Massive fire calls for progressive approach to waste management Massive fire calls for progressive approach to waste management Content Editor: Dr. Urmimala Maiti March 16, 2023 Onmanorama Waste disposal, Environmental Health On March 2, 2023, a fire broke out at the solid waste treatment plant in Brahmapuram, Kerala. After 12 days of firefighting , the blaze has finally come down with toxic fumes engulfing the city and its suburbs. The plant was maintained by Kochi Corporation until the state government warranted composting and biomining. In a drone survey conducted by the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Kozhikode, 5.5 lakh cubic meters of waste lay over an area of 40.25 acres. 206 tonnes of waste are dumped daily. No segregation of waste makes processing laborious. With biomining occurring at a slow pace, environmentalists call for a decentralized approach to waste management , processing at source by the adoption of household composting techniques .

Telangana: The best state for organ donation and transplantation Telangana: The best state for organ donation and transplantation Content Editor: Dr Swathi Shenoy August 9, 2024 Social trends Organ donation, Transplantation, Public health On the 14th National Organ Day 2024, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare(MoHFW) awarded Telangana State the title of best state for organ donation and transplantation. In 2023, the state's donation rate reached 5.48 per million population (pmp) , surpassing India's average donation rate of 0.8 pmp by a substantial margin. The Jeevandan Cadaver Transplantation Programme , started by the Telangana state Government in 2013, contributed significantly to this accomplishment. Since its establishment in January 2013, Jeevandan has enabled the collection of 5,541 organs and tissues from 1,465 deceased donors. Also, Yashoda Hospital, Secunderabad, was recognized as the best private hospital with the highest cadaver donation. As of July 2024, there are 40 recognized facilities in Telangana that are authorized to perform cadaver transplants. Every transplantation has the potential to save up to 8 lives, underscoring the urgency to enhance the nation's capability for cadaver transplantations.

India gears up for the rising COVID-19 cases. India gears up for the rising COVID-19 cases. Content Editor: Dr. Sathya Prashaath January 10, 2024 Press Information Bureau COVID 19 The Union Health Minister, Dr Mansukh Mandaviya, chaired a high-level meeting to review the COVID-19 situation in India . The preparedness of the public health system was also assessed, including key points such as: Surveillance. Containment. Management of COVID-19. The Union Health Minister stressed the need to be alert and prepared against new and emerging strains of COVID-19 , especially considering the upcoming festive season. He urged states to ramp up testing and refer samples of COVID-19-positive cases to INSACOG labs for genome sequencing to track new variants . Following the meeting, the officials have been asked to undertake mock drills every three months at the central and state levels . This will be done to assess the functionality of medical equipment and oxygen supplies. States are urged to create awareness, manage infodemic, and ensure dissemination of factually correct information.

Urgent appeal by WHO Urgent appeal by WHO Content Editor: Dr.Sakshi Aggarwal February 8, 2024 WHO news Appeal for funding in healthcare by WHO "Disruptions to essential health services often mean the difference between life and death for those facing emergencies," said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a statement. The funding will encourage direct access to healthcare for communities in hard-to-reach areas, in partnerships with local organizations, and share information about document outbreaks and attacks on health workers. Distribution of funding, as announced: African Region - US$ 334 million Eastern Mediterranean Region - US$ 705 million European region - US$ 183 million Western Pacific Region - US$ 15.2 million South-East Asia Region - US$ 49 million Americas Region - US$131 million.

WHO and Global Fund sign a new five year “Strategic Framework for Collaboration” Content Editor: Dr. Ismail Rifai June 17, 2023 at 3:03:16 PM Global Health, Communicable disease, Global Fund • WHO and Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria have agreed to build upon previous agreement signed in 2018 and have come together for a new “Strategic Framework for Collaboration ”. • This framework aligns with the Global Fund Strategy (2023 - 2028) and the WHO General Programme of Work and commits to support countries to attain the health related SDGs and prioritises building community centred health response, addressing pandemic preparedness and challenges posed by climate change. • The focus areas for collaboration include health policies and normative guidance, advocacy and health governance, health products and innovations, and technical support and capacity building. • Previous collaborative achievements include but are not limited to – scaling up of differentiated service delivery (HIV), dual testing for COVID-19 and TB, WHO Insecticide Treated Nets Guidelines for malaria and shorter treatments for multidrug-resistant TB. Previous Next

Ban of 150 fixed-dose combination drugs Ban of 150 fixed-dose combination drugs Content Editor: Dr. Shubham August 29, 2024 Social Trends Fixed Drug Combination (FDC), Drugs and Cosmetics Act, Public health laws The Indian government has banned 156 combination drugs , including painkillers, multivitamins, antibiotics, and drugs used for fatty liver with diabetes and irritable bowel syndrome. These Fixed Dose Combination (FDC) drugs are considered a potential risk to humans. The government-appointed Drugs Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) and an expert panel declared these FDCs to be "irrational, " the DTAB also discovered no medicinal basis for any of the components. Safer alternatives exist, and the FDC drugs pose risks to human health, and the Board recommended prohibiting them. The ban was issued under Section 26A of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act . The FDCs were considered risky for human use, so they were prohibited from being manufactured, sold, and distributed. Companies with supporting data can continue, while others must withdraw their products. The list includes hair treatments, anti-parasitic drugs, skincare products, and anti-allergic medications . This prohibition follows earlier measures, such as the outlawing of 344 combination medications in March 2016 and an additional 14 in June 2023, as part of a larger attempt to regulate the pharmaceutical industry.

National birth defect awareness month 2024: A call to action National birth defect awareness month 2024: A call to action Content Editor: Dr. Tanya Tanu April 2, 2024 Social Trends RBSK, Birth Defects, Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram In RBSK children are screened at four levels: Delivery points: Comprehensive Newborn screening Home visits by ASHA: Screening for visible birth defects Anganwadis: Biannual screening of children (6 weeks to 6 years) Government schools: Annual screening of children (6 years to 18 years) The theme of National Birth Defect Awareness Month 2024 is “Breaking Barriers: inclusive support for children with birth defects”. Birth defects contribute to 4.9% of defects in neonatal mortality, as per Cause of Death Statistics 2017-19 SRS Report. Even though the proportion of child mortality due to these defects is lower when compared to other infectious diseases, RBSK aims to ensure the complete health of the child. This year, emphasis is being placed on pre-pregnancy care, as this period also has an impact on the growing fetus. Currently, about 160 crore children have been screened under the RBSK.

Govt. of NCT, Delhi to add happiness curriculum for school students Govt. of NCT, Delhi to add happiness curriculum for school students Content Editor: Dr. Sangya Chaudhary March 21, 2023 SCERT, Govt. of Delhi Education, Mental Health, Happiness Curriculum State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), the Government of NCT, Delhi, has launched the Happiness Curriculum (introduced in 2018 by His Holiness Dalai Lama) for students from Nursery to Grade 8 to create confident, mindful, responsible, and happy individuals who collectively build a happy and harmonious society. The objectives of the curriculum are to develop self-awareness, critical thinking, effective communication, empathy, life skills, social awareness, and human values. The curriculum is based on co-existential philosophy (Madhyasth Darshan) and aligns with the National Curriculum Framework 2005 and is created by a team of professionals, including mentor teachers and counselor psychologists. It’s based on the pillars of happiness, which include reflection on the relationship between feelings, thoughts, behavior, and their impact on oneself, family, society, and the environment including mindful activities, stories, reflective questions, and self-expression to enhance students' awareness, mindfulness and deepen learning. The Happiness Curriculum is impacting 8 lakh students and 21000 happiness teachers who experience a daily 40 minutes happiness class , creating a paradigm shift in searching for happiness externally through senses to be able to ensure it within oneself through learning and awareness, ensuring continuity of values.

Women’s welfare gets a boost: Gender budget up by 38.6% Content Editor: Dr. Sathya Prashaath February 27, 2024 at 3:14:40 PM Ministry of Women and Child Development, Women’s welfare The Gender Budget, which allocates funds for schemes and programs that benefit women and girls, has increased by 38.6% compared to the previous year. 43 Ministries/Departments/UTs have reported a total of Rs. 3.09 lakh crore in the Gender Budget Statement 2024-25, which is 6.5% of the total Union Budget. Ministry of Power and Ministry of Civil Aviation have reported in the Gender Budget Statement for the first time. The increase in the Gender Budget reflects the Government's commitment to empower women and girls and ensure their equal participation in the development of the country. Previous Next

Radon and its effects on health Content Editor: Dr. Gopika February 19, 2024 at 12:30:00 PM Occupational Hazards, Radiation, Cancer Radon is the 2nd chief cause of lung cancer deaths, after cigarette smoking, in the US Exposure to radon leads to lung cancer in non-smokers & smokers alike. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) , radon is the chief cause of lung cancer among non-smokers and is accountable for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year Radon is an odorless, invisible, radioactive gas naturally released from rocks, soil, and water. It gets inside buildings through small fissures and crevices. When inhaled, it gets trapped in the lungs and eventually increases the risk of cancer. In the US, 1 in 15 homes has high radon levels. Studies have shown a conclusive association between residential radon exposure and lung cancer. EPA recommends establishing a radon reduction system if levels are equal to or higher than 4pCi/L. In 2009, WHO launched an international radon project to help countries promote awareness and encourage actions to reduce risks related to radon Click here to read more Previous Next