Changes in DALY 2010-2021- Findings from the GBD study Content Editor: Dr. Himabindu Reddy May 1, 2024 at 3:00:00 PM 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. Previous Next

Need for development of an instrument on plastic pollution. Need for development of an instrument on plastic pollution. Content Editor: Dr. Aishwarya May 2, 2024 United Nations Environmental Programme Environmental Health, Plastic pollution. The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC-4) conducted recently, is the Penultimate stage of negotiations. It follows three earlier rounds of negotiations: INC-1, INC-2, and INC-3 which happened in 2021, 2022, and 2023 respectively. They mentioned convergence on eliminating problematic plastic uses and the need to continue plastic for specific uses, such as renewable energy technologies. They seek to advance these negotiations and deliver a treaty because a new legally binding instrument - has a critical role in providing the effective and impactful solutions needed to end plastic pollution. The INC-5, to be held in Busan, the Republic of Korea, from Nov 25 to 1 December 2024, is intended as the end of the INC process and a first-of-its-kind agreement aiming to end global plastic pollution. Click here to read more.

National Media Delegation Praises NIV Pune’s Viral Research Efforts National Media Delegation Praises NIV Pune’s Viral Research Efforts Content Editor: Dr. Lopamudra July 12, 2025 Ministry of Health and Family Welfare Virology, Viral Diseases A delegation of national media representatives toured NIV Pune to observe its pioneering work in viral disease control . During the visit, scientists demonstrated their critical contributions to public health security. Dr. Naveen Kumar, Director of NIV, presented recent breakthroughs including surveillance of COVID-19 mutations , containment of Guillain-Barré Syndrome cases , and progress on made-in-India vaccines targeting Mpox , Kyasanur Forest Disease, H5N1, and Japanese Encephalitis. The institute marked a technological milestone with NAKSHATRA - India's inaugural High-Performance Computing system dedicated to viral genomics , enhancing research capabilities. Since its 1952 founding, NIV Pune has served as India's frontline defense against viral threats through swift diagnosis and epidemic control measures.

UN Director general stresses on ‘Preserving The Earth’s Blue’ to solve global issues like food security and climate change Content Editor: Dr. Akhila Nandan June 24, 2023 at 6:17:24 PM Environmental health, Ocean, Marine biodiversity, climate change, global health Commemorating World Ocean Day , the UN Director General Antonio Guterres on Thursday highlighted that preserving the earth’s blue is the need of the hour as the oceans are the “greatest reservoir of biodiversity ”. He adds that humanity is the “worst enemy ” of the oceans as it is being tormented by overfishing, exploitation, acidification and pollution. An ambitious and unanimous decision was taken by the countries, last December, to preserve 30% of land, marine and coastal areas by this decade. The subtle High Seas Treaty was agreed upon by the countries later in March to propagate conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction for which “a collective commitment ”,was imperative to fulfil the above goal. Preserving the blue shall solve the other global issues like poverty, food security and climate change. Since oceans and marine biodiversity are the major sources of food and energy, the importance of Aquaculture siting was emphasized by Manuel Barange, FAO Director, focussing on its rapid growth over the last 5 decades and the expectant growth of 25% by this decade. Previous Next

Unveiling the intersection: COVID-19 and Candida auris Unveiling the intersection: COVID-19 and Candida auris Content Editor: Dr. Soundhar April 4, 2024 Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy(CIDRAP) International Health News, Infectious Disease Mount Sinai Hospital was on the frontlines of treating COVID-19 in the early phase of the pandemic. Candida auris , a multidrug-resistant fungus , was identified first in the United States in 2016; since then, hospitals in New York have been the hotspots. During the study period, they identified 64 cases, 34 by surveillance and 30 by clinical culture, with the incidence rising from 2.6 per 10,000 admissions in 2019 to 7.8 in 2022. The total incidence was 4.9 cases per 10,000 from 2019 to 2022. The authors say the increasing incidence of C. auris could be due to multiple factors associated with the pandemic. The study results highlight the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spread of M ultiple D rug R esistant O rganisms (MDROs) and how targeted surveillance can serve as a valuable tool to combat the increasing spread of C. auris . Click here to read more

French Botulism outbreak report sounds alarms Content Editor: Dr. Himabindu Reddy October 31, 2023 at 1:00:00 PM Global health, Communicable disease, Food-borne disease, Outbreak, Public health Bordeaux University Hospital, on September 6, reported the first case of botulism. Botulism is an uncommon but serious food-borne illness caused by the consumption of ineffectively processed home-canned, preserved, or fermented foods. The case was initially managed as a case of Guillain–Barré syndrome. This patient needed mechanical ventilation due to respiratory muscle paralysis and also experienced severe symptoms like impaired swallowing and oculomotor palsy. Two more patients with similar neuro-ophthalmic involvement needing ICU care were received at the hospital in the same week. All three patients, upon investigation, were revealed to be visitors to France and had consumed canned sardines in the same restaurant in Bordeaux. In total, this outbreak affected 15 people, all of whom reported eating sardines at the same restaurant. Physicians all around France have been advised to check for botulism symptoms in patients who have recently visited Bordeaux. France recorded 82 cases of foodborne botulism between 2008 and 2018, out of which 159 were classified as outbreaks. The highest number of individuals engaged in a single epidemic was six, making the current outbreak the biggest in the country. Previous Next

Factors influencing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in young children: A 2021 survey analysis Factors influencing sugar-sweetened beverage consumption in young children: A 2021 survey analysis Content Editor: Dr. Gurumurthy June 13, 2024 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Under 5 nutrition, Processed foods, Nutrition The initial five years are crucial for children's growth and cognitive development , requiring adequate nutrition. The 2020-2025 US Dietary Guidelines recommend that children under two avoid added sugars and that those aged two and older limit their intake to less than 10% of their daily calories. Nonetheless, many US children surpass these recommendations, mainly through the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) such as soda, fruit drinks, sports drinks, and energy drinks. A study conducted using data from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health, which is a nationally representative survey, examined SSB consumption among children aged 1 to 5. It revealed that 43% did not consume SSBs, 36% consumed them 1-3 times per week, and 21% consumed them four or more times per week. Higher SSB intake was associated with older age, non-Hispanic Black ethnicity, lower caregiver education, lower household income, Spanish as the primary household language, fewer family meals, living in nonmetropolitan areas, and receiving government food assistance. These findings highlight the necessity for targeted public health strategies to reduce SSB consumption in young children. Interventions should be inclusive, taking into account the sociodemographic and household factors that influence SSB intake, and should aim to support children's optimal growth and development. Click here to read more.

4th wave of COVID-19 in India? Content Editor: Sangya Chaudhary March 21, 2023 at 3:27:40 PM COVID 19 A new rise in COVID-19 cases is being observed all over the country in the past few days. As many as 900 cases have been detected in the country in a single day. According to MoHFW, as of 21st March 2023, there are 6559 active cases of COVID-19 in the country out of which 699 new cases have been recorded in the past 24 hours. Similarly, on 20th March 2023, 918 new cases were recorded. The daily positivity rate is 0.71% whereas the current Recovery Rate is 98.79%. The maximum number of active cases is in Kerala (1796) followed by Maharashtra (1308) and the new variant is being considered the cause of this increase. The government has come up with new guidelines for prevention and containment and is encouraging the population to follow COVID-appropriate behavior which would be important to avoid a new wave of COVID-19 disease. Previous Next

ERIS- the latest COVID-19 variant. Content Editor: Dr. Himabindu Reddy August 24, 2023 at 12:30:00 PM Vaccination, Covid-19, Viral disease, Global health ERIS, or EG.5.1, is a sub-variant of OMICRON XBB1.9., which has two additional spike mutations. ERIS caught the attention of WHO due to the rise in cases in the UK and the US. Hence, it was listed as a variant under monitoring. Internationally, ERIS was first reported in March 2023. The first case in India was reported from BJ Medical College, Pune, in May 2023. To date, this variant has been reported in 39 countries. The UK Health Security Agency reported that ERIS caused 14.5% of all UK COVID cases. Currently, this variant is spreading with a weekly growth advantage of 20%. This situation highlights the need for scaling up the pan-variant COVID-19 vaccines. Previous Next

National mental health conclave: A pivotal event in commemoration of world mental health day Content Editor: Dr. Manjeet Mohanty October 28, 2023 at 12:30:00 PM National Days, Mental Health Dr. Mansukh Mandaviya, Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, participated in the National Mental Health Conclave held in observance of World Mental Health Day. Dr. Mandaviya praised efforts to make mental health care accessible nationwide , particularly in remote areas. He commended Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership. He highlighted the importance of the National Mental Health Survey, which revealed that 10% of the population grapples with mental health issues, placing a significant burden on individuals, society, and the economy. He emphasized the role of technology in mental health care, citing the success of the National Tele-Mental Health Program (Tele-MANAS). The program has counseled over 350,000 people and currently serves 2,000 individuals through 44 TeleManas Cells. Dr. Mandaviya inaugurated the Tele-MANAS logo and unveiled new facilities at NIMHANS. He also discussed integrating mental health services with primary health services through Ayushman Bharat Health and Wellness Centers and district-level initiatives. In total, there are 47 government mental health hospitals in the country. Previous Next