• According to the study, measles vaccination had 2.6 (1.06- 6.37) times higher odds of  being ineffective in kids born by C-section compared to those born naturally.

• The study was conducted by modeling the antibody levels of 1505 individuals.

• The reason for this as explained by the researchers from the University of Cambridge UK  and Fudan University, China could be due to development of gut microbiome as a result of which the child's immune system doesn't produce antibodies to fight against the measles infection. Studies say that natural birth transfers a greater variety of microbes from mother to baby.

• Furthermore the researchers have however found that the second dose of measles vaccine induced a robust immunity in such kids.

• Kids these days are more prone to this as a fact that many women are preferring to undergo C-section for childbirth instead of natural birth, it takes longer to catch up in developing their gut microbiome and with it the ability of the immune system to be primed by vaccines against disease including measles.

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• Two health districts in Ouaddai province, Adre and Hadjer-Hadid, reported a total of 2092 suspected cases, including seven deaths, between January 2 and April 28.

• Ninety-five percent of these came from seven camps and transit locations for refugees.

• There were 27 pregnant women among the suspected cases, and the age categories most afflicted were 18–59 (representing 23.9%) and 6–17 (53.2%).

• Hepatitis-E cases have been documented from camps in the Ouaddai district of eastern Chad that house Sudanese refugees and returnees from Chad.

• In the impacted districts, response efforts are underway with assistance from UNICEF, WFP, UNHCR, MSF Spain, MSF Switzerland, and WHO.

• The activities include epidemiological surveillance, laboratory confirmation of cases, Infection prevention and control, Water, sanitation and hygiene(WASH), risk communication and community engagement (RCCE).

• MSF Switzerland and WHO have educated community health professionals to assist with response efforts.

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• The study was done to test the hypothesis that subnormal lung function trajectories from childhood to adulthood are associated with indicators of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases.

• The researchers utilized data-driven methods for determining lung function trajectories from childhood to early adulthood.

• They also utilized ECG and carotid artery scan data as predictors of cardiovascular risk and function.

• The participant data used for the study were from 3 independent UK birth cohorts [ 4874 from ALSPAC, 809 from IOW, & 801 from MAAS]

• The results demonstrated a significant association between diminished lung function trajectories and the propensity of cardiovascular morbidities.

• The study highlights the importance of measuring lung function from an early age to improve health outcomes in adulthood.

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• A study by Dadi et al. aimed to understand the perspectives of service providers and experts on the importance of self-management for People Living With HIV (PLWH).

• It was a qualitative study involving systematic expert interviews with experts and service providers.

• The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and translated into English.

• A thematic analysis was subsequently done using the Atlas TI version 9 software.

• The themes were divided into 2 broad dimensions: contextual and process.

• The problems identified under the contextual dimension were further sub-divided into:

1. Disease-specific

2. Facility related

3. Social environment related.

• The problems identified under the process/individual dimension included:

1. Ignorance

2. Low self-esteem

3. Lack of social support

• The study shows that there is a need to integrate self-management practices into standard management practices, especially for chronic diseases such as AIDS that have a long natural history and a lot of stigma and unawareness associated with them.

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• International Nurses Day is celebrated on May 11 each year to commemorate the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.

• It was celebrated by the Military Nursing Service at Ayurvigyan Auditorium, Army Hospital (R & R), Delhi on May 11, 2024.

• The chief guest was Maj Gen Kanwarjit Singh, Offg. Commandant Army Hospital (R&R).

• The International Council of Nurses has declared the theme for this year as ‘Our Nurses, Our Future, The Economic Power of Care’

• The celebrations included a debate on ‘Artificial Intelligence in Nursing: Boon or  Bane’ and a panel discussion was also conducted on this year’s theme.

• The panel discussion was centered on, but not restricted to the following:

1. The challenges faced by nursing professionals 

2. The approaches to empowering nurses

3. Digitalization in healthcare

4. Nurse burnouts

• The work done by the nursing fraternity with passion was commemorated and appreciation certificates were also handed over to nursing officers for their work. 

• The “treatment cascade” of hypertension is an important tool to understand and assess the performance of health systems in delivering health care to patients with hypertension.

• The various stages of the hypertension treatment cascade include

1. The proportion of people screened for hypertension

2. The proportion of people aware of their diagnosis

3. The proportion of people on appropriate treatment

4. The proportion of people with their blood pressure under control

• Data from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 survey of 1,267,786 people, which included males 15-54 years and females in the reproductive age group females was analyzed to identify the proportion of people at each stage of the treatment cascade.

• The national prevalence of hypertension was found to be 18.3%, among which men had a higher prevalence at 21.6% as compared to women at 14.8%.

• Though 70.5% of hypertensives had been screened at least once, only 34.3% were aware of their hypertensive status.

• The proportion of hypertensives under treatment was abnormally low at 13.7%, out of which only 7.8% had their BP under control.

• Multinomial logistic regression found males, illiterates, poor, never married, residents of rural areas, smokers/tobacco users, and alcoholic users were less likely to be at any level in the treatment cascade.

• Hence there is a need to make hypertension diagnosis and treatment more accessible, especially to the vulnerable groups.

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• A multicentric cohort study was conducted, based on the body mass index (BMI) of household contacts (HHCs) of people with TB diagnosed within 2 months of the study date.

• The study had 857 HHCs, 239 (27.9%) of whom were underweight according to their BMI.

