SPArc Therapy as a Safer Alternative in Head and Neck Cancer Therapy Content Editor: Dr. Asma Aftab July 7, 2025 at 5:41:50 PM Oncology, Medical Innovation For the first time, a team of doctors in the United States, have treated a patient with adenoid cystic carcinoma using step-and-shoot spot-scanning proton arc therapy (SPArc) —a precise form of proton therapy that spares healthy tissue. Conducted at Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, this technique was found to reduce radiation exposure to critical areas like the brainstem, spinal canal, and oral cavity by up to 90% compared to standard methods. Published in the International Journal of Particle Therapy, the study involved a 46-year-old woman treated with 33 SPArc sessions. She experienced minimal side effects and continued working throughout treatment. Various experts have praised the method’s precision, especially for tumours near vital organs. Though a more advanced dynamic version of SPArc is still under development, this marks a major step in treating complex head and neck cancers with reduced collateral damage. Cost and accessibility, however, still remain key concerns.Click here to read more Previous Next

A collaborative side event at the 2024 Prince Mahidol Award Conference Content Editor: Dr.Sakshi Aggarwal February 1, 2024 at 1:30:00 PM Advancing technology, Traditional Medicine, AYUSH The event is being hosted by the WHO Evidence to Policy and Impact Unit (Research for Health Department) The Evidence Unit of the WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine. The event is being hosted to explore the current state of Evidence-informed policy-making (EIDM) institutionalization globally and the implications of its intersections with Traditional, Complementary, and Integrative Medicine (TCIM) The WHO established key tools, such as: The WHO checklist: assists in the regular use of evidence during the policy-making process The Evidence-Informed Policy Network (EVIPNet): an initiative to encourage the institutionalization of evidence-informed decision/policy-making (EIDM) The first WHO Global Summit on Traditional Medicine (17–18 August 2023, Gandhinagar, India) produced the Gujarat Declaration which called to support the evidence-based integration of TCIM in national health policies and systems based on the best available research. This side event aims to evaluate the progress and difficulties of incorporating TCIM in EIDM institutionalization globally as well as the necessary circumstances to strengthen it. It is a first step towards the evidence-related proposals of the Gujarat Declaration. Previous Next

Air pollution: A clouded sky over solar dreams Content Editor: Dr. Immanuel Joshua E October 24, 2023 at 12:30:00 PM Environment Health, Solar Energy, Green Energy A recently published study reported India’s photovoltaic potential. The study was titled “India’s photovoltaic potential amidst air pollution and land constraints .” According to the report, just 29.3% of India's landmass can currently be used for solar photovoltaic energy harvesting. This landmass, which mainly expands over southern and western regions, is further declining by 0.21% annually. This, in turn, causes a presumptive loss of 50 GW of solar potential. According to the study, aerosols have a major impact on solar resources over approximately 98% of the Indian Landmass, clouds impact 40% of it, and clouds and aerosols impact 39% of it. Therefore, alleviating two decades of aerosol burden will make an additional 8% area suitable for effective solar photovoltaics. Previous Next

NMC Appoints Part-Time Members Under the NMC Act, 2019 Conteng Editor: Dr. Anamika August 30, 2025 at 2:59:07 PM NMC Act 2019, National Medical Commission Under the provisions of the NMC Act, 2019, part-time appointments have been made for a two-year duration. Ten nominees from State/UT Governments—formerly part of the Medical Advisory Council—represent states and UTs such as Gujarat, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Andhra Pradesh, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Jharkhand, Chandigarh, and Madhya Pradesh. Selections from State Medical Council nominations included nine individuals, representing states such as West Bengal, Karnataka, and Nagaland. Representatives from Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Haryana, and Punjab were appointed to the autonomous boards. A nominee from Jammu & Kashmir joins the Search Committee. Media witnessed the draw for fairness. For further reading, click here Previous Next

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