Interim analysis on universal access to essential medicines Content Editor: Dr. Sangya Chaudhary October 12, 2023 at 12:30:00 PM Global Health, Sustainable Development Goals One of the key UN Sustainable Development Goals is universal access to essential medicines (UN's SDG 3). However, the progress towards universal access to essential medicines is lagging in 2023. The World Health Organization's 2025 target of "an additional billion people accessing medicines without financial hardship" is less than halfway achieved. The 2023 UN General Assembly (UNGA 78) is expected to bring outcomes that may significantly impact this issue. This assembly will provide a pivotal opportunity for change, including: Demanding new policies Increasing investments Global partnerships The UNGA 78 includes the SDG Summit and the U.N. high-level meetings, which were held in the month of September 2023. The focus was on: Meaningful private sector involvement Concrete action to bridge gaps in access Aid in achieving global health objectives A remarkable example was Viatris, a global medicines supplier, which reached a billion patients in 2022, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts. Previous Next

New vaccine to safeguard infants from hospitalization New vaccine to safeguard infants from hospitalization Content Editor: Dr. Himabindu Reddy August 9, 2023 CDC Newsroom Releases Immunization, Child health, RSV, Public health The United states center for disease control (CDC) approves a first ever vaccine against severe respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease. RSV is one of the most common causes of childhood respiratory sickness and the cause of death for 100 to 300 US children under the age of five per year. CDC found that use of the long-acting monoclonal antibody Nirsevimab, tradename BeyfortusTM, reduced the incidence of both hospitalizations and doctor visits for RSV in newborns by nearly 80%. CDC recommends single dose of Nirsevimab for all under 8 months, for their first RSV season and additional dose for immunocompromised children between the ages of 8 and 19 months.

High heat in February can lead to possible wheat crisis in India February 25, 2023 at 4:24:32 PM Food security, National Food Security Act, FAO This could be the 2nd consecutive year where wheat yield may show negative growth. Last year due to high heat in March, wheat production was impacted. This year the temperature has started to increase even earlier than in 2022. Indian Council of Agricultural Research has advised farmers to look for yellow rust disease, which can affect the crop at higher temperatures. The government has already replaced wheat with rice in 11 states under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana. The low central stockpile will also impair the government's ability to check the inflationary trend. The central government has also formed a committee to monitor the situation and issue advisories to farmers. According to experts, the late-sown varieties of wheat are likely to be impacted more. The situation can impact the central stockpile of wheat, which had already seen a fall due to low production last year, which can impact the public distribution system. Previous Next

How can a video-based tool help improve maternal mental health? How can a video-based tool help improve maternal mental health? Content Editor: Dr. Swathi Shenoy April 30, 2024 PLoS One Maternal health, Postpartum, Mental health Maternal mental health is one of the public health concerns as it has a debilitating effect on the mother, child, and family in total. However, awareness of these conditions is lacking in our health system. A quasi-experimental, single-group interventional study is in the planning stage to develop and evaluate a video-based tool to improve awareness and reduce stigma related to maternal mental illnesses. The study is planned to be conducted among 128 postpartum mothers within 6 months of their delivery. The study will be conducted among the mothers visiting the immunization OPDs of the UHTC and RHTC of a medical college in Bangalore, Karnataka. The Postpartum Depression Literacy Scale will be used to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Further, this intervention can help in identifying mothers with postpartum depression, which will thus ensure early diagnosis and appropriate treatment. However, one of the biggest limitations of the study is the lack of a control group to compare the effectiveness of the intervention Click here to read more.

The glimpses of ‘World Food India 2023’ Inaugural Content Editor: Dr. Sivanthiga. G Nutrition In the inaugural event the following were highlighted upon by the prime minister In the last 9 years the share of processed foods in India’s agricultural exports has grown from 13% to 23%, with (overall) increase of 150 percent of exported processed foods and a 15 time increase in food processing capacity. ‘One District One Product’- ODOP Schemes,Family Produce Organizations(FPO) should increase participantion and profits of small farmers and small industries. Including CEOs of prominent food processing companies,the event was poised to host participants from over 80 countries Important parts of India’s scientific understanding are ‘Rita-Bhuk’(eating according to season),Hit Bhuk (healthy foods) Mit Bhuk(Balanced diet). Food, Nutrition, Millets, FPOs Family Produce Organizations Previous Next

Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign 2024: "Ending Stigma, Embracing Dignity" Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign 2024: "Ending Stigma, Embracing Dignity" Content Editor: Dr Sumana Mukhopadhyay January 11, 2024 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare NLEP, SPARSH, Leprosy Eradication, Stigma Leprosy patients often face stigma in the community. Insufficient awareness leads to stigma, hindering leprosy control. This also affects the social, employment, marriage, and family dynamics. The "Sparsh Leprosy Awareness Campaign (SLAC)" introduced in 2017 addresses stigma and discrimination under the National Leprosy Eradication Program. SLAC activities: 1. Messages from authorities 2. Appeals to reduce discrimination 3. Honoring leprosy-affected individuals 4. Themed awareness. The SLAC is under renovation with a 2024 theme: "Ending Stigma, Embracing Dignity" with nationwide Gram Sabhas and various activities. As of 2023, the SLAC had already covered 80% of the villages. The State Coordination Committee and Leprosy Awareness Media Committee play a crucial role in planning and execution. Responsibilities assigned to the State Leprosy Officer, District Leprosy Officer, and Block Medical Officer are an essential push for effective campaign implementation.