• Out of the 18 new TB cases that developed during follow-up, 10 cases were underweight, and all 4 participants who developed early TB disease were severely malnourished.

• The study found a hazard ratio of 3.16 (95% confidence interval, 1.25 to 8.02) for TB disease in undernourished household contacts.

• The study concluded that undernourished individuals are at heightened risk of progression, not infection.

• In addition to TB preventive therapy, the study highlights the significance of TB programs in preventing tuberculosis (TB) among household contacts by providing sufficient rations for the entire household.

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• KP.2 belongs to the variant type known as “FLiRT,” which has been derived from the JN.1 variant.

• FLiRT is the term used for a family of different variants that have picked up the same set of mutations.

• FLiRT’s or FLiPs refer to the position of spike protein, which in this case is 456, 346, and 572.

• Two of these mutations, 456 and 346, act by eliminating binding sites for antibodies that neutralize SARS-CoV-2.

• However, in addition to evading antibodies, it has lost some ability to bind to receptors and enter the cells.

• The difference is just one or two amino acids, so there are still a lot of other places where antibodies can bind.

• Fortunately, the JN.1 infection does provide strong protection against all FLiRT variants.

• After years of vaccination and infection, most people can fight off an infection without much concern.

• The period of infectiousness remains the same as in JN.1 and previous Omicron variants.

• It is contagious 1-2 days before developing and a few days after symptoms subside.

• It is recommended to test oneself if one is feeling sick, which will help in early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.

• Since this variation has the potential to have a severe impact on the susceptible population, extreme caution should be exercised.

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• A study was conducted to estimate the prevalence and characteristics of STIs among attendees at the Suraksha Clinic in the Apex Regional STD Center in New Delhi.

• Suraksha Clinic is a chain of STI clinics established by the National AIDS Control Organization (NACO) to provide enhanced sexual health services and prevent HIV/AIDS in India.

• Retrospective data from January 2018 to December 2022 was statistically analyzed using Excel and SPSS.

• Out of 12,978 people, 58.92% were males and 40.94% were females.

• The outcomes showed a significant burden of STIs as follows:

1. 26.24% for candidiasis

2. 11.78% for chlamydiasis

3. 11.64% for herpes genitalis

4. 9.97% for bacterial vaginosis

5. 7.80% for chancroid

6. 3.36% positive for gonorrhea

7. 3.06%  for syphilis

8. 1.74% testing positive for HIV

9. 1.05% for trichomoniasis

10. 4.01% for other non-STIs

• Researchers concluded that syndromic diagnoses, including vaginal/cervical discharge (21.22 %) and genital warts (8.00 %), highlight prevalent conditions, necessitating routine screening, early detection, and targeted interventions.

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• Over the past 20 years, Indian teleradiology firms have been providing services to foreign nations, despite the shortage of radiologists in India. 

• This has helped to understand and bring home the necessary tools and infrastructure to provide high-quality teleradiology services in the country.

• There is a growing trend of hospitals outsourcing their radiology services to teleradiology firms, reflecting the challenges of hiring and maintaining radiologists at a competitive wage. 

• A healthy balance between services meeting India's requirements and those serving other nations must be maintained.

• Training for technicians in the teleradiology workflow is closely related to the quality requirements of teleradiology. 

• It may be necessary to provide them with training to fill in gaps in service engineers' availability to handle minor troubleshooting duties related to the teleradiology process and equipment.

• However, AI can improve image quality and shorten scan times, distinguish between normal and abnormal chest X-rays, and identify specific diseases with high accuracy. 

• AI can also help with common imaging procedures in general care, such as mammography, CT brain, obstetric ultrasound, and chest X-rays.

• The incorporation of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms into the diagnostic workflow represents paradigm shifts in healthcare delivery in the future.

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• A study published in The Lancet Regional Health - Southeast Asia shows alarming rates of tobacco use among pregnant and lactating women in India.

• The data from the National Family Health Survey-5 was used for the study.

• This is a public health concern threatening the well-being of both mothers and their children.

• Tobacco use among currently married pregnant and lactating women stands at 2.5% and 3.2%, respectively.

• 85.6% of these women are using smokeless tobacco (SLT), which is culturally more acceptable but no less harmful.

• Age, employment status, and wealth quintile were found to be the significant predictors of smoked tobacco use among pregnant women.

• For lactating women, the middle wealth quintile and the South Indian region emerge as key predictors.

• The study calls for immediate action to integrate tobacco awareness and cessation services into routine antenatal examinations.

• The research underscores the need for targeted interventions and policies, which will address the unique challenges faced by pregnant and lactating women.

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• A review was recently published in the Lancet on how the G20 could be the game changer for midwives and nurses in Indian healthcare.

• There has been a slow increase in women's leadership among the midwives and the nurses. 

• There have been multiple platforms wherein there has been a lack of women leadership due to men-only panels.

• However, the G20 serves as an opportunity for women to rise in their leadership roles. 

• India has a unique chance to consolidate its leadership position in global health and set the standard for advancing the agenda for gender equality internationally during the forthcoming G20 meeting.

• To accomplish this, 3 key areas must be prioritized at the G20 summit.

• These three areas are as follows:

1. Priority 1: Health care workforce, dignity & fair pay

2. Priority 2: Women's involvement in rights-based decision-making for their sexual, reproductive, and maternity health, with the assistance of midwives and nurses

3. Priority 3: Leadership in health governance and policy formulation by midwives and nurses to support universal health coverage and enhance the provision of healthcare services

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