menstrual leave in DHC’s sights
The Delhi High Court took notice on Monday of the issue of paid menstrual leave, instructing both the Union Government and Delhi state government to offer a decision. A Delhi High Court bench consisting of Chief Justice D. N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan did dispose of the initial public interest litigation (PIL) on the […]
Cervical cancer elimination: WHO makes landmark commitment
The World Health Organization (WHO) has unveiled an ambitious strategy for cervical cancer elimination, one of the most pressing threats to the health of girls and women globally. In what the WHO called “a historic milestone”, 194 member states committed to the Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer. This marks the first […]
Women’s equality: The need of the hour
We are all equal. It is a message children are or, at the very least, ought to be taught from the earliest age. The fault line of gender is an area where humanity consistently has fallen short as it pertains to equality. As it is with race, with religion, with sexual orientation, and so many […]
A gender divide when it comes to COVID-19?
Much has been made of how the COVID-19 pandemic affects groups of society differently – and fault lines may be there when it comes to gender and COVID-19 deaths, recent research suggests. More Indian men are diagnosed with COVID-19 and more COVID-19 deaths are reported among men. However, the case fatality rate (CFR) for COVID-19 […]