Strategies for LF elimination by 2027: An editorial review Content Editor: Dr M Swathi Shenoy January 8, 2024 at 1:00:00 PM Global health, Vector borne diseases Elimination of lymphatic filariasis has been a marathon that has been going on for more than a decade now. Following the pandemic, WHO re-emphasized the goals for LF elimination by the year 2030 . In the aftermath of this, the MoHFW launched the ambitious goal of LF elimination by 2027, three years before the global target. Given this, an editorial emphasizing the various strategies that need to be developed was published in August 2023. The editorial gives the following key points : Multisectoral collaboration is one of the keys to the success of the programme. Increased community involvement . Social mobilization and sensitization of the communities will ensure willingness to ingest the drugs during the MDA. Direct observation during the MDA will ensure increased compliance with the drugs. There is a need to strengthen the evidence of transmission interruption using xenodiagnosis . The inclusion of medical colleges will help in the early diagnosis and management of disabilities. Increasing the use of rapid diagnostic tests and point-of-care tests will ensure early diagnosis and prompt treatment. There is an increased need for research involving the development of newer diagnostic tools and treatment modalities. To achieve this ambitious goal, there is a need for effective collaboration between scientific research, public policies, and social awareness programs. For futher reading - Click Here Previous Next

Global Data Show Limited DoxyPEP Protection Against Gonorrhea Global Data Show Limited DoxyPEP Protection Against Gonorrhea Content Editor: Dr. Sampriti July 15, 2025 CIDRAP International Health News, STI, anti-microbial resistance(AMR) Global data indicate doxycycline post-exposure prophylaxis (doxyPEP) may offer limited protection against gonorrhea due to high tetracycline resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae . A meta-analysis of 80,645 Neisseria gonorrhoeae samples drawn from 67 studies conducted between 1996 and 2013 across 51 countries revealed the following: a median tetracycline resistance rate of 54.2% , with values ranging from 4% to 100%. The highest resistance levels were observed in the East Asia/Pacific region (82.1%) and sub-Saharan Africa (81.6%) North America reported the lowest rate at 26.5%. Analysis from Seattle showed tetracycline resistance genes (tetM) in U.S . N. gonorrhoeae rising from ~10% in 2020 to over 30% by mid‑2024 . This surge, linked to doxycycline use for chlamydia and the doxyPEP rollout, raises concern that doxyPEP’s ~55% efficacy against gonorrhea in trials may be undermined. The authors recommend clear messaging that doxyPEP is unreliable for gonorrhea prevention and call for strengthened resistance surveillance in countries using doxyPEP.

Changes in DALY 2010-2021- Findings from the GBD study Changes in DALY 2010-2021- Findings from the GBD study Content Editor: Dr. Himabindu Reddy May 1, 2024 The Lancet GBD, Non Communicable Diseases, DALY , YLD, HALE, Research Findings Lancet recently published the latest findings from Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 as a series of articles. GBD 2021 findings are based on an analysis of 371 health conditions from over 100,000 data sources, including national disease registries, census, and autopsies. The rise in D isability A djusted L ife Y ears (DALY ) from 2010 to 2021 was mostly due to a rise in population and aging. This latest GBD 2021 series features health impact due to COVID-19 for the first time in GBD findings. Between 2010-2021, DALY increased substantially for anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and diabetes. While, communicable, nutritional, maternal, and neonatal diseases have shown a decrease of 13%, HIV- AIDS has shown a 48%, and Diarrheal illness has shown a 47% decrease in age-standardized DALY. In 2021, COVID-19 was the biggest cause of DALY, followed by Ischemic heart disease. Globally , H ealthy l ife e xpectancy (HALE ) improved slightly from 61.3 in 2010 to 62.2 in 2021. Regardless of age and gender, the top 3 causes of YLDs in 2021 were all non-communicable diseases: Low back pain>Depression>Headaches. Click here to read more.

02. Government run hospitals conduct mock drills to check COVID-19 preparedness across India. December 28, 2022 at 1:28:48 PM COVID-19 preparedness Hospitals across Delhi conducted mock drills on Tuesday to assess their preparedness to deal with any spurt in COVID-19 cases. During the mock drill the availability of hospital beds, condition of ICU beds, availability of medical oxygen, necessary training of doctors and other medical and paramedical staff were reviewed. The Union Health Minister Mr.Mandaviya was present during the mock drill and reviewed the preparedness at the Safdarjung hospital, New Delhi. Previous Next