As a report reveals the sizeable death toll due to air pollution in India, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has urged the country to take action on it. “Urgent action” is required to address pollution, according to Dr Maria Neira, director of the WHO Department of Public Health, Environment and Social Determinants of […]
World Health Organization
Javadekar criticised by the WHO over pollution claims
Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change Prakash Javadekar has been criticised by the World Health Organization (WHO) for claims about air pollution and its effects on human health. “Let us not create a fear psychosis among people,” Javadekar told MPs last week. “Indian studies have not shown a correlation between shortening of life […]
‘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 […]
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 […]
Suicide rate data: WHO-Government disparity?
Mental health is one of the major issues facing public health in India at present. Approximately 150 million Indians are affected by mental health issues, with suicide being a leading cause of death in the country – especially among young people. However, suicide rate figures reported by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) appear to […]
Traditional Chinese medicine: Regulation a must
Earlier this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) included a chapter on traditional medicine in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for the first time – in what many perceived to be a boon to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). The ICD is an influential document. In the WHO’s own words, “ICD is increasingly used in […]
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 […]
A district, a diphtheria scare and the WHO
Amidst a diphtheria scare which has reportedly claimed ten lives, a World Health Organization (WHO) team has encamped in the Banaskantha district of Gujarat. “A team of [the] WHO has been camping in the district and over 200 teams [of the] state health department are conducting door-to-door survey in affected talukas,” commented chief district health […]
What World Polio Day taught India
Today marked World Polio Day, an annual observance acknowledging what once was a dominant threat to global health – and could well become a thing of the past entirely so long as momentum is sustained as we approach polio’s endgame. With the observance came a landmark report from the World Health Organization (WHO): wild poliovirus […]
TB in India: Fewer cases but still the most in the world
Tuberculosis (TB) in India continues to be a major public health burden, even as cases have decreased. This is according to the latest World Health Organization (WHO) report on TB, launched earlier this week, which provides an overview of how the world is tackling one of its dominant infectious disease challenges. The news is not […]