Another feather to ESIC’s hat Content Editor: Dr. Sivanthiga January 25, 2024 at 12:30:00 PM Occupational health, Worker health ESIC was bestowed with the award, “ISSA Vision Zero 2023 .” “Vision Zero," a transformational approach, integrates the three dimensions of safety, health, and well-being to prevent accidents at work . ESIC earned this privilege because: They aligned prevention strategies , apart from providing post-accidental mechanisms for medical care and cash benefits, and succeeded in outreach in the field of safety and health at work. They improved administration and operational efficiency using IT-enabled initiatives , thereby improving service delivery. Previous Next

Over 220 cr total Covid vaccine doses administered under National Vaccination Drive Over 220 cr total Covid vaccine doses administered under National Vaccination Drive Content Editor: Dr. Anubhav Mondal May 2, 2023 Press Information Bureau COVID 19, Infectious diseases, Vaccination drive About 5874 new Covid cases were reported in the last 24 hours. This comes as a relief after the recent upsurge of Covid since February. COVID-19 cases saw a dip of 27% in the last seven days(April 23-29,2023) compared to last week. The daily positivity rate on 29th April was 3.31% , and the weekly positivity rate was 4.25%(April 23-29) . Total tests for Covid detection amounted to 92.66 cr , with 1.7 lakh tests conducted in the last 24 hours, as reported on 30th April 2023 . Active cases dipped under the 50000 mark, which is a significant decline from 68000 on April 22. Declines of Covid cases have been reported from all over the country except for some states in the East and North East , with significant declines in Haryana, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh.

From Heatwaves to Waistlines: The Climate-Obesity Relationship Content Editor: Dr. Subhana Siyad January 25, 2025 at 6:23:55 PM Climate Change, Obesity Climate change is emerging to be a contributor to obesity, which is also driven by a complex mix of genetic, behavioral, and social factors. Rising temperatures impact behavior, leading to reduced physical activity and changes in diet, especially in developing countries. Research studies found that a 1°C increase in temperature was linked to a 4% rise in children's BMI and a 2% increase in women's BMI . The studies showed a U-shaped relationship between temperature and BMI meaning higher rates of obesity at both high and low temperatures. Extreme heat also has long-term consequences, causing people to stay indoors and rely on more calorie-dense, processed foods due to higher agricultural prices and lower crop yields. The nutritional content of crops are also affected as climate change causes decrease in protein levels in staples like rice and wheat. Rising temperatures further affect obesity by decreasing energy expenditure through adaptive thermogenesis, a process that helps regulate body temperature. To combat these effects, experts emphasize solutions like increased physical education in schools and climate-resilient agricultural practices to improve nutrition and prevent obesity. Previous Next

World Zoonosis Day: The need to differentiate between zoonotic diseases and animal diseases Content Editor: Dr. Prachi July 26, 2024 at 2:30:00 PM One Health, Zoonotic Disease, Public health World Zoonoses Day is celebrated on 6 July in honor of Louis Pasteur, who administered the first rabies vaccine on this day in 1885. The interactive session tried to differentiate between zoonotic diseases and those affecting animals. Species-specific animal diseases, such as Foot and mouth Disease and lumpy Skin Disease, do not pose a threat to humans but may lead to unnecessary fear of animals. The session emphasized that all animal diseases are not zoonotic, citing the recent detection of African swine fever in the Thrissur district of Kerala. Prevention of zoonotic diseases requires integrated efforts combining vaccination, hygiene, husbandry practices, and cross-disciplinary collaboration under the One Health approach. The department has launched nationwide Brucella and Rabies vaccination campaigns and implemented an animal disease surveillance plan. The National Joint Outbreak Response Team (NJORT) has been established with multi-agency experts for collaborative outbreak investigations. Click here to read more. Previous Next

Prejudicial laws blocking HIV progress Prejudicial laws blocking HIV progress Content Editor: Dr. Sumana Mukhopadhyay September 6, 2023 DEVEX HIV, Human Rights The IAS-Lancet Commission on Health and Human Rights cautions that human rights violations jeopardize the global HIV response. Discriminatory laws and campaigns targeting at-risk communities, like MSM, pose a threat to HIV efforts. Uganda's anti-gay law , including punishment of death for "aggravated homosexuality," hinders LGBTQ+ avail to vital HIV services. Recent research in sub-Saharan Africa links higher MSM HIV prevalence to the criminalization of same-sex conduct, substantiating the concern. UNAIDS data confirms escalated HIV rates among marginalized groups - MSM, sex workers, and drug users. Commission co-chair Adeeba Kamarulzaman suggests diplomatic efforts from major HIV funders to counter laws. Co-chair Chris Beyrer urges collaboration between the HIV community and LGBTQ+ activists to tackle persistent challenges.

